The Gibraltar Magazine January 2010

interviews • arts • dining • finance • leisure • property • history • business • health

g

ibraltar magazine the

January 2010

Vol.15 No. 03 FREE

Keeping it Special

Deep Throat in Gibraltar

Wonders of the Lost Ark

The Man Behind the Pen

Pirates in the Sky... and much more

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Additionally, if there are taxation issues arising from pensions, property or investment structures, we listen to our clients’ needs and offer constructive solutions.

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You don’t have to live just around the corner …

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2007

what’s inside? features

18 36 38 52 70 72

Dominique Searle The man behind the pen € The Rock Revisited Pirate in the Sky Jose Netto Union man Wonders of the Lost Ark Wildlife at the Alameda €

business & finance

8 9 12 14 16 24

8-25

Business & Finance Guide Looking Back and Forward Little Brown Envelopes Tax investigations Social Responsibility Rock Brand Creativity unlimited 70 Years of Hassans €

leisure & lifestyle

20 22 26 28 32 34 42 44 55 66 68 69

Annie Risso Keeping it special € An Entirely Possible New Year’s Resolution Big Names Make Moves: at the Chess Festival Alice in Pantoland In the Field: with John Wood Natalia Garcia:family & other things English Will Take You Places Celebrating Sunday Tea Shopping & Beauty Guide The Three Kings Arrive € Leisure & Tuition Guide Two Men & a Boat

history & heritage 30 40 46 65

Verne’s End Deep Throat in Gib Vicksburg inspired by Gibraltar Robbie Burns & the Rock Soldier €

health & medical

58 60

food & drink

58-63

78

Hot & Healthy € at the Soup Kitchen 80 Wine Column 81-84 Restaurant & Bar Guide 85 Popping into Corks

ah at home

IN GIBRALTAR

62 63

Looking Younger How Healthy is Your Relationship with Food?

Health & Fitness Guide Health Tips for the New Year

48 49 50

64 86

Puzzle Page Around Town

56-57 90

regulars

74-85

48-51

Property Directory Market Overview The Psychology of Colour

information City Centre Map Gibraltar Information

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Hassans 57/63 Line Wall Road Tel: 200 79000 www.gibraltarlaw.com ISOLAS Portland House, Glacis Road Tel: 200 78363 www.gibraltarlawyers.com

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

by Ian Le Breton

finance

Looking back at 2009 & forward to 2010 Happy New Year! As the song says “let’s hope it’s a good one.” What about 2009? Was it a good one and what can we expect in the financial world this coming year? Big questions, and I’m not sure I have all the answers, but I thought I’d start by re-reading my article in last January’s Gibraltar Magazine to see how 2009 turned out compared to my ramblings at that time.

At this time last year the opening paragraph included these words. “Welcome 2009 and in my opinion, good riddance to a horrible 2008 from a business perspective”. So how has the financial world fared in 2009 — has it been a better year? And what can we expect going forward?

I think it safe to say that in most areas, 2009 has certainly been better than the previous year. But that is not really saying much is it?

In 2008, we saw major banks going bust — or being rescued by governments — and stock markets plunging. In Iceland, the whole financial system came perilously close to complete collapse. These things didn’t happen in 2009 so, without doubt, we can start thinking about better days ahead.

There was good news to be found in many areas — but as always this depends on your point of view. Stock markets around the world recovered strongly — in some cases huge gains were recorded. But beware when making comparisons, because many such markets, Russia for example, were also the largest fallers the year before.

Currencies have also been volatile once again during 2009. Throughout the year

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

we have seen the pound stay very close to parity against the euro (that is one euro for one pound).

At certain times during the year (if you’ve been lucky) you could get closer to 1.10 euro for each pound but it’s been short lived.

The exchange rate is a barometer of the overall health of a country’s financial system. In the case of the British currency, the truly dreadful state of the UK economy has caused a steep fall in the value of the pound over the last two years; this is unlikely to change any time soon. Someone recently asked me why the pound was holding up against the US dollar but not the euro and other currencies. The simple reason is that the US economy is in a dire state too — so both currencies are in fact weak against others, but the pound has recently been holding its own against the greenback.

So coming back closer to home, is it fair to say that 2009 was a better year for Gibraltar financially than 2008? As ever it depends on many factors.

Certainly Main Street seemed as busy as ever.

More cruise ships than ever before are calling into port — on some occasions this year we had

business & finance three visiting on the same day. But are these visitors spending any more money? Of course it’s difficult to say and many of the traders are complaining that the global recession is having a truly detrimental effect on their business.

As I have written previously, one positive effect of such a dreadful sterling/euro exchange rate is that more Spaniards and foreigners resident in Spain are attracted to the Rock because they are paying less in euro terms than before.

But consider this. Many of our traders source their supplies from Spain, Portugal and elsewhere in the curiously named “Euroland”, so that in fact prices are likely to rise to compensate for the higher “cost of sales”. But if you raise your prices, demand will suffer, and so the vicious spiral goes on. What would really help the traders is for a significant improvement in the overall economy in the UK and Spain — but that, I fear, is going to be some time in coming.

What else can we look at when trying to figure out whether 2009 has been better than the year before? Interest rates have been held at near zero in Europe and the US all year and this is set to continue for some time. Interest rates on mortgages are therefore lower in real terms than ever before — but actually getting one is becoming harder. Banks are of course tightening up on loan to value (the amount one can borrow compared to the value of the property in question). Property prices in Gibraltar have certainly not crashed as they have in some areas in neighbouring Spain. But is it difficult to say whether they are simply steady, or in fact moving at all. Gibraltar is a unique property market in so many ways that it is difficult to compare and then make a meaningful statement. My

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estate agent friends tell me that prices are firm and Gibraltar property is the thing to be in. But they would, wouldn’t they?

The amount people spend going out, on travel and other luxuries is also very interesting. Again, trying to gain an accurate picture is tricky but one only need walk around Gibraltar to get an idea of what’s going on. The bars in Casemates and elsewhere look busy enough — especially on Friday nights — but how genuinely “busy” is it really? Gibraltar is small, so of course it can look busy with a few coach loads (or cruise ship loads if there is such a phrase). My good friend Lyana Armstrong-Emery at M H Bland Travel tells me that she is still seeing a lot of business from locals. Any holiday — even a short break somewhere close to home — is considered less of a luxury these days. For many, it is considered as essential as the monthly bills. How attitudes change over the years as to the things we consider to be priority items.

Perhaps it’s more of an individual thing. How do you feel about the economy? And specifically, how have you been affected by the recession, downturn, credit crunch — call it what you will?

How do you feel about the economy? And specifically, how have you been affected by the recession, downturn, credit crunch — call it what you will?

Of course for anyone who may have lost their job this year, it will have been truly awful. Others, no doubt, have prospered. I suspect though that for most people 2009 has been one for watching the pennies more closely, and waiting for clear signs that the worst might be over.

It’s dangerous to make predictions, especially where the financial world is concerned, but I imagine 2010 will be much like the year we are just leaving. Hopefully we will experience no more major economic shocks and we will begin to see more stability all round. This should lead to a general feeling for everyone that we are getting through what is clearly the most turbulent period in the global economy that most of us will ever see (we hope!).

As I said this time last year, the warm weather is just around the corner. That is something we can rely on — not even our bankers, politicians nor any amount of recession can mess about with that (although there’s always global warming to worry about but luckily this is a financial column so I’ll spare you my thoughts on that topic). It only remains for me to wish all readers and their families a very Happy New Year. Let us hope it is a very good one indeed. n

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

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tax wise same period.

• Please provide details of medical insurance

This is just a sample; the list can go on.

Tax Investigations

Little Brown Envelopes Have you had a bad day? Do you feel alone and abandoned? Are you convinced that no one cares about you? Do you think no-one cares about your life, your work? Are you sure nobody sees your successes and failures? And nobody cares if you live or die? You are wrong. Someone is very interested in everything you do!

When everybody else quits on you: HMRC your finances and lifestyle apart from the colour of socks you wore on Christmas day 2002.

— “We never stop thinking of you.”

The above was sent to me in the form of a slide show on the 6 April last year from a client to herald the start of a new tax year. The background music was “You’re just too good to be true” and the black and white photographs built up the atmosphere of the slide. It was amusing when HMRC’s logo came up at the end.

However joking aside there is an element of truth in this slide show, as many clients I have dealt with have found out to their detriment.

Tax investigations are stressful, time consuming and very, very costly. And even though you may have left the UK many years ago, this does not mean that HMRC has stopped thinking about you or collecting information on you and will not investigate you.

The Letter The brown envelope with HMRC’s logo is lying at the bottom of the pile of Christmas cards you have just received. You know this will not be similar to the other post in that it will not contain the usual “Seasons Greetings”.

With great trepidation you open the envelope and what you will find could be anything from a three lined letter stating that they will be opening an investigation into your 2007/08 tax return to a four or five paged letter asking for information on practically everything about

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If you have received a four page letter Examples of the questions that you will be asked are:

• What date did you leave the UK? • Please provide details of all visits to the UK since your date of departure and the purpose of those visits.

• Please provide details of length of stay in any other countries since your departure.

• Please provide details of all properties you own and any mortgages on these properties • Please provide utility bills for all properties • Please provide all telephone bills and mobile phone bills.

• Please provide all bank account details worldwide and statements of all accounts from 6 April 2007 to 5 April 2008.

• Please provide all credit card statements for the

HMRC seems to enjoy changing the residence goal posts as often David Beckham changes his haircut

What are you going to do about it?

The first reaction is to either throw the letter in the bin and ignore it or to reply to all the questions just to get it out of the way.

The best reaction is to go and see a tax specialist because you do not know what you will be letting yourself in for and where you stand if you do nothing; if you blithely answer all the questions you do not know what they are going to ask in the next four page letter that will come winging back.

If the writer seems a little sceptical at this stage it is because she has seen the way HMRC carry on asking time consuming and expensive questions even when the recipient of the letter has done nothing wrong and has no connection with the UK tax system.

What will the specialist be looking for?

The answer to this question is unfortunately not simple these days. HMRC seems to enjoy changing the residence goal posts as often David Beckham changes his haircut. It used to be (and we are only talking three years ago) that someone who had left the UK could rely on the content of a guidance booklet produced

by HMRC called the IR 20. This was based on the law in the Income Tax Act and various court cases which have broadened the interpretation of the law. Without bothering to tell anybody HMRC decided to abandon the guidance they had previously given and take away certainty from those people who had been relying on the booklet to make sure they did not run the risk of becoming UK resident. To demonstrate the amount of uncertainty this has caused it should be noted that the legal challenge to HMRC in doing this is still going through the courts and has been for the past two years.

HMRC have produced a new booklet, which appears to be based more on their fantasies on how they would like residence to be decided rather than on law.

The tax specialist will therefore need to assess not only the reality of whether you are resident in the UK as well as in Gibraltar but also the probability of HMRC continuing with a prolonged enquiry with or without good cause.

It may well be that even though you have a residence in Gibraltar and a holiday home in Spain you may still run a high risk of being resident in the UK through breaching the 90 day rule or through not leaving the UK for a fixed and settled purpose. At that stage the specialist would probably tell you that the quickest and cheapest solution is to put your hands up, answer the questions and pay whatever tax is due.

At the other end of the spectrum it may well be that despite the fact you have done something to trigger HMRC’s interest such as keeping a UK property when you left, you may clearly have gone from the UK for a fixed and settled purpose and not visited for anywhere near the 90 day per annum rule. At that stage your specialist may agree with you that the answer to the questions are none of HMRC’s business and that you should reply on that basis. The argument should be about whether or not you need to reply rather than furnish HMRC with information to which they are not

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

tax wise

by Angela Smart, Smart Tax Consultancy entitled.

One way or another you will need the help of a specialist in making up your mind and will need to be very careful about any replies that go to HMRC. When discussing the matter with your specialist you should never try and hide the full facts because the chances are that the revenue will know a lot more about you than you think. If they have an address for you outside the UK the will have almost certainly have approached the jurisdiction where that address is and asked that particular tax authority to let them have all the information that they have or can get hold of.

The increase in cross border information powers will day by day make it more and more likely that you will be unable to hide anything and, if you do try and hide something which is later found out, the relevant revenue authority would consider your inability to be open on a previous occasion as a very serious offence. The days of telling the Spanish taxman that you are UK resident and telling the UK taxman that you are resident in Spain are well and truly over.

Your specialist will be looking at the same areas as HMRC will be looking at, however he will be looking at it from a risk point of view and looking at how to handle any difficult areas. He or she will want to be aware of any bad news before HMRC puts it on the table.

What happens next?

If your specialist advises you that you do have a problem and quantifies your liability to HMRC for you and for them. The issues can usually be resolved fairly quickly with minimum penalties

being imposed.

If the decision is made to contest HMRC’s position then the odds are that the process will take a lot longer.

Your advisor will want to speak to HMRC at the earliest possible time to find out why they are investigating you and to narrow down the amount of information requested. Reasons can vary from the serious position of some very compromising information held in relation to your presences/business activities in the UK through to random selection to something as silly as a careless mistake on a tax return which you have filed. Your specialist’s level of response will clearly be dependant on what the concerns of HMRC are.

At the end of the day if HMRC remain unhappy with your explanations or the information you wish to supply by making formal information requests or assessments they can land you in court to get what they want. This is clearly something you would wish to avoid and a specialist will help you avoid.

Just because they ask for it, doesn’t mean they are entitled to it!

If the decision is made to contest HMRC’s position then the odds are that the process will take a lot longer

HMRC investigations are prolonged these days by the very uncertainty in the law which they have created themselves which has resulted in a position where until the courts tell them one way or another they do not know where they stand let alone does a potential taxpayer know where he stands. This is not helped any the fact that the majority of investigations are carried out at a low level by staff who have no real understanding of the law or the process of moving abroad. Some of them are unable to understand why people would leave the UK and miserable wet days in Bootle to suffer sunny days and a more civilised lifestyle in the Mediterranean.

A specialist faced with this problem will always try to move this investigation away from the lower level to the higher level where there is an understanding of the law and the real world, not only in respect of the residence position but also in respect of which bits of the information requested HMRC is really entitled to have.

From past experience information requests have been overturned when they have reached the higher level within HMRC, as the information was not relevant to UK residence.

So if you have one of those little brown envelopes your first reaction should not be to panic or ignore but to go and speak to a tax specialist. n Please contact: Smart Tax Consultancy Tel: 00 350 58008575

AI International Couriers Ltd 11 Engineers Lane PO Box 532 Gibraltar Tel: (+350) 200 73775 Airport office: (+350) 200 41076 Fax: (+350) 200 74389 email: gibsn@dhl.com GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

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Socially Responsible?

by Michael Ford, MFC Human Resources Consultants

The continuing success of the annual Children in Need fundraising event, especially in such challenging financial times, once again highlighted the desire of people to contribute to society. However large or small the amount raised, people continue to come together in times of hardship and give to those invisible but desperately in need within our society. Whether it is Famine Aid in Africa, Earthquake relief in Indonesia or a local community pulling together in flood-hit Cumbria, the response is always the same: people want to help.

Corporate Social Responsibility (or CSR to make it more appealing to the eye) could be described as the way in which businesses, big and small, contribute to this bettering of society.

In an ideal world (whatever that looks like), businesses would embrace responsibility for the impact of their activities on the environment, consumers, employees, communities, stakeholders and all other people who come into contact with the company. The ways in which this is achieved are as diverse as the companies themselves; that variety, as we will see, can be a pleasure to behold.

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Companies such as the Body Shop and the Cooperative Group have their roots firmly embedded in ethical considerations, with people associating certain High Street names with fairness and transparency

CSR and the Global Big Boys ‘Blue Chip’ organisations the world over are beginning to see the benefits attached to being Socially Responsible: this can best be seen in their end of year Reports to their Stakeholders, highlighting the ways in which their efforts have not only made a better bottom line for themselves, but how they have also contributed to society in general. In fact, it is a virtual given in 21st century business that every successful company will now integrate a CSR program into their business model: to do otherwise may look not only uncaring, but unprofessional too...

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

business issues PR in a positive light The recent (and very understandable) public uproar over clothing manufacturers exploiting child labour has seen market-leaders pro-actively distance themselves from such practices; an example can be seen with the Adidas clothing brand: “Adidas has a no child labour policy, and follow the guidelines contained in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the ILO Conventions.�

Such a statement of intent not only strengthens the grip on regulating child exploitation, a key UN Objective, it also sends a clear message to the customer, that such unethical practices are not tolerated at this particular brand.

A recent CSR partnership between Shell Oil and Marks and Spencer’s has seen their CSR resources pooled in an attempt to aid three ower and fruit-growing communities across Africa: hardly a negative step, and difďŹ cult to criticise...

CSR as your Unique Selling Point Companies such as the Body Shop and the Cooperative Group have their roots ďŹ rmly embedded in ethical considerations, with people associating certain High Street names with fairness and transparency: Pole Position, if you will. They do have to be careful, however, not to rest on their laurels and become complacent: the customer is watching, and will demand that such practices continue to grow.

Other, more ‘socially irresponsible’ companies have had to start their CSR projects from a long

way back on the grid, as their ‘20th century’ reputation precedes them, seeing them invest a lot of resources in becoming brands of choice in the ethical ďŹ eld.

charities and organisations desperate for funding; they also help to bring diverse groups of people together to produce that most magical of things: a community.

CSR on a Local Scale This very publication is happy to report the huge array of ‘good news’ stories that happen month after month in Gibraltar. Whether it’s Isola and Fiduciary’s Gym marathon for charity, the Bonita Trust’s ‘We Care’ project, or the ‘Friday Bucket’ collections laid on for local charities

by Morrison’s, raising thousands of pounds for needy causes. Such events raise awareness for

CSR and Gibraltar’s Gaming Industry Having spent a decade in the Gaming Industry, it is also reassuring to see that such a big employer is so openly committed to making a social difference. Although by no means exhaustive, examples include Party Gaming’s Celebrity football match last Easter, the Pillars of Hercules climb (take a bow Joey Norton at Ladbrokes and Eddie Lucas at home designers Interbuild), Giora Tal from Mansion swam the Strait of Gibraltar for Childline Gibraltar, as well as 888’s continuing support for St Martin’s School for children with learning difďŹ culties.

The recent (and very understandable) public uproar over clothing manufacturers exploiting child labour has seen market-leaders pro-actively distance themselves from such practices

Of course, there is the argument that CSR is all very nice, but is really just ‘window dressing’ for the real concerns of making money, and this is certainly a factor in any company investing their time, money and efforts to any cause. But the potential beneďŹ ts to a company in implementing a CSR strategy are huge: not only can customer loyalty be increased; ‘bi-products’ such as improved staff retention, reduced absence levels, increased productivity and socially-aware employers all make the case for CSR that bit more appealing. And it doesn’t have to mean a lot of ‘arm twisting’ either; have a word with your people, and see what they have to say — you never know; their ideas, efforts and results might astound you... â–

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

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corporate events

The Andalucia 24 Hour Karting Race will be a fantastic experience for the whole team and their families to enjoy

Rock Brand: Creativity Unlimited

A new company has arrived in Gibraltar ­ — Rock Brand Communications — and they are promising to bring some Disney philosophy and excitement with them. We can’t wait!

Rock Brand Communications, who have recently opened their doors in Ocean Village, describe themselves as “Marketing Imagineers,” a phrase which borrows heavily from Walt Disney. The key principle of Walt Disney Imagineering is “blue sky speculation,” a process where imagineers generate ideas with no limitations.

The creative process starts with what is referred to as “eyewash” — the boldest, wildest, best idea one can come up with, presented in absolutely convincing detail. Many imagineers consider this to be the true beginning of the design process and operate under the notion that if it can be dreamt, it can be built.

Rock Brand Communications, whose founders Barnett Fletcher and Pete Burgess have nearly 50 years of successful business experience behind them, believe that taking this approach to client briefs ultimately produces the most effective strategic marketing and brand consultancy, as well as bringing new ideas, innovations and creative event platforms for clients to engage with.

Based in Ocean Village, Gibraltar, the company has three distinct but complimentary strands to its business: developing and delivering ‘on brand’, ‘on brief’ and ‘on budget’ corporate communications strategies; providing new business / new brand incubation development services; and supplying effective, creative communications platforms to implement corporate marketing strategies.

Barnett Fletcher, co-founder, explains: “Rock Brand offers a ‘same side of the desk’ methodology to clients. As ‘marketing imagineers’, we are here to create ideas and develop corporate marketing and brand strategies.”

Hatching innovative brands and creative ideas into fully fledged thriving enterprises is

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an essential facet of successful business, and in the current difficult economic climate it is more important than ever to long-term corporate prosperity.

Pete Burgess, Rock Brand co-founder, comments: “For those companies and individuals with great ideas, but no time or little expertise to take them to market, Rock Brand offers fully proven experience and skills in brand building and execution of innovative and creative marketing.”

The third strand of Rock Brand is the development of creative platforms, events and ideas, in which companies, their clients, and consumers can participate. Fletcher adds: “Pete’s and my experience in diverse consumer and businessto-business areas like the London Olympic bid, major sports sponsorships including Formula One, the telecommunications industry, premium retail, investment banking, and professional services makes us ideally placed to help businesses in Gibraltar. We will offer our clients communications platforms that are creative, innovative, and which will deliver on their corporate strategies, and branding objectives.”

The first of those is the inaugural Andalucia

Many imagineers consider this to be the true beginning of the design process and operate under the notion that if it can be dreamt, it can be built

24 hour Kart Race — a unique opportunity for companies, groups or even families to experience the thrills and sensations of a real life, adrenaline filled 24 Hour Kart Race- which Rock Brand has announced this week.

Organised and promoted by Rock Brand Communications, the Andalucia 24 hour Kart Race will take place at the spectacular Campillos Raceway next Easter, Saturday 3nd April to Sunday 4th April 2010.

Fletcher commented, “The Andalucia 24 Hour Karting Race will be a fantastic experience for the whole team and their families to enjoy. There will be a whole host of entertainment over the weekend, as well as motor home rental, and catering services. There will be a race for kids on the junior track, trade stands and music, all set within the tented village that will be built at the track especially for the event.”

This amazing two day adventure costs just €600 per driver for a team of 10. Teams can be a mixture of groups of friends, company employees, or companies’ key customers. Corporate sponsorship packages and hospitality are also available and initial take-up has been very strong.

In addition there will be two six hour Kart races on Friday 2nd April and Monday 5th April for teams of up to six drivers.

All the necessary equipment will be provided for each team, and there will be plenty of practise time, as well as qualifying laps to find out where teams will be on the Starting Grid.

Rock Brand are also developing projects specifically for Gibraltar which Burgess says “will soon offer entertainment experiences not currently available in Gibraltar or anywhere on the Costa del Sol” We can’t wait to see what those will be. n

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

17

Dominique Searle

the man behind the pen

by Sonia Golt

Dominique Searle MBE has not only made a name for himself as a journalist locally and as Editor of Gibraltar’s daily, the Gibraltar Chronicle, but also abroad.

In this interview Sonia Golt finds out more about the man behind the pen...

It is no wonder a man whose first job was at Sacarello’s Coffee shop has said he’s a coffee addict! This first job certainly had an influence on Dominique with the promise of “the best coffee in the world” and since those days the habit has never left him.

Dominique was born in 1960s’ Gibraltar in April — luckily for him it was not 1st April.

“My mother generously managed to delay my birth a few hours to 2nd April at the very start of the ’60s and, as with many Gibraltarians, that was at the old St Bernard’s Hospital where she worked,” he explains.

“I remember enjoying my days at Loreto Convent and surviving the leather wielding Christian Brothers’ although we were given an extra year of this so as to become, those of us Pyjamas who stayed in Gibraltar, part of the first ever year of the comprehensive system at Bayside.

“Bayside was a radical education coming from that background, especially in the sense of meeting a much broader social group. That

18

was the best part of the experience. Then I went to Essex University to study literature, stayed on to read for an MA in Sociology of Literature and it was there were I met my wife Sattie. So it was a great time too.”

The couple returned to Gibraltar in 1984 and

“

I lived journalism at home, never took myself too seriously and jumped at the opportunity to earn a living that wasn’t totally deskbound and involved meeting interesting people

”

Dominique started out at the Chronicle and shortly after that took over his dad’s string from The Times.

Dominique says he shares many traits with his father, John — “Straight lines, no bullshit, a space for the genuine underdog and illegible hand-writing. We both had distinct and probably unnatural gaits. I did not actually work very long with my father although I had had a lifetime’s exposure to the business through him and living over the shop. I lived journalism at home, never took myself too seriously and jumped at the opportunity to earn a living that wasn’t totally deskbound and involved meeting interesting people.”

1988 was the vintage year for news in Gibraltar and therefore for earnings too. “That July somewhere between the IRA shooting, Barlow Clowes, a change of government and the IRA inquest, Sattie and I scooted off to Mauritius with the booty from that work to visit a friend of mine. Eight months later, as with all my children one month premature, my daughter Ursula was

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

profile born. She’s now studying at Oxford. Lawrence has just started in Exeter and Clara now enjoys the luxury of being an ‘only’ child. They, my family, are my joy.”

Dominique loves two other things with great passion, he loves to travel, and is so keen on jazz that he travels far to concerts around the world.

He also loves classical music, art and the theatre which he says “remained a life-warming thread throughout.” After twisting his arm a little he also came up with, “vino, tapas and the odd good cigar too.”

In 2004, the tercentenary year, Dominique was made an MBE for journalism, an honour well deserved due to his dedication and services to journalism, abroad and locally with the Gibraltar Chronicle.

“Like all Chronicle journalist, it’s a permanently understaffed hyper stressed long hour prison with the occasional excitement of a really global local story — I came in at the deep end,” he remembers of his early days at the newspaper.

“If you’ve seen that movie, the Shipping News it really was something like that. Typewriters hammering, too much beer, ugly deadlines and some amazing often unprintable anecdotes.

“There were characters. Francis Cantos had just started out as the news editor and was in the driving seat at a time when politics was reaching a key point, Paco Oliva had just joined, and Slim Simpson seemed to have been there since the first pictures of Trafalgar, plus a flurry of contributors. Conditions were primitive, the building dilapidated but it lived and smelt like a newspaper and we all shared in the typical joys and sins of journalists.”

Dominique resigned a couple of years ago as Director of the newspaper “at the frustration of having to deal with a company structure which in theory was positive but in practice wholly ineffective. The co-operative nature of the beast means tough decisions just aren’t taken.

“The company was hugely in debt when I became Editor (and Chairman of the Board) in 1996 — it has been on and off since 1801. I put to the new government that unless we had some assistance we would have to close. Government has tried to give us space to resolve ourselves but perhaps the reforms needed are too radical for a staff to, in effect, impose on itself.

“After a few years and frantic work as well as many frozen salaries we are making a small profit but hauling behind us the historic debt to government like the blocks for Stonehenge.

I had some exciting ideas for where the newspaper should go journalistically, with emerging technology and commercially. But the reality was that there was, not surprisingly, resistance to drastic reforms.

“The ability of the newspaper to operate independently — that does not mean pumping out easy outrageous statements but actually means having adequate journalistic resources — was thus always handicapped. Given an appropriate structure the newspaper is a strong and viable product and there is a role for the printing works as a viable local service to Gibraltar and the newspaper.”

Over the years with the Chronicle Dominique has had the opportity to interview many interesting people. “Prime ministers, foreign secretaries, ‘ministros’, the good and the great that have visited us and even the bizarre. Personally getting to have a short interview with Miles Davis was a highlight, but there’s nothing like breaking a story. That was a lot easier in pre-satellite telly, pre-internet days. You could really work a story well and then break it with political tsunami consequences.

“Apart from mega stories like the IRA incident, I most enjoyed court reporting, the Newall matricide-patricide case was fascinating. It’s hard work but the experience is human and intense.

“There was, for instance, the time when we ran a leak on the original plan for high net worth individuals with a headline something like ‘Bossano to give millionaires tax break’. The wrath of Joe was something formidable the next day.

You could have run the country’s electrics on it

“

If you’ve seen that movie, the Shipping News, it really was something like that.

Typewriters hammering, too much beer, ugly deadlines and some amazing often unprintable anecdotes

Jan, Feb, Mar 2010 DOA

Vessel

ETA

ETD

Pass

Capacity From

07 Jan

Princess Danae 1500 2100 International 420 Total Number of Vessels calling January = 1 Approximate Number of Passengers calling January = 420

16 Feb

Louis Majesty

0730 1100 International 1462 Alicante Total Number of Vessels calling February = 1 Approximate Number of Passengers calling February = 1,462

10 Mar Sovereign 18 Mar Zenith 24 Mar Melody

1100 1600 Spanish 2250 Lisbon 1000 1600 Spanish 1375 Lisbon 1300 1900 Italian 1098 Casablanca Total Number of Vessels calling March = 3 Approximate Number of Passengers calling March = 4,723

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

”

for a year. But as always he quickly got over it and we moved on.

“Curiously, the better relations with Spain are, the less exciting covering the story has become. At the height of tension — say the Brana episode — it was fascinating. Yet even in London the Spaniards were always the most hospitable party compared to UK. The Foreign Secretary would have us standing in the snow for hours outside Carlton Gardens. The Spanish Ambassador invited the hacks into the warmth and laid on tea and biscuits!”

Of the future of the Chronicle in current economic times, Dominique has to say: “Allowed to operate on a commercial basis the Chronicle would become one of the era’s success stories. The reason for this is that we are experts on running on a shoestring. Very little investment would go a long way. Yes there is an impact from the credit crunch and new media but that is miniscule compared to our own haemorrhage. What is happening in UK is a tragedy but times change and we must change with them.

“When my union, the NUJ looked at us a year ago they said we were editorially four to five times understaffed for what we currently produce. That’s plenty of fat to survive the winter.

“All of us at the Chronicle are aware that our final salary pensions may probably be stopped now, but those of us not yet retired face the prospect of getting a good deal less than half of our accrued rights. Modest as inflation has been, our salaries are worth less than they were 15 years ago. These events clearly dim the future of the newspaper though, in fact, it has lived on the edge for 209 years so I feel it will plough on, hopefully to better times.”

Dominique is just months away from his 50th birthday and having surrendered to the pragmatism of avoiding lost causes he is still enthusiastic that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

“I have moved on in the knowledge that Gibraltar is a beautiful place and also a difficult place. I long wanted the chance to take the Chronicle where I know it can go, to rebuild the enthusiasm of my team and have the modest means to make this work. But, time and tide wait for no man — I still have creative energy and am determined to find a challenge that is true to my character and that all of us (my family) can enjoy.” ■

To

Tangier

Malaga Malaga Malaga

19

profile

by Sonia Golt

Annie Risso

Keeping it Special Special Olympics and Annie Risso go hand in hand. Annie, who is now Programme Chief Executive/National Director of Special Olympics Gibraltar, was introduced to Special Olympics in 1984 by an Occupational Therapist from Scotland, Sue Young, who was in Gibraltar on contract at St. Bernadette’s Occupational Therapy Centre.

“We used to discuss how limited the lives of people with intellectual disability were in Gibraltar,” Annie explains, “because when they finished at the centre, roughly at 4pm, there was nothing else on offer for them to do. Seeing that they thrived on challenges and when those challenges were surmounted there was such positive joy, the idea of setting up Special Olympics in Gibraltar was initiated.”

They began in 1984 and were recognised officially by the international office in 1985. Initially the two sports offered were swimming and athletics which enticed them to participate in the first major games — the European Special Olympics

20

in Dublin in 1985.

“Our first medals were achieved in the swimming category with two swimmers out of three receiving medals — 2 silvers and 1 bronze.”

At these games there were only 15 European countries accredited to Special Olympics International, now there are 58 participating countries in Europe/Eurasia.

“In reality we were among the first countries to believe in the philosophy of Special Olympics,” says Annie. “Through sports and sports related programmes, Special Olympics provides long term benefits to an individual’s health, self esteem and social inclusion and touches the lives of family members, friends, volunteers and

At these games there were only 15 European countries accredited to Special Olympics International, now there are 58 participating countries in Europe/Eurasia

the wider public.”

Annie adds that the look on the athletes’ faces when they participate is something she would not change for the world. “Their joy becomes my joy, their achievements also mine, and their learning curves which are many, great situations to share and learn from together.”

A woman of Annie’s experience is an asset to Gibraltar’s Special Olympics team, she says the backbone of the organisation is formed by the volunteers but it is Annie’s encouragement, dedication and hard work and effort that keeps the whole organisation going together with these volunteers.

Annie has been privileged to lead the teams to all world games both winter and summer as head of delegation, but there is one games in particular which stands out for her. “I think possibly the World Summer Games in Shanghai 2007 will mark us all who work in Special Olympics Gibraltar, for life.

We were overwhelmed in Shanghai when each athlete had a volunteer allocated to them as did the coaches. Great friendships were made; many hearts were broken when they saw us off at the airport. ‘Que gente mas buena son los chinos,’ is what was being repeated by our athletes amidst great sobs. I think we sailed back to Gibraltar rather than flew because there were so many tears shed…”

Today our special athletes are globetrotters — they have been to the US several times, Canada, Alaska, Japan, China, Austria, Cyprus, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Czech Republic, Norway Luxembourg, Monaco and Andorra — but attending all these games takes money, and we wondered where the funds for the travels come from?

“We exist thanks to the generosity of the community. For the first 10 years of Special Olympics’ existence we were able to fund raise via sponsors, events we would organise and the money was raised in full. However nowadays it is harder and if we do not reach the allocated funds needed to participate in world summer/winter games we approach government for our shortfall and this has never been rejected,” Annie explains.

“We also have the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics which raises funds for our benefit and through that funding we are able to send coaches for training seminars and keep up a very professionally run organisation which is there to benefit our athletes.”

The Special Olympics volunteers still do not have an official office

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

profile and since Annie’s retirement from St. Bernadette’s four years ago, everyone has been working from home. “Our overheads are practically nil at the moment thanks to the goodwill of all concerned,” she adds.

Special Olympics Gibraltar has an Executive Committee — Annie Risso at the helm as Programme Chief Executive/National Director, Marisa Henrich minutes secretary, Freddie Chappory sports rep, Anne Mesilio media rep, Bryan Vinent parents rep, Francis Williams Torch Run rep, and Willie Page fund raising.

“Our other hardworking committee is the Sports Planning committee of which I am the convenor. All Special Olympics coaches comprise this committee and this is the hub of the day to day sports activities.

We are a multi-sport organisation and from starting with two sports today we are offering training in six different sports. Again thanks to the many volunteers who form part of this great family.”

What does the future hold for this ‘great family’? Well, in September 2010, Warsaw, Poland will be hosting the European Games and Gibraltar has been invited to attend with four athletes to take part in athletics. Another major event will be our National Games 2010 as Special Olympics Gibraltar will be celebrating its 25th Anniversary and they intend to make it a memorable one. Looking ahead to 2011 they will attend the World Special Olympics Games in Athens, Greece where they will compete

with 10,000 other athletes.

“Thinking back to our first trip to the States,” Annie remembers, “the frontier was closed and I remember we were on our way to our first world games in Indiana 1987.

There were six athletes and two coaches, myself and Sue Young, and I rested my head against the window of the Northwest Carrier and thought ‘what if anything goes wrong? I will have to leave Gibraltar as the families will kill me.’ Sue was Scottish and she was leaving anyway!

“Thankfully today we have terrific support from families.

Families who can afford often travel to the games to cheer their son/daughter on in competition.

We have moved from when families found it extremely hard to let go, to today’s families’ implicit trust towards myself and the coaches in knowing that their son/daughter are in good hands.”

Annie Risso was awarded an MBE in 1992 for services rendered to people with Intellectual Disabilities, we wondered how she felt about the honour?

“A very proud moment because for me it was a medal dedicated to all the people who worked with me in that area,” she says.

Annie was in my school year and it makes me feel very proud to see her achievements and those of other school girls from those years as it was not easy to stand out as a woman in what was still then a chauvinist society...

— SG

“We have moved from when families found it extremely hard to let go, to today’s families’ implicit trust towards myself and the coaches”

Contact us: ICom House 1/5 Irish Town Gibraltar Tel: 200 73158 or 200 76216 Fax: 200 48697 email: steven@icom.gi stef@icom.gi

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

21

opinion

An entirely possible New Year’s Resolution One of our most cherished traditions at this time of the year, immediately after the excessive indulgences of the lead up to Christmas, with party after party, and the same again over Christmas itself, is the seriousness with which we search for an achievable New Year’s resolution, and even announce it to our family and friends.

Well one that is ripe for the making by many here is to stop moaning about everyday life in Gibraltar. As Harold Macmillan once told the electorate in Britain, albeit in the hope of re-election: “you’ve never had it so good!”. And that was in 1959 when things were not remotely as comfortable as now, even if the ’50s saw living standards dramatically improve and the postwar peace was being maintained between the only two threats to it (the USSR and USA), and long before international or domestic terrorism became threats to our liberties.

With the same government in power for so long here, it is so easy to forget exactly how different living standards were before. The quality of life can be measured by the nature of one’s work, the income earned, the taxes and social insurance contributions paid, the number and sizes of cars owned, the size of any mortgage, whether or not the home is owned (and the advantage of the equity built up in the years of fast-increasing prices), the size of that home and number of bathrooms, if a second home in Spain

22

is owned, the extent of your wardrobe of clothes and shoes, the number of televisions, computers, internet-connected households, proportion of children staying on at school beyond 15 to complete GCSEs and to 18 to almost automatically achieve ‘A’ levels and proceed to universities with full non-parental contributory maintenance

Other countries enjoy a good quality of life without a high standard of living.

Some enjoy incredibly high standards of living, but combined with high stress levels

grants (with all tuition fees covered as well), full — no over-full — employment, decent nonmanual jobs for most and extremely good public services including leisure facilities not seen in comparable small towns elsewhere.

A decade and more before, people here did not expect to have at their disposal, all the benefits of the modern world at their finger tips.

Now we have them (and in such a short time), I still hear people moaning constantly about minor discomforts. They forget, or do not realise, that the same comforts are enjoyed elsewhere at considerable cost one way or another. In the UK, for instance, over the last 30 years, the state provides far less free and, additionally, charges a lot more through prices or taxes for the same things.

I am called by many people an eternal optimist as if I am unrealistic. I actually believe myself to be observant of just how lucky we are to enjoy such a good quality of life combined with a good standard of living — all without much stress. Other countries enjoy a good

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

opinion

by Paul de Beresford quality of life without a high standard of living (Pacific islands spring to mind). Some enjoy incredibly high standards of living, but combined with high stress levels (Sweden, with its high suicide rate!). And never forget the dozens of countries where neither high living standards despite hard work, nor good qualities of life and governance, can be enjoyed or even hoped for by millions.

I often wonder if the average elector has even noticed the better kept flower beds, the plethora of new improved street lights , new street name signs, extra good quality bench seats, the excellent aesthetically-pleasing new paving slabs in many streets and attractive lamp posts and extra pedestrian crossings and pavements adapted for the blind and partially-sighted. All that is needed to obtain my total praise, is a massive effort to turn the upper Rock into a neat (not scruffy) haven for tourist and inhabitant alike, new bus shelters and better attempts to deal with dog dirt (a complaint of visitors, if not the locals who cause it) and something useful to emerge for the fortune spent on the old Theatre Royal to justify that expense.

So to summarise why I shall restrict my moans to being caught out by sudden rain, when out without a coat, I list a few reminders of the progress over the last years: 1. Low general rates compared with the council tax in the UK. 2. Water charges comparable with the more expensive companies in the East of England.

3. Lower social insurance for those on average and above-average earnings than national

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

insurance in the UK. 4. Lower actual income tax for those on belowaverage earnings.

5. Lower proportionate income tax for those on average and above-average earnings.

6. Abolition of road tax here.

7. Abolition of television licenses here.

8. Increased state pensions.

9. Abolition of tax on bank interest for everyone.

10. Contributory-free university maintenance grants for all.

11. No introduction of university tuition fees.

12. Import duty lower than Spanish IVA. 13. No consumption tax on services (IVA/VAT) unlike in Spain and UK, so cheaper haircuts, restaurants, lawyers, plumbers, accountants, repairs and installations.

14. Low prescriptions.

15. Absence of need for private medical treat-

And never forget the dozens of countries where neither high living standards despite hard work, nor good qualities of life and governance, can be enjoyed or even hoped for by millions

ment.

16. Significantly increased home ownership.

17. More and bigger cars (not sure that’s a good one!).

18. Excellent public bus service at low cost.

19. House prices at UK levels making moving to and from the UK easier and providing investment potential.

20. Sports hall, ice rink, new cinemas, gymnasium, 10-pin bowling alley, new shops, bigger Marks & Spencer and improved Morrisons.

That’s enough for now, and certainly to think about and remember. ■

PAUL de BERESFORD is a UK-qualified consultant tax practitioner specialising in re-location, tax residence and domicile from his office in Main Street and can be contacted by email toflagship@ gibtelecom.net or on (+350) 54004414 or 200 400 93 or from UK on 020 8144 1249.

23

events

70 years

celebrated with the launch of the Sir Joshua Hassan Lectures The 70th anniversary cocktail party held in December at the Caleta Hotel was the venue for the announcement of the ‘Sir Joshua Hassan Lectures’, an initiative in memory of Sir Joshua Hassan, the longest serving Chief Minister of Gibraltar and founder of Hassans law firm.

The lectures will take place annually during spring and will be presented by a leading figure or VIP on a subject pertinent to Gibraltar each year in the lead up to their 75th anniversary.

James Levy QC, Senior Partner of the firm and nephew of Sir Joshua said: “I am extremely proud to lead such an exceptional team of people... we look forward to working together with them all in the years ahead.”

Cocktails and canapes were laid on for the 250 strong staff and guests.

24

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

events

ion celned gbuersats tcelebrate

ns law Staff a of Hassa 70 years ocktail party c firm at a aleta Hotel in eC held at th ember Dec

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25

As Gibraltar continues to place emphasis on the women’s game this year’s Women’s World Chess Champion GM Alexandra Kosteniuk will be participating here for the first time

big names make moves

at the 8th Gibtelecom Chess Festival The eighth edition of the Gibtelecom Chess Festival is Gibraltar’s biggest annual international event.

At the end of this month, from January 26th to February 4th, the world’s top chess players will be setting foot on Gibraltar once again — for many this is an annual encounter, and one which they want to keep repeating.

The Caleta Hotel is home to the Gibtelecom Chess Festival offering a friendly gathering in this highly competitive world with a series of tournaments running simultaneously: the Masters, the Challengers and the Amateurs. Even after the day’s competition is done the ‘chess There is time to mix, play chess and socialise

26

talk’ continues late into the night as all players, professional and amateur, are able to meet casually and discuss the moves of the day, play more chess, learn from each other and make new friends. This is precisely what makes the Gibraltar festival different to other tournaments — its own unique homely atmosphere created over its eight year history.

Brian Callagahan of the Caleta Hotel, whose idea it was to create a festival in the traditionally low-peak winter season, has worked hard with his staff to assure its overall success.

The festival’s total prize fund of £112,500 is one of the highest in the world for an event which is open to everyone.

Over a number of years the organisers have had a deliberate policy of attracting the leading women to the event, who could potentially win £23,000 — substantially more than the top man at £15,000 — the first woman’s prize of £8,000

plus the overall first prize of £15,000. So it’s not surprising to learn that the tournament this year has attracted the top names making the Gibtelecom Masters renowned for the strength of its women competitors.

One woman, Humpy Koneru from India, a possible contender for the overall first prize, became only the second woman player in chess history to reach a rating of 2600, putting her in the company of the legendary Judit Polgar.

The tournament also boasts the presence of the current Women’s World Chess Champion GM Alexandra Kosteniuk from Russia, who as well as being a brilliant chess player is a headlining model and actress. Then there is GM Antoaneta Stefanova (Bulgaria), and GM Chen Zhu (Qatar), who will be accompanied by her husband GM Mohamad A-Modiahki (Qatar).

Other women competitors include Pia Cramling (Sweden), a previous European women’s

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

events

by Alice Mascarenhas champion. She will again be on the Rock with her husband GM Juan Bellon (Spain), and their daughter Ana, who first came to the congress as a baby and who has been at all seven previous events.

The grandmasters and international masters continue to be added to the list for the 2010 festival with players from Bulgaria, Israel, Lithuania, Ukraine, India, Germany, France, Belgium, USA, Georgia, Sweden, Norway and England.

Over the years the festival has seen some of the world’s most famous players play in Gibraltar. From the excitement of Alexei Shirov, Emil Sutovsky and Hikaru Nakamura to the subtlety of Peter Svidler, Michael Adams and Lev Aronian, the attacking prowess of Nigel Short to Kiril Georgiev grinding away in an endgame, every year many grandmasters try to claim the coveted first prize.

This year one of the big alerts is that one of the greatest chess prodigies of all time, Gata Kamsky is playing in the 2010 Gibtelecom Masters — already a legend, he is only aged 35. The leaders in the men are grandmasters: Sergei Movsesian (Czech Republic), Francisco Vallejo Pons (Spain) — the strongest Spanish player ever to have taken up the challenge of the Gibtelecom Masters, Nikita Vitiugov (Russia) and Michael Adams (England).

For Gibraltar, the Gibtelecom Festival, has seen tremendous benefits, as well as giving the opportunity to local chess players to improve their game. It continues to place Gibraltar on the chess map with a high profile attracting players from all over the world. Traffic to the website, especially during the festival when it

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

transmits live games, is on the increase year on year. But just as important it has also opened up a world of opportunity for youngsters. As a direct result of the success of the festival today there are chess clubs in all of Gibraltar’s schools with hundreds of schoolchildren learning the game. So much so that the main event will once again be followed by a junior event held the weekend of 6th-7th February at the Caleta Hotel where some 80 players from Gibraltar and Spain are expected to compete.

But first up is the festival of the year. Remarkably the tournament has two of the top four women players in the world, four of the world’s top ten rated players, and 16 of the world’s top 50. Small wonder then that the Gibtelecom Masters is regarded as the strongest and most prestigious open chess tournament in the world. n Eighth Gibtelecom Chess Festival 26th January – 6th February can be followed on-line at www.gibraltarchesscongress.com

The tournament this year has attracted the top names making the Gibtelecom Masters famous for the strength of its women competitors Anna Cramling-Bellon, and Pia Cramling

27

entertainment

by Elena Scialtiel

Frankie will again this year be treading the boards as the Dame in Alice in Wonderland

Alice in Pantoland

If it’s true that the wicked never rest, there’s one lady in Gibraltar who ought to be cast ad honorem as the pantomime baddie to do justice to her tireless work in elevating this oh-so-British Christmas fave to the status of local Olympus.

But sweet and all-round nice girl Margaret Seed would need tons of make-up to turn her into the wicked witch of our childhood nightmares, so she’d rather shun the limelight and sit in the front row to direct, year in year out, a

28

bunch of madcap characters from the Trafalgar Theatre Group as they take on the holiday season’s classic.

Staged in January, it’s like a lost-in-the-post gift unexpectedly delivered to you one month late, to

brighten up the winter blues!

Every year, Margaret promises it’s the last one she’ll let herself be talked into. From picking the most side-splitting novelty script, designing outrageous costumes, directing a cast of over 50 adults

and children in a crossfire of snappy dialogue and nifty choreographies, and being sassed by dames and villains, it’s certainly all a challenge.

And every year she does it again, because hers is a legacy nobody dares to even try to live up to. She has popularised pantomime in Gibraltar, and introduced dozens of young children to theatre, both on stage and in the audience. Margaret is to pantomime what calentita is to appetizers!

After last year’s emotional Red Riding Hood, a brilliant performance sadly clouded by the premature loss of the group’s choreographer Angelique Acolina, and David Hoare’s last-minute withdrawal from the part of the pompous butler for serious personal reasons, her fans expected Margaret to be finally ready to fold the director’s chair and just watch someone else’s cut from ‘the gods’.

But the outcry “Behind you!” ringing in her ears, it seems slapstick comedy is not an easy habit to kick, and she didn’t want to leave the wonderful story of Alice untold.

Not the Alice in Wonderland you think you know from reading Lewis Carroll’s books or watcheing Disney’s cartoon, of course — it’s the hilarious pantomime version which has in common with the original just the staple characters, who embark on even more absurd adventures than the ones told so far.

Local amateur actors will barely have time to clean off the greasepaint from Dramatis Personae’s December production The Coarse Acting Show before donning the inventive attires sewn by seven amateur seamstresses from Margaret’s atelier in a race against time to dress up their small army of actors and extras.

The usual suspects are starring in this relatively new adaptation of the sixpence-of-nonsense tale, written

by Limelight Publications, the same

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

entertainment

team who graced us with the TTG’s staging of The Wizard of Oz a few years back — yes, the one featuring the Elvis impersonator!

Bayside drama teacher and Dramatis Personae founder Julian Felice is playing the Knave of Spades, the baddie who, yes you’ve guessed it, is plotting to rule the world, while the others are out on a rickety mission to stop him.

Not afraid of being typecast, Frankie Hatton confirms himself as the iconic topsy-turvy fashionista landing the flashy role of the Dame, while the lead goes to petite Laura Felices.

A family affair once again, siblings Harriet and Tim Seed literally bouncing off each other in the quirky outfits of dumb pair Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee, to provide some extra comic relief.

However there’s an absolute beginner on stage: a special round of applause for Karen Lawson, who describes herself as the ‘virgin queen’, and aptly plays the Queen of Hearts — hopefully the first of

many fabulous roles.

The cast is completed by Steven Lawson as the Wizard, Joe Neary as the Mad Hatter, David Hoare as the March Hare, Dominique Martinez as the Princess of Hearts, Mandy Cooke as the Prince of Diamonds, David Lelliott as the King of Spades, Andria Jones as Wally the Joker, and Kirst Pritchard as the fluffy White Rabbit.

A chorus of children and teenagers will dance to choreography by Jade Federico and Nadine Gonzalez, and sing to well-known tunes, directed by Chris Music — from I’m late! I’m late! and A very happy un-birthday to you! to some Beatles’ anthems, the audience is guaranteed to know the lyrics and have no excuse to not sing along.

Are you too late for it? Of course you aren’t! Alice in Wonderland premieres at the Ince’s Hall on Thursday 21st January and continues until Saturday 30th, with matinees at 2.30pm on both Saturdays, and on Sunday 24th. Tickets are priced £7 and £6. n

It seems slapstick comedy is not an easy habit to kick, and she didn’t want to leave the wonderful story of Alice untold

Photos: last year’s Little Red Riding Hood panto was a huge success

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

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science fiction

by Dave Wood

Six years after his first brief visit to Gibraltar, Jules Verne returned in 1884 for a second. It was to be his last. He had been famous and successful for 20 years, but sales of his books weren’t what they were, and the upkeep of his yacht, the Saint-Michel, was becoming an ever greater financial burden.

Science Fiction writer on the Rock

Verne’s End 30 30

Verne had made his name and fortune with a flurry of novels written in the 1860s and early 1870s, beginning in 1863 with Five Weeks in a Balloon and climaxing a decade later with his masterpiece, 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. After that, although he continued to write prolifically and turn out the occasional hit, he did what any sensible man would do and spent his money.

With his wife, Honorine, and assorted relatives and friends for company, he would fill his days and years sailing the seas in his beloved SaintMichel, absorbing experiences and recycling them in his writing. If any man ever discovered the secret to happiness, it was he.

But by 1884 the dream was almost over. Verne had virtually invented the new genre of science fiction, but as the 1870s morphed into the 1880s he seemed to lose the plot. The Tribulations of a Chinaman in China (1879), The 500 Millions of the Begum (1879) and The Steam House (2 volumes, 1880) were well-written, pacy adventures, but tales of the Orient didn’t excite the mind as powerfully as journeys to the centre of the Earth.

In 1883, Verne wrote another two-volume epic, Kéraban the Inflexible, in which the titular hero, a tobacco trader, invites a business associate, Jan Van Mitten, to dinner. The invitation is issued in Constantinople, but Kéraban’s home is in Scutari, a short boat trip away across the Bosphorus Strait. Alas, the evil Turkish authorities have introduced a tax on all vessels making the crossing. The tax is a trifling sum, but to avoid paying it the parsimonious Kéraban decides instead to take Van Mitten and his manservant, Bruno, on a 700 league trip around the perimeter of the Black Sea, even though he must return to Constantinople within six weeks to arrange the marriage of a nephew whose prospective bride must be married before she turns 17, or lose an inheritance. In essence, Kéraban The Inflexible was a highly implausible, thinly disguised Around the Bosphorus in 42 Days, and everybody knew it.

With sales declining, the Saint-Michel was fast becoming an extravagance that Verne could ill afford, and the Mediterranean cruise of 1884 would be its last before Verne reluctantly put it up for sale.

They sailed from Nantes on 13th May. The weather was bad, the engines were playing up, and when they reached Vigo five days later they had to hold up for repairs. From there they sailed to Lisbon, arriving on 22nd May. After three days in the Portuguese capital, they

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

science fiction left port and headed for Gibraltar, where they arrived at 4pm.

The same hack who had so breathlessly reported the arrival of Verne and the Saint-Michel six years earlier was still clearly hard at work in the press room of the Gibraltar Chronicle, because a fresh example of his scintillating prose appeared in its pages on Monday morning. “French steam yacht St. Michel (J. Verne, Esq, owner, on board). Mr C Ollive (captain) 12 days from Nantes and 2½ from Lisbon – cleared to Sea”. Substitute “Nemo” for “Ollive”, and we might almost be back on the Nautilus.

It was a little late to disembark and explore the town, so Verne and his party stayed on board. In his diary, Verne noted the presence of a German gunboat, but disregarded three French vessels that also lay at anchor. A pattern begins to emerge: inordinate interest in defences and fortifications, careful note of the location of German gunboats. No book has yet been written exposing Jules Verne’s double life as a French spy, but one is surely overdue.

Also noted was the ritual firing of the cannon that signaled the closing of Landport Tunnel gate — the only means of access to and from Spain. The custom of closing the gate at night persisted well into the 20th century, and any frontier worker unlucky enough to be caught on the wrong side after it was slammed shut had to find himself a convenient street corner on which to sleep. Nevertheless there were many who mourned the passing of the tradition, for with it they lost the perfect excuse for why they had been compelled to stay out all night.

Verne was a notoriously early riser, and the sun had hardly risen on Monday, 26th May, when he was ashore and strolling boldly up Main Street. It may have been early, but already the town was full. With an experienced writer’s eye he noted the cosmopolitan nature of the crowd. There were many Moroccans (the women modestly veiled), Arabs and Africans and, naturally, large numbers of British soldiers.

Unlike today, Gibraltar was still inescapably a British garrison. Many of the non-Moroccan women wore handkerchiefs tied around their heads; protection from the sun rather than illjudged fashion statements.

A biography of Jules Verne by M. Allotte de la Fuÿe published in 1953 tells a fascinating story based on virtually no credible evidence, but which deserves to be true. Citing an alleged entry in a diary kept by Verne’s nephew, Maurice, who was a passenger aboard the Saint-Michel, Mme de la Fuÿe asserts that far from staying quietly aboard the yacht on the night of the 25th, Verne went ashore and was entertained by the officers of the garrison who plied him so freely with drink that he staggered back to the boat roaring drunk.

The majority of his biographers dismiss the tale out of hand. They point not only to the fact that Verne himself makes no mention of it (amazing), but that Gibraltar, which had successfully withstood repeated sieges by the Spanish, and indeed M. Verne’s own countrymen, was not easy to get into and out of, particularly after the nightly closure of Landport gate. In 1884, that happened as early as 7.45pm. There was also the question of quarantine. In 1884, the Rock was experiencing an epidemic of cholera, and all visitors were strictly monitored. Non-residents were required to carry an official permit giving them permission to be out of doors after

Saint-Michel

nightfall and, after midnight, a lamp so that they could be easily spotted and challenged by the military patrols.

All this may be true, but it ignores two important facts. Firstly, Jules Verne was hardly an ordinary visitor. He was a world famous author in those pre-television, pre-computer days when famous authors were international superstars. If he couldn’t wander around whenever he felt like it, permitless, lampless and legless, who could?

And if the quarantine laws forbade him setting foot ashore on the night of 25th May, why had they apparently been conveniently abandoned by the morning of 26th?

The story may well be apocryphal, as the bulk of Verne’s biographers insist, but take one look

No book has yet been written exposing Jules Verne’s double life as a French spy, but one is surely overdue...

at the man’s stern, professorial, magnificently dignified Victorian visage, and imagine him stumbling through the streets of Gibraltar as pie-eyed as a sailor on pay day, telling everyone he met that they were his best mate, they were his meilleur ami, and loudly singing in French a rough translation of certain events aboard the Good Ship Venus, and we can only hope, against all the evidence, it really happened. If it did, it would of course be an indefensibly monstrous calumny to suggest that the officers and gentlemen of the garrison, who had warmly welcomed their Gallic guest with everything short of a kiss on both cheeks, had in any way adulterated his cocktails.

Nursing a mighty hangover or not, Verne left the bustle of Main Street on Monday, 26th May, and once again sought the soothing silence of the Alameda Gardens, taking careful note as ever of the Rock’s fortifications and batteries.

Jules Verne, master spy, whose tie pin concealed a secret pencil.

He must have spent an awfully long time walking around making notes about, and possibly drawing sketches of the battlements, because the next time we catch up with him it is the middle of the afternoon, and he on his way back down Main Street where he stops for tea at the Universal Café. There is a bar in Havana, Cuba, which to this day makes a good living out of advertising itself as the favourite of the author Ernest Hemingway. Visitors elbow their way in through the crowds to stare in reverent awe at the corner where the great author once sat drinking rum, and are happy to pay double the price of every other bar in town to swallow a shot themselves. Alas, the owners of the Universal Café never cashed in, or never read science fiction, and the establishment is now long gone.

After tea it was back to the yacht. It left harbour at 11am the following morning. As he watched the Rock slowly disappear behind them, Verne scribbled his opinion that there was “no finer sight in the world”. Then, almost as an afterthought, he added, “Gibraltar captured by the apes. A short story to write”. Some say this was the very moment when he conceived the tale that would become Gil Braltar. Hollywood would find this much too dull, and stick doggedly with the dream sequence chronicled last month.

This final cruise aboard the Saint-Michel would bring more adventures. After Gibraltar, Verne and the rest headed for North Africa, then on to Malta, where they were almost shipwrecked — an inconvenience that didn’t prevent the celebrated author once more taking careful note of another British outpost’s fortifications.

By 7th July they were in Rome, where Jules and Honorine were greeted by Pope Leo XIII, who had been assured by the relevant committee that none of Verne’s works qualified for entry on the church’s list of banned books, the Index Librorum Prohibitorum. After that, the Saint-Michel was no more. They returned to France by train.

Verne continued writing, but his belief that the relentless march of technology would be entirely beneficial (if he ever held it) dimmed as the years passed. In Diary of an American Journalist in the Year 2890 (an 1889 collaboration with his son, Michel) he painted a dystopian, uncannily prophetic picture of a future New York.

He died on 24th March 1905, still dreaming.

Perhaps he still is. n

Jules Verne’s most famous tale

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31

A

fter studying art at the Instituto de Allende in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico — an annex of the University of Guadalajara, John Wood ran his photography studio from Toronto for around 25 years as an advertising photographer. Deciding to take a break from Toronto he bought a sail boat in City Island, New York and set sail with his wife. A few years in the Caribbean was followed by their final trip from Miami across the Atlantic, winding up in Marina Bay. “The reality is that the money ran out and eventually we sold the yacht and settled in Estepona, which is a little unfortunate as we’ve never quite managed to get the money together again to make the trip back to Miami,” he added with a touch of humour in his voice.

Once on the continent, he spent some time as Professor of Digital Imaging at the St Louis University in Madrid and although photography is his main line, John has recently started to dabble in video for various clients. His reasons and perspective are quite interesting.

“I think professional photography is going through a similar stage to desk-top publishing back in the ’80s. All of a sudden, people realised they could use their computers and do the job themselves.

Slowly, over the years many of those people have recognised that for what it really is — amateurish.

That’s why the design industry has survived today, and how professional photography will survive too. There’s not the demand there used to be for photography as many people feel that in the digital era they can do it themselves. I believe that will change over the next few years as people start to realise the difference between the professional and amateur, and that is how photography will survive too,” he Worshippers at the mosque, Madrid.

Shot for National Geographic TV

32 32

self portrait

in the

field with John Wood

With a portfolio of clients which would make any photographer proud, John Wood has been offering his services in Gibraltar and Madrid for 15 years. A big change from his professional studio in Toronto after drifting down to Gibraltar with his wife in their yacht in the 1990s.

explained.

“The move towards video is a way to offer a slightly different service which is out of many people’s grasp, mainly because the different concepts and the pre-production planning which goes into video can be extremely time consuming.

There are many different factors which you need to take into account such as narrative, dialogue, music, timing as well as the imagery aspect.

“I think my biggest challenge is working alongside others. With still photography I am used to working alone most of the time, but with video, there’s no way you can do everything and with other people involved it’s a challenge to coordinate so everything goes to plan and within a time schedule too.”

To be fair, John does have a head start on other dedicated photographers who want to move into video production. Apart from his professional qualifications, he’s worked on major video shoots as the stills photographer on many occasions, giving him a good background knowledge of the industry including a shoot for the Financial Times on Conde Leopoldo de la Maza (right).

“A few years ago I was also employed by ITN to collaborate on a programme being produced for National Geographic television on the Atocha massacre in Madrid,” he remembered.

“This was quite soon after the event and tension was quite high between the different communities in Madrid and we went to the main mosque one Friday to take some stills and video during the prayers.

“The mosque is one of the largest in Europe and there were over 3,000 worshipers that day — all men. The camera man was on one side of this vast room jam packed with people and I was to the other side trying to find some good angles — I actually managed to step on a poor guy’s hand at one point and saw him grimacing, trying not to to yell out!

“There were only two chairs in the room and all eyes were on the Iman who was preaching fervently to the crowds through the loud speakers all around the many rooms which make up the complex.

“Suddenly one man jumped up, grabbed the chair and hit the camera man with it. I noticed something happening although at the time I couldn’t make out what was going on, it didn’t look good, so I made a run for it — as did the camera man along with the production manager who’d accompanied us to the outside courtyard. Afterwards the Iman came to visit us to apologise and invited us for a meal in the cafeteria below the mosque, which

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAGAZINE •• JANUARY JANUARY 2010 2010 GIBRALTAR

Conde Leopoldo de la Maza. Shot for the Financial Times

was a nice gesture, although there was no beer,” John added with a smile as he nursed his pint of John Smiths. It was obvious he preferred the hospitality of The Gibraltar Magazine!

One obvious question to ask a photographer who has been involved in so many different projects is what they prefer to shoot? John assured me he has no preference: “It’s interesting that as I’ve moved around I have been labeled with different types though.

In Canada I was known as a food photographer whilst here I’m better known for portraits.”

It’s well known that food is a particularly difficult subject to shoot, and John was happy to give us a few tips.

“When I was shooting for large brands such as Kellogg’s or for example one coffee company, although I was taking the photographs, there were many other people involved too. We’d employ one or maybe two food-stylists, who would set up the product and very often a set designer and a couple of assistants to help out as well.

For a coffee advert with two different products for the same brand we created a miniature boxing ring which looked just like the real thing to have both packets inside to go with the slogan ‘Which one is the champion?’.

“There are several tricks for different types of food to make them look great on camera. For Kellogg’s, we used wood glue for the milk drops on the flakes, and for a nice juicy steak, just quickly brown it on each side and then heat a metal rod with a blow-torch to scorch the surface for the grilled effect.

“Vegetables should just be blanched so as not to lose their colour and chicken should be just warmed and painted with gravy mix to get the right tones. In general, never use fully cooked food,” John explained.

“I really enjoy working for larger design agencies as they are all professionals and appreciate the value of the skills which go into production. Gibraltar is a very different kettle of fish as you’re working for much smaller entities which don’t have the budget companies such as Coca-Cola or Kellogg’s command.

But,” he added, “the upside locally is that everyone knows everyone and it is a friendly environment to work in. It’s easier on the Rock to build up a personal relationship with the people whose product you are working with.”

For the present, John is offering his extremely professional services in Gibraltar whilst wondering what the chances are of ever saving enough to buy a new yacht to take him back to Miami. n Portrait of one of the Atocha victims who lost both her legs in the attack. Photographed for National Geographic TV

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

33

Natalia Garcia was born in London in 1982 but moved to Gibraltar when she was two years old. Her mum, Christine, was teaching in Pimlico but wanted to move back to Gibraltar to be closer to her family after Natalia’s younger brother Daniel was born. In 2001 Natalia went to Southampton university and on completing her degree left for the Isle of Wight in 2005 to start teaching. “Originally I had only planned to stay a year after university, and then go back to Gibraltar. However I decided to stay knowing I could still visit Gibraltar often to see my family and friends.

I love living here in the country, but I do miss Gibraltar very much — there’s no place like home!”

Natalia Garcia

My Family & Other Things...

34

Natalia started her education at the Loreto Convent and then spent a year at St Anne’s until she moved to Westside Comprehensive, where she stayed to complete her ‘A’ levels.

“My first year of ‘A’ levels didn’t quite go as planned so I decided to take a year out and change my subjects. I ended up doing History, Biology and Spanish, which was a wise move since I really enjoyed all three, especially history.

I then studied Psychology at Southampton and did a PGCE. While doing my PGCE I trained at Nodehill Middle School in the Isle of Wight and was lucky enough to be given a job there to complete my NQT year. Five years later I’m still there teaching years 5 and 6! I’ve been lucky enough to go on many courses and I’m currently working on completing the Leadership Pathways course.”

In 2007 Natalia was given responsibility for Study Skills and successfully set up a Learning Curriculum within school where children feel able to explore their learning styles and the factors that affect their learning both in and out of school.

“I would eventually like to branch out into Educational Psychology but it will be a while before I’m able to do that. I think young people in Gibraltar are very lucky to have educational grants and should really make the most of this opportunity. I have many friends here in the UK who have left university in thousands of pounds of debt.”

Apart from teaching, Natalia has been involved in several charity events over the years.

I initially met Natalia when she enrolled on the Cheshire Home Fundraising Project in Tangier at the age of 17 and it is very encouraging to see that the same enthusiasm she demonstrated then is still there.

“Every year I take part in Walk the Wight which is a 26 mile walk across the Isle of Wight in aid of a local hospice. I also took part in the Great South Run in October and managed to complete the 10 mile run in Portsmouth, raising over £350 for the British Red Cross. This was quite an achievement as I had never done any running before. I started training for it in June

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

people

by Mark Montovio and would go out running on the cycle tracks after school and at the weekends. Crossing the finishing line was a great feeling. Although it was challenging physically and my legs ached a lot the next day, it was good to know that the money raised could change people’s lives.

“I think it’s important to do things for people who are not as lucky as we are. This thought keeps me grounded. There are so many ways in which we can all help others and everyone should give it a go!”

Natalia is quite happy now to look back at her teenage years and to consider how crucial the support she received from family and friends was then.

“Without the support of my family I wouldn’t be where I am today or be the person I am. Although my parents divorced when I was young I’m lucky to have both my mum, Christine, and dad, Albert, in my life, as well as my step-parents, brothers and extended family. They have all influenced me massively and continue doing so. They are all a big part of my life.

“When I was a teenager I went through a patch when I didn’t see eye to eye with my mum, Christine, or stepdad, Brian, and used to go out of my way to be difficult. I couldn’t understand why they were out to spoil my fun!

It’s only now as an adult that I look back and can laugh at how ridiculous and embarrassing my behaviour was and I realise how lucky I am to have such a wonderful family who care so much about me and only wanted the best for me. They have supported me through the good times and bad times. As an adult you start to see life very differently. I understand now why

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

Natalia Garcia on the road in Portsmouth

there were rules!

“My mum is one of the strongest people I know and she inspires me on a daily basis.

She has become my best friend. My boyfriend, Richard is also a massive influence. I love him to bits and can’t imagine being without him.

He supports everything I do, even if it means he has to stand in the freezing cold while I run around Portsmouth!”

In February Natalia and Richard bought a house and they are busy doing it up. “It’s in the countryside, which is lovely, and this also means I get to have lots of animals, which I love! So far

I have adopted a three-legged cat called Newton from the RSPCA and I have two bunnies. In the Spring we hope to be getting some chickens. I also grew my own veggies in the garden this summer which was a first for me!

“I love it here and don’t think much about where I will be in a few years time. The future seems like such a long time away! Hopefully soon, I’ll have finished doing the house. At the moment it feels as if there is no end to the work that needs to be done. I hope wherever I am and whatever I’m doing I’ll be healthy and happy.

Live for today is my motto!” n

35

memories

The Rock Revisited I was raised on tales of “Gib”. For most of my life the tiny territory has occupied a central place in my mental map of the world — a little like Jerusalem in medieval maps. The reason is that my father’s three years on the Rock, from 1940 to 1943, were for him a brief exotic interlude in a long life lived entirely in provincial towns in the industrial east Midlands of England.

Dad had come of age in difficult times in the 1930s and had followed his father into the joinery trade. Then along came WWII and he joined the Royal Engineers, becoming Ernest Waltham, Sapper, 1989697. He was put to work repairing airfields in Kent during the mayhem of the Battle of Britain. At the height of the battle, he and the rest of the 703rd Construction Company were put on a train to Liverpool, and then onto the SS Neuralia which then set sail into the U-boat infested Atlantic. The troops didn’t know where they were going, but suspected they would end up in Egypt, or at the bottom of the Bay of Biscay.

He arrived at Gibraltar on 25th September 1940. The Nottinghamshire lad found himself surrounded by palm trees, warm water, magnificent scenery — and peace. The terror and frenetic activity of the Battle of Britain was

Dad, Gibraltar 1941

replaced by an endless round of construction After a brief stay in Gavino’s Asylum, Dad work in tunnels and on beaches, route marching, and his company lived at Hargrave’s Parade for swimming in Catalan Bay, boredom, drinking the next three years. Sleeping arrangements were and barrack-room high-jinks. rudimentary. The straw bedding was burned periodically for reasons of hygiene, and blowlamps were used for dealing with bed bugs on the iron frames (the bugs exploded satisfyingly when the metal became hot). He also lived for a while in a “Spitfire crate” — a wooden packing crate used for transporting Spitfires bound for Malta. I still have some small toolboxes he made with wood from these crates.

Here’s a tale that has stayed with me since childhood: Dad’s comrade Jock returned to barracks drunk one night with a cigarette in his mouth. The cigarette dropped onto the bed as he lay down, and, some time later while he was asleep, his trousers burst into flame. A friend cut off his burning garments and Jock was rushed to hospital. Upon discharge he did not return to barracks but stowed away on an aircraft carrier then in the harbour. It transpired later that he had learned that his girlfriend back in England was pregnant (hence the bender). Once he and the carrier arrived in port he managed to find his girlfriend, and they quickly got married.

Immediately after he turned himself in to the Military Police at the nearest army camp. His sentence cannot have been too harsh, as he eventually returned to the Engineers in Gibraltar. I do hope he and his family prospered after the war, because reckless romanticism like that deserves a happy ending.

With the native population mostly evacuated there was a large gender imbalance on the Rock.

Dad said the only young females were nurses and to get anywhere near them you pretty much had to be an officer. For sappers, visits were occasionally allowed to the seamier parts of La Linea. The alternative, I learned one night in the pub when Dad had a three-pint grin on his face, was Frankie. “Frankie would always oblige

The straw bedding was burned periodically for reasons of hygiene, and blowlamps were used for dealing with bed bugs on the iron frames

Dad, Sandy Bay 1984

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

memories

by Chris Waltham

The three pillars of life in wartime Gibraltar — endless tunnelling, endless marching, no women (all from the Rock Magazine)

if you were desperate,” he said, as my mother choked on her gin and orange.

In late 1943 Dad’s company returned to England, and then went on to Normandy and Belgium. After demobilization, he returned to Nottinghamshire, moving a few miles into Yorkshire after he met and married my mother.

He stayed there for the rest of his life, making one brief trip back to Gib in 1984. He found one piece of his wartime handiwork: the remains of a gun emplacement that had been bulldozed to one side of Sandy Bay to make way for a housing development.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

He found one piece of his wartime handiwork: the remains of a gun emplacement that had been bulldozed to one side of Sandy Bay to make way for a housing development

It took me another quarter-century to follow.

I travelled with my younger daughter, which was rather special, as it meant that Dad’s story passes on to another generation. We found most of the places he had talked about.

On our last evening we ate at a pub on Main Street and looked out on a typically Gibraltarian Saturday evening street scene: young girls in brightly coloured dresses heading for St. Mary the Crowned, dark-suited Jews emerging from their sabbath services, kilted army officers bound for a regimental dinner. I imagined Dad sitting in the same spot, 65 years ago, with other khaki-clad sappers, pint in hand, joining in a chorus of wolf-whistles as Frankie paraded down the street, hand on hip, blowing kisses to the adoring crowd. ■

37

military connections Alan Dolding on his flying visit to Gibraltar last November

pirate in the sky At the age of 12, Alan Dolding watched the RAF aircraft from his home in Marina Court as they thundered out across the marina from the runway in Gibraltar. From then on he always wanted to be a pilot, but didn’t really expect the opportunity to come along.

“I originally applied to join the RAF as an Air Traffic Controller as I always thought you needed to be some sort of superman to be a pilot,” Alan told me as we stood on the chilly runway with the sun rising behind the Hawk aircraft from 100 Squadron.

“It was when I went to take the assessments, that it was suggested I might just be pilot material, and would I like to apply? The obvious answer was ‘Yes’ and everything went from there.”

The son of Mary and David (Mary is well known in Gibraltar for her work as a McMillan nurse), Alan, now Squadron Leader, is currently settled at RAF Leeming in North Yorkshire where the squadron is based, although having served all over the world, he still considers Gibraltar his home.

“I like to come over as much as I can, and 2009 was a particularly good year for me. I managed to come home three times — once on holiday and twice flying my own aircraft; thanks to the RAF.” Apart from his visit in early November, Alan

38

was also screaming round the Rock in his British Aerospace Hawk when the Red Arrows visited a couple of months previous. Although he’s never actually been part of the Red squadron, he’s had his aerobatic stint too, although further afield.

“I was lucky enough to be stationed in Australia for just over two years and was invited to join the RAAF Roulettes — the Australian equivalent to the Red Arrows,” he explained.

“The Roulettes is not a full-time job as it is with the Red Arrows pilots and we fitted in the display flying with our regular duties too. So

“On this last visit we brought over five planes and around 75% of the squadron to take part in training excercises along with Tornados”

although we put on some great displays, the Roulettes aren’t quite up to the same standard as the Red Arrows, but more because of the time pilots have to dedicate themselves to the routines.”

“It was a great way to see the continent as we regularly took part in displays right across Australia, and my family loved their time over there too.”

Married with three children, Alan doesn’t see his job as a hindrance to family life.

“The whole family has enjoyed my time in the RAF, and the children especially have been able to take advantage of much of the traveling,” he said.

Today, 100 Squadron is a training facility, although it’s seen action since the First World War where pilots flew bombing sorties over the front lines. Formed in 1917, the squadron can be easily distinguished by the skull and crossbones on the tail and front side of the black Hawks.

It is believed that the symbol was stolen from a French ‘house of disrepute’ during the First World War and adopted by the pilots, later it GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

Alan Dolding on the Battle of Britain Fly-Past in October 2009

was instated as the official crest and forms part of the squadron’s badge with the Malaysian proverb ‘Sarang Tebuan Jangen Dijolok’ meaning ‘Never stir up a hornet’s nest’, possibly a little more fitting than their pre-WW2 motto of ‘Blood and Brains’.

Many of us can be forgiven for assuming that the Hawks and Tornados come to Gibraltar just to take off and land at regular intervals through the day, disrupting the airport traffic as much as possible. Alan told us a little about the real purpose of their visit to the Rock: “On this last visit we brought over five aircraft and around 75% of the squadron to take part in training exercises along with Tornados.

Although we do take up quite a bit of runway time, we’ve tried to keep that to a minimum by all taking off and landing together rather than staggering the manoeuvres. This means that although we might close the road over the runway for up to 20 minutes, it will then be constantly open for the following hour and a half

Photographed by fellow pilot Flt Lt P Heasman

or so while we’re airborne training.

“The Hawks are actually last generation training aircraft in that the cockpit equipment is not the most sophisticated. We don’t have flat screens and some of the other gadgets that modern fighters have, but in essence they are the same and so make excellent training aircraft.”

“Our mission is to act as aggressor aircraft or ‘the baddies’ for the Tornados and, after taking off, we all head to the training area about 50 miles east of Gibraltar and carry out exercises

“Our mission is to act as aggressor aircraft or ‘the baddies’ for the Tornados and we all head to the training area about 50 miles east of Gibraltar”

at between about 5,000 and 25,000 feet where we provide the target for the Tornados to practice their air combat manoeuvres. Our aircraft are small but very maneuverable and quite fast.

We normally take them up to just over Mac 0.8 (500 MPH) but we can reach up to Mac 1.2 (650 MPH) in a dive.

“The Hawks carry a missile on one wing which is disabled from firing, but its seeker head is working and this is what we use to lock on to the Tornados. On the other side of each plane we carry a pod which is quite a complex piece of equipment. Before setting out, we load a computer card which records all the data from the aircraft and ‘talks’ to the other fighters while we’re out too. The information is then used once we’re back at base where we can play through a 3D re-enactment of movements and pin-point areas for correction and analyse the high speed combat situations at a slower pace from all angles.”

Not bad for a boy from Marina Bay! n

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

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

39

history file

by Reg Reynolds

Deep Throat in Gibraltar On 31st May, 2005 William Mark Felt revealed to the world that he was Deep Throat, the man who secretly provided the information on the Watergate Affair that ended with the impeachment of US President Richard Nixon.

Felt’s story was told in Vanity Fair magazine and was substantiated by authors Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein who first reported the story about the burglary of the Democratic Party offices at the Watergate Apartments in the Washington Post. But many observers of the long-running scandal remain sceptic and believe that there were more than one ‘Deep Throat’ and among the suspects was Vernon Walters, who held high office in the Central Intelligence Agency at the time of Watergate. Walters acted as a translator and advisor for the President and it was Nixon who had appointed him to the CIA post. The American-born son of British parents was a skilled linguist (French, Spanish, Italian, German, Portuguese, Chinese and Russian) who received his baptism into the world of intelligence in World War II during the invasion of North Africa.

Walters landed with the American forces at Casablanca on 8th November, 1942. His main mission was to interrogate captured soldiers but he wound up performing a wide variety of unusual duties “from cold storage and barrels of nails to the delicate issue of the control of the brothels.”

Due to French fears that the Americans, armed with chocolates and nylon stockings, would dominate the available women it was agreed that the brothels would close to the Americans at 10 p.m. leaving the remainder of the night to the French. Walters accompanied Colonel Nason, an American officer of the French Foreign Legion, on an inspection tour of the red light district.

“He (the Legionnaire) approached one in the old city, in the medina. He banged on the door. No answer. He banged again, now angrily. Finally, the door opened and a middle-aged woman looked out on us and said, ‘Ah the Americans!

I worked with them in the First World War.’ Colonel Nason made it plain to her that if there were any Americans in the place after 10 o’clock she would be in serious trouble and might have the place closed down”.

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Vernon Walters

After questioning dozens of African, French, Italian and German prisoners Walters was sent to Algiers and then to Gibraltar with a General Bethouart who had been appointed head of the French Military Mission to the US. At Gibraltar Walters met an old boarding school friend. Although he was born in New York in 1917 his parents had returned to England in 1923 and he attended school there before returning to America in 1933. Walters doesn’t name the friend but says that he was a captain and an aide to Gov-

ernor Mason-Macfarland [sic].This was probably the actor Anthony Quayle who was a captain and aide to the Governor.

Walters had been given orders to return to the US to train potential interrogators but he wanted to fly via England in order to visit family there. Because he was a low priority passenger he had to wait for a flight and this gave him ample time to enjoy the pleasures of war-time Gibraltar.

The American liaison officer had told him there were only two hotels in Gibraltar the Bristol, which

“His confirmation to me the prior evening (while dining at the Rock Hotel) can only be interpreted as a petty and malicious deception.

Little men take pleasure in little things”

was full, and the Rock which was for VIPs only. Walters had yet to find accommodation when his old school friend took him to meet Governor Mason-Macfarlane.

After briefing the Governor on the situation in North Africa the old man ordered the aide to ‘Take him up to the Rock Hotel and get him a room’.

This proved to be an unexpected treat for Walters: “The governor’s aide took me to the Rock Hotel, where I was immediately assigned a comfortable room with a magnificent view over the Bay of Gibraltar toward Algeciras and the Strait.”

Every day Walters walked down to the North Front Airport to see if his name had made the flight list.

He did make it one day only to be removed on the orders of a Colonel G who gave the place to a friend who had arrived from Algiers.

“I was furious! Not at being removed from the passenger manifest — this I could understand if one of Colonel G’s friends turned up with a higher priority. His confirmation to me the prior evening (while dining at the Rock Hotel) can only be interpreted as a petty and malicious deception. Little men take pleasure in little things.”

Walters lingered for another ten days on the Rock before finally getting a flight by volunteering as a waist gunner on a B-17 flying to England.

After returning to America Walters worked as an instructor but also carried out intelligence missions including infiltrating a group of suspected Nazi spies. In 1944 he returned to Europe and fought in Italy and Germany. After the War he served as an aide at the Marshall Plan headquarters in Paris and later helped set up the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers.

In the 1950s Walters served as an aide and interpreter for Presidents Truman and Eisenhower. In 1972 he was appointed Deputy Director of the CIA by Nixon and for two months in 1973 he was Acting Director. Interestingly he was passed over for the permanent position in favour of William Colby. Could this have been the spark that might have turned him into a ‘Deep

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

history file

Vernon Walters with Eisenhower and Franco

Throat’. A lack of promotion was one of the reasons Felts gave for his bitterness towards the Nixon cabinet. Certainly Walters, who left the CIA in 1976, two years after Nixon’s downfall, was in a better position to be a ‘Deep Throat’. Felts was only an FBI agent during the Watergate affair.

During the Reagan administration Walters was ‘ambassador at large’ visiting more than 100 nations between 1981 and 1985, was ambassador to the United Nations from 1985 to 1988 and ambassador to Germany in 1991. He died in West Palm Beach, Florida on 10th February, 2002. n

Walters, who left the CIA in 1976, two years after Nixon’s downfall, was in a better position to be a ‘Deep Throat’

2nd Annual Shipping Agent of the Year Dinner Another great evening was enjoyed by all shipping agents who attended the Caleta Hotel Annual Shipping Agent of the Year award dinner.

This year the prize was again won by Inchcape Shipping and was accepted on behalf of Inchcape by Chris Linares. An additional award was introduced for the “best improved performance” which was collected on behalf of M.H. Bland by Steven Barea.

Picture: L to R Franco Ostuni - General Manager Caleta Hotel, Steven Barea - MH Bland, Chris Linares - Inchcape, Marilyn Richardson Sales & Marketing Manager – the Caleta Hotel

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

41

book release

by Sonia Golt

English will take you places

A book ready to be launched this spring under the title Amandine is bound to get us engrossed in the diversity of happenings within its 550 pages, from murder to love triangles, as the heroine Amandine Avantoux, runs from the ghosts of her tragic past as a travel and fashion journalist. The story, written by local writer Elena Scialtiel, moves from the Himalayas to Morocco, from the Isle of Man to Malta, through Paris, Dublin and Milan, and redefines the cliché that life begins at 40.

The book promises to be anti-conformist, alluring, feisty, witty, and artistic. Knowing this authoress loves to read Peanuts strips, Asterix and TinTin comics as well as Voltaire’s novels it is not surprising this book is billed as a gripping page-turner, with lots of humour and drama.

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Elena grew up between the metropolitan hedonism and artistic buzz of Milan of the ’80s and ’90s, and long summer vacations in her natal Biella, an industrial town in the Piedmont countryside with the backdrop of snowy Alps. She speaks five languages — Greek, Latin, Italian and

French (plus English) — and these, together with glottology, archaeology, Hinduism and Buddhism, are the core of her university studies at the Ca’ Granda. She graduated as Master of Arts in June 1993, then in 1995 she gained an additional diploma as primary school teacher. Italian is her first language but Elena has been learning English since the age of nine, following a friend’s advice: “English will take you places!”

“It took me to Gibraltar! And it is here I met my husband Joseph Benggio on Christmas Eve of 1995 and we got married in early 1997.”

Elena got her big break locally as reporter with Panorama and now contributes to several publications including the Gibraltar Magazine.

She was runner-up at the Gibraltar Tourist Board’s 2006 ‘Ed Lacy Award’ for an article published in the British Airways’ in-flight quarterly.

But Elena sometimes changes pen for brush as she loves painting too.

“I use the original medium of enamel on melamine board,” she explains. “My very first exhibition was a solo one at the Gibraltar Fine Arts Gallery in December 2006, but I have also participated in local and international competitive exhibitions.”

Elena’s enthusiasm is infectious as she talks about the book. “First of all, I’d like to talk about the book cover, since one usually judges the book by its cover. I used my real name and not a penname since my surname is so rare that it might as well be a penname! Apparently my dad and I are some of the last, if not the last, left in the world with that spelling. My cover informs the reader this is a novel about a modern successful sexy woman who’s got the world at her feet.”

Elena says the black background with flashy neon colours is inspired by Prague’s Black Theatre. “The painting on the cover is a reproduction of my original painting Novecento, entered at the 2007 Gibraltar International Art Exhibition, dedicated to my Grandmother who passed away that summer at the age of 95. Since she was in my opinion a true woman of the 20th century, I thought to paint a sort of personification of the century, in which women made themselves heard.”

Elena has been writing short stories and attempting novels since she learned to read and write, entering short stories into international competitions, in Italian, English and even French. In 2001 she started writing a collection of short stories about 20th century women, with the aim of building up an anthology of 20 stories, but it was abandoned, “although two of them are quite good,” she says.

With Amandine Elena has self-published, and explains why she chose this route. “Well, I sat down near the phone for a while waiting for prestigious editors to offer to publish my book and make me the next Candace Bushnell but it didn’t happen, so I opted for self-publishing. I looked for sponsorship in Gibraltar, but since the book is not about Gibraltar I wasn’t successful.

Then another local author, Ana Lydia Armstrong suggested Author House, and they offered me a good deal even before the book was completed.”

Elena became extra motivated, writing day and night throughout the hot summer to finish

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

book release it, eventually submitting the manuscript this National Day. “There were moments I felt like Dr Frankenstein having created a monster who is taking up a life of her own to the extend that her presence has made me a better person as I always ask myself ‘what would Amandine do in this situation?’ When I was writing at night I felt like I was getting into a sort of psychic contact with the characters and waiting for them to manifest themselves before my eyes like spirits and then act out their adventures for me to report on it, as if they were creating me, not me creating them.

I know it sounds arrogant, cliché or downright naïve, but when I was really inspired to write my best pages it was like I was relating something unravelling before my very eyes.”

So, what story line unravelled? “Amandine started like the story of a young receptionist who wins the lottery, buys an RV and travels the world with it, then I thought it was flimsy and decided to shift it towards the 40th birthday crisis, also because I could relate much better to this kind of situation.

“The main story is a love triangle or rather a quadrangle or even a hexagon — diagonals included! Everyone seems to be dating everyone. However it is a very romantic love story of true devotion. There’s en passant a mention of anorexia and bulimia just to raise awareness and of breast cancer with this fictitious support group called Mammorettes (the mammary majorettes, I know it’s corny but it is catchy) and a mention of going to Laâyoune to sing her swan song — this is one of the most stirring passages.”

Elena says her family is delighted she has

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

finally written her book. “My mum and dad are obviously over the moon and besides supporting me emotionally they also did financially (many thanks) even if they cannot read English so they are eagerly awaiting the Italian translation. Amandine’s awesome (and embarrassing) Maman and Papa are inspired by them. I must thank my canary Rhodelia, the queen of ‘Beakingham Palace’, for singing melodiously while I was composing my divertissement. Last but not least, my husband Joseph who lent me his computer and extra-patiently put up with the almost tangible presence of Amandine and gang in our house. Although he’s a bit jealous of the male protagonist (a true legend), whose ghost has been literally haunting us in the past year, because I keep on referring to him as the ultimate romantic hero.”

Elena adds that Amandine is written almost as a script for a movie, with lot of dialogue and, like every good film, it has a soundtrack for the most significant scenes. “The soundtrack of the main love story is based on Bon Jovi’s greatest hits,” she says.

The story is about the power of the spoken word and how it can move mountains, create and destroy worlds and reputations. Here is an excerpt from the end of the book: “Words can create and annihilate. Use yours wisely. Make your voice heard. Cause an avalanche.”

The avalanche will come when the book is on sale (£12) as there is cause to run and get your copy before it’s sold out if the author’s enthusiasm, ability to explain the book, and joyful attitude is anything to go by. n

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art file Sunday Tea is the title of the pert still life that scooped third prize, stole the show and unexpectedly shone the limelight on first-time entrant 17-year old Peter Cosquieri, still incredulous his work is worthy of the Olympic (or at least the Gibraltar International Art Competition) podium, rubbing elbows with the legendary Mario Finlayson and über-cool Karl Ullger!

the

other cosquieri

At first glance, this artwork is an unusual, contemporary, fresh, cheeky and yummy twist on the classic still life: instead of romantic flowers, glossy pots or plump fruit, Peter chose the full frontal of… an assorted box of festive biscuits to make your mouth water with a tidy arrangement of overblown choc-chip cookies, digestives, bourbons, choc fingers, custard creams and the kids’ all-times favourite jam-sandwich, smiley face winking from the top row.

The composition is geometrically balanced, overshadowed by neither academicism nor hyper-scrupulous mathematical care in the use of circles and horizontal and vertical lines. The painting has subtle and harmonious asymmetry to shush potential denigrators ready to downplay it as an edible game of noughts and crosses.

Young Peter managed to render all details with mature realism, from the shiny black plastic tray that bounces the light off its creases with punctual tri-dimensionality, to the golden textures of the biscuits, which the onlooker is temped to pinch and munch.

All this just thanks solely to sapient brushstrokes of acrylic paint, without resorting to papier-mâché, twigs, strings, sand, pebbles or anything that usually tickles the fancy — and splatters the canvasses — of Cosqui senior, established local artist famous for

sunday tea when

by Elena Scialtiel

becomes an art form

If this year’s Gibraltar International Art Competition doesn’t go down in history because all three top prizes went to local artists, it surely will for being the one offering… Sunday Tea.

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

art file his penchant for outspoken and outrageous squirts and swirls, all over everyday objects that once stuck on canvas his genius turns into something marvellously else.

Peter stears clear of the ‘dirty work’ and candidly admits his art isn’t influenced by his more illustrious uncle Paul, who has taken the Rock by storm with his obsession for depicting its North Face, and with his TV programme Abstractus, where he dispenses pearls of wisdom to his fans, and makes it look it like child’s play, when he messes about with lacquer and paste smudged, smeared, trickled, poured all over his huge collages or decoupages.

But if one must not rob Peter to pay Paul or vice versa, the uncle has found his match in his nephew and serious competition to measure up with ­ — even more proudly so because Peter doesn’t walk in his shadow or bank on his place in the sun.

Sunday Tea isn’t just a glorification of baked still life, but more significantly a serious meditation on the opulence of western society, where the biscuit tin is always full, but nobody bothers to invite the hungry of the world along for ‘Sunday Tea’.

He chose biscuits because they are a comforting memory from our childhood when we were dispensed them sparingly as a treat, thus we have grown into regarding them like the ultimate manna or forbidden fruit we can now gorge on them, simply because we can afford to, to fill the void in our lives, or just to feel as rich as the tea we’re serving them with.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

Peter doesn’t disdain the lure of going abstract eventually, although he’s convinced that, to become a good abstract artist, one must master figurative first

This painting may as well be part of a diptych: one full and one empty box displayed next to each other.

In his school course, Peter has focused his attention on sculpting or depicting food, to convey the various faces of the human condition and the various concepts groceries symbolise in popular culture.

He is also into portraiture: the cast of his very young face was highly commended at the Alwani Foundation Young Artist of the Year competition, excellent dress rehearsal for this premiere raving raid into grown up art.

So far, his imagination has been limited by the duty to follow the school syllabus and stick to drawing and practising what the teacher sees suitable for him to pass his A Levels next summer, but if he could let his imagination run wild confronting the blank canvas, he would fill it with studies of architecture, textures and landscapes constructed with solid, visible brushstrokes.

Peter likes drawing shiny metal objects and glossy surfaces, tools, mechanical pieces and teethed gears from unusual angles, analysing how the light bounces off them.

He would like to travel to Africa to paint the continent’s open horizons and warm colours, and doesn’t disdain the lure of going abstract eventually, although he’s convinced that, to become a good abstract artist, one must master figurative first.

He is indisputably well beyond half way there: his figurative art is just missing a giant glass of milk! n

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the past

Artist unknown

Vicksburg Defences Inspired by Gibraltar

During the American Civil War the port of Vicksburg, Virginia was called the ‘Gibraltar of the Confederacy’ which is not suprising because the man who organised its defences drew his inspiration from Gibraltar.

Matthew Fontaine Maury was born in Fredericksburg, Virginia in 1806 and went to sea when he was 19-years-old. His first ship was the frigate Brandywine and his first voyage would take him across the Atlantic to Gibraltar and into the Mediterranean.

Maury’s biographer William Frances Leigh wrote of the occasion: “9th July, 1825, was a date Matthew was never to forget. On that day he received a livercoloured envelope bearing his eagerly awaited orders. The orders, written in standard form, read: ‘Proceed to Washington and report to Captain T. Tingey for duty on board the Brandywine.’ Matthew could hardly contain himself. He would be on the Brandywine when she carried Lafayette back to France.”

General Marquis de Lafayette was a French statesman (the English said he was a pirate) who had fought with the Colonial Army in the American War of Independence and was hailed a hero for his role in securing a decisive victory in the Battle of New Orleans. Now 68 he was on a triumphal tour of America.

“The 44-gun Brandywine was the first ship of any size that Maury had ever seen and a beauty to behold. She measured 175 feet between the

46

perpendiculars, molded beam of 45 feet, depth in hold 14 ½ feet, 1,726 tons displacement.”

She set sail for France on 9th September and delivered Lafayette to his native soil at La Havre in early October. From France the Brandywine sailed back across the English Channel and made harbour at Cowes on the Isle of Wight.

This turned out to be a thrilling experience for the youthful Maury. He wrote home: “We laid off Cowes two weeks during which

The most exciting adventure at Gibraltar for the midshipmen was climbing the Rock.

This gave Maury the opportunity to take note of the fortifications and gun emplacements

time we were visited by all the lords, ladies etc... but none like one little girl and how I delight to talk of her. She is the pretty daughter of Sir Bailey, one of the 12... Judges of the King’s Bench, by whom I was treated like a son; another midshipman and myself were invited by to dine, without his knowing so much as our names, I having paid great attention to his daughter, Meg, as he called her.”

On 22nd October the Brandywine sailed for the Mediterranean reaching Gibraltar on 5th November.

Leigh wrote: “The Brandywine’s midshipmen were given shore leave in Gibraltar. Boats took them to the northern end of the town. For Maury this was a stimulating experience. He could see numerous soldiers on sentry duty in protection of this British bastion. Among those pacing the walls were the kilted members of the Scottish regiment called the ‘42s.’ On the docks were dark-skinned men in the white garments of the Arab world and Spaniards in velvet suits, their hats decorated with beads.

In the crowded streets there were officers and sailors of many nations. Maury’s purchases at Gibraltar included a Spanish dictionary and a Spanish textbook on navigation.”

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

the past

by Reg Reynolds The most exciting adventure at Gibraltar for the midshipmen was climbing the Rock. The British had given permission for officers of the American squadron to make the ascent. This gave Maury the opportunity to take note of the fortifications and gun emplacements.

The Brandywine spent two weeks at Gibraltar before sailing into the Med for a three-month tour. She returned to Gibraltar in early March but only to take on stores for the trip to New York where she arrived on 17th April, 1826.

It was quite a splendid first voyage for a young sailor and cemented his love for the sea.

It would be a land accident in 1839 that would end his naval career. Maury was returning from leave to report for duty when the stagecoach he was riding atop — he had given up his seat to a young woman — turned over and in the accident he severely dislocated his right knee.

But Maury was more than a sailor he was also, as his nickname indicates, a scientist with an abiding interest in the oceans and their currents and temperatures. He had made his reputation with a book Treatise on Navigation and in 1842 he was selected by the Government to be Superintendent of the Depot of Charts and Instruments in Washington. The post carried with it the directorship of US Naval Observatory and Hydrographic Office.

Maury pretty much ignored the astronomy side of his job and instead concentrated on the study of oceanography and meteorology. He remained in this position until the outbreak of the Civil War in April, 1861. Although he didn’t approve of slavery Maury was a Virginian and a firm believer in State rights and he therefore

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

Matthew Fontaine Maury

He ordered the fortifications and armaments that caused Vicksburg to be called ‘Gibraltar’. Just like its real namesake this Gibraltar was besieged but unlike its namesake it eventually fell

joined the Confederacy. He was made a Commander of its navy and was appointed Chief of Sea Coast, River and Harbour Defences. It was in this capacity that he ordered the fortifications and armaments that caused Vicksburg to be called ‘Gibraltar’. Just like its real namesake this Gibraltar was besieged but unlike its namesake it eventually fell.

For two years Vicksburg withstood constant bombardment and fought off several land attacks but in April 1863, forces under General Ulysses S. Grant forced surrender. Grant used Union ships to ferry troops across the river in the dead of night capturing the nearby towns of Port Gibson and Grand Gulf. Unable to take Vicksburg in a direct attack Grant besieged the city for six weeks until on July 4th, Confederate General John Pemberton surrendered his force of 30,000. This left the entire Mississippi in the hands of the Federals.

During the war Maury designed an electric torpedo that created havoc with Federal shipping. The Secretary of the Navy declared in1865 that the torpedoes “cost the Union more vessels than all other causes combined”.

With peace finally established Maury returned to pursuit of knowledge of the sea. He was well ahead of his time advocating an international sea and land weather service, charting the seabed and studying the migration of whales before anyone else even realised they migrated. In 1868 he helped organise the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Maury died on 1st February, 1873, aged 67. Three US Navy ships (including a research vessel), a lake and several schools have been named in his honour. n

47

ah

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010 GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • DECEMBER 2009

at home IN GIBRALTAR

ah

Property:

The Market Reviewed

by Justin Bray, Bray Properties

For a year which promised to deliver so little at the outset, 2009 has fortunately not been the horror story predicted by the hoards who rushed to yell the end of the world was upon us in 2008! Although the financial markets and some major financial institutions wobbled along the way (and gave us all a fright or two!), the unprecedented steps taken by governments across the world prevented the shock-waves developing further and the latest official figures in the UK and Europe allude to a slowly improving global economic forecast.

The latest Bank of England data showed the number of mortgage approvals rose in October for the 11th month in a row and the Land Registry confirmed house prices in the UK rose for the 5th month in a row, albeit still 3.4% lower than a year ago.

As is often the case with statistics, they can be tinkered with to portray situations in the light they wish to be seen in, but what these latest figures do clearly show is a continuing and strengthening demand for properties despite lending institutions having tightened-up their criteria since the credit crunch began. This is very much the case also in Gibraltar where mortgages are only attainable from banks and building societies originating from England.

It is no secret that obtaining a mortgage to finance the purchase of a property is no longer the straightforward task it was only a few years ago when it seemed faster and easier to obtain a mortgage than an appointment with a doctor at the Primary Care Centre (which is no mean feat in it itself). Whilst lending institutions state they are now lending responsibly, by the same token it could be said they have become over-

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

cautious and in turn are holding back growth in economies at a time when it is needed more than ever in Europe.

Despite this, 2009 was not the disaster many thought it would be and Gibraltar’s housing market showed its resilience at a time when even the likes of Dubai’s much heralded and overhyped property market ground to a halt.

So, what does 2010 have in store for Gibraltar?

With the reduction of loan to value ratios from 95% to 80%, the first-time buyers in 2010 will find themselves once again excluded from the local property market, with little hope of stepping on to the first rung of the property ladder. The Government housing schemes are thankfully assisting this important section of the community, but the pattern is set to continue

this coming year.

Likewise, credit constraints have also meant that new developments have and will continue to struggle to achieve much needed off-plan sales and until that confidence returns the supply of new housing stock will be severely compromised. In Gibraltar this has not been an issue until now as all developments on the Rock were sold off-plan prior to the credit crunch hitting Europe’s shores, but the low loan to value ratio mortgages that lending institutions are offering could severely hamper construction projects in forthcoming years unless the matter is addressed and pressure applied by the British Government who bailed-out these banks.

It is however doubtful that any change in lending criteria will happen overnight and the resulting slow-down in construction of new properties in 2010 should bolster the local property market, and this combined with the increasing number of persons relocating to Gibraltar, low interest rates, the Rock’s rapidly improving infrastructure, enviable tax regime and growing reputation as a top-flight finance centre will ensure moderate sustainable capital growth in the local property market. ■ On behalf of all the team at Bray Properties we wish you a happy and prosperous 2010!

49 49

ah

at home IN GIBRALTAR colours. Age, cultural influences, personal experiences and interests, lighting and even physical makeup are just a few of the elements that influence an individual’s response to colour.

When choosing room colours to paint a room, you may consider the following ways we tend to respond to various colours but remember, just like you respond differently to various types of music and sound levels, the same will be true colour — it should reflect your child’s own personality.

Warm Colours Key words: warmth, intimacy and excitment Found on the red side of the colour wheel, these colours stir our senses, especially when you move to the intensely warm end of the scale (reds and oranges) as these colours tend to stimulate and excite the viewer. If the room is for reading or just relaxing, you may consider the less intense colours from the red side of the color wheel.

However, when red is used to counterbalance neutral colours, it can add life and sparkle in a kid’s room. Oranges are a good choice for play rooms — the brighter the orange the less relaxing the colour becomes. While yellow is stimulating and cheerful, when overused it may become disturbing to the viewer and is not recommended for bedrooms as it’s know to cause restless nights.

Colours from this palette can symbolise happiness or on the other spectrum anger. To tone them down use light pinks, peach and pale yellow tones alongside.

Blues motivate intellectual thought, so they are great for a bedroom also used to study

Kid’s Rooms:

The Psychology of Colour “Babies cry more in yellow rooms, couples fight more in yellow kitchens and opera singers throw more tantrums in yellow dressing rooms,” so says J.L. Morton, colour consultant and founder of Colormatters.com Colours have a physical affect on us, and so a child’s room should contain colours selected for their positive effects.

When a baby is born he or she can only see black, white and grey. Within a week or so they can see red. Since children see red before blue it’s best to decorate a baby room using soft

50

tones instead of bright primary colours as the bright tones may confuse and overwhelm. For example, bright reds may appear loud and unsettling in the abscence of other colours.

As a child matures it is important to involve them in choosing their own colours for their rooms as we all respond differently to different

Cool Colours Key words: calming, stability Found on the blue side of the colour wheel, these include blues, turquoise, green, greys and silver. When you have very dark versions of these colours they can be depressing to the viewer and they appear cold and reserved.

Light cool colours (blue green, light blue, pale violet and even white) have a calming effect and make rooms feel more spacious. Pale warmer blues are a great bedroom colour as they slow the human nervous system and soothe you, producing a calming effect that prepares the body for sleep.

Many believe blues actually motivate intellectual thought, so they are great for a room used to study. Greens on the other hand may give you a feeling of complacency, but this can be counteracted with splashes of reds for example.

Earth Tones Key words: warmth, comfort and relaxation Earth colours like muted yellows, greys, browns, and beige are a good choice for hyperactive children. Browns represent safety and when mixed with creative bright colours they can provide a perfect balance in a child’s bedroom which may have many functions.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

at home IN GIBRALTAR

ah

Black Key words: depressing, sorrow When it is used in large amounts it absorbs light and it can generate depression and/or zap the energy out of the viewer. Even in small amounts it can be depressing and is subconciously associated with death in the west.

Teens often mention black as a colour choice as for them it is mysterious and modern. The best way to tackle its negative affects is by using it only in small amounts (accents or accessories maybe).

Neutral Colours Key words: clean, flexible White, creams, ivory, beige and brown — neutral colours are very flexible. Neutrals are great anchor colours into which other colours can be splashed.

Since it reflects almost 80% of light, a room painted white seems brighter and larger.

Purples & Pinks Combining the stability of blue and the energy of red, violet can take on the characteristics of blue or red depending on the shade. Traditionally it signifies royalty, power, justice, nobility and luxury yet it is also associated with depression and suffering. Lighter purples can make the viewer feel peaceful, romantic and nostalgic.

Light purple is a good choice for a kid’s room.

Pink is the colour of love and affection — it emits a soft, calm and peaceful aura which is perfect for relaxation.

So colour does matter — choose wisely. ■

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

Pink emits a soft, calm and peaceful aura perfect for a bedroom which is also used for relaxation

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profile

by Mike Brufal

Jose Netto at a meeting held at Grand Parade with the minister from London on the extreme left, and Alec Gibson, Deputy Secretary General of the TUC

Jose Netto:

union man

Jose Netto, 79, is a humanist who has dedicated his life to improving the living standards, social mobility and equality, parity of wages, and pensions of working class Gibraltarians. His success is measured both by the amount of interest previously taken in his work by the intelligence services, who at every opportunity would deem him to be a subversive and dangerous person, and the fact that today it is open to any child to win a scholarship to a British university, obtain a qualification, return to the Rock, command a good salary and be able to join any club in Gibraltar. This certainly was not possible even 30 years ago. Today there is no restriction upon entry to any profession and society is based on meritocracy.

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Jose was born in Gibraltar to a Gibraltarian father and a Spanish mother. His father worked for the dockyard and was socialist in his political views while his mother’s family were all staunch Republicans. After the aborted wartime evacuation to Casablanca his parents decided it would be safer for the family to be smuggled across the border and live with Jose’s grandmother in the village of Atajate just outside Ronda rather than be evacuated to London. His father kept his ear to the ground and as soon as he heard that the first liner returning evacuees from England was on its way he called for his family to return.

Jose came back from five years across the border speaking perfect Spanish but little English and the family went to live in a small flat within Moorish Castle. Arguments arose and agreement was reached with the authorities for the family to move to a larger flat in Armstrong buildings — an early example of using initiative to beat the colonial system.

His father-in-law and his aunt, staunch opponents of General Franco, had to be smuggled into the colony and were granted refugee status.

Many years later his father-in-law became a British citizen. As a teenager Netto used to distribute anti-Franco literature within the Campo de Gibraltar and a special target would be the passenger trains leaving from the San Roque station.

Secondary education was at the Sacred Heart School run by the Christian Brothers and at 16 he left to join the REME as an apprentice. Jose stresses that he secured this job himself without any help from his father’s Masonic lodge. Although coming from a family of Freemasons he was never tempted to join as he saw the future lay with the fledging Trade Union movement.

One of his first actions was to join the Gibraltar Confederation of Labour (GCL), which had been started by Albert Risso as an offshoot of the AACR. He was its youngest member and this was the start of a life dedicated to the Trade Union movement.

His first public foray into political life was when he resigned from the GCL hours ahead of being expelled, due to his opposition to the six months National Service which was then compulsory for all males. He opposed because of the practice of Gibraltarians not been guaranteed their jobs at the end of their National Service.

This applied more to those who were the least qualified and who, having struggled to find a job, would find themselves unemployed when they finished the six months with the Colours.

He then joined the Transport and General Workers Union.

As an employee of the MOD Jose was no stranger to controversy and from time to time would fall foul of certain REME officers but he had a protector in Colonel Matthews, the REME commanding officer, who had a soft spot for the somewhat belligerent teenager.

His six months military service was spent under the command of Colonel Charlie Norton. Needless to say he soon put his trade union experience to good use when a plague of cockroaches was found in the cookhouse.

Despite many complaints to NCOs and officers no move was taken to fumigate the cookhouse.

He persuaded the whole intake to make a stand by sitting down on the parade ground when ordered to ‘Get on Parade’. After a kerfuffle which resulted in the parade being abandoned,

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

profile the Military Police were called in as a fight had broken out between a couple of members of the intake and the regular cadre for which gunners Victory, Perera and Sevilla were sentenced to one month’s detention. When the intake came down to breakfast the next day the cause had been won as the cookhouse had been fumigated and all cockroaches eliminated.

Jose appreciated that to succeed in the local trade union movement his command of English had to be improved and so he moved to Hayes in the United Kingdom, obtaining employment in the Heinz factory which was non-union. In 1969 his father became ill and he returned to Gibraltar but it was no coincidence that at the time of his departure the majority of the employees at the factory had joined the Transport and General Workers Union.

Gibraltar had changed, the frontier was closed and General Franco had started his campaign to force Gibraltarians into subjugation which resulted in considerable hostility towards the Spanish Government. On his return he formed the Gibraltar Free Workers Union.

All the leaders of the trade union, after the closure of the frontier, decided that one strong union would be more effective than a host of small ones and so very quickly all were amalgamated into the Transport and General Workers Union.

In 1972 Ernest Mor resigned from the position of the TGWU’s resident officer. By this time Netto had become close to Jack Jones, the powerful general secretary of the TGWU and a man who had fought against General Franco in the Spanish Civil war. Jack Jones was determined Jose should be the new district officer. He did not wish to accept this position but was eventually persuaded to apply and was successful.

A month after his appointment he was thrown into the turbulent waters of local politics which culminated in the General Strike of 1972. This was the year of the Big Lie election and before it took place the Governor, Sir Varyl Begg, invited a delegation from the Gibraltar Trades Council led by Jose Netto to a briefing at the Convent on Headline news from August 1972

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

Jose Netto being carried away from a demonstration at the airport to prevent the deportation of a Moroccan worker. The three police officers facing the camera are Louis Wink, Joe Olivero and Emilio Porro

One message delivered was that any trade union pressure on the British government by mounting strikes in the dockyard would be counter-productive.

This was akin to a red rag to a bull

the political talks held between Sir Alec Douglas Home and Gregorio Lopez Bravo. One message delivered was that any trade union pressure on the British government by mounting strikes in the dockyard would be counter-productive. This was akin to a red rag to a bull.

The briefing led to Jose becoming much closer to the Integration With Britain Party as he sided with Major Robert Peliza’s view that the British Government was about to sell Gibraltar down the river. The AACR won the 1972 election and the general strike in August also turned out to be the first shot in the battle to achieve parity of wages. At this time future Chief Minister Joe Bossano had not returned to the Rock after completing his studies in the UK. When he came back in 1974 it was as a socialist.

Netto points out that he was never a member of the IWBP as he was closer to the political ideology of Edwin Yeats who was a left wing lecturer at Leeds University. Contrary to the opinion of the intelligence services he has never been a card carrying member of the Communist party. He is an atheist who is close friends with members of all the major religions.

Jose was the major player in achieving parity of wages on the Rock and recounts this story of important meetings in 1975 with Minister of State FCO Roy Hattersley and Gibraltar’s Chief Minister Sir Joshua Hassan. After a visit to the Rock by Roy Hattersley, he was invited to meet the Minister in London to discuss parity of wages. Netto was advised to see Harry Irwin, the TGWU deputy general secretary, before seeing the Minister. This he did and as he sat down fate intervened when Hattersley telephoned Irwin. The call was switched to speaker phone and Jose heard Hattersley say words to the effect: Look Harry you must know that we cannot meet the Gibraltar claim on parity because there is no money left in the budget. Jose says Irwin responded by telling Roy to “find the money from some other head of expenditure”. Harry offered to accompany Netto to the meeting with the Minister and they found that Hattersley was using the Chief Minister as an excuse saying

53

profile

Jose Netto and Moroccan TGWU workers sitting on the runway to prevent the plane taking off. The protest was a success and the worker was not deported and was also paid his redundancy

Sir Joshua Hassan was of the opinion that the Gibraltar economy would be unable to sustain parity.

Upon their return a meeting was held with the Chief Minister. It was explained to Sir Joshua that parity would mean an increase in wages for every worker of whom the greater number were employed by the MOD and the increase in taxation would greatly exceed the increase in wages the Gibraltar Government would have to pay its employees. In fact the ratio between MOD and local government then was three to one. Hassan capitulated and executed a U-turn.

It is Netto’s opinion that this was the defining moment which resulted in parity of wages with the UK being achieved in 1976.

The management structure of the TGWU at the time was led by the district officer, Jose Netto, and three branch officers who were Michael Feetham, Bernard Linares and Joe Bossano looking after public sector, private sector and non industrials.

Jose says he had a monumental disagreement with Joe Bossano when he was Chief Minister which resulted in the two having no social communication for almost two decades.

Jose retired in 1996 and so has worked with every Chief Minister. He has seen huge changes in Gibraltar since he joined the Gibraltar Confederation of Labour and pays tribute to the first unionists on the Rock around 1890 who were coal heavers known as the Union of the Pennies,

In 2008 the JM Memorial Foundation presented one of its annual award to Jose Netto for his contribution to the Trade Union Movement — these awards are presented annually to individuals in the community who make a difference to others

54

because of the one penny a week union dues for welfare support.

In the bad old days it was the military who enjoyed all the power on the Rock hence the calamitous decision to expel Alberto Fava because he was a communist and in the three months he had been appointed leader of the Gibraltar Confederation of Labour, had turned it into a well organised trade union campaigning on a wide range of social and political issues. Early trade unionists such as Albert Risso, Emilio Salvado, Carlos Rocca, Angel de la Rosa, and Manuel Ghio were all black listed by the colonial administration; all loosely smeared with being communists.

Last year the Gibraltar Government awarded Jose the Gibraltar Medallion of Honour for his outstanding contribution to the Trade Union movement, his untiring defence of others and his commitment to equality, respect and dignity.

Jose, who married Ana Tellez in 1954 and has three children, Michael, Annie and Jaime, ended this interview saying: “The Gibraltarians have to remain vigilant as there is no doubt that even today, despite the Cordoba Agreement, there are those on the right in Spain who would like to turn the clock back. Whilst the democratic process in Spain has achieved much, it still remains a young democracy which needs to mature further. This means having to accept the will of the Gibraltarian people in deciding its own future.

“The late Jack Jones has been my greatest inspiration and mentor. Jack was willing to sacrifice his life if this meant life could be improved for the working class and I hope my life in trade unionism has helped Gibraltar’s workers in some small way”. n GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

fashion

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Shopping &Beauty

178 Main Street · Gibraltar · Telephone 200 48480

shopping & gifts

Sacha’s DUTY FREE WINES, SPIRITS & TOBACCO

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open 7 days 79 Main Street

Archive editions of The Gibraltar Magazine now available online at www.thegibraltarmagazine.com visit us online

84 Irish Town Tel: 200 71238

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Wines · Spirits · Tobacconist Groceries · Indian Spices OPEN 7 DAYS · LATE HOURS 10 Bell Lane · Tel: 200 77337

hair & beauty

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

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Also Jewellery repairs, engraving, diamond setting, Jewellery appraisals

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Enjoy the experience of having your hair styled in a relaxed and friendly environment, with massaging backwash chair and a welcoming team of top stylists

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• 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

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55 55

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184 Main Street Tel: 200 72133 open: from 8am (10am on Sun) Accountants Durante Carboni Jardim..............X3 ESV Hassan & Co........................ I4 Business/Financial Services AI Couriers (DHL)......................K3 Almanac......................................O2 Barclays...................................... M4 EFPG........................................... E0 GibraltarAssetManagement....... M5 Hassans............................................

Jyske Bank.................................. L4 Masbro Insurance........................N4 Norwich & Peterborough............Q5 Phoenix Solutions........................ J4 Sovereign Trust...........................N4 STM Fidecs.................................H7 Business Services Call Centre..................................V4 Global Business Centre................S3 Waste Management......................a6 Business Supplies Beacon Press...............................N6 Glasshouse..................................N5 Image Graphics...........................N3 Stitch Design................................P3

Motoring & Car Sales A. M. Capurro & Sons Ltd ........ N6 Computers & Cableing BSG...............................................I4 Image Graphics........................... N3 Newton Systems.........................M5 PC Clinic..................................... U3 Food & Drink Al Baraka.................................... X7 Amin’s The Office....................... K5 All Sports Bar ............................ N3 Birdie Cafe Restaurant................ D7 Brunos......................................... B3 The Boatyard................................Z6 Buddies Pasta Casa..................... Q4 Cafe Rojo.................................... K5 Café Solo..................................... G3 Casa Pepe.....................................Z6 El Patio........................................ H2 Final Whistle............................... N3 Fresh .......................................... G4 Garcia’s Take-Away.................... C1 Get Joost...............................H4, S4 Get Stuffed.................................. A3 House of Sacarello.......................L5 Just-a-Nibble.................................I4

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health

Looking Younger As we age, the face takes on a harder, harsher form as lines begin to etch themselves into the skin — this is the classic giveaway of an ageing person compared to the fresh face of a younger person. These signs of ageing appear as a result of many factors including genetic predisposition, sun damage (now believed to be the cause of 85% of lines on the face), muscle hyperactivity, gravity and environmental factors (such as smoking and rapid loss of weight). A number of simple aesthetic medical procedures are now available which are able to reverse and inhibit the progression of visible signs of ageing dramatically and effortlessly.

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In the UK the aesthetic market is becoming more and more competitive, and the discerning patient is now looking closely at training, experience and quality before choosing an aesthetic practitioner. Consequently clinics are becoming increasingly conscious of recruiting well-trained, multi-skilled practitioners to provide the latest technological treatments and achieve high customer satisfaction.

From February 2010, three of the UK’s leading nurse practitioners in medical aesthetics will start holding regular clinics in Gibraltar. These clinics will specialise in facial, neck and hands rejuvenation/non surgical aesthetic treatments and will take place at the Specialist Medical Clinic in the ICC building, Casemates Square.

Maggie McGowan, Ros Bown and Melanie Smith all have their own thriving practices in the UK and have worked closely with each other for many years. They also have close working relationships with many leading UK based medical aesthetic specialists and plastic surgeons.

As such they have developed state-of-the-art techniques which involve advanced methods of combining products, tailored to bring the best results to each individual’s requirements.

Between them they have a wealth of experience and knowledge arising from over 36 years of providing top quality treatments in the UK. The main treatments they will be providing in Gibraltar will be Botox plus a variety of the best injectable dermal fillers currently available on the market.

Maggie McGowan RGN, RM, INP is a registered nurse and has nearly 14 years full-time experience in cosmetic treatments and procedures having moved into the field of medical aesthetics in 1996. Currently she now holds 32 busy clinics throughout the UK and is an international opinion leader in the field of aesthetic medicine.

She has been a training consultant for some of the leading aesthetic product manufacturers and as such has trained doctors and nurses in Brazil, Malta, Finland and the UK. Ros Bown RGN, INP, worked as a lead nurse in plastic/aesthetic surgery for 25 years. She has now been working as an aesthetic practitioner for 13 years and has a highly successful practice throughout the UK with clinics in Harley Street, London, Birmingham, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, Warwickshire, Staffordshire, Powys and the West Midlands. She also trains doctors and nurses in advanced techniques with injectable Dermal Fillers and is fully qualified in all aspects of skin and facial rejuvenation to an advanced level.

Melanie Smith BSc(Hons), RGN, INP, DHP, ONC moved into the field of aesthetic medicine after many years working as a nurse in orthopaedics, ophthalmics and operating theatres. After completing extensive training with some of the leading manufacturers in aesthetic medical products, Melanie established her own practice in 2000. She is trained to advanced level for all the main injectable aesthetic treatments and has become a leading expert in the field of facial rejuvenation. Melanie is a full time practitioner and has also carried out clinical research in a study using Botulinum Toxin “A”(Botox) for cosmetic purposes and is co founder of a specialist clinic which uses Botox to treat people suffering from Hyperhydrosis, a neurological related condition which is manifest by excessive sweating.

Undoubtedly, the most well known of the treatments to be provided by the team will be Botox. There has been a huge increase in the GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

health amount of treatments being given overt the last few years as awareness increases of the facial rejuvenation results that can be gained from this well established procedure. However Botox has other uses, and been used for over 30 years to treat medical conditions including eye deviation, eyelid and facial spasms, and is rapidly becoming a major player in the management of a variety of neurological conditions.

Basically, Botox works by reversibly relaxing or paralysing muscles. When injected into the muscles of the face that have no significant function but which cause the deep crease between the eyes, crows feet wrinkles and forehead lines, these muscles are relaxed and thus the wrinkle lines are able to smooth out and “disappear”.

The idea is to give the face a lifted, fresher look, and to avoid the “frozen” non-expressive look that has been associated with this treatment in the past. The effect of the treatment wears off after three to six months so treatments have to be repeated to maintain the fresh facial appearance.

Botox has other uses and in particular it can be used to reduce or eliminate excessive sweating in the armpit and neck area. In these cases, Botox is injected into the areas of excessive sweating to temporarily paralyse the nerves supplying the eccrine (sweat) glands thus reducing or stopping sweating in the treated areas. As the effect of the drug wears off, the sweating gradually returns over three to six months, and further treatment are necessary.

The second most popular and well established treatment for facial rejuvenation is Dermal Filler.

These are products which replace some of the

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

elements of the connective tissue in the skin, which are lost by ageing. These products are injected into areas of loss, in order to plump up and soften the lines that are present when the face is at rest. The most common areas to be treated are nose to mouth lines, mouth to chin lines, horizontal chin crease, lip enhancement and smoker’s lines of the upper lip.

The most common form of dermal filler is hyaluronic acid, a non animal product that almost perfectly matches the natural hyaluronic acid present in our skin. The effects of this treatment

Three of the UK’s leading nurse practitioners in medical aesthetics will be in Gibraltar next month

Botox has other uses and in particular it can be used to reduce or eliminate excessive sweating in the armpit and neck area

can be seen almost immediately, but because hyaluronic acid draws water from surrounding tissue towards itself (like little sponges) further softening of the treated area continues for 7 to 14 days after treatment.

The team also offer Sculptra volumising injections, which work by stimulating the build up of the body’s own collagen to smooth out lines and wrinkles. The volumising effect also restores lost facial volume, resulting in a fuller younger-looking face. The overall effect is a natural youthful appearance achieved by the body’s own collagen. In clinical trials the Sculptra effect has been shown to last for up to three years. Sculptra can be used to treat deep folds between the nose and the mouth (naso labial folds), folds around the corners of the mouth (marionette lines), sunken cheeks, wrinkling in the cheeks or chin, deep scars, temples and jowls.

All three of the Specialist Medical Group aesthetic practitioners, work closely with a number of GMC registered, accredited consultant plastic surgeons some of whom regularly visit Gibraltar as visiting consultants to the Gibraltar Health Authority. All three practitioners have established themselves at the forefront of their profession and pride themselves in their ability to achieve a natural, fresher look rather than the more over treated look that may have featured in some parts of the media in the past.

The Specialist Medical Clinic will be holding a number of events over the Valentine’s weekend at which all three practitioners will be present to talk to people who want to know more about the treatments on offer and answer questions about individual treatment options. n

59

health

by Elena Scialtiel

how healthy is your relationship with food Food, glorious food: is your wildest dream finding the gingerbread house in the woods? Is your last wish drowning in Willy Wonka’s Chocolate River?

A

re you the one who is

unable to stop gorg ing yourself at the buf fet while everyone else is busy socialising? Do you measure the fun you had at a party in proportion to what you gulped down?

Do you rank food top of your agenda, spending your waking time nibbling and self-loathing for it?

Do you start a new diet every week, starving yourself at meal time to later raid the fridge and rush to barf when you’re home alone?

Do you actually enjoy the discomfort of vomiting as deserved punishment for your weaknesses?

Do you guilt-trip because you tend to cope with grief by reaching out for the biscuit tin? Are you ashamed of it?

Do you rationally admit your troubles are peanuts compared to the tragedies in the world, yet you cannot stop brooding in self-pity and resent yourself?

60

Do you fear others will blame your ‘paranoia’ on your wealth that allows you plenty of time and money spare for extra food?

“If you had to work hard for your rationed bread, as we used to during the war, surely you wouldn’t sit around wailing because you cannot fit in that cute designer dress you couldn’t afford anyway!” some elderly may wisecrack — just to make you feel even more miserable, for often compulsive eating ravages the life of ordinary people and plunges them into debt with grocery bills they cannot foot, as much as it does for figure-obsessed celebs, socialites and princesses.

If you want to come to terms with the deadly sin that can kill you physically and psychologically join

Overeaters Anonymous.

Overeaters Anonymous (for local branch telephone 200 42581) is about sharing experiences and advice with people in the same situation, which will make you realise you’re not just an odd-ball spoilt brat who urgently needs to sort your priorities, and will improve your probabilities of overcome your issue.

Overeaters Anonymous has been established in Gibraltar for about 10 years, but, as the name implies, they value confidentiality to the extent they usually disclose the venue for their next meeting only on a needto-know basis!

Anyone with the desire to stop eating compulsively is welcome to join OA, whose statute is modelled on Alcoholics Anonymous. Their now iconic 12-step programme and meeting format addresses physical, emotional and spiritual issues.

It is not about diet plans or professional medical or psychological support. It is about a group of friends ready to turn their failures around, and who reckon that the only hope left is regularly pouring their heart out to someone who can fully empathise and is not judgemental towards failures, but supportive of any step, no matter how small, taken towards overcoming demons.

Attending on a regular basis adds extra motivation to one’s

?

commitment to heal, but it’s entirely one’s choice. If you don’t feel comfortable, nobody will condemn you as a quitter: this is a friendly hand reaching out to help you to stop having your life ruled by a distorted relationship with yourself.

Although the bulimia stereotype we have in mind is the plump young lady with an appetite for life, dramatically swinging moods from mountaintop high to oceanfloor low, overeating can affect both genders at any age, with obesity being just one of the many consequences of a state of mind that sometimes doesn’t even manifest itself on the outside with unequivocal symptoms.

A compulsive eater may look perfectly healthy and in good shape, but inside suffers from overeating related disorders like bad teeth, high or low blood sugar, cholesterol, constipation and heartburn.

Once you admit you have a problem, you’re already stepping on the ladder towards recovery from a progressive illness which can be arrested. There’s no shame in admitting you have a problem, but it takes lot of courage to show it you are in control.

A typical session sets aside time for sharing personal experiences in an attempt to pinpoint what triggers one’s need to take refuge in comfort food. The relaxed at-

Overeating can affect both genders at any age, with obesity being just one of the many consequences of a state of mind that sometimes doesn’t even manifest itself on the outside with unequivocal symptoms GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

health mosphere makes communication honest, and banks on acceptance, companionship and a sense of belonging to steer you towards a ‘happy and productive life’.

In our opulent society, overeating is luring suffers from every corner and it is easy to give in into temptation, but it’s one thing to occasionally binge, and a completely different matter to be trapped in a regular spiral of overindulgence.

Although the issue is not currently addressed in local schools, parents can spot the early signs of obsessive behaviour in their children’s teens by answering the 15 questions published in the association’s official website www. oa.org, whose motto is ‘I put my hand in yours, and together we can do what we could never do alone’. ■

They value confidentiality to the extent they disclose the venue for their next meeting only on a need-to-know basis

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

15 questions to determine if you are a compulsive eater 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Do you eat when you’re not hungry?

Do you go on eating binges for no apparent reason?

Do you have feelings of guilt and remorse after overeating?

Do you give too much time and thought to food?

Do you look forward with pleasure and anticipation to the time when you can eat alone?

Do you plan these secret binges ahead of time?

Do you eat sensibly in front of others and make up for it alone?

Is your weight affecting the way you live your life?

Have you tried to diet for a week (or longer), only to fall short of your goal?

Do you resent others telling you to “use a little willpower” to stop overeating?

Despite evidence to the contrary, have you continued to assert that you can diet “on your own” whenever you wish?

Do you crave eating at a definite time, day or night, other than mealtime?

Do you eat to escape from worries or trouble?

Have you ever been treated for obesity or a food-related condition?

Does your eating behaviour make you or others unhappy?

Have you answered “yes” to three or more of these questions? If so, it is probable you have, or are well on your way to having, a compulsive eating problem.

61

health & medical directory

health& fitness Bell Pharmacy

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

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

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

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

PASSANO OPTICIANS LTD British Registered Optometrists

Chiropodists

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

GUARANTEED

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

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

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:

11 Convent Place Tel: 200 75747

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

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

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

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

JOHN W. MILES

Health Stores

BSc (Podiatry), M.Ch.S

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

STATE REGISTERED CHIROPODIST

Opticians / Optometrists

Treatment of all Foot Problems

Gache & Co Limited 266 Main Street. Tel: 200 75757

• Ingrown Toe-nails including Surgical Removal

• Diabetics

Tel: 200 77777

College Clinic, Regal House, Queensway TEL: 54029587 FOR HOME VISITS

Need somebody to talk to?

7 days a week 6-10pm

Daniel N. Borge BDS MSc MFDS RCS(Eng) Borge Dental/Medical Centre 7-9 Cornwall’s Lane Tel: 200 75790 BDS (Wales) LDS RCS (Eng) MFGDP (UK)

Louis’ Pharmacy

• Wart (Verruca) Clinic

DentAL SURGEONS

Keith J Vinnicombe

Codali Funeral Services

For all your Pharmaceutical needs

• Biomechanical Analysis for Insoles / Orthotics including Children

ChiropraCtors

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

Sports Massage Therapy & Personal Training

The Health Store

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

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

Tel: 200 44226

completefitness

Unit G3, Eliott Hotel Gibraltar Tel: 200 51113

Suppliers of Glucosamine, Ginkgo Biloba and all vitamins.

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

Tel: 200 44797

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

5 City Mill Lane, Gibraltar. Tel: 20073765

CHEMISTS

L. M. Passano Optometrist 38 Main Street. Tel: 200 76544

DUTY CHEMISTS

January 2010 29Dec-4 Jan Bell 5-11 Calpe ICC 12-18 Valmar 19-25 Bagllietto 26-1 Feb Morrisons The duty chemist is open 7- 9pm Monday - Friday and 11am-1pm & 6-8pm weekends/public holidays

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

SPECIALISTS

Primary Care Centre

2nd Flr International Commercial Centre Weekend & Public Holiday Opening Hours (use Irish Town entrance) Saturday: 9am - 11am, 5pm - 6pm Sunday & Public Holidays : 10am - 11am, 5pm - 6pm GP Clinics: 8am - 5.20pm

64 whataapage pageturner! turner!www.thegibraltarmagazine.com www.thegibraltarmagazine.com 62 what

PERSONAL TRAINERS

Specialist Medical Centre Unit F7 ICC Casemates Square Tel: 200 49999 Fax: 200 49999 Email: info@smg.gi www.smg.gi

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

health & beauty

l

Photo by Dominique Martinez Lopez

58 Main Street, 1st Floor.

Tel: 200 74040 Regular Clinics Claudia Schiel Health/Beauty Therapist

Winners of the Suppernannie competition - gorgeous grandmothers 47 year old Lucy Tinkler (winner) with first princess Maria Luisa Dalli 47 and second princess Sonia Santos 70.

10 health tips for the new year Every year at about this time we make resolutions to exercise regularly, eat well, and give up bad habits like smoking. By doing these thing we could cut our heart disease risk by 80%, diabetes risk by 90% and cancer risk by 50%, but most of us fail to keep our promises to ourselves. Here are 14 tips to keep us on track this year.

1 Sleep 8 hours a night. Recent

tionships of 10,000 men and women found that chronic health problems often affected both partners. A man in poor health in his 50s is six times more likely than a healthy man of the same age to be married to a woman who is also in poor health.

studies have confirmed that you really do need at least 8 hours a night.

Adequate sleep makes you feel better, decreases risk for cardiovascular disease, boosts memory and reduces accidents.

7 Don’t focus on dieting. Focus

2 Wear a pedometer. Research

on eating. Eat nutritious food every four hours or so, to keep your energy up and make you less hungry in the evening. On average, men need about 2,700 calories a day and women about 2,000.

suggests that routinely wearing a pedometer encourages people to walk an extra mile a day, lose weight, and lower their blood pressure.

3 Ban the tan - bronze might look

good, but you’re not helping your health: More than 90% of skin cancers are caused by sun exposure.

The best way to protect your skin from premature wrinkling and cancer is to apply sunscreen every day and fake the tan.

4 Drink water. No matter where

you are, water should always be the first thing you reach for when you’re thirsty. The simple test: if your urine is dark yellow with a strong odour, increase your intake.

8 Keep sugar to a minimum. It’s

hard to believe, but decreasing sugar actually increases energy levelas, by minimising the highs and lows that sweet foods trigger.

9 Make 2010 as stress-free as ing trouble quitting, start smoking less — smoke only half a cigarette, and skip as many as you can. Get some guidance about why you smoke to figure out how best to stop doing it.

possible. Use Sunday nights to plan your week with a strategy session, schedule time throughout the week to relax, exercise, and straighten up your bills, and stick to it - it is as important as the ‘other stuff’.

5 If you smoke, quit. There is 6 Choose your spouse carefully. 10 Have a happy New Year — one nothing good about it. If you’re hav-

Researchers who looked at the rela-

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

and all.

Auriculo Medicine for Stop Smoking Dermatological Peels Non Surgical Lifting Specialising in all kinds of skin problems Holistic Therapies for various conditions - Reflexology - Medicinal Pedicures - Hair Extensions Gillian Schirmer MA DC UK McTimoney Chiropractor Gentle and Effective Chiropractic Treatment for all Muscular and Joint Pains, especially Sports Injuries, Pregnancy. Headaches, and Migraines. Suitable for all ages.

Alison Prior Health/Beauty Therapist - Facials - Waxing - Massages - Slimming Treatments NEW! Skin Tag & Thread Vein Removal Hollywood & Brazilian Waxing Lymphatic Drainage Sports Injuries - Cervical Problems Collagen Implants Botox Injections - Sclerotherapy (Thread Vein Treatment) New Clinics FAKE BAKE NEW in Gibraltar - revolutionary fake tanning system Exclusive Agents Laser Clinic Permanent Hair Removal, Pigmentation and anti-aging Health / Weight Loss Unique personalised nutrition programme Ultra Sound NEW fat removing technique

BOOK NOW FOR: Various evening courses in Beauty Therapy Registered & Licensed by Health & Environmental Department

63

puzzle page

by Alan Gravett

SUDOKU Win a lunch for two at

The Cannon Bar

2

1

3

4

5

7 6

8

7

9

10 11

12

13

15

14

16 18

One entry per person.

Closing date: 24th January 2010 Last month’s winner: Ferdinand Montegriffo, Portland House

21

20

19

Send completed suduko to: The Cannon Bar, 27 Cannon Lane, Gibraltar.

17

21

Send completed crossword to: The Clipper, Irish Town, Gibraltar.

FIRST PRIZE: Lunch for 2 at The Clipper

One entry per person. Closing date: 24th January 2010 Winner notified in next issue of The Gibraltar Magazine.

Last month’s winner: Michelle Tewkesbury, Knightsbridge Close

Across 1) Cristiano Ronaldo’s team (4,6) 7) Moorish palace in Granada (8) 8) see 3 down 9) Cathedral city of northern England (4) 10) Jersey – it might perspire! (7) 12) Native of a West African country (11) 14) John Keats wrote Ode on a ------- Urn (7) 16) Pace; stage (4) 19) Shrill whistle (4) 20) Baseball player who married

Marilyn Monroe (8) 21) Meaning of the Greek word

“hippopotamus” (5,5) Down 1) Race involving the passing of a baton (5) 2) Mixture of letters to make a word (7) 3) And 8) Herman Melville novel (4,4) 4) The ------- Stage , a Doris Day film (8);

unnecessary and unproductive work

force (4,4) 5) Large Asian country (5) 6) Cover up; display (film) publicly (6) 11) Thin, cotton fabric (8) 12) Scold; floor covering (6) 13) Whole number (7) 15) Island off Italy (5) 17) Lions, collectively; deadly sin (5) 18) Indian nursemaid (4)

Jotting Pad ...

LAST MONTH’S ANSWERS: Across: Dead centre, Serf, Dryer, Wenceslas, Bullseye, Denim, Aviator, Stephen, Bohemian, Reserve, Robin, Rednosed, Obsession, Abhor, Nick, Yeastiness. Down: Dodo, As you wish, Carol, New year, Ringers, Ellen, Fishmonger, Needless, Jabberwock, Tameness, Horseshoe, Airline, Rodents, Basic, Okapi, Eros.

64

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

events

by Reg Reynolds

Robbie Burns’ Tribute to a Gibraltar Soldier This month millions of people around the world, Scots and non-Scots alike, will taste haggis, recite poetry, raise a glass of whisky and toast the memory of the ‘Immortal Bard’ Robbie Burns.

Those celebrating around Gibraltar might like to include in the recitations a poem Burns wrote in honour of the defence of Gibraltar during the Great Siege. The poem is written in the voice of a soldier.

The Curtis in the third stanza is a reference to Admiral Sir Roger Curtis who, while in command of HMS Brilliant, destroyed the floating batteries attacking Gibraltar on 13th September 1782.

Eliott, of course, is General George Augustus Eliott, who is credited with leading the heroic defence of the Rock during the Siege.

For his efforts he was raised to the peerage and made Lord Heathfield, Baron of Gibraltar.

Burns’ scholar Thomas Crawford wrote in his book Burns: A study of the Poems and Songs: “The soldier ’s career was of course that of apprenticeship, during which he took part in the

storming of the ‘heights of Abram,’ [Plains of Abraham] under General Wolfe’s leadership, at Quebec in 1759. Next came the journeyman period, the great event here being the reduction of El Moro, ‘the castle defending the harbour of Santiago de Cuba,’ which he had helped storm in 1762. 20 years later, in 1782, he took part in the destruction of the French floating batteries in front of Gibraltar, where he ‘left for witness an arm and a limb,’ and so was forced to retire from business.”

Burns was born on 25th January, 1759 and growing up in Ayrshire would have heard many a story from Scottish soldiers returning from battles overseas. He died aged just 37 and 10,000 people turned up to witness his burial; an impressive number but a lot more than that will be celebrating Burns’ Night this year. n

Those celebrating around Gibraltar might like to include in the recitations a poem Burns wrote in honour of the defence of Gibraltar during the Great Siege

Soldier’s Joy I am a son of Mars, who have been in many wars, And show my cuts and scars wherever I come: This here was for a wench, and that other in a trench When welcoming the French at the sound of the drum.

My prenticeship I past, where my leader breath’d his last, When the bloody die was cast on the heights of Abrám; And I servéd out my trade when the gallant game was play’d, And the Moro low was laid at the sound of the drum.

Lastly was with Curtis among the floating batt’ries, And there I left for witness an arm and a limb; Yet let my country need me, with Eliott to head me I’d clatter on my stumps at the sound of the drum.

A traditional Burns’ Supper — haggis, neeps and tatties

Burns’ Supper The St Andrew’s Society of Gibraltar will be holding the annual Burns’ Supper in the Elliot Hotel on 23rd January 2010. For tickets or further information, contact Jane on 58513000 or Jade on 58009672. All welcome.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

And now, tho’ I must beg with a wooden arm and leg And many a tatter’d rag hanging over my bum, I’m as happy with my wallet, my bottle, and my callet As when I us’d in scarlet to follow a drum.

What tho’ with hoary locks I must stand the winter shocks, Beneath the woods and rocks oftentimes for a home?

When the tother bag I sell, and the tother bottle tell, I could meet a troop of Hell at the sound of a drum.

65

Photo: Johny Bugeja

what’s on January

The Three Kings arrive The traditional Three Kings Cavalcade is the first date in the 2010 social calendar and year after year is enjoyed by adults, children, locals and visitors to the Rock.

The cavalcade commemorates the story of the three wise men bringing gifts to baby Jesus at what is known in the Christian calendar as Epiphany.

Each of the kings (or ‘Magi’ as they are also known) in the procession represent a different continent: Caspar for Europe, Melchior for Asia and Balthasar for Africa.

For many children across the world this is a celebratory occasion as they wait impatiently for the kings to visit them in the night, leaving them gifts for the morning, or if they’ve been bad they may find just a lump of coal.

This, the 54th cavalcade in Gibraltar, is the culmination of the three kings visit to the Rock. The kings start their rounds about 5pm, attending a party at the Catholic Community Centre for deprived children before making their way to the hospital where they visit the maternity ward and, quite symbolically, give gifts to the new born babies. They then head to the children’s ward to hand out presents to the sick youngsters. Running on a tight schedule before the start of the cavalcade at 7.30pm the

66

kings are treated to refreshments courtesy of the Picadilly Gardens before heading down to Casemates for their journey through the Main Street crowds.

For the event to take place like clockwork, Eric Abudharam, president of the Three Kings Cavalcade committee, and his team, started preparation for the event back in October last year. At the time of going to press, there were nine floats booked for the procession with a possible tenth on the way, which would then

Each of the kings (or ‘Magi’ as they are also known) in the procession represent a different continent. Caspar for Europe, Melchior for Asia and Africa by Balthasar.

surpass last year’s display, but Eric stressed that they were hoping on increasing that number and actually there is no deadline to enter the event — so if you’re reading this before 5th January, you might not be too late to take part!

In a recent press release Eric said “The committee is grateful to all those who participate and ultimately without many of these ‘old faithful’ organisations the excellent spirit of the cavalcade would not be in evidence.

“The organising committee therefore urges clubs, organisations, housing estates, schools, companies or even groups of friends to participate and make this another memorable cavalcade, both for those thousands who line Main Street and those who participate.”

With support from many sectors of the community, and in particular GBC who give a generous donation from their traditional open day, the 2010 cavalcade looks set once again to be a fun and successful event.

If you’d like to be involved in any way during the evening, Eric Abudharam can be contacted on 57586000. n

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

the

2 Kings...

charity

In one of the oddest fundraising stunts of the year, two members of British Forces Gibraltar climbed the Med Steps every day for the twelve days in December — dressed as Elvis Presley!

Sgt Andy Davis of the Joint Admin Unit explains how hecame up with the idea: “I always do my own individual charity appeal but, instead of the Twelve Days of Christmas, I thought I’d concentrate on the Twelve Days of Elvis,” said Andy.

“I’m a big Elvis fan — I even have a genuine Elvis autograph on a Christmas card he sent when he was serving with the US Army in Germany.”

Joining him on the Med Steps was Leading Dental Hygienist Jo Harris from the Princess Royal Medical Centre.

“One of my colleagues was supposed to be doing this but she was called back to UK,” said Jo. “However, I’ve been a big Elvis fan since I was given two Elvis tapes

when I was just six years old so I was happy to step into her blue suede shoes.”

The pair had raised £600 in sponsorship by the time they began the event and they expected to raise £1,200 from the event.

“We want to donate half the money to Help the Heroes and the other half to a local charity,” explained Andy, “and, as my unit does some voluntary work at the Lady Williams Cancer Support Centre, it seemed an obvious choice.”

Quite what the tourists thought when they bumped into two Elvis impersonators on the Med Steps, we’ve no idea. Any Elvis fans wishing to support the appeal with a donation may do so on www.justgiving.com/Andrew-Davis1. n

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

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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

www.medgolf.gi medgolf@gibraltar.gi Tel: 200 79575 Fax: 200 44307

newsagents

hobbies&pastimes

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

photography

Booksellers, Newsagents & Stationers

leisure & tuition travel&hotels

Gibraltar Connections

by Reg Reynolds

60 riveting true stories of people and events connected to the world’s most famous Rock.

lessons&tuition

leisure&sport

Frost Language Centre

GACHE & CO LTD

(Co. Registered in Gibraltar)

EST. 1830

• Giftware • Jewellery • Sports Trophies • Awards & Engravers

Spanish lessons. Private Tuition.

If you would like to learn Spanish or improve your knowledge of the language, please contact Margaret for more info

on 956 173384 or e.mail rmf2@telefonica.net

266 Main St, Gibraltar Tel: 200 75757

Queen’s Hotel Gibraltar Excellent Prices • Centrally Located • Easy Access • Parking • Bar • Restaurant

Tel: (+350) 20074000 Fax: 20040030

The Flowers of Gibraltar

by Leslie Linares, Arthur Harper and John Cortes

Book on sale at Gibraltar Book Shops

68 68

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010 GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • APRIL 2009

adventure

two men and a boat In early February 2010 two Gibraltarian rowers intend to embark on a once in a lifetime voyage to cross the Atlantic Ocean from East to West in an ocean rowing boat. The challenge will commence in Gibraltar and take the rowers to Antigua in the West Indies – a journey of some 6,000 nautical miles. crossing was completed in 1896 by two Norwegians, George Harbo and Gabriel Samuelsen in their boat, the Fox. They crossed the Atlantic from New York, USA to Le Havre, France taking 55 days.

Since then, there have been 248 other ocean crossings recorded by the Ocean Rowing Society. Most Atlantic crossings are undertaken from the Canary Islands to the West Indies, taking advantage of the east to west trade-winds that are prevalent in the winter months.

Ocean rowing is now governed by the Ocean Rowing Society who track vessels and validate record

crossings. (See www.oceanrowing. com). Boats carry an Argus tracking beacon which enables its position to be transmitted and their course tracked by the society.

The challenge is expected to cost in the region of £21,000, and as a non-profit making event, the two are planning on donating funds raised from the resale of the boat and equipment to carefully selected local charities. n If you, or your company, are interested in being involved, Sigurd and Julian can be contacted by email at sig251@gibtelecom.net or julianbellido@hotmail.com

character building

Sigurd and Julian at the Mediterranean Rowing club taking a break from training for their marathon Atlantic crossing

The planned passage will take them between the Canary Islands and the Western Sahara, and then on approaching Cape Verde will take them west towards the West Indies. This will be the first time a two-man rowing boat completes the Atlantic crossing starting from the Mediterranean sea, without touching land.

The row is being carried out in conjunction with, and validated by, the Ocean Rowing Society — who are the official adjudicators of the Guinness World Record. To validate the passage, which is estimated to take in the region of 80 days and 80 nights, the rowers will be carrying onboard an Argos tracking beacon, enabling perpetual tracking of the boat’s positioning and its course.

Sigurd and Julian have been competing together in cycling events since 2005. They form a unique blend of experience and youth for this challenge. They undertook a London to Gibraltar cycle ride in 2006 and other sporting challenges such as climbing the highest peak in the Atlas mountains, Morocco

in 2007. Sigurd and Julian have both completed ‘Ironman’ events in Nice 2007 and Lanzarote 2008 respectively.

Training for this event commenced in earnest in May 2009, when both men embarked on a grueling training programme on the rowing ergometer. This followed their selection for a record breaking crossing in a 12 man US based boat which was originally scheduled for December 2009 but which had to be postponed. Sigurd and Julian have been completing an average of over 170km a week, including special sessions of 12 hours.

Sigurd (45) has extensive experience at sea, both as a result of him being involved with rowing since a young age but also due to his early career as a deep sea diver. Aside from his athletic abilities, Julian (25) has the necessary expertise to be able to operate, maintain and repair the on board equipment.

The team take safety seriously and will ensure that the Herkules rowing boat is equipped with the latest safety equipment.

The first known Ocean rowing

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

at its best

Steve, Chris and Simon of Barbary Rock Adventure

If you’re a lover of the great outdoors and enjoy a little adventure, Steve, Simon and Chris of Barbary Rock Adventures are offering some excellent opportunities where you can explore your own limits either in Gibraltar or in the surrounding area.

Amongst the most experienced, committed and competent outdoor enthusiasts, their expertise opens a new world of outdoor opportunities —and no experience necessary!

From pleasurable day hikes with the family, rock climbing courses, team building exercises, maybe a tour up the Camino del Rey (if you have a head for heights) or if you want to try a tortuous winter ascent, Barbary Rock offers something for everyone and once you’ve started, you’ll be hooked..

If you can’t wait for the full story in our February edition, they can be contacted on 58009617 or info@barbaryrockadventures.com

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wonders of

The Lost Ark text & photos by Jason Mercieca

Gibraltar’s waters are littered with wrecks suitable for diving, many of which were sunk a decade or so ago to form reefs and increase the biodiversity of our marine life. This wreck, known as the Ark of Jesus Christ, was sunk in 1994 and forms part of the Camp Bay Artificial Reef.

Chromis

Black Goby

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The wreck featured this month was once a Spanish wooden fishing boat measuring 27 metres in length, but now the only reason she is holding some structure is due to her metal components (the engine room and fuel tanks). The wooden structure that formed the hull has now nearly completely rotted away (some remaining wooden bits are clearly visible on the nearby seabed).

This wreck is usually teeming with marine life and its structure holds a huge potential for divers interested in wide-angle photogra-

phy. This site makes a very interesting shallow dive at only around 20 metres depth.

Several other wrecks were also sunk nearby and with good dive planning it is possible to visit all of them in the same dive. All boats/ ships here were purposely sunk to form part of the Camp Bay Artificial Reef project. n NOTE: Most of these pictures are captured video frames, some also have colour correction applied to them in the edit.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAGAZINE••JANUARY JANUARY2010 2010 GIBRALTAR

Yellow Triplefin Blenny

Fish of Our Shores

Blennies This species belongs to the Blennidae family, they are quite colourful and form a large family of small fish with the largest species growing up to around 25cm (most blenny species are much smaller).

They are known to live in coastal waters and are found in reefs and rocky environments, also found within the structure of ship wrecks.

The Yellow Triplefin Blenny is a very territorial species and can grow to up to 9cm. They seem to like perching on rocks that are encrusted with algae.

A blenny’s diet consists of invertebrates. They live as single individuals rather than in shoals.

Some blenny’s species are easier to aproach than others but in the best of situations patience is required since you will have to move very slowly with no sudden movements as you aproach them.

The Striped Blenny can grow up to 8cm and prefers to stay in the shallow well-lit areas where the water temperature is warmer. This species are very timid and will move away at the minimum sign of danger often taking refuge in holes previously created by worms and snails.

Striped Blenny Horned Blenny

Quite a large number of them can usually be seen hiding within the rocks in the shore line of the Camp Bay area at just a few metres depth providing plenty of opportunity for the photographer. n

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAGAZINE••JANUARY JANUARY2010 2010 GIBRALTAR

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nature

wildlife

Short Clawed Otters at the Alameda Wildlife conservation Park

at the alameda

The Alameda Wildlife Conservation Park has been open to the public for nearly ten years having started off as a rescue mission for endangered species discovered by Gibraltar customs officials.

Over the years the park has expanded to include unwanted pets and now collaborates with parks and zoos all over the world to rehome different species and raise awareness of their plights.

The latest arrivals were a pair of short-clawed otters at the beginning of last October, two sisters which were donated by Newquay Zoo in the UK. The decision involved in taking in any species to the park is not taken lightly and this Prevost Squirrel

pair, the smallest of the 13 otter species, were no exception.

The park, situated in the upper area of the Alameda Gardens has been planning to convert the rainforest area for this type of animal for some time, and the Asian short-clawed otters will find themselves in a very similar habitat to their natural environment. Their very own rainforest section will be completed some time during February or March this year, so for now they are in temporary accommodation until

Possibly the most adventurous project to date is the walk-through aviary which has been in the planning stages for some time 72

their exclusive play area is perfected.

The main priority of the three keepers is looking after the animals. Creating the right environment is paramount along with the daily chores of hosing down, changing bedding, washing windows and scrubbing feeding bowls and ponds.

It is important to understand the feeding needs of the different creatures and diets are designed to follow each animal’s natural food habits as near as possible, including monitoring the amount they eat and the nutritional value.

The primates especially need to be kept active during the day. The keepers use tricks such as hiding food, hanging it from trees or even freezing it in ice blocks to give the animals the mental stimulus they need and make them work for their food too — just as in their natural habitat.

Although originally a refuge, the park has grown dramatically over the last few years.

Open to visitors right through the year for a very small fee, the staff also offer educational sessions in the form of a fun guided tour and

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

have plans for an education and learning area adjacent to the park which will provide schools and the public with space to learn about nature and conservation. Currently on offer are topics such as habitats, lifecycles and classification, and a full resource pack is available directly from the park’s website.

Possibly the most adventurous project to date is the walk-through aviary which has been in the planning stages for some time. Many birds won’t breed inside a small enclosure where their movements are restricted. The aviary will not just give them this opportunity, but also enable visitors to enjoy them at closer quarters and there is also the possibility of housing lemurs too as this rare primate found in Madagascar has been successfully housed in many similar exhibits around the world.

It’s obvious that these projects need funding, and at present this is mainly through donations and the support of visitors to the park. With other projects already underway too, such as the reptile house and bat cave, the park is always looking for much needed resources to be able to carry through with their visions.

The easy and fun way to help is to pay them a visit. You’ll be surprised at the variety of animals and the information readily available from the staff and you’ll find the small entrance fee makes return visits even more tempting. n If you’d like to support the Alameda Wildlife Conservation Park in any other way they can be contacted either through their website: www.alamedawildlifepark.org, by email to info@alamedawildlifepark. org or by phoning 54017499.

Squirrel & Bats photographed by JIm Crone

nature

Egyptian Fruit Bats

y

ACHT SCENE

on sale at £5.00 from chandleries & bookshops

2010 EDITION NOW OUT GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

Manufacturers & Suppliers of HIGH PRESSURE HOSES AND ACCESSORIES Visit us at 43 Harbours Deck, New Harbours, Gibraltar Call us on 200 50337 email: shop@jjhire.com or see our website: www.jjhire.com

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events

Cheques from 55 Last month Gino Bossino of Fifty-Five, the

Private Members Club on Main Street, presented two cheques to local charities, Breast Cancer Support (above) and the Happy Faces Charitable Trust (below) on behalf of 55. The cheques totalled £500.00 and were gratefully received by the representatives of the charities.

Winter Wonderland on the Quayside

A good time was had by all who attended the Waterfront Winter Wonderland in December. From craft fairs, to carol singers and Santa to tree lighting there was something for everyone and the mulled wine and mince pies went down a treat. Key your eyes open for lots of events which are planned for the Waterfront restaurant during 2010 — it seems the quayside will be the place to be....

IMPORTANT NOTICE FROM

E J HAMMOND & SONS LTD We wish to inform our distinguished customers that as from 1st January 2010, we shall cease to trade at 54 Governor’s Street

Supporting Salsa

However, business shall continue as usual from our premises at Unit 52 Harbours Deck New Harbours Telephone: 20044912

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Thanks to the hard work of members of the Salsa club which meets at the Laguna Social Club, a second presentation evening was held in early December. At the event, Edwin Reyes, Minister for Culture, presented a cheque for the grand total of £1,000 to Julio Pons of the charity Help Us To Help Them.

The proceeds have come from their recent successful Salsathon, their one-day workshop and the regular proceeds from members who join them every Tuesday evening. Diplomas were also presented to participants of the workshop and those who took part in the Salsathon too.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

anniversary

Full HD sports coverage Irish Breakfast from 7am (Sunday 9am) Soups

All soups are served with a

Freshly cut Sandwiches,

crusty roll.

Rolls & Tortilla Wraps Leek & Potato Soup ......................£4.50 Pub Club Classic ..........................£4.75 Chef’s Soup of the Day ................£4.50 Irish Fillet Steak Roll ....................£5.50 Fish Chowder (Traditional Irish creamy fish Chicken Caesar Wrap ..................£6.20 soup) ................................................£4.50 Chicken Roll or Sandwich ............£4.75 Appetizers Tuna & Salad Roll or Sandwich (V)..£4.50 Irish Crispy Skins ..........................£4.90 Pizza Extra toppings - 50p Prawns Pil Pil ................................£5.25 Traditional Margherita ..................£7.00 Prawn Cocktail ..............................£5.25 Hawaiian ........................................£7.95 Nelson’s Nachos ............................£5.20 Three Cheese ................................£8.00 Molly’s Mussels..............................£6.20 Deluxe ............................................£8.00 O’Reilly’s Bruschetta ....................£4.25 Vegetarian ......................................£7.50 Spicy Chicken Wings ....................£4.95

Salads O’Reilly’s Salad ..............................£5.50 Classic Tuna, Prawn or Feta Cheese Salad ..............................................£7.00 Chicken Caesar Salad ..................£7.25 Cajun Chicken................................£7.25

Jackets

Celebration of Married Life Since 1996 the Christian Family Movement (CFM) has organised a yearly service for married couples who wish to renew their marriage vows.

Those couples who celebrated 60, 50, 40 or 25 years of married life during 2009 are invited to call at the Catholic Bookshop, 215 Main Street, collect a form to compile their personal data and return the form to the bookshop. They will receive an invitation to renew their marriage vows at a service to be held at the Cathedral of St. Mary the Crowned, Gibraltar on Friday

12th February 2010 at 8pm.

The service will be presided over by Rt. Rev. Charles Caruana CBE, CStJ, GPKHS, Bishop of Gibraltar.

During the service each couple will receive a certificate and be invited to the Catholic Community Centre with their close families for photographs, refreshments and La Tarta. n

A freshly baked jacket potato served with a salad garnish.

Baked Beans & Irish Cheddar Cheese............................................£5.50 Chilli Con Carne & Irish Cheddar Cheese............................................£5.50 Tuna Mayonnaise ..........................£5.50 Prawn Mary Rose ..........................£6.25 Chicken, Bacon Bits & Mayo........£6.25 Bolognaise Sauce & Irish Cheddar Cheese............................................£5.50

Main Meals Beef & Guinness Ale Pie ..............£7.00 Chicken & Potato Pie ....................£6.95 Cottage Pie ....................................£7.50 Fish & Chips ..................................£7.00 Atlantic Salmon..............................£8.75 Molly’s Mussels..............................£7.50 Traditional Irish Breakfast ............£6.50 Kildare Chicken (Chef's Special) ..£8.50 Drunken Swine ..............................£9.00 Gaelic Sirloin 10 oz Steak ..........£12.50 Farmhouse Vegetable Bake..........£6.75 Prime Irish Fillet Steak ................£16.50 Crab Cake Dinner ..........................£8.50 Chilli Con Carne ............................£6.75 Spaghetti Bolognaise ....................£6.75 Bangers and champ ......................£6.75 Rock Burger ..................................£8.50 O’Reilly’s Burger ............................£7.50 Vegetarian Burger..........................£7.50

Boxty Dishes

Award winning breakfasts from 7.30am Great meals & snacks all day Evening Steak House menu Med Golf Clubhouse Tottenham Hotspur HQ

A homemade potato pancake cooked on the griddle and wrapped around a variety of delicious fillings. Boxty comes from the Gaelic word “bactasi” which refers to the traditional cooking of potatoes over an open fire, which still takes place in Ireland.

Ploughman’s Boxty........................£6.75 Chicken & Coriander Boxty ..........£8.00

Homemade Desserts

Rustic Rhubarb Tart ......................£4.25 Apple Pie ........................................£4.25 Baileys Cheesecake ......................£4.25 Chocolate Brownies ......................£4.25

Ice Cream Sundaes Monkey in the Middle....................£4.75 Knicker Knocker Nelson ..............£4.75 Fudge Factor..................................£4.75 Sugar Daddy ..................................£4.75

Choose a Scoop Choose from coffee, banana, vanilla, strawberry, chocolate, mint-choc-chip or Smartie ice cream.

1 scoop ..........................................£1.00 2 scoops ........................................£1.80 3 scoops ........................................£2.40 Milkshakes ....................................£3.00 (also available to take-away) Just choose your flavour, coffee, banana, vanilla, strawberry, chocolate, mint-chocchip, or Smartie ice cream.

Diabetic Ice Cream........................£2.10 Vanilla & Chocolate - 100% sugar free.

, Special Coffee s

Traditional Irish Coffee ................£3.75 Bushmills Coffee............................£3.75 Maria’s Coffee ................................£3.75 Nutty Irish Coffee ..........................£3.75 Keoke Coffee ................................£3.75 Calypso Coffee ..............................£3.75

Side Orders Homemade Chips ..........................£2.00 Homemade Chips with Cheese....£2.25 Garlic Bread ..................................£1.90 Garlic Bread with Cheese ............£2.15 Olives ..............................................£2.00 Champ (homemade mash made with potatoes, spring onion & chives) ......£3.00 Homemade & especially for under 12's

Kids Menu Chilli and Rice ................................£4.00 Fish and Chips ..............................£4.00 Sausage and Chips........................£4.00 Chicken Nuggets and Chips ........£4.00

Find out about all our entertainment, click onto

Parliament Lane Tel: 200 75924 GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

75

food & drink Frank Bruno to visit Rock Frank Bruno’s publicist has said the heavy weight boxer is looking forward to the opening of Bruno’s Bar & Restaurant in Ocean Village early in the new year. The celebrity boxer is due to officially open the establishment and joked that he is hoping to “top up his tan” during his visit to the Rock.

Bruno’s will be the latest development on the popular waterfront stretch between Ocean Village and Marina Bay. One of the largest outfits to open, it is full of visual excitment and features a circular bar with an amazing LED roulette wheel light show suspended above that will be used to run an hourly show. When the lights land on a number relating to one of the tables in the bar or restaurant, the lucky diners will receive a pitcher on the house!

Bruno’s manager, Dino Charvetto, said of the venture “Bruno’s will be the only place in Gibraltar where you can do everything under one roof; eat great food, relax in a fabulous chill out lounge, meet for cocktails after work, hold a corporate event or communion party, stop in for sundae on a Sunday or dance the night away,” taking inspiration from some of best establishments worldwide he continues “Bruno’s will offer something for everyone”. n

A Special Party at Fifty-Five Last month Fifty-Five private members club on Main Street hosted a fabulous party for St Martin’s Special School children which was thoroughly enjoyed by all.

Party food was followed a visit from Father Christmas (isn’t he tall!) and the kids were thrilled by the whole afternoon which it’s hoped will become an annual treat for them. n

Modern

Relaxed

Dining

Open: 10am - late Closed Sundays + Saturday lunch

See our reviews on Trip Advisor

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Irish Town Tel: 200 51738 to reserve

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

food & drink

A Happy Hamper from Just a Nibble The giant hamper which visitors to Just a Nibble have been drooling over as they enjoyed a meal, snack or coffee at this little cafe on the first floor of the ICC, finally found a home in time for Christmas as the winning ticket number, orange 259, was chosen in December by Jennifer Stentiford, one of Childline Gibraltar’s managers, who was also presented with a cheque for £100 towards the charity.

“Childline really appreciate the effort and time Bob, Marie and Dunia have put into such a great concept where everyone benefits,” Jennifer told us.

Customers to the premises were automatically entered into the draw when they spent £5 or more at the cafe during November and early December in what has now become a tradition for the establishment. Bob and the team wish all their loyal customers a very happy new year and thank all their suppliers who have been so generous with their donations to the hamper.

Pop in for one of their delicious toasties or jackets if you are passing by... Mmmmm.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

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food & drink winter warmers

hot

& healthy

The cold weather is here, and after the usual over-indulgence during Christmas your body is probably looking for something warm, healthy and possibly within a budget too. Here are a couple of healthy soups which won’t break the bank and more importantly help to put your body back on the right track after all the festive fun.

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Left-over Soup

The great thing about this soup is that much is left to your imagination and to what you might have over-stocked in your fridge. If you haven’t managed to get out to do your shopping, you’re likely to have a few odds and ends of vegetables lying around which will do the job just nicely.

through (approx 20 minutes).

Blend the soup in the pan using a stick blender or pour into a food processor and blend.

Cook the soup for a further 5 minutes to reduce slightly, season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Ingredients: 1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 large carrots chopped into bite-sized chunks 2 celery stalks chopped into bite-sized chunks 4 tbsp vegetable or rice bran oil 300g assorted vegetables, chopped 600ml vegetable, chicken or beef stock 1 bay leaf 1 tsp five-spice powder (optional) ½ tsp cumin (optional) Salt and black pepper

Great vegetables for this soup include: parsnips, celeriac, leeks, sweet potato, beetroot or any other roots, broccoli, cauliflower. Make sure they are all cleaned, peeled and cut into similar size chunks. Leafy greens which are great in soup include, spinach, watercress and cabbage — and don’t forget fresh herbs for even more flavour.

In a large saucepan heat the vegetable or rice bran oil, add the onion and gently cook until the onions begin to soften. Add the carrot and celery and cook for another 5 minutes taking care not to burn the garlic.

Add the chopped vegetables and stir, add the stock and bay leaf (and spices if using) and cook until all the vegetables are soft and cooked

Carrot & Ginger Soup

Carrot and Ginger Soup brightens a winter’s day but is also perfect for spring and autumn.

This recipe is packed with healthy, fresh carrots and warming, tingling spices of ginger and a light sprinkling of curry powder which gives it a slight kick.

This soup freezes well, so feel free to make a large batch. The carrots give the soup a lovely sweetness, so children really like it and it’s good as a portion of your 5-a-day. It is quite a filling soup, so you could serve it for lunch with bread and cheese, and fruit afterwards.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

food & drink Ingredients: 700g carrots, peeled and chopped 2 medium onions, peeled and roughly chopped 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 tsp ginger, ground 1 tsp medium curry powder 1.6 litres vegetable stock Sea salt and black pepper Rind of 1 lemon, finely shredded For the cream 200g creme fraiche Grated rind of 1 lemon Garnish 2 tsp fresh parsley, chopped or 2 tsp chives, chopped Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and add the onions and carrots, cook for several minutes, stirring from time to time. Do not brown the vegetables. Add the garlic, ginger and curry powder and cook for a further minute.

Add the stock and lemon strips to the pan, half cover the pan with its lid, and simmer gently for 20 minutes until the carrots are tender.

Cool slightly, then liquidise the soup until smooth. Taste and season with sea salt and black pepper and reheat to serve.

To make the cream, stir the crème fraiche and lemon rind together gently, or the crème fraiche will go runny, then spoon a dollop into the middle of each bowl of soup, garnish with chives or parsley. Serve with wholemeal crusty bread.

Spicy Parsnip Soup

Ingredients: 450g parsnips, sliced into 1cm thick ‘discs’ 1 medium onion, chopped finely 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 stick celery, chopped finely 1 litre vegetable stock ½ tsp coriander, ground ½ tsp cumin, ground ½ tsp turmeric

¼ tsp chillie powder 1 tbsp vegetable or rice bran oil Salt and pepper to taste Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and celery, and soften for three minutes. Add the garlic and the spices and stir at high heat for a minute, before adding the parsnips and stock.

Season to taste. Bring to the boil and simmer until the parsnips are soft, then blend to a smooth consistency. Serve with warm crusty bread. ■

enjoy relax

Contemporary Mediterranean Dining

enjoy relax delicious Grand Casemates Square

FREE WiFi

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

Tel:

200 44449

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wine column that you have clearly not listened to a word I have spoken over many years. I return the item herewith and request there be no further communication between us.”

From a beloved uncle: “My dear boy, I am most grateful for your offering. I know your finances are limited and you are suffering in these uncertain times. In those circumstances it was thoughtful and generous of you to provide me with the one solace you knew I would really appreciate. There are those who say only France can produce good wines; some accept that the rest of Europe (except Germany) can do so; few have your talent for nosing out the best of the New World. I confess I had never really thought of Chile as a producer of anything worthwhile except political upheavals but the Cabernet/Merlot blend which you sent was an eye-opener and one I shall be seeking out again.

Many thanks, and I look forward, now you have shown yourself as discerning, to sharing one or two of the older bottles in my cellar with you in the New Year.”

message in a bottle After all the festivities, it is time to get back to real life without, it is to be hoped, too much of a hangover. One of the chores postChristmas is the writing of the Thank-you Letter. This starts about age 6 and never ceases. Nowadays, e-mail — or even a text — may be thought acceptable, but most people prefer to receive a real letter.

For those of you who have difficulty composing a real letter, I offer some templates.

From a grateful, if somewhat over-indulgent and indulged, nephew: “That was jolly good of you to send through a bottle of plonk to help celebrate the time of year. Biffy, Cheddar and I (should that be ‘me’?

I can never quite get the hang of this grammar lark) swigged it back while out on the town on Boxing Night. The night turned out to be aptly named — we saw a couple of nice-looking fillies outside the Blue Parrot and offered them a splosh. Suddenly we were bopped on the bonce by two rather ugly fellows who apparently took exception to our friendly suggestion. Well, Biffy is called that because he is a boxing blue and he objected to being bopped on the bonce and one thing led to another. The upshot is that the bottle got mislaid in the contretemps and we got fined

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£50 each. The magistrate said that if he had the power he would have added a further £50 for maltreating a bottle of Margaux (is that really what you sent?). Anyway, your kind present was much appreciated and what with my birthday coming up I wondered if you could see your way to contributing towards the fine.”

From a lady of a certain age: “I am in receipt of the bottle of Spanish Rioja crianza 1995 which you chose to have delivered to me. I can only assume the fact that you did not have the courtesy to bring it in person was intended to add to the insult. If you were unaware (which I find difficult to conceive) that all things Spanish are anathema to me, then you add again to the insult by demonstrating

From a young niece: “I am writing to thank you for the kind present of a bottle of Gevrey-Chambertin what you say I will enjoy in ten years time. As you should be aware the world is going to disappear because of rising ice-caps by then and so it won’t be of much use to me, but Mummy and Daddy say I must write to you anyway. So I will mention a few things you ought to do to save the world. Please eat only nearly grown orgasmic food. Please only walk or bicycle anywhere and do not use a car. Daddy says he can only get a parking place for his Super Ultra Schnorcedes if fewer people have cars. Please do not fly in aeroplanes. Mummy says to say hello from New York, where we are enjoying a short visit before going to the Caribbean for a holiday.”

From a loving mother: “Thank you so much for wining and dining me on Christmas Day, and for all your lovely presents. I presume it was Lynn who chose the handbag, showing her usual taste, and you chose the YSL scent which, of course, you know I adore. It was a pity that Lynn overcooked the beef and then accidentally spilt the gravy on my dress (I enclose the dry-cleaning ticket), but the wine you produced more than made up for these minor problems. I have always thought there is no point paying a fortune for ‘grandes Marques’, so the Morrison’s champagne and M&S claret were excellent. I could not help noticing Lynn had another sort of bottle at her end of the table from which you occasionally filled your glass but I put this down to your absent-mindedness and her — always delightful — wish to be different. I hope the New Year will bring you great happiness and that Lynn will be a proper and loving wife to you.”

Somehow these templates, with the exception of my uncle, have not come out quite as they should. On the other hand, it is wonderful to see what can be implied by the writer with a little thought about what is written, and inferred about the writer with a careful reading. E-mail, which is so immediate, does not give the opportunity for calm reflection that a letter does. Writing — and receiving — letters can be fun. n

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

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

VISIT US AND STEP BACK IN HISTORY

Casemates Square Tel: 200 72987

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

restaurant bar guide &

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

NOW OFFERING DAILY SPECIALS

10 Casemates www.lordnelson.gi Tel: 200 50009

turn to pages 82-85 for full restaurant and bar listings

Grand Casemates Sq Tel: 20044449

Get Stuffed!

Marina Bay Tel: 200 42006

57 Irish Town, Gibraltar Tel: 200 70652

Take-Away, Sandwiches & Hot Food Different Special EveryDay salads, quiches, pastas, pies, muffins, all home made Open 8am-6pm Mon-Fri, 8am-4pm Sat

Indian Cuisine to Eat In or Take Away Unit 1.0.02 Grnd Flr, Block 1 Eurotowers Tel: 200 73711

Wembley Bar 10 South Barrack Ramp.

Tel: 200 78004 • Hot & cold bar snacks • Function room

BUDDIES pasta casa

Come and enjoy real Italian meals in Gibraltar’s leading pasta house 15 Cannon Lane Tel: 200 40627 for reservations

now also in Casemates

Just A Nibble Licensed Cafeteria Let the ‘A’ Team serve you up a snack or a meal.

Daily Specials • Varied Menu

Open from 9am First Floor ICC, Main Street THE PLACE TO MEET

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 •• JANUARY JANUARY 2010 2010

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oriental food. The specials menu is changed daily and includes starters of lobster and prawn cocktail, fresh soup which is made daily and served with crusty bread, or Alaskan crab salad. The specials menu also tempts you with dishes such as Coca Cola marinated lamb shank served with oven roasted garlic and rosemary mashed potatoes, and the ever popular in-house aged steaks that can be served with a variety of sauces, or fresh Dorada, sea bass and salmon.

For those who enjoy the sweeter things in life there is proper homemade banoffee or apple pie, cheese cakes and strudels.

Open: 7 days a week from 9am to late.

restaurants l 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 salads (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. No smoking inside. Free WiFi. l 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 Roast Pumpkin, Mushroom, & Spinach Curry; Marinated Tuna Steak & Sesame Crust; Roasted Lamb Shoulder; pasta dishes such as Langoustine, Lime & Coconut; Pear, Walnut & Blue Cheese; and Creamy Mixed Seafood; and salads such as Warm Goats’ Cheese, Fresh Spinach & Chargrilled Aubergine; and Roast Duck, Chorizo & Pancetta Salad.

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.

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 Ca-

leta Hotel, overlooks the Mediterranean and is extremely popular with both hotel guests and the local market. Their new Spanish chef with three star Michellin experience will always be offering something interesting and different on the menu. Recognised for its eclectic interior, atmosphere and cuisine. Bread, pasta and desserts from the a la carte menu are all home-made and contribute to create a genuine and exciting dining experience.

The Mexican Grill and Bar Unit 2B The Tower, Marina Bay Tel: 200 46668 The Mexican Grill and Bar serves all the favourite Mexican dishes from Nachos, Quesadillas and Chimichangas (rolled flour tortilla with spicy chicken, chilli beef or vegetables, deep fried, served with Mexican rice and salad and guacamole, salsa or sour cream), to Burritos (like Chimichangas but oven baked), El Gringos Chilli con Carne, or Cheese Holy Mole Enchiladas. Don’t forget Big Eat Homemade Burgers (5 to choose from) and from the grill barbecue combos, steaks and chicken. Salads and sides to order. Decorated is warm Mexican colours with comfortable seating in the no-smoking, air-conditioned interior or outside on the patio, great for a fun night out. Available for private bookings and children’s parties.

Open: lunch and dinner 12 noon to late

The Water Margin 5 Ocean Village Promenade, Tel: 200 73668 Gibraltar’s premier Chinese restaurant serving freshly cooked traditional Chinese dishes in the beautiful Ocean Village marina. Check out the outstanding aromatic crispy duck, the special duck slow cooked with honey and chilli or the freshly caught seabass delicately steamed with ginger and spring onion, popular with families looking for a relaxing night dining. No microwave oven or flavour enhancer (MSG) used in this establishment. Home delivery service.

Open: 7 days a week, evening from 6pm, lunch from 12:30pm

informaleating Amin's The Office 30 Parliament Lane. Tel: 200 40932 Sit down, informal and friendly restaurant.

Amin is well known in Gibraltar for his Moroccan, Spanish and international cuisine.

Open early for breakfast at 7am right through the day. Try the Moroccan soups, couscous, lamb tagines and kebabs.

Open: 7.00am to midnight.

Buddies Pasta Casa 15 Cannon Lane. Tel: 200 40627 Italian specials in pleasant ambience. Large selection of starters from garlic bread to calamari. Main courses include spinach caneloni, spaghetti alla carbonara, fusilli al Savannah Lounge salmone, and peppered steak to name a few.

27 Heart Island, Ocean Village Tasty desserts and variety of wines.

Tel: 200 66666 Open: Monday - Thursday 11am - 5pm, Friday www.savanna.gi Aimed at Gibraltar ’s dining and night-life 11am-3pm and 7pm-11pm, Sat 11am-4.30pm scene, Savannah has been created with fun and style in mind. Offering contemporary European Get Joost cuisine a wide selection of drinks, cool decor 248 Main Street & Casemates. and good music. The venue hosts regular events Tel/Fax: 200 76699 Smoothies are vitamin packed super-food and with invited DJs and shows from abroad.

Open: Sunday-Thurs midday-midnight, Friday increasingly popular for the health concious.

Get Joost makes delicious fresh fruit juices and and Saturday midday-5am. smoothies made from natural ingredients. The top five smoothies they sell are wild strawberry; The Waterfront breakie on the run; energy blast; raspberry ice; Queensway Quay Marina Tel: 200 45666 The Waterfront is a very popular restaurant and tropical surrender. located right on the quayside at Queensway Open: 8-7 Mon -Friday, 10-7 Sat, 10-6 Sunday.

Quay Marina. There are different areas for eating and drinking, including the restaurant and Get Stuffed bar, a large covered terrace with chandeliers and Marina Bay. Tel: 200 42006 an open quayside terrace. There is an extensive Take-away, sandwich bar and hot food. Serving menu to cater for all tastes including meat, fish all homemade sandwiches, salads, quiches, and vegetarian dishes, along with salads and pasta, pies, muffins, plus hot and cold drinks

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

and smoothies and a different special every day.

Outside catering for corporate parties.

Open: 8am - 6pm Mon-Fri, 8am-4pm Sat.

Solo Express Ground Flr, 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. Free Wifi.

Just A Nibble 1st Flr ICC Tel: 200 78052 Full licensed cafe serving English breakfast, vast range of toasties, rolls, and 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 Bright and airy, recently redecorated cafe on the first floor of the ICC. All home-made food including daily specials, vegetarian options and desserts. Eat in or take-away. Try their daily roast with everything on or their all-day breakfast. Non-smoking restaurant with terrace smoking area. Friendly, cheerful and fully licensed with sensible prices.

Open: 8am - 4.30pm Monday to Friday.

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: Mon - Fri 8.30-7, Sat 9 - 4, Closed Sun.

Picadilly Gardens Rosia Road. Tel: 200 75758 Relaxed bar restaurant with cosy garden terrace just across the road from the cable car. English breakfast, churros, tapas, hamburgers, fresh London Bar/Bistro fish, prawns, squid, clams and a variety of meat 76-78 Governor's Street. Tel: 200 77172 Tucked away on Governor's Street just opposite dishes. Eat in or take away. Menu of the day the Elliot Hotel, and hosted by Pili, this pub only £6. Open: early to late. serves modern bistro food in a traditional pub environment. Try out some of the favourite l Sacarello Coffee Co. dishes such as baby beef Wellington, fillet steak 57 Irish Town. Tel: 200 70625 (with mushroom & brandy, port & stilton, or Converted coffee warehouse, ideal for coffee, peppered sauces), chicken (Kournik or Nati), homemade cakes/afternoon tea, plus menu traditional fish, chips & mushy peas, and all including excellent salad bar, specials of the day breakfasts. Sunday roast lunches and day and dishes such as lasagne, steak and mushroom Guinness pie, hot chicken salad, daily specials. toasties, club sandwich and baked potatoes. Art Open: 9am to midnight every day. exhibitions. Available for parties and functions in the evenings.

Mumbai Curry House Open: 9am-7.30pm Mon-Fri. 9am-3pm Sat Unit 1.0.02 Ground Floor, Block 1 Eurotowers Sai Darbar Tel: 200 73711 Home delivery: 50022/33 Good Indian cuisine for eating in or taking 6a Prince Edward's Road. Tel: 200 61312 away, from snacks such as samosas, bhajias, and Pure vegetarian Indian take-away with a wide pakoras to lamb, chicken and fish dishes with selection of mixed vegetables, sandwiches, sauces such as korma, tikka masala, bhuna, do burgers and rolls. Sai Darbar can cater to your piaza... in fact all you would expect from an own requests for dishes too, if you contact them Indian cuisine take-away. Large vegetarian in advance. selection. Halal food is available, as is outside Open: 10am-3pm and 6pm-11pm catering for parties and meetings. Sunday specials include all Mumbai favourites such as Smith’s Fish & Chips 295 Main Street. Tel: 200 74254 Dosa and Choley Bhature.

Open: 7 days a week 11am to 3pm, 6pm -late. Traditional British fish and chip shop with tables/seating available or take-away wrapped in newspaper. Menu: Cod, haddock or plaice in Munchies Cafe 24 Main Street. Tel: 200 43840 Fax: 200 42390 batter, Cornish pasties, mushy peas etc. Also A great sandwich bar/cafe offering an unusual curries, omlettes, burgers. Open: 8am-6pm range of sandwiches on white or granary Monday-Friday. Breakfast from 8. bread, plus salads, baguettes, soups, desserts, Located: Main Street opposite the Convent.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE •JANUARY 2010

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.

Verdi Verdi 44 Cornwall's Lane. Tel: 200 60733 Verdi Verdi offers morning and afternoon coffee as well as all home-made vegetarian and vegan dishes, fresh baked bread and desserts. A wide selection of sandwiches to eat in or take away.

Open: Mon-Thurs 9-6pm, Fri 9-4pm, Sun 104pm

bars&pubs 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 complemented by a range of salads and filled jacket potatoes. Large terrace. Karaoke every Monday and Wednesday until late. Free tapas on a Friday 7pm.

Cannon Bar 27 Cannon Lane. Tel: 200 77288 Jane is still there and still packed out with tourists and regulars! Word has it that she nearly managed to escape, but wasn’t allowed to. The famous fish and chips, the odd French speciality, there’s always something happening in the Cannon!

Located between Marks & Spencer and the Cathedral just off Main Street. Quiz night on Tuesdays, get there early as it is definitely the place to be on a normally quiet Gibraltar Tuesday.

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Trafalgar Sports Bar 1A Rosia Road Tel: 200 45370 Situated just past the south end of Main Street through Southport Gates, the Trafalgar Sports Bar offers a traditional British pub environment enjoyed by locals and tourists alike. Serving a hot buffet Monday to Saturday and a roast carvery on Sundays they also serve many other dishes such as spare ribs, currys or lasagna. The establishment also has three large 62” screens where they cover all major sporting events. Open: 9am-1am Monday to Saturday, Sunday 9am-midnight

The Final Whistle 4, Cornwall’s Parade Friendly sports bar with six screens. If it’s live, it’s on, and often more than one game on at a time for full sports coverage. Fun atmosphere with special offers during premier matches. All sports fans welcome.

Open 10am until late, 7 days a week.

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.

Lord Nelson Bar Brasserie 10 Casemates Tel: 200 50009 www.lordnelson.gi E-mail: reservations@lordnelson.gi Attractive bar/brasserie in historic Casemates building. Done out to represent Nelson’s ship with cloud and sky ceiling crossed with beams and sails. Spacious terrace Starter s& 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.

The Lounge Queensway Quay Marina Tel: 200 61118 Stylish bar right on the quayside with very reasonably priced drinks and light bites. Free WiFi, quizzes on Sundays (8pm) and a relaxed friendly atmosphere. Great place to chill out. Open: 7 days a week 1pm-late.

O’Reilly’s Leisure Island, Ocean Village. Tel: 200 67888 Traditional Irish bar with full HD sports coverage and Irish breakfast from 7am (Sunday from 9am).

Guinness on draught. Food includes salads, jackets, beef and Guinness ale pie, Molly’s mussels, drunken swine, Boxty dishes (potato pancake wrapped around delicioius fillings), sandwiches, rolls, Kildare chicken and much much more. And just like in Ireland there’s no smoking inside, so a great atmosphere for all.

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.

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 The Three Roses Governor’s Street. Tel: 200 51614

Elliot Hotel).

Now under the management of Peter and Ian, previously of the Coach & Horses, this bar is The Pig and Whistle fully air-conditioned with 3 plasma TVs and pool Unit 18, Watergardens. Tel: 200 76167 A comfortable pleasant little pub with pool table table. Happy hours Mon-Fri 5-6pm. Home of the and terrace on the quayside. Big screen televi- Esteporkers Golf Society. Open: 7 days. Mon-Sat sion for all sporting events. Open: 10-midnight from 11am, Sun from midday.

(Fri-Sat 11-1am) Wembley Bar 10 South Barrack Ramp. Tel: 200 78004 Savannah Lounge 27 Heart Island, Ocean Village Tel: 200 66666 Popular bar for hot and cold bar snacks, function Aimed at Gibraltar’s dining and night-life scene, room, in south district. Fridays 10am for breakfast.

Savannah has been created with fun and style in Air conditioned. The home of the Real Madrid mind. Offering contemporary European cuisine Supporter’s Club. a wide selection of drinks, cool decor and good Open: 11am - midnight Sunday - Thursday, 10am music. The venue hosts regular events with in- - 1am Friday, 11am - 1am Saturdays. vited DJs and shows from abroad. Open: SundayThurs midday-midnight, Friday and Saturday midday-5am. acrosstheborder 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. Outside seating. Open: from 7am every day. Located: first right off Main St (walking from N to S).

The Dog & Duck Next to Plaza de Constitucion, La Linea Tel: 00 34 956173453 Little pub on the square serving British beers at great prices. 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).

Pickwicks on Governor’s Parade

Tel: 200 76488 (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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recipes events

C o r k s’ Eve n t: me n t h s i b r u Re f Pa rt y g n i n e Op n sh To w i r I , s k C or

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE •JANUARY 2010

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A ro u n d To w n .. .

a light-he arte d look at Gibralta r soc iety

Well here it is - 2010 already... whatever happened to 2009! I wonder how many New Year’s resolutions will be broken in the first few weeks of the year? If last year is anything to go by, most of them!

Once the champagne corks stop popping and the fireworks die down, and the Three Kings have entertained the crowds along with the fabulous floats on Main Street on 5th January, we’ll all be looking for warming things to do on a cool winter’s evening...

Winter Warmers Well if it’s a Monday or a Tuesday you can relax after work at the Waterfront Restaurant on Queensway Quay and enjoy wine and tapas from 5-7pm... what a perfect way to socialise and unwind. Livening things up a bit, keep your eyes open for details of the New Orleans Jump Band which will be appearing at the Waterfront, and for something even more spicy there will be a hot Salsa evening at the same venue, so lots of reasons to dress up and head to the marina for a night out.

Don’t forget Burns’ Night at the Eliott Hotel on Saturday 23rd January — St Andrew’s Society of Gibraltar will be putting on a Scottish themed bill of fare including haggis, tatties and neeps (veggie options available) and of course, plenty of the famed firewater! A raffle will be held in honour of Breast Cancer Gibraltar so it’s all well worth supporting and will be a lot of fun too. At the St Andrew’s Day Dinner, The St Andrew’s Society managed to raise a very decent £476 for charity.

And of course there’s the amazing Panto from 21st to 30th

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John of Image Graphics gets in the party mood for his birthday this month This page — celebrating with Hassans

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • MARCH 2007 GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

January — always a great night out for the young and the young at heart. Oh yes it is!!

Get Well Soon Welcome home and speedy recover to Lindy Brand (she’s been in hospital in Spain and UK) — a get well message from your good friend Jane.

Pride of Lions? No a Rose...

Will Natasha States of Jyske Bank need an operation to remove her England rugby shirt signed by Martin Corry when he was in Gibraltar? Every Saturday she wears it with pride...

Congratulations Congratulations to Craig and Marjorie on their wedding anniversary this month, and to John Bell of Image Graphics who will be celebrating another birthday on 15th, as will Teresa Bosano on 11th January and who we’re certain won’t mind us giving her age away as 86! Congratulations also to Aine of Pricewaterhousecoopers and Warren who got engaged last month as did Amin of the Office’s son, Elyass (Ben Hamou) and his lady love.... ahhhh ain’t love grand?

A belated happy birthday to Sarah McLean of Mansion (she was celebrating her 30th but didn’t over-imbibe as she is with child)... Happy birthday also to Rob Burniston of Stan James who will be celebrating his 25th birthday in New York with his lovely girlfriend Steph, lucky things! Other birthdays in January include Neil Costa of Verralls on 6th, Spanish teacher Margaret Frost on 13th, Sophie Triay on 23rd, then The Director - Howard Danino - celebrates on 24th, followed by Jonathan Stagnetto of Form-a-Co on 25th.

Many happies to them all.

Well that’s it for this, the first month of 2010... let’s hope this is a great year for Gibraltar, and all who sail... err live... in her. Cheers!

This page: Corks reopens after an impressive refurb GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • MARCH 2007 GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

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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 7pm9pm). 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 Adult Dance Classes Wednesday evenings at the Youth Disco Room, Kings Bastion Leisure Centre from 7-8.30pm. Cha-Cha, Salsa and Merengue. Lessons £5 and all proceeds to GibMissionAfrica Charity. Contact Dilip on 200 78714 or dance@trainingtm.net Salsa Gibraltar Salsa classes held Tuesdays at Laguna Social Club, Laguna Estate. Beginners 7-8.30pm, £5 per lesson. Intermediates 8.30-10pm, £6 per lesson (all profits going to the charity Help Us To Help Them). Contact: Mike 54472000 Email: info@salsagibraltar.com website: www.salsagibraltar.com Modern & Latin American Sequence Dancing Mondays Catholic Community Centre 8.30pm (beginners 7.30). Over 15s welcome.

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 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 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

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Don’t be bored... do something fun! have been motivated to undertake a variety of voluntary and challenging activities. 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.

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.

Special Interest Clubs & Societies Gibraltar Horticultural Society meets 1st Thurs of month 6pm, John Mac Hall. Spring Flower Show, slide shows, flower arrangement demos, outings to garden centres, annual Alameda Gardens tour. All welcome.

Gibraltar Philosophical Society devoted to intellectually stimulating debate. Frequent lectures and seminars on a range of topics. Contact 54008426 (after 6pm) or email gibphilosophy@ live.co.uk for further information.

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 welcome. Tel: Bill 54010681 or Dion 56619000. Website: www.clubwebsite. co.uk/ArsenalGibraltarSC/.

Gibraltar Hammers meet on match days at the Victoria Stadium Bar, Bayside Road. All league games are shown live. All West Ham supporters and their families are welcome. For details visit www.gibraltarhammers.com or e-mail gibraltarhammers@hotmail.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 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 October-May. 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: 200 70929.

Pilates - at the King’s Bastion Leisure Centre Mondays 1pm-2pm and Wednesdays from 1pm - 2pm and 5.30-6.30pm. For further enquiries call Chantal 60518882 or email: chan_elle82@ yahoo.co.uk.

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 (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). 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. 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 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: Gi-

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braltar 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.

Tai Chi: Children’s fun Tai Chi at the Yoga Centre, 33 Town Range, Saturdays 11-12am. Beginners Tuesdays & Thursdays at Kings Bastion Leisure Centre. 6.30-8pm. Adults £5, Children £2, all proceeds to GibMissionAfrica Charity. Contact Dilip on 200 78714 or rocktaichi@traningtm.net 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 (members FIQ & WTBA) leagues, training for juniors and squad. Contact Charly on 56014000 or Paul on 54029749.

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 Clubs, Associations, should submit details to The Gibraltar Magazine gibmag@gibraltar.gi

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

support

events

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 6pm - 10pm.

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).

Med Golf News The 2009-2010 Med Golf season is now well underway and four events have already taken place.

The latest competition attended by Gibraltar’s golfers took place at Estepona Golf Club, where some 40 players enjoyed a great day out, playing for the Kerrygold Golf Trophy. It was a successful day for Julie Brewer who won the Trophy and a pro shop voucher for 130 euros with a overall score of 38 points. Winner of 1st category (0- 12 handicap) was John Hunter with 35 points (also best gross score of the day with a round of 77 shots); runner up Chris Warren with 33 points. Winner of 2nd category (13- 21 handicap) was Johann Olivera with 34 points; runner up Keith Johnson with 32 points. Winner of 3rd category (22 - 36 handicap) was Jeff Richardson with 31 points; runner up Allan Sene with 30 points. The senior division was won by Chris Warren. Best team went to John and Javi Hunter with 65 points. Nearest the pins and longest drive: Mike Faria, Johann Olivera, Julie Brewer, Jon Powell, Chris Warren, and Peter Warren. For more details on Med Golf visit www.teetimespain.com

CONVENT AWARDS FOR THE GSP At a ceremony in the Convent, His Excellency the Governor presented Long

Service and Good Conduct medals to three officers of the Gibraltar Services Police and he confirmed the promotions of seven others. “Sitting in the front row today is a combined total of 174 years of excellent service to the GSP,” said the Governor. Chief Inspector Konrad Chrzanowski, who has been seconded to the GSP from the Ministry of Defence Police in UK, was presented with his Police Long Service medal for 22 years of loyal and unblemished service. A First Clasp to the Colonial Long Service and Good Conduct Medal was presented to PC Michael Martinez who joined the GSP in 1984 and a Second Clasp was awarded to PC Joseph Lavagna who retired from the force in December after 30 years’ service. In addition to the medals, the Governor congratulated Chief Inspector Brian Brooks, Inspector Dylan Silva, Inspector Xavier Buhagiar and Sergeants Keith Howard, Adrian Sodi, Mahesh Chelleram and Michael Gonzalez on their recent promotions.

Religious Services Baha’i Faith Tel: 200 73287 www.gibnet. com/bahai email:bahai@gibraltar.gi Bethel Christian Fellowship Tel: 200 52002. Queensway. Sunday service 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

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JANUARY 2010

& Sunday School 10.30am. Bible Study 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 6 Europort Avenue Tel: 200 50186.

Jewish 10 Bomb House Lane Tel: 200 72606.

Methodist 297 Main St Tel/Fax 200 40870 email minister@methodist.org.gi Minister: Revd Fidel Patron. Sunday 11am Morning Worship, 8pm Evening Service. Prayer meetings Monday+ Wednesday to Friday

7pm and Tuesdays 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. Meet: Tues 8pm, Sundays 11am.

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information

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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.

per Rock, Europa Point and other sites of interest. It is the best way to see the Rock’s major features in a short time.

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.

Tourist Board.....................Tel: 200 74950 Gibraltar Tourist Board, Duke of Kent House, Cathedral Square, Gibraltar.

UK Tel: 0207 836 0777 giblondon@aol.com

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.

John Mackintosh Hall.......Tel: 200 75669 Includes cafeteria, theatre, exhibition rooms and library. 308 Main Street 9.30am - 11pm Monday to Friday. Closed weekends.

Trafalgar Cemetery: Trafalgar Road, open 9am - 7pm daily (admission free).

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.

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. Exhibitions also at 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 taxis provide Rock Tours taking in the Up-

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

Public Holidays 2010

New Year’s Day Friday 1 January Commonwealth Day * Monday 8 March Good Friday Friday 2 April Easter Monday Monday 5 April May Day Monday 3 May Spring Bank Holiday Monday 31 May Queen’s Birthday * Monday 14 June Late Summer Holiday Monday 30 August Gibraltar National Day * Friday 10 September Christmas Day Monday 27 December (in lieu of Saturday 25 December) Boxing Day Tuesday 28 December (in lieu of Sunday 26 December) *Gibraltar Only 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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