19 # 04 February 2014
dining guide • business & finance • sport & leisure • history • property • community
the gibraltar magazine
gibraltar the
February 2014 Vol. 19 # 04 FREE
The Only Way is Up? Midriff Exposed The Office Romance
Love in the Time of Quantitative Easing
A Taste for Sin
Be My Valentine...
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19 # 04 February 2014
dining guide • business & finance • sport & leisure • history • property • community
the gibraltar magazine
raltar
g
ibraltar the
February 2014 Vol. 19 # 04 FREE
contents 19 # 04 Business & Finance 8 Business & Finance Guide 9 Love in the time of
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The Only Way is Up?
Midriff Exposed The Office Romance
Love in the Time of Quantitative Easing
A Taste for Sin
Be My Valentine...
19 # 04 February 2014 Cover: Visitors love being photographed with Gibraltar’s iconic telephone boxes. Photo: J. Horrocks
The Gibraltar Magazine is published monthly by Guide Line Promotions Ltd PO Box 1124, La Bayuca, 21 Turnbull’s Lane, Gibraltar Tel/Fax: (+350) 200 77748
info@thegibraltarmagazine.com
Publisher/Editor: Andrea Morton Forde Copyright © 2014 Guide Line Promotions Limited. All rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced without written consent of The Gibraltar Magazine.
www.TheGibraltarMagazine.com Magazine & website archived by the British Library @gibmag
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quantitative easing Ellul & Co Celebrates 40th Anniversary Rough Justice... New Air-Terminal, New Flights, New Aircraft, New Destination Viva Gibrlatar: Lifting the Lid on the Rock What do you need to do to make customers love you? The Office Romance
Interview 26 Louis Andlaw: Talk About
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Himself Charity is Alfred’s Life Works
Health & Well-being 50 Sports Rehabilitaion
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with Zaneta Health Directory Track Your Food Intake for Health Segregated Education: Good or Bad?
Past Revisited 56 The Nazi Prison Named
GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2014
60 62 67 70
Gibraltar El Galgo: Open All Hours Violet’s Family Search Did We Invent Gibberish? All At Sea With Clarkson Stanfield
Arts & Leisure 58 Samuel’s Taste for Sin 64 Can’t Live Like This:
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Midriff Exposed Duncan Grech: An Art of Form Vanessa Wester: Evolution of a Writer
Appetite 86 Moroccan Flavours 88 Food & Drink Directory 92 Democracy in Action Regulars 76 Puzzle Page 80 Image of the Month 80 Question of the Month 94 Around Town Information 68 City Centre Map 88 Clubs & Activities 90 Gibraltar Information
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love file 38 40 43 44 46 49
Fit for Romance When she demands romance... Heavenly Honeymoons The Perfect Gift Hearts on Breathing Canvases With All Our Hearts
property 30 32 34 36 38
Winds of Change The Only Way is Up Hot Tips to Love Your Makeover Property Directory Ask The Architect
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NatWest 1 Corral Road Tel: 200 73200 Mortgage Hotline: 200 44166 Barclays Regal House, 3 Queenway Corporate Banking: 200 41222
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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2014
finance
business
words | Ian Le Breton
Love in the time of quantitative easing Never be fooled by appearances. The editor of The Gibraltar Magazine can be quite demanding when she chooses. Just after New Year she reminded me of the copy deadline for this piece and then came her coup de grâce. It’s the February issue she stressed — unnecessarily in my view — before adding: “You know, the Valentine issue. Could you perhaps reinforce the message and spice up the normal financial stuff, which we always enjoy, by injecting a little ‘love’ into the article...?” “Charming,” I thought. “No pressure.” But as always the editor got me thinking. Love is the foundation of any intimate relationship and, of course, it can lead people to set up home together, enter into marriage or even civil partnership. Happily for many, this last state should also soon be available here in Gibraltar assuming the relevant Bill is passed by the Gibraltar Parliament. So what relevance does all this have to the
GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2014
Finance Column and the areas I normally touch on during my monthly ramblings? To me, it’s all about the promises we make to each other; before very long, some level of legal and financial commitment inevitably arises. In the case of the Anglican church, this commitment is made explicit from the very outset, as a quick glance at the famous words in the Book of Common Prayer, makes clear: “lawful wedded”, “to have and to hold from
this day forward”, “for richer for poorer” and, perhaps most unequivocally, “with all my worldly goods I thee endow”. In other words, embarking down the long road on a journey that will hopefully endure for decades involves not just a romantic commitment, but a financial one. It may not be the most amorous part of the equation, but it is in fact an important demonstration of love and one that should not be entered into lightly. Ar-
business
finance
Champagne and flowers may be welcome on Valentine’s Day but perhaps an appointment with a suitably qualified financial planner would be an equally romantic gesture
guments and disagreements over money issues are often a major indicator that all may not be well in the underlying relationship. In my case, and it’s difficult to believe, 2014 marks 25 years since I met my life partner. I imagine that those of us who have been blessed by sharing a long and stable relationship will remember times when financial pressures have reared their ugly head. I have always believed that if one can weather the “worst of times” in economic terms, then almost everything else is easier by comparison. After all, how and when we earn, spend or save our cash affects almost every aspect of our lives. This has become ever more important in recent years during the global downturn. As we approach Valentine’s Day, when even the most strong willed of us may be losing enthusiasm for our New Year resolutions, it is perhaps a good time to step back and consider our finances and see — even if we don’t happen to be sharing a life with someone else — whether anything can be done to improve the overall picture. I am not thinking here only of the basics such as joint bank accounts but other assets too that might remain separate or be transferred into joint names. If done properly from the outset — a legal way of formalising the phrase “what is yours is mine, and what is mine, yours” — all sorts of arguments and difficulties in the future might be avoided. Before this column took its traditional diversion with the Rock family at Christmas and my New Year review last month, the two previous columns looked at wills and the importance of forward planning, and the types and use of trusts respectively. Both of these subjects could form part of my message for this Valentine’s piece. After all wills and trusts, or equivalent structures like pensions, are designed to protect your loved ones. Proper planning based on good advice is fundamental and should mean that any financial commitments entered into could serve a couple well for many years to come — no matter what the future holds. To illustrate this
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Proper planning based on good advice is fundamental and should mean any financial commitments entered into could serve a couple well for many years to come — no matter what the future holds let’s fast forward through a typical scenario, a bit like using a time-lapse camera. Let us assume that our young lovers (I shall pretend they are part of the Rock family we normally meet only at Christmas) are just beginning their lives together. Their first big financial decision will almost certainly involve setting up a home for the first time. Rent and furnishing costs may stretch their resources initially but, if they are planning to buy a property, they will also need to save up a deposit to secure a mortgage. Then the kids – the Rockettes — arrive and their finances are stretched yet further. It’s spend, spend, spend. Fast forward, probably some 20 years or more — the timescale will of course depend on how many Rockettes have arrived — and their mortgage is finally paid off or at least to a large extent paid down. Their thoughts should then turn to some form of savings or investment planning for the future. Then there is the whole area of pensions — mainly these will be the traditional type where funds are set aside by an employee, generally aided maybe by their employer, during their working lives, to provide for the pension holder and family once retirement is contemplated. I have written before about certain types of pension schemes — QROPS (Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Schemes) and QNUPS (Qualifying Non-UK Pension Schemes) — that can be used in certain circumstances, but there are many types of scheme available and one size most definitely does not fit all. However,
the same general principles apply in all cases where individuals are looking to provide adequate resources to secure a financial future. All of this should ensure that wives, husbands or partners are themselves provided for and protected financially. Properly planned savings schemes can also be used specifically to meet the cost and financial needs of dependents through the many years of school or university and beyond. But let’s move the Rocks away from purely financial products and look at other areas that will involve financial outlay or commitment. It is very likely that the couple will exchange precious items, not least rings, at various stages during their time together. It may not be romantic, but in view of the likely substantial outlay involved, adequate insurance should be put in place at the date of purchase. Of course one can never protect the sentimental value but at least knowing that some financial protection is in place can go some way to softening the blow should the worst ever happen. It is useful to have some idea of current value of all such items for succession purposes too. And so as the Rocks enter a period of graceful — or disgraceful — retirement, hopefully their careful financial planning down the years has paid off. Ideally, we see a happy, healthy couple that can look forward to many years together enjoying a lifestyle that they have worked hard to achieve and that is not plagued by financial worries. And these days, it seems that retirement is as likely to involve sailing round the world or mountain biking up Everest as learning to play contract bridge. And hopefully, if they have insured well, medical bills or healthcare costs won’t eat into their savings. I realise that this quick race through the Rocks’ financial history is somewhat artificial and perhaps tongue in cheek. Of course real life is far harder but the main point I am seeking to make is that financial matters — how much we earn, spend or save — is so fundamental to our daily lives, that any time spent planning now should pay real dividends in the future. And, for once, that is “pun intended”. So yes, Madam Editor, champagne and flowers may no doubt be welcome on Valentine’s Day but perhaps an appointment with a suitably qualified financial planner would be an equally romantic gesture. After all, it is never too early to start planning for the future. Equally, plans made years ago, should be reviewed regularly to ensure that what was put in place then remains fit for purpose. In other words, to celebrate this 14th February with your loved one, why not consider a gift that should last somewhat longer than a box of chocolates? See you in the greetings card shop and to all, a happy Valentine’s Day. n
Ian Le Breton
GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2014
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www.gibraltarlawyers.com
Moving House? We’ll take care of all the legal matters to help make your move as easy as possible Contact Sarah Miles at sarah.miles@isolas.gi Portland House Glacis Road PO Box 204 Gibraltar Tel +350 2000 1892 www.gibraltarlawyers.com
GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2013
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charity The company’s staff commitment was demonstrated in December when each team member chose to donate their “Secret Santa” money for team Christmas presents to the fund onstrated in December when each team member chose to donate their “Secret Santa” money for team Christmas presents to the fund. Kathi Scott, the Executive Director of Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund (UK) expressed her appreciation of the commitment and efforts from everyone at Europa Trust Company Limited. She explained that the contribution would assist with the building of a special children’s hospital which will be dedicated to children’s health and recovery. Brett Bridge, the Business Development Consultant for the Europa Group, said, “It is comforting knowing that the team contributions for 2013 will help to build a children’s hospital which will save the lives of many young and vulnerable children who before Europa Trust Company Limited supported the Nelson Mandela Children’s were unable to receive specialist medical support.” Fund as their charity of the year for 2013. The start of the New Year saw the Europa Trust Company Limited thanks its company consolidate its contribution to the fund with individual donations staff for their generous and individual support made by staff at the company. for the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund. Anyone wishing to make their own conThe company’s donation formed part of contribution and giving team members an op- tribute to the charity can do so by visiting the their commitment to the charity which in- portunity to personally be part of the charity. Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund online at cluded raising awareness, making a company The company’s staff commitment was dem- www.mandela-children.org.uk. n
Local Company Supports Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund
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The quality of a magazine reflects on the businesses that advertise within it. The Gibraltar Magazine is Gibraltar’s quality magazine — packed with great, readable content. We don’t have pushy sales people, so get in touch if you have a business or strategy to promote in Gibraltar. We will explain your options within your budget and help you with artwork if you need us to. We are passionate about what we do and about our home, Gibraltar.
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We’d love to hear from you. Sometimes we get a bit lonely in our office, and we like to get letters, phone calls and emails with your feedback and photos. We might even publish the best so keep them coming. This is your magazine so get involved. Email: info@thegibraltarmagazine.com Tel: 200 77748
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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2014
business growth
Matrix Logistics’ staff outside the company’s warehouse at 36 Harbours Deck, New Harbours
DHL Sole Agents Celebrate 2nd Anniversary Matrix Logistics celebrated its second anniversary as Gibraltar’s sole agent for DHL on 31st January 2014. Since commencing operations the company has introduced an import express service offering a next day delivery to Gibraltar for both document and non-document shipments, and from April 2014 Matrix Logistics will introduce a new service specifically tailored for the healthcare sector.
Micro Business Systems Ltd
PO Box 661, Unit 102, New Harbours Walk, New Harbours, Gibraltar Tel: (+350) 200 42723 Fax: (+350) 200 40612 Email: sales@mbs.gi www.mbs.gi
Providers of Records Management Services, Systems & Solutions since 1989 Digital Document Scanning Any document size up to A0, network and standalone access/retrival Document Microfilming Any document size up to A0, network and standalone access/ retrival. Long term retention over 100 years File Colour Coding & Barcode Tracking Software Eliminates misplaced files for ever! High Density Filing Systems Huge range of filing supplies and consumables Archival Storage Services Long term and secure. Includes retrieval and collection of records.
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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2014
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40th Anniversary
40th Anniversary Celebrations Ellul & Co celebrated 40 years of legal practice in Gibraltar in September 2013 and to mark this occasion held a gala dinner for friends, family and clients. In 1973 Eric Ellul started the firm in Gibraltar Heights as a sole practitioner after a period of study and practice in London. After a period of general practice, he began to specialise in matrimonial law and was instrumental in having the law reformed and brought up to date. He was popularly known as
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‘the divorce lawyer of Gibraltar’. In 1995 he was joined by his son Marc when the firm moved into their present offices in Hadfield House. The firm has now been strengthened by Ben Chiappe who is in charge of the conveyancing department and Neil Lopez who is developing the litigation department. There are eight members of the staff, some of whom have been with the firm for over 30 years and who have been instrumental in building up the firm into a convivial and busy practice with a happy and relaxed atmosphere. The firm has a strong commercial practice specialising in corporate law, conveyancing, probate and testamentary matters, employment law, ship and property finance, ship and yacht registration, private client work, advising small local businesses. The firm also has a Trust and Company Management arm providing trust and company formation and administration and related services. Both Eric and Marc Ellul are Notaries Public and have a busy notarial practice. The firm is looking forward to the next 40 years. n GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2014
business events
GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2014
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finance
Rough Justice... In our previous three articles The Family Office has focused on a number of specific offshore related matters. These ranged from the increasing difficulties keeping financial matters confidential, how to protect personal assets using offshore structures without falling foul of the tax authorities, the attempts by the Spanish tax authorities to gain knowledge of the worldwide assets of non domiciled Spanish resident individuals and the problems facing UK expatriates with significant pension funds. In this, the final article of the series, we consider whether the measures being taken to stamp out tax avoidance are being fuelled further by tax authorities worldwide, with particular attention to UK expatriates and their use of offshore structures to gain a tax advantage.
is the gaining of a tax advantage using current legislation and in some cases loopholes within it. Evasion on the other hand is illegal and involves the deliberate concealment of taxable income and capital gains. Denis Healey, former Chancellor of the Exchequer, when asked what the difference was between tax avoidance and tax evasion anAvoidance or evasion? Tax avoidance, which is legal, swered: “the thickness of a prison
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cell wall” This continues to be the case. However, there has been a deliberate attempt by a number of tax authorities to remove the boundaries between the two, with tax avoidance becoming the new tax evasion. The introduction of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”) by the USA, although delayed until 2015, is intended to
deter foreign institutions from harbouring untaxed income and gains and to deter citizens of the USA from trying to evade tax. The majority of European countries have also followed suit with their own version of FATCA by threatening fiscal measures against jurisdictions and financial institutions who refuse to sign up. Gibraltar has already signed up to the UK’s version. Even Switzerland has
GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2014
finance finally succumbed to pressure by developments that have made pulous companies who prey on The End Game removing its veil of secrecy follow- expatriate financial security far unsuspecting individuals about to Many commentators in the tax ing punitive action by the USA. from certain. retire charging them extortionate industry are of the opinion that the fees for transferring their pen- perpetual and vitriolic attempts to But what about “legally” UK Statutory Residence Test sions. This said the UK tax authori- allow individuals and companies avoiding tax? — introduced from 6th April ties have removed QROPS status to legally “arrange there affairs in Legally in the sense that a “tax 2013 and finally laying to rest from a number of jurisdictions the most tax efficient manner” is scheme” may be effective as a any uncertainty as to when an with no apparent rhyme or reason. doling out rough justice and needs result of badly drafted legislation. individual is resident in the UK. This is exemplified by the recent to be combated. Where individuThese loopholes as they are called Although tortuous to interpret bloody nose imparted on the UK als have deliberately crossed the offer leading tax barristers, lawyers this is to many a double edged tax authorities in the “Panthera boundary between tax avoidance and tax experts the opportunity to sword. On the one hand it allows ROSSIP” case. In court, the UK tax and tax evasion they deserve develop structures that confer no discretion on what constitutes authorities were branded as being Rough Justice. To this end we at TFO Tax pride significant tax advantages to in- non residence whilst on the other overzealous in pursuing the tax dividuals and companies. Whilst it will affect individuals who to assessments with the judge, Justice ourselves on the expert advice we we do not consider the ethics of date have regarded themselves as Charles, demanding a written provide to assist UK expatriates this subject in this article, is it the being non resident. We have en- statement explaining their policy understand complexities they individual’s or company’s fault if countered a number of expatriates on QROPS. As a consequence, face when seeking to establish who “THOUGHT” they were not instead of being charged 55% on themselves offshore. n governments get it wrong? What is clear is that individu- resident in the UK which turned a pension transfers, a tax amnesty als and companies evade tax at out not to be the case for a number has been offered to investors in Finally, please remember Tim QROPS set up before 24th Septem- Richardson will be competing in the of reasons. their peril. ber 2008, the UK tax authorities Race Across America (“RAAM”) in Campaigns by tax authorities, and in particular the UK tax au- FATCA – referred to earlier in this have pledged not to chase any June 2014 and is raising money for thorities, to stamp out all forms article, it represents a serious and retirement savers for a 55% tax Help for Heroes. For more information of tax avoidance and tax evasion real threat to those expatriates, in charge on any QROPS that were visit www.teambrazen.co.uk and www. have been fuelled by vitriolic particular those from the UK and suspended before that date, un- raceacrossamerica.org. To sponsor attacks from politicians and the the USA, who have previously less of course there is evidence of Tim please visit www.bmycharity. com/TeamBrazen media on those who benefit from regarded themselves as “under “dishonesty or artificiality”. legal tax avoidance arrangements. the radar”. In our previous article It is clear that information is leaked “Is it Secret is it Safe” we encouraged UK expatriates to seek advice to the press when it suits. It has not gone unnoticed that a on how to make a disclosure to new sport of “multinational corpo- the UK tax authorities using the rate bashing” has been created as a “Liechtenstein Disclosure Facilresult of politicians and the media ity”. Approaching the tax authoripublicising the little amount of tax ties first will reduce the impact that is paid by the likes of Google of them making a challenge and and Starbucks in the UK. They fail seeking significantly higher penalof course to highlight the number ties, or even prosecution in more of individuals these multinational serious cases. FATCA will become companies employ, or the means the rule rather than the exception by which they reduce their li- with financial institutions being abilities to Corporation Tax by the forced to disclose information or utilisation of statutory provisions risk sanctions. Steve Bold, such as group relief. Partner TFO Tax LLP These are all examples of the Modelo 720 — a more local issue “bullyboy” tactics being employed for those individuals who play The Family Office Europe oversees and provides comprehensive even where statutory provisions the “residence game” in Spain. We private office services including wealth management, international are aware of individuals receiving confer a legitimate tax benefit. tax advice, generational planning and high-level advice. Some commentators have re- visits in the Costa hotspots and beferred to this as an abuse of power ing confronted about where they The Family Office Europe aims to help high net worth individuals and something that has seen the actually live and why they have and their families navigate through the shark invested waters that not paid Spanish tax. “Court of Public Opinion” dishing exist in any offshore jurisdiction, where often the man in the pub has out rough justice. the best ideas on how to arrange your affairs. Offshore pensions — these have This heavy handed approach is also prevalent to UK expatriates been another target. Admittedly Central to the core belief of the founders is the mantra that clients resident in offshore jurisdictions. much of the issue with Qualifyshould expect the same level of service, integrity, fee transparency During the past couple of years ing Registered Overseas Pensions and professionalism that they would expect to receive themselves. there have been a number of (“QROPS”) is related to unscru-
During the past couple of years there have been a number of developments that have made expatriate financial security far from certain GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2014
The Family Office Europe, its affiliated businesses, TFO Tax Strategies Ltd based in Gibraltar and TFO Tax LLP in the UK, and appointed Advisory Board, are well placed to help with all these client concerns.
The Family Office 15 Irish Town, PO Box 1483 Gibraltar
TFO Tax LLP Peter House Oxford Street Manchester M1 5AN
T: +350 200 62084 F: +350 200 49290 info@tfoeurope.net www.tfoeurope.net
T: +44(0)161 209 3838 F: +44(0)161 209 3836 steve.bold@tfotax.net www.tfotax.net
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Direct flights between Marrakech and Gibraltar will begin in April 2014
New Air-Terminal, New Flights, New Aircraft, New Destination Direct flights from Gibraltar’s state-of-theart new air-terminal to the world-renowned tourist hot-spot of Marrakech in Morocco will begin on Thursday 17th April 2014. Since January 2013, the Your Flight team, who will be overseeing the service, have invested, focussed and conducted all the necessary market research and ground work with the aim of establishing flights to Morocco. Once Marrakech was identified as the key destination and Your Flight’s start-up route, the team
then concentrated on selecting an airline to operate these flights. Several airlines in Morocco and Spain were contacted and several options and proposals studied. “Choosing the optimum aircraft to operate these series of ‘regular’ charter flights was a crucial decision,” says Your Flight Director, Paul Lopez, “so after evaluating numerous aircraft types, we decided that the new, latest generation turbo-prop ATR 72/600 was the clear winner!” Although this was the most expensive option, it meant that Royal Air Maroc was short-listed
as the team’s preferred airline operator because of its strength as Morocco’s national flag carrier, modern fleet to which, to date, has been added four brand new ATR 72/600 aircraft direct from ATR in Toulouse, France. These 70 seater aircraft are already proving a great success with passengers and operating crews and have allowed Royal Air Maroc (Express) to reinforce and expand its regional/short-haul international network. “We are confident that this will result in more opportunities for Your Flight to expand in the near
future incorporating new destinations in Morocco,” adds Paul. “Certainly Tangier which we are already planning to introduce by the end of 2014/early 2015, and then other possible destinations, namely Casablanca, Rabat and Agadir. “We believe it will also provide the required resources ‘tools’ to enhance and increase Gibraltar’s historic ties and business opportunities with Morocco, which our Chief Minister, The Hon. Fabian Picardo, described as ‘our friendly neighbours from the South’.” Flights will operate at very convenient times on alternate Thursdays and every Sunday allowing for three, four and seven night stays. Flights will operate with a twin-cabin configuration — 12 First Class / 58 Tourist Class seats — and all fares include all the “hidden” extras which the “low cost-no frills airlines” charge on top. “Our service will be superior both on the ground and onboard,” Paul assures. “We are confident that these new flights to Marrakech will be a success and an added boost for Gibraltar’s tourism product, trade and businesses. On behalf of the Your Flight team, we look forward to welcoming you all on board!” n
Flights will operate at very convenient times on alternate Thursdays and every Sunday allowing for three, four and seven night stays Your Flight Director, Paul Lopez
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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2014
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www.yourflight.gi 19
Viva Gibraltar:
words | Nicola Smith is CEO of Helvetic Fund Administration Limited, Gibraltar
Lifting the Lid on the Rock Since 2008 Gibraltar has been listed in the Global Financial Centres Index published by the City of London Corporation increasing its reputation as an attractive location for business in a variety of areas. Gibraltar offers a well-established fund regime based on UK legislation and is the only British overseas territory that is part of the European Union (“EU”) and applies European laws. Fund legislation in Gibraltar was drafted in close consultation with key members of the industry and has resulted in a comprehensible regime that most European based managers and compliance teams find easy to adhere to. A fund manager may set up operations in Gibraltar as either a licensed MiFID (“Markets
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in Financial Instruments Directive”) EU investment manager, a licensed AIFM (“Alternative Investment Fund Manager Directive”) EU investment manager or a licensed UCITS (“Undertaking for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities”) compliant manager. Once obtained, the manager would be regulated by the FSC and have a fully transferable licence to passport the licensed services throughout the EU. If a manager does not want to obtain a full AIFM licence but does want to continue to be able to market its services under a MiFID licence, then Gibraltar service providers can offer a platform solution whereby the portfolio management is outsourced to the MiFID manager by a fully licensed and regulated AIFM manager established by the service provider for this purpose. The focus of Gibraltar service providers has always been to offer a personal tailor-made service to each client. As a smaller jurisdiction, the service providers are more flexible and value each client and their requirements as unique,
striving to provide a service which in a larger jurisdiction would simply not be available to the size of client attracted to Gibraltar. Gibraltar is one of only four EU based jurisdictions where a fund can be domiciled in a tax efficient way. Historically, people have established funds in Dublin and Luxembourg as an onshore location due to their advantageous tax regimes, however in recent years,
The focus of Gibraltar service providers has always been to offer a personal tailor-made service to each client. As a smaller jurisdiction, the service providers are more flexible and value each client and their requirements as unique
GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2014
a saturation of funds on the market and cost issues have paved the way for alternatives such as Gibraltar and Malta to offer investors additional options. As an increasing number of regulations are being introduced worldwide, the focus for managers and the funds they manage has move towards ensuring their operations are domiciled and regulated in an EU location. Laws are already in place in Gibraltar to ensure the re-domiciliation process is as simple and efficient as possible for a streamlined process and Gibraltar based fund administrators can offer services to funds domiciled in another jurisdiction such as the Caribbean, to relocate to Gibraltar and ensure the smooth transition of the fund. For EU fund managers it is very easy to deal with counterparties in and possibly even relocate their business to Gibraltar. With a similar legal structure to the UK, issues that can be found when dealing with offshore jurisdictions outside of the EU do not exist and Gibraltar offers a good geographical location. There are no restrictions for EU citizens or Swiss nationals wishing to work in Gibraltar and there are very beneficial tax opportunities for highly skilled staff brought over to Gibraltar. Settling in Gibraltar can be an attractive proposition, not only from a lifestyle point of view, but also a financial perspective. More and more managers based in London and Switzerland are looking for a viable alternative jurisdiction and Gibraltar is becoming more recognised for offering this. n
GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2014
Regulatory move positions territory as gateway to AIFMD zone Commenting on the announcement that Gibraltar has become a full signatory to the Multinational Memorandum of Understanding (MMoU) of the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSC), Nicola Smith, Managing Director of Hedge Fund Administrator Helvetic, says: “This is a significant move as it bolsters Gibraltar as a location for international hedge funds looking for a geographic foothold within the AIFMD zone.” The passport system established under the Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive allows funds to operate throughout the EU once they have received regulatory approval in one member country. The result has been an increased level of interest from international fund managers seeking territories that blend a skilled workforce, high
quality provision of services such as audit and administration, and a regulatory framework that meets international standards. The MMoU is one more significant step that positions Gibraltar in the global market as the gateway to the EU. Nicola continues: “We will see 2014 as the first year which requires hedge fund managers to take positive action in response to the AIFMD. Key to the changes introduced by the legislation is the better transparency through increased monitoring and reporting on risk management and investment activities. Gibraltar already has a strong administration sector and this should prove a significant factor for companies choosing where to locate their AIFMD-compliant operations in the EU. n
MMoU is one more significant step that positions Gibraltar in the global market as the gateway to the EU
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tax matters
business relationships
what you need to do to make your customers love you words | Paul Wharton
We all know that February has long been celebrated as the month of love and romance and this comes to a peak on St Valentine’s Day when friends and lovers exchange tokens of affection such as hand written cards, flowers, and maybe have a night out in a favourite restaurant to celebrate special relationships. With this month’s magazine focussing on the theme of love, my mind turns to the importance of relationships in business and to what I have learnt through my work to support companies in Gibraltar over the years. I do feel that the most successful business relationships are not transactional; they are built on mutual trust, respect, understanding, credibility and consistency, together with other attributes that we often associate with relationships in our personal lives.
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If you look at our society, it’s one big web of relationships which requires all parties to work together and contribute to a set of common goals, and this best works where co-operation and respect exist, so it goes without saying that this has got to be the one thing that you
must get 100% right in your own business if you are to succeed. So let’s look at how a business relationship forms. Clearly, building a business relationship does not happen in a single meeting or communication. A strong relationship can grow and develop
for months, even years before it moves onto the next stage. Even in the new world of email, text messaging and social networking sites, a business relationship won’t flourish without those face to face meetings. I was recently reading some re-
GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2014
business sults of a dating survey undertaken in the US and I was surprised that approximately 30% of new relationships start online, but let’s not fool ourselves here; one thing is to have the rapport online, but the relationship will be limited if it doesn’t click in that face to face meeting. In person, you can read body language and pick up on non-verbal clues that you just can’t see online; it will help you decide whether or not you can trust this person. It’s exactly the same when starting a business relationship; can you trust the person that you are looking to do business with? Meeting in person, will also give you a feel for the organisation and culture associated with your new business partner. I know that this may all sound a bit simple, however once you have initiated a new business relationship and created an awareness and knowledge of your business, then you need to be “liked” more than any other company that may offer the same product and service. The reality is that business relationships are just like any other relationship and they require investment and effort on an on-going basis in order for them to remain relevant, even grow, as well as
When that customer starts buying from you on a regular basis, make sure you reward them; it will make them feel loved and appreciated remain mutually beneficial. Walt Disney once said “Do what you do so well, that they will want to see it again and bring their friends.” Well, I have to say that he was spot on, this is all about creating love between your company and your customers and then they will spread the word to their “friends”. So what do you need to do more of, to make your customers love you? To start off, you need to make your customers feel their needs are understood. By showing a genuine deep understanding of what they want and how they fit in the business, they will start to feel important. It’s so important that you listen to what people are saying. On the whole businesses aren’t always very good at this. I was reading an article a few weeks ago about the Christmas performance of major retailers and the author’s conclu-
sion as to why NEXT had got it so right, was because it listens to its customers, therefore knows it’s customers tremendously well; who it’s selling to and more importantly what its target market wants and perhaps more importantly what it doesn’t want! (remember this applies in personal relationships too!). In (business) relationships, it’s so important that you follow through on your commitments in order to win the hearts and minds
of the customer, as well as keeping them informed with valuable information... Although take care that you are not invasive and when that customer starts buying from you on a regular basis, make sure you reward them; it will make them feel loved and appreciated and strengthen that bond that needs to last the test of time. Remember the essential point that existing happy clients will hopefully refer their colleagues friends to you and your business. Have a great Valentine’s Day and here’s to all those special relationships in your life. n Paul Wharton is writing in his own capacity and none of the above is intended to express the views or opinions of Barclays Bank PLC.
Paul Wharton is Head of Corporate Banking at Barclays Wealth & Investment Management in Gibraltar having arrived on the Rock from the UK six years ago. Paul has over three decades’ experience gained in various roles within Barclays, predominantly in and around London and is passionate about supporting the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) market which he sees as the lifeblood of the Gibraltar economy. Paul has won several awards for his work in Small Business Enterprise markets and has served on the London Board of the Prince’s Trust.
2 Storey Retail/Commercial Premises on Main Street
For Sale/To Let internal area 483m2 email louhall77@gmail.com for further information
GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2014
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HR issues cause are: During the course of the relationship: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
gossip leading to potential conflict and upset. loss of productivity. inappropriate displays of affection at work. reduced morale. allegations from colleagues of favouritism. imparting confidential information which one person in the relationship would otherwise not be privy to.
and when the relationship breaks up potential: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
The Office Romance words | Sylvia Kenna, The HR Dept
Two of my staff are obviously involved with each other (in a romantic way) and over the last six weeks it has become more and more noticeable to me and their colleagues. We have no real policy covering this situation, however in the past we have had similar situations and have possibly not dealt with them in the most effective way. What is the best way to deal with this in a small company? 20 years ago people met and got together with their partner in social situations, at a dance on a Friday night for example. Nowadays when you ask people how they got together, about 50% would answer that they met at work. So Office romances are not all that rare. A quote from an article in the Huffington Post in 2012: “Attitudes toward workplace romance are changing — at least for Millennial employees. A whopping 84% of workers ages 18-29 say they would have a romantic relationship with a co-worker, compared to just 36% of Generation X workers (ages 30-46) and 29% of Boomers (age 47-66), according to a recent Workplace Options survey. And 40% of Millennials say they would have no problem dating their supervisors (compared to just 10% of older generations).” www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/09/office-romances-on-the-rise-
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among-millennial-employees_n_1412190.html I once had to act as the girlfriend of my friend’s boyfriend when we met their boss who happened to be in the same restaurant! They both worked for a company that had a complete ban on romantic relationships between staff. So does having a complete ban on office romances work? Of course not; it just makes staff hide their relationship from you. The best way to tackle this situation is to be prepared and have some guidelines in place. You will already have policies and processes in place to deal with any unacceptable behaviour. So remember this situation is no different. Some of the problems that office romance
grievances. claims of bullying and harassment. requirement for mediation. need for disciplinary action including dismissal. need to demote and or re-assign one person to a different department and or office location. resignations leading to the need to recruit and retrain. the associated HR and management time and cost in dealing with the above.
Richard Branson has this to say on the subject: First, let’s bring romance back to the office—though the KISS rule (“Keep it simple, stupid”) seems applicable here. If single employees are told that they are free to have a relationship with any consenting single colleague, then it should be easier to gain respect for your company’s policies. Any guidelines you put in place should avoid forcing people to conceal their relationships — that openness will prove to be a win-win for your company and your employees. Second, while it is not at all surprising that two people who work closely might fall in love, one should not report to the other. If a couple find themselves in this situation, their managers should make other arrangements, adjusting the reporting structure so that this is not an issue. Next, the parties involved should make it a long-distance relationship. While every situation is different, it is likely not a good idea for the couple to work together, especially in a small department. No matter how discreet and sensible the pair might be, too close a working relationship will invite problems. Some physical distance may be good for everyone. Even if the lovebirds don’t share a department, discretion is key. One person I consulted said: “They should act like a married couple around the office—no outward displays of affection.” Perhaps a lame joke, but wise. Finally, couples should keep their romance offline. They should not use corporate e-mail systems to send private messages. One mistake might broadcast to the whole company things that are much better kept private! I can’t agree with him more when he says A great company behaves something like an extended family — cheering successes, finding the upside of mistakes and getting together periodically to reconnect. Employees’ falling in love is all part of the adventure. It should be celebrated. n
You will already have policies and processes in place to deal with any unacceptable behaviour. So remember this situation is no different GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2014
DHL Express is the global market leader in the international express business, so you probably already know that we can deliver your documents and parcels from Gibraltar to virtually every country in the world. What you might not know is that we can also take care of all your importing requirements.
For further information please contact: DHL Gibraltar Unit 36 Harbours Deck, New Harbours, Gibraltar Tel: 200 72210 Email: GIBSN@dhl.com
interview
Young conscript, Louis Andlaw, keeps guard over the Convent
Louis Andlaw Talk About Himself Sometime controversial, always outspoken, retired businessman Louis Andlaw is best known for his appearances on our TV screens and as the witty letter writing Latvian Vice Consul. Mike Brufal asked him to tell his story in an interview which takes us from wartime evacuation to the 1966 World Cup winning team.
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Born in Gibraltar to Manuel Verano Andlaw and Adela Russo 81 years ago, Louis Andlaw’s early memories are of the family’s evacuation to Casablanca (then under French rule), at the start of the World War II and, after the French Government’s capitulation, returning to the Rock to await further instructions. These evacuees were given the choice of going, at the British Government’s expense, to England or Jamaica, or to Madeira but at the family’s own expense. Once there the Gibraltarians had to pay for their own subsistence. Eventually the British Government partially capitulated as, after all the evacuees had departed to England and Jamaica, there remained a hard core on the Rock and mindful of the order that no extra mouths must stay in Gibraltar the remaining Gibraltarians were ordered to join the convoy to Madeira at the Government’s expense. Once there this group enjoyed free accommodation and food making them, in hindsight, the lucky Gibraltarians. As Louis suffered from allergic asthma, it was not possible for him to attend the school set up for Gibraltarian evacuees in Madeira. Instead he had tutors. His medical condition, which also prevented him from participating in any sport, slowly eased and, as predicted by his doctor, left him at the onset of puberty. Today Louis feels as at home in Funchal as he does in Gibraltar and has made regular visits to Madeira in the years since the war. On his return to Gibraltar he was sent to Brympton School where Enid Simpson was the legendary headmistress. At age 13 his parents sent him to Beaumont College at Windsor — then the premier school run by Jesuits, which closed a few years ago. Louis went with his uncle to take tea with the Master of Pembroke College, Oxford University, which resulted in the offer of a place providing he passed certain examinations at required grades, and so he was sent to Millfield School for two terms to cram for Maths and Latin. He was one of the first pupils at Millfield and the teaching was so good that he ended up with a credit in Maths and a distinction in Latin (in those days the grades were pass, credit and distinction). Four and half months of 1950 were spent in compulsory National Service with the Gibraltar Defence Force which he decided to make the best of. He found military service to be a wonderful way of mixing the social classes in Gibraltar and he made life-long friendships with his fellow conscripts. On one occasion he was on guard duty outside the Convent when the Governor, Lt General Sir Kenneth Anderson, stopped to talk to him. The Governor; “What is your name?” “Louis Andlaw, Sir.” “Is the City Electrical Engineer a relation?” “Yes Sir, he is my uncle” “Are you enjoying the army?” “Speaking frankly, Sir, No.” “I presume that you are giving it your best.” “Yes Sir, that goes without saying.” In 1958 he was invited by Willy Thompson to join the Gibraltar Regiment Reserve of officers and served from 1958-61. Louis went up to Oxford and became boxing correspondent for Isis, the varsity magazine. At the time there were only world champions
GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2014
interview at eight weights and he was able to keep track of all that was happening in the ring. Today there are multiplicity of weights and world champions and so his interest has waned and he does not follow it at all. He soon appreciated that Oxford always went into the Varsity match at a disadvantage as there was never an under nine stone pugilist to take on the Cambridge man at Bantamweight. This meant the Cambridge team entered the contest one up before the first punch was traded. Louis saw an opportunity to be awarded a boxing blue. He suggested to the Captain that he start training and take on the Cambridge boxer and so training commenced. However, at the last moment another undergraduate decided to offer himself for selection. This meant a bout (Louis’ one and only boxing match) between the two which the new man won. Later he watched, with secret satisfaction, his replacement suffer a beating from his Cambridge opponent. After Oxford he returned to Gibraltar and entered the family business, Verano Brothers. After a few years of disagreements and a personality clash with his uncle also named Louis, he bought his uncle’s share of the business. The business was managed by two or three people and during his father’s time Augusto Palmer was his right hand man. While Louis was in charge Augusto’s son, Guy, in turn, became his right hand man. In the early ’90s Louis retired and handed over the business to Guy. Louis will always be remembered by many as the Latvian vice consul during the days when Latvia was absorbed into the USSR. Each year on Latvian National Day he would send a letter to the Gibraltar Chronicle. It was not always the same, but it was always highly critical of Russia vis–à–vis Latvia. He became involved with Latvia when George Imossi asked him if he was interested in being appointed vice consul as he could find no one else who would take on the job. This appealed to Louis and after some thought he agreed. His appointment as Latvian Vice Consul came from the Latvian delegation in exile. In reality he never had any consular work to do and the position was never accepted by the Gibraltar consular corps. However because of the annual letter more Gibraltarians knew the name of the Latvian vice consul than knew the name of the majority of European consuls on the Rock which is no mean achievement. Such
Louis Andlaw on GBC’s Talk About Town with Richard Cartwright and David Bentata
GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2014
Louis Andlaw
is the ingratitude of Governments that when the USSR collapsed and the Latvian state was reinstated, Louis appointment as Vice Consul was not renewed or, as he would put it, he was sacked. Dr Ernest Imossi, the man who focussed attention on handicapped children on the Rock, persuaded Louis to join the Gibraltar Society for Handicapped Children and he served as Honorary Secretary 1980-84. Dr Ernest was at the fore in the modern approach to dealing with the problems faced by handicapped children. Sadly, he says, many parents did not agree with this approach and preferred a daily
He found military service to be a wonderful way of mixing the social classes in Gibraltar and he made life-long friendships with his fellow conscripts
party to entertain their children. This resulted in the two of them being ousted after the 1984 Annual General Meeting. His grandfather was a founder member of the Gibraltar Chamber of Commerce, and Louis became involved in Chamber matters when he was determined that the Government should not impose higher commercial rates. He considered them to be too high and suggested members should pay the due rates into a special account which would not be paid until the Government either stopped the rise or even reduced the rates. His campaign was so successful that many members thought he would stand for President however, once the rate problem had been resolved, he bowed out. Sol Seruya stood for President and persuaded Louis to join the ticket as Vice-President. They won and guided the Chamber during the crucial years 1986 to 1990 when the Chamber was more politically motivated than it is today. As Vice President he was appointed (19861990) to the Conditions of Employment Board, the Trade Licensing Authority and the Manpower Planning Commission. Much to his surprise he was reappointed in 1995 for another stint. In 1990 Sol and Louis were ousted by the new team in the Chamber — James Gaggero and Frank Galliano. Louis is famed in the Gibraltar Chronicle for writing short witty letters about whatever takes his fancy. During the campaign he wrote : ‘Viva Sol y el Verano y al cubo Gaggero y Galliano’. After the defeat came this one liner; ‘Se fue el Sol y se fue el Verano’. In 1993 he was approached by Sam Benady QC to become the Hon Secretary of the Gibraltar Oxford and Cambridge Society, which held a couple of annual dinners, the most memorable being at the Casa Cortijo, though more interest was shown by expatriate than local graduates. The Society no longer exists. Together with Dr Cecil Isola in 1995 he founded the Gibraltar Association for European Rights which collected money to bring out a senior European Commission official
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from Brussels on a fact finding mission. Today the Association still exists but is effectively dormant. Louis became interested in football and ran a football team called The Tigers. This was funded by Sir William Thompson and Sir Peter Russo. He was President of the Gibraltar Football Association 1963-66. A close friend was Dennis Fellows, the Secretary of the English Football Association and as a result in 1965 Dennis brought out an English team managed by the legendary Alf Ramsey to play two training matches against Gibraltar. The local eleven put up credible performances but lost 7-0 and 6-0. However this may have been the tonic the English team needed as it went on to win the 1966 World Cup. Louis was also President of the Gibraltar Badminton Association (1964-68), President of the Gibraltar Sports Federation and a member of the Government Sports Committee (197073). He has had a lengthy and distinguished career in television. In the 1960s Peter Plant, an Old Stonyhurst boy and serving Army officer, became Gibraltar Television’s star political presenter. Eventually Peter was removed from the screen and his successor was Louis, who interviewed all the political stars of the day including Sir Joshua Hassan and Major Bob Peliza, with Manolo Mascarenhas in charge of the programmes. In the fullness of time Louis was succeeded by Clive Golt. For 10 years he was one of the stars of Talk About Town, until two years ago, on the eve
of the General Election, the programme was ended. This was not a political decision but one taken by Allan King, brought in by the Government to submit a report about the future of GBC. Louis’ dismissal was controversial to put it mildly, but his most famous orbita dicta was that a women’s place was to stay in the home and have babies which, he maintains, was said tongue-in-cheek. Two years later he is still asked if he will ever return to the screens. His reply is that the way he was dismissed still rankles and he will never be seen on the screen again. Louis ended this interview with some thoughts about the many decades he has surveyed the Gibraltar political scene. “We have a 300 year old problem that will never go away. Today politicians cannot afford to be dogmatic but must be pragmatic. It was a huge achievement for Sir Peter Caruana to see him and two Foreign Ministers shaking hands at the top of the Rock. This could not happen today. The Gibraltarians must continue to grin and bear the pain and never lose sight of the fact that however important we are to ourselves, the British Government has other interests which she has to balance against her support for us. “I do not think Gibraltar will ever have another Tony Blair moment. We must remember that there are far more serious political problems in the world today. “Life on the Rock is good and in each of the decades since my birth there has been considerable improvement.” n
Gibtelecom to purchase Haven Building Gibtelecom announced in midJanuary that it is purchasing the Haven building in John Mackintosh Square from HM Government of Gibraltar. The building, which until recently housed the Government’s Treasury and other public sector offices, is being acquired on a 150 years lease for £5.8 million. The Deputy Chief Minister and Chairman of the Company, The Hon Joseph Garcia, said “this is a win-win arrangement for the Government and the Company. The Government realises value for an asset that is in need of substantial investment, having relocated the Treasury, Gibraltar Savings
Momy Levy on Tour in UK In January former Mayor of Gibraltar, Momy Levy, went to London for the Barmitzvah of his great-nephew, the son of Momy’s brother, Rabbi Dr Abraham Levy. While in London, he had lunch with ex-Governor of Gibraltar, Sir Adrian and Lady Suzie Johns. He also went up to Grayshot to attend the funeral of the late Lady Janne Reffell and Momy had a very long chat with Admiral Sir Derek Reffell (Governor of Gibraltar 1989-1993). Momy had lunch at the House of Lords with Lord Greville Janner, and afterwards attended a session of the House of Lords where Lord Hoyle put a Question to the Government about the illegal incursions into our British waters. Afterwards, he chatted with Baroness Warsi and with the other Lord who suggested during the question time session that the British Government should send a senior minister to Gibraltar to show their support for the Gibraltarians and he congratulated this lord. Momy says it is always vital to speak to as many people as possible about the Gibraltar cause to impress upon them how important it is. n
Lord Janner and Momy Levy
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Momy and his wife Sarah with Sir Adrian and Lady Suzie Johns
GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2014
Bank and other public offices to refurbished offices elsewhere. In addition, Gibtelecom would eventually decant from the top floor of the City Hall, where the main telephone exchange is currently located, enabling this building’s integrity and heritage to be fully restored. From Gibtelecom’s perspective they acquire a building, which was originally designed to be a telecommunications centre, where it would have the opportunity to expand and develop its technology and services for many decades to come”. “The Haven, built in 1972 and originally planned to house the Gibraltar Government’s Telephone Department at the time, is of interest to Gibtelecom given it is already home to some of the Company’s technology which it would not now be economically viable to move elsewhere” said Tim Bristow, Gibtelecom’s CEO. “There are many benefits for the Company in acquiring these premises” he explained “as much of the fixed line, internet and some mobile technologies are located in the upper parts of the building. The Haven building is also connected to Gibtelecom’s John Mackintosh Square headquarters, which houses a number of the Company’s technical departments, as well as the Customer Services Centre. This purchase will also facilitate Gibtelecom in several years’ time vacating the City Hall and eventually removing the bridge that currently connects with the Haven building”. Gibtelecom’s Technical Director, Xavi Bado added that “expansion of the technical
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The Haven building adjoins the existing Gibtelecom premises
facilities in the Haven building will allow the Company to house, amongst other things, its next generation communications switch that will eventually replace the existing System X telephone exchange. Although this is a
medium term project that would happen in the next five to seven years, the Company needs to start planning at an early stage the extensive relocation of the copper and fibre cables from the City Hall”.
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Winds of Change words | Elaine Prescott, Cocoon Renewable Energy Consultants
Wind energy can be described as a simplistic model of technology which is used to harness the physical energy from wind and convert it into electricity. Resulting from disproportionate and irregular heating of the earth’s surface by the sun, wind can be classified as an indirect form of solar energy making it a renewable resource that will not become exhausted with time, unlike fossil fuels; coal, oil and natural gas. The use of wind energy by humans can be traced back as far as 5000 BC for driving boats, pumping water, and other activities, however this source of natural power has only begun to be utilised as an alternative form for electricity generation within the last century. Possible through the use of airfoil-shaped blades typically manufactured with a two or three blade propeller design, this arguably unappreciated model from the past has now skyrocketed in popularity with approximately 225,000 wind turbines in 79 countries worldwide. Offering a renewable, environmentally friendly and cheaper
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tors that must be considered are whether local wind speeds are strong enough to drive the wind turbines, and whether they occur often enough to allow for reliable energy generation. Using exemplary figures for a Could wind energy typical 5,000 kilowatt turbine to work in Gibraltar? In order for any wind energy determine this for Gibraltar, it can project to be efficient, effective be seen from the figures below that and economical, primary fac- local wind speeds fall between the long-term solution to growing energy concerns in other parts of the world, it yields the question, could this also be a potential solution for Gibraltar?
acceptable boundaries of efficient wind generation and they occur reliably with Gibraltar typically experiencing these winds 307 days of a year. Although these figures are very promising and demonstrate the potential there is to set up a wind energy scheme in Gibraltar, factors of land availability also need to be considered since this is in short
Turbine Turbine Gibraltar Typical Average No. of Days a Start-up Speed Max Speed Wind Speeds Year with Acceptable Wind Speeds Wind Speed (m/s) 2.5 – 3.5
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6.3
307
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tive onshore or offshore projects such as; ● Winds will be faster and stronger without the obstruction of trees and buildings. ● Winds will be more likely to occur here due to the natural circulation of air between land and sea. ● No installation of wind turbines on shore will mean there will be no land uptake involved with such a project. ● Having wind turbines close to shore will mean financial expenses can be avoided from greater energy transferral distances to shore and resulting maintenance costs.
supply locally. Wind farm projects can be very versatile installations occurring in all shapes and sizes and varying in locations from land to sea due to the flexibility offered by all its moving parts and turbine engines being suspended high above ground level. As a result of this flexibility, while Gibraltar’s land limitations may not be suitable to cater for such a project, its 87,377,170 m2 of territorial waters without question are. If a portion of these waters were used to set up a wind installation, this would be classified as a near shore wind farm boasting a number of advantages over alterna-
Environmentally, the application of wind turbines locally would reduce Gibraltar’s CO2 emissions as fossil fuels are not used by them, helping to reduce man’s impact on global warming and natural ecosystems. Economically, the use of wind energy would provide long-term financial benefits as wind is a free natural resource, maintenance costs of turbines are limited, and importation of fuel to Gibraltar would no longer be necessary meaning only primary installation costs would have to be considered. Individually, this would be expected to result in lower energy bills, health benefits with less pollutants in the air, and a better environment for yourself, your family, and all future generations to come. In addition to these advantages, there would also be numerous other benefits, but one that I must mention — and is of the highest importance — is that we have do have the option to phase in renewable energy technologies to satisfy our ever increasing and ravenous appetite for power and we can then simultaneously begin the process of phasing out our existing and proposed forms of power generation such as diesel and gas. These are finite resources and will run out. This is undeniable and unquestionable. n www.cocoon.gi
While Gibraltar’s land limitations may not be suitable to cater for such a project, its 87,377,170 m2 of territorial waters without question are
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the Only Way is Up? The 355-meter JW Marriott Marquis Hotel in Dubai
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2013 was the second-most successful year on record for completion of buildings 200 metres or greater in height worldwide. In 2013, 73 such buildings were completed, second only to the 81 completions of 2011. GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2014
Of the 73 buildings over 200 metres completed in 2013, only one, 1717 Broadway in New York, was in the United States. For the sixth year running, China had the most 200-meterplus completions of any nation, at 37 – located across 22 cities. Among the two ‘supertalls’ (>300 metres) to complete in Europe last year was The Shard, which is not only the UK’s tallest at 306 metres, but one of the more hard-won victories of developer persistence amidst financial crisis, regulatory scrutiny, historic-preservation and traffic-flow constraints. The tallest building to complete in 2013 was the 355-meter JW Marriott Marquis Hotel in Dubai, UAE, which is now officially the tallest hotel in the world. The proposed arrival of the Marriot Hotel in Gibraltar has reignited the debate on tall buildings in Gibraltar, albeit we are talking 14 floors above ground level in Gibraltar versus 82 floors in Dubai. So what is all the fuss about? Has ‘Nimby’ism gone mad? Big buildings can enhance urban character or destroy it. Supporters of tall buildings see height and density as the only solution for continued economic growth and vitality and variety in housing stock. Opponents see the damage the buildings do to the character of the landscape, heritage and the impact on our daily lives. Why high is good Rents are increasing in Gibraltar as property stock decreases. Chesterton recently reported 10% year on year growth in the private residential rental sector and this looks like repeating itself in 2014. Chesterton has waiting applicants for apartments below £1,500. It is no longer estate agent speak, it is reality. Office rents too are increasing, as commercial tenants target the few quality offices available in Gibraltar. The only sustainable
In the last ten years, the number of jobs in Gibraltar has increased by 8,000 whilst the number of new properties built is around 3,000 way to prevent Gibraltar pricing itself out of the international business market (compared with Malta for example) is to build more property, and the more rentable space created per building, the greater the impact on rents. So build high. In the last ten years, the number of jobs in Gibraltar has increased by 8,000 whilst the number of new properties built is around 3,000. Spain has absorbed much of the housing requirement resulting from this imbalance. On-going border issues and Spain’s unattractive tax rates demonstrate that Gibraltar cannot rely on Spain to house its workforce as a long term solution to the property constraints in Gibraltar. Gibraltar ’s tourism product relies upon day-trippers. Perhaps if Gibraltar hosted more than just three hotels (perhaps some internationally recognised hotels) and more than just a handful of short stay accommodation, the number of free spending tourists staying in Gibraltar a few nights at a time might increase. Such provision of new supply requires building. This government has set bullish economic growth targets. £1.65bn GDP by 2015. Bunkering is under threat, tobacco is under the microscope. Future GDP growth will need to come from expansion in finance centre, gaming and other “office based” activities. New companies will need new office space. New employees need new homes. All of this creates new expenditure in Gibraltar’s leisure industry, on the professional advisory sector and creates a myriad of new tax
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tall and goodbye street character. The knock on effect of the resulting population growth will be to stress further the provision of schools and hospitals (and other public services) which without further supply could break the system. And where can Gibraltar house new supply? Schools need lateral space requirements not high rise accommodation. Gibraltar traffic is already close to standstill much of the time and even when it isn’t, it does not take much to create a seizure of flow. Without the willingness to reverse the town planning policy of demanding new parking spaces for new office and residential accommodation, the creation of more property space just piles unwanted pressure on a road structure that is impossible to expand.
revenues. Modern economically successful jurisdictions are building high. A win win for all? A population of 30,000 makes Gibraltar one of the smallest jurisdictions in the world. A frosty relationship with Spain means we cannot rely on our neighbour to provide basic services. Funding public services like hospitals, power supply, and public transport is much more efficient if being provided for 60,000 consumers (for example) than 30,000. So increase the population. High or low? Tall buildings, however deBut high isn’t always good fined, use a small amount of Tall buildings are ugly. Possibly highly scare land availability to more aesthetic if there are quite a bring a number of socio-economic few of them massed in one area benefits so in that way are very (for example Canary Wharf in Lon- efficient users of land. The taller don) and will spoil the Gibraltar the building, the more land that landscape once and for all. Once can be used for other purposes, built, there is no turning back, as for example, open spaces and we know from some of the less leisure activities. However, there aesthetic estates built in the ’80s is a cost to this theory of how which are here for the long term. some see the Gibraltar way of life. High-rise towers create wind Anyone fancy a Gibraltar effects, increase shadowing on Shard? n the surrounding community and often damage street life through a proliferation of blank walls and Facts and figures courtesy of the Council car parks at ground level. Build on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat Mike Nicholls is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, a member of the Gibraltar Society of Accountants, a member of the Gibraltar Funds and Investment Association and a board member of the Gibraltar Chamber of Commerce. Mike operates the Chesterton estate agency in Gibraltar and runs a real estate investment solutions consultancy.
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Plan ahead This will save you time and money. If you have a plan you will be sure to finish the job quickly and with a lot less stress. Don’t get overwhelmed deciding which room to start with if you have more than one, pick the room you know is the easiest to do and do this one first. Write out a plan for the room. Tackle issues like: What is the room used for? Do I have more than eight people for dinner ? Will the kids use the room? Do I want a modern look, cosy look etc... Writing a list like this will help you to plan the room effectively and get a functional result. Discover your style This is part of helping you make your plan. Nowadays there is so much on the market from shabby chic and vintage to ultra modern and beyond... To help you establish what style you like cut out pictures and ideas from home magazines words | Meme Fairbank, Denville Designs place them in a folder and after a few weeks spread them out on a Are you newly weds planning your first home, or a family looking for a table and you will find you have style (whether you knew decorating revamp? I thought I would start February with some useful tips ait certain or not!). for those considering a project or makeover on their home for Spring. Mixing and matching styles
Hot tips to love your make-over
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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2014
is really in at the moment so, Granny’s antique furniture can stay with you a little longer and still look cool!
curtains and sofa first as these items will last you a very long time and a pot of paint will cost £35 — it is so hard to match a sofa to a certain paint colour. Wallpapers will also help bring in colour Trends and sales — and texture but again be careful don’t be fooled Like fashion, interior design has that they match your style and trends such as Autumn and Spring design. collections, which is great but you can easily go for a trend and after Get the lighting right a while really hate it. If you are More than colour this is at the going to makeover your home or top of my list. Your home can design a new one it’s an expensive be amazing but without the corproject, so be careful not to make rect lighting it will look average. mistakes. Lighting designers are so big at Likewise with sale items — present and work closely with don’t buy that chair or cupboard interior designers to achieve some just because it’s a bargain. Don’t amazing affects in homes as well get me wrong sales are great, but as commercial properties. stay on track , go back to your plan Always consider what you sheet and only buy what you really are using your room for and if need for your room not items that the lighting is going to work, for have just caught your eye or have example using side lamps and been reduced. ceiling lamps. A room needs ambience and a mood theme and lighting helps to Colours Colours are such an important create this. We are now so lucky to part of the plan and style. It’s have the technology to create some amazing what we can achieve with amazing effects. I have worked just a simple lick of paint. First you with a lighting designer for the need to discover your favourite past three years on my projects it colours, then start matching them really makes such a difference. When choosing lighting for with your style. Please choose your furniture, a commercial property it is so
GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2014
plan, plan, plan
important that it is good enough for the task it performs — there is nothing worse than having a romantic Valentine’s meal in a restaurant that is lit up with bright lights or so dark that you cannot
even see what you are eating, for example. ❤ I will have more tips next month. If you need help with a plan or to find your style or even a lighting designer, don’t hesitate to contact me at Denville Designs.
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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2014
Ask the Architect Your structural and design questions answered by Ruth Massias Greenberg of Gamma Concepts www.gamma.gi
ASK RUTH email your architectural questions to ruth@gamma.gi
Looking to make structural changes to your home or office? Need design advice? Want to know what you can and can’t do? Ruth is here to answer your architectural questions
Q
I have just bought a property in the Upper Town and am going to refurbish it. I want to make it as “green” as possible, what features can I incorporate? Refurbishments are a fantastic opportunity to integrate ecological features into your property. An assessment of the building itself would need to be carried out but here are some ideas to start off with:
✔ Find a way to introduce cross ventilation. Gibraltar tends to have
Consider
installing tubular an east-west wind direction so if skylights to you can find ways of introducing reduce lighting openings at these orientations it costs by taking would really help to reduce the advantage of amount of artificial ventilation natural daylight you will need. This can be further (Velux Sun Tunnel enhanced by introducing “stackillustrated) ing” where hot air is allowed to escape through a high point in the building. Hot air rises, so This form of double glazing has a marine-grade. providing an escape route for it lower thermal conductivity than can really help keep your building air-filled. Introduce as much shading as naturally cool. possible. If you are constructing Aim to use organic building Older properties are some- products, such as solvent-free a new roof or refurbishing it, try to extend it as much as possible times dark so try to introduce as paint. so that the overhang will provide much natural light as possible. Ensure the products you much-needed shade in the sumPerhaps consider creating a light well or introducing a “light tube” use are derived from renewable mer months. or sun pipe which is a structure sources and are recyclable. Consider introducing dothat brings in natural light, usually Solar water heating will make mestic power-collection sources through the roof. They are surpristhe most of our Gibraltar sunshine such as photovoltaic energy. This ingly effective. and will reduce your electricity energy will need to be stored If you are replacing windows bills. Ensure that the systems you somehow so a room or area for a go for low-emissivity glazing introduce are anti-corrosive and battery may be needed. which was developed to minimise the amount of ultraviolet and infrared light that can pass through Gibraltar tends to have an east-west wind the glass without compromising direction so if you can find ways of introducing the amount of visible light transmitted. Also ask your window openings at these orientations it would help supplier for argon-filled double reduce the amount of artificial ventilation needed glazing as opposed to air-filled.
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✔
✔ Ensure fixtures and fittings are energy efficient. Look out for the
grading on domestic appliances and remember: spending a little more now may save you money in the long run. LED lighting is more expensive but typically lasts longer and costs less to use.
✔ Consider adding insulation to the external envelope of your
home, such as in walls, roofs and floors. Most of the older buildings in Gibraltar are built using random rubble with no insulation. Heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC) often accounts for more than half the energy costs of a building. Insulation helps to improve the energy efficiency of heating and cooling systems. There are several ways you could do this, so ask your builder or a consultant for ideas. n
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valentine’s
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We have so many ways to keep in touch now — text, phone, Facebook, Twitter, Skype — the pressure to communicate, often and in less than 140 characters is constant and overwhelming. When my parents met in the 1950s they corresponded by letter — carefully written pages which took a week to reach their destination. My mother always says that she found out more about my dad from his letters while he was at sea than she has in the 56 years they have been married. And it is certainly true that while we have gained instant communication, we have lost the long and lingering romanticism of a hand written love letter, to be stored, tied in a bundle with ribbon as a reminder of the youthful love before the children, the mortgage and everyday life. It’s no secret that communication can
? say
it is certainly true that while we have gained instant communication, we have lost the long and lingering romanticism of a hand written love letter, to be stored, tied in a bundle with ribbon as a reminder of the youthful love before the children, the mortgage and everyday life
Love Letters Straight to Your Heart... words | Rose Davison
Instead of buying a Valentine’s Card this February 14th, how about reviving the art of the love letter? What ever stage your relationship is at — new lovers, old married couple, busy 30 somethings, newlyweds — put away your smart phones and pick up a pen and a piece of paper, and start writing.
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make or break any relationship at any point, especially a romantic relationship. A misunderstanding, a misheard word, a failure to listen when things are going wrong. Effective communication is a two-way process. But surprisingly, the key to effective communication isn’t speaking, it’s listening, but we seldom have time to really listen. Sometimes it can be hard to get our partners attention in this busy world, so perhaps we should revive the art of letter writing. Instead of the dashed off text or email sent before being read through, take a sheet of proper writing paper and a pen and sit down to write — a love letter. Resist the urge to Google Love Letter Templates, and just expose your own emotions on paper. There is a certain vulnerability in the hand-written letter that cyber communication can never replicate. A proper letter for Valentine’s Day... Truly something to treasure. ❤
GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2014
valentine’s
I’m Craftily Yours... Celebrate Cupid’s day of romance with some lovely Valentine’s Day craft and gift ideas from Originarta at 29 Governor’s Street. Give the person you care about something not only symbolising love, but made with love too. You can either buy some of the handmade items on show, or join in at one of Sue’s craft classes and make your own personalised gift to be treasured forever. ❤
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❤
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The Couple Who Sweat Together Stay Together — that is a headline on several recently published articles, and it seems that the couple who workout together, are more likely to work out.
❤❤ ❤
Fit for Romance
“When a couple works out together, the actual exercise itself can physically and emotionally have a positive impact,” marriage and relationship psychotherapist Dr. Jane Greer told You Beauty. “Both partners come away with feelings of synchronicity, cooperative spirit and shared passion. Then you throw in some spicy endorphins and it can be a real power trip for the relationship.” You’ll also gain some of the added benefits of working out, like stress reduction, better sleep and a sharper brain. And regular exercise has been linked to a better time in the bedroom! Perhaps the perfect Valentine’s gift is a gym membership for two after all. ❤
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valentine’s
If you are going for the grand gesture, remember some of the most romantic male minds of the 20th and 21st century have been writing all their ideas down for you for years — in movie-scripts
When She Demands Romance... On this one day of the year, the forces of romance (mainly Hallmark and Hollywood) raise the expectations of even the most stoical woman and she demands romance from her man.
That may sound unreasonable to the many men who are cowering at the thought of another Valentine’s Day looming, but listen up chaps, it is just one day. You can blissfully ignore other opportunities for a romantic gesture, but on Cupid’s day, you better have something planned. First there is the gift, and you are on fairly safe ground here. You can rely on the tried and true favourites of your predecessors with the bouquet of roses, perfume or jewellery, and, of course, the candlelit meal (at home or booked at a favourite restaurant). But a word of caution, get it right and you are clear of the doghouse until at least June. Get it wrong — your ex’s brand of perfume, you forgot she was allergic to gold, she is vegan and you booked the steak house — and you could be walking yourself to the doghouse on Cupid’s favourite day. But what happens if you want to aim higher? What if you want to make it a day she will remember forever. Or what if, perish the thought, you want to propose on the big V day? Luckily, it seems, many of the most romantically-minded men of the past 100 years have written movie-scripts and everyone knows that films contain some pretty grand gestures and brilliant lines. These you are welcome to duplicate and re-purpose to your heart, or her heart’s, content. Remember — it is Hollywood and Hallmark that got us into this position of elevated expectations to start with. Perhaps they can get us out of it! ❤
Pamper Yourselves Admit it, we all love to be pampered, and so gift vouchers for a massage, facial or other relaxing treatment are a great gift — even better if you take time out as a couple to enjoy it together. 40
Many of us are just too busy to schedule some reviving ‘me’ time into our days, with children, housework and our day jobs filling our time from morning until night. The gift of a pampering voucher for two can turn great ‘me’ time into fabulous ‘us’ time when you both leave your worries behind for an hour and feel refreshed, relaxed and ready for romance.❤
GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2014
tourism
The Gift for Him Every man deserves a gift on Valentine’s Day. After all he has likely sweated for days (or at least the hours since he saw other hapless romantics proffering gifts on the morning of February 14th) to get you the perfect item. But what is it men really want on Valentine’s Day? You could go for the old grown-up favourites of a really good bottle of wine, cufflinks if he is a double cuff type, a teddy bear with a message he won’t quite know what to do with, or you could instead treat yourself. Yep, that’s right, treating yourself could be just what will bring that joyful smile to your significant other’s Valentine’s Day. Contrary to popular belief, lovely lingerie is a gift designed for men, not for women. And the added bonus is that by buying it yourself the minefield of wrong sizes and embarrassing fits is avoided — and you are likely to end up with something you would wear on the other 364 days of the year. So ladies, forget the wrapped up boy’s stuff and head to your favourite lingerie store to wrap yourself in something sensual. Be sure to give him a card with a message hinting at his gift over your candle lit dinner.... The rest is up to you. ❤
valentine’s
Music takes us back to a special moment
Music Really is the Food of Love... “If music be the food of love, play on!” With these opening words of Twelfth Night, Shakespeare captured the connection between two things. But what is it about music, that makes it so significant to our relationships? No matter where we go, we seem to be accompanied by music, and a shared response to a certain song can define a relationship. A connection with the lyrics, a first
dance, a return to the time of that first meeting... “Our song is Bridge over Troubled Water,” said one person we asked. “We were both going through very
difficult times in our personal lives and without the support of each other we would never have got through it. Every time I hear it, even when our relationship has not
been at its best, it makes me feel very positive thoughts about him. I return to a time when I felt and needed his support the most.” Music, of all the arts, has a unique ability to return us instantly to a time, a place and even an emotion. But this is not a new phenomena brought about by iPods and their predecessors, music has always had this ability. Shakespeare knew it long before the digital age, and the ancient Greeks believed that your body and soul could be healed through music. It is certainly true that music can relax us and reduces stress. “I instantly return to the beginning of our relationship,” says another person we spoke to, “when I hear Please Forgive Me by David Gray. It was a new release at the time we got together and the line ‘feels like lightning running through my veins, every time I look at you’ instantly returns me to that excited feeling of new love I remember.” There is something about the combination of melody and lyrics in music that evokes special times and memories — whether they be joyous or melancholy. Music returns us to a moment in time. One great Valentine’s gift is to compile a playlist of your very special songs — for some this will cover decades, for other just months. What is your special song? ❤
Red or Pink for Love? Red is often used to express love, as in Valentine’s Day, however it relates more to sexuality and lust, rather than love which is expressed with pink. Red is the colour of energy, passion and action. It is warm and positive and associated with our most physical needs and our will to survive. Red is energizing. It excites the emotions and motivates us to take action. Red make us hungry. Red can stimulate deeper and more intimate passions in us, such as love and sex on the positive side or revenge and anger on the negative. In Eastern cultures such as China red is the colour for good luck and is traditionally the colour for weddings. In Indian culture it symbolizes purity and is often used in wedding gowns. ❤
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Have a Heavenly Honeymoon You have just spent months planning your wedding, you’ve dealt with your demanding bridesmaids, the even more demanding parents, you’ve stressed over the table planning, worried about Great Aunt Nora’s nut allergy, and obsessed that every detail is perfect. There is no doubt about it, a wedding is a very stressful, though joyous (mostly) occasion. It is no wonder that most couples choose a place to relax, kick back, and chill to spend their honeymoon. After all that effort of getting things right for yourself and your wedding guests, a honeymoon is a time to for a little luxury. Traditionally couples left for a
honeymoon straight after their wedding (or even during the reception) but now it is common for couples to wait, sometimes for a few months, before heading off on a holiday to create some lasting memories to start their formal lifetime together. Whether your honeymoon lasts
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for five days, a week or more, this time together is a much needed time for just the two of you. Honeymooners have so many places to choose from, whether planning an exotic and adventurous location, a relaxing beach hotel, a luxury cruise, a cosy ski trip or even a safari, your trip should
reflect your joint personality. And the great news is that many hotels offer a honeymoon package for newly weds — so you are likely to get a little bit extra to make your stay super special. ❤ Give MH Bland Travel Services a call on 200 12750 visit their website to start arranging your dream honeymoon.
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The Perfect Gift The perfect Valentine’s gift is designed to bring tears of joy, joyous delight, and/or joyful amorous advances and the gift of jewellery will certainly do all of those things.... if you get it right.
Buying jewellery as a gift can be daunting. Like shoes and clothes, jewellery is a very intimate and personal item. Add to this the symbolism associated with certain stones and styles and an innocent purchase suddenly becomes a minefield — so keep it simple, go for luxury items, in contemporary styles (we have chosen three great Valentine suggestions for this page). Secondly, listen to her — in the lead up to Valentine’s Day she is likely to drop a hint. Look out for open magazine pages (items circled should be taken as a certain clue). If there are no clues (you’ve missed them) try to dig down deep in all those squishy feelings you like to hide and recall something that she has seen and really loved—and go get it! Unless you’re already married or you plan to give her the gift on bended knee, the gift of a ring on is just too loaded. A ring box does and should mean only one thing for a woman. It means you are proposing marriage. Unless your intentions are clearly that of solid commitment and a future walk down the aisle steer clear of rings. Buying jewellery can be extremely subjective and requires an ability to make the right choice but when you get it right you will blow her away with a gift that will be worn, so she can think of you regularly. Your status in the relationship will be elevated to unprecedented heights, and keep you in good books for weeks on end. ❤
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Valentine hearts are the perfect jewellery gift for Valentine’s Day (All jewellery shown available from Radhika, 60 Main Street)
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Sophia Rose’s
Breathing Canvases 46
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health Gibraltar’s exciting 2nd Annual International Face and Body Painting Festival is revving up to take place in April at the Victoria Sports Hall with a glittering array of award winning artists and photographers due to attend. One of the artists scheduled to give a workshop at this year’s festival is Sophia Rose, an American artist and gallery owner who will be sharing her talent with Gibraltar’s body artists for the first time. We spoke to Sophia about her life, her art, and the Sugar Skulls workshop she will present. Tell us about yourself, Sophia. Here are a few things about me: I live in Colorado in a small suburb nestled at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains (about the same population as Gibraltar, minus any monkeys but we do have mountain lions, deer and raccoons). I’ve been interested in art all my life. My art gallery is in the process of being relocated so I don’t have a physical gallery for the moment. I guess I could be considered a “mature” artist being only slightly over 50. My artistic interests include oil painting, mixed media, fiber arts and costuming, photography and teaching, so, when I was introduced to body painting, it was a natural fit. I blended all my other skills and talents to enhance this new artistic experience. This Valentine’s Day will mark my third year of body painting. How did you start your body painting career? As as a fine artist and art gallery owner I organised monthly exhibits for the gallery. Valentine’s Day was approaching and I wanted to create a very special exhibit that showcased the exquisite beauty and sacredness of the human form. I decided to create a performance art/installation piece that featured a body painted model within a hand painted environment. I invited Mythica Von Griffyn, a local body painter, to help me paint my first piece. Then something wonderful happened! The art of body painting not only transformed my model into a work of art, it transformed me as well. Painting on the living canvas is the
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Painting on the living canvas is the most fascinating medium I’ve ever explored. It is painting on living energy, personality and emotion
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My brain simply blisses out on line work, repetitive patterns and extreme detail...
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most fascinating medium I’ve ever explored. It is painting on living energy, personality and emotion. It is a medium rich in texture, curve and movement and from time to time it can even be ticklish. With all this, this year’s Valentine’s Day will be my third anniversary as a body painter and as a result I painted the accompanying photos of the black and white background with red hearts on the model, blending her into the background itself. What brought you to Gibraltar? My son, Indigo and I were searching for a place to vacation in the Mediterranean and had discussed several options and Gibraltar was on the list. Then a few months later I saw that there was a Face and Body Painting Festival in Gibraltar and I knew this was where I wanted to visit... and paint... and teach... and vacation! Look out Gibraltar, here we come! What is your speciality? There are many types of designs I enjoy painting and I think I have several specialties. floral patterns, doodling, Celtic knot work, fine art abstracts as well as designing illustrative pieces. My brain simply blisses out on line work, repetitive patterns and extreme detail. Why did you choose to present a “sugar skull” workshop at the up coming festival? I enjoy designs rich in history, colour and design. When I think of Mexico, I think of all these elements. It is a country steeped in tradition, culture, art; it’s bold and colourful, creative and passionate. I’m sure this is why I’m so drawn to the Mexican Sugar Skulls. These traditional designs are a loved and respected part of the Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) Celebration. There is a large array of design elements for these painted sugar skulls. They range from somber and simple to bold and bright and they all are beautiful. Learn the designs and painting techniques that will advance your personal and professional skills. Teaching is a passion of mine, as is painting sugar skulls, so this workshop is sure to please. ❤ Sugar Skulls Face & Body Painting with Sophia Rose takes place on Saturday 12th April from 6pm until 11pm. The price is £55.00 per person and there are just 10 spaces available. Gibraltar’s 2nd Face and Body Painting Festival will take place from 11th - 14th April at the Victoria Sports Hall. There will be contests, workshops and demos with award winning artists and photographers. For further information or to sign up as a model or for a workshop contact gibraltarbodyart@hotmail.com or telephone 54015139.
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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2014
valentine’s
With All Our Hearts... The quintessential and universal symbol of love, especially romantic love, is the heart shape we see everywhere in the lead up to February 14th. But how did a representation of one of our vital organs come to be a metaphor for our most romantic emotion? The first known depiction of a heart as a symbol of romantic love dates to the 13th century (see picture) where a lover is shown kneeling, offering his heart to a the object of his affection — she doesn’t appear very pleased. The heart is certainly the centre of all vital organs of our body and it can be felt to pump the blood more quickly as a response to physical arousal/attraction so maybe this is how it came to be associated with love. The ancient Egyptians held that the heart was the seat of both life and morality. The geometric shape itself is found in much earlier sources, but instead of depicting the heart it typically symbolises plant leaves.
Christian physicians were forbidden from dissecting human bodies, and so the ivy leaf was a convenient symbol for the heart
The earliest known visual depiction of a lover handing his heart to a lady (in a manuscript of the Roman de la poire, mid13th century). She looks like she might have preferred chocolates!
Ivy leaves were symbolic of everlasting love and are carved onto or encouraged to grow on graves for this reason. The ancient Greeks associated ivy with the god Dionysus and this may have been the beginning of the heart’s association with romantic love, as Dionysus was of course the god of wine, passion and all things sensual. The longevity and endurance of the vine were compared to that of eternal love. It wasn’t until the Middle Ages that our familiar symbol of the heart representing love developed. The association of heart-shaped leaves and the physical heart also began around this time. Christian physicians were forbidden from dissecting human bodies, and so the ivy leaf was a convenient symbol for the heart. The stylised shape of the heart coloured red first arises in the early 14th century, and the modern indented red heart has been used on playing cards since the late 15th century. ❤
GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2014
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health
well-being
Sport Rehabilitation with Zaneta Zaneta Kwiencien at Sport On is helping those with active lifestyles, whether involved in sport or not, get back to what they love doing... Tell us a little bit about your background and how you became involved with Sport Rehabilitation?
Since a young age I was involved in athletics, swimming and basketball and have always been passionate about sport. Other sports that I love doing are kick boxing, skiing and windsurfing. My interest in physiotherapy also started very early in my life — when I was 15 I knew this was the subject I wanted to study and so I did. I studied physiotherapy in Warsaw, Poland where I grew up. I decided to specialise in musculoskeletal injury which took me to the UK to study at St Mary’s, Twickenham. Sports Rehabilitation is a fascinating degree which prepared me to work alongside Physiotherapies and Sport Scientists. It provided me with multiple skills which enables me to work with athletes and help them to recover and return
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to sport quickly, both mentally with them. and physically even stronger than These are some of the reasons before. why I love this job and find it so rewarding. What is your favourite part of the job?
The unknown. Each patient is different and has specific needs, this provides an element of surprise and makes the job challenging. The human body is fascinating and I am continually discovering and learning. In order to maintain a good standard as a sports rehabilitator I am required to actively develop, train and read researchbased articles. Also, my favourite and most exciting part of the job is working with professional sports teams. I am currently working with the Gibraltar Rugby Union and Gibraltar Football, providing support to the players both on and off the field. They are a very smart and good looking bunch and there is also lots of fun involved in working
Who is your typical client?
Somebody with an active lifestyle who wants to improve their quality of life, needs assistance in identifying the root cause and rehabilitating them back to fully recovery, not only removing their symptoms. The client does not necessarily need to be involved in sport. How did you come to Gibraltar?
My family and I discovered Gibraltar co-incidental, we love travelling and visiting warm countries so we decided we wanted to live in one of them, too. Gibraltar is the place to be and for me the most appealing aspect is that although it is a very small place it is very sports orientated. A perfect environment to unleash rehabilitation methods. n
Zaneta offers the following services at Sport On on the 1st floor of the ICC: ● Assessment and management of injuries ● Soft tissue treatments, such as Sports Massage, Trigger Point Therapy, Myofascial Release, I-assist Tool, Muscles Energy Techniques and Neuromuscular Control ● Taping and Strapping of muscles and joints ● Myofascial Release Tapping ● 1 to 1 Rehabilitation based Pilates (APPI) ● Functional progression of exercises and Plyometric training Zaneta Kwiecien Sport Rehabilitator GSR, BSc Sport On e: zaneta@sportongib.com m: + (350) 629 617 34 fb: www.facebook.com/SportOnGib w: www.sportongib.com
GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2014
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Valmont Spa Rooms, Specialist Medical Clinic First Floor ICC, Grand Casemates, Gibraltar Tel.+350 20049999 • Email: info@smg.gi GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2014
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Cosmetic Surgery With Confidence Aria Medical Group continues to strive to set the benchmark in Best Practice for Cosmetic Surgery.
With the growing popularity in cosmetic surgery procedures, national governments and medical authorities are looking to tighten regulations in order to safeguard patient’s welfare. Aria Medical Group already implement these recommendations as part of its dedication to Best Practice in Cosmetic Surgery. Choose FDA Quality Implants In England, for example, the Government is planning to establish a Register of all breast augmentation procedures, so that clients with implants can be traced in the future, in case of implant recalls. Dr. Marco Vricella of Aria Medical Group embraces such initiatives. He says, ‘I think this is an excellent idea as I believe that any initiative that protects patient’s welfare is always a positive thing.’ In fact Aria Medical Group has always been totally focused on providing a high level of care for every patient. For example, Aria Medical Group always uses the best quality FDA silicon cohesive gel implants. In addition, Aria maintains its confidential client details, in line with data protection guidelines, so all patients can be contacted by a qualified surgeon in the future if there is any need for check-ups or revision procedures. Choose a Specialist Cosmetic Surgeon Another UK initiative, led by The Royal College
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of Surgeons, is to establish new specialist qualifications for cosmetic surgeons. This is something that Dr. Marco Vricella believes is imperative. He continues, ‘Unfortunately, at the moment, any general surgeon can perform a cosmetic procedure, so for example a surgeon who usually performs such operations as gall bladder or appendix removal could, legally, perform any cosmetic procedure, from a rhinoplasty or facelift to tummy tuck or breast surgery. This shouldn’t be the case. By contrast, I have specialised in cosmetic surgery for more than 15 years and am on the Specialist Register of Plastic Surgeons.’ Aria Medical Group’s benchmark in Best Practice includes: SURGEON CONSULTATIONS: All clients have a private consultation with the surgeon – a qualified specialist in cosmetic surgery, and reconstructive surgery. SPECIALIST SURGEON: Dr. Marco Vricella is a qualified Doctor and qualified cosmetic and reconstructive surgeon, registered with all the relevant medical boards and associations in the UK, Spain, Gibraltar and Italy. PRIVATE HOSPITAL: All Aria Medical cosmetic surgery procedures are performed in a fully equipped private hospital, High
Care International in Marbella. This is a full service private, exclusive hospital, with stateof-the-art operating theatres and equipment together with a full complement of roundthe-clock nurses and medical staff - all under the same roof. AFTERCARE: All cosmetic surgery procedures include free post-operative consultations (in Gibraltar), and free revision surgery if necessary within the first year. Free Consultations If you want to find out more, then Dr. Vricella holds free consultations at College Clinic, Regal House, Gibraltar every 2 weeks – for dates and to book an appointment please call:
+ 34 951 276 748 or email: info@ariamedicalgroup.com
www.ariamedicalgroup.com Find us on: Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn too. Some of our most popular procedures: + Breast Augmentation + Breast Uplift (Mastopexy) + Breast Reduction + Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) + Liposuction + Face Lifts + Eyebag Removal (Blepharoplasty) + Rhinoplasty (Nose Surgery) + Cosmetic Dentistry
GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2014
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Because You’re Beautiful! + Breast Augmentation + Breast Uplift + Breast Reduction + Tummy Tuck + Liposuction + Facial Injections + Face Lifts + Eyebag Removal + Rhinoplasty + Cosmetic Dentistry
Book your FREE consultation
(+34) 951 276 748 in English (+34) 671 639 353 in English (+34) 662 936 058 en Español e: info@ariamedicalgroup.com When choosing your surgeon check their credentials. They should be registered with the UK General Medical Council (GMC), the Spanish CGM and also on the UK Specialist Register of Plastic Surgeons (SRPC).
/kAÄ ½ÄÌ ÀlÎ Äw And best wishes for 2013 to all our valued clients!
e r a c r e t f A E E FR e r a c r e t f A E E FR
www.ariamedicalgroup.com GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2014
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health& fitness Bell Pharmacy
Your Family Chemists
Here to help you by answering all your pharmaceutical questions Consult us at 27 Bell Lane Tel: 200 77289 Fax: 200 42989
McTimoney Chiropractor Gentle holistic treatment for all back or muscular problems and sports injuries Gillian Schirmer MA, DC, MMCA Clinic (Claudia’s), 1st Floor, 58 Main Street Tel: 200 41733 or after hours: 200 40026
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
health & medical directory CHEMISTS
Bell Pharmacy 27 Bell Lane Tel: 200 77289 Fax: 200 42989
PASSANO OPTICIANS LTD British Registered Optometrists
38 Main St Tel: 200 76544 Fax: 200 76541 Email: passano@sapphirenet.gi
Louis’ Pharmacy Unit F12, International Commercial Centre, Casemates. Tel: 200 44797
ChiropraCtors
Dr Steven J. Crump BSc, DC, MCC ICC F5C 1st Flr, Casemates. Tel: 200 44226 Gillian Schirmer MA, DC, MMCA McTimoney Chiropractor, Clinic (Claudia’s), 1st Flr, 58 Main St Tel: 200 41733 After hours: 200 40026
Treatment of Back Pain, Neck Pain, Headaches, Limb Pain & Sports Injuries
Dr Carsten Rudolf Steiner BSc, DC Steiner Chiropractic Clinics, College Clinic, Regal House Tel: 200 77777
Tel: 200 44226
ICC Suite F5C 1st Floor, Casemates, Gibraltar Member of British Chiropractic Association
Hypnotherapy
Rose Favell Central Clinic, Horse Barrack Lane. Tel: + 34 655 699 841 www.hypnotherapygibraltar.com
Health Clubs Now at Unit F5, 1st Floor, ICC Isabella Jimenez, Sports Therapist (BSc Hons) Tel: 54002226 Email: sportongib@gmail.com
Atlantic Suites Health Club & Spa Tel: 200 48147 Ocean Village Health Club Tel: 200 44242
Health Stores The Health Store 5 City Mill Lane. Tel: 200 73765 Holland & Barrett 160 Main Street
HEARING CENTRE
Oigamas Hearing Centre Unit S3h 2nd Floor, ICC Casemates Square Tel: 200 63644 Email: info@oigamas.com
Opticians / Optometrists Gache & Co Limited 266 Main Street. Tel: 200 75757 L. M. Passano Optometrist 38 Main Street. Tel: 200 76544
Primary Care Centre
PERSONAL TRAINERS
Need somebody to talk to?
Simon Coldwell Complete Fitness Unit G3, Eliott Hotel Tel: 200 51113
2nd Floor International Commercial Centre Casemates
Isabella Jimenez BSc (hons) Unit 5, 1st Floor, ICC Tel: 54002226 email: jimenez.isabella@gmail.com
Weekend & Public Holiday Opening Hours (use Irish Town entrance) Saturday: 9am - 11am, 5pm - 6pm Sunday & Public Holidays: 10am - 11am, 5pm - 6pm
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SPECIALISTS
Specialist Medical Clinic 1st Floor International Commercial Centre, Casemates. Tel: 200 49999
7 days a week 5pm-9pm
Dr Vricella, Cosmetic Surgeon College Clinic, Regal House Tel: + 34 951 276 748
GIBRALTAR GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAGAZINE •• FEBRUARY FEBRUARY 2014 2014
well-being health
l
Mark Bates, Paco Britto, Michael Vella, Derek Ghio (PCSG), Peter Ignacio and Ian Howes
Cyclists Support Prostate Charity Gibraltar cyclists recently donated £400 to the Prostate Cancer Support Group Gibraltar. The money was raised by individual donations made by cyclists based in Gibraltar. Receiving the cheque on behalf of the committee, Mr Ghio, Vice Chairman of the charity thanked cyclists who had donated the funds. He explained that the money will be used to continue raising awareness of the illness. The Prostate Cancer Support Group seeks to limit the impact of prostate cancer and other prostate diseases on all men, their partners and their families; prioritises the need for prostate problems to be detected and treated as early as possible; and represents the interests of all men diagnosed with prostate cancer and other prostate diseases. For further information contact PCSG, 244 Main Street, Gibraltar email: pcsg@pcsg.gi Tel: 580 091 61
Track Your Food Intake for Health Food Log Apps have really revolutionised the standard food log. Downloadable for smart phones or tablets, a Food Log App allows the user to track daily food intake on a device they are likely to carry with them and provides information such as calorie count, fat verses carbohydrates, vitamin and mineral content measured against Recommended Daily Amounts and user weight tracking in easy to view graphs and tables. Keeping a food log gives the user an opportunity to remain motivated to choose more wisely when selecting meals based on nutritional value. The App visually shows the calorie impact of, for example, just one indulgent dessert on a healthy diet. The app can identify where changes in diet are needed to cover nutritional necessity or how supplements can be used to improve overall health. Our favourite food log app is Nutrition Journal by Wombat Apps which is available from the iTunes store for £1.99, but there are plenty of others and many of them free. n
GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2014
Skin Tag & Thread Vein Removal Laser Clinic Permanent Hair removal Pigmentation and anti-aging Visiting Surgeon varicose veins, sebaceous cysts, innovative haemorrhoid surgery Cosmetic Surgeon Breast implants and augmentation, face-lifts, tummy tucks
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past revisited
The Nazi Prison Named Gibraltar
words | Reg Reynolds
Gibraltarians can take pride in knowing the Rock of Gibraltar is almost always associated with the great and the good but sadly there was one instance where the name Gibraltar was usurped by forces of evil. The town of Bochum is situated in the industrial Ruhr district of the northwest province of North Rhine-Westphalia. Early in the 20th century Bochum was home to dozens of coal mines and one of them was named Gibraltar. The mine was shut down in 1925 and remained abandoned until 1933 when the company headquarters was appropriated by German army officer Standartenfuhrer (Colonel) Otto Voss. Ostensibly Voss wanted to use the mine building to establish a leadership school for the SA (Sturmabteilung) commonly
known as the Brownshirts. *[See note]. In reality the two-storey brick complex was turned into a ‘protective custody’ camp. Voss had chosen Bochum because it was considered to be a hotbed for Communists and anti-Nazi trade unionists. Hundreds of suspects were rounded up and subjected to interrogation and torture. Survivors were then forced into hard labour. Miner and union secretary Hans Mugrauer, explained that, “In the eyes of the Nazis Bochum was seen as a ‘Red’ bastion. To whom the Nazis would do evil they dragged to Gibraltar
— soon a dreaded word.” Mugrauer was imprisoned and tortured but escaped and sought exile in Czechoslovakia and eventually reached safety in Sweden. The Jewish citizens of Bochum managed to cope despite restrictions imposed by the Nazis but then on Kristallnacht, 9th November, 1928, like Jews all over Germany, they were physically attacked, their homes and shops ransacked and the synagogue set on fire; soon after the first Jews were deported to concentration camps. In all, more than 500 Bochum Jews perished in the Holo-
Hundreds of suspects were rounded up and subjected to interrogation and torture. Survivors were then forced into hard labour 56
caust, including 19 under the age of 16. Fortunately many children escaped deportation thanks to the Jewish elementary school teacher Else Hirsch who arranged for them to be sent to Holland and England. Bochum was, and is a major transportation centre, and during World War II there were weapons plants built there and the city became a target for Allied bombing. The first heavy bombing started in May 1943. Women and children fled or were evacuated but the workers involved in the arms industry, coal mines and steel plants remained behind. On 4th November, 1944 in an attack involving 700 British bombers the steel plant, Bochumer Verein, was hit. It was one of the largest steel plants in Germany and more than 10,000 high-explosives and 130,000 incendiary bombs were stored there. The resulting explosions and conflagration destroyed the surrounding neighbourhoods. In 150 air raids more than 1,300 bombs were dropped on Bochum and nearby Gelsenkirchen. By the end of the war, 38% of Bochum had been destroyed. 70,000 citizens were homeless and at least 4,095 dead. Of Bochum’s more than 90,000 homes, only 25,000 remained for the 170,000 citizens who survived the war. Most of the remaining buildings were damaged, many with only one usable room. Only 1,000 houses in Bochum remained undamaged after the war and just two of 122 schools remained unscathed. After the war, Bochum was occupied by the British, who established camps to house people displaced by the war. The majority of them were former Polish Zwangsarbeiter, forced labourers, some of whom had survived the bombing of the Bochumer Verein. More than 60 years after the war, bombs continue to be found in the region, usually by construction workers. One found in October 2008 in the town centre led to the evacuation of 400 and involved hundreds of emergency workers. Today Bochum is a lively city (pop. 365,000) with numerous art galleries, museums, parks and a burgeoning tourist industry. The sturdy Gibraltar building survived the bombings and today is a boat house for Ruhr University rowers who train and race on the beautiful river Ruhr. A plaque is a reminder of the Nazi-era. n *Note: The ‘Brownshirts’ functioned as the original paramilitary wing of the Nazi Party and played a key role in bringing Hitler to power.
GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2014
community
all C r �ou
Segregated Education: Good or Bad?
words | Eve Maddock-Jones 16 year old student studying A-Levels at Westside
Here in Gibraltar we have separate sex comprehensive schools, Bayside and Westside. Although this system has been in place for generations the question “Are same sex schools good or bad?” is still a topic of mixed views. As with most scenarios, same sex schools come with pros and cons with teachers and students alike having conflicting opinions. When a child enters either of these secondary schools it is the period in their life where their bodies are beginning to “change”, so to speak, with their hormones going out of control as they go through puberty. To make this time period less awkward and more bearable the segregated schools method seems to be helpful as it aims to make transition from child to adult easier, as this is the time when boys and girls begin to notice one another and get the other’s attention all while maintain an illusion of nonchalance. Some teachers I spoke to argued the case that same sex schools work by “eradicating the distraction which may draw attention away from school work when the boys and girls are separated”. Is this, however, the best way to deal with this situation? Yes there
may be an element of distraction, but separating the sexes does not eradicate that completely. As a fellow student pointed out “there are people of different sexual orientations in all schools and if you have a same sex school it doesn’t stop them from being distracted. Even teachers of the opposite gender could be regarded as ‘distractions’ but they are still permitted into the school.” Is the issue of distraction truly a plausible one then? While number of teachers did agree with the concept of same sex schools some saw the flaws in that system — they saw mixed schools as “an opportunity to have boys and girls around each other
GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2014
“
which can even provide benefits when it comes to these phases of bodies ‘changing’. If they’re in an environment where boys can see what girls go through and vice versa it may educate them to be more sympathetic to the other and have a better idea of what really happens, as opposed to it being some taboo subject.” They went on further to say, “If the schools were mixed it would provide a more diverse mix of opinions on major issues in today’s society, for example girls would get to see a male viewpoint on equal rights. It could also help to improve one side’s understanding of certain topics, for example contraception and the issues stem-
If the schools were mixed it would provide a more diverse mix of opinions on major issues in today’s society
”
ming from it.” Not only are the teenage years a time when bodies change but also when you begin define your own character. While separate schools deal with the “distraction” they also sever that gateway to boys and girls being able to relate to each other as friends. Although this doesn’t mean they’ve not worked out ways around this. Fellow Westside and Bayside students both pointed out that “girls and boys will purposefully walk past the other school so as to get notice and there are forever gangs of them meeting in town before and after school”. But a mixed school system could provide the environment to develop those interaction skills in a formal environment. The flip side however is that, whilst it may place a barrier over relationship building it does provide a plus side for the intellectual one. In the UK educational system there has to be a certain percentage of students studying each subject. Studies and experts have shown that having a segregated school is therefore more beneficial to the girls as “having this segregation means that more girls are able to excel at the sciences: mathematics, physics etc. as in mixed schools girls tend to lean more towards the humanities: English, history, art etc. and the boys fall into the sciences.” This has meant that, as most schools in the UK education system are mixed, there is a shortage of female engineers, scientists, teachers of those subjects, for example. Having this divide in Gibraltar means girls are given a higher chance of succeeding in the sciences. This issue of same sex schools will never be completely resolved as people will always have contrasting viewpoints. After experiencing being educated in both systems, I believe that a mixed school system is a more beneficial one. As society constantly changes and develops we need to take a step back and rethink whether or not our education system is at its most beneficial. n
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arts focus
Samuel’s
taste for sin words | Elena Scialtiel
The new master of Lust, Greed and Pride, the mysterious S.J.G., will pose serious competition to shady Mr. Grey in the sinful fantasies of avid book readers this Valentine’s. The added bonus is that this ‘beautiful and damned’ is not a fictional character, but a Londonbased Gibraltarian author with a heart of gold, who is donating the proceeds of A Little Taste of Sin to cancer charities. Volume one, featuring three short stories, is available to read online on Amazon or downloadable for Kindle, and volume two is in the pipeline, edited by personal friend and journalist Camilla Schick. A paperback will also be printed as soon as all seven sins are committed. The cover shows a hand spiking a drink in a champagne flute. It was designed by the author himself, using some ‘homemade special effects’: “I felt it was important to have a provocative
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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2014
image on the front cover, not just to capture attention, but to create some tension before the reader has even opened the book.” The very first story S.J.G. wrote was about a tense encounter between a man and a woman. “I titled it Jack and Jill. When I wrote Greed, I renamed the first one Lust, and the idea of a capital-sin-inspired series was born. It gives the book structure, and I think readers can relate to it well. “We all know sins are evil, and yet we are built with a thirst for it. We encounter challenges on a regular basis and anyone who can avoid temptation is praiseworthy. This book plays with the reader’s emotions and asks some questions we perhaps avoid answering in our own lives. I include lessons to be learnt from each sin and hopefully people will appreciate and benefit from reading my short stories.” He is already reaping his fruits: “I was thrilled to have been contacted by a reader who keeps me updated with how he is taking important steps to improve his life after reading Greed. I could take a leaf out of his book!” The book opens with Lust, or the ‘gritty and controversial’ story of Jack and Jill, set in London’s West End. Jack and Jill are introduced separately, while getting ready for a showdown meeting with different objectives and a surprising conclusion, in a snappy style quipped out in short elliptic sentences, balanced between American crime drama script and Joycean stream of consciousness. Greed is viewed from the other side of the mirror: an American single mother struggles to fundraise for her child’s urgent operation. “I have been writing for the last couple years. I devise many plots and twists, but only the smallest portion would satisfy me on a level where I am happy to take it further. This book started out as a trial, but was well received and earned some positive feedback from key critics.” So far Samuel has received fivestar reviews and can count in his fan club the founding judge of the first Narcotics Court in West London and a major banker. “This has spurred me on to continue with the series and publish the complete work,” the author says. Ideas take time to come to him, but when they do, he types a story from start to finish in just a few hours after a night out.
“
I was thrilled to have been contacted by a reader who keeps me updated with how he is taking important steps to improve his life after reading Greed. I could take a leaf out of his book! He describes his genre as ‘psychological thriller’, although not all his stories fall into that category: “The theme is tricky for me, as I’m not ‘dark’ myself. I am very warm and loving in my own life and family, and this will occasionally shine through the darker themes of the book. These stories show my struggle with the modern world and my views on evil. Or perhaps one might say it is my outlet for it.” His favourite author is Harlan Coben, who “combines very dark themes with light-hearted humour and banter, and gets away with it. I think it’s always great to find a book that can make you laugh, shock you to the core and provoke emotions. There’s nothing like a mind-blowing plot twist executed to perfection, and that’s what inspired me to write.” Others include Jeffery Deaver, Gillian Flynn, Lee Child, Michael Connelly and John Grisham, as he loves to read whenever he has the time, whether on holiday or commuting to work. And anything will do, from biography to financial journalism, but his fave remains, you guessed it, crime fiction and psychological thriller. S.J.G. is the penname for Samuel Joshua Garson born in Gibraltar in April 1985: “My mum was a regular at the maternity ward: I am the sixth child and the youngest son in a family of nine.” Incidentally, his book is dedicated to his “wonderful and gigantic family”, who moved to London when he was eight. “I used to visit family and friends in Gibraltar annually for summer holidays, but as so many of them came to the UK for university and to work, I started to go home less and less. I was in Gibraltar last November for a wedding. First thing I did when I arrived? Went for a jog from one end to the other. I bumped into family and friends in Main Street, snuck into the Elliot Hotel and had a drink on the top floor. I once lived in the Elliot Hotel while builders renovated my home across the street in Library Ramp.
GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2014
”
It was the Holiday Inn back then. Jogging past my old five-a-side pitch I remembered back then, it was more often three a-side, or 10 kids against the three better players. Recreation often lacked the structure you’d find over here in London but that was part of Gibraltar’s charm.” Samuel now enjoys life in the fast lane in his broker job, his “fascinating young years involved in the financial markets” and frequenting the most exclusive parts of London and the world, while “keeping his head on his shoulders and trying to do good”. He describes his job as “dynamic, intense and incredibly stressful at times”. Writing fits in as an escape: “When I am writing at home, I am calm. It is normally when the world has gone quiet that my head
stops spinning and thoughts flood through me clear as day.” His job entails meeting a lot of people: “I listen and observe and subconsciously notice a lot of subtleties others perhaps would not pick up on. I might see a couple arguing and register the emotions I see and the triggers that caused them. Sometimes something as simple as that can cause a spark in my head and it unravels rapidly there and then into a full story almost always overly dramatic.” When he travels, he picks up on scenery, sounds and themes to use them not just as a backdrop for the stories, but to influence the plots and characters as well: “I was in Ibiza for a stag weekend last summer, and found one side of the island to be fabulous, the other however, had a questionable and tense atmosphere at night. I’ve penned a sharp story for the next volume, using the San Antonio atmosphere and the characters I encountered there as a premise for the story and plot twist.” But home is always home: “After my recent visit to Gibraltar I intend to include its unique runway, among other snippets, in my last story of the series — no better place to end it than at home!” n
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changing trends
El Galgo: Open All Hours words | Richard Cartwright
Shopping trends are constantly evolving and as time has passed it’s not just the internet that has provided our retail experience with more choices. Supermarket chains and larger stores, plus takeaways, have contributed to our changing food consumption too. Consequently, the grocery corner shop has struggled to compete. On the Rock, quite a number of back street grocery shops have closed down after struggling through their final years of very stiff challenges from competitors. Competitors like supermarkets with more variety, offering their customers the ability to select goods at leisure in a larger, brighter establishment, with favourable prices due to their superior buying power. Despite the obvious battle to remain competitive or relevant, there is still room for the smaller outlet and that is borne out by the number of smaller shops, mainly run by our Hindu community, that have sprung up over the past few years, many of them just selling
El Galgo (on the right) is easy to miss as you stroll up City Mill Lane but has a loyal band of customers of who have been shopping here for over 40 years
Adopt Don’t Buy
Pisani, The Golden Ham, Raffo and Savignon are a few of the most famous ones and they are long gone. Of the odd one remaining, El Galgo is still holding the fort and surviving despite the competition
y
tobacco, spirits and confectionery whilst others offer groceries too. Smaller supermarket type stores are plying their trade too, out to compete with their larger, more dominant cousins. The traditional corner shops — normally situated half way up a side street and rarely on corners — benefit from remaining open until late and all weekend to catch passing trade and benefit from individuals who have run out of milk or a tube of toothpaste, and provide what is needed when everywhere else is closed. These convenience stores are in the business of providing what is evidently a mutually beneficial service. The traditional old grocery store as we knew it, where you bought your weekly shopping as you now do at the supermarket, has suffered a great demise, however. Pisani, The Golden Ham, Raffo and Savignon are a few of the most famous ones and they are long gone. Of the odd one remaining, El Galgo is still holding the fort and surviving despite the competition. Situated at almost the entrance to City Mill Lane (up by Mothercare) where City Mill Lane meets Cornwall’s Lane, El Galgo (The Greyhound) has been there
Yacht Scene 2014
ACHT SCENE tar l Gibra SAILORS’ GUIDE • 2014
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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2014
Robert Brooking the smile behind El Galgo
for as long as I remember. “My father bought this shop from Nigel Pardo’s dad who ran it as a grocery shop also,” present owner Robert Brooking informs me. “That was in 1970/71. My dad was Assistant Manager at the Rock Hotel where he worked for 27 years and where I worked also. He was pretty much up for the top job of General Manager there, but as life sometimes turns out it didn’t work out that way and so he left and bought this shop. “He had to take out a loan and pay it back slowly which was a bit of a struggle. Whilst still working at the Rock he would spend his holidays coming into the shop to learn the trade from the previous owner and that way was ready to run it fully when he left the hotel.” Robert explains that business was great during the early years. He joined his father in the shop and his mum was always around to help too. During that time, these shops ruled the roost and the big supermarkets were a long way in the future. Lipton’s supermarket was the only large outlet on the Rock then, apart from the Services’ NAAFI stores which were out of bounds to locals. Lipton’s first had a largish shop where Princess Silks
is now. They then moved to were Marks & Spencer is located but it was half the size of the present clothes and food store. “My father was a very chatty man and got on well with our clients. There was a lot of buying ‘on tick’ then, as there is now to a certain extent, and we had a loyal clientele.” Home deliveries were very much the thing in those days and Robert remembers how they would deliver up to midnight especially on Fridays, all the way up to the upper town. “I distinctly remember cinema-goers coming out of the late performance by the Queen’s Cinema as we drove up towards Prince Edward’s Road with our deliveries.” There were more wholesalers then too and some of the foodstuffs came from Spain. When the frontier closed there were some wholesale individuals, who would bring stuff in boats going round
“
the long way. “Oh yes and when the frontier eventually opened even I used to go over to La Linea early in the morning to bring over food items such as cold meats — chorizos, morcillas — beans, olives and other items. It was important for me to go over to be sure the quality was right because you had to be careful what to buy. I can say I’ve never had any problems with salmonella or anything like that whilst selling that kind of foodstuff here in El Galgo and we were very well known for our fiambre or cold meats and always brought in the best. “Spanish bread loaves were very popular then also and we used to sell about £700 worth a month which was good money for just the sale of bread, in those days.” Robert recognises things were very different then and considers he’s done very well over the years. Supermarkets abound
I distinctly remember cinema-goers coming out of the late performance by the Queen’s Cinema as we drove up towards Prince Edward’s Road with our deliveries
GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2014
”
now, not just here but accessible in the hinterland with plenty of free parking spaces. Many will recall us starting off by going to El Continente in Palmones and since then a few other superstores have sprung up nearby. Our own new supermarket, Eroski, near the airport, also offers deliveries to its customers. “And that’s not all,” Robert exclaims. “Everybody is selling everything, there’s heavy competition from everywhere, even from petrol stations!” But, El Galgo is still holding out. Robert Brooking, his assistant of 20 odd years, Mustapha aka `Taffy’, and their little City Mill Lane convenience store could be considered ‘the last man standing,’ still with loyal clients, some deliveries, and servicing other shops and office workers with his popular filled rolls — and always available for those who’ve run out of... whatever! It has been 30 plus years of serving behind the counter with some ups and downs for Robert, in the face of ever growing competition all around, but the ‘closing down’ or ‘for sale’ signs are nowhere to be seen. It has not been easy recently and their overwhelming rivals are not going anywhere, but El Galgo stays put! n
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Above: In 1909 Gibraltarian widow and mother of 10 children, Maria Torres Podesta, set sail aboard Cunard’s Ultonia (pictured above) for a new life in the USA. Right: Cunard sailings schedule - from the collection of Björn Larsson- www.timetableimages.com
Violet’s Family Search words | Violet Schembri Buchanan
As a child growing up in Gibraltar I would often, on rainy days, go through our family’s old photos that my mother kept in a shoe box. I would come across nicely dressed people obviously taken in a studio and I remember asking my mother who these people were. She’d say, “Oh those are just relatives that went off to America”. End of story? Think again. Fast forward 60 years. I have been living in America for the past 45 years having married an American who also happens to be a genealogist and as I watched him research dozens of families the thought was always in the back of my mind that somewhere here in America I have relatives since we had very few in Gibraltar on my mother’s side, the Podestas I asked my husband, “Why don’t you research the Podestas from Gibraltar who immigrated to the US?” He was up to the challenge, mainly to prove me wrong because he said it was an impossible task but I knew they had to be over here somewhere. So the search began. We went back to where the emigration started in 1905. Back to the bottom of Rosia Steps, to what is now part of Rosia Dale. Stables for horses and hackney carriages along with a small house. The Podestas lived
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young children, destination Pottsville, a mining town deep in the hills in the state of Pennsylvania. Left behind were two sons and a daughter Victoria who later emigrated by herself. The two sons were my grandfather Jose Podesta and his brother Armando who opted to stay behind, the only two of the Podesta clan. The Podestas left and never looked back, only one son wrote home as far as we know and some sent the photos that I found in the shoe box. Our research took us to Pottsville, Pennsylvania, a 12 hours car ride from where I live and there, last spring, I found my great grandmother’s grave, Maria Torres Podesta, the gutsy woman from Gibraltar who crossed the Atlantic with seven of her children and ventured into the new world that was so vastly different to what she had up to then lived in. Through hours and hours of research I found Victoria’s grandchildren, my second cousins who had no idea where their grandmother had come from, they always assumed that she came from Spain but you can bet your bottom dollar that I set the record straight! We are slowly getting acquainted and trying to find the other cousins — the great grandchildren of Maria Torres Podesta of Gibraltar. n Gibraltarian Violet Schembri Buchanan (pictured below) now lives in Brownsburg, Indiana.
there. Maria Torres Podesta was a widow, had ten children, one died in infancy and her sister Catherine who was already in America beckoned her. In 1905 Maria sent her 16 year old daughter, also Maria to her sister. She travelled alone or perhaps with other Gibraltarian families and in 1907 a son followed and joined his sister. In 1909 Maria Torres Podesta, aged 43, left Gibraltar with four
We went back to where the emigration started in 1905. Back to the bottom of Rosia Steps, to what is now part of Rosia Dale GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2014
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music scene
Can’t Live Like This: MidRiff Exposed
words | Elena Scialtiel
“We play the music we like. We play the music we write. And we want you to hear it.” This is newly formed rock band MidRiff’s punch line, stating their firm independence from contemporary pop music culture and taking inspiration from the ‘classics’, rock and heavy metal giants from as far back as the ’70s. Their influences range from Jimi Hendrix to Gun’n’Roses, with special regards for Black Sabbath, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Led Zeppelin, Rush, Arctic Monkeys, Avenged Sevenfold and Iron Maiden. One might wonder why five schoolboys would choose to rock to their grandparents’ rock anthems. The answer is simple: “We like good music.” With a cheeky catchy wordplay on the musical term ‘riff’, MidRiff debuted at Rock on the Rock on Saint Nick’s Day and were immediately rocketed to stardom. Frontman Alexej Baglietto and lead guitarist Alex Vallejo returned there three weeks later, on the last Saturday night of 2013, to scoop the club’s Singer/Songwriter Competition first prize with an intense performance of their original song Foul Play, featuring good melody and stirring dystopian lyrics. “We didn’t expect they crowd to react the way they did, honestly. But we’re glad they did. I was there sitting behind the drums when I raised my hands in the air and the crowd just roared!” drummer Jarred Cruz says. “I was surprised and pleased. So I raised it again. And they cheered again...” Instant fame for a band who has been around for a couple of years, but rehearsing in their current ‘incarnation’ for two months prior to their debut, when their new singer joined and pulled them together with his charisma and stage presence. Barely 14, but with just the right looks for your typically awesome heavy mental band frontman — long dark hair, fingerless gloves, leather and black denim — gifted vocalist and songwriter Alexej is “mature beyond his years”, as his band mates describe him. “We let him write because he is very mature for his age...” rhythm guitarist Chris Ablitt says.
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“Very!” echo the others. Alexej is in charge of all the lyrics, which don’t necessarily have to rhyme, but just need to ‘flow’ for his friends to compose music around it. Every member would come up with their part and then they harmonise it together. “I like looking into the lyrics of my favourite bands, learn what they mean and pen my own style,” Alexej says. Here, Chris adds his wise little disclaimer: “We don’t pinch ideas, but it is about imitating the great. We play music we like and we want you to like it with us.” “We’re not mainstream boy band culture,” Alex adds. This doesn’t mean MidRiff is all
“
Don’t be fooled into thinking we just write soppy love songs: we write a bunch of other cool stuff about emotions... we wrote a song about a depressed teenager, not because one of us is, but because we want to send out the message to those who are that someone is there for them
”
doom and gloom: they surely know how to throw in a feel-good song! They claim that no two songs of theirs are ever going to have the same message: “Don’t be fooled into thinking we just write soppy love songs: we write a bunch of other cool stuff about emotions we or our peers may experience. For example, we wrote a song about a depressed teenager, not because one of us is, but because we want to send out the message to those who are that someone is there for them.” They write about what they feel in a wide sense, and often empathise with other people’s experiences to write about that too, topics that all audiences can relate to. They already have a couple of original songs under their belt, like Can’t live Like This, questioning lifestyle, and how one can or cannot cope with popularity or luxury, overwhelmed by a dream come true. More songs are in the pipeline, as they would like to land some more gigs before they take a break to prepare for their exams, looking forward to resuming rehearsing and gigging in summer. Midriff like to stress how important live music is to them: “We don’t write our music down. We just note down guidelines. If it is a good riff, we will remember it by heart.” They do use computer programs to help with composition, but they wouldn’t include synthesised music on their future album: “We would like our recordings to sound as live as possible.” They look for the artistic privilege to play their music live any time without having to compare to unrealistic standards of computerised perfection, albeit the one by themselves created when recording. Band commitment comes second just to school commitments, they admit, as their relatives are very supportive and allow them to slip away from family time when they have band practice. “We practise at the Rock on the Rock Club. We’re grateful to the manager who, after at-
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photo: David Gonzales GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2014
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photo: David Gonzales
tending one of our sessions, decided we were ready to be thrown at the deep end.” MidRiff band members may be young, but they are determined to succeed in the music world, whether as professionals or as very committed hobbyists. Bassist Jack Scott, 16, got into the ‘music business’ as he puts it, at a very young age, then shifted to bass guitar. Before MidRiff he was in Frankly, My Dear, but they never got to perform for an audience. His sensible career choice would be civil engineering, but music beckons and, as the idealist teenager he is, he claims he’d rather be a ‘broke musician’ or a busker than an unhappy tycoon. So does Alex Vallejo who has an interest in architecture or psychology, but will pursue the career he loves because he would hate to wake up every morning to business without passion. Chris Ablitt on the other hand knows that music will always be a hobby for him, because he wants to keep it on the fun side of his life. “I’ll play music until I die,” he pledges, but considers a career in another of the arts,
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either acting or writing, because English and drama are his favourite subjects. In fact, he made a name for himself last year, with his portrayal of an IRA terrorist in the original play Flavius. Jarred Cruz, all starry-eyed about the ovation the floor reserved for him on their very
MidRiff band members may be young, but they are determined to succeed in the music world, whether as professionals or as very committed hobbyists
first gig, candidly admits he is too young to know what he will do when he grows up, but he rules out music school as he finds theory too difficult. He wants to keep it on the fun side, as he’s naturally talented for rhythm: “My Grandpa was a drummer in the army, so my mum thought I should give it a go. I never touched a real drum kit until a few months ago in school, but the very first time my teacher put me on it, he said I had a natural sense of rhythm.” He also admits that his interest for music was sparked by Jack Black’s movie School of Rock: “I thought the playing kids were fake, but when I found out they were real musicians I told myself I wanted to be like them. So I got Guitar Hero and Rock Band Hero to start practising with.” Look out for these Rock Band Heroes whose lyrics feature ‘mature themes’ in the constructive sense of the word: on their Facebook page (www.facebook.com/MidRiff5) they describe themselves as “five guys who want to get your attention by being loud” — and loud they are indeed. But for a reason: talent. n
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?
Did We Invent Gibberish
words | Reg Reynolds
It never dawned on me that the word ‘gibberish’ had anything to do with Gibraltar until I came across a book entitled, It’s a Wonderful Word: The Real Origins of our Favourite Words. In the book, author Albert Jack *[see note] suggests three possibilities for the origin of gibberish. The first is that the word was coined to explain the work of Arab alchemist Jabir ibn Hayyan. His name was later Latinized to Geber and because his writings were so complex and impenetrable Jack suggests they “...gave rise to the expression ‘Geber-like’ or ‘Geberish’ by those attempting to study them”. Jack’s second theory is that because the people of Gibraltar are known to speak both Spanish and English and frequently mix languages in conversation, often starting a sentence in one language and finishing in another, that outsiders “...have always found this hard to understand, dismissing their [Gibraltarians] vocabulary as ‘Gibralter-ish’ and subsequently ‘Gibberi-ish’. But the word gibberish didn’t enter the English language until the 16th century, 700 years after Hayyan’s death and 200 years before Britain captured Gibraltar. So Jack believes his third theory is the correct one, that gibberish grew out of the 15th century word ‘jabber’ and was later popularised through Lewis Carroll’s use of it in his best-selling book Alice Through The Looking Glass (1871) and in one of his more famous nonsense
poems Jabberwocky. On the other hand I believe that gibberish did evolve from Gibraltar and the best explanation can be found in the book The Vibration of Words by Ettore Grillo who writes: “The etymology of the word comes from Gibraltar, a British overseas territory whose inhabitants spoke in a language mixed with English, Spanish, Hebrew, Arabic and Hindi when they didn’t want foreigners to understand their conversation.” Of course all of the above could be a load of gibberish. n
The best explanation can be found in the book The Vibration of Words by Ettore Grillo Oxford Dictionary definitions: Gibberish - unintelligible or meaningless speech or writing; nonsense. Examples sentences: He talks gibberish. / At first the monkeys were intrigued with the computers and typed all sorts of stuff, even though it was meaningless gibberish. / Why do parties insist on meaningless gibberish as conference slogans?
*Note: Albert Jack is an English writer and historian who became a publishing phenomenon with his first book, the best selling Red Herrings & White Elephants, which explored the origins of well-known phrases in the English language. All his books investigate the history behind popular world culture. Ettore Grillo was born in Enna, Sicily. He has practised as a freelance attorney in Sicily, first in criminal law, then as a civil lawyer for almost 40 years. A devoted traveller, his first book was Travels of the Mind.
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past revisted
All At Sea with Clarkson Stanfield
words | Reg Reynolds
There have been many excellent marine painters through the centuries but few have had as thorough a knowledge of the sea as Clarkson Stanfield.
Portrait of Clarkson Stanfield by John Simpson, circa 1829
Prints of one of the finest and more famous of Stanfield’s works, HMS Victory towed into Gibraltar can be seen hanging in bars, restaurants and hotels throughout Gibraltar. The original is part of a private collection and can be seen at Somerleyton Hall *[See note] near Lowestoft, Suffolk, England. The painting was first displayed at the Royal Academy on 7th May, 1853 to very favourable reviews: The Art Journal wrote it was “...painted with admirable spirit and precision, constituting this the most interesting marine picture which its author has for sometime exhibited. The Examiner noted “...the sense of pathos and solemnity” and admired “...especially the
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Clarkson’s father, James had moved to Liverpool where he worked on a ship engaged in the slave trade. He was so horrified by this experience that he quit the sea, became an abolitionist and took up acting and writing treatment of the sea” and concluded that it was “...a triumph of art; for without the use of any melodramatic accessories, or coarse suggestions of gloom, Mr. Stanfield has succeeded in conveying the idea of great sorrow.” Another critic declared: “Never, perhaps, was so impressive a subject so touchingly and powerfully painted. It is a work not to be seen without emotion; there is grandeur in the conception, and masterly carrying-out of the diversified materials. The water is eminently successful — full, flowing, transparent and deep; the ships and boats are solid and rich in colour, and the aerial perspective of the giant Rock of Gibraltar is well
managed, while the whole is brought together in perfect harmony.” Clarkson Frederick Stanfield was born 3rd December, 1793 in Sunderland to James and Mary Stanfield. James had been born in Dublin and went to France to study for the priesthood but gave that up and moved to Liverpool where he worked on a ship engaged in the slave trade. He was so horrified by this experience that he quit the sea, became an abolitionist and took up acting and writing. Mary died in 1801and James remarried to Mary Hoad an actress and painter who started Clarkson on what would become his lifelong career. She arranged for him to be apprenticed to a heraldic painter in Edinburgh. But the call of adventure proved too much for young Clarkson and when he was 15 he went to sea on a merchant ship. He sailed the world for four years until 1812 when he was pressed into the Royal Navy. He served through the War of 1812-1814 against America but he was discharged after a fall from the rigging left him unfit for service. In 1815 Clarkson sailed to China aboard the East Indiaman Warley. During the voyage he befriended fellow sailor Douglas Jerrold who wrote plays and whose father was the manager of a theatre in Deptford. On their return to England the two seamen turned to the theatre with Douglas writing plays and Clarkson painting the scenery. Clarkson soon became known for the quality of his work and for his efficiency and reliability. In July 1818 he married Mary Hutchinson. They had two sons but in 1821 Mary died giving birth to a daughter. In 1824 Clarkson married Rebecca Adcock and they went on to have 10 children. Their second son George Clarkson Stanfield also became a painter and went on to have many paintings exhibited at the Royal Academy and the British Institution. From Deptford Clarkson moved up to Drury Lane Theatre, London where he earned fame and fortune. He mingled with high society and became a close friend of Charles Dickens. His success enabled him to travel extensively and he made numerous trips to the Continent and the Mediterranean. With the knowledge gained and sketches made he was able to bring the world to Drury Lane audiences through the means of giant panoramic scenes — 20 feet high and several hundred feet long. The scenes
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included; from England by sea to Gibraltar and Constantinople (1828); round picturesque Windsor (1829); over the Alps (1830); to Venice (1831; to Niagara Falls (1832); and along the Nile (1833). All the while he was exhibiting his landscapes and marine paintings in Britain and France. His first major painting Wreckers off Fort Rouge was exhibited at the British Institution in 1827. The same year A Calm was exhibited at the Royal Academy. Other important works include: The Battle of Trafalgar (1836); the Castle of Ischia (1841); Isola Bella (1841); French troops fording the Magra (1847); and The Abandoned 1856. Clarkson Stanfield came to be recognised as Turner’s chief rival and compliments were heaped upon him, for example: “How a man could do so much and so well
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“
How a man could do so much and so well as Mr. Stanfield did, during the time he was chief of the Drury Lane scene room, was a wonder to everybody
educated into admiration. The members of his own profession were as enthusiastic as the rest of the world in recognising and applauding his imagination and skill.” One compliment I believe Clarkson would have appreciated over the rest would be that he was, “One of a few painters to have studied on the sea oftener than ashore.” He died at Hampstead on 18th May, 1867. Today his works are represented in many private collections and galleries as well as in the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum. n
as Mr. Stanfield did, during the time he was chief of the Drury Lane scene room, was a wonder to everybody. And it was not the public only whom he, delighted and awakened, and
*Note: Somerleyton Hall is a country house located in the village of Somerleyton near Lowestoft. It is open to the public and has beautiful gardens and a hedge maze and activities available include picnics, croquet, football, rounders, nine-hole golf, fishing, horse-riding, rowing and guided boat trips.
”
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Duncan Grech
An Art of Form
Dancing is a popular hobby for a lot of girls and a few boys in Gibraltar. But it is more than that, it is an expressive art which deserves attention when Gibraltar is competing against some of the leading countries in the world when it comes to dance — and winning. The Gibraltar Magazine spoke to one of Gibraltar’s top dancers, 23 year old Duncan Grech, to find out more.
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arts focus
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n Gibraltar is seems every little girl wants to dance, or her parents want her to dance. There are around seven dance schools here, however dancing is not taken as seriously as football, says dance teacher Duncan Grech: “Football is really understood, but dance is less mentioned. Dancing has been around for a long time and the standard of dance in Gibraltar is really, really high compared to other countries. Gibraltar always places really well abroad, but we don’t even have a good theatre, the only one we have is John Mackintosh Hall. There are just as many girls dancing as there are boys playing football,” he adds. Duncan goes on to explain “The standard of dance has elevated in the last 10 years to a level where were are able to compete against America, Canada, and other countries that were unimaginable before. Gibraltar standards have gone from 0 to 100!” he asserts. Duncan, a dancer and dancing teacher, started dancing quite late — at the age of 12 — in a dance club at Middle School. He found it interesting so he continued dancing under the mentorship of Gillaine Vinet Alman from Transitions Dance Academy where he is currently working as a dancing teacher. “I started first out of fun, there weren’t many boys who were dancing, so it was sort of a taboo. I joined Transitions Dance Academy when I was 13, I started going to classes with younger girls to learn the technical stuff and flexibility,” he says. When he was 15 he was chosen to represent Gibraltar abroad in a national team, a year later, only three years after he took up dancing, he competed with his first solo in Germany. “It was great and I had loads of fun. In between that, we were doing productions and I did my exams,” he explains. But dance is more than just a hobby to Duncan as he has made his hobby into a career. “Dance is something I always thought as a hobby, it is something where I have potential and I just carried on to the point that when I was 18 my dance teacher persuaded me to go and look for a dance study abroad. Gillaine told me I should go and see what I could achieve. “I managed to get into a really good school in London, I was there for a year, but the lifestyle was so different. There were many, many hours, and I missed home a lot, so I decided to finish a year and come back and teach at Gillaine’s school. I started my teaching qualifications and I am now preregistered by ISTD (The Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing),” he says. He has now been teaching children for two years. Duncan also likes to perform, although teaching remains his priority. In 2013 he auditioned for the World Show Dance Championship in Germany and the 13th World Danceweek in Mikolajki, Poland — he was chosen to perform three pieces in Germany and three in Poland. He got to the finals and came out 6th on both occasions. “I love performing,” he smiles. “You cannot get a dancer away from the stage.” “Dancing is more than a sport it is also art,” he adds. “It is like you are a painter with your body, you are learning technique and beauty. I am not going to say that dance is my life, but technically it is!” he smiles. “Teaching is really
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what I enjoy, though, and what I really, really want to do. Being able to teach girls and show them what they can achieve, from what I have learned, is a blessing really. It is amazing to see the how much they change in a few months from something I have taught them!” he says with a big a smile. Duncan says he feels blessed that he is lucky enough to teach younger children and it is hard to draw the line between a job and a vocation, because “it is not only about going to classes and teaching, it is also preparing the paperwork, the costumes, making sure you have all the dancers ready, all the technique and choreography... Our shows are all done by us. We prepare everything. It takes loads of time,” he admits. Working as a team with Amy Parody and Gillaine they prepare all the choreographies and everybody helps out. As he hopes to dance up to the age of 60, we wondered if there is anything he would wish for on Gibraltar’s future dance scene? He replied that he hopes more boys will take up
dancing, since some of them would be really surprised by what it is, in contrast to what they think it would be. “It is a shame that there are few boys dancing in Gibraltar,” he laments. Duncan also hopes the new theatre will be completed soon, so there can be better productions and more professional shows. Whatever the future of dance in Gibraltar holds, with dancers of the calibre of Duncan passing on their skills to a new generation it is sure to be bright. n
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Dancing is more than a sport it is also art. It is like you are a painter with your body, you are learning technique and beauty
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words | Elena Scialtiel
Vanessa Wester: Evolution of a writer 74
Virginia Woolf advocated private space for women to write. Vanessa Wester has found that private space exactly in writing. Besides their initials, these two British novelists also share the civic pride of empowering women to informed life choices. GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2014
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suppose you know who Vir ginia Woolf is, but perhaps you are not familiar with Vanessa (neé Beanland), a Gibraltarian living on the Isle of Wight since the late ’90s who launched her book Return, final installment of her Evolution trilogy, at the Garrison Library last December. Busy mum and keen volunteer worker, in 2010 Vanessa felt the urge to do something to carve out her own space, and even if she hadn’t too much time to spare, she created it — quite literally, on CreateSpace. And three years later, her trilogy of fantasy novels is available on Amazon both for Kindle and in print. She describes her writing as ‘pure escapism’, a place to go between chores, focusing on it every time she gets a bunch of spare minutes. Vanessa explains: “I write instead of wasting two hours watching an old movie, for example. Sometimes, I type away notes on my iPad while cooking dinner... The secret is to focus on writing, then go back to whatever else you were doing and focus on that, then focus back on writing...” What started as something very personal evolved into publication after friends and fellow authors gave her good reviews and encouragement to continue writing, because they claimed she really had something to say. Evolution is the collective title of her trilogy — Hybrid, Complications and Return — conceived to come full cycle at the end of the last book, with the advantage that each installment stands alone, if readers can bear the thought of ignoring what happened before or what is going to happen after. Vanessa says the overall ending is crafted to leave backdoor access to a sequel, just in case she decided to go for it. Just in case she missed her hero and heroine while working at what she calls a ‘serious fiction’ project, namely historical fiction about her ancestry. With subtle echoes from Sir Conan Doyle’s The Lost World, and Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, although more optimistic in its utopian cyber-society, and more obvious references to the contemporary pop literature and cinema’s fad of mutants and supernatural creatures, the title Evolution refers to a fictional subgenus of Homo who abruptly evolved from Homo sapiens during WWII, following a freak accident at Los Alamos
nuclear plant. Oh, no! Not another vampire story! I hear someone moan... The reason Vanessa specifically made them vampires rather than generic X-Men-like mutants lies in the symbolism of blood, at once life and death. They have vampire traits, but they are not really vampires: “It’s a bit like Gibraltarians who speak Spanish but are not really Spaniards...” Vanessa says. “I’ve fancied vampires since I watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and even earlier, mutants, when I used to watch Scooby Doo and Spiderman as a kid. Scooby Doo, with those mystery mutants, and Spiderman, bestowed superpowers by a freak accident too... so I said why not? Let’s go for similar premises. My story however is mostly a love story, which analyses how much of herself a woman is, or must be, prepared to sacrifice to the relationship.” After the accident, this ‘community’ with a thirst for blood and life, goes into hiding and settles inside a volcano in the Amazon
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where they build a self-contained eco-friendly society run by brilliant minds. Vanessa says: “I chose the Amazon because it is a large, remote and partly unexplored area of the globe where isolated civilisations may still exist. I saw a documentary once about this tribe so hidden from the rest of the world they had to film them from a helicopter to make sure they wouldn’t be spoilt by outside contact, albeit for the few days of filming and with all the sociological precautions. I saw photos of Amazonian landscapes and I thought its wild beauty was the ideal background for my special love story.” Very much like Gibraltar, this fictional society is founded on a rational constitution and multicultural texture, because the original founders were scientists from all over the world, including England, Sweden and even a German Jew who had fled Nazi totalitarism. They know no war or capitalism, as they barter their goods and services. Now and again they go out to expeditions to learn how
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Women are conditioned by fairytales to aim for Prince Charming, wedded bliss, children — and that’s it: game over. They must aim for a partnership instead. The real fairytale happens when their own life is fulfilled in the happily ever after
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the outside world has changed and to keep up with it. They also hunt for blood and their young must stand a rite of passage at 20, when their ‘change’ occurs: they go out and kill someone to activate their vampiric powers. Killing for one’s survival is a daily occurrence in human life, according to Vanessa, so it doesn’t automatically make them monsters: “I do discuss the morals of it, but after all different societies have different rules and rituals, and there is no right or wrong. The issue is how much the protagonist is willing to stretch the boundaries of the morals he’s been raised in to pursue his true roots.” She continues: “My message to girls and women is: make sure that the relationship you are in leaves space for your growth as well. Women are conditioned by fairytales to aim for prince charming, wedded bliss, children — and that’s it: game over. They must aim for a partnership instead. The real fairytale happens when their own life is fulfilled in the happily ever after as much as their partner’s and children’s. “I analyse different relationships in my trilogy, for instance Steven’s grandparents’, and hopefully these characters will be role models for healthy and productive relationships. One of my favourite literary heroines is Elizabeth from Pride and Prejudice because she is sassy, clever and strong — and she manages to bring out the best in her man. My character Caitlin Chance is intelligent and focused, too, but her world quakes when she falls for Steven Thorn, the Southampton Hybrid born from an affair one of the vampires had with a mortal, in inverted commas.” The very title of the second installment, Complications, reveals that it won’t be all plain sailing for the couple, as jealousy and loyalty test handsome Steven. And when they finally Return together to the Amazon ‘community’, will Caitlin make the right choice? Vanessa teases about the ending: “More than the age-old question of all romances ‘will they meet again?’ I deal with the concept of ‘can they meet again?’.” Well, should they? Visit www. vanessawesterwriter.blogspot.com for more information. Hybrid (cover photo by Malcolm Beanland) is available for Kindle for free. Complications £1.87, Return £2.98, both with cover photos by Minka Armitage. Paperbacks for £7.99 each from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and most Gibraltar bookshops. n
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SUDOKU Just for fun!
by Alan Gravett 2
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Jotting Pad Send completed crossword to: The Clipper, Irish Town, Gibraltar.
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FIRST PRIZE: Lunch for 2 at The Clipper
One entry per person. Closing date: 16th February 2014 Last month’s winner: Nicole Montero Montagu Gardens LAST MONTH’S ANSWERS: Across: Twelve Night, Educate, Trigger, Ailment, End Of Term, Antipasti, Noddy, Braille, Wayward, Startle, Due Date. Down: Titan, Ewing, Fighter Pilots, Herald, Mull Of Kintyre, Gamete, Septum, Iron, Rand, Abbess, Trajan, Stewed, Drama, Yodle.
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Across
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Stock Exchange of France, and some other countries (6) Peg used to close a hole, eg on a barrel (6) Most serious (7) Farewell in French (5) Demolished, (though it sounds the opposite)! (5) Refrain from partaking (7) Visible signs of not 12-ing and over partaking! (4,7) Type of concrete made up before being put in position (7) Loop used by a hangman; snare (5) In music, slowly, or a piece played slowly (5) Chewy sweets made from paste filled with almonds, pistachios or fruit (7) Strait separating the Isle of Wight from mainland England (6) Polite word accompanying a request (6)
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1 Humphrey ------, star of Casablanca (6) 2 Mountain range separating Europe and Asia (5) 3 One who doesn’t save! A poet (7) 5 Second part of 16 (5) 6 Distort ones face, usually with disgust (7) 7 One failing to attend (6) 8 February 14th is his day (2. 9) 14 Lasting forever (7) 15 Pertaining to the tongue, language or speech (7) 16 & 5 A Cockney’s staircase ------ and -----(6)
GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2014
Founder Member and Life President of the Ivanhoe Charity Society, Alfred Medina (left) with the Chairman, Peter Triay
Charity is Alfred’s Life Works words | Nina Sostaric
Life President of the Gibraltar Ivanhoe Charity Society — a charity with the aim of helping other local charities and societies — Alfred Medina, has been involved with fundraising for worthy causes since 1976 and what started as a pastime has evolved over the decades to become his life work. Alfred began his charity fund raising endeavours in 1976, when he organised football games at work, but it wasn’t until 1986 that The Ivanhoe Charity Society was founded by Alfred and his friends. “In those early days we would collect a large amount of money, because the border was closed. We would do 12 and 24 hour walking marathons around Gibraltar and raise around £5,000 - £6,000 each time. We used to go to all the bars and discotheques and we’d collect a lot of money.” Later they started organising international walking marathons from Spain as well. “The first walking marathon we organised was from Malaga to Gibraltar, which took us 37 hours and 45 minutes without waiting at the queue,” Alfred chuckles. Now the Ivanhoe Charity Society organises marathons every two years and they have walked from most Andalusian cities, such as Granada, Almeria, Cordoba, Seville, Jaen and
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Huelva. “There were ten of us and we walked in pairs from all the major Andalusian cities. I remember once, when we were walking from Jaen, there were two old men sitting on the wall next to the street, and they asked us what we were doing there, since we were not locals. We explained that we were doing the charity walk,
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We would do 12 and 24 hour walking marathons around Gibraltar and raise around £5,000 - £6,000 each time. We used to go to all the bars and discotheques and we’d collect a lot of money
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Alfred cycling for charity with a fellow founder member of Ivanhoe Charity Society, L. Linares, in the early ’90s
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Above: Alfred’s father Ernest Medina (pictured centre front row) was the goalkeeper of the Ivanhoe Football Club, formed by Gibraltarian evacuees in London, during the Second World War Left: After the war, in Gibraltar, Ernest Medina remained committed to football despite having both legs amputated, and is pictured here as team manager (centre front row) Let us know if you recognise your family members in these photographs info@thegibraltarmagazine.com
Ivanhoe Inspiration: A Little Bit of History
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The Ivanhoe Charity Society — a charity formed to help other charities with their fund raising efforts — took its name from the Ivanhoe Hotel in London — one of the hotels where a large number of Gibraltarians were evacuated to during World War II. Founding Member of the Ivanhoe Charity Society, Alfred Medina, was actually born during that time at the Ivanhoe Hotel.
in the UK, then later when they returned to Gibraltar he became team manager.
The Gibraltarian community formed a football club, the Ivanhoe Football Club, during their stay in London and Alfred’s father, Ernest Medina, was goalkeeper when they played
This experience inspired Alfred to give back to the community, since the Gibraltar community did so much for his family during those early years. n
Alfred’s family came back to the Rock in 1945, and his father continued to play football until both his legs were amputated after a freak football accident. He died in 1951, when Alfred was only nine years old, and his brother, Ernest, was 11.
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charity file The last marathon Alfred undertook was in April and May last year when he walked 300km in 30 days around Gibraltar on his own, to raise money for Gibraltar’s Cancer Relief Centre we told our story, and they gave us €5.00. Two old men, two pensioners, very old and they gave us €5.00, I will never forget that,” he says, genuinely touched by the gesture. The last marathon Alfred undertook was in April and May last year when he walked 300km in 30 days around Gibraltar on his own, to raise money for Gibraltar’s Cancer Relief Centre. On this occasion, his generous supporters and sponsors donated £5,600 to the cause. As Chairman of the Retired Prison Officers’ Association he has also been involved in making Christmas something special for children and families of the inmates for the last 35 years by holding a Christmas party using funds raised through the annual Boxing Day Polar Bear Swim on 26th December at Catalan Bay which he organises. “We do a party, give them presents and myself or somebody else dresses up as Father Christmas,” he explains. Alfred, not one to stand on the sidelines, personally takes to the sea but the cold water is not an issue for him, he laughs, and of course the Gibraltar Ivanhoe Charity Society supports this cause too. “This year the sun was out, the water was warm, weather was amazing!” Alfred remembers. He likes to help anyone who approaches the Ivanhoe Charity with cause. He has plenty ideas for the future and is already planning to organise a 12 hour walk in Gibraltar. Gibraltar is a small community, everybody knows each other and people in Gibraltar are very generous, he explains, “I have to thank Gibraltar, because that is why the Ivanhoe Charity Society exists, we were the 43th charity to opened in Gibraltar, and now there are over 300 charity associations”. His family — his wife Encarnacion and two daughters — fully support his work and although they don’t join in with the marathons, Alfred says he couldn’t do it without them. “My wife, she is a blessing,” he says. “She is fantastic. What I do is because of her, without her helping out, I wouldn’t have the time to do the charity work.” Alfred is well-known in Gibraltar and has a lot of friends and family so everybody helps out with the causes he supports. “I don’t have any problems with support, when I did the Polar Bear Swim, for example, we raised £500!” Alfred Medina was awarded the British Empire Medal in 1989. A few years later, in 1993, he also received the Paul Harris Fellowship from the Rotary Club of Gibraltar for his outstanding charity work. He promises to carry on helping good causes “while he can still move his fingers”. We don’t doubt his promise. n
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Top: The Polar Bear Swim, Boxing Day 2013, was a big success. Above: The Ivanhoe Charity Society collects a great deal of money for different causes. Pictured is Alfred handing over a cheque to the Calpe House Fund. Right: Alfred has organised a Christmas party for children of prison inmates for 35 years — here he is with Santa. Below: Participants of a fund-raising walking marathon from Granada to Gibraltar in the late ’90s. Alfred holding the flag.
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Images of the Month
Our images of the month for January are both fabulous town views. The first is a view of the Moorish Castle lit up blue for World Diabetes Day taken by Stephen Herron. The second is a photograph by Command photographer Cpl Scott Robertson of Trafalgar-class nuclear submarine HMS Tireless, which returned to the Rock for a brief visit in January. Send your image to info@thegibraltarmagazine.com if we like them we will put them in print!
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The Gibraltar Decorative & Fine Arts Society
Ruskin & the Pre-Raphaelites The Gibraltar Decorative and Fine Arts Society (GibDFAS)’s February lecture is titled John Ruskin and the Pre-Raphaelites and is presented by Heather Birchall. Heather is an art historian who was the curatorial assistant at the V&A and assistant curator at Tate Britain. She is author of the book Pre-Raphaelites. The Pre-Raphaelites painted every inch of the canvas with equal intensity and, unlike their predecessors, often worked outdoors, close to nature. For example, William Holman Hunt painted Our English Coasts in 1852 with every motif up close. These landscapes were extolled by art critic John Ruskin who gained Hunt a circle of admirers both in England and across the Channel. This talk will examine the revolution in landscape painting which occurred during the 1850s and the rising interest in sciences of meteorology, geology and botany. This lecture will be held at the O’Callagan Eliott Hotel on 19th February from 6.30pm. Members and guests welcome. Guests £10 for lecture and welcome drink. n Future Lectures 19th March: Beauty& the Bizarre — The Art of Hellenistic Greece 9th April: Raphael — Genius of the Renaissance in Rome 21st May: Hand Grenades like Cartier Clips — Lee Miller
GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2014
Dante Gabriel Rossetti The Beloved (‘The Bride’) 1865-6
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The Proposal compiled by Pennie Gwilt
Are you looking to propose to the one you love this Valentine’s Day? Do you need some help planning the moment? For this month of romance, we asked some of Gibraltar’s happily married community how they were proposed to... and we found out you are quite a romantic lot!
pJoseph & Doris Asquez retired shipwright & assistant at NAAFI Joseph and Doris were walking down Main Street holding hands when we spoke to them and they explained it all started when she tried to hit him with her umbrella… It was a rainy day and I was walking along the street with my friend. Joseph and his friends were walking behind all laughing together. I thought Joseph was laughing at me and pulling my leg, so I tried to hit him with my umbrella. After that day Joseph would cross the street whenever he saw me coming, but we started to joke with each other about the umbrella incident and soon started courting. Eventually I invited Joseph to a special dance evening and it was here that he proposed. I replied that I couldn’t give Joseph an immediate answer, but Joseph said he needed an answer there and then because he wasn’t prepared to wait. They married in St Joseph’s parish church almost 53 years ago.
tGeeta Cunnigham Co-owner, Crafty Cupcake, ICC Patrick and I had been dating for about four years. He went on a trip to New York with his friends and while he was there he bought me an engagement ring from Tiffany’s. He proposed to me in London at his family home. He got down on one knee and I said “yes” straight away. We got married in the Gibraltar Registry Office and then we had a wonderful reception at the Elliot Hotel. We have now been happily married for almost 10 years and have two beautiful children.
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tAmin Ben Hamou Proprietor — Amin The Office I first met Ehssan here in Gibraltar, the next time I saw her I knew it had happened for a good reason and that I wanted to be with her. We courted for four years and then I booked for us to go on holiday to a hotel in Agadir, Morocco. Once at the hotel I was very nervous but proposed, which was a complete surprise to Ehssan. We work together and love being together and have just celebrated our 34th wedding anniversary.
Yolimar Hurtadou Sales Assistant, Seruyas I met my husband in Venezuela, while he was working there. One evening we went to a romantic restaurant and he said he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me. Of course I said “yes”. At the table he gave me a very special pair of earrings so we had the chance to choose a ring.
Sheila Borgeu My husband Peter and I met when we were 14 and have now been married for 44 years. Peter was studying medicine at St Thomas’ in London. During a phone conversation one day he mentioned that we should get married the following April. In his next letter to me he reconfirmed his proposal. I said ”yes” of course, although he was expecting that answer!
pMichael Da Silva General Manager at Brunos I had been dating Jenna for about 3 years and felt it was time to make a commitment. I went out alone and bought the ring. We went to Europa Point, to the viewing area by the old sundial, looking right across the Strait. I got down on one knee and proposed. It was a very emotional and exciting moment for us both. I was so pleased that day. We got married a few years later in the Gibraltar registry office. We’ve since had a full church service in Portugal.
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Happy 90th Teresa! Great-Great-Grandmother Teresa Bosano (pictured front centre with pink sash) celebrated her 90th birthday surrounded by family at a surprise party held in January. Congratulations Teresa, may you celebrate many many more birthdays with your family and friends!
Waterfront Raises Funds for Cancer Relief The team at the ever popular Waterfront restaurant at Queenway Quay (due for a full refurbishment in February) raised an impressive total of ÂŁ935.00 for charity at the annual Christmas Market. Pictured is restaurant manager Andrew Kimberley handing the cheque to the Chairperson of the Gibraltar Society for Cancer Relief, Marisa Desoiza.
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photo call
It’s a Small World... David and Gloria Stimson enjoyed a very different Christmas and New Year when they jetted off to Australia to watch the Ashes tests starting with Melbourne on Boxing Day then travelling on to Sydney for the New Year test. It is surprising who you meet when you are away and when they were having their photo taken at the Melbourne
Cricket ground with the Gibraltar Magazine and flag, who should also produce their own Gibraltar flag but Chris and Mandy Truby of Hercules Sailing at Marina Bay! Chris and Mandy were visiting relatives in Australia, as well as taking in the Melbourne test, and were sitting just a few seats from David and Gloria. When David and Gloria moved on to Sydney they came across another old friend from the UK who they met on a cruise some seven years ago. It really is a small world. n
Now there’s more at Matthew’s... Matthews Jewellery Repairs on Crutchett’s Ramp (just past the Valmar Pharmacy) has had an attractive new makeover. Established in 1999, Matthew’s is run by husband and wife team Matthew and Lillian Madley (with help from German Shepherd dog Yello, head of security), this friendly couple enjoy offering proper customer service. Matthew’s sells a wide range of fashion jewellery and watch
straps for all ages. The shop has been restocked with fabulous affordable items, such as the Sparkly crystal bead bracelets — priced at £20 these are proving to be a firm favourite with shoppers. For those looking for something a little more unusual, Matthew offers a bespoke service, making an item to your individual taste. Repairs to jewellery are also carried out on site. n Open 9am-4.30pm Monday-Friday.
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o � s r u o v a �l From April 2014 there will be regular flights from Gibraltar to the Kingdom of Morocco across the Strait. Already a feature of our annual Calentita! night, which explores the melting pot of Gibraltar’s cultures through street food, Moroccan cuisine is bound to gain momentum on the Rock as more of us explore the souks in search of authentic dishes. All the fragrant flavours of Morocco come together in one hearty savoury dish called a tajine or tagine — traditionally Berber fare, named after the distinctive clay dish in which it is cooked.
The Simple Secret of Preserved Lemons Many Moroccan recipes use preserved lemons, but don’t let this put you off — they are easy to make at home and are ready to use after a month. Both the rind and flesh of the preserved lemon are used in tapenades, marinades, couscous and other dishes. Preserved lemon can also be chopped finely and mixed into butter for a quick and delicious fish topping. You will need: 6 lemons Lemon juice from 3 lemons 150g Sea salt
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Glass preserve jar large enough for the tightly packed lemons Optional extras: Cinnamon stick Bay leaf 3 Cloves 6 Coriander seeds 4 Black peppercorns
Scrub the lemons and slice off the ends. If they are large lemons, quarter them lengthways without cutting all the way through so are using them, and all the lemon they remain in one piece. Rub the juice. Press down firmly. Close lemons with the salt and squash jar and store in a cool cupboard. Regularly open the jar and into the jar. Add the spices, if you
squash down the lemons again, close and shake. You should allow the lemons to soak for 30 days before using.
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The traditional handmade tagines — a heavy clay dish with a matching conical lid — come in a variety of colours and patterns and are available from Moroccan grocery stores in Gibraltar (try Cornwall’s Lane). The shape of the lid has a special purpose. As the food cooks, steam rises into the conical lid, condenses, and slowly drips back onto the meat, fish or vegetables, resulting in moist, succulent fare. The food gets stewed evenly over two to three hours, without drying. Certain ingredients are best paired with certain meats. Chicken goes well with preserved lemon and olives, and lamb with dried fruit and garlic. Honey, cumin, and herbed butter also give tagines the main flavours. You can make a chickpea tagine with apricots and harissa sauce, but the most popular recipe is the baked fish tagine (see below) which is made in chermoula sauce — a marinade of garlic, cumin, cayenne, lemon, olive oil and coriander. If you like it spicy, go with the fiery, red chilli harissa paste or the popular ras-el-hanout, which is a pungent blend of spices.
Classic
�ish Tagine Fish, potatoes, tomatoes and roasted peppers are layered in this classic Moroccan tagine which uses any firm, thick white fish such as Sea Bass. Serves: 4 Takes: 2.5 hours (allow at least two additional hours for the fish to marinate after the chermoula has been made). 1kg fish, thick slices Chermoula (see recipe) 1 large onion, cut rings 1 large carrot, cut thin sticks 2 large potatoes, cut thin slices 3 tomatoes, deseeded cut into thin slices 2 large red or green peppers 1tsp ginger 1tsp salt 0.5 tsp ground black pepper 0.5 tsp ground turmeric pinch of saffron threads 1 preserved lemon handful of purple olives 80ml olive oil Coriander leaves to garnish
Chermoula Oh so simple! 1 large bunch fresh coriander, finely chopped 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 2 tbs ground paprika 1 tbs ground cumin
First make the chermoula (see above) — this can be done a day in advance. Reserve half of the chermoula, and spread the other half over the fish. Cover and refrigerate, allowing it to marinate for least two hours or overnight — the longer the better. Roast the peppers, peel and deseed them, and cut into strips. Pour the olive oil into a tagine, and place the onion slices across the bottom. Create a bed for the fish using the carrot sticks. Mix the potato slices with the spices, and arrange around the edge of the tagine, topped with the tomato slices. Spoon the reserved chermoula over the vegetables. Add the marinated fish to the centre of the tagine, and arrange the peppers on nicely top. Garnish with the lemon (quartered) and olives. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the tagine, and cook over low to medium-low heat for about 1.5 hours, or until the fish and potatoes are done. If the sauce is not thick enough you can pour it into a pan to reduce over a high heat, then pour it back over the fish to serve. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves. n
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Chermoula is also great for marinating vegetables, such as courgettes, before roasting
1 tsp sea salt 1 tsp ground ginger 0.5 tsp cayenne pepper 0.25 tsp saffron threads 3 tbs olive oil juice of 1 lemon
Mix all ingredients well in a bowl, and that’s it — the chermoula ready to use. If you are marinating fish, vegetables or chicken, add a little more oil or water to thin so it is easier to spread. Leave it really thick if you are stuffing vegetables or fish. n
Contemporary Mediterranean Dining
Grand Casemates Square Tel: 200
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appetite
e to wher drink eat & the on k Roc
Café Solo Modern Italian eatery set in 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
Cafe Rojo
restaurants
Sleek modern comfort in this relaxing little restaurant. Brunch (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. Lunch 12-3pm, dinner 7-10pm; dishes such as Marinated Tuna Steak & Sesame Crust; Roasted Lamb Shoulder; pastas or risottos such as Roast Pumpkin, Mushroom, & Spinach Curry, 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: Tues - Fri 10am- late, Saturday lunch 12-3pm, afternoon drinks & desserts, dinner 7-10pm. Closed Sundays & Mondays.
Nunos Italian
Nunos Italian Restaurant, overlooking the Mediterranean, is popular with hotel guests, tourists and local residents. This 2 rosette rated, AA restaurant is renowned for its eclectic interior, intimate atmosphere and fine cuisine. Savour a wide selection of freshly prepared Italian delicacies, including bread, pasta, meat and fish, followed by delicious desserts. In the summer months, the hotel offers alfresco dining for private parties in the Garden Grill. Sitting nestled in the colonial garden you can enjoy a mouth-watering menu of charcoal-grilled meats and freshly prepared salads in candlelit surroundings. Open: Mon-Sun 1-3pm lunch, 7–11pm dinner
Cafe Rojo 54 Irish Town. Tel: 200 51738
Nunos Italian Restaurant and Terrace Caleta Hotel, Catalan Bay Tel: 200 76501 Email: reservations@caletahotel.gi
Casa Pepe
The Waterfront
A delightful terrace, bar, restaurant on the prestigious Queensway Quay Marina. Wonderful location for business meetings, weddings, anniversaries and other special occasions. Specialising in fresh fish caught locally with daily specials including seabass, dorada, sole, and bream, plus a very comprehensive a la carte menu. Also available are tapas and raciones (double size tapas) to share (or not!) prior to a main course. Mixed paellas also available, as well as fish cooked in rock salt, whole suckling pig and baby lamb to order. Open: Tues-Sat lunch & evening, Sunday lunch only, closed Mondays.
Right on the quayside at Queensway Quay Marina, this restaurant offers everything from coffee through to 3-course meals with champagne! A bar snack menu is available all day from 10.15am; the a la carte menu from midday to 10.30pm, featuring daily specials. The barbecue grill from 7pm offers sumptuous steaks aged in-house, and fab fish including dorada and sea bass. A delicious array of desserts/ice creams. Extensive terraces provide ideal location for summer dining and drinks with stunning sunsets. Caters for large parties - weddings, holy communions, birthdays etc. Est. over 16 years. Open: 7 days a week 9am-late
Casa Pepe, 18 Queensway Quay Marina, Tel/Fax: 200 46967 Email: casa.pepe@gmail.com. Visit: www.gibtour.com/casapepe.
The Waterfront Queensway Quay Marina. Tel: 200 45666 Visit: www.gibwaterfront.com
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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. Daily specials on blackboard. No smoking. Café Solo Grand Casemates Square. Tel: 200 44449
Solo Bar & Grill
Solo Bar and Grill is a stylish and modern eatery — perfect for business functions or lunches — and part of the popular Cafe Solo stable. Serving everything from Goats’ Cheese Salad, Mediterranean Pâté and Cajun Langoustines to Beer Battered John Dory, or Harissa Chicken, and Chargrilled Sirloin Steak. This is a delightful venue in Europort with a cosy mezzanine level and terrace seating. Well worth a visit, or two! Available for private functions and corporate events — call 200 62828 to book your function or event. Open: 12-8pm. Solo Bar & Grill Eurotowers Tel: 200 62828
Get Listed! Do you own a restaurant, café, or bar in Gibraltar? Get your business listed here
CALL 200 77748 for details GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2014
Do you own a restaurant, café, or bar in Gibraltar? Get your business listed here
CALL 200 77748 for details Amin’s Office Sit down, informal and friendly bar with informal eating. 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. Terrace, just off Main Street (turn left at Trafalgar Pharmacy coming from Casemates). Open: 7am to midnight. Amin's The Office 30 Parliament Lane. Tel: 200 40932
Buddies Pasta Casa Italian specials in pleasant ambience. Large selection of starters from garlic bread to calamari. Main courses include spinach caneloni, spaghetti alla carbonara, fusilli al salmone, and peppered steak to name a few. Tasty desserts and variety of wines. Outside seating too. Open: Monday - Thursday 11am - 5pm, Friday 11am-3pm and 7pm-11pm, Sat 11am-4.30pm Buddies Pasta Casa 15 Cannon Lane. Tel: 200 40627
Get Stuffed Very popular takeaway, sandwich bar and hot food. Serving all fresh and homemade sandwiches, salads, soups, pasta, pies, cup cakes, plus hot/cold drinks and smoothies and a different special every day. Outside catering for corporate parties. Open: 8am - 4pm Mon-Fri, 8am-3pm Sat. Get Stuffed Marina Bay. Tel: 200 42006
Just Desserts
food & drink
directory Mumbai Curry House Indian cuisine, eat-in/take-away, from snacks (samosas, bhajias, pakoras) to lamb, chicken and fish dishes such as korma, tikka masala, do piaza. Large vegetarian selection. Halal food. Outside catering for parties/meetings. Sunday Mumbai favourites such as Dosa & Choley Bhature. Open: 7 days a week 11am - 3pm, 6pm -late. Mumbai Curry House Unit 1.0.02 Ground Floor, Block 1 Eurotowers Tel: 200 73711 Home delivery: 200 50022/33
Oasis Eatery
Located in Governor’s Parade, just across from the Elliot Hotel, and offers hot/cold drinks plus a delicious homemade selection of baked items such as cakes and quiches, also sandwiches and wraps, bagels and cupcakes. Vegan/vegetarian items. Oasis is on Facebook and Twitter and you can pre-order online which is handy for a quick lunch. Special orders taken for a range of bakery goods. Fully licensed for beers and wine. Terrace seating. Open: 8am to 3pm
Oasis Eatery Govenor’s Parade Tel: 200 65544 www.oasiseatery.com
Pick a Bite Morning coffee and daily lunch specials, one of largest selections of traditional home made food, to eat in or takeaway. All the old favourites — spinach pie, croquettes, quiche, spanish omelette, shepherd’s pie and more. Delicious sandwiches, baguettes, ciabatta melts and wraps, with a variety of fillings. Salads, snacks and soups. Cakes and muffins for those with a sweet tooth. Friendly, cheerful and very reasonal prices. Terrace seating. Open: Monday to Friday 8am - 3pm. Pick A Bite 10 Chatham Counterguard Tel: 200 64211
Picadilly Gardens
e to wher drink eat & the on k Roc
Sacarello Coffee Co Converted coffee warehouse, great coffee, homemade cakes/ afternoon tea, plus menu and excellent salad bar with quiche selection, specials of the day and dishes such as lasagne, steak and mushroom Guinness pie, hot chicken salad, toasties, club sandwich and baked potatoes. Art exhibitions. Available for parties and functions in the evenings. Open: 9am-7.30pm Mon-Fri. 9am-3pm Sat Sacarello Coffee Co. 57 Irish Town. Tel: 200 70625
Raj’s Curry House Raj’s tasty Indian cuisine is now available to eat in or take away, from his new fully refurbished premises in Queensway Quay next to the Waterfront. Serving authentic dishes such as Creamy Butter Chicken, Bhuna King Prawn or Chana Masala, and so much more. There is something available to suit all tastes. Pop in or telephone for food orders or table reservations. Open: food served 7 days 11am- 3pm, 6pm-late Raj’s Curry House Queensway Quay. Tel: 200 46993
Solo Express Located next to Pizza Hut in Casemates and in Eurotowers, serves a variety of salads/baguettes (white, brown, ciabatta) filled with a deli selection such as roast chicken; smoked salmon & mascapone; ham, cheese and coleslaw; or humous, avocado & roast red pepper. Salads fresh and tasty (Greek, Waldorf, cous cous, tuna pasta etc), great value. Jackets, quiches, coffee plus cakes (flapjacks, muffins) available all day. Eat-in area. Soups in winter. Solo Express Grnd Flr, ICC, Casemates & Eurotowers
The Tasty Bite
B r i g h t a n d a i r y, recently redecorated cafe on the first floor of the ICC. All homemade food including daily specials, vegetarian options, desserts and small cakes. Eat in or takeaway. Try their daily roast with everything on, or their all-day breakfast. Pensioner’s lunch - 2 course meal for £5.25. Friendly, cheerful and fully licensed. Open: from 7.30am Monday to Friday
Relaxed bar restaurant located near to the Queen’s Hotel and Cable car, it has a cosy garden terrace, which is great for drinks, tapas and food al fresco. English breakfast, tapas, hamburgers, fresh fish, paella by pre-order, prawns, squid, clams and a variety of meat dishes. Eat in or takeaway. Open: 6:30am till late.
Tasty Bite has one of the biggest take-away menus around with home cooked meats, filled baguettes, burgers, chicken and everything else you can think of! Try the quiches, tortillas and jackets spuds with all kinds of fillings. This little place gets busy with those popping out from the offices for lunch so get there early. Open: Monday - Saturday.
Just Desserts 1st Floor ICC. Tel: 200 48014
Piccadilly Gardens Rosia Road, Tel: 20075758
The Tasty Bite 59a Irish Town. Tel: 200 78220 Fax: 200 74321
GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARy 2014
informal food
Get Listed!
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food & drink informal food
directory Verdi Verdi All day coffee plus all homemade and delicious vegetarian and vegan dishes, fresh baked bread and desserts. A selection of bagels (try the smoked salmon and cream cheese) and baguettes to eat in or take away. Try the light homemade pizzas, or the falafels and humous. Daily special soups are fabulous and filling. Ask for Idan's hot homemade chilli relish — sweet and scrummy. Open: Mon/Thurs: 7.30-6, Fri 7.30-5, Sun 10-3. Verdi Verdi ICC, Casemates Tel: 200 60733
Get Listed! Do you own a restaurant, café, or bar in Gibraltar? Get your business listed here
CALL 200 77748 for details All’s Well
Traditional pub in fashionable Casemates area. Named for the 18th century practise of locking gates to the city at night when the guard called ‘All’s Well’. All’s Well serves Bass beers, wine and spirits plus pub fare. English breakfast all day, hot meals such as pork in mushroom sauce, sausage & mash, cod & chips and steak & ale pie plus a range of salads and jacket potatoes. Large terrace. Karaoke Mondays and Wednesdays until late. Free tapas on a Friday 7pm. All’s Well Casemates Square. Tel: 200 72987
bars & pubs
Bridge Bar & Grill
Located on the water’s edge, Ocean Village, just across the bridge from O’Reilly’s. This bar & grill is a fusion of an American themed menu with Tarifa chill out style. Open for breakfast from 9am serving healthy options, freshly squeezed orange juice and Italian Lavazza coffee. Try the spicy Caribbean rum ribs, southern fried chicken bucket, the popular Texas burger or a selection of tasty salads and homemade desserts. London Pride, San Miguel & Carling beer on draught, live sports. Bridge Bar & Grill Ocean Village Tel: 200 66446
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Cannon Bar
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. Cannon Bar
Gibraltar Arms On Main Street opposite the cathedral, enjoy a meal, coffee or a cool beer on the terrace and watch the world go by! Bar decorated with rare military plaques from regiments and navy ships visiting Gibraltar. Full breakfast menu served from 7am, draught beers on tap include Old Speckled Hen bitter, Murphys Irish stout, Heineken lager and Strongbow cider. Gibraltar Arms 184 Main Street. Tel: 200 72133
Jury’s Café-Wine Bar
Next to the Law Courts, with a terrace seating area, Jury’s has a selection of Ciabattas, paninis, baguettes and wraps, plus popular sharing dishes, such as Your Honour’s platter. Jacket potatoes, main courses, pasta and some innocent salads too. For those with a sweet tooth, there are tantalising homemade desserts, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, as well as Lavazza coffees and frappes. Open: 7am-midnight Mon-Sat, 9am-midnight Sun. Jury’s Café & Wine Bar 275 Main Street. Tel: 200 67898
Lord Nelson
Bar/brasserie in Casemates. Done out like Nelson’s ship. Starters & snacks include fresh mussels, blue cheese and rocket bruschetta, potato skins, spicy chicken wings and calamares. Main courses from chilli con carne and chicken & mushroom pie, to crispy duck burrito and fish & chips. Jackets, burgers and kid’s menu. Live music on stage nightly. Spacious terrace. Open: 10am till very late. Lord Nelson Bar Brasserie 10 Casemates Tel: 200 50009 Visit: www.lordnelson.gi
e to wher drink & eat the on k Roc
The Lounge Stylish lounge and gastro bar on the quayside at Queensway Quay with very reasonable prices and food from 10am until late. Popular quiz on Sundays (from 7.30pm) and a relaxed friendly atmosphere... always plenty of people / yachties to chat to. Events (matches etc) covered on large TV. Great place to chill out. Pool table. Open: 10am Mon - Sat until late and from 12pm on Sun (get there early for a seat for the quiz). The Lounge Queensway Quay Marina Tel: 200 61118
O’Reilly’s Traditional Irish bar with full HD sports coverage and Irish breakfast from 7am (Sunday from 9am). Guinness on draught. Food includes salads, jackets, beef & Guinness 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. O’Reilly’s Ocean Village. Tel: 200 67888
Star Bar
Gibraltar’s oldest bar, just off Main St. Small cosy and famous for its full English breakfast from 7am (9am on Sunday). A full menu including fish & chips, until 10pm. The home of Star Coffee, draught beers include Heineken, Old Speckled Hen, Murphys and Strongbow cider. Managed by Hunter Twins from Stafford, England, also home to Med Golf & Tottenham Hotspur supporters club. Star Bar Parliament Lane. Tel: 200 75924 Visit: www.starbargibraltar.com
The Three Owls 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, bar — open from 10.30am daily. First floor ‘Hoots’ bar, two match pool tables, poker machines, dartboard, bar, open from 5pm daily. Second Floor the ‘Nest’ — American pool table, poker machine, card table, bar — open from 7pm daily and also at weekends for the Rugby Union matches. If you are looking for a sociable game of pool or darts this is the place to be. The Three Owls Irish Town. Tel: 200 77446 GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2014
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
10 Casemates www.lordnelson.gi Tel: 200 50009
• Pizza • Pasta • Salads • Fresh Juices • Cappuccino • Ice Creams
DAILY SPECIALS Grand Casemates Sq Tel: 20044449 take-away or reserve a table
Tel: 200 46993 7 days 11am - 3pm, 6pm - late
Queensway Quay (next to Waterfront) Queensway Quay Marina, Tel: 200 61118
184 Main Street Tel: 200 72133 open: from 8am (10am on Sun)
restaurant bar guide &
TASTY INDIAN CUISINE
Get Stuffed!
Marina Bay Tel: 200 42006 Take-Away, Sandwiches & Hot Food Different Special Every Day salads, soups, pastas, pies, cupcakes, all home made Open 8am-4pm Mon-Fri, 8am-3pm Sat
Indian Cuisine to Eat In or Take Away Unit 1.0.02 Grnd Flr, Block 1 Eurotowers Tel: 200 73711
Casa Pepe Open: Mon-Sat 11am-late 18 Queensway Quay Marina Tel/Fax: 200 46967
BUDDIES pasta casa
Come and enjoy real Italian meals in Gibraltar’s leading pasta house 15 Cannon Lane Tel: 200 40627 for reservations
Award winning breakfasts from 7.30am Great meals & snacks all day Evening Steak House menu Med Golf Clubhouse Tottenham Hotspur HQ Parliament Lane Tel: 200 75924 GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAGAZINE •• FEBRUARY FEBRUARy 2014 2014 GIBRALTAR
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Democracy in Action... words | Peter Rodney
Words have a wonderful way of changing their meanings. In Shakespeare’s time, when a character says: “I shall be with you presently”, he means he will attend immediately. Now it means ‘soon’ or in the near future. ‘Hopefully’ means full of hope, as in travelling hopefully, and not ‘It is to be hoped that...’. And pedants like me never tire of pointing out that ‘disinterested’ is not the same as ‘uninterested’. Political correctness, as it is known, requires some words not to be used because they are seen as derogatory of other classes of persons, whether that other class is of another colour, disabled in some way or might otherwise be offended. So far so good. There is no point in offending others unnecessarily, even if the offence taken may, on occasion, be a little exaggerated. Even if David Mitchell, the Tory politician at the centre of the ‘Plebgate’ affair, did call the policemen concerned
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wine ‘Plebs’, was this really an insult at which they felt so offended that they called for (and eventually got) his resignation? A derogatory remark, certainly, but what if he had said ‘_____’ or ‘______’? (I leave it to your imagination to fill in the blanks, but I suspect they are words which policemen are called every day.) Would the consequences have been so serious? ‘Democracy’ and ‘democratic’ have become meaningless cheerleader’s words. ‘Fascist’ has lost its original meaning to become a boo-word. I am a democrat and you are a fascist. You think it is the other way round. In fact, we simply disagree on some (usually vaguely political) point. I have a democratic right to do this and that (usually vaguely associated with free speech). If you seek to disagree with me then you are denying my democratic right (and you are probably a fascist as well). Free speech, as an example, may be a human right (as enshrined in the European Convention and elsewhere) and may have come about by virtue of government by the people, but it is in no way a democratic right. Fascism involves state control of all aspects of life with no dissent or protest permitted — and, most importantly, no choice. It is a pity to see these important principles descending into Hooray and Yah boo exchanges. One is reminded of Orwell’s Animal Farm in which the mindless chanting of: ‘Four legs good, two legs bad’ eventually and seamlessly transmutes into: ‘Four legs good, two legs better’. In 1989, on the bicentenary of the French revolution, the champagne house of Laurent Perrier produced an anniversary vintage. The label proudly announced that one of the causes of the Revolution was that the people wanted to get their hands on more of the precious fluid, previously only available to the aristocracy. What a wonderful selling point. It has been said that the legal system is, like the doors of the Ritz Hotel, open to all. We can now add champagne to the list of matters to which we have a democratic right — and subject those who would seek to deny us of this right to a Reign of Terror... That also came about because of the Revolution, but was explained as Democracy finding its feet. A few people getting hurt along the way is a necessary part of creating
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a true Democracy (or so we must believe). My democratic wine of the month is, in honour of its country having embraced the principle of rule by the people through universal franchise, an Argentinian Malbec. At £7.65 from Anglo Hispano (I am sure Morrison’s have one but I haven’t looked closely enough), this is deep, rich and satisfying. (My Wines have a rather more expensive one which is doubtless even better — but my democratic right to have a free bottle was unaccountably refused and my wife took the democratic decision not to permit me to buy one.) It will accompany a hearty roast on a Sunday lunch in the cool and rain of February to perfection. Hardy’s of Australia (a wonderfully democratic country which was among the first to give prisoners the vote — note that the UK still doesn’t) are presently on offer at Morrison’s and are always reliable and solid. However, their alcohol content is at 14% which is on the high side for a bottle shared (and finished) between two. I am still debating in my own mind whether it is worse, in the morning, to have a sore head or to look at a bottle with one glass’s worth still in it. The sore head will go away by lunchtime; the one glass needs to be drunk but when and by whom? Choosing a democratic white for February is more difficult. First, the month does not really lend itself to whites, even in warmer Southern Europe. Secondly, no producer of decent whites readily springs to mind as a cradle of democracy. There is Greece — but that is where retsina comes from. Italy actually has the gall to charge money for Asti. France has some claims to democracy (the Presidents are very democratic in bestowing amorous favours) and does not produce much that is undrinkable. So let’s go for an Alsace. The people of Alsace had no say in who ruled them between 1870 and 1945, having been invaded and then swapped back again three times, and they deserve a salute. Gewurztraminer may be too herby and spicy for some tastes but it is a delight if you like that sort of thing. About £10 upwards from all suppliers. If you disagree with any of these suggestions, you are free to do so. But it is not your democratic right. n
Choosing a democratic white for February is more difficult. First, the month does not really lend itself to whites, even in warmer Southern Europe. Secondly, no producer of decent whites readily springs to mind as a cradle of democracy
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d n u o r � ow� �
Photos this page: a selection from the Three Kings Cavalcade
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Photos on this page (taken by Mike Brufal): The opening of Christian Hook’s solo exhibition took place on 23rd January at the Clarendon Fine Art Gallery in Dover Street, Mayfair, London and will be on display until 5th February. The ten paintings were commissioned for the gallery and each painting is on sale for around £10,000. Rachel Simkiss, the Gallery director is a Gibraltarian by marriage. It is her intention to display the paintings later in the year around the UK.
It’s February and it is the month of love. The second month of 2014 and the last official month of winter, it is brightened in the middle with promises of undying love and shops filled with bright red hearts and flowers. From a social point of view in Gibraltar it is a quiet month. We have just one cruise ship visiting our shores in February (the P&O Oriana on Tuesday 11th February from 8am-1.30pm) so there will be time to stroll on Main Street and stop for a chat. We do have a couple of events happening in February — there is the final of the Chess Festival at the Caleta Hotel which is on until 6th February. Later in the month, from Wednesday 19th to 22nd February, will see the spectacular annual Gibraltar International Dance Festival organised by M.O. Productions. Dancers from many countries and in many dance genres and sections in the performing arts and street dance categories take part. For further info Tel: 20071635 or email: mopro@ gibtelecom.net for schedule. Saturday 22nd February is a busy day in an otherwise quiet calendar as there is the GONHS outing to the northern end of the Rock to see wintering birds (meet Princess Caroline’s Battery at 9.30am). For info contact Jill Tel: 54015060. At the same time there is the Craft & Collectors Fair at St Andrew’s Church, Governor’s Parade (10am to 2pm) which is full of interesting goodies. Entrance is just £1.00 with proceeds going towards the Church Restoration Fund. If you prefer a little more action try Thrifty Thursdays at Kings Bowl... Every Thursday there is unlimited bowling for £10.00 per person from 7pm until 10pm. Certainly a fun night out for friends and family. Birthdays this month include Belle O’Hanlon on 5th who celebrates a biggie (we’ll let you guess which), Cannon Bar Jane on 7th, Andy Hunter of O’Reilly’s on 8th, architect Ruth Massias Greenberg on February 14th (lucky Idan who just has to remember one date!), our Chief Minister Fabian Picardo on 18th, and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Michael Pizzarello on 28th. Many happy returns to you all, and to anyone else celebrating a big event in February. May your February be filled with love. See you on a peaceful Main Street!
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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 6.30pm8pm, Wed 6.30pm-8.30pm, life painting Wed 7pm-9pm). Tel: 200 79788. The Fine Arts Association Gallery 1st Floor above Gibraltar Crystal, Casemates. Open 11am-2pm, 4-6pm Mon - Fri, Sat 11am - 2pm. Arts & Crafts Gallery (next door) opens Mon - Fri 9.30am - 5pm (summer) -6pm (winter), Sat 9.30am - 3pm. Exhibition Vin’s Gallery at the Rock, The Rock Hotel. Original paintings, prints, and souvenirs by Vin Mifsud and her pupils. Monday - Saturday 9.30-11am and 8-10pm. The Gibraltar Decorative and Fine Arts Society Affiliated to the UK NADFAS organisation meets third Wednesday of the month at 6.30pm at Eliott Hotel - lecturers & experts from the UK to talk on Art etc. Contact: ChairmanClaus Olesen: 200 02024 claus.olesen@sghambros. com. Membership Ian leBreton: 200 76173 ilebreton@SovereignGroup.com Knit and Natter Group: Tuesdays from 11am3pm, at Arts & Crafts Shop, Casemates balconyFree to join and refreshments provided. Tel: 20073865 for more information. Board Games Chess Club meets in Studio 1, John Mackintosh Hall 8-10.30pm Tues. The Gibraltar Scrabble Club meet at the Rock Hotel on Mondays at 3pm. For further information please ring Vin at 20073660 or Roy at 20075995. All welcome. 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 Bellydance classes. Beginners level on Tuesday from 7-8pm at Danza Academy or 8-9pm at Ocean Village fitness centre. Tel 54005593. 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. Modern, Contemporary, Lyrical, Flexibility, Hip Hop & Dance Theatre classes weekly at Urban Dance Studio, 2 Jumpers Bastion. Tel: Yalta (54012212) or Jolene (54015125). Ballet, Modern Theatre, Jazz, Contemporary & Hip Hop classes held weekly at Danza Academy, 68/2 Prince Edward’s Road. Training from 2.5 years to Adult Advanced. Royal Academy of Dancing and Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing exams taken. Competing opportunity with IDF European & World Championships. Tel: Anne-Marie 54027111 or Zulieka 54003973. Aerobics, Step, Dancercise & Zumba classes for women held weekly at Danza Academy, 68/2 Prince Edward’s Rd. Tel: 54027111. Zumba Classes at Urban Dance, Jumpers Bastion, with certified instructor Tyron Walker. Mon & Weds 8-9pm. Tel: 20063959 or 54012212. 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 Gibraltar National Choir and Gibraltar Junior National Choir rehearse on Tuesday & Thursday
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Don’t be bored... do something fun! 7.30 - 9pm at the Holy Trinity Cathedral. New singers always welcome. Tel: 54831000. St Andrew’s Music Academy Musical Monsters Club, workshops. Group musical activities for kids 3-7 years. Singing, rhythmic games etc. Tel: 200 42690 email: samagib@hotmail.com The Calpe Band Mondays & Wednesdays. For musicians of brass/woodwind instruments of all standards/ages/abilities 7-9pm, 35a Town Range (behind the Senior Citizens Club) Tel: Claire 54017070 email: thecalpebnd@gmail.com Outdoor Activities The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award - exciting selfdevelopment programme for all young people worldwide equipping them with life skills to make a difference to themselves, their communities and the world. 5 million young people from 100+ countries have been motivated to undertake a variety of challenging activities. Contact Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Montagu Bastion, Line Wall Road. Tel: 200 59818 Quizzes The Lounge friendly quiz on Sundays from 8pm right on the quayside at Queensway Quay. Social Clubs 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. Gibraltar Photographic Society meets on Mon at 7.30pm, Wellington Front. Basic courses, competitions etc. Harley Davidson Owners’ Club www.hdcgib. com The Royal British Legion (Gibraltar Branch). For info/membership contact the Branch Secretary 20074604 or write to PO Box 332, Gibraltar. UN Association of Gibraltar PO Box 599, 22a Main Street. Tel: 200 52108. Creative Writers Group meet Tuesdays at Eliott Hotel bar at 8pm, aimed at learning to write fiction/non-fiction, for pleasure or publication. Session is £5. Contact Carla Tel: 54006696 Sports Supporters Clubs 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. 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. 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). Cheerleading: Gibraltar Cheerleading Association, girls/boys all ages. Chearleading and street cheer/hip hop at Victoria Stadium. Recreational / competitive levels. Contact Gina: 58008338. Canoeing: Gibraltar Canoeing Association. Tel: Nigel 200 52917 or Eugene 58014000. Cricket: Gibraltar Cricket, National Governing Body & Associate Member of ICC. Governs men’s, women’s, boys’ & girls’ cricket - league & cup competitions and in-schools coaching. www.gibraltarcricket.com email: info@gibcricket.com Twitter: @Gibraltar_Crick 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. Gaelic Football Club (Irish sport): males of any age welcome. Get fit, play sport, meet new friends, travel around Spain/Europe and play an exciting and competitve sport. Training every Wednesday in La Linea 7-a-side pitches at 8.30pm. Andalucia League with Seville and Marbella to play matches home and away monthly. Email team@gibraltargaels.com or visit www.gibraltargaels.com. 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/juniors. Tel: Eric 200 74156 Peter 200 72730. Iaido Gibraltar - teaches the Japanese sword (Katana), classes every week, visit www.iaidogibraltar.com Iwa Dojo, Kendo & Jujitsu, classes every week, for kids/adults, visit www.iwadojo.com email: dbocarisa@iwadojo.com Tel: 54529000 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: 200 41795 or 200 41874. Petanque: Gibraltar Petanque Association plays at Giralda Gardens, Smith Dorrien Ave. New members welcome. Tel: 200 70929. Pilates: Monday & Wednesday 11-12am for beginners, and intermediate classes Monday & Wednesday 9:30-10:45am, at Shotokai Karate Centre. Contact Chantal: 60618882. 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. For information contact Sally Tel: 200 74661. Rugby: Gibraltar Rugby Football Union training for Colts (14+), seniors and veterans. Play in Andalusia 1st Division Oct-April. Tel: 200 72185 Sailing: Gibraltar Yachting Association junior/ senior competitive programme (April - Oct) Tel: RGYC 200 48847. Sea Angling: Gibraltar Federation of Sea An-
what a page turner! www.thegibraltarmagazine.com
glers (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). Snooker: Members of European Billiards & Snooker Association - facilities at Jumpers Bastion with 3 tables. Professional coaching for juniors/seniors. Organised leagues/tournaments and participation in international competitions. Tel: Sean Galligan 56262000 or Lee Prickman 54000068, email info@gibraltarsnooker.com 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: Gibraltar Sub-Aqua Association taster dives for over 14s, tuition from local clubs. Voluntary sports clubs: Tel: Phil 200 44606, Noah’s Dive Club Tel: Leslie 200 79601, 888s Dive Club Tel: Martin 200 70944. Commercial sports diving schools also available. Swimming: Gibraltar Amateur Swimming Association (member FINA & LEN) opens its pool for leisure swimming Mon - Fri 7-8.45am, 12- 4pm, 8- 9pm. Junior lessons, squad for committed swimmers, water polo (Rebecca 200 72869). Table Tennis: Gibraltar Table Tennis Association (members ITTA) training / playing sessions, Victoria Stadium, Tues 6-10pm and Thurs 8-11pm with coaching and league competition. Lizanne 200 45071/54020477 or Eugene 58014000. Taekwondo: Gibraltar Taekwondo Association classes/gradings Tel: 200 Mari 44142. 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: Ten-Pin Bowling takes place at King’s Bowl in the King’s Bastion Leisure Centre every day. To have a go call 200 77338 to reserve your lane. 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 Email:gibdrama@yahoo.co.uk Tel: 200 42237 www.geocities.com/gibdrama Trafalgar Theatre Group meets 2nd Wed of month, Garrison Library 8pm. All welcome. Theatrix: Contact Trevor and Iris on Tel: 54006176 or email theatrixgib@yahoo.co.uk
GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2014
sports update
Support Groups Alcoholics Anonymous meet 7pm Tues & Thurs at Nazareth Hse Tel: 200 73774. A Step Forward support for single, separated, divorced/widowed people, meet 8pm Mon at St Andrew’s Church. Mummy and Me Breastfeeding Support Group for mums who are pregnant, breastfeeding or have breastfed to get together for coffee, chat and support. Partners and older children welcome. Meets first Wednesday of every month at Chilton Court Community Hall at 1.30pm. Enquiries and support 54014517. 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. Meet alternate Thursdays at 9pm at Nazareth House. For info 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 for compulsive overeating problems. Tel: helpline for meetings info 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. Meet 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. Email: Susan GIB-CST-JSWPA@ mod.uk With Dignity Gibraltar support for separated, divorced/widowed or single people. Meet Weds 9pm, Catholic Community Centre, Line Wall Rd. Outings/activities. Tel: 54007181 or 200 79957. Women in Need. Voluntary organisation for all victims of domestic violence. Refuge available. Tel: 200 42581 (24 hrs).
Gibraltar Rugby Returns to the International Stage On Saturday 22nd February, at Victoria Stadium, the Gibraltar Rugby Football Union National team will play host to Israel in what will be their second International fixture. The National Team will be playing against Israel’s first team, which represents the home side’s strongest opponent and greatest challenge to date and should prove to be an exciting event. The squad is training hard under the watchful eye of Head
Coach Mike Milward, Forwards Coach Will Collins, Backs Coach Adrian Thomas and Team Manager Stephen Payas. At 6pm, and leading up to the main event at 8pm, there will be a number of exhibition matches played by the Mini’s section. These children range from 5-12
years old and train every Sunday morning with dedicated coaches and parents. The main event will kick off at 8pm. Entry to Victoria Stadium is free and everyone is welcome, so please go along and show your support for our National Squad. n
Elite Training Squad Announced The GRFU National Squad Selectors have announced their training Squad for 2014. The immediate challenge to be faced is the home International against Israel 1st XV, on Saturday 22nd February. The announcement of a training squad allows the management team to plan their development work over the year, not only for the February match, but also for the next fixture planned for December 2014. The selectors are confident the GFRU has an exciting mix of youth and experience. All players have received their training programmes and their progress will be closely monitored to ensure the very best are selected for match day squads. Backs Harvey Armstrong, Nick Bottino*, Hamish Couper, Charles Cruz, Fred Cruz, Joey Garcia,
GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2014
Chris Gillighan, Nick Isola, Julian Leigh, Albert Loddo, Nick Pitto*, James Russo, Adrian Thomas* Forwards Xavi Bottino*, Roger Cabral*, Nick Culatto, Paul Foster, Ronnie Gache, Joey Galloway*, Joey Holliday*, Albert Isola, Alex Lavarello, Paul Lucas*, Chris Lugnani, Chris Lyons, Luke Payas, Nathan Ponce*, Nick Ramagge, Chad Thomson, Moussa Tuznani * indicates first call up for the National Squad The management team also announced an addition to the coaching team. With Adrian Thomas now eligible as a player, Nick Wright has joined as the Backs Coach, working with Forwards Coach Will Collin and Head Coach Mike Milward, supported by Team Manager Stephen Payas. n
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information
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he flora and fauna on the Upper Rock are considered of great conservational value. It’s the perfect place for birdwatchers, as migratory species use Gibraltar as the shortest crossing between Europe and Africa. 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 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 anyone who could tell him how to mount a gun on the north face of the Rock. Sgt. Major Ince suggested tunnelling and there are over 30 miles of tunnels inside the Rock with various exhibitions inside. 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 civilian population during the many sieges, are housed in one 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-ibnZeyad (“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
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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 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 with Nature Reserve ticket. Tickets for the nature reserve can also be bought at this attraction). Parson’s Lodge: Rosia Road. Narrow limestone outcrop with a labyrinth of tunnels surmounted by an impressive battery, which has witnessed the development of coast artillery over 300 years. Housed three 18 ton 10-inch rifled muzzle loaders positioned behind a unique sandwich of armour plate/teak, known as ‘Gibraltar Shields’. Flat Bastion Magazine Flat Bastion Road, Geological Research Station and Lithology of Gibraltar. To visit contact: F. Gomez Tel. 200 44460, P. Hodkinson Tel. 200 43910. Shrine of Our Lady of Europe (Museum within premises) Europa Road. 10am-7pm Monday to Friday, 11am-7pm Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays. Closed 1pm - 2pm. Trafalgar Cemetery: Trafalgar Rd, 9am - 7pm daily (free).
Business Information Financial Serv. Commission Tel: 200 40283/4 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 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. A fact taken advantage of by stars such as Sean Connery and John Lennon. Rock Tours by Taxi Tel: 200 70052 As well as
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.
offering normal fares, taxis provide Rock Tours taking in the Upper Rock, Europa Point and other sites of interest. It is the best way to see the Rock’s major features in a short time. John Mackintosh Hall Tel: 200 75669 Includes cafeteria, theatre, exhibition rooms and library. 308 Main Street 9.30am - 11pm Monday to Friday. Closed weekends. Bicycle Racks Bicycle parking is provided at the following locations: Europort Road, Casemates Tunnel, Land Port Ditch, Fish Market Road, Commonwealth Car Park, Reclamation Road (by English Steps) + Line Wall Road. Gibibikes is a scheme for public use of bikes taken from stations around the Rock. Visit www.gibibikes.gi for info. Public Holidays 2014 Gibraltar & United Kingdom New Year’s Day Wed 1 January Commonwealth Day* Mon 10 March Good Friday Fri 18 April Easter Monday Mon 21 April Worker’s Memorial Day Mon 28 April May Day Thurs 1 May Spring Bank Holiday Mon 26 May Queen’s Birthday Mon 16 June Late Summer Bank Holiday Mon 25 August Gibraltar National Day* Wed 10 September Christmas Day Thurs 25 December Boxing Day Fri 26 December *Gibraltar only
Gibraltar Postcode - GX11 1AA
Emergency Services
Emergency calls only: Fire/Ambulance................................... Tel: 190 Police............................................ Tel: 199/112 Emergency Number Tel: 112 Non-urgent calls: Ambulance Station Tel: 200 75728 Police........................................ Tel: 200 72500 os Emergency N : .............Tel: (5) 5026 / (5) 3598
GibiBikes Locations • Frontier • Victoria Stadium • Waterport Road (Watergardens) • Waterport Road (Waterport Terraces) • Eurotowers • Reclamation Road (Leisure Centre) • Commonwealth Parade Car Park • Rosia Road (Jumpers building) • Rosia Road (Bayview Terraces) • Grand Parade Car Park (Cable Car) • Southport Gates (Ince’s Hall) • Line Wall Road (City Hall) • Line Wall Road (Orange Bastion) • Market Place • Eastern Beach Road (coming soon) • Catalan Bay (viewing platform) • St Joseph’s School • Europa Point • Rosia Parade Visit www.gibibikes.gi to find out more about how you can benefit from GibiBikes
GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2014
The Gibraltar Magazine is published and produced by Guide Line Promotions Ltd, La Bayuca, 21 Turnbull’s Lane, Gibraltar. Tel/Fax: (+350) 200 77748
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atural History & Heritage Park admission 9.30am to 7pm by tickets (includes entrance to sites - 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 £10, children 5-12 years: £5, children age under 4 free, vehicles £2. Private vehicles may be restricted at certain times, tours available by taxi/mini bus. Also reached by cable car (leaves Grand Parade 9.30am-5.15pm Mon-Sun. Last cable down: 5.45pm). 50p per person to walk with no entrance tickets.
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