The Gibraltar Magazine Sept. 2010 by Rock Publishing Ltd

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Making Your Wedding Rock Business: A New Generation

Trophy Visit for Ian Rush Net Date to Soul Mate?

Net Success for Jimmy

Scumptious September

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magazine September 2010 Vol. 15 No. 11 FREE

Making Your Wedding Rock Business: A New Generation

Trophy Visit for Ian Rush Net Date to Soul Mate?

Net Success for Jimmy

Scumptious September

and much more

Frontier Flags photographed by Kevin Fitzmaurice Brown

Vol. 15 No. 11 September 2010

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAGAZINE •• SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER 2010 2010 GIBRALTAR

European bank

stress tests

by Ian le Breton

were they really testing? And how did the British and Spanish banks fare?

The problem with economic recessions and downturns is that, for many people, stress levels rise; be it concerns about one’s job, business, financial affairs, home and family, or just a more general feeling that all is not well. So it should be no surprise that even the European Union has been testing stress levels — in the banking arena. There has been a lot of press comment concerning these tests and all sorts of figures have been bandied about by financial journalists with their usual gay abandon. But in reality what sort of stress was being tested, what were the results and can we really trust the banks again? Read on. Friday, 23 July, 2010 was a nervous day on the European markets. Recently we have become used to such nervousness as either stock markets or currency exchanges reacting violently to the latest batch of bad news coming from wherever. But this particular Friday was more worrying than most because, in the early evening after markets had closed for the weekend, the Committee of European Banking Supervisors (CEBS) issued the results of their stress-testing exercise on European banks. Why were these tests necessary? As I have

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

mentioned in several recent columns, the outlook for Europe during the earlier part of this year was looking decidedly shaky. Greece — where at one point serious questions were being asked about her financial stability and even whether she might have to withdraw from the euro — was perhaps the most visible example. Eventually the EU and International Monetary Fund stepped in with a raft of different measures. This was not only important for Greece, but it demonstrated to the wider world that the EU was not simply going to sit back as market speculators dumped Greek debt. The clear risk was that if Greece were allowed to default in any way, then other EU member states might follow. Something had to be done, and it was. Massive amounts of public money have been made available to EU banks and so far the

worst case scenario has been avoided. There are encouraging signs that the medicine is working and that the very worst of the crisis may now be behind us. But lingering doubts remained amongst European policy makers and central bankers. What if the disease returned with a vengeance? What if growth stopped in its tracks? Or worse, what if we headed back into recession – the so-called “double dip”? And what effect would any default have on the European banking system? It was to answer all these questions that the CEBS conducted these tests. In fact their role was to coordinate everything; the testing itself was delegated to the relevant supervisory authorities in each country. In total, 91 European banks across the continent from Ireland to Greece were tested. In Spain the tests were of particular impor-

business & finance tance because of the problems encountered by many of the savings banks — the cajas — due primarily to their exposure to the property sector. Many banks in Spain and further afield had had to resort to European Central Bank funds in order to continue funding their day-to-day operations. The idea behind the testing was for a robust, independent screening such that thereafter the banks could move on, and hopefully under less suspicious conditions. The tests were designed to show whether banks could maintain in the future an acceptable level of capital under particular conditions — the so-called “adverse stress” scenarios. The capital that each bank can call upon is graded. The top level is made up of shareholders equity, retained profits and other forms of top quality capital. This is known as the Tier 1 capital ratio. For the purposes of the stress test, the “pass mark” was set at 6 per cent. The tests considered three different situations. The “baseline” scenario considered an ongoing recovery whilst the adverse version looked at a two-year decline back into recession. The third “shock” dealt with a possible funding crisis for a government leading to a decline in the value of national bonds of up to 25 per cent. So who passed? Much to the relief of financial markets around the world, almost every bank tested met the criteria by demonstrating that they could maintain the 6 per cent capital level even under these hypothetical “stressed” conditions. Of the 91 banks tested across the continent only seven failed. These were The Agricultural Bank of Greece, Germany’s Hypo Real Estate and five Spanish savings banks — Banca Cívica, Cajasur, Diada, Espiga and Unnim. Since the test results were announced, several commentators have suggested that the testing was not rigorous enough. Only seven banks “failed” to meet the level required and it has been suggested that this has been a whitewash and too lenient. Of course the seven banks continue in business — the tests were after all only an attempt to show how vulnerable banks would be given a series of circumstances. These included scenarios where annual growth was zero or in decline, 10.5 per cent unemployment rates and losses on government and sovereign bonds. Overall, the seven banks were judged to need just €3.5bn in extra capital to bring their ratios back to the 6 per cent figure — a figure dwarfed by the funding that the UK government has provided to its banking sector.

Although five of the banks failing were Spanish, remedial action by way of takeover, fresh funding and so on has already begun. The Spanish government reacted positively for the main intention of the testing is that banks should now be able to raise funds on the money markets in a more normal manner. The markets had expected the savings banks to do badly but at the same time, the largest Spanish banks scored highly — Santander and BBVA for example came in at 10 per cent and 9.3 per cent respectively.

Overall, the seven banks were judged to need just €3.5bn in extra capital to bring their ratios back to the 6 per cent figure — a figure dwarfed by the funding that the UK government has provided to its banking sector

How did the British banks fare, especially those that received substantial government assistance over the last two years? Four British banks were tested and all passed with flying colours. Barclays and HSBC scored 13.7 per cent and 10.2 per cent respectively, whilst the two rescued banks also fared well with Lloyds Banking Group coming in at 9.2 per cent and Royal Bank of Scotland scoring 11.2 per cent. So all is well and good. But can we really be certain that these tests have cleared the air? True, the tests were coordinated by the CEBS but, as I mentioned, they were actually conducted in each country by the local regulator — so can one be certain that the tests were homogenous across all 91 institutions tested? Some commentators went as far as to say that the results may not be directly comparable across different EU member states and that in some cases the results presented too rosy a picture. Personally, I believe such an exercise has been useful — albeit that it may be somewhat flawed in its final analysis — because the testing criteria were clearly set out and a comparison can be made across the range of banks tested. Certainly the markets approved of the results — or should that be that they heaved a great collective sigh of relief that the vast majority of the banks passed. In the weeks since the test data was released, the major UK banks have reported their halfyear figures and without exception, all made profits and talked about better financial times ahead. In the case of the UK, even more robust testing of the banks had taken place — and in some cases such as Lloyds and RBS the harsh medicine had already been prescribed. It is to be hoped that in Spain, and elsewhere across the EU, the results prove to be equally realistic and European banking is really on the road to recovery. So much else depends on this being so. n

Ian Le Breton

is Managing Director of Sovereign Trust (Gibraltar) Limited — providers of intelligent offshore planning since 1987. Tel: +350 200 76173 Email: ilebreton@ SovereignGroup.com

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

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business

Business:

Dan Anahory

The New Generation

If you were asked to describe a typical teenager, what adjectives would spring to mind? Naïve? Lazy? Irresponsible? It’s likely that ‘business-minded’ or ‘hardworking’ wouldn’t be at the top of the list. But 16-year old Dan Anahory is on a mission to change these negative perceptions, believing the teenage generation can make a valuable contribution to the business world. With himself the youngest person ever to set up a company in Gibraltar, he’s certainly someone to take seriously... Born to a Gibraltarian father and Scottish mother, Dan attends school in the UK but spends all his holidays with his family in Gibraltar. An early sign of Dan’s ambition was his eagerness to earn an income at just ten years old. Dan secured his first job distributing a local free paper after school. He would deliver 200

papers and pocket just £20 for his efforts. Despite the thrill of earning his own pocket money, he soon realised that somewhere up the command chain, someone was making their own money. “It instilled a good work ethic in me but I felt even then that I’d rather me making money for myself rather than someone

else.” After two years of the paper round, Dan stopped to prepare for his common entrance exams, which he passed gaining him a place at St John’s, Kingston. Dan remembers the excitement of having his first stock broking account opened for him when he was 12 years old. “I’d already begun

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

business

by Laura Cole to think about some careers that I might enjoy — stock broking being one of them,” he says. Eager to be his own boss, Dan’s initial money-making attempts aged 14 got off to a shaky start. “I literally typed ‘make money online’ into google to see what it came up with,” he laughs. Dan tried everything from paid surveys and ad sales, but realised after six months of no return that they were little more than scams. “I guess I was naïve at first, but I didn’t let it put me off.” If there was ever a finer example of turning a negative into a positive, Dan’s bad experiences went on to inspire his first success — a website reviewing internet money-making scams. The page would contain links to other websites and Dan would receive 50p every time a user was taken to one of these sites. This soon added up and encouraged Dan to branch out further. “I then started creating niche websites. I researched which topics had a reasonably high number of search hits and relatively low numbers of sites dedicated to them — like how to get bigger forearms or running techniques.” Dan still manages about 20 sites (with his newest being www.health-and-fitness-needs. com) and receives commission on sales of products he’s reviewed and recommended. The workload would be a lot for anyone, let alone a full time school pupil. “I have to be strict with myself,” admits Dan. “After school, I’ll get my homework out of the way, and then spend about 1-2 hours in the evening managing my sites.” Remarkably, he also finds time for sport, namely rugby, football, waterskiing,

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

boxing and swimming. It was after a good family friend turned to Dan for some online marketing advice, he realised his skills were marketable, and people would pay for his services. Still only 15, Dan sought advice from his parents — his dad (a management consultant) and his mum, who has owned her own marketing business — about setting up his own company. The wheels were put into motion. Like most of his peers, Dan was excited about turning 16 last October. But unlike his contemporaries, this wasn’t for the presents he’d receive or the motorbike licence he could apply for, but the fact he could officially register his own business. Dan believes that operating from an official company, Anahory Enterprises, has earned him greater respect in the business world. Being so young, Dan has struggled to be taken seriously

“

When I show up for meetings, the first question people inevitably ask is how old I am

”

as a businessman. “It’s been very frustrating at times. When I show up for meetings, the first question people inevitably ask is how old I am,” he explains. “I remember one morning last summer, I got up early, put on a suit and headed to a meeting. When I got there, the man casually remarked that the meeting was cancelled. There was no apology and I’m certain he behaved in that way because of my age.” But Dan hasn’t let his business distract him from his studies, having worked hard towards the 10 GCSEs and one AS level he sat this summer. He plans to take AS levels in History, Physics, Chemistry, Economics and Spanish in the Autumn as well as writing a law dissertation. Articulate, sharp and clearly very bright, Dan’s academic journey hasn’t always been so smooth. Not able to read until he was seven, he remembers how some teachers at school nearly wrote him off. “It was my dad who suggested they test me for dyslexia, I think some of my teacher’s assumed I was stupid.” Sure enough, Dan’s results came back as severely dyslexic as his father had guessed. It took hours of extra reading and spelling practise to bring Dan to the level of his classmates, but he was adamant not to let it hold him back. This summer, as well as developing his business, Dan has also enjoyed a placement at Hassans. He plans to study Law at university but is keen to keep his long-term career options open for the meantime. With his business already doing well, it’s not surprising that for the moment, the here and now is exactly what Dan wants to concentrate on. n

achievements

Gillian Guzman

the path to litigation Gillian Guzman is a highly regarded litigator who has earned the respect of colleagues and opponents alike. A Partner at Hassans, Gibraltar’s largest law firm, she has a wealth of experience in representing individuals from all walks of life and her client base ranges from the average person going through a marriage breakdown, the worker who seeks compensation for an accident at work, to the Government (through GRP Investments) in the Right to Light case which enabled the Nelson’s View project to proceed and, of late, the Foreign Secretary in the Age of Consent case. In this month’s interview, we decided to find out more about her and her background. Ms Guzman was born in Gibraltar and spent many happy years enjoying the time when travelling to the La Linea feria meant a boat to Tangiers, another to Algeciras and a car ride to La Linea to stay with family (from her mother’s side). “Looking back on those days it was an arduous journey when it could have been so simple but for me as a child it was an adventure.” She enjoyed these annual trips to Spain which were followed by one to the UK to stay with relatives in London. Gillian lived in Willis’s Road before the family moved when she was seven years old to Varyl Begg estate. Her mother is Gibraltarian and spent most of her life, until recently, as a housewife. Her father was Spanish from La Linea and a butcher. “My father met my Mum when he was 18 and she was 14, they were together for 48 years and were married for 41, until he passed away in August 2007.” Her mother took over her father’s business in Varyl Begg Estate and now runs it. Gillian remarks that her mum has gone from being a mother and housewife to a business woman and she is immensely proud of her as it’s not easy for her to continue the business without her husband but as she says “My mother is one strong and determined lady, to be admired.” In the early days her father had a partner and they opened two butchering businesses, one by Moorish Castle and a second in the South

District. The businesses did well but after some time the partners split and took one business each. He subsequently purchased the shop in Varyl Begg that her mother now runs. “I learned a lot from my father. He was a hardworking man totally dedicated to his wife and daughters and with an immense inner strength which was evident throughout his long illness. I believe I had the best upbringing of all with parents who allowed me and my sister, who is slightly older than me, to grow up in a very happy home with the freedom to be what we wanted to be with their support.” After schooling at Bishop Fitzgerald and Westside, Gillian took nine GCSEs with good results and decided to stay on for ‘A’ levels. I asked her what she wanted to be and did that influence her choice of ‘A’ levels? “I always wanted to be a lawyer although at

“

I had the best upbringing of all with parents who allowed me and my sister to grow up in a very happy home with the freedom to be what we wanted to be with their support

”

the time I was lacking in confidence and would not openly voice it. The legal series screened on TV at the time may have been an influence but I cannot recall any specific influence. I saw it as a career that would allow me to make a difference. To give you an example I remember an exchange with a friend during a history class who said she wanted to study law as it ‘paid well’ whilst my reply was that I wanted to help people deal with their problems. Our replies could not have been more different but that reflected our respective motivation. I have no connection whatsoever with the profession and in fact didn’t know any of the local lawyers so it wasn’t exactly an obvious choice. “My parents were 100% supportive and what I loved about them was they merely encouraged but never pushed me in a particular direction which meant the decision was entirely mine. However Gibraltar, at that time, was a place where women had jobs but were to an extent still expected to follow a stereotype. For example, my ‘A’ levels — I wanted to take Spanish, History and Economics (the latter privately). The school adviser strongly suggested Textiles which was as far removed from Law as I could possibly imagine. I was told it was a shame not to take it as I was good at it and it would be very useful for me in the future. “A gentle sort of persuasion but it is interesting that I was never encouraged to follow my

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

career path

by Frankie Hatton dream to be a lawyer at school, possibly because then I was not as extroverted as you would expect and stereotypically lawyers are seen as vociferous characters. “In fact that Textiles ‘A’ level almost hindered my progress because of its lack of connection with law but I persevered and got into university.” After getting into Cardiff University she knuckled down to study and found that it was a perfect fit. “When I started my law degree I felt for the first time throughout my academic life I was truly enjoying what I was studying and that made all the difference. As a child I had neither specific hobbies nor interests to speak of but I enjoyed socialising with friends and I loved home. I had little to no interest in books, which considering law is all books is odd but that is how I was. However, once I started to read law I just felt this surge of interest and need to learn, it was very enlightening. “So that was how it went, I found my vocation, my confidence grew and the three years passed. Every summer holiday I would come home and my parents would let me relax as I was working hard at uni. It was almost idyllic for me and my parents felt there was no need for me to get a job. I thought so too but maybe I should have given it more thought. What I hadn’t understood, probably because I was one of the only Gibraltarians at Cardiff at the time, was that other students were coming back to Gib and getting summer jobs in law firms. They were laying the groundwork and I hadn’t event thought about what law firms there were never mind where I would work! “Completing my studies by taking the Bar and finally returning to Gibraltar in 1994 I wanted to wait until I had my results, before finding a position. I thought that was the right thing to do. I soon learned that most of the jobs for that year had already been taken.” Gillian started her career at Marrache & Co. where she worked for about a year and nine months until she was approached by Attias and Levy. The approach came from Keith Azopardi who was then about to leave to become a Minister in the then newly formed GSD Government. Was she was handpicked for the job because of Keith’s impending move into politics? “Well I like to think that Keith saw me as a safe pair of hands. I didn’t have to think about their offer as the move made perfect sense in my career progression.”

So she took the offer and moved into the area of litigation where she was exposed to both criminal and civil legal work which is what she wanted. During her time there she gained a wide range of experience in all types of litigation cases and with experience came increased confidence. “I really enjoyed being a mouthpiece for others,” she says. She was to stay with them for almost seven years. So what happened to change all that? “Well one day I received a telephone call from a friend of mine who was at Hassans. He told me there was no pressure and no need to make any decision immediately but Hassans wanted me at the firm. To be honest I had no reason to leave Attias & Levy and I’ve been asked many times why I did but I don’t have an answer because I was genuinely happy there. The timing for change seemed right. I was ready for the challenge of a fresh environment and the new opportunities that working at a firm like Hassans would bring.” So in 2003 she joined Hassans’ litigation department as a Salaried Partner and she has been there ever since. In 2005 she became an Equity Partner. “Becoming Partner represented not only a professional recognition but it gave me an

“

I have taken the opportunities that have come my way and made the most of them and I am now part of a fantastic team at Hassans so I have no complaints

”

important sense of belonging that tied me into the firm and I am very happy to be part of the Hassans’ team. I am conscious that with this privilege comes a responsibility to my fellow Partners and to the rest of the firm not to become complacent and to continuously strive to improve the standard but I am up for that challenge.” The world of litigation which Gillian has chosen as a career path is no easy feat. Although she is happy to deal with any type of litigation case her focus is on “local work” which has led her to develop a strong caseload of family, employment, personal injury and human rights matters. Her experience is wide ranging and it covers cases from the Magistrate’s Court and Industrial Tribunal right through to the Supreme Court, Gibraltar Court of Appeal and the Privy Council in London. Gillian also sits as Chair in the Industrial Tribunal and is a qualified mediator. So what about the future? Would the Judiciary appeal? “Not at present as I truly enjoy my court work and at this stage of my career I feel that I don’t want to hang up Counsel’s wig but I also believe that it is important to leave the doors open to opportunities whatever those may be as there is no telling what the future may bring.” Given the number of lawyers in politics we wondered if this would be of interest to her and she remarked “At present my focus is on my advocacy which is what I enjoy. As a litigator there is still a lot to learn and do, especially in the area of family law with the new reforms and human rights given our new constitution.” It seems the courtroom will continue to see a lot of Gillian in future. At the end of the interview I asked Gillian two questions — first I asked whether she had any regrets? “None, I am happy with all of my decisions. They felt right at the time and thankfully it has all worked out well for me. I do not believe in coincidences so when opportunity knocks I do believe it is for a reason, that is a positive one.” Secondly, would you say you are content? “I am more than content, I am happy. At a personal level I have an amazing family and a great social network and professionally I have the privilege to work in an area I enjoy. I have taken the opportunities that have come my way and made the most of them and I am now part of a fantastic team at Hassans so I have no complaints.” n

Career Finders is Gibraltar’s principal recruitment agency, focusing on filling the needs of clients and finding a career that suits each job seeker. Current vacancies: Assistant Accountant Audit Senior Technical Analyst Affiliate Manager Head of Affiliates Marketing Assistant Senior Developer

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events

Agile Marine Celebrates 1st Anniversary in Style

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE â&#x20AC;˘ SEPTEMBER 2010

events

The local Marine community came together last month at Solo Bar and Grill in Europort to celebrate Agile Marine’s one year anniversary. Captain Craig Thomas, General Manager of Agile, welcomed around 50 people from diverse organisations. Attendees included representatives from the Gibraltar Maritime Administration, Gibraltar Port Authority, Ministry of Defence, local shipping agents, bunkering and shipping companies, local law firms, insurance providers and the Chamber of Commerce. Agile Marine Ltd was established in July 2009 to provide services and expertise to vessel owners/operators, financial and legal entities, government authorities, insurers

and charterers. These services were previously imported from outside Gibraltar. Craig stated that the company’s philosophy was to establish these services from within Gibraltar to keep everything right here on the Rock and so reduce costs. Agile actively promotes local companies and services, such as lifeboat repairs, compass adjusting, computer services, company and corporate services and insurance providers, to their internationallybased clients. Based on Agile’s first successful year, this philosophy seems to working Everyone who attended wished Agile Marine success for the forthcoming year. n

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

recruitment

Top Tips for Job Seekers In this series of recruitment articles, recruitment expert Oliver Medina will help candidates and employers with advice and support on working in Gibraltar. To start, Oliver wanted to offer some helpful tips on three important aspects of job hunting — attitude, CV and performing well in the dreaded job interview. Be positive Your attitude when looking for a job is crucial and a positive attitude will get you a long way. It can be difficult to be positive when you hear the news of high unemployment and the global economic slowdown, but don’t be brought down. The Gibraltar economy has stayed strong throughout the recession and there are lots of opportunities for well-qualified candidates. Of course there is more competition for the jobs, but by being proactive, seeking advice and making sure your CV and interview technique are honed, you stand a great chance of finding the job to suit you perfectly. Prepare a fantastic CV Your curriculum vitae is your personal sales tool. It needs to be concise and professional, and reflect your skills, experience, responsibilities and successes to date. A really good CV gets noticed ahead of the rest. What your CV should include • Your name, address, full contact details and a passport sized photograph • A one-paragraph profile that sums up your professional and personal attributes • Your professional experience and educa-

tion • Your skills and professional qualifications • Details of any software packages you’re familiar with • A brief overview of your life outside work

job. This makes the face-to-face meeting a critical part of the recruitment process and you will need to impress from the start.

Five Steps to make a great impression 1) Arrive on time Plan your route in advance and allow time How to present your CV • Lay your CV out clearly and logically, us- for travel problems, particularly where crossing ing short sentences, bullet points, a single the border into Gibraltar is concerned. If you are running late, make that all-important call and typeface and consistently sized headings. • Make sure it covers no more than three pages and that your finished article is spelt correctly and error-free. Text by Oliver Medina, • Be honest and accurate. Executive Manager • Tailor your CV to emphasise skills and expe(Financial Services and Banking), Select riences that match the role you’re applying Recruitment (Gibraltar) for. — a specialist eGaming, • Provide a covering email to draw out key IT, accounting & financial points from your CV to state where there is services recruitment a good match between what is required and consultancy providing what you have to offer. permanent, temporary Take time when preparing your CV and ask and interim recruitment professionals to check it and suggest improvesolutions. Questions ments. A great CV leads to more interviews, so for next month’s article make sure it doesn’t let you down. or info about Select Recruitment (Gibraltar) Performing well in interviews Tel: 216 21111 or email: Interview performance is often the critical info@srgrecruit.com. factor when deciding between candidates for a www.srgrecruit.com.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

achievement contact your consultant to advise them of when you expect to arrive. 2) Look the part You never get a second chance to make a first impression — so make sure you look smart and business like for your interview. Shake hands with confidence, remember to smile and maintain regular eye contact. 3) Know your stuff Take time to find out about the company you’re talking to: visit their website, brief yourself about their main products and services, recent performance, client base, competitors and brand values. Make sure you know how many people they employ and what areas they operate in. 4) Don’t stop when the interview ends Try to leave the interview on a positive note. Thank the interviewer for his or her time and tell them how much you’ve enjoyed the experience. 5) Tips to remember • Be polite, be honest, be yourself • Think before you answer any question • Show your interest, enthusiasm and energy • Accentuate the positive reasons for wanting to leave your current job • Don’t be negative about past employers or colleagues • Explain what makes you unique and how you could make a positive difference n

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

Have Magazine will Travel... Gibraltar Magazines have been on their travels again! This one is photographed with Lindsay Adamson at the Pools of Dee, highest point in the Larig Ghru which is the best know mountain pass in Scotland. This pass was used until the 1870s by cattle drovers taking their herds from Aviemore and Speyside through the moutains to Braemar and Aberdeenshire. It climbs to an altitude of 838m and cuts through the Cairngorm Plateau, allowing the walker to bask in the towering peaks on both sides in one of the wildest areas in Scotland. It’s a long walk through very exposed terrain and help is a long way off. Lindsay was taking part in the Rotary Club of Speyside’s charity walk raising money for Rotary International who have pledged to match Bill Gates $355m to “End Polio Now”. The 20 mile walk took Lindsay 8.5 hours and it was the long boulder fields on the route which presented most difficulties. Well done Lindsay!

update

the opening of the new terminal in Gibraltar.

Manchester’s mix architectural styles plus its museums, cultural events, nightlife and shopping have made it a popular destination for a city break

Monarch Adds More Flights Award winning low fares airline Monarch is adding even more flights from Gibraltar to the UK with an additional Friday service to London Luton, which will operate between 24th September and 29th October 2010. The news follows the airline’s recent announcement that it will also operate an additional Sunday flight between Gibraltar and Manchester, and brings the total number of flights operated by Monarch from Gibraltar to the UK this summer to 12 a week. The extra flights are available to book via www. monarch.co.uk with fares, including taxes,

starting from just £52.99 one way (£93.99 return). Commenting on the additional services, Tim Jeans, Managing Director of Monarch Airlines, said “We have been overwhelmed by the demand for flights between Gibraltar and the UK this summer and are pleased to respond to this by continuing to add extra services as we await

Is Someone You Know Making a Difference? The JM Memorial Foundation will be presenting its annual award to individuals in the community who make a difference to others on Tuesday 21st September. There is still time to nominate someone you feel deserves this award...

Marisa Vinales with her 2009 award

The foundation, which was registered as a charitable institution in 1996 and is now in its 14th year, is run by a trustee committee with the help of many other volunteers. It is involved in projects of a cultural, educational and social nature, and its underlying philosophy is that it can make a difference by helping empower individuals or groups into action in a way which then creates the support necessary for these individuals to continue assisting others. “In celebration of its 10th anniversary in 2006 it was decided to present the awards for the first time to five individuals in memory of the late Gladys Martinez who touched the lives of many with years of dedication to the Health Service as a midwife,” said Mark Montovio. “Last year we publicly recognised the contribution two

“Over 65,000 people have already booked their flights on the route this summer and the extra services to London Luton and Manchester will provide a further 4,500 seats, offering an even greater choice of low fare flights at convenient times.” Monarch operates scheduled flights from Gibraltar to London Luton and Manchester airports. In addition to year-round low fares, Monarch also offers a range of tasty hot and cold meals that can be pre-booked or purchased onboard with prices from £3.00. To enable customers to select where in the cabin they sit and ensure that families and groups sit together, seats can be pre-booked from £7.50 per oneway flight, or from only £17.50, extra-legroom seats are available, which offer up to six inches of extra space. Passengers travelling on scheduled flights can also avoid the queues at the airport and take advantage of online check-in which is available between seven days and 4.5 hours prior to departure. For further information or to book Monarch flights, please visit www.monarch.co.uk.

members of our community had made through their dedication to others and their commitment to ideals and important values.” The award recipients for 2009 were Marisa Vinales and Dr Rene Beguelin. Marisa qualified as a counsellor, as a mature student, in 2003, but has been the lifeline and inspiration behind Families Anonymous for many years. She has helped many individuals and families suffering from the impact of drug or alcohol dependence on families as a whole. Rene was praised for his contribution to mental health and his dedication to medicine, highlighting the importance he placed on listening to patients and forming a relationship therefore looking at them as individuals, rather than just people who are not well. The foundation is now seeking nominations from the general public for the 2010 awards. A nominee should have contributed to the community in a significant manner and the proposer should be able to detail how the person has done this and why they deserve recognition. Nominations must be in by Friday 10th September. Send to Mark Montovio, Trustee, The JM Memorial Foundation, c/o 502/3 Watergardens, Waterport Wharf, or email to support@jm-foundation. org. For information contact Mark on 20040338

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

118

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human resources

Human Resources & Your Rights your questions answered Over the coming months Anna Moffatt, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development qualified Human Resources guru, will be taking questions from Gibraltar’s general public on HR related issues and giving readers the benefit of her experience. This is your chance to raise any questions about any employment related issue and receive some free advice from a suitably qualified individual. “I have recently been made redundant along with 4 other people, but I was off sick at the time. I only found out when I received a letter to my home address. Are they allowed to do this?”

The answer to a lot of these questions can be, is it ethical not necessarily legal. I presume you have been signed off sick by a doctor, if so you have different rights while off sick and can be protected by the law. You should have been warned two weeks before the redundancy was made, and then called in for a formal meeting to announce the redundant post, then, where possible offered a place somewhere else within the organisation. I would speak to a lawyer and explain the situation; I think you will find they are in breach of the law. “I want to go part time and have been told by my line manager that this is not possible. I have been with the company for 10 years and would have thought there would be more flexibility. Surely I have the right to go part

time if I want to?” Just because you have been at a job for 10 years does not always give you certain rights, if the position you were recruited for is a permanent one that requires full time hours to complete then your employer has every right to refuse you part time hours. You could approach your employer with a job share idea, but again

If the position you were recruited for is a permanent one that requires full time hours to complete then your employer has every right to refuse you part time hours

it is up to him/her if he decides to go for it and certainly not compulsory. “I have recently given birth and would like to extend my maternity leave; 3 months maternity leave just hasn’t been enough. Is this possible?” It is certainly possible to extend maternity leave. Usually your employer has an obligation to offer you as much time as you need (up to one year), but is only obligated to pay you for whatever is agreed in your contract, if indeed this is covered, a majority of contracts here in Gibraltar do not include a provision for maternity pay, this is something that the government are obligated to pay (providing you have been making the satisfactory social security payments). It would be within reason to ask your employer for a further three months leave, during which time you will not be paid but your employer will have a duty to keep your position open. n If you or anyone you know has any HR related

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

human resources issues which you would like advice on then please feel free to write to either the magazine gibmag@gibraltar.gi or directly to Anna anna@ gibresources.com Not all questions/queries received will be printed, however we will endeavour to respond to all emails received. All advice given is done so in good faith and is provided as a guideline. We strongly recommend you seek sound legal advice (we can recommend an employment law specialist if required)

Anna Moffatt has been involved in recruitment & HR for more than 20 years, the last 7 years in a senior HR capacity in Gibraltar. Qualified with the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) Anna, was heavily involved in the setup of the HR Forum, a body established in Gibraltar to promote awareness of professional HR procedures and legislation and to allow the sharing of knowledge/information. Most recently Anna has been appointed Associate Director of Corporate Resources Ltd, one of Gibraltar’s longest established recruitment agencies.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

Considering an MBA? Go along to the Rock Hotel on Tuesday 7th September and find out how to take the first steps towards getting an an MBA from the Open University Business School. Why is the Open University Business School’s MBA so popular? • It is the only triple accredited business school that specialises in distance learning and is the largest triple accredited MBA provider in the world. • The OU MBA accesses the world’s largest community of MBA management practice. It’s the cornerstone of future professional development for global leaders. • Because of the OU’s commitment to research, its MBA is guided by the latest business thinking. • Your study draws on your daily management activity and new knowledge and skills are put into practice immediately. • The approach develops your ability to

design and implement business change, to the benefit of both your career and your organisation. • You can study wherever you are, at anytime and over an extendable period of time (up to 7 years). • You can have entirely online tuition from virtually anywhere in the world. • Making a difference, to the student, the organisation and the world in general, is the core objective of the Open University MBA. • Employers value what it can do for their organisation. Go along and talk to Martyn Wiggett about your studies — any time between 6pm and 9.30pm at the Rock Hotel on 7th September 2010.

technology people

James Galliano accounting for time... Jimmy Galliano MBE, 77, is an unsung hero of Gibraltar who does a huge amount of pro bono work for the good of the community without seeking fame or any form of acknowledgment. Jimmy, a Justice of the Peace until he reached the mandatory retirement age of 65, was honoured with the granting of a Knighthood of the Order of St. Gregory the Great in 1985 for his work for the Catholic Church, and in 1998 his service to the Gibraltar community was rewarded with an MBE. He is also a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. On the sporting front he was Commodore of the Royal Gibraltar Yacht Club 1981-84 and a committee member of the Real Club de Golf de Sotogrande. Jimmy was born in Gibraltar, the

son of Anthony and Luisa Galliano (a member of the Villarejo family from Malaga). His education started with private tuition from the legendary teacher Mr Dudley, the great uncle of the present Chief Justice, and after a year at Line Wall College his education was some-

what disrupted by the advent of the Second World War. When he was seven years old his family moved to Campamento for about six months but, ﬁnding life in post Civil War Spain difﬁcult, they moved on to Tangier. The Christian Brothers, rather than moving back

The good news for these young accountants was that income tax had started in 1954 and more and more companies were looking for accountants

to Ireland from Gibraltar, started a school in Tangier to teach Gibraltarian evacuees. This was well organised and highly successful. When the war ended the family returned to the Rock and Jimmy enrolled at the Sacred Heart School where the teachers were a combination of local and military. The military teachers helped out until the Christian Brothers returned in 1947. Jimmy entered the Grammar School in 1948 where he was taught by, amongst others, Brothers Foley, Taylor and Finnegan and found the strict discipline invigorating after the more relaxed teaching in

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

people

interviewed by Mike Brufal Tangier. Unfortunately he contracted tuberculosis and had to skip school for a year. Time was spent in Gibraltar and then a sanatorium on the outskirts of Madrid. In those days pure mountain air was the cure for this highly infectious disease which was prevalent in Gibraltar with patients being sent to the King George V hospital. The family was more than concerned about his health as in 1942 his brother Anthony had died from TB in Tangier. To make matters worse his older brother Victor contracted the disease and had to join him in Madrid. Before he left Gibraltar he had jumped a year at school but upon his return he was dropped by two years and so ended up one behind. (Last year, 2009, the class of 1949 celebrated the 60th anniversary with a dinner at the Catholic Community Centre. Some 30 members attended including alumni such as Edgar Lavarello, Hector Linares and Pepe Olivero. The feast was presided over by Bishop Charles Caruana.) In 1952, aged 18, he completed his secondary education and was faced with the problem of choosing a career. Throughout his school days he had felt the stirring of a vocation and so decided to try for the priesthood. He had no wish to join a religious order, or join another diocese or become a missionary — his objective was to join the Gibraltar diocese and after ordination return to work here. Bishop Fitzgerald welcomed this news and agreed to send him away to a seminary. (In the Catholic Church a seminary cannot be entered unless a Bishop has agreed to accept the candidate as a future priest in his diocese.) There were two other candidates, Willy Chiappe, Bernard Linares, that year. For some inexplicable reason the Latin of the three Gibraltarians was deemed not up to seminary standards. In those days

most of the Church’s liturgy was in Latin and a priest was assumed to be up to almost conversational standard. It was decided the three would attend Edmund Campion House in Osterley, West London, a house for those who try for the priesthood late in life. In their case, as young men, it was so they could do a crash course in Latin. The House was run by the Jesuits under the command of Father Tigar. While there they were joined by Dominic Silva and Joe Patron. After two years the Gibraltarian duo of Jimmy and Bernard moved to Rome, while Willy decided he did not have a vocation. They sailed to Naples on the Andre Doria which two years later sank near New York after leaving Gibraltar. Jimmy was sent to the Pontifical Irish College and Bernard to the Venerable English College. Those

at the Irish College went to the Lateran University while seminarians at the English College attended the Gregorian University. Jimmy spent two years reading philosophy gaining a Bachelor of Philosophy. At the end of four years, during which time no vows were taken, the powers-that-be decided Jimmy did not have a vocation. The decision came as no surprise as he had already warned his mother he might not stay the course as he was finding the work difficult and the whole idea something of a strain. Although he had been away from the Rock for four years he soon picked up with his friends and life soon became exactly as it was before his departure. It was July 1956 and a new career decision needed to be taken. He’d decided not to enter Galliano’s Bank and so had to choose whether to study to be a doctor, dentist, lawyer or accountant. In those days

Jimmy receives the MBE from HM the Queen in 1998

The family was concerned as in 1942 Jimmy’s brother Anthony had died from TB in Tangier. To make matters worse his older brother Victor contracted the disease and had to join him in Madrid

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

in London places in firms and companies were obtained very much through the Old Boys’ Network and who one’s father knew. This was particularly so in chartered accountancy where to become an articled clerk a premium had to be paid for the honour of working there. In other words, it was slave labour but if a man wished to qualify as an accountant this was the price to be paid. Fortunately Martin Cabourn Smith, the brother-in-law of Paco, his eldest brother, was a partner in a London firm of Chartered Accountants. He was accepted and in 1957 started work in the City of London as an articled clerk for the firm where he remained for five years. At the beginning there was no pay whatsoever but eventually this rose to £5 a week (those with a university degree were paid the same). The work was strictly nine to five, 50 weeks a year, so it was only possible to take a fortnight’s holiday a year on the Rock. There was no way to spend a long weekend in Gibraltar as is the norm today. It was an endless slog of practical work during the day and studying for a correspondence course in the evening. As a junior clerk most of his day was spent dealing with audits of insurance firms and stock brokers. He travelled all over England and Ireland, particularly enjoying visiting Cork to audit the accounts of a brewery. He lived in a flat in Muswell Hill with his brother, Victor, who was studying to be an architect. After qualifying his salary was doubled to £1000 per annum and he felt rich. He remained in London for 18 months but in 1963 decided to return to Gibraltar, without a job or any clients. Eddie Chiappe was the first Gibraltarian to qualify as a Chartered Accountant but as he never practised locally Jimmy Galliano became the second Gibraltarian

Chartered Accountant and the first to practise on the Rock. Francis Isola was the third to qualify, a year after Jimmy. The good news for these young accountants was that income tax had started in 1954 and more and more businesses and companies were looking for accountants to audit their accounts. Jimmy — by networking, meeting people and word of mouth — gradually built up a client base working out of the family house with an office entrance in Governor’s Parade. There were only two firms of accountants on the Rock — Arthur Clinton at Turquand Young, and Bowden & Partners. In those days Gibraltar owned companies were somewhat suspicious of employing Gibraltarians to carry out audits. The big firms such Saccone & Speed and Charles Gaggero & Company all flew their auditors in from London which was an expensive exercise as it meant up to a fortnight at the Rock Hotel. The same happened in any small community, as the brewery in Cork did not employ local auditors but flew in a team from London! Local entrepreneurs wanted to shield profits and directors’ remunerations. Eventually cost overcame

photos: Laura Cole

people

secrecy and local firms were used. Soon there was sufficient work for a modest expansion and Francis Isola joined Jimmy to set up Galliano and Isola. The partners had been articled clerks at the same time in London and had created a strong bond of friendship during their time there. Slowly Gibraltar, the nascent Finance Centre, began to attract business and it soon became apparent that the large international compa-

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nies needed the large Chartered Accountants from London to set up in Gibraltar. As this happened Francis decided to move to Peat Marwick and shortly afterwards Jimmy joined Spicer and Pegler where he was a partner from 1988-91. In turn Spicer and Pegler merged into Coopers and Lybrand who became PriceWaterhouseCoopers, the largest firm in Gibraltar. It was also part of a worldwide group and there were company members virtually everywhere in the world. Whenever Jimmy was away on his travels he would call into the PriceWaterhouseCoopers’ offices in places such as Bermuda, New York, Beijing and Hong Kong. Jimmy Galliano retired aged 65 but carried on working as a consultant. Church Lane Trustees was formed in 2001. Specialising in Trust work, it is an independent company which works closely with PricewaterhouseCoopers. Jimmy now only works in the morning except when he attends board meeting as a director for his clients. His first involvement in working for the community came in 1965 when Charlie Piccone invited him to join the Economic Advisory Committee. One controversial case involved an application for a number of British household names to open up in a proposed deluxe shopping centre in Casemates. At the time the Trade Descriptions Ordinance was powerful and the local traders invoked it time and time again and would not allow companies with no Gibraltar connection to operate locally. As a result the project was aborted.

Shortly afterwards he joined a committee to raise funds to build the Catholic Community Centre. A new lottery was organised, spread out over a year to avoid direct competition with the Gibraltar Government lottery. The first prize of a new flat in Gavino’s estate went to Sir Paul Makins, stepfather of Archbishop emeritus Mickey Bowen, who donated it back to the organisers. Since then Jimmy has helped the diocesan finances by preparing its accounts and financial statements whenever needed. In 1980 he was appointed a Justice of the Peace and as part of his duties was appointed Chairman of the Prison Board. Retirement came when he reached the mandatory age of 65. Jimmy was a member of the Financial Services Commission for four years from 1990. After the death of Sir Peter Russo he was invited to become a trustee of the John Mackintosh Educational Trust. Its objectives are to provide grants and loans to university and post-graduate students. Jimmy thinks that, despite the world wide recession, Gibraltar has held its own and, while some financial activities might have been put on hold and there has been stalling of a few future investments, there has been little movement out of the jurisdiction into competitors such as Malta. The gambling sector appears to be growing which he believes is good for the finances of the Rock. The most dramatic political event of recent years has been the considerable improvement in relations with Spain. Jimmy thinks the Chief Minister has achieved a first class status for Gibraltar and it is a breath of fresh air to see the Gibraltar and Spanish governments working together despite the emergence of some problems from time to time within the Tripartite Agreement. Jimmy Galliano considers the establishment of the Instituto Cervantes to be an advantage in a bilingual society. He does not believe its objective is to try to persuade Gibraltarians to forsake their accent for one from Castille. It should be to give Gibraltar a better knowledge and appreciation of Spanish culture thus enlarging Gibraltar’s cultural life, he says. “Gibraltar in 2010 is a far better place to live than it ever has been,” concludes Jimmy. n

Gibraltar, the nascent Finance Centre, began to attract business and it soon became apparent that the large international companies needed the large Chartered Accountants GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

business moves

A Level Success...

Ibex Insurance acquires Lloyd & Whyte International business in Spain & Portugal

Gibraltar has had yet another year of excellent ‘A’ Level examination results. The pass rate at Bayside School was 96%, with 98% at Westside School and 93% at the Gibraltar College. There are 2 students who have obtained 3 passes or more at the new top grade of A*.

Ibex Insurance Service Ltd, the leading provider of insurance products to expatriates living in the Iberian Peninsula, announced on 18th August 2010 the acquisition of the portfolio of clients of Lloyd & Whyte International Ltd who are themselves a leading UK Insurance Broker. This acquisition further expands Ibex’s retail brokerage division adding four more offices to its already established network.

The overall pass rate for all 3 institutions is 97%. This compares very favourably with the UK average. At Westside (girls) the number of A*-B grades exceeded the 60% mark in the following subjects: Economics, History, Mathematics, Physics, and Spanish. At Bayside (boys) the number of A*- B grades was 60% or over in the following: Art & Design, Business Studies, English Literature, History, Sociology, Further Mathematics, Religious Studies & Spanish. n

Founded in Gibraltar in 2000, Ibex has grown from having a handful of staff to now employing over 75 people in various offices in Gibraltar, Spain and Portugal. Originally operating as a wholesaler and Coverholder for Lloyd’s of London Ibex entered the retail arena in 2005 when it opened Trafalgar Insurance in Gibraltar which was quickly followed by the opening of several more offices throughout Spain. Ibex promotes general insurance products including Motor, Household, Travel, Marine, Pet and Medical through an established network of 200

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

intermediaries and through the internet.

Richard Hill, Managing Director of Ibex.

“This acquisition is of strategic importance to Ibex and gives us a strong foothold in the Portuguese marketplace where we sell not only to the expatriate market but also to the domestic Portuguese market. Having a physical presence in the country has been on the cards for some time,” said

Richard went on to say; “Everyone at Ibex is really excited to welcome the Lloyd & Whyte operation and staff to their business. We have worked together for a number of years so this should be an easy integration especially as we firmly believe in the solid business they have built up over the years”.

“This acquisition... gives us a strong foothold in the Portuguese marketplace”

These offices will form part of Ibex’s branch operations in Spain and Portugal and the acquisition will be effective from September 1st 2010. n

update

Gibraltar’s Premier Visitor... After World Cup fever swept through the Rock like a tornado earlier this summer, football fans desperate for their fix welcomed the start of the Barclays Premier League this month. Widely regarded as the elite club competition in the football world, it is watched by over half a billion people worldwide across 202 countries. Over the next ten months, fans all over the Rock will be glued to their TV sets watching their teams fight it out for the 19th winning title. But this month, supporters will be able to get even closer to the action, as The Gibraltar Magazine can exclusively reveal that the trophy, accompanied by exLiverpool player and Wales International, Ian Rush, is visiting the Rock! With Chelsea stealing the 2009-10 coveted title from three-time defending champions Manchester United (and scoring a Premier League record 103 goals in the process), these are exciting times for the league, and understandably supporters are eager to see what surprises this season throws. But before the

trophy is engraved with this season’s winners, there’s a chance for Rock residents to get up close and personal. From 27th September to 1st October, the Barclays Premier League Trophy will visit the Rock with Ian Rush and an exciting five day programme of events will take place around

Gibraltar. Franco Cassar, Country Manager of Barclays Wealth in Gibraltar, has been keen to bring the Trophy to Gibraltar. Barclays have sponsored the Premier League since 2001, and Franco, who is an avid supporter of the game, is thrilled to be involved with the project.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

events

by Laura Cole

Franco Cassar, Country Manager of Barclays Wealth in Gibraltar is excited about the Barclays Premier League Trophy coming to Gibraltar accompanied by football legend, Ian Rush

Barclays Premier League Trophy Facts • The current Premier League trophy was created by Royal jewellers Asprey and Garrard, London. • The design is based on the Three Lions associated with English football. Two lions are situated above each handle and the third is symbolised when the winning captain raises the trophy, with its gold crown above his head. • It is 76cm tall, 43cm wide, 25cm deep and weighs a hefty 4 stone! • The main body is made of solid sterling silver and silver gilt. Its plinth is made of the semiprecious stone malachite. The malachite’s green colour is representative of the green pitch on which the game is played. • The trophy has to leave the Rock on Friday to ensure it is back for its appearance on the set of Match of the Day on Saturday! • In 2004, a special gold version of the trophy was made to commemorate Arsenal’s win without a single defeat.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

“Our sponsorship means we have the opportunity to tour the trophy, and I think it’s a fantastic opportunity for people to be able to see something like that in the flesh.” The interest in Premier League football on the Rock is undeniable. The presence of many supporters clubs — Arsenal, West Ham, Liverpool and Chelsea to name a few — demonstrates the large and growing support base, with the Manchester United club boasting 600 members. Immediately after the World Cup final, the Victoria Stadium Bar whiteboard read ‘Dont worry! Premier League coming soon!’ sensing the demand there is on the Rock. “Throughout the World Cup, we saw support for both Spain and England, but I think the majority of Gibraltarians support English sides in domestic competitions,” says Franco. With the huge number of men’s, ladies’ and juniors’ football teams in Gibraltar, it’s clear there’s a lot of love for the game, and Franco believes most would dream of playing for a premiership side, which he considers “the best league there is”. While Gibraltarian football fans might not be on the same soil as the matches being played, bringing a piece of the Premier league over will help fans to realise their support is just as valued. Franco is thrilled that football legend Ian Rush will be accompanying the trophy for its tour of the Rock. “He’s a football figure famous

internationally, and I’m sure football supporters will be very excited to meet him!” For the ﬁve day trophy visit, a busy programme of events is scheduled. The trophy and Ian Rush will be popping into schools to give pupils a chance to get a treasured photograph and perhaps a few tips for the pitch with the football legend. Franco also plans to run workshops and training sessions in schools. But it’s not just children who will have all the fun, as Franco is planning to take the trophy to the Main Street branch for everyone to see. The supporters’ clubs will also be granted access to the trophy, something the Chelsea fans will no doubt especially enjoy! He is also hoping to organise evening events with Ian Rush as speaker and a ﬁve-a-side tournament, with intermediaries putting teams forward. “Last year, we organised a tournament in Cyprus to coincide with the trophy’s visit there and it was a great success — the Cypriots actually took it very seriously!” Franco, who played in the tournament, laughs at his rather lame attempt, “I lasted 10 minutes before I had to come off with an injury!” Let’s hope he shows an improvement this time in Gibraltar once he has a few tips from Ian Rush! So football fans on the Rock take our advice and reserve the dates in your diary, for this looks set to be one of the most exciting weeks for football in Gibraltar this summer! ■

Franco is thrilled that football legend Ian Rush will be accompanying the trophy for its tour of the Rock

“

He’s a football ﬁgure famous internationally, and I’m sure football supporters will be very excited to meet him!

”

technology

Jimmy Imossi’s

Net Success If anyone had told Jimmy Imossi that what started as a childhood hobby between friends, would not only turn into his business, but would brand him and his buddies as responsible for launching Gibraltar onto the World Wide Web, he would have probably thought you were mad.

But then again, as an innovator in anything, lots of puzzled glances are bound to come your way. 20 years ago, not everyone had the privilege to own a computer, or understood their function. As a teenager in the ’80s, Jimmy was fascinated with ZX Spectrums, BBC Micros, Vic 20s and Commodore 64s. He shared his hobby with friends, and admits they were pretty geeky! “I was working at Lucas Imossi, my family’s business, and even created a program for the stock control of their vehicles on a BBC Micro,” Jimmy laughs. At that time Danny Calamaro had set up a Bulletin Board System (BBS) from his home, which he ran with friend Gus Linares, and they asked Jimmy to join them and commercialise it. “We had day jobs, and this was just a hobby, but it eventually became clear there was an interest in e-mails, and that the internet was coming, and we felt there was enough interest to start. Danny understandably didn’t want the system in his house any more (his phone bills were quite impressive), so in the early ’90s, we set up in a dingy room on Castle Steps,” says Jimmy. The company was called The Solid Rock (GibNet) Limited, and became GibNet Limited the following year. They were the first BBS in Gibraltar to open to the general public, and offered services such as Fidomail (a predecessor to internet e-mail) over two 14.4K modems. E-mails were not instant in those days — they did not have permanent lines and dialled a UK Server twice daily to exchange e-mails, so the earliest you could expect a response was the following day! Eventually, Danny made contact with an internet company in Zaragoza, allowing GibNet to start offering Internet email, again via dial-up. “This company suggested we get a fixed line to Zaragoza over which we could offer full Internet services,” says Jimmy. This was a big decision as it tied them to long-term contracts and commitments, but it would also convert their operation from BBS to full Internet Service Provider (ISP). They managed to get some investors and moved from Castle Steps to more suitable offices in Portland House. “We ordered a line to Zaragoza in mid-1995, and it took six months to install,” Jimmy confirms. Considering what we use today, it is amusing that it was a 64K line for the whole of Gibraltar! Once the line was installed they launched, providing Gibraltar with its first full ‘live’ Internet service. This was done using a single Linux 486 PC with six 28.8K modems attached. “It’s laughable by today’s standards,” says Jimmy, “but it was extremely efficient at the time”. To promote their business, and educate people on the possibilities their services could offer, they held an exhibition at John Mackintosh Hall where two Windows 3.11 computers were set up. “Remember, in those days no-one really knew what the nternet was, and this exhibition sparked interest among local businesses and computer enthusiasts,” Jimmy explains. “To anyone who bought our services, we would give Winsock (a program for Internet connection), Eudora Mail, and Netscape 1.0, all on a single floppy disk!” Jimmy beams proudly. 1996 brought progress, not only for Jimmy, Danny and Gus, but for Gibraltar. They estab-

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

business path

by Jolene Gomez lished the .GI Top Level Domain (TLD), and launched the first Gibraltar website which Jimmy created by studying the source codes of other websites. The site became the Yahoo Site of the Week (in an age when Google did not exist), thus opening a window to Internet users on our beloved Gibraltar. The .GI TLD sparked controversy in Spain. Spain wrote to IANA, the international Internet organisation in charge of country domains, to get Gibraltar removed, but IANA is not in the business of deciding what is and isn’t a country and simply uses the ISO 3166 list of territories as their reference — as Gibraltar is there, the domain was allowed. “The ISO list is not a list of countries but a list of territories, thus Jersey, Guernsey, Monaco, etc are listed as well as Gibraltar,” Jimmy adds. To add salt to its wounds, Spain discovered that Gibraltar (and, naturally, their TLD) was being serviced by a Spanish company, and they weren’t happy, so Jimmy and his team decided to obtain services from elsewhere as soon as they could. By this time their 64K line was getting very congested. GibNet was charging based on time online to try to control access, and a larger leased line and updated equipment were required. However, international leased line prices were too high so an alternative solution in the form of a satellite feed was found. A large satellite dish was installed on top of Portland House supplying 256K bandwidth. “It was our only solution to keep our business running,” Jimmy says. They also purchased a couple of Sun Servers, one to replace their ageing 486 and the other as a firewall, and tripled the number of modems. The updated service was launched in May 1997. By now 56K modems were being certified, and so in September that year, GibNet replaced their modems with digital lines to cater for the new modems and ISDN. At the end of ’97 they acquired a laser link to Spain, providing a whopping 2MB line at a low price. However, the legality of using a laser connection proved contentious. Although a licence was not required for a laser when it was first set up, the law was changed in January 1998 so infrared lasers required a licence to be operated. GibNet applied for a licence but was refused. “However, all European countries were supposed to have liberalised their telecommunications by that month, so our view was we were entitled to a licence so we kept it running,” Jimmy explains. In December 1998 their infrared equipment was confiscated by the Government. This was the start of the infamous ‘GibNet vs the Gibraltar Government’ court case. GibNet continued operating via their satellite link, but with a lot less bandwidth. In July 1999 GibNet took Government to court for removing their laser and won. Government appealed, but on 28th February 2000, three UK Court of Appeal Judges took the view that non-implementation of the EU Telecommunication Directives was so serious that the Government was liable to GibNet for damages for the seizure of their equipment. The Court of Appeal accepted that the Directors should not have been be stigmatised as criminals and, in fact, the development of internet services in Gibraltar owed a great deal to their pioneering and enterprising spirit. For various reasons the laser they’d fought for couldn’t be used again, and in December

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

2000 the company completed another upgrade — moving to Eurotowers and obtaining a 2Mb leased line connection to their own PoP in Telecity in London, gaining bandwidth from Level3. In February 2001, GibNet hosted Gibraltar’s ﬁrst LAN party, where a group of local gamers (shooting — not gambling!) set up their computers at GibNet’s ofﬁces and were provided with full broadband access to local games servers and the Internet. The speed of the access allowed the gamers to enjoy interactive games, locally and with overseas players, at a level of play not experienced before in Gibraltar. “The resulting gameplay was incredible and they managed to pay back many clans [other groups of gamers] that used to regularly beat them when they played from home!” Jimmy smiles. Next Gibraltar Nynex introduced ADSL for their telephone network and offered the service to GibNet and Gibconnect, the only Internet providers at the time, but GibNet felt the prices were high and held back. It soon became clear ADSL was taking off and in mid2003 they launched their own ADSL service. “It was a tough decision, but we had to cancel our leased line to London and take internet bandwidth from Nynex as their internet prices were substantially cheaper than their leased line prices. We effectively became a Nynex reseller

“

To anyone who bought our services, we would give Winsock (a program for Internet connection), Eudora Mail, and Netscape 1.0, all on a single ﬂoppy disk!

”

— buying bandwidth from them and paying to be able to sell to their ADSL customers — but it was the only thing we could do.” Liberalisation was gaining momentum in Gibraltar, and Jimmy and Danny knew it was the way forward. They were working on obtaining a line of their own into Gibraltar and had travelled to Madrid in October 2002 to meet carriers and the Spanish Regulatory Authority. “The Spanish regulator was extremely helpful and the initial reaction of the carriers was very positive — one even carried out a site survey in Gibraltar for a microwave installation — but when they investigated further they all came back with, in our opinion, weak excuses as to why they couldn’t do it. I’m pretty sure that, when they did the necessary check with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, they were ‘discouraged’ from proceeding, but of course I could be wrong,” Jimmy explains. By now GibNet was in talks with investors for the creation of what would become Sapphire Networks, but the lack of lines could have stopped everything there. Fortunately they were in contact with a UK telecommunications company who solved the problem by providing a line from Telefonica UK direct to Gibraltar. “It would seem that requesting the line from the UK took away any decision from Madrid who were now simply providing a service to their UK counterpart.” In June 2005 Sapphire Networks was born, formed by GibNet and other investors. GibNet ceased trading and passed all its business to Sapphire Networks. “Sapphire received significant investment and resources to build its own independent infrastructure to cater for the high demands of the online/e-gaming business that was becom becoming established in Gibraltar,” explains Jimmy. Sapphire has its own independent fibre rings around Gibraltar and in Spain where it is a fully licensed carrier, and multiple fibre routes to its own PoP in Madrid where it intercon interconnects to the rest of the world. Its bandwidth is provided via five Tier1 Internet Providers as well as direct links to LINX and AMS-IX where they peer with many more internet providers. The entire network is next gen generation and very resilient, and they supply most of the gaming companies who have set up in Gibraltar. “We’re very much a boutique provider working closely with the gaming industry and even tailoring our network according to their needs,” says Jimmy. “For example, our direct links to LINX and AMS-IX were at the request of one of our customers who has already seen improvements as a result, and we introduced an ‘Event Bursting’ service for our bookmakers to cater for the extra bandwidth required for special events such as the Grand National and World Cup. The good news for our home users is that, as a result, they also benefit from the high quality bandwidth we provide. We currently have enough bandwidth to service the whole of Gibraltar a few times over, and we can expand fairly quickly, so we’re ready for whatever comes our way.” It has not been an easy journey for Jimmy, but surely there can now be nothing stopping our very own telecommunications pioneer, who launched Gibraltar onto the WWW for the world to see. ■ For more information visit www.sapphire.gi

The Alameda Botanic Gardens, or the Rock Hotel gardens provide beautiful settings for the wedding photos

Living in one of the coveted wedding destinations of the world, it’s easy to understand why many of Gibraltar’s citizens choose to have their wedding on home soil. Beatles legend John Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono famously exchanged their vows here, as did Sean Connery (twice) and novelist Frederick Forsythe amongst others. More recently, in July this year, John Galliano’s niece Elizabeth Husband wed Oliver Hawksley at the Cathedral of St Mary the Crowned in a stunning flamenco-inspired dress designed by her uncle. With a gorgeous Mediterranean climate, ceremony and reception venues with stunning views and simple legal requirements the Rock has a wide appeal for couples looking to tie the knot. If you’re looking for a religious ceremony there’s likely to be the perfect location to exchange your vows. For church weddings, a wide choice is available including the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, Sacred Heart Parish Church, St Andrew’s Church of Scotland, Wesley Methodist Church and many more. Synagogues such as the Shaar Hashamaym and Nefusot Yehuda and the Hindu Temple are ceremony options catering for other religions. Ministers at their respective places of worship should be contacted directly to discuss ceremony options and necessary requirements well in advance to avoid any disappointment (popular dates get booked well in advance). Registry office weddings are famously simple on the Rock and can legally take place in 24 hours! In practice however, pre-planning is essential. Registrars do not take ceremony bookings until November 1st for the following calendar year. If keen to reserve a slot ahead of this period, you can submit a written request which will put you on a waiting list. Relatively recently, local law has changed to allow civil marriage ceremonies to take place outside of the registry office, allowing many the Rock’s top venues to gain licences to conduct weddings. The iconic colonial Rock Hotel is one such venue to be licensed. The preferred reside of celebrities such as Michael Palin and Prince Charles, the historic hotel was built in 1932 by the Marquis of Bute. Situated against the Rock and high above the town the location affords great views of the bay, the Spanish mainland and the Rif Mountains of Morocco. The beautiful Wisteria Room can be set up for the wedding ceremony and converted quickly to a reception room too. Other parts of the hotel such as the poolside garden can also hold the wedding

Making Your Wedding Rock The question’s been popped, the (right) answer’s been given, and the champagne glasses have been filled and emptied. Congratulations to any recent brides and groomsto be! Preparing for the big day can be a daunting task, but with careful planning and a cool head, it needn’t be the stressful affair it’s often built up to be! Read on to ensure your Gibraltar wedding rocks... 32

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

by Laura Cole reception. Other licensed hotels include the O’Callaghan Eliott Hotel and the Caleta Hotel, which has stunning views over the Strait and direct access to the beach. The Queen’s Hotel located just outside the old city also has licence and is an option for those on a tighter budget. Aside from hotels, there are other inspiring venues that have gained wedding licences. The Alameda Botanic Gardens offers a tempting alfresco venue. Wedding ceremonies take place in the Dell — an exotic garden within the botanic gardens designed by Guiseppe Codali in 1842. Codali was the Genoese head gardener and horticulturist of the Alameda during the middle years of the 19th Century. He was brought to Gibraltar specifically to work in the gardens and his Italian influence can be clearly seen. The Gardens are available every year from 1st June through to end October. Another alternative is the Mount, the former residence of the senior officer of the Royal Navy in Gibraltar. Built in 1797, it is an officially listed building with lush gardens. If you’re looking for a really unique ceremony venue the sky’s the limit with the Mons Calpe Suite at the top cable car station. Treat your guests to the best sights on the Rock, with pan- Extravagant wedding cup cake cascades are the latest oramic views of the coast and Africa. The newly wedding craze, and we are blessed in Gibraltar to have refurbished suite boasts its own private terrace Jane of Cassie’s Cakes hand making them to order with a retractable roof. For wedding breakfasts, the Mons Calpe Suite together with chefs from ’14 on the Quay’ can design a buffet or a la carte dining menu to suite your taste and budget. If marrying in a religious venue or registry office, there are limitless other options for reception venues — many of the Rock’s restaurants have the facilities to cater for wedding breakfasts and evening parties. Some couples choose to marry in Gibraltar and have receptions in Spain at one of the many glamorous Costa del

wedding bells

There are some very talented dress designers working locally, and while you may not be able to stretch to John Galliano for your special day, we love the designs of Ismael Lopez featured in our July edition (see it online)

The Alameda Botanic Gardens offers a tempting alfresco venue. Wedding ceremonies take place in the Dell — an exotic garden within the botanic gardens designed by Guiseppe Codali in 1842

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

wedding bells

You’re supposed to feel on top of the world on your wedding day, but with a reception at the Top of the Rock your guests will feel that way too

Sol hotels and venues. Florists, car hire, musicians, hair and wedding make-up artists, dress design, fittings and hire, cake design and catering can all be found on the Rock, meaning you can enjoy the convenience of keeping everything local. If the thought of organising your big day alone is overwhelming, the many wedding planners on the rock can take the pressure off with their expertise and experience. Justine Fava of ‘Just Events’ believes by having a wedding planner you “take the stress out of the equation and have someone do all that running around for you, still maintaining full control of what is happening and how you want your day to go.” With everything available to make your happy day truly memorable in less than seven square kilometres, the Rock’s appeal as a wedding destination is clear. With straight forward legalities, some gorgeous venues with spectacular views, it’s a great option to keep your wedding local. If you’ve only recently got engaged, why not head down to the Rock Hotel’s wedding fair on Sunday 19th September to whet your appetite? n

Weddings: Having a Plan There is no doubt a wedding is special event and it should be one packed with cherished memories and moments. Planning a wedding, however, can be one of the most stressful times of your life. Every bride has a dream of a perfect day down to every detail, flowers, music, venue, colour scheme... But few of us have much experience of planning such a life defining event. A Wedding or Event Manager could make the difference between months of stress and angst or joyful anticipation of a smoothly run affair. Once you have selected your Event Manager the first priority is getting to know each other — letting him or her know what you expect out of your day and establishing a working relationship based on trust. The key here is communication. The event manager will sit with the prospective bride and groom and list their priorities, understand their wants and needs and know what is realistic within their budget.

Once the event manager has a complete picture, he or she will set about contacting the suppliers who best suit that particular wedding. A good event manager will have a diverse list of contacts and suppliers with who they will negotiate terms and conditions, prioritising the couple’s requirements. Once ideas have been turned into facts and figures, the event manager will keep in contact with the couple making sure what is organised meets their expectations. All those phone calls, meetings, shopping around, finding samples, and coming up with suggestions and solutions

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

wedding bells

photo: Kevin Fitzmaurice-Brown

are what create the stress with any major event. A good planner can leave the couple with just the crucial decisions which become a breeze when all the information is at hand. Putting the actual day together takes time and a lot of work. The events manager is there throughout to oversee, manage, trouble shoot and make sure everything runs smoothly so the bride and groom just enjoy their special day knowing someone else is taking care of the hiccups. While wedding planner have been commonplace in other places for many years, they are still a new concept in Gibraltar but one that is gaining momentum. n Event managers charge for their services in several ways. It could be 10%-15% of the overall budget, a rate per hour where all work involved is itemised or a flat rate depending on the type of event.

Above: the Rock Hotel’s Wisteria Terrace ready for an intimate ceremony. Right: the Rock Hotel is famed for its poolside functions

Sunday 19th September

Wedding Fayre at The Rock Hotel

If you’re thinking of tying the knot our second wedding fayre is a must! Come up to the Rock on Sunday 19th September between midday and 5pm and meet representatives from the hotel plus a whole host of wedding related suppliers who can all contribute to making your special day even more special! We will have our dining areas laid up in a variety of styles and numbers, from small family gathering to a much larger affair – we’ll have bridal suites to show and of course our diary will be on hand to hopefully take your booking. We’ll also have refreshments on hand during the afternoon. Typically our wedding customers say things like....... "I must take this opportunity to thank you from our hearts for what you did and how well the reception went. Your staff truly decorated the place much nicer than we envisioned and everything was better than we expected. Choosing the Rock Hotel was indeed the best option....couldn't have asked for more...everyone commented on how nice the food was and the friendly staff and the overall impression of the place itself. Toby, thanks for being there too. You and Nina answered all my million questions and objected to nothing...Perfect is all we can say!!! Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!" For more information about exhibitors or how the day will work call Nina Pereira on 00350 200 73000 or e-mail her at conference-office@rockhotel.gi

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

Gibraltar’s Premier Hotel since 1932 35

Net Date to Soul Mate

by Laura Cole

She loves Thai food, going to the theatre and extreme sports. He’s a playwright, loves bungy jumping and cooks a mean Thai green curry. They are the perfect match, and luckily, he only lives around the corner from her. But what about if that chance meeting in a bar never occurs? What about if they haven’t got any mutual friends to introduce them? Should romance always be left to fate? Or, should we utilise technology to help with our search for love? In other areas of life, like finding a dream job or perfect property, the internet provides an efficient and highly effective search mechanism. So can love on the Rock be found by some online soul searching? The popularity of online dating has soared over the past few years. A recent US study which looked at how people had met their spouses revealed that the number one way was through school or university, the second was through a friend and the third was through online dating — more than pubs, clubs or other social events. 20 million people worldwide are estimated to visit an online dating site at least once a month. Whilst it’s true that the Gibraltarian community is more connected than most, it’s a fallacy to believe that the Rock couldn’t benefit from online match-making.

Mike Fitzgerald who runs Gibraltar-based company Bone-fish Ltd, provides companies with software to set up their own online dating services. Mike believes that internet dating is now a popular choice because it fits around modern day lifestyles. “People’s lives and careers are far more hectic than they were say 10 or 20 years ago and as a result, many career driven individuals simply don’t have the time to socialise.” He argues that “online dating is a service which fills this void.” As well as efficiency, online dating has other advantages over traditional means. Heightened

honesty was one of the benefits that Katie, who works in retail in Gibraltar found when she started online dating. “I found it refreshing to be upfront about exactly what I was looking for,” she states. Katie had never expected to be single in her mid-50s. Having just come out of a six-year relationship and before that a 23-year long marriage, she felt clear about what she wanted from a man and a relationship. “I said that I was looking for someone special, honest, decent and attractive, and in it for the long run.” In conventional dating, a common problem

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

romance for potential couples is that they are simply looking for different things. Many ill-fated courtships will end in the inevitable words of “I’m not looking for anything serious”, something that in theory could be avoided by the transparency of online ‘dating objectives’. Paradoxically, ‘honesty’ (or a lack of it) is also frequently cited as a reason against online dating. “I remember reading about a teenage girl who fell in love with a guy through cyberspace,” says Catherine, a 24 year old admin assistant. “He seemed perfect — gorgeous, sporty, funny and shared her love of Indie music. But when they met in person, he was ten years older, nothing like his profile picture and had obviously matched his interests with hers after reading her profile.” Horror stories like these should certainly not be ignored and users should of course exercise an element of caution. But in reality, conventional dating is not risk free either. Mike argues “online dating is actually safer than using meeting methods such as nightclubs and bars as communication is via a safe and secure online messaging system.” Aside from safety arguments, some non-converters are reluctant to search for love online, through feeling there’s still a stigma attached to it. However, with the phenomena still under 20 years old, already attitudes have changed dramatically during its relatively short lifetime.

With the social networking revolution, the young generation are more open to using technology in finding romance than their parents might have been. Experts predict that eventually, not utilising online technologies for finding partners will be viewed as old-fashioned and inefficient. Mike predicts that in the near future, technology and dating will become even more intertwined. “I expect the interactivity to evolve to a level where you can access the media via any digital device you have, for example TV, PC, iPad,” he says. Location-based dating applications already exist on iPhones and iPods where singletons can express whether they find themselves available for lunch or a coffee in a particular area. Katie, who ended up finding the love of her life online is certainly glad she gave it try. “Some of my female work colleagues were dubious, but I’ve always had a sense of adventure and just thought I’d go for it!” Katie met Steve after she had been online for just a month. Steve was the second person she’d chosen to meet in the flesh after exchanging emails and calls. “His profile intrigued me — current affairs, travelling, gardening and family life (he has children too) were amongst his interests and he had quite an impres-

sive career which I found attractive. I liked the look of his photo too of course!” Like many of the internet dating companies, Katie emphasises that although the online dating can take a lot of the hard work out, as with conventional dating, it all comes down to chemistry. “Although I knew there was a good chance we’d get on, as soon as I met him I knew he was special-there was instant attraction.” Dating is a very personal thing, and there can be no fixed right and wrong ways in which to approach it. However, with the internet very much part of other aspects of our lives —work, education and socialising — it stands to reason it might also enhance our love life. If you’re someone that insists there’s no-one out there, it may be worth stepping outside your comfort zone and taking a plunge into the online pool. You never know who you’ll surface with… ❤

ople d e p n ate illio 20 m are estim ing de dat i e w n d i l l wor it an on nce o s t i s v a to t le site a month a

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

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GIBRALTAR 2010 GIBRALTARMAGAZINE MAGAZINE••SEPTEMBER AUGUST 2010

property

The place to be...

by Justin Bray of Bray Properties

It wasn’t that long ago that politicians around the world were talking about the “green shoots of recovery” in their countries, but whichever way one turns the economic news around the world continues to be as depressing as a rainy day by the British seaside. The coalition government in the UK has already prepared the population there for ruthless public spending cuts, as have the Spanish Government and nearly every other European country has also done so as they desperately attempt to re-balance their budgets. For many economies the road to recovery will be a long one and it will take many years for the before bank balance sheets and fiscal positions return to anything like normal.

In Gibraltar the situation is markedly different. Although there is always a correlation between a country’s economic performance and its property market, here in Gibraltar the link is closer and our

economy and ﬁnance sector plays an intrinsic role in the continuing strength of our commercial and residential markets. In these tough global times, Gibraltar has a good reason to

In these tough global times, Gibraltar has a good reason to feel a renewed sense of optimism, especially so after the 2010 budget

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

feel a renewed sense of optimism, especially so after the 2010 budget address by the Chief Minister. As part of the budget measures, the effective personal tax rates have been further reduced which in turn has allowed residents and locally employees to benefit from the continued success of Gibraltar and will assist in attracting the highly qualified professionals that are vital to our continuing growth. Local companies will also benefit from the reduction in corporation tax from 22% to 10% as from 1st January 2011, when the Tax Exempt company regime finally comes to an end, and marks with it Gibraltar’s final transition from a tax haven to a leading mainstream finance centre. Ever mindful of the importance of High Net Worth Individuals in the continuing growth of Gibraltar, the Government has also been careful not to tinker too much with this sector. Although there has been an increase in the maximum annual tax liability from £25,880 to £29,880, this flexible tax regime continues to be one of the most attractive in Europe and will ensure the continuing expansion of this market and its benefits to Gibraltar in the years to come. The latest Government data also shows that economic growth stood at 5% in the year to 31st March 2009 and is expected to continue at this level in 2010, whilst employment continues to be at record levels. What is maybe more remarkable is that whereas every other country in the world has found their deficits increasing since the global crisis began, Gibraltar on the other hand had an all time record high net surplus for the year ended 31 March 2010. The latest changes in the stamp duty and the increase in the stamp duty threshold to £200,000 is also a welcome relief for first-time buyers and for many Gibraltarians, and should further stimulate this market sector further. Gibraltar’s personal income and company tax rates are now one of the most attractive in Europe and one has to ask oneself is there a better place live and operate a business from in Europe nowadays than here? I think you will agree the answer is a resounding “No”. ■

Sad I know, but whilst on holiday I pondered many business decisions I had previously put to one side, mulled them over a long awaited pint of English real ale, and jotted down the best of them to enact once back in Gibraltar. Other people, I know, have also pondered (not necessarily over a pint of bitter though), made the decision to sell their property and now need to enact that decision. The question then becomes, how best to maximise one’s chances of selling, given the relatively slow market we are experiencing here in Gibraltar (albeit still much better than Spain and the UK, our two most influential property markets). Common sense tips prior to selling The first three tips are generally common sense, although it is surprising how many vendors do not make any effort. The internet is now the largest shop window for your property and hence your property’s photographs as well as the property itself, must instantly appeal to the browsing buyer. • Clean — first impressions count. A clean property is much more appealing than a grimy dust-bucket which will give an interested party a reason to reduce a bid as the poor state of the property will be mistaken as a requirement for a refurbishment when it may only need a good spring clean and tidying.

The way you furnish your apartment will affect its appeal to buyers. Show them what the space can be used for... if it’s a double bedroom show it with a double bed, if there is room for a dining area add a dining table and chairs

Time to sell? Now the holiday season is over, temperatures back to bearable, kids back to school and most of us back to work, it is time to take life a bit more seriously again.

• Furnishings — too little or no furniture and the property seems small. For example, some bedrooms in modern properties are very small and without presenting the room with a double bed and furniture, an interested party may be turned off immediately. At the other end of the spectrum, if every nook and cranny has a piece of furniture crammed in with heirlooms and ornaments, the viewer may not even be able to see the space that exists. In the latter case, pack half of it away prior to the selling process. • Neutral colours — if it’s not too late, go for neutral lighter colours in your furnishings. This maximises the feeling of space and is unlikely to deter your interested party as much as striking colours which appeal to different tastes. The estate agent Estate agents vary and so will the type of

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

property ﬁle

by Mike Nicholls buyer they attract. Judging by Chesterton’s sales value of your property and calculate the yield figures on residential property for the first half they can achieve if they buy your property of this year, the current profile of active buyers and let it out. Again, pre-empt this and seek is around 40% investors, 35% are Category 2 your agent’s advice. Gross yields (ie before buyers, and the remaining 25%, non-Category property ownership and rental costs) are 5% 2 owner occupiers. - 6% at the moment in Gibraltar. To capture the investor market, you will need to price The first question one should ask oneself is your property at the higher end of this yield out of these three buyer categories, which one range. is likely to want to buy your type of property in your specific location. Armed with the answer, one then asks, which agent is most suited to • Competition — your price will also be a funcreach that target market. Draw up a shortlist tion of the competition from other vendors in and make each agent on your list demonstrate the same development or location. As each to you that they have both the clients and the newly built residential development finishes wherewithal to actively promote your propand comes to the market, there is, by definierty. tion, an oversupply of those properties. If you have one of these properties and need to sell, you are competing with other vendors Price equally keen to attract the buyers. Your agent The market is very price sensitive at the moshould keep an eye on prices of other vendors ment. Pricing your property is why your choice and price yours accordingly depending on of agent is most important. how desperate you are to sell. If you are the only vendor in a development then obviously • Comparables — buyers (especially investors you have no such pressure and do not need and cat 2 buyers) will seek evidence of recent to keep looking over your shoulder at your sales in the same development to gauge the competitors. right price for your property. A good agent will pre-empt this and will do this homework for you or with you. It is important that your Be prepared Either choose an agent with whom you can price can be supported with comparables to interested parties. Good agents are unlikely leave your keys, or, be ready to be available at to promote over-priced properties as it im- short notice for viewings. Investors and cat 2 pacts their reputation to their clients, and we applicants visit Gibraltar for possibly just a day are not in the market where anything sells at or two and will often want to view and buy at short notice. Offering ‘next Thursday’ is no any price. good. Be available at short notice if you want • Yield — investors will look at the likely rental to maximise your chances.

Choose your legal advisor prior to selling and double check all the property paperwork is at the ready. You may accept an offer, then a delay occurs from your side due to title deeds being in an unknown vault, or a probate issue has never been properly resolved so there is no clear title. Your buyer could become impatient and move elsewhere. And ﬁnally… Remember, everything will sell at the right price, even in this market. Present your property in its best light, choose your agent wisely, and set the right price for the speed at which you wish to sell. ■

Mike Nicholls is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and a member of the Gibraltar Society of Accountants. Mike operates the Chesterton estate agency in Gibraltar (www.chesterton.gi) and owns MN Associates Limited, a local company specialising in Gibraltar property, funding and relocation. See www.mn-associates.gi.

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Childproof Your Home by Kristin Mortensen

Tears roll down his cherry-red cheeks as a piercing scream permeates the air. In a panic, mum sees his glowing red fingertips, scorched from touching the piping hot cooker used minutes before. She quickly submerges his hand in a bowl of ice water, consoling him while the pain subsides and relief sets in. Unfortunately, this is an all too familiar scene. According to the UK’s Royal Society for the to leave it plugged in. Your first task when Prevention of Accidents, “over 1 million chil- you are done with an appliance should be to dren under the age of 15 experience accidents unplug it from the wall, coil the cord and store in and around the home every year, for which they are taken to Accident and Emergency Units.” We all know accidents happen, however taking precautionary measures can often prevent them. Keep reading to learn how to childproof your home in order to avoid accidents and keep your little one safe.

Eliminate Electrical Shock

Electrical outlets are in the direct line of sight of children, encouraging them to see what the funny-looking holes in the wall are all about. For outlets that are unoccupied, plug them with plastic covers to avoid electrocution. You can find these at hardware stores or Mothercare in Gibraltar.

Unplug the Unused

If you’re not using something, there’s no need

“

Over 1 million children under the age of 15 experience accidents in and around the home every year

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it in a safe place. This is especially important with toasters, irons and hair appliances such as curling irons and flat irons.

Cooking with Care

The kitchen can be a chaotic place at times, and it does not help that it contains many high-risk appliances. Children are curious by nature so be extremely alert when there are children in the area. If possible, use the rear hobs on the cooker to avoid burnt fingers. If you must use the front hobs, make sure to keep the handles of the pans turned inward and not off the counter’s edge. Keep knives and other sharp objects in a place where children can’t get to them.

Alarm Alert

Smoke alarms are essential safety devices in every home. Install a smoke alarm in every room and do a routine maintenance check once a month to ensure they are working

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

home interiors properly. Replace the batteries once a year on cannot access them. If you have a barbecue, ﬁnished using an item, don’t forget to put it make sure children are at a safe distance at back in its safe haven. all the alarms in the house. all times, even after use when the embers are still hot. Garden Guard Water Watch Plenty of rain and year-round sunshine in Gibraltar creates the ideal climate for plant cultivation. If you are part of the handful of people in Gibraltar who have a serene garden to tend to, making it child-friendly is worthwhile. Design your garden so that prickly and thorny plants such as cacti and roses are out of children’s reach. Install childproof locks on gates and fences to prevent children from running into the street. Store your fertiliser and tools in a place where children

Toxic Trouble

It seems like a no-brainer, but you’d be amazed how often people forget to keep household toxins in a safe and secure place. That’s why it is vital to keep medicines, detergents, alcohol, sharp objects and all other hazardous items out of harms way. For example, create a medicine cabinet with a lock or store your alcohol high up where it is only accessible to adults. And when you have

If you are one of the lucky Gibraltar residents who spend their summer days cooling off in a communal swimming pool, it is imperative to play the role of the lifeguard when there are children around and in the water. Ensure a childproof barrier exists between your ﬂat and the pool, and if it doesn’t, talk to your landlord about installing one. Also, keep a close eye on children during bath time even if the water is shallow. Remember, children can drown in only 5 cm of water. ■

Childprooﬁng Checklist ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

Cover all electrical outlets with plastic covers Unplug all unused appliances and store in a safe place Use rear hobs on the cooker Turn pot handles inward while cooking Install smoke alarms in every room Check smoke alarms every month Replace smoke alarm batteries every year Supervise children around and in water

✔ Keep hazardous items locked up or out of reach ✔ Install childproof locks on doors and gates

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

Allow your child to sleep safe even when away from home with “Dream Tubes” available at Baby Zone, Engineer’s Lane

charity

Imagine Change…

New charity focusses on family breakdown: providing guidance, support & positive solutions

Family breakdown has sadly become a global phenomenon. Family Barrister Amber Turner (Trustee of Imagine Change) says that in her nine years’ practice the evidence is conclusive that separation and divorce has damaging effects (in varying degrees) on adults and their children; extending to grandparents, friends, employers, teachers, etc. “How the separation is handled is of paramount importance and will determine how well children adapt and cope with the life change. Imagine Change will provide a ‘roadmap’ of guidance, support and positive solu-

tions. The focus is on prevention where a family can be ‘rescued’ and on cure where couples are beyond the point of no return.” The charity’s first community project is a website offering a ‘one-stop shop’ for information for children and adults about family-related issues. “Users will be taken through the most common family issues that cause couples to separate and importantly will provide the information they need to find the support and solutions that best fit. Locals will post testimonials, true stories of those who imagined a better family life,

learned the tools and took the steps to transform those hopes into reality, sharing with others their journey from family breakdown towards positive life change,” says Stephen Cumming (Trustee). The website will also provide a section about Family Law facilitating access to professional guidance and support; post ‘top tips’ to creating and maintaining happier and healthier family relationships with a focus on family values; a section on guidance through the arts providing recommended books, poetry, films, documen-

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

charity taries, artwork, photographs, inspirational sayings, cartoons, covering family life; awareness and empowerment outreach programmes which will be conducted locally; a visual directory of available sources of community guidance and support; news page and calendar of events. Imagine Change is offering to provide those with no website a page on its site and the posting of web-links for those who do. So far; Claire Borrell MBE GCBH of Women In Need; Emily Adamberry-Olivero MBE from the Psychological Support Group; Mark Montovio Counsellor; Sonia Golt of the Bosom Buddies Cancer Trust; Geraldine Canepa Stress Therapist; Phyllis Miles Counsellor; Joe Caruana MBE of the Drugs Advisory Service have taken up the offer. Bruce’s Farm, Childline and JM Memorial Foundation will be posting their information and web-links to their own websites. Imagine Change is inviting all individuals, associations, charities and professionals (legal, medical, etc) who offer their services in the field of family breakdown to have a presence on the website by contacting info@imagine-change.org. Lawyer Yvette Sanguinetti (Trustee) adds that beyond the website project, Imagine Change’s goals include raising funds to produce and develop workshops, conferences, seminars, productions, television and radio advertisements and programmes, documentaries, short films and films to inspire, empower and initiate positive changes in attitudes and outlooks. n For further information about how you can become involved and for details of funding/ advertising package, please contact info@imagine-change.org.

Gibraltar’s Summer Ball... Get ready for Gibraltar’s Summer Ball (previously the Big Kids Ball) which will take place on Thursday 2nd September at the Alameda Botanic Gardens.

This year’s dress code is ‘white’ and it will be a night of unprecedented fun — unlimited food (provided by 14 on the Quay) and drinks, cava and cocktail bar, an open air concert giving you a medley of soul, disco, funk, jazz and rock featuring Area 52, Wijo and Tres Divos, plus fire dancers, tree-hanging trapeze artists, stilt-walkers, and the event’s trademark bucking broncos, surf machine, gladiator duel, skydive machine and much much more. The event runs from 6pm until midnight. Tickets cost £40.00 with all proceeds going to three charities - COPE, The Disability Society and Childline. It is hoped this year to raise an impressive £20,000, so get your tickets from Marble Arc or Shoe on Main Street or Rock 3D at Ocean Village. n For more details visit the website www.gibraltarcharityball.com. Event presented by Iberia Events, Quad Consultancy & Indigo.

Wobbling Your World

Wobbles has arrived — a new charity created to help sick and disabled local children — and as the name suggests it is a charity with a difference. All the trustees have given their help and time to various charities around Gibraltar in the past, but they wanted to focus in one particular area, thus Wobbles was born. Wobbles bounced to life following a fantastic donation of £717 by the Essential Services Charity Team raised through their annual charity walk to Tarifa. The aim is simple, to give the children a reason to smile and to Wobble their world. Officially due to be launched on 21st September 2010, Wobbles is a non-profitable children’s charity with the future of the community at its heart. Check out the website www. wobbles-gib.com for information and ways you can get involved or donate. Wobbles — wobbling your world at an event near you soon! n

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wall space

Monica Peralta

Telling Stories...

Monica with Primavera

A couple of years ago, Monica Peralta was busy telling bedtime stories to her sons, nowadays bubbly Monica is busy promoting her ﬁrst book, Mum’s Telling You A Story, so children all around Gibraltar can enjoy her creative masterpieces. Her stories not only provide enjoyment for the reader (or listeners), but also have a moral in every one. 46

Monica began writing the book two years ago, inspired by her sons Louis and Rafa. “My sons always wanted a story before going to bed and as a result our evenings got later and later, so I decided to tell them my own stories, that way I could finish when I felt they were ready to sleep. My children encouraged me to write them down, and so I did. The next stage was for them to be written in a booklet for charity, and a year ago I decided to print a hardcover book of my own,” Monica smiles. It has been a huge learning curve for Monica as this is her first book, in fact her passion had always been horseriding! “I started a degree in Equine Science and I am planning to get back into it in the future. My parents bought me my first horse, Primavera, when I was 13. I have now had her for 23 years. I still ride regularly and enjoy it as much as I did back then. I might consider teaching again in the future though, as I very much enjoyed that.” Nowadays, she is very much involved in her children’s lives and is always balancing this with courses which she has undertaken in interior design, and equine related studies, and of course, promoting her book of stories. “I always have something going on at the back of my mind, as I’m a very active person, who enjoys challenges. My children take after me in these aspects of my character, as they are always doing sports and involved in many activities, including helping me with my book,” Monica beams proudly. In fact, it was her children who were responsible for the illustrations. Every week they would sit down and paint in watercolours. The book has been a learning curve for her sons too, as it was not an easy process for them, but they learned about being consistent and disciplined. They also learned about art and uses of colour, and how you need to persevere in order to achieve your goals. “This book is very much a family project, the children enjoyed doing it and seeing their ideas develop into reality.” It is no surprise that Monica’s children have an artistic vein in them, as their father comes from an artistic family, which includes well-known local artists, Bathsheba Peralta, Willa Vazquez and Jane Langdon. “My children are exposed to works of art constantly, and often see their grandmother and her sisters painting and exhibiting their work. Willa supervised their illustrations. I was always keen to see what Louis and Rafa had done at the end of the session.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

book release

by Jolene Gomez They really brought the stories to life and helped in giving them their own characters. Children responded well to the drawings as they have been painted by kids.” As the creative process began, Monica confirms that the illustrations and story writing were the easy bits — it was the actual publishing process which took a very long time. “I was very specific with what I wanted as the final product, especially with regards to the quality of the paper and the colours used,” Monica explains. The stories in her book are based on different moral values, with the idea of helping children with various circumstances. Some stories are about self-confidence and being responsible, with a couple of funny stories too. At the end of each story, bullet points summarise the morals of the tale being read, which means the book is not only full of fun, but full of truth too. Monica hopes her books will encourage children to read. However this is not the only project which Monica has un-

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dertaken. Her other publication Cuentos de Mama is written in Spanish. “I wrote it in Spanish because I feel children would benefit from seeing the story in English and then seeing how it is written in Spanish, so they practise and further improve their use of vocabulary.” Her third publication, The Picture Book, is targeted at younger readers, and is bilingual. “I am hoping this book helps children in extracting and analysing information for themselves. It is done in such a way that it makes them think for themselves, and these skills are important for their educational development. They are asked a precise question and they need to provide a specific answer.” In May this year, Monica’s first book launch was held at the Lord Nelson which was filled with children, family and friends, all supporting her project. Her books have been well received by the local community, and she has already been to various schools to

I always have something going on at the back of my mind, as I’m a very active person, who enjoys challenges

”

Monica with Louis and Rafa at the book launch

read her stories to the children, who thoroughly enjoyed them. She plans to continue to promote her work locally, with possibilities of expanding into Spain and UK. With regards to plans for the future, Monica would love to continue visiting schools to read to the children, and is planning to make a trip to the local hospital this Christmas to read and give out some books to the children there. “I am already full of ideas for another book, but right now I’m

going to continue promoting Mum’s Telling You A Story, taking everything in my stride, and enjoying the moment,” she smiles. If you would like a copy for yourself (you will also get a free drawstring bag) it is available at: Sacarello’s Newsagent, Imperial Newsagent, Caleta Hotel, Sky Shop, Midtown Bookstore and Gibraltar Bookshop. The book is registered at the British Library ISBN 849373880-8. Or you can contact Monica at monicath@ gibtelecom.net n

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

sport

John Keats painted by William Hilton

Keats’ Sister & the Vast Topaz

As the brig Maria Crowther sailed past Gibraltar John Keats remarked to his friend John Severn that it “glowed like a vast topaz”. As the ailing poet looked up at the massive rock shining in the dawn light it is unlikely he envisioned that one day his much-loved little sister would be living there. When Keats first set eyes upon Gibraltar in the autumn of 1820 he was on his way to Rome on the invitation of another of the Romance poets, Percy Bysshe Shelley. Keats was suffering from tuberculosis

and doctors had advised him to travel to a warmer and healthier climate. Keats lived just five more months but before dying he made the acquaintance of a young Spanish man

named Valentin de Llanos. There is no proof that Keats arranged for the handsome young man to meet his teenage sister but it seems most likely that he did because it was shortly after the poet’s death that

the dashing Spaniard emerged on the literary social scene in London and began courting the 18-year-old Fanny. The best evidence that Keats had a hand in finding a prospective husband for Fanny comes in a letter written by the playwright Gerald Griffin. One sentence in the letter reads: “…my Spanish friend Valentin was intimate with him [Keats] and spoke with him three days before he died.” Keats, the oldest of five children, died in February 1821, aged just 25. Fanny, already an orphan — her father had died after falling from a horse when she was a baby and her mother died of consumption when she was seven — had now lost her adored brother. After their mother’s death the children were cared for by their loving maternal grandmother Alice Jennings. But she died when Fanny was 11 and the little girl was placed in the care of wealthy merchant Richard Abbey. Abbey was a humourless man who didn’t like John and was over-protective of Fanny. She was miserable in his household and longed to get away. Fortunately Fanny received friendship and guidance from John’s true love Fanny Brawne. It is known that Valentin had told friends that he wished to see where Keats had lived and to meet the poets’ friends and sister and it is likely that Keats conveyed this information to Brawne. At the time of his arrival in England in 1821 Valentin, the son of a wealthy merchant was 26, well travelled and a published author. Described as ‘lean, silent, dusky and literary’ he might have had his pick of lively English roses but he fell for the ‘shy and reserved’ Fanny. On 30th March, 1826, after a nine-month engagement the unlikely pair married at the Church of St. Luke, Chelsea. Following the nuptials Valentin, a native of Castile, wished to return to Spain but dare not because he had written scathingly about the reigning monarch King Ferdinand VII. Fanny’s brother George Keats wrote: “It was no time for a marked Spanish liberal with wife and children to move from England to Spain, the author of Don Esteban and Sandoval could hardly expect a quiet life in the kingdom of the beloved Ferdinand.” Ferdinand died in 1833 but the de Llanos remained in exile as Spain plunged into civil war. When in 1840 Baldomero Espartero emerged victorious and became Prime Minister the de Llanos were able to repatriate. Soon afterwards the well-connected

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

history revisited

by Reg Reynolds Valentin was appointed Spanish Consul to Gibraltar. In her book Fanny Keats, author Marie Adami has little to say about Fanny’s experiences on the Rock except that she “…took a leading part in its cosmopolitan society”. It was at Gibraltar that Luis, the last of their four surviving children (a fifth died in infancy), was born. The de Llanos lived in Gibraltar until July 1843 when Espartero was deposed in a military uprising. He escaped to England and Ferdinand’s daughter Isabella, aged just 13, was placed on the throne. In the interim Valentin’s father had died leaving a considerable fortune. An investment in church property had also paid off handsomely and Valentin was able to build a great house on the outskirts of Valladolid. There he took up the post of Director of Canals for Castile. The years in Valladolid were said to be the happiest of Fanny’s life. In 1861 Fanny’s son-in-law was sent to Italy as a consultant for Roman Railways. This gave Fanny reason to visit Rome and her brother’s grave. She met up with John Severn who was now the British Consul (1860-1872) there. The event is described in Amadi’s book: “There was Madame de Llanos, whom he met during his early months as Consul. To his delight he found that she was Fanny Keats,

John Keats’ little sister. He had met her as a little girl, and now she had appeared in Rome with her daughter and her son-n-law, who was an engineer. Fanny Keats de Llanos was now an elderly woman, but the memory of her favourite brother was like a bridge to the years since their last meeting.” Fanny, with the help of Severn, had Keats’ gravesite upgraded to reflect his growing fame. She planted two bay trees by the grave and had a new headstone erected with the inscription: John Keats A Young English Poet (whose mortal remains this kindred earth received) died in Rome on the 24th February 1821 in his 25th year. In his last moments he requested the following words to mark his grave. “Here lies one whose name was writ in water.” Time having reversed this sentence His only Sister now inscribes his name in Marble 1864. In 1885 the Gibraltar-born Luis de Llanos, who had joined the Public Service, was appointed to the Spanish Delegation at Rome. His father Valentin had died the previous year. Following a short illness Fanny died on 16th December, 1889 aged 86. She is buried next to her husband in the Cemetery of San Isidoro, Valladolid. John Severn died 4th August, 1879, also aged 86, he is buried next to Keats in the Protestant Cemetery at Rome. n

It was at Gibraltar that Luis, the last of their four surviving children (a fifth died in infancy), was born

Fanny Keats in 1863 GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

media profile

Noelle Hoth

American Pie for Breakfast She’s the voice The Bay FM radio listeners wake up to on weekday mornings, as sizzling as any Tex-Mex combo platter, as sugar’n’spice as any cinematic Southern Belle. Big Bay Breakfast’s host Noelle Hoth is much more than the Yankee deejay stereotype from your average road-trip movie: as the radio’s motto pledges, she really does bring a breath of fresh air to the Campo of Gibraltar. Peppy and upbeat like the music she plays, this 30-year old Texan gal with a penchant for celeb gossip surely sounds like a seasoned guru of the airwaves, and knows how to keep you entertained and informed on major and local news, including real-time queue information, as much as about the quirky items to make you go either aw! or yuck!, and the who’s dating who, or who’s wearing what, of the international who’s who. However, she’s pretty new to broadcasting, coming from a background in... retail and merchandising — and a theatrical college education. “I did drama in high school and got a schol-

arship for it, so I went to college, but I started apartments waiting for the big break, wasn’t having financial hiccups and realised the life- for me. style my friends were experiencing, struggling “So I went into retail, got promoted to manto make ends meet in roach-infested New York agement and soon I purchased my own car and house, well... more of a condo flat, but it was all mine, bought with my savings and, even if I lived paycheque to paycheque, I was truly and proudly an independent woman.” Then came marriage, a baby daughter and three years off work to ‘do the mommy thing’. Eventually she took the highway to fashion and glamour landing freelance window-dressing jobs for big names in the industry and travelling across the States. “It was fun, it was creative and I could actually handle expensive designer gear! A bit like being a little girl playing in her mama’s closet, but instead of wearing them myself I had to dress up the display — fabulous.” Over a year ago, Noelle’s husband was offered

Once they pinpointed it on the atlas, Gibraltar it was: a little piece of Britain where people speak English but drive on the ‘right’ side of the road!

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

media profile

by Elena Scialtiel

a work placement either to the Far East, Africa or Gibraltar. When confronted with these options, Noelle who had always dreamed of travelling outside the States, but had reservations about settling down in cultures so miles apart from their own, simply blurted out: “Gibraltar? Where’s Gibraltar?” Once they pinpointed it on the atlas, Gibraltar it was: a little piece of Britain where people speak English but drive on the right side of the road! The hardest part of their move across the Pond wasn’t shipping all their effects and literally rebuilding their life here, but it was the drastic downsizing: “Real estate is so affordable in Texas that everyone has huge interiors with big furniture, walk-in closets and lots of clutter they hardly dispose of. Here, space is a precious commodity and we were faced with confined rooms, which taught me a big lesson in de-cluttering and straightening out my priorities.” Even her transport was downsized from the average Texan truck to an American car, which is still too big for Gib, and too obvious around town, easily giving away Noelle’s whereabouts: “And so people tell me off when they spot it, but I don’t see them and don’t honk!” Used to metropolitan life, traffic isn’t such an issue for early bird Noelle, who rises and shines well before sunrise to switch her mic on and greet her listeners at the stroke of 7 o’clock: she crosses into Spain early and returns home ‘in-between plane landings’, on time to fetch her son and daughter from school. (Less lucky motorists stuck in the queue are advised to listen

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

to her show on 104.8 FM or on the website www. thebayfm.com). She can dedicate the rest of her day to her children, black cat Gringa and dog Pepe, adopted locally to reward her three-year old son for his no-accident potty-training track record. And to reviving her passion for theatre. She was sucked into the Trafalgar Theatre Group pantomime racket and since parts were already cast, she was left with stage managing. Shortly after, she starred in the dark-humoured comedy A Breath of Spring, the group’s entry to the 2010 Royal Drama Festival. “The panto has been so stressful and yet so much fun. I want to do it again! But this year I’d love to act, perhaps being the baddie, because I’m such a nice optimistic person it will stun my friends watching me letting my dark side out!” Evil guffaw. And what better references for the

“

The panto has been so stressful and yet so much fun. I want to do it again! But this year I’d love to act, perhaps being the baddie... it will stun my friends watching me letting my dark side out!

”

part than having played one of the Macbeth witches some ten years ago? As an American, pantomime was totally new to Noelle. “I mistook it for that art form where a skinny guy in stripy top and white-painted face pretends he’s in a box, but I was introduced to a whole new world, which sounded a little like old times’ cabaret to me, but with the extra appeal of being tailored for children. And I loved it. I love that parents can take kids to live theatre and enjoy it together.” On the panto set, she met Frankie Hatton who offered her the morning slot at the newborn radio. After extensive training, she was thrown at the deep end, where she hasn’t yet messed up ‘irreparably’, but has accepted the challenge of being in the studio on her own managing mixers, computers, e-mails, phone calls and chatrooms. While smiling to the webcam... “Sometimes I wonder whether someone is listening out there, and it is tricky to talk to oneself, so I picture my hubby or my best friend in the studio with me.” Although she steers clear from sensitive topics like politics, Noelle has learned in her four months on air that Campo-de-Gibraltareños feel strongly about stuff she wouldn’t expect. She has also learned to do without all-nighter superstores or diners, where you can shop for anything anytime, or gorge on double cheeseburgers at two in the morning! The convenience of the ‘having it all and having it now!’ commandment in her upbringing has given in to the local ‘mañana’ culture. And thus Noelle is truly Mediterraneanised. n

Photos by Figgy Photography

Jenson “Jay” Callejon is dedicated to exposing local talent to the world

J Exposing Local Talent... 2:

Old friends, Jay and Darrell, are no strangers to the local music scene, and you will probably have seen them perform live on more than one occasion. Five years ago they created J2 Productions, an innovative project to benefit local musicians and expose their talent to an international audience, and they have not looked back since. After many years of organising concerts and events, Jenson “Jay” Callejon attended Drumtech Drum and Percussion School, and worked for Channel 4’s Pop World programme, which involved working with artists such as Pink and Shakira. He later attended the Academy of Contemporary Music (ACM) to further his musical career, but he was already working towards a

different aspect of the music world and headed to the Marché International du Disque et de l’Edition Musicale (MIDEM) in France after his graduation in 2004, to promote the Gibraltarian band he was managing, Seven Sins. MIDEM is the world’s largest music industry trade fair, held annually at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, where the celebrated Cannes Film Festival also takes place.

This event brings together musicians, business entrepreneurs and journalists from around the world, and provides a platform to showcase new artists, musical trends and music-related products. Attended by over 9,000 delegates, from more than 4,000 companies, from 88 countries, it is the place to be if you want to promote your music. Jay’s partner in J2 Productions Darrell Alman’s career and expertise led him to become increasingly experienced in the management of multicultural projects at an international level. He was privileged enough to work at numerous high profile international events, working closely with Breed 77 — Gibraltar’s internationally acclaimed band — as well as being the live event coordinator for the BBC Electric Proms in Camden, London. Together, Jay and Darrell have represented most of Gibraltar’s musical elites, and have worked to place Gibraltar on the music industry map since 2005. They were also responsible for bringing two record labels to Gibraltar, with a view to promoting Gibraltarian artists abroad. “As artists, we realised there was a need for musical artists in Gibraltar to be represented abroad, and offered guidance. We were looking to fill the void with regards to management, production, marketing and the music business in general for local bands, and so we created our first project, called Onslaught Music,” Jay explains. “We went to MIDEM a second time and took three bands, Area 52, Seven Sins and Adrian Pisarello. We prepared promo packs for each of the artists, and embarked on four days of extreme networking, in order to showcase Gibraltar’s talent. We got some very good contacts, including Roadrunner Records and Sony Spain,” Darrell says proudly. MIDEM also provides music showcasing for soundtracks used in films, adverts, and video games. During their time there, Darrell and Jenson contacted with a company called Activision, which was deciding on music to use for an up and coming video game, Guitar Hero World Tour. Also there, were representatives of the popular TV series, Lost, who were also hunting for new talent. “During the four days there are showcases from each country, where artists perform live, and we remember seeing a very young Amy Winehouse performing on the UK platform. Each country has their own space to promote their artists, much like the Expo in Seville 92, only everything is music related,” Jay explains. “We were in Nice getting a taxi to go to Cannes, which was really expensive, and found a middle aged man who was willing to share with us. We started chatting, and realised we were all going to MIDEM, and he told us he was the manager of a famous DJ. We didn’t think much of it, but when business cards were exchanged, we realised he was the manager of DJ Tiesto, who was quite famous at the time. There it actually hit me of the opportunities MIDEM had to offer us,” Darrell enthuses. Further trips to MIDEM are planned in the future, as Jay and Darrell are passionate about their projects, and about being good ambassadors for Gibraltar in the music business. Between 2006 and 2008, the duo moved to London, to get involved in the London music scene, where they organised various events,

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

by Jolene Gomez and travelled with bands on tour. The recession, however, had a huge impact on live music, and many clubs had to close down entirely. “We were still in the UK and could see that due to the recession, we were going to eventually come back to Gibraltar. So we decided to start planning our production company and what it would entail, and the services we would be willing to offer — and so J² Productions was born,” Jay explains. J² Productions offers three services; organising corporate events, stage management, and event production. “With regards to event production, we started planning what we wanted to be our first project when we came back home, the 2009 National Day Rock Concert,” Jay explains. They were determined to bring the show back to its original glory, and prepared a solid proposal, which gained them the tender for the concert, a success they repeated for this September’s event. With over 40 musicians and dancers in 2009, they provided the 4,000 strong Gibraltar public present with a varied, entertaining family event, quoted by many as one of the best concerts they had ever seen. “It is impossible to include every musician there is in Gibraltar to play at this event, because there are so many, and we want to provide quality acts for the event,” Darrell explains of the selection process. “But we always try to bring a mixture of old school and new blood, a mixture of veterans and up and coming talent, so that the performances cater for everybody.” Last year the show was opened by the popular band, !The Noiz!, and this year young local band This Side Up will be given the opportunity to play. Jenson will be spending a few weeks in the rehearsal room with This Side Up getting them ready for a gig of this magnitude. This will involve working on stage presence, confidence building, song construction and overall performance. “The month prior to the concert is logistically a nightmare, as you are trying to organise the schedules of over 40 musicians to meet for rehearsals etc. Added to this, we also had to organise rehearsals with musicians and dancers together, so that everything would be perfect on the night of the concert,” Jay explains. “We collaborated with Urban Dance at last years concert, and they provided some top quality entertainment on the night. I can never forget the opening number, Thriller, as the dancing zombies made my hairs stand on end. I was an amazing opening to what proved to be a great night. They bring the extra factor to the concert, and are an embellishment to the acts, as the concert was thoroughly entertaining,” Darrell smiles. This year, J² Productions is setting up a small ensemble of well known talented local musicians, with many other surprise performances also taking place. Urban Dance will again provide some spectacular dance routines, and rehearsals are well under way. “This year we have a bigger stage, louder

“

Darrell Alman promoting our musical talent abroad

PA equipment, and a better bar service by doubling the drink outlet. We have abolished the bar ticket system, and are more prepared this year for some high demand at the bar. Last year we did not expect the turn out that we had, but we are more than ready this year, for what we anticipate to be a 6,000 to 8,000 strong crowd,” Jay emphasises. They are always looking for alternatives and possibilities, to make the show better than the previous year. Both Jay and Darrell believe the National Day Rock Concert is an event produced for the Gibraltar public, and offering good entertainment is their first priority. “This year, we are trying to organise a Flash-

As artists, we realised there was a need for musical artists in Gibraltar to be represented abroad, and offered guidance

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

”

mob, which will take place at some point during the concert. This will offer something different, as the audience will be participating with us. We guarantee the public a great performance, and we invite them to enjoy it with us,” adds Darrell. So what will the future bring for J² Productions? Well, they are embarking on a new and exciting venture through TV production, something which they claim has always been at the back of their minds, and they hope to begin after the National Day Rock Concert. They are also calling out to all highly motivated individuals who want to become a part of their team — email them on Team@j2prod.com. You’re certainly in for some top quality entertainment from these highly experienced entrepreneurs. Come and witness what J² Productions has to offer on 9th September. You will not be disappointed. n For more information on J² Productions, please check out their website: www.gibevents.com

art file

follow me to Phoenix The words of a popular song state “By the time I get to Phoenix you’ll be there...” the person you will find when you get to Phoenix Face and Body Art locally is Naomi Abudarham. Naomi has recently returned to Gibraltar, her father’s home town. “I decided to move to Gibraltar with my two beautiful children and my husband after wanting a better life for myself and my family,” she explains. “Because my dad was Gibraltarian, I remember spending a lot of time here as a young child and it has always felt like my second home — somewhere safe with a great community as well as its fantastic history and undoubtedly the great weather. I particularly enjoy the sun. I have enjoyed every day since our decision to come to live here and bring up my children on this lovely Rock!” How did Naomi get involved in the creative world of face painting

and tattoos for children? “I was always creative as a child but unfortunately, circumstances meant I spent most of my adult life working in an office, not enjoying a single day of what I did. I got married had children and on becoming a mother I knew I wanted to spend as much time with my babies while they were still so young. I recall that just before we moved to Gibraltar I randomly had thoughts of taking up face painting as a hobby. I am

not really sure where it came from but I did not pursue it then and when we got here the whole thing seemed to happen through coincidence, destiny or pure chance.” It was while watching her own daughter having her face painted that she realised these thoughts could become reality as she felt she could do this too. Months passed and one day, on taking her girls into a local toy shop, she told them they could pick what they wanted.

The books gave her the encouragement to take it up more seriously and she is currently attending the Ash Kumar course in the UK

“My eldest daughter chose a mini face painting kit. So this again triggered the desire to try it out. When we got home my daughter was extremely excited about using her paints and asked me to do it for her.” On finishing Naomi stepped back and realised she had done a pretty good job for a first attempt. “I guess it all went from there really!” she laughs. A little while later Naomi flew to the UK to take a course on face painting which lead to other creative areas which she was also happy to learn. “I was introduced to the possibility of using glitter and making ink tattoos. Something I found pretty fascinating. Since then I have not

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

art file

by Sonia Golt stopped, and have taken it up as a business — although still very much a hobby and one I really enjoy as I get immense pleasure in seeing the delight on all the children’s faces when I finish.” She is particularly surprised at how popular the glitter tattoos have been, not just with children but with adults too, and she began being approached for Henna tattoos. “Because I have always loved the beautiful designs one can do with henna, I was again inspired to learn more about it and initially I bought a few books on the subject to get fully acquainted with it before indulging in it and working with it,” she says of this other string to her bow. Thoughts of her childhood came to mind when reading about the henna designs and she remembered times when, as a child, she had drawn around her hand on paper and then filled the outline with swirls, shapes and other details. “I immediately fell in love with this form of art,” she enthuses. The books gave her the encouragement to take it up more seriously and she is currently attending the Ash Kumar course in the UK. “Ash Kumar is the famous master of Henna and Mehndi designs and he is extremely well known in this field,” she explains. “I am so thrilled to be trained by one of the best in this subject. I have started by doing a foundation and intermediate course and will then be moving on to the Advanced and Master class all being taught by the Master himself!” Henna/ Mehndi has been around for centuries and is used mainly in India, North Africa Morocco, Asia and other places in the Middle East. The designs all have differ-

ent meanings, and are interpreted differently in the various places it is customary to use this type of artistic endeavour, but it always seems to have a spiritual touch. The designs are believed to bring good fortune to the wearer and some even believe they have healing properties. The man himself, Mehndi, became very popular with celebrities in the West, such as Madonna, Demi Moore and Gwen Stefani who appreciated his henna art. This made the henna designs popular with children, as well as with adults who wanted a temporary tattoo. “Teenagers nowadays, increasingly want permanent tattoos at a very young age — often taking the plunge and regretting the permanency years later,” Naomi comments. “Both Henna and Jagua (which is similar to Henna, as naturally safe but black with no harmful PPD) can last from one to three weeks, depending on the skin types. This gives the wearer a chance to experiment with designs and as to whether they want something more permanent or not without taking the wrong step.” Naomi can be found face painting and creating temporary tattoos for any event, birthday parties, hen nights, wedding ceremonies, girls’ night’s out and even corporate events. “I recently took part in the Aftershock catwalk show and painted the masks on the models which was a fascinating experience for me.” She could also be spotted at Summer Nights and the local fair. n Phoenix Face and Body Art is online at www.phoenixfaces.com. Contact Naomi on her mobile 0034 606 10101 or email phoenixfaces@hotmail.com

She is particularly surprised at how popular the glitter tattoos have been, not just with children but with adults too

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

update

Shoe Shopping

The new Shoe premises at 226 Main Street is now open and looking good with lots of shelf space for the gorgeous ladies’ and men’s shoes plus the cool area at the rear of the shop for measuring and fitting children’s shoes - and a little den for the kids. Be careful when shopping for shoes for the kids... you may not be able to resist something for yourself too!

Teams of Cowboys & Cowgirls to Hunt for Treasure The Wild West adventure is coming to Gibraltar on Friday 24th September when Childline holds its annual Treasure Hunt on a “Cowboy and Injun” theme. Wagons start to roll from Gauchos at 7pm and, as in previous years, teams of four are invited to enter to enjoy another night of treasure hunting mayhem with visits to many local bars picking up clues on the way. Dressing up in this year’s theme will earn extra points!

on the Gibraltar community and I am proud to be involved.” Gaucho’s ranch owner Colin Diamond says “The Wild West theme ﬁts in perfectly with us and all teams will be able to enjoy cowboy sized helpings of our superb barbecue after the hunt. We are delighted to be involved and look forward to helping Childline make this another success.”

Wild West “Sheriff” Colin McHard says “I am mighty pleased to be in involved in this venture for the for the third Last year’s winners The Four year and there will no doubt be Leprechauns will be defending some clues or items on route their trophy and Captain, Charles that will have a Wild West Santos, is conﬁdent they will “Sheriff” Colin McHard, his deputy Gloria Stimson (Childline) steer! I am humbled in so far retain the trophy. Challenge and Gauchos ranch owner Colin Diamond as I am nothing more them by entering your team of than a technical advisor to this four by calling Gloria on mobile adventure and cannot claim any credit for the 54020844 or e-mail wildwest@hotmail.com. The cost is £20 excellent work and support rendered by the volunteers at per person with all proceeds going to Childline — so gather Childline. Their dedication has had a proven positive impact your posse and ﬁnd the treasure!

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

fashion

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GIBRALTAR 2010 2010 GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAGAZINE • • JUNE SEPTEMBER

57 57

art search

Gibraltar’s Christopher Woods

The car boot sale ﬁnd which sparked a search for Mr Wood

by Reg Reynolds

Christopher Wood has been found but not the one I was expecting. In the August edition of the Gibraltar Magazine I wrote Three Artists Named Wood and a Gibraltar Sketch about my search for an artist named Christopher Wood who sketched Catalan Bay sometime in the early 1960s. The pen and ink drawing includes the Caleta Hotel which didn’t open until 1962. The first artist named Christopher Wood committed suicide in 1930 and so

gibraltar in art

3 Artists named Wood & a Gibraltar Sketch

by Reg Reynolds

When I came across a bargain-priced sketch of Catalan Bay at a boot sale I didn’t hesitate to buy it. The reasonably wellcrafted illustration was signed Christopher Wood. Intrigued I went to the internet to seek out artists with that name and came up with three — one was dead but two were alive (at the time) and had websites. The first Christopher Wood I approached is a Scottish artist who trained at Edinburgh College of Art and graduated in 1984 with a degree (honours) in drawing and painting. He has won numerous awards and is President of the Society of Scottish Artists. But he works primarily in oils and acrylics and told me he deﬁnitely did not draw the Gibraltar picture. Next I checked out the deceased Christopher Wood. I learned he had travelled through Gibraltar on his way to Tangier in 1922 but the sketch features the Caleta Palace Hotel, which wasn’t built until the early 1960s.

Although not the artist I was looking for this Christopher Wood had a most interesting life and a Gibraltar connection. He was considered one of the most promising artists of his time and was a contemporary and acquaintance of Pablo Picasso. Born near

Liverpool in 1901 he studied architecture but was encouraged by Augustus John to dedicate himself to painting. Handsome and charming Wood moved to Paris where he met the poet Jean Cocteau and was welcomed into Café Society. Maybe it was all too

Handsome and charming Wood moved to Paris where he met the poet Jean Cocteau and was welcomed into Café Society

couldn’t possibly have done it. The second thought he might have drawn it but died before I could get conﬁrmation. The third artist with the name is alive and well

much too soon for it would appear his expectations were a bit grandiose for such a young man. As evidenced by a letter he wrote to his mother: “Dearest Mother, you ask me what I am going to be. I have decided to try and be the greatest painter that has ever lived. I want to paint everything which touches the human being. You are quite correct when you say I have a lot of work before me.” Wood also had his demons, a bisexual he had been inﬂuenced and aided by wealthy homosexuals, one of whom introduced him to opium. Also, although by now well known and popular in social circles, his art did not sell. English critic Eric Newton wrote of Wood “…his pictures were instantly recognisable though not instantly saleable”. By 1928 Wood was living in St. Ives, Cornwall and outwardly very content. “I seem to live on the edge of the world. But what a world it is. I love this place and could stay here for ever. I feel things are becoming really vital and the studentship has passed. My work is becoming personal and sure and unlike anybody else’s.” The truth was his life was in turmoil. His plans to marry a Guinness heiress had been foiled by her parents and on the rebound he fell in love with a married woman. In 1930 he sighed to one female friend that this would be the “…last and most beautiful spring I shall ever see”. On 21st August 1930 Wood paid a visit to his mother and sister then walked to Platform 2 of Salisbury train station where he jumped to his death under an incoming train. I have not found any works of this Christopher Wood depicting Rock scenes but his paintings were exhibited at Gibraltar in 1963 by the Calpe Institute. The occasion was a travelling exhibition organised by the British Council and titled British Drawings and Watercolours of the 20th Century. The third Christopher Wood is a likely suspect for the sketch. Born in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1941, this Wood showed an interest in art and collecting from an early age. He attended Cambridge and upon graduation was snapped up by Christie’s Auction House. His talent was obvious and his rise was speedy; by age 27 he was a director. In 1977 Wood left Christie’s to found the Christopher Wood Gallery in Belgravia, London. Specialising in Victorian art he was a recognised expert, appearing on

GIBRALTARMAGAZINE MAGAZINE• •JANUARY AUGUST 2010 2010 GIBRALTAR

and living in Edinburgh but he replied to me saying the drawing was deﬁnitely not his. After the article appeared I received an e-mail from a fourth

Christopher Wood, not an artist but a Gibraltarian who through happy circumstances has come into possession of a drawing done by the same Christopher Wood I am searching for. Christopher Wood, the Gibraltarian, explained that a friend of his wife Kelly was shopping at the Sunday Market in Estepona when she spotted a sketch signed Christopher Wood. She purchased it on the chance that her friend’s husband might be the artist. ”The drawing is of Waterport Wharf,” says Christopher. “Probably in the early ’60s or earlier as the boats have all got wooden masts and sails. I liked the sketch so much that I had it framed and it hangs on my sitting room wall.” But the coincidences don’t stop there! A year or so later Christopher ’s brother Daniel went on holiday to the UK where he visited a relative of his girlfriend. There he noticed on the wall of the home another drawing of Waterport Wharf, this one done from a different angle but also signed by a Christopher Wood. “The drawings are clearly both from the same artist as the buildings, boats and signature, are ex-

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

art search actly the same,” says Christopher. It would seem Christopher Wood, the artist, spent a fair amount of time on the Rock and it is likely that there are more sketches of Gibraltar out there. Intrigued, I asked Gibraltar ’s Christopher Wood about his background. “Yes, born in Gibraltar in 1971,” was his answer. “My Dad’s greatgrandfather, grandfather and father were all police inspectors. My Dad opted to break tradition and joined the stevedoring business instead; my brother and I followed in his footsteps.” Christopher is General Manager of MH Bland Marine Services and he and Kelly have two children, Louise and Shane. He also has a sister Nathalie. “I’ve had the sketch for four or five years,” added Christopher, “and I’ve been trying to get hold of the other sketch for three or four years now with no luck! The elderly lady who owns it has fond memories of Gibraltar and is understandably hesitant of letting it go.” There is no question that Christopher’s sketch of Waterport Wharf and mine of Catalan Bay are by the same artist all we have to do is (above) The sketch owned by Gibraltar’s Christopher Wood and (right) the one Reg Reynolds wrote about in the August 2010 edition of The track him down. ■ Gibraltar Magazine

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

health Most people are unaware that the skin is the largest organ in the body. The skin covers every part of the body exposed to the exterior and has a number of vital functions, namely; protection from the outside environment; regulation of body temperature; production of chemicals vital for normal body function; vitamin D; acts as a reservoir for blood; aids the excretion of waste products through sweat. The cells that become cancerous in malignant melanoma are called melanocytes and are found between the dermis and epidermis. Their function is to produce melanin, the brown pigment in the skin which helps protect it from the harmful effects of ultraviolet light emitted by the sun. When you expose your skin to the sun, the melanin is then transferred to other cells to protect them from the sunâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s harmful rays. Do you need to have your moles checked? Skin cancer is now one of the most common cancers in the UK. There are approximately 70,000 new cases annually. Malignant melanoma, often just referred to as melanoma, is the most serious form of skin cancer affecting approximately 7,000 people in the UK every year. Unfortunately, at least 1 in 4 of those affected die, however, if detected before it has spread from the skin to other parts of the body (metastasized) melanoma is completely curable. If you have moved to a climate with greater hours of sunshine than you are used to, it is likely that you have increased your risk of developing skin cancer. As with all cancers early detection is of paramount importance, if treatment is to be successful. There are two main types of skin cancer; malignant melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer.

Getting Skinny by Damien Moore, Specialist Nurse, Specialist Medical Clinic

Or Should We Get Those Moles Checked Out?

Non-Melanoma skin cancer This is by far the most common type of skin cancer accounting for 90% of all skin cancers and affecting over 60,000 people in the UK every year but, fortunately, it is easily treated. These cancers occur most commonly in older people and usually affect areas of the skin which have been frequently exposed to the sun, such as the head, neck and hands. There are 2 main types of non-melanoma skin cancer; Basal cell carcinoma (the most common non-melanoma skin cancer and it usually occurs as a reddish lump which sometimes ulcerates. Squamous cell carcinoma is the other form of non-melanoma skin cancer. It is considered more serious than basel cell carcinoma as it can spread to other parts of the body if left untreated. It usually appears as a red scaly lump or sore and has a tendency to bleed easily.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE â&#x20AC;˘ SEPTEMBER 2010

health The signs and symptoms of non-melanoma skin cancer are: a new growth or sore that does not heal within four weeks; a spot or sore that continues to itch, hurt, crust, scab or bleed; persistent skin ulcers that are not explained by other causes.

it is important that we get to know our own skin, what our moles look like and where they are. Only half of the melanomas that occur arise in existing moles so it is important to also be aware of new moles. Check your skin closely once every three months. If you check the skin more often than this, you wouldn´t be able to see any subtle Malignant Melanoma Malignant melanoma is a potentially fatal changes. When checking your moles, ask your skin cancer. It is the abnormal change and partner or a friend to examine those you cannot growth of the melanocytes into cancer cells see for any changes in; which can spread to other parts of the body and prove fatal. If discovered early, the melanoma • Size can be removed from the skin and completely • Shape cured. If it has moved from the skin and caused • Colour tumours elsewhere in the body, it cannot be cured. Therefore, we have two lines of defense, Have a regular dermoscopic examination Prevention and Early Detection of your moles. This will usually mean once a year unless you are at particular risk of Prevention melanoma. Most people love the sunshine; however, as we know, the sun can be dangerous. Stay Who is at risk of developing skin cancer? S.A.F.E. in the sun: We are all at risk of developing melanoma. Stay in the shade between 11am and 4 pm Always cover up... wear a broad brimmed hat, loose clothing and a good sunscreen (preferably SPF 30, but a minimum of SPF 15) Fake it... if you must have a tan, make it a fake one Early years... take special care with babies and children

Early Detection As most of us will already have sun damage

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

As most of us will already have sun damage it is important that we get to know our own skin, what our moles look like and where they are

There is one over-riding risk factor to which we are all exposed on a daily basis. Ultraviolet light or radiation emitted from either the sun or sunbeds is the single most important risk factor in developing the disease. Some people, however, are more at risk than others and your risk is increased if you have; • fair skin • a close relative who has had malignant melanoma • skin that burns easily in the sun • a lot of moles • a tendency to ‘freckle’ easily • moved to, or were born in a hot, sunny, climate • been badly sunburned at least once in the past five years • exposed your skin to the sun (or sun beds) intermittently What can you do if you have a “worrying” mole? MoleCheck located in the SMG clinic, is Gibraltar’s first facility clinic dedicated entirely to skin cancer screening. Using “dermoscopy”, a painless, safe and completely non invasive screening tool, a specialist nurse is able to examine your moles under magnification to determine if any need to be assessed more closely. Any suspicious moles are then scanned using the microDERM® digital dermoscopy system and if necessary you will be referred to a surgeon or dermatologist for biopsy or removal. n

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McTimoney Chiropractor

Your Family Chemists

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

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

STEINER CHIROPRACTIC CLINICS

Chiropractic Health Clinic

Dr Carsten Rudolf Steiner BSc DC

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

Member of the British Chiropractic Association

Back to better health with Chiropractic for headaches, dizziness, neck and lower back pain, sciatica, osteoathritis and sports injuries. College Clinic, Regal Hse. Tel: 200 77777

CHEMISTS Bell Pharmacy 27 Bell Lane Tel: 200 77289 Fax: 200 42989

PASSANO OPTICIANS LTD

Louis’ Pharmacy Unit F12, International Commercial Centre, Casemates. Tel: 200 44797

British Registered Optometrists

Chiropodists

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

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

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 Tel: 200 44226

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

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

The Health Store

DentAL SURGEONS

5 City Mill Lane, Gibraltar. Tel: 20073765

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

Suppliers of Glucosamine, Ginkgo Biloba and all vitamins. Body Building Products (Creatine etc)

Keith J Vinnicombe

Open: 9am - 1pm & 3pm - 6pm

BDS (Wales) LDS RCS (Eng) MFGDP (UK)

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

For all your Pharmaceutical needs

OSTEOPATHS Joma Ormrod (BOst.) (female) Atlantic Suites Health Club & Spa Europort Tel: 200 48147

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

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

JOHN W. MILES

Health Stores

BSc (Podiatry), M.Ch.S

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

STATE REGISTERED CHIROPODIST

Opticians / Optometrists

Treatment of all Foot Problems

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

• Ingrown Toe-nails including Surgical Removal

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

• Biomechanical Analysis for Insoles / Orthotics including Children

PERSONAL TRAINERS

• Wart (Verruca) Clinic

Simon Coldwell Complete Fitness Unit G3, Eliott Hotel Tel: 200 51113

• Diabetics

Tel: 200 77777

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

Need somebody to talk to?

Isabella Jimenez BSc (hons) 3/8 Turnbull’s Lane Tel: 54002226 email: jimenez.isabella@gmail.com

DUTY CHEMISTS

September 2010

31-06 07-13

7 days a week 6-10pm

Trafalgar Pharmacy Baglietto Pharmacy

open 7-9pm Mon-Fri & 11am-1pm & 6-8pm weekends/public holiday

64 62 what a page turner! www.thegibraltarmagazine.com

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

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

health

58 Main Street, 1st Floor. Tel: 200 74040 Regular Clinics Claudia Schiel Health/Beauty Therapist

Andrew’s Cycle for Cancer Charities A Yorkshireman who hasn’t ridden a bike since his paper round days is embarking on a charity cycle ride to his childhood home in Rotherham, UK. from his new home in Gibraltar! In a bid to raise money for cancer charities in England and Spain, Andrew Fitzgerald will start the 1,560-mile journey from Gibraltar on 4th September. Andrew, whose own mum has recovered from breast cancer, will use social media to provide updates every step (or pedal) of the way. Andrew, 28, says “My friends think I am insane! But my aim of doing this is to prove that a normal average Joe like myself can put himself in the saddle and go. I don’t

have a physiotherapist, nutritionist, ﬁtness instructor or any guides — it is just me and a bike. “At this stage, I don’t even know if I’m going to make it to Yorkshire. That’s what makes all this so exciting. If people are willing to sponsor me to do this, it would give me additional drive and determination to get to my ﬁnish line. “Thanks to modern advances in technology, my own mum is still here today and if my efforts can help further the research of cancer

specialists, it would be wonderful. They are the heroes — the researchers and the sufferers. This cycle ride is nothing compared to what they do.” ■ Further information is available at www.gibraltartoyorkshire.co.uk/ and donations can be made at www.justgiving.com/gibraltartoyorkshire. Contact: Jonathan Fitzgerald, PR Manager, Gibraltar to Yorkshire Tel: 00 44 777 587 2127 email: j.fitzgerald1979@ googlemail.com

Auriculo Medicine for Stop Smoking Dermatological Peels Non Surgical Lifting Specialising in all kinds of skin problems Holistic Therapies for various conditions - Reflexology - Medicinal Pedicures - Hair Extensions Gillian Schirmer MA DC UK McTimoney Chiropractor Gentle and Effective Chiropractic Treatment for all Muscular and Joint Pains, especially Sports Injuries, Pregnancy. Headaches, and Migraines. Suitable for all ages. Alison Prior Health/Beauty Therapist - Facials - Waxing - Massages - Slimming Treatments NEW! Skin Tag & Thread Vein Removal Hollywood & Brazilian Waxing Lymphatic Drainage Sports Injuries - Cervical Problems Collagen Implants Botox Injections - Sclerotherapy (Thread Vein Treatment) New Clinics FAKE BAKE NEW in Gibraltar - revolutionary fake tanning system Exclusive Agents Laser Clinic Permanent Hair Removal, Pigmentation and anti-aging Health / Weight Loss Unique personalised nutrition programme Ultra Sound NEW fat removing technique

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

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

health

Dementia:

who cares for the carers? Growing old gracefully nowadays seems to be a luxury not everyone can afford. An increasing number of the countries’ middle-aged to elderly population is at risk of suffering from dementia, and spending the last seven to 10 years, if not more, of their lives struggling with mental and physical decline, due to the progressive shutting down of their brain. Dementia — the most common subtype is the notorious Alzheimer’s — can onset as early as the mid-50s, with mild signs that may be easily overlooked and dismissed as stressrelated occasional absentmindedness. One should not ignore these early symptoms, however mild. For further investigation is essential to rule out diabetes or urinary tract

infection, for example, and pinpoint dementia through CT scans and targetted memory tests. Except for the cardiovascular type, which onsets after a violent trauma like stroke or accident, misdiagnosis often lies in dementia’s subtle beginnings. But it is important to identify it when the symptoms are minor, and intervene with

proper medication that may slow its course for some five years. If patients are left to deteriorate towards advanced stages, palliative treatment becomes the only and inevitable solution, since a cure has not been discovered so far. According to the Gibraltar Alzheimer’s & Dementia Support Group (GADSG), the condi-

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • AUGUST 2010

health

by Elena Scialtiel

tion is still stigmatised and most families tend to keep it hush-hush, or simply aren’t aware of the difference between being ‘just old’ and the uncontrollable pathology that makes their elderly relatives lose their inhibitions, abandon personal hygiene routines, forget who they are and whether it’s night or daytime, while they can clearly relate events from half a century ago, as if they were unfolding before their very eyes. Patients repeating themselves or displaying nonsensical erratic behaviour are irritating and take their toll on the carer, who often is him or herself elderly, and relies only on patience, common sense and intuition to defuse any awkwardness, but is frustrated by the highdependence relationship created. Unequipped to face around-the-clock nursing, some have to put their own life on hold and forsaken their job or younger relatives, to make their parents’ or grandparents’ twilight years as decorous as possible. Alone in their mission, the sole training they receive is derived from their own experience and the advice of others who have gone through it before. The Group isn’t an association of specialists, but a bunch of directly affected common citizens, who joined forces two years ago. They had found themselves short of professional advice, medical attention was very basic, and diagnosis often empiric, relying mostly on standard memory tests instead of scans to map the brain’s physical changes.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

Although they praise the indefatigable work of Dr Amparo Diaz, who is spreading herself thin to provide a forward-looking approach to condition and treatment for every patient, the Group is asking other psychiatrists, geriatrists and specialised consultants to join their committee, offer proactive solutions and perhaps some flash-training for carers. A breath of fresh air came with the Parliament’s 2010 budget announcement that new ad hoc facilities will be soon made available at the site of the old Naval Hospital, to relieve the pressure on the existing dementia wing

Gibraltar Alzheimer’s & Dementia Support Group will hold their first flag day on 17th September and be involved for the second year in a row in International Alzheimer’s Day on 21st September

at Mount Alvernia, which works wonders for those in care, but is insufficient to cater for the overall demand. They would like to see a specific clinic held at the Primary Care Centre with dedicated GPs to attend to the elderly and guarantee them consistency in spotting symptoms of memory loss and, if necessary, referring them to the mental health team for further assessment. They claim that the existing clinic at Coaling Island falls short of being adequate, both infrastructure and location wise, to provide the services and accessibility these patients gravely need. The Group also suggests exploring the possibility of some kind of trans-border cooperation with the La Linea day-care centre which offers activities under specialised personnel supervision. One affected family in fact successfully tried and tested it at their expenses. The Group will hold their first flag day on 17th September and be involved for the second year in a row in International Alzheimer’s Day on 21st September, the theme of which is ‘Dementia: it’s time for action!’ Committee members and supporters will be at the Piazza raising awareness and gathering statistics. They also wish to engage youngsters, to explain to them the implications this ‘cruel illness’, may have on affected relative, and the whole family, and to help them manage their emotions when faced with this reality. Information on 56001422 or e-mailing adsupportgroup@hotmail.com.

Ana on tour at the Colosseum

Ana Serra A Llanita in Rome Eight years ago, Ana Serra picked a destination out of a hat as she planned a holiday with her brother, Malcolm. Rome it was, and so they made plans to visit La Bella Italia. Once there, she fell in love with an Italian, married the following year, and left Gibraltar to become an official tour guide for Rome and its provinces, as well as a tour leader for all over the world. Thousands of people have experienced the magic of this city with the bubbly and charismatic Ana.

Ana comes from a big family, full of hard working men and women, with strong characters. “I had a great childhood, my sister and my two brothers, all of us having one year’s difference between us. We had a great time growing up, and I simply had the best parents a free spirited girl like me could have! Today so much of my success is due to the great freedom my parents gave me, and I adore them.” Ana has worked since the age of 16, and in all sorts of jobs — from a position in a stevedoring business, to Casino Club receptionist, and online customer service advisor in a betting company — her insatiable drive, and a determination to make the most of the opportunities which came her way, meant she was always open to what the future might bring. One job she remembers fondly was working as an auxiliary nurse in Mount Alvernia and the Jewish Home. “I remember my time there with tenderness, as I was very involved with the people and would listen to their stories for

hours. I gave them a lot of time, attention and love, and I learned about how to treat people — how to make them feel at ease, and how to make them smile.” Another past activity which Ana treasures, is dancing with Gibraltar’s Leit Motif Dance Troupe, and eventually forming Mediterranean Dance Group where she taught dance to children. Outside Gibraltar, Ana worked as an entertainer in Melia Hotels in Mallorca and Malaga,

“

It was just the greatest moment I have ever experienced. We got married the next year, and my life has been a blessing ever since

”

prior to planning her fateful holiday to Italy where she met her husband David, in what she describes as love at first sight. “We fell in love instantly. It was just the greatest moment I have ever experienced. We got married the next year, and my life has been a blessing ever since. David is an amazing person, and we are both crazy for each other!” Ana exclaims. While settling down in Italy, she met an Australian girl who told her an agency looking for promoters. “From there I just knew I wanted, and was able to be, a guide. I headed to the agency, and introduced myself, and as I was going to hand over my CV, the manager told me he didn’t need to see it. He said he knew talent when he saw it, and I had all the qualities required, and that the job was mine. My adventure took off from there, and everything for me was just so simple! It’s amazing when things are meant to happen, they take effect, and everything went my way.” From there, Ana worked for three years as a

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

career file

by Jolene Gomez

Ana in Vatican City

‘Tour Leader’ for different tour operators, and guided groups around Italy, Greece, France, Turkey and Spain. “It was hard work, though loads of fun, and I learned so much during that time, especially about people. “My job has made me a really good judge of character, as I deal with people from all walks of life every day, and need to make them feel welcome, and make their experience enjoyable. I have to make it interesting to grab their attention,” Ana explains. Ana has gone through intense periods of studying history, courses and exams, and she admits “There were even times when I didn’t think I was capable of doing it, especially with the Italian laws and regulations, but I constantly had my husband encouraging me and giving me confidence. I’m so spoilt, as he is such a wonderful human being, and I wouldn’t have been able to do this without him,” Ana smiles. So what’s a typical day for Ana at work? “I have no typical day. The day I have a typical day, I’ll move to another city! That is the reason this job is so great. I do different kinds of tours, work for myself and for different tour operators, and other private agencies. Groups can range from two to 70 passengers, with guided tours or orientation tours, or simple transfers from one place to another, as well as cruise and school trips. What I do the same every day, is when I wake up at 6am, I have my Llanito cup of tea! That, my friends, will never change!” Ana is passionate about her career choice. “I love the expressions of the people in front of me as I go from monument to monument, or site to site. It’s so satisfying to see their interest and amazement. I love the different kinds of people I meet, from all over the world. And the great thing is that the expressions are all the same, its just amazing how we are all connected. Also, I’m always working out in the open air, under the sun, rain or snow and this year it snowed for two and half hours, which was amazing! And of course, people are on vacation... they are always happy!” There are also the odd questions asked by tourists which surprise and amuse Ana on a daily basis. “Instead of the Sistine Chapel, they think it’s the 16th Chapel, and are expect-

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

ing to see 16 chapels. Or they ask ‘Who is Peter?’ ‘What’s the Pope?’ ‘Excuse me, I want to go to the Vatican!’ ‘I have lost my mum, she is 80 years old, has no money, no phone and no hotel address — where can I find her?’ The funny thing is I did find her... eventually,” Ana laughs. She has experienced many amusing moments, but definitely the highlight for her was when her cousin, Yalta, and the rest of Urban Dance put on some music and danced on top of the Spanish Steps in Rome! She says her favourite tour is Vatican City, as

“

My job has made me a really good judge of character, as I deal with people from all walks of life.. and need to make them feel welcome, and make their experience enjoyable

”

it was the first tour she guided, and will always hold a special place in her heart. She describes Italians as being very much like us — easy going people, very loud, and who love good wine and good food. If she could change anything about her job, it was be the way Italians drive! “Zebra crossings and traffic lights are only a suggestion for them, so it is pretty tough driving to work!” For any aspiring tour guides, Ana offers the advice: “First of all you need to enjoy being with people of all ages, and of all walks of life. You need to genuinely care for people, and love the city you wish to guide for. And study study study. And know, that you can only do so much in a day. Don’t Stress!” With regards to plans for the future, Ana would like to expand to Tuscany, Umbria and Latina, and perhaps Gibraltar — Rome! But at the moment, there is too much going on in Rome to leave. Plus, she gets many Gibraltarian families contacting her for tours, which is something she absolutely loves. “It’s so much fun, and it’s just like guiding my family around Rome. I love it, and get very patriotic, as my Gibraltarian flag leads the way on every tour I do, on a daily basis. I am a Llanita Forever!” Ana has a website, which allows people to contact her for bookings, as well as giving an insight into the services she offers, plus photos of past customers. “I am very proud of my website, though there are still so many ideas I wish to put up. At this very moment, I specialise in creating customized walking tours of the city of Rome. I operate a schedule at the customer’s chosen pace, allowing them to experience Rome at leisure. “Private Tours include just the customer’s friends, family or group, with no herding of 60 people behind a flag! I also cater for day trip transfers from the airport and seaport to the city, and evening tours for those on business. Also, knowing that Rome is unfortunately not a wheelchair friendly city, I make special arrangements for wheelchair travellers, their families and friends so everyone can fully and comfortably experience this beautiful city.” So, for a truly unforgettable experience, guided by a friendly face and following a Gibraltar flag, book Ana as your guide. n For information visit www.rome-selectedtours.com

Ana with a Gibraltarian famlily

puzzle page

by Alan Gravett

SUDOKU

Win a lunch for two at

The Cannon Bar

11 12

14 15

Send completed suduko to: The Cannon Bar, 27 Cannon Lane, Gibraltar. One entry per person. Closing date: 21 September 2010 Last month’s winner: Ferdinand Monteverde, Gibraltar

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

FIRST PRIZE: Lunch for 2 at The Clipper

One entry per person. Closing date: 21 September 2010 Winner notified in next issue of The Gibraltar Magazine. Last month’s winner: R. Wheeler, Glacis Estate

Across 5. A feature at 5) downs (6,5) 7. Not pre-recorded; exist (4) 8. Comical (8) 9. Type of rock, derived from lava (7) 11. One of India’s official languages (5) 13. Nomad; dog’s name? (5) 14. Fungal disease; a bulging amphibian optical organ? (7) 16. Illegal entry into another territory (8) 17. Dutch cheese (4) 18. Creator of Adrian Mole (3,8) Down 1. At no cost; liberated (4) 2. Outside; lacking (7) 3. Marshy area (5) 4. Transporting across a river by boat (8) 5. Outdoor attractions for children especially (11) 6. Hotel employee (11) 10. Raised above (8) 12. Domestic chore (7) 15. Fulcrum (5) 17. Paradise (4)

Jotting Pad ...

LAST MONTH’S ANSWERS: Across: Lancashire, Funereal, Urdu, Able, Fireman, Unsparkling, Punjabi, Asia, Self, Raiments, Manchester Down: Laura, Needles, Area, Helsinki, Rouge, Edberg, Barbaric, Unused, Inspect, Jaffa, After, Lime

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

Photo: Mark Galliano

events

Wednesday 1st September Ceremony of the Keys (Rehearsal) at Casemates Square 7pm. For information Tel: 20055083 Thursday 2nd September Ceremony of the Keys at Casemates Square 6pm For information Tel: 20055083 The Gibraltar Philharmonic Society National Week Classical Concert — “Rossini: Overture to Italiana in Alegher”, “Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjez and Beethoven”, Symphony No 3 Eroica at St Michael’s Cave. Tickets: £20.00 available from Sacarello’s Coffee Shop, Irish Town & the Silver Shop, 275 Main Street. £10.00 for Children and Senior Citizen available from the John Mackintosh Hall. For information Tel: 20072134 Friday 3rd to Wednesday 8th September Santos Productions presents “Los Super” A Llanito Comedy by Christian Santos & Richard Mor at John Mackintosh Hall Theatre 8pm. Tickets: £12 available from the Nature Shop, Casemates Square. For information Tel: 58008448 Friday 3rd September Beer Festival at Bayside Sports Complex, Bayside Road. Tickets £20 (includes open bar) available from Lewis Stagnetto, 41 Main Street. 7pm to midnight. For information Tel: 20078666 Sunday 5th September Battle of Britain Remembrance Service at King’s Chapel 10.30am. For information Tel: 20055083 Royal Air Force - Band Concert at The Alameda Open Air Theatre 8pm. For information Tel: 20055083 Gibraltar Classic Vehicle Association — classic vehicle on display at Ocean Village 12noon. For information Tel: 20040048

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

September

2010

What’sOn Tuesday 7th - Friday 17th September Gibraltar Photographic Society photographic exhibition “Our Gibraltar” at John Mackintosh Hall 10am9pm, Friday 10am-6.pm. Entrance free. For information contact the Ministry of Culture Tel: 020048063 Email: minculture@gibtelecom.net Thursday 9th September National Week Rock Concert at Gibraltar Coach Terminus, Waterport. Entrance free. 9pm-1am. For information contact the Ministry of Culture Tel: 20048063 Email: minculture@gibtelecom.net Friday 10th September Gibraltar National Day — fancy dress competitions, street parties and entertainment for the whole family throughout the day. Firework Display 10.30pm from the Detached Mole. For a full programme of events and information contact the Ministry of Culture Tel: 20048063 Email: minculture@gibtelecom.net Thursday 16th to Sunday 19th September Calpe Conference 2010 — Pleistocene ecological change and the evolution of bird migration systems at The John Mackintosh Hall Theatre. For info con-

tact the Gibraltar Museum Tel: 20074289, Email: enquiries@gibmuseum.gi www.gibmuseum.gi Friday 17th September Glamour Creations Wedding Dress Competition 2010 at the Alameda Open Air Theatre 9pm. Tickets £15 available from Blossoms, 1st Floor International Commercial Centre (ICC). For information Tel: 54000377 or email: bchiara@hotmail.com Friday 17th - Sunday 19th September Triduum of Our Lady of Sorrow at Catalan Bay 7.15 pm Saturday 18th & Sunday 19th September Gibraltar Kennel Club - International Dog Show at Tercentenary Sports Hall, Bayside Road. For information contact the Gibraltar Kennel Club Tel: 00350 20041791 Email: info@gkc.gi or visit www.gkc.gi The Environmental Safety Group (ESG) “Clean Up the World”. To join support the event or for further info contact ESG Tel: 20041791 www.esg-gib.net Saturday 18th September Gibraltar Botanic Garden Tour meet George Don Gates (at the south end of Grand Parade) at 10.30am. No fee but donations are welcome. For information Tel: 20072639 Email: alameda@ wildlife.gib.gi The Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society “Bat Night”. Meet at the Alameda Gardens Open Air Theatre 8pm. For information contact Albert Yome Tel: 20078333 Email: bats@gonhs.org Gibraltar Heritage Trust “City & Walls Walk” Led by Pepe Rosado. A walk along & around part of the City & Western defence walls. Meet Queen’s Hotel, Boyd Street 10am. This tour involves two hours of moderate walking. For information Tel: 20042844 Email: heritage@gibraltar.gi

That Nail Place

GACHE & CO LTD EST. 1830

Nail Extensions DIGITAL VIDEO CAMERA DIGITAL CAMERA - MOBILE PHONES - GPS - PDA ACCESSORIES

No. 4 Watergardens - Block 1, PO Box 882 Tel/Fax: +350 200 78600

Gel - Acrylic - Fibreglass

Airbrushing Nail Art Body Jewellery

Unit F22A 1st Floor, ICC. Tel: 200 73211

• Giftware • Jewellery • Sports Trophies • Awards & Engravers

266 Main St, Gibraltar Tel: 200 75757

BUDDIES pasta casa

Come and enjoy real Italian meals in Gibraltar’s leading pasta house

15 Cannon Lane Tel: 200 40627 for reservations

Gibraltar Taxi Association

GUIDED ROCK TOURS 19 Waterport Wharf Main Office Tel: 20070052 Fax: 20076986 Radio service: 20070027

open12 noon till late Unit 2 B The Tower Marina BayTel: 46668

Sacha’s

THE TASTY BITE 59A Irish Town Tel: 200 78220 Fax: 200 74321

DUTY FREE WINES, SPIRITS & TOBACCO open 7 days 79 Main Street

Quality Kitchen Ware Gibraltar’s Best Stocked Cook Shop K5

The Takeway with a difference. Homecooking . our speciality . Open Monday

M5 to Saturday

46 Irish Town Tel: 200 75188 Fax: 200 72653

the silver shop

for beautiful silver jewellery & gifts

C6 J4

2 locations in gibraltar 222 main street • horse barrack lane

M4 Accountants Durante Carboni Jardim..............X3 ESV Hassan & Co........................ I4 Business/Financial Services AI Couriers (DHL)......................K3 Almanac......................................O2 Barclays...................................... M4 EFPG........................................... E0 GibraltarAssetManagement....... M5 Hassans............................................ Jyske Bank.................................. L4 Masbro Insurance........................N4 Norwich & Peterborough............Q5 Phoenix Solutions........................ J4 Sovereign Trust...........................N4 STM Fidecs.................................H7 Business Services Call Centre..................................V4 Global Business Centre................S3 Waste Management......................a6 Business Supplies Beacon Press...............................N6 Glasshouse..................................N5 Image Graphics...........................N3 Stitch Design................................P3

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

Just Desserts...................................I4 Khans............................................C8 London Bar...................................R2 Lord Nelson................................. H2 Marrakesh Restaurant...................R3 Mumtaz........................................ N2 El Patio......................................... H2 Picadilly Gardens.......................... b4 Pickwicks Bar...............................R3 Pig and Whistle Bar..................... D7 Pusser’s Landing . ........................C5 Roy’s Cod Plaice.......................... H4 Royal Calpe.................................. Q5 Saccone & Speed...........................J4 Sai Darbar.................................... Q2 Smiths Fish and Chips................. V4 Solo Express................................ H4 Star Bar........................................ K5 The Three Roses.......................... Q2 Trafalgar Sports Bar.......................a3 Verdi Verdi................................... N3 Waterfront.................................... Y7 Funeral Services Codali Funeral Services............... U3 Hair & Beauty Salons Classic Cuts..................................M3

J4• Sandwiches • Soups • Baguettes/ Ciabatta • Desserts/ • Take-away • Deliveries Homemade Italian Ice-cream • Eat in (outside!) • Business Lunches Mon - Fri 10-6, Sat 10 - 4, Closed Sundays • Parties/ 24 Main St Tel: 20043840 Fax: 42390 Kids Parties

Irish Town Antiques

Irish Town Tel: 200 70411

Extend-it Plus............................... N2 Joya’s Gents Hairdressers............ N2 Renaissance Beauty.......................J4 Roots.............................................T4 Short Cut........................................I6

McTimoney chiropractor.............L4 John Miles - Chiropodist..............K7 Specialist Medical Clinic.............. I4 Sport-On - Sports Therapy...........K3 Steiner Chiropractor.....................K7

Jewellery Sales/Repair Antonio Jewellers...........................J4 Beau Jangels.................................M4 Jewellery Repairs..........................L4 Matthew’s Jewellery......................I3

Pet Services / Supplies Gibraltar Veterinary Clinic..........H4

Leisure Complete Fitness.......................... R3 Dolphin Safari.............................. A3 Legal Services Budhrani Lawyers........................ K4 Charles Gomez............................. U4 Isolas.............................................E4 Triay & Triay............................... K5 Medical / Health Bell Pharmacy.............................. N3 Claudia’s Clinic............................ K4 Dr. Crump, Steven, Chiropractor I4 Health Food Store........................ O4 Louis Pharmacy........................... H4

Property Sales / Estate Agents BFA..............................................D3 Bray Property...............................B3 Property World.............................. I4 Solomon Levy . ...........................U3 General Services Anything Goes............................. P2 Art Gallery...................................R4 Balban (electrician)......................H2 Balloqui . ..................................... P4 LP Borge......................................X3 Denville Designs.........................M3 Fashion House Interiors............... P2 Greenarc.......................................X5 Larbi upholstery...........................R3 Queensway Quay Laundrette.......X7 Seekers.........................................L3 Space Interiors.............................. I3

Shopping — General Arcade Keys.................................J5 Carol’s Books...............................I4 Don House Arcade.......................J5 Flair............................................ N4 Gallery Mosaic...........................M5 Home Centre................................J4 Pure Lighting...............................I6 Terry’s........................................M5 Sakata.........................................M4 Shopping — Fashion/Clothing Esprit.......................................... D4 Aftershock.................................. D4 Recruitment Corporate Resources....................J4 ERS..............................................I4 Just Recruitment..........................L4 RecruitGibraltar......................... O6 Quad Consultancy...................... U3 Transport / Marine Services Autoelectrical............................. C7 Gib Cargo................................... B8 Shell Bunkering......................... H6 Tarik Oil..................................... C8

SMITH’S

U4 FISH & CHIPS HADDOCK W4 PLAICE • COD FRESH FRIED IN CRISPY BATTER

295 MAIN ST Tel: 200 74254

178 Main Street · Gibraltar · Telephone 200 48480

184 Main Street Tel: 200 72133 open: from 8am (10am on Sun)

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

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

hobbies&pastimes

GACHE & CO LTD HORTICULTURAL CONTRACTORS Tel: 200 43134 Fax: 200 50648 Convent Gardens, Convent Garden Ramp

photography

EST. 1830

leisure & tuition

• Giftware • Jewellery • Sports Trophies • Awards & Engravers 266 Main St, Gibraltar Tel: 200 75757

lessons&tuition travel&hotels

leisure&sport

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

Tel: (+350) 20074000 Fax: 20040030

newsagents/books Gibraltar Connections by Reg Reynolds

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

The Flowers of Gibraltar by Leslie Linares, Arthur Harper and John Cortes

Book on sale at Gibraltar Book Shops

72 72

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010 GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • APRIL 2009

events

Gibraltar Kennel Club International Dog Shows 18th & 19th September 2010 The Annual International Dog Shows will take place at the Tercentenary Sports Hall on 18th and 19th September with competitors travelling to Gibraltar from far and wide to compete for the coveted Best in Show prize. Gibraltar’s International Dog Shows keep growing in popularity each year with around 1200 dogs competing at each show from the UK, all over Europe and some from USA and South America. Exhibitors have the chance to obtain the Gibraltar Championship in just one weekend by gaining our two national points, plus the qualification for their dog(s) to compete in Crufts Dog Show UK, the most prestigious dogs show in the world. n

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

The Mediterranean meets UK The photograph above, Circle of Flowers, came runner-up in a UK nation gardening competition. “Not bad for a Gibraltarian who used to live on the Rock, growing up without any gardening knowledge!” says proud gardener Louis Olivera. Gibraltarian Louis, has lived in the UK since 1975, and for the past six years he has opened his garden to raise money for his local hospice, Cransley Hospice, along with his neighbour. Each year the neighbours collect more and more money, and last year they raised the impressive total of £3,400, which means they had a lot of people visiting their gardens! “This year, another neighbour decided to join us,” says Louis with enthusiasm. “We live in a small cul-de-sac, which makes it quite interesting. I will be asking another neighbour to open their garden next year with us. I would like to see a few gardens opening in this small road... The more gardens, the more we collect

for charity.” Louis’ garden theme is ‘A Mediterranean Garden... “Well, it had to be!” he chuckles. Last year, the gardens received visitors from far afield. They travelled from Bedford to Northampton and near Corby. “I live in Rushden, Northants, so it’s a nice radius,” he says proudly. “We do get a lot of publicity, so local people always asks when we are opening our gardens.” The Open Garden always takes place on the weekend before August Bank Holiday weekend, so this year the three neighbours opened on 21st and 22nd August... and the visitors came flooding in. n

In Search of the Lonely Goatherd In spite of what you may have read in the popular press, there are no living legends. If there were, we would all be booking adventure holidays with Jason and the Argonauts, and Zeus would be a frequent and tediously egocentric guest on TV chat shows. Legends are by definition creations of the imagination peopled by beings no more substantial than paper tigers and cartoon lions. Yet scattered across the yellowed pages of history are the names of many people whose existence or non-existence is maddeningly unclear. People who may once have lived and breathed, or might alternatively be no more than the chimeras of a talented writer’s whimsy who have in time taken on a solidity their creator never foresaw or intended. Robin Hood is an obvious example. Centuries from now, he will surely be joined by Sherlock Holmes, and possibly even by Elvis Presley. Of greater interest to the people of Gibraltar is a certain Simón Rodriguez Susarte.

If Susarte existed, he was a humble goatherd who played a prominent and courageous role in Spain’s first attempt to regain the Rock after its loss to the British in 1704. A role that made him a hero to the exiled Spanish. If he did not, he was a humble but fictional goatherd who played a prominent and courageous role in an imaginary account of the same incident. A role that made him a hero anyway. In San Roque there is a statue of Simón Susarte in a park that bears his name. More than three centuries later it is difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff, but let the

threshing begin. Regardless of the truth, it is a tale worth telling. Which begs the question of why it was not told at any length until Ignacio López de Ayala wrote the first comprehensive history of Gibraltar 78 years later in 1782. References to Susarte prior to the publication of his Historia de Gibraltar are rarer than singing elephants. It has been suggested that the paucity of contemporary references to Susarte and his participation in Spain’s failed attempt to retake Gibraltar is due to an official cover-up on the part of the Spanish government, but like most

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

history file

by Dave Wood conspiracy theories this makes no sense. There were no daily newspapers in 1704 for the simple reason that the great majority of ordinary folk could not read. News travelled by word of mouth, and if Susarte did what López de Ayala says he did, his name would have been on everyone’s lips long before the first reports reached Madrid. No — the “official cover-up” idea is patently ludicrous. The point has been made, and we shall not needlessly labour it by prefacing every piece of Susarte’s story with a “maybe/maybe not” proviso. We shall, for now, give the man the benefit of the doubt. It is generally agreed that he was a goatherd, so the fact nothing whatever is known of him until he walks melodramatically out of the mist of history into the light of day on 8th October 1704 is not surprising. All that can be said is he was born in Gibraltar, sometime in the second half of the 17th Century. By October 1704, the British had been in control of Gibraltar for a couple of months, and Spanish troops were camped in the hinterland. The Rock was under siege, but since the British and Dutch controlled the seas its impact was negligible. The scene is set. Cameras, lights, action! On 8th October the Spanish camp is approached by a solitary sombreroed, straw-chewing figure who asks to speak to someone in command. He has, he says, certain information which will be to their advantage. Taken before the man with the most impressive tent and the biggest hat (the Marquis de Villadarias), he declares he knows of a goat track leading from the east side of the Rock to its summit; a track that has been used by generations of goatherds like himself as they take their herds in search of pasture. The Marquis reels. “A goat track, you say? Then we shall have the British out of there in a trice! I shall send 500 heavily armed soldiers silently and invisibly to the top of the Rock via that very path, and they will swoop down on the British from above and send them flailing and wailing like chastised children into the sea! I shall be a hero and you, Susarte, the subject of an official cover-up, thus ensuring your future status as a legend — if, indeed, you exist and are not merely appearing to me in a dream. Viva España!” So that’s what they did. The soldiers were led by Colonel Figueroa, Figueroa was led by Susarte, and Susarte, we may assume, was led by the most experienced and sure-footed of his goats. After dark on 9th October the 500-strong raiding party successfully tip-toed inconspicuously up the Rock along the goat track and hid themselves in St Michael’s Cave to wait for morning. Naturally, Villadarias did not expect his 500 bogus goats to accomplish the retaking of the Rock alone. Their surprise attack from above would be synchronised with another attack by the rest of his forces from the isthmus. In boxing terms it was the old one-two, and as near as dammit, foolproof. Since the time of López de Ayala, the details of what allegedly happened next have generally been reported lazily and uncritically as “facts”, but it is here that the incurable sceptic begins to detect the creative hand of the novelist, or nascent spin doctor, for there is much that strikes him as, if not impossible, at least unlikely. The story goes that Figueroa’s men emerged from

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

their lair in St Michael’s Cave shortly before sunrise and killed the sentries who were guarding the Signal Station (Torre del Hacho) before seizing command of the high ground at an area of the summit known as La Silleta (The Chair). There, they lolled about waiting for a signal from Villadarias back at base camp to commence the main assault. None was forthcoming, so Figueroa held back, and while he and his men were twiddling their thumbs a small boy who was bringing his father’s breakfast to the Torre del Hacho found everybody dead and rushed away to take the news to the British garrison. If, as is implied, Figueroa’s men emerged from the cave en masse to attack the signal station and slaughter its occupants, rather than sending out a small vanguard of volunteers to sneak up under cover of darkness and slit a couple of sentries’ throats, it follows that the station was reasonably well guarded and some sort of battle must have ensued. In the pre-dawn silence, the sound of the fracas would surely have carried across the Rock and alerted someone. In any case, the Torre del Hacho (literally “Beacon Tower”) was a signal station, and its defenders one way or another would have sent out a signal. But it is in the element of the innocent boy bringing breakfast to his father that the Hollywood factor is most apparent. He is, after all, a character who has appeared in innumerable stories, fables, fancies and films over the years. If Figueroa’s men had indeed seized the

tower, with or without a cacophonous fight, they would undoubtedly have left a few replacement sentries of their own to guard their prize. A boy bringing bread and cheese to his father might well have found a pile of corpses, but before he had a chance to scuttle off and rouse the garrison, he would have joined them. No matter. Alerted to the danger by the nameless and now fatherless boy, the British, led by a certain Colonel Weltham, sprang into action. They easily outnumbered the Spanish intruders, but they had the disadvantage of having to charge at them uphill. Nevertheless, it was pretty much a walkover because the Spaniards, due to the strenuous nature of their climb the previous night were not really “heavily armed” at all. They had only been able to carry three cartridge rounds each. Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m getting on in years and am not as fit as I was, but I reckon that even I could negotiate a goat track carrying more than three bullets in my pocket. What on Earth did these 500 men expect to achieve against the might of the British garrison with just three bullets apiece? Bang! Bang! Bang! And it was all over. The Spanish threw down their suddenly useless weapons and fled in panicfuelled disarray. Those who weren’t killed by the British soldiers started falling off the cliff, propelled by the brutal application of British boots. Eventually only around 160 remained, and they were easily captured. What Villadarias was doing all this time, and why his co-ordinated frontal attack on the Rock didn’t materialise is at best unclear. And what of Simón Susarte? Having completed his self-appointed task by leading the doomed platoon to their vantage point, he bid them farewell and, taking yet another track apparently known only to himself, made good his escape. Hardly, on the face of it, the actions of a hero. There was certainly some kind of battle along these lines, since Villadarias himself describes it is his letters, but nowhere does he mention the name of Simón Susarte. Why should he? The assault had turned into an embarrassing débâcle. He was probably lucky to escape a court martial and summary execution. By instantly placing his trust in a mysterious goatherd who had wandered unannounced into his camp and spoken airily of hidden tracks along which his soldiers could, if they played their cards right, carry three bullets apiece with which to annihilate the British garrison, he had lost over 300 men. Madrid would be in no mood to award a medal and a dukedom to the now-vanished peasant who had led them to their deaths. Had the Spanish wished to indulge in an The bronze statue of Susarte in San Roque official cover-up, they would have drawn a discreet veil over the entire affair, not merely the participation of . But legends are limpets: they cling, they endure. And whether or not Simón Susarte actually existed — be his story garbled truth or inspired fiction — his elevation to legendary status is particularly odd. Even if we accept every word of the ‘historical account’ as true, Susarte at best led the Spanish, with good intentions, to disaster, and the cult of the plucky loser, the fondness for the gallant defeat, are not traits associated with the Spanish — they are famously a peculiarity of the British. His statue, surely, belongs not in a park in San Roque, but on a pedestal in Casemates. n

The soldiers were led by Colonel Figueroa, Figueroa was led by Susarte, and Susarte, we may assume, was led by the most experienced and surefooted of his goats

Rock visitors

Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels thought he’d found a winner in radio broadcaster Edward Leopold Delaney

Unscripted Visit for Lord Ho Hum He was meant to be the American version of Lord Haw Haw but wound up with the moniker Lord Ho Hum. Edward Leopold Delaney was a radio broadcaster hired by the Nazi public relations genius Joseph Goebbels to dispatch propaganda over shortwave radio for $200 a month. 76

Not a lot of money but probably more than the 45-year-old American, born in Illinois in December 1885 to a family of poor Irish immigrants, had ever earned before. Delaney had been an actor, a salesman, a broker and a writer but had not been particularly successful in any of his ventures Goebbels’ Reichrundfunk (Reich Radio Chamber) believed it had found a winner in the seemingly multi-talented American and happily provided funds for a trip to Berlin that would take him first through the Mediterranean to Italy. In December 1939 Delaney sailed from New York aboard the US liner SS Excalibur. As America was neutral and would be until the bombing of Pearl Harbour two years later, Delaney expected clear sailing through to the scheduled first port of call Genoa. So he was incensed when the Excalibur was intercepted by British warships and detained at Gibraltar. “This was an act of rank piracy,” Delaney would later declare to his audience. “The right of might they [the British] deplore in other powers they exercise against the United States and other ships, and order unarmed merchantmen to Gibraltar just as Jesse James and other USA bandits held up mail years ago.” Indeed in Gibraltar the mail and cargo from the Excalibur were confiscated. The crew was searched, the passengers were forced to show their papers and a dozen German nationals were arrested and interned. The Excalibur’s captain filed a protest with William Chapman, the US Consul in Gibraltar but was quietly informed that he was wasting his time because the protest, like all others, would be ‘pigeonholed’ in Washington. To add insult to injury the Excalibur *[See author’s note] was required to pay port fees before being released. Upon finally reaching Berlin, Delaney surprised his new employers by announcing that, although he was fervently anti-Communist, he didn’t believe in National Socialism and intended to maintain editorial independence. This did not deter his bosses from giving him the microphone name of E. D. Ward and sending him to work as a roving correspondent. First he was flown off to Denmark, which had recently been invaded by the Germans. Delaney reported this annexation as a ‘visitation’. In his book Berlin Calling (Praeger 1991) John Carver Edwards writes: “Reichrundfunk management considered Edward Leopold Delaney’s induction into the USA Zone as a coup, never doubting his latent ability to convince the home folks of John Bull’s perfidy”. In future broadcasts Delaney denied that German parachutists wore Dutch uniforms for the invasion of Holland and claimed Belgian troops were used as cannon fodder to facilitate King Leopold’s escape. He exulted in the fall of Paris and declared England would be next. As for his own country Delaney broadcast: “America’s entry into the last war was a horrible mistake. Had the US minded its own business over a million British and French lives might well have been saved. If America had stayed out of the war and minded her own business, none of the ‘isms’ would today be sweeping the Continent of Europe and breaking down Parliamentary Government.”

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

Rock visitors

by Reg Reynolds When on 3rd July 1940, the French fleet was shelled at Mers el Kebir, Algeria with the loss of 1297 lives, Delaney declared that the British were assassins and Admiral Sommerville, commander of Force H out of Gibraltar, had ordered the bombardment before the allotted time (the French had been given a deadline to surrender or agree to sail to secure neutral ports) had expired. Four days after the event Delaney was flown to the scene to interview survivors. In his subsequent broadcast he compared John Bull to King Herod who “in his mad rage at his inability to lay hands on the Christ Child, ordered the slaying of the innocents.” Back in Berlin, when other American correspondents told of the hardships facing Berliners Delaney responded that there was fruit on his breakfast table every morning and that he never missed a hot shower. “’Naturally things are not the same as in peace time,” added E. D. Ward indignantly, “but the surprising thing is that they are not worse. That they are not is due to the amazing organisation of economic genius,” he concluded. Managing to introduce a measure of humour into his script, Delaney confided that as a non-smoker he had put his allowance of cigarettes to good use among a circle of addicted “fräuleins.” American correspondent Harry W. Flannery bumped into Delaney at a Rundfunk social function (Delaney loved networking) and described the meeting: “A slender, greying, spectacled man with a tolerant smile was introduced to me as Delaney. We talked affably at first. I was glad to meet a man who seemed to be an American, a business

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executive, I presumed. Delaney chatted on. Finally, proud of his ability to talk dialect, he told a story that compared the Irish to monkeys. I laughed politely, but wondered about this man with the Irish name. ‘Oh, he’s Edward Leopold Delaney, who goes on the air for the Germans as E. D. Ward,’ I was told. Delaney formerly had been a lecturer and newspaperman in the United States and considered himself a world traveller and, I gathered from talking with him, a world authority. He was a man without principles, an opportunist typical of the so-called British and Americans who spoke for the German radio.” In the end Delaney’s smug self-importance proved too much for his listeners and he failed to gain an appreciable audience in comparison to the likes of Lord Haw Haw or Tokyo Rose. The Americans dubbed him Lord Ho Hum and to the British he was Lord Hee Haw. CBS correspondent Edwin Hartrich said of

In the end Delaney’s smug self-importance proved too much for his listeners and he failed to gain an appreciable audience in comparison to the likes of Lord Haw Haw or Tokyo Rose

Delaney: “After a while he became a rather tragic figure… He couldn’t find an audience to listen to his line of preaching. Even the Nazis avoided him.” Journalist William L. Shirer recalled that in his latter days in Berlin Delaney was “simply bored and boring”. Delaney gave up his broadcasting for the Nazis in April 1943 and sought refuge in Czechoslovakia. He survived the Soviet takeover but when his past was revealed to authorities in Prague, he was arrested and jailed. Eventually he was turned over to the US Military Police. On returning to America Delaney was interrogated but was considered ‘small fry’ and never prosecuted. He hit the lecture circuit billing himself as an ‘internationally known novelist, speaker, publicist, foreign correspondent, news commentator, and world traveller’. He ranted against the evils of Communism and claimed his decision to remain in Nazi-dominated Europe was based on intellectual curiosity. Delaney eventually settled down in Southern California, where he spent the rest of his life as a small-town newspaper columnist. While walking home one day in 1972 he was hit by a car and killed, aged 86. n *Author’s note: Excalibur was acquired by the US Navy in January 1942 and converted to a troopship. She was torpedoed and sunk near Agadir, Morocco by U-173 on 11th November 1942. Fortunately all of the troops had been offloaded but the captain and approximately 100 crew were killed. Five days later U-173 was sunk by American destroyers with the loss of all 57 hands.

opinion

Do Manners Still Maketh the Man

(A personal view by Paul de Beresford)

It used to be said (well I think it did, and if it did not, then it should have been) that the mark of a civilized country, was how polite its people were to each other and, perhaps, to others too. Other tests have been how well animals are treated, or the older generation are cared for (in a country generally or by its government). But it all depends what is meant vocabulary of a significant numby “polite” and if it is synonymous ber of people. with having good manners. At There is clearly an attitude issue its simplest, polite probably is if people think they can live in a thought by some, if not most, to mean saying “please” and “thankyou” before and after a request. That, of course, can become an automatic reflex without much thought and of little real value as any mark of respect and appreciation. However, even these two words have disappeared from the

society or community, rather than in isolation, without a thought for the feelings of others. Perhaps they are reacting to the lack of

What are those essential behaviour patterns that distinguish a well mannered person from the uncouth?

politeness in others in a sort of titfor-tat manner. This leads to ever increasing levels of impoliteness and selfishness, which often leads to actual rudeness, bad behaviour and non-appreciation of others. I am not advocating a return to the enforced deference of the past when poor people raised hats to the rich and powerful and people in the professions and priests were treated like minor royalty. What is important is mutual respect where

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

opinion jobs in society, by showing a there is no reason to not show it, little more inter-action with and even if there is reason, it is not them. For instance, smiling at a a bad idea to turn the other cheek street cleaner and moving well and offer respectful behaviour in out of his way. the hope the other person might just notice it and respond in an • Bothering to clearly move away adjusted manner. or turn away from an approachOf course, politeness is more ing bus that is not the route you than saying “please” and “thankwant, in order to not cause the you” and good manners consist of driver to take his eyes off the far more than politeness. So what road trying to look for any are those essential behaviour patindication from you. terns that distinguish a well man• Having everything ready in the nered person from the uncouth? bank (or supermarket) queue It is so often the small non-deso that someone else’s valuable script gesture that shows a sign of time is not wasted while you a decent, caring, polite person with complete paperwork you can good attitude, such as: do beforehand (or hunt for the means to pay). • The supermarket check-out assistant who opens those diffi• Always looking to see if a pregcult plastic carrier bags for you nant woman, parent with chiland automatically wraps items dren, older person or people requiring it, or packs frozen or with bags can be helped by you chemicals separately for you. moving to a seat further away or standing on a bus, train, • The bus driver who waits to see plane or queue. that everyone is seated before he moves off from a bus stop to • The obvious considerate action avoid falls or just discomfort. of noticing the decency of other • The person in slow-moving people’s politeness in some traffic who automatically lets way, if only to at least look at other cars turn into the road them. It is not only doctors or turn left, or forgets his or and priests who are entitled to her rights of priority if another a smile or “thank-you”. driver will be stuck forever unIt is my belief that this place has able to pull out. every opportunity and ability to • The pedestrian, possibly cross- ignore the bad attitudes of other ing at an awkward or danger- places and to halt the decline in ous spot, or on a busy road standards of behaviour. where they will wait ages to All that is required is a little cross, being allowed to cross. more concern for the comfort, feel• The looking behind when going ings and needs of those we come through doors to see if someone into contact with in every ordinary (particularly behind, or where everyday situation. Forget etiquette books that teach the door handle is awkward) should have the door held open you how to address someone in for them. I used to be amazed an email, or tell you to allow a at how some (sometimes in waiter to clear a table himself, relatively high social posi- good attitude is a longer learning tions) simply barge through process than the time it takes to a door and to hell with the read a book! n consequences of letting go of it. Again though, I get cheesed off if I hold a door for the next person, only to find the next person (and even the next ones after that), walk through too, as if I do not exist, or am a doorman. • The moving out of the way of less mobile souls in the street to help make their passage uninterrupted and smoother. Just how many times do you see whole families walk together in a side-to-side-line so that others have to move to get round or past them (so unbelievably selfish). • Some sympathy for those doing the more unpleasant or tedious

Paul de Beresford Hon FIIT, is a UKqualified Tax Practitioner specialising in relocation, residence & domicile. email: flagship@gibtelecom.net

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

food & drink

Grimsby Girls at Solo Express!

Cafe Rojo revamp

Europort meets Grimsby at Solo Express where manager, Kerry, has recruited a team of girls to work in the deli with her. Of the four girls, two of them are from Grimsby (including Kerry) and one from Louth (near Grimsby), the other from Romania! and Diane Wadner from Louth (right). So if you are from Grimsby too, pop in to see the girls for a good old chin wag. Solo Express Europort Tel: 200 62828 is the new sister venue to Solo Express Casemates.

Savannah Events

None of this came to light at the interview stage, but in such a small place and in such a small sandwich and salad bar, of the four staff, three are from the same location. In the photo, from left to right: Amy Barnes of Nelson Way, Kerry Piper (middle) of Tattershall Ave

Annette and Luis have reopened Cafe Rojo after their holidays and a bit of a revamp inside. The major work went on in the kitchen making Luis a very happy Chef indeed. But the restaurant area also got a lick of paint and a new look. The no smoking room at the rear of the restaurant has swish red chair covers and some beautiful arches were uncovered during the refit. The artwork is all done by Annetteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own fair hands and very stylish too!

Thurs 2nd Friday 3rd Saturday 4th Thursday 9th Friday 10th Saturday 11th Thursday 16th Friday 17th Friday 24th Saturday 25th

Play Party Night - DJ Jestin V Groovy South DJ Rookie Tom Boxer Featuring Alexandra - Live Play Party - National Day Special National Day Party Shot Party - DJ Maniac Play Party - Closing Party DJ Rookie DJ Rookie Flamenco Night Vivillo Live To Book 200 66666

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE â&#x20AC;˘ SEPTEMBER 2010

events

Fragma & Culture Beat Night 2010

Ya e rd M Lou ah ng ar e C aja as a Pe pe

Bo e

on 14

W at

fro

Savannah, , Leisure Island Ocean Village

Queensway Quay Marina

Marina News: This month 14 on the

Quay will be providing the food for the Gibraltar Summer Ball (2nd September at the Alameda Botanic Gardens) a stunning event full of great entertainment. Congratulations to Pennie of the Waterfront on the birth of her baby Freddy. The Lounge is having a National Day party - so put on your red and white and party by the quayside.

Info and reservations by email: waterfrontrestaurant@gmail.com Or telephone us on 200 45666

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE â&#x20AC;˘ SEPTEMBER 2010

recipes

crumptious

eptember by Chef Scott Casey

September is here and it’s just about the perfect month, the crowds have gone and the weather is still warm. Keep things cool by indulging in a Passionfruit and Strawberry Mojito with this month’s recipes. This mouth-watering cocktail will leave you feeling revitalised, refreshed and ready for more!

Courgette, Haloumi and Dill Fritters Makes 12

3 medium courgettes 1 medium carrot 1 small red onion 120g haloumi 50g soft ricotta cheese 1 egg Zest of 1 lemon 4 tbs ﬁnely chopped dill 50g self raising ﬂour

Passionfuit and Strawberry Mojito Makes 2

5 lime wedges 10 fresh large mint leaves 2 tbs brown sugar 50ml passion fruit syrup 50ml strawberry purée 50ml white rum (Bacardi works well) Crushed ice to serve

In a strong based whiskey glass muddle the lime, mint leaves and brown sugar for 2 minutes. Muddling meaning to pound with the handle of a rolling pin to release the ﬂavours of the ingredients. Add the strawberry purée, passion fruit syrup and Bacardi and mix well with a spoon. In a separate glass ¾ ﬁll it with crushed ice and pour over the strawberry and passion fruit mix. Garnish with a couple of mint leaves and some fresh passion fruit seeds. ■

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Grate the courgettes, carrot, haloumi and red onion, place into a clean tea towel. Gently squeeze out the excess liquid and place into a clean bowl. Add the ricotta, lemon zest, egg, self raising ﬂour, dill, salt and pepper then mix together well until combined. (The haloumi will be a little salty so go easy on the salt). Heat about half a cup of vegetable oil in a large

non stick frying pan. Gently spoon the fritter mix in and ﬂatten with the back of the spoon to resemble 3cm rounds. Fry for about 1 min or until golden, turn over and repeat. Transfer the fritters onto a lightly greased baking tray and bake in the oven for 5 minutes. Serve with a nice green salad and a squeeze of lemon. ■

The Proper Thai Beef Salad Serves 4

2 tbs lime juice 2 tsp sesame oil 1 tsp grated ginger 2 tbs grated palm sugar 1 tbs fish sauce 1 tsp of light soy sauce 1 red chilli finely chopped with seeds 2 cloves of garlic crushed 1 small stalk lemongrass very finely chopped 4 kaffir lime leaves very finely shredded

Chocolate & Marshmallow Rocky Road Slice Serves 8 (if you can stop eating after the ﬁrst piece)

125g cold unsalted butter cut into small cubes 1 tbs golden syrup Half a cup of golden caster sugar 100g good quality dark chocolate 1 egg lightly whisked 4 tbs cocoa powder 1.5 cups chopped macadamia nuts or almonds 1.5 cups roughly chopped white chocolate pieces 300g chocolate chip cookies 1 cup mini marshmallows

Line a medium baking tray with greaseproof paper making sure to have extra sticking out the sides, thus making it easy to remove when set. Melt together the butter, golden syrup and dark chocolate in the microwave or over a pot of boiling water. Once melted let cool for 5 minutes then add the beaten egg, cocoa powder and sugar. Stir in the macadamia nuts, white chocolate pieces, chopped cookies and the mini marshmallows and combine until well mixed. Transfer this mixture to the prepared baking tray and refrigerate for 5 hours or until set. Cut into desired sized pieces, dust with icing sugar and enjoy. ■

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

recipes 1 tsp of red Thai curry paste 500g quality fillet steak 16 cherry tomatoes cut in half 1 medium cucumber sliced 100g mange tout finely sliced 1 medium red onion sliced finely 10 tbs washed coriander leaves 10 tbs washed mint leaves 10 tbs picked/washed basil leaves 100g toasted peanuts 100g cooked vermicelli noodles

For the dressing mix together the lime juice, sesame oil, grated ginger, palm sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce, garlic, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, red chilli and curry paste. Slice the steak into thin strips and place in a clean bowl. Add half the dressing to the beef and toss gently. Place in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours to allow the flavours to penetrate the beef. In a separate bowl gently mix together all the other ingredients and season with salt and pepper. Remove the steak from the fridge and cook in a large frying pan very quickly making sure the beef is still quite rare (you can cook the beef fully if you enjoy your meat this way). Top the salad with the cooked beef and pour over the remaining dressing. Mix slightly and serve. ■

Modern

Relaxed

Dining

Open: 10am - late Closed Sundays + Saturday lunch

Open for morning coffee, lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

Irish Town Tel: 200 51738 to reserve

food file by Brian Reyes

Tell Them About the Honey... For the average person, a swarm of bees at the foot of the garden is a problem. But for veteran Gibraltar environmentalist Eric Shaw, it means honey. Out of sight on the densely-wooded slopes of the Upper Rock overlooking town, Eric, best known for his work with monkeys and the marine environment, has embarked on an experiment. He traps troublesome bees and puts them to work.

Lower Bruce’s Farm is a colonial house in the Upper Rock Nature Reserve that doubles as a research centre for visiting biologists and naturalists. It’s run by Eric and has stunning views of the Bay of Gibraltar below. The grounds around the house are covered in thick Mediterranean shrubs and shady groves of wild olive trees. Dotted around the place are bee hives, each with a constant flow of worker bees ferrying pollen from the olive blossoms to the combs inside. Eric and another volunteer, Chris, keep a careful eye on the hives but, for the most part, the bees tend to themselves. The bee-keeping project came about by accident some years ago. First Eric’s nature trust, the Helping Hand, inherited some hives. Then someone had a problem with a swarm of bees in their garden. Eric and Chris managed to trap the swarm and re-home it in a hive placed in the shade in a quiet corner of the farm. Along the way they learned many lessons, some from an experienced bee keeper called Anthony Hall, a curator at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew. They also learned about the important role played by bees in maintaining a healthy ecological balance in any natural environment. These days, Eric and Chris are called out several

times a year as the bees migrate across the Strait of Gibraltar — yes, you read that right! — during the spring. They pick up the swarms and set up new hives. Their primary motivation is the boost they know the bees provide to the surrounding flora. In going about their business, the bees help pollinate the Upper Rock slopes and play a key role in the food chain. But there is welcome offshoot: honey. I won’t go into how they harvest it because you’re better off reading it on their site www.dolphin-research.com, but I will say this — it’s pretty special honey. I’ve tasted nothing

like it before. It’s sweet, yet not overpoweringly so. It has sugary crystals, yet it is smooth and runny. Unusually, a savoury aftertaste lingers on the palate after each spoonful. Eric puts this down to the fact that the bees are collecting pollen mainly from the olive trees around the farm. You could almost call it olive honey. For anyone like me with a passion for olives and olive oil, this honey is heavenly. Unfortunately, there isn’t much of it to go around. Although it has been declared good to eat by the health and safety people, production is limited and Eric keeps his for friends, particularly those who suffer from hay fever or asthma. Here’s his theory: every year, when the pollen count climbs, spring becomes an itchy, irritable hell for sufferers. But what if you could build up a tolerance to the pollen by consuming it daily in small doses? Homeopathic nonsense, I hear you say. Well, maybe. But as Eric told me when he delivered a jar of his unique honey for my allergy-hit 11-year old boy recently: “How would I know if this works? But look mate, at worst all he’s getting is a spoonful of one of nature’s greatest gifts, nectar from the gods.” n Brian Reyes blogs at www.mymediterraneandiet.net

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

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

VISIT US AND STEP BACK IN HISTORY

Casemates Square Tel: 200 72987

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

NOW OFFERING DAILY SPECIALS Grand Casemates Sq Tel: 20044449

Full menu served inside or on our terrace including British Fish & Chips, Jackets, Salads, Burritos, Homemade Pizzas, our special Fresh Local Mussels and much more. Visit us and buy yourself a souvenir, T-shirts, beer glasses, lighters etc Live music every evening, join our Jam Sessions on Wednesday or Sunday. GLMS Music Venue of the Year. Ofﬁcial Home to Gibraltar Rugby Club Free WiFi

restaurant bar guide &

10 Casemates www.lordnelson.gi Tel: 200 50009

turn to pages 86-89 for full restaurant and bar listings

Get Stuffed!

Marina Bay Tel: 200 42006

57 Irish Town, Gibraltar Tel: 200 70652

184 Main Street Tel: 200 72133 open: from 8am (10am on Sun)

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

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

Wembley Bar

To advertise in this section call

200 77748

email: gibmag@gibraltar.gi

10 South Barrack Ramp. Tel: 200 78004 • Hot & cold bar snacks • Function room

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

BUDDIES pasta casa

Come and enjoy real Italian meals in Gibraltar’s leading pasta house 15 Cannon Lane Tel: 200 40627 for reservations

now also in Casemates

Just A Nibble Licensed Cafeteria Let the ‘A’ Team serve you up a snack or a meal. Daily Specials • Varied Menu

Open from 9am First Floor ICC, Main Street THE PLACE TO MEET

Wines, Spirits, Tobacco, Beers & Soft Drinks Distributors Est. 1839

35 Devil’s Tower Road, Gibraltar. Telephone: (350) 200 74600 Telefax: (350) 200 77031 e-mail: mail@sacspeed.gi A Member of The Saccone & Speed (Gibraltar) Group of Companies GIBRALTAR 2010 2010 GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAGAZINE •• JUNE SEPTEMBER

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restaurants 14 on the Quay Unit 14, Queensway Quay. Tel: 200 43731 Open for lunch, afternoon tea, cocktails and dinner, 14 on the Quay offers a relaxed atmosphere inside and al fresco dining for every occasion. The international menu changes on a monthly basis to offer a wide variety of choice each time you visit and you can wind up your evening with a refreshing cocktail as you watch one of the marina’s spectacular sunsets. Open: 12 midday - late every day, Sundays 12 midday - 4pm Brunos The Boardwalk, Marina Bay. Tel: 216 25555 A modern marina-side restaurant which offers a selection of classical, contemporary and local dishes. Choose from a variety of starters such as baked goat’s cheese or smoked mackerel pâté before your main dish with choices of meat, fish or vegetarian options. Alternatively you can go for the favourites which include home-made burgers or pizzas through to steamed mussels or chicken Caesar salad to name a few. Bruno’s other offering is their tapas selection where you can choose any three dishes served with homemade crostini for just £6.50. If you have any special dietary requirements, just ask the staff and they’ll be happy to accommodate you wherever possible. Open: 10am until late (kitchen until 11pm) l Café Solo Grand Casemates Square. Tel: 200 44449 Modern Italian eatery set in the lively Casemates square. Everything from chicory and crispy pancetta salad with walnuts, pears and blue cheese dressing, or king prawn, mozzarella and mango salad to pastas(eg: linguine with serrano ham, king prawns and rocket; smoked salmon and crayfish ravioli with saffron and spinach cream) to salads (eg: Vesuvio spicy beef, cherry tomatoes, roasted peppers and red onions; and Romana chorizo, black pudding, egg and pancetta) and pizzas (eg: Quatto Stagioni topped with mozzarella, ham, chicken, pepperoni and mushroom) and specialities such as salmon fishcakes, beef medallions and duck. Good daily specials menu on blackboard. No smoking inside. Free WiFi. l Cafe Rojo 54 Irish Town. Tel: 200 51738 Sleek modern comfort in this relaxing little restaurant. Red comfy arm chairs in separate area for a relaxing drink or coffee. Brunch menu (10am-12pm) includes ciabatta, granary, foccacia sandwiches with fillings such as pear and blue cheese, smoked bacon and brie, cheese and honey roast ham, delicious desserts (chocolate mousse in a must). Lunch 12 - 3pm and dinner 7-10pm includes Roast Pumpkin, Mushroom, & Spinach Curry; Marinated Tuna Steak & Sesame Crust; Roasted Lamb Shoulder; pasta dishes such as Langoustine, Lime & Coconut; Pear, Walnut &

to Saturday 19.30 to 22.30 and lunchtimes for group bookings. The Mexican Grill and Bar Unit 2B The Tower, Marina Bay Tel: 200 46668 The Mexican Grill and Bar serves all the favourite Mexican dishes from Nachos, Quesadillas and Chimichangas (rolled flour tortilla with spicy chicken, chilli beef or vegetables, deep fried, served with Mexican rice and salad and guacamole, salsa or sour cream), to Burritos (like Chimichangas but oven baked), El Gringos Chilli con Carne, or Cheese Holy Mole Enchiladas. Don’t forget Big Eat Homemade Burgers (5 to choose from) and from the grill barbecue combos, steaks and chicken. Salads and sides to order. Decorated is warm Mexican colours with comfortable seating in the no-smoking, air-conditioned interior or outside on the patio, great for a fun night out. Available for private bookings and children’s parties. Blue Cheese; and Creamy Mixed Seafood; and Open: lunch and dinner 12 noon to late salads such as Warm Goats’ Cheese, Fresh Spinach & Chargrilled Aubergine; and Roast Duck, Maharaja Indian Restaurants Tuckey’s Lane. Tel: 200 75233 Chorizo & Pancetta Salad. Open: from 10am. Closed all day Sundays, and Queensway Quay Marina. Tel: 200 50733 With two restaurants, one in the town centre and Saturday lunch. another on the quayside of Queensway Quay, the Maharaja restaurants have been a well known Casa Pepe name in Gibraltar for nearly 40 years. Whilst 18 Queensway Quay Marina. each restaurant offers a slightly different menu, Tel/Fax: 200 46967 you’ll find traditional Indian cooking in these Email: casa.pepe.gib@gmail.com Situated right on the water front at Queensway recently refurbished restaurants with plenty of Quay, Casa Pepe has a comprehensive a la carte choice to cater to your taste. The Maharaja offers menu which includes dishes such as melon & vegetarian, seafood and meat dishes throughout Serrano ham, stuffed piquillo peppers and filled its range of starters and main dishes, and don’t be mushrooms to start, followed by a choice of sal- scared to ask them to spice up the dishes just to ads, rice and noodles and fish, poultry and meat your liking. The extensive wine list covers reds, dishes which include King Prawns Macarena roses, whites as well as cava and champagne for (cooked with fresh ginger, tomatoes, mangos and that special night out. And if you’re planning a bananas served with basmati rice, fried bread night in, you can use their take-away service. and bananas), Medallions of monkfish cooked Open: Maharaja Tuckey’s Lane: Monday 10amwith white wine and lobster sauce, duck breast 4pm, Tues - Sun 10am-4pm & 7pm-midnight Armanac-style (with Cognac, mushrooms and Maharaja Queensway Quay: Tues - Sun 12-4pm pine nuts), Medallions of pork loin cooked with & 7pm-Midnight Serrano ham and dry Jerez sherry, and fillet steak Malagueña cooked in creamy garlic mushrooms Savannah Lounge and sweet sherry sauce topped with prawns. 27 Heart Island, Ocean Village Tel: 200 66666 www.savanna.gi Wide range of tapas/raciones also available. Aimed at Gibraltar’s dining and night-life scene, Open: Monday to Saturday 11am till late. Savannah has been created with fun and style in mind. Offering contemporary European cuisine Nunos Italian Restaurant and Terrace a wide selection of drinks, cool decor and good Caleta Hotel, Catalan Bay music. The venue hosts regular events with For a reservations Tel: 200 76501 invited DJs and shows from abroad. E-mail reservations@caletahotel.gi Overlooking the Mediterranean from Catalan Open: Sunday-Thurs midday-midnight, Friday Bay, Nunos’ Spanish chef with Three Star Michel- and Saturday midday-5am. lin experience offers a variety of Italian cuisine. The restaurant has now moved from its location Solo Bar & Grill on the lower floors and can now be found at the Eurotowers Tel: 200 62828 reception level of the hotel. A quick peak at the Solo Bar and Grill is a stylish and modern eatery menu reveals the chef’s celebrated Salmorejo - perfect for business functions or lunches - and is on the menu, as are his baby squid burgers part of the Cafe Solo stable. Serving everything (Insalata di Calamari). From the main dishes you from , Goats’ Cheese Salad, Mediterranean can choose from a variety of fresh fish and meat Pâté and Cajun Langoustines to Beer Battered dishes. Or you could go for the house speciality John Dory, or Harissa Chicken, and Chargrilled of fresh, home-made pasta where you can choose Sirloin Steak. This is a delightful venue with a from a wide range of options. Open: Monday cosy mezzanine level and terrace seating — well

l = full menus online at www.thegibraltarmagazine.com 86

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

worth a visit, or two! Open: 12-8pm. Available for private functions and corporate events. The Waterfront Queensway Quay Marina Tel: 200 45666 The Waterfront is a very popular restaurant located right on the quayside at Queensway Quay Marina. There are different areas for eating and drinking, including the restaurant and bar, a large covered terrace with chandeliers and an open quayside terrace. There is an extensive menu to cater for all tastes including meat, fish and vegetarian dishes, along with salads and oriental food. The specials menu is changed daily and includes starters of lobster and prawn cocktail, fresh soup which is made daily and served with crusty bread, or Alaskan crab salad. The specials menu also tempts you with dishes such as Coca Cola marinated lamb shank served with oven roasted garlic and rosemary mashed potatoes, and the ever popular in-house aged steaks that can be served with a variety of sauces, or fresh Dorada, sea bass and salmon. For those who enjoy the sweeter things in life there is proper homemade banoffee or apple pie, cheese cakes and strudels. Open: 7 days a week from 9am to late. The Water Margin 5 Ocean Village Promenade, Tel: 200 73668 Gibraltar’s premier Chinese restaurant serving freshly cooked traditional Chinese dishes in the beautiful Ocean Village marina. Check out the outstanding aromatic crispy duck, the special duck slow cooked with honey and chilli or the freshly caught seabass delicately steamed with ginger and spring onion, popular with families looking for a relaxing night dining. No microwave oven or flavour enhancer (MSG) used in this establishment. Home delivery service. Open: 7 days a week, evening from 6pm, lunch from 12:30pm

informaleating Amin's The Office 30 Parliament Lane. Tel: 200 40932 Sit down, informal and friendly restaurant. Amin is well known in Gibraltar for his Moroccan, Spanish and international cuisine. Open early for breakfast at 7am right through the day. Try the Moroccan soups, couscous, lamb tagines and kebabs. Open: 7.00am to midnight.

Business lunches, parties and kids parties also catered for (for party and office platters phone or fax order by 5.30pm day before - minium orders for delivery £12). Open: Mon - Fri 8.30-7, Sat 9 - 4, Closed Sun. Picadilly Gardens Rosia Road. Tel: 200 75758 Relaxed bar restaurant with cosy garden terrace just across the road from the cable car. English breakfast, churros, tapas, hamburgers, fresh fish, prawns, squid, clams and a variety of meat dishes. Eat in or take away. Menu of the day only £6. Open: early to late.

all homemade sandwiches, salads, quiches, pasta, pies, muffins, plus hot and cold drinks and smoothies and a different special every day. Outside catering for corporate parties. Open: 8am - 6pm Mon-Fri, 8am-4pm Sat. Just A Nibble 1st Flr ICC Tel: 200 78052 Full licensed cafe serving English breakfast, vast range of toasties, rolls, and snacks. Meals include, Bob’s famous chicken curry/chilli con carne, and a great new range of pies (from Bob’s chicken and leek to steak and kidney plus a whole range of tasty alternatives) plus all the old favourites; jacket spuds, burgers, hot dogs, fish and chips, and daily specials. Ideal meeting place. Open: Monday - Saturday from 9am. Just Desserts 1st Floor ICC. Tel: 200 48014 Bright and airy, recently redecorated cafe on the first floor of the ICC. All home-made food including daily specials, vegetarian options and desserts. Eat in or take-away. Try their daily roast with everything on or their all-day breakfast. Non-smoking restaurant with terrace smoking area. Friendly, cheerful and fully licensed with sensible prices. Open: 8am - 4.30pm Monday to Friday. Mumbai Curry House Unit 1.0.02 Ground Floor, Block 1 Eurotowers Tel: 200 73711 Home delivery: 50022/33 Good Indian cuisine for eating in or taking away, from snacks such as samosas, bhajias, and pakoras to lamb, chicken and fish dishes with sauces such as korma, tikka masala, bhuna, do piaza... in fact all you would expect from an Indian cuisine take-away. Large vegetarian selection. Halal food is available, as is outside catering for parties and meetings. Sunday specials include all Mumbai favourites such as Dosa and Choley Bhature. Open: 7 days a week 11am to 3pm, 6pm -late.

Buddies Pasta Casa 15 Cannon Lane. Tel: 200 40627 Italian specials in pleasant ambience. Large selection of starters from garlic bread to calamari. Main courses include spinach caneloni, spaghetti alla carbonara, fusilli al salmone, and peppered steak to name a few. Tasty desserts and variety of wines. Open: Monday - Thursday 11am - 5pm, Friday Munchies Cafe 24 Main Street. Tel: 200 43840 Fax: 200 42390 11am-3pm and 7pm-11pm, Sat 11am-4.30pm A great sandwich bar/cafe offering an unusual range of sandwiches on white or granary Get Stuffed bread, plus salads, baguettes, soups, desserts, Marina Bay. Tel: 200 42006 Take-away, sandwich bar and hot food. Serving homemade ice-cream and hot/cold drinks.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

l Sacarello Coffee Co. 57 Irish Town. Tel: 200 70625 Converted coffee warehouse, ideal for coffee, homemade cakes/afternoon tea, plus menu including excellent salad bar, specials of the day and dishes such as lasagne, steak and mushroom Guinness pie, hot chicken salad, toasties, club sandwich and baked potatoes. Art exhibitions. Available for parties and functions in the evenings. Open: 9am-7.30pm Mon-Fri. 9am-3pm Sat Smith’s Fish & Chips 295 Main Street. Tel: 200 74254 Traditional British fish and chip shop with tables/seating available or take-away wrapped in newspaper. Menu: Cod, haddock or plaice in batter, Cornish pasties, mushy peas etc. Also curries, omlettes, burgers. Open: 8am-6pm Monday-Friday. Breakfast from 8. Located: Main Street opposite the Convent. Solo Express Grnd Flr, International Commercial Centre & Eurotowers Solo Express, located right next to Pizza Hut in Casemates and in Eurotowers, serves a good variety of salads and baguettes (white, brown & ciabatta) filled with a wide deli selection of things such as roast chicken; smoked salmon & mascapone; ham, cheese and coleslaw; or hummous, avocado and roasted red pepper. The salads are fresh and tasty and include Greek, Waldorf, cous cous, tuna pasta, etc and are great value. Jacket potatoes, quiches, tea, coffee etc plus cakes (such as flapjacks and muffins) are also available throughout the day. Eat-in available. Soups in winter. Free Wifi. The Tasty Bite 59a Irish Town. Tel: 200 78220 Fax: 200 74321 Tasty Bite has one of the biggest take-away menus around with home cooked meats, filled baguettes, burgers, chicken, kebabs and everything else you can think of! Open: Monday - Saturday. Verdi Verdi 44 Cornwall's Lane. Tel: 200 60733 Verdi Verdi offers morning and afternoon coffee as well as all home-made vegetarian and vegan dishes, fish, fresh baked bread and desserts. A wide selection of sandwiches to eat in or take away. Open: Mon & Fri: 9am - 3pm, Tues - Thurs: 9am -3pm & 7-10pm, Sun: 6-10pm. Sat Closed

Savannah Lounge 27 Heart Island, Ocean Village Tel: 200 66666 Aimed at Gibraltar’s dining and night-life scene, Savannah has been created with fun and style in mind. Offering contemporary European cuisine a wide selection of drinks, cool decor and good music. The venue hosts regular events with invited DJs and shows from abroad. Open: SundayThurs midday-midnight, Friday and Saturday midday-5am.

bars&pubs All’s Well Grand Casemates Square. Tel: 200 72987 Traditional pub in fashionable Casemates area. Named for the 18th century practice of locking the Gates to the city at night when the guard announced ‘All’s Well’ before handing the keys to the watch. All’s Well serves Bass beers, wine and spirits plus pub fare. English breakfast served all day, hot meals such as pork in mushroom sauce, sausage & mash, cod and chips and steak & ale pie are complemented by a range of salads and filled jacket potatoes. Large terrace. Karaoke every Monday and Wednesday until late. Free tapas on a Friday 7pm. Cannon Bar 27 Cannon Lane. Tel: 200 77288 Jane is still there and still packed out with tourists and regulars! Word has it that she nearly managed to escape, but wasn’t allowed to. The famous fish and chips, the odd French speciality, there’s always something happening in the Cannon! Located between Marks & Spencer and the Cathedral just off Main Street. Quiz night on Tuesdays, get there early as it is definitely the place to be on a normally quiet Gibraltar Tuesday. The Final Whistle 4, Cornwall’s Parade Friendly sports bar with six screens. If it’s live, it’s on, and often more than one game on at a time for full sports coverage. Fun atmosphere with special offers during premier matches. All sports fans welcome. Open 10am until late, 7 days a week. The Gibraltar Arms 184 Main St. Tel: 200 72133 www.gibraltararms.gi Good food served all day at this typical pub right on Main Street. Everything from all day breakfast to Irish fillet steak roll, burritos, and the popular fresh local mussels. Draught lager, bitter, cider and Murphys plus free WiFi. Terrace seating right on Main Street to watch the world go by. Open: from 8am (10am Sundays) until late. Lord Nelson Bar Brasserie 10 Casemates Tel: 200 50009 www.lordnelson.gi E-mail: reservations@lordnelson.gi Attractive bar/brasserie in historic Casemates building. Done out to represent Nelson’s ship with cloud and sky ceiling crossed with beams and sails. Spacious terrace Starter s& snacks include fresh local mussels, blue cheese and rocket

The Star Bar Parliament Lane. Tel: 200 75924 Reputedly the oldest bar in Gib, this small cosy bar opens early for breakfast (English or toast & cereal). Lunch/evening menu includes fillet steak, fish and chips and salads. Home of Med Golf and Tottenham Hotspur FC supporters club. Outside bruschetta, Lordy’s potato skins, spicy chicken seating. Open: from 7am every day. Located: first wings and calamares. Main courses cover a range right off Main St (walking from N to S). from chilli con carne and chicken and mushroom pie, to crispy aromatic duck burrito and British Three Roses fish and chips. Try one of the salads or Nelson’s 60 Governor’s Street. Tel: 200 51614 platters. Jacket potatoes, burgers and children’s Charming, recently refurbished bar with a cosy, menu. Credit cards accepted. Live music Venue homely atmosphere situated just above Main of the Year, with live music on stage every night. Street (near Eliott Hotel). Offering lunch, tapas, Free Wifi. Open: from 10am till very late. special montaditos and several South African dishes such as Boere Rolls, the bar has three The Lounge screens for live football matches and is home to Queensway Quay Marina Tel: 200 61118 Chelsea Supporters on the Rock. The Three Roses Stylish bar right on the quayside with very reasonhas a function room for booking at no cost and ably priced drinks and light bites. Free WiFi, quizcharity organisations are particularly welcome. zes on Sundays (7.30pm) and a relaxed friendly Monday nights Salsa dancing. atmosphere. Great place to chill out. Open: 7 Open: 11am - 11pm Monday to Saturday. Sundays a week 1pm-late. day’s closed unless Chelsea are playing. O’Reilly’s Leisure Island, Ocean Village. Tel: 200 67888 Traditional Irish bar with full HD sports coverage and Irish breakfast from 7am (Sunday from 9am). Guinness on draught. Food includes salads, jackets, beef and Guinness ale pie, Molly’s mussels, drunken swine, Boxty dishes (potato pancake wrapped around delicioius fillings), sandwiches, rolls, Kildare chicken and much much more. And just like in Ireland there’s no smoking inside, so a great atmosphere for all. Pickwicks Governor’s Parade. Tel: 200 76488 Run by well-known friendly face, Mandy, this small pub with a large terrace is situated in Governor’s Parade away from the traffic and safe for all the family. Good food available including the best freshly made sandwiches and jacket potatoes, salads and burgers. Open: Mon - Fri from 9.30am Location: turn off Main St at Marks & Spencer, go up steps to Governor’s Parade (opposite the Eliott Hotel).

The Three Owls Irish Town. Tel: 200 77446 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, darts board, 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. Wembley Bar 10 South Barrack Ramp. Tel: 200 78004 Popular bar for hot and cold bar snacks, function room, in south district. Fridays 10am for breakfast. Air conditioned. The home of the Real Madrid Supporter’s Club. Open: 11am - midnight Sunday - Thursday, 10am - 1am Friday, 11am - 1am Saturdays.

Pickwicks on Governor’s Parade

Tel: 200 76488 (opposite the Eliott Hotel)

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

open Monday to Friday from 9.30am

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

wine column

bottoms

Never rub

with a porcupine

This self-evident proverb was first coined in a New Statesman magazine competition many years ago — along with ‘He digs deepest who deepest digs’ and ‘He with the largest feet covers the most ground’.

Proverbs can be useful (as well as self-contradictory: compare ‘Too many cooks spoil the broth’ with ‘Many hands make light work’). They are also generally just statements of the obvious, adjusted according to the needs of the moment. But the rather portentous language in which they are usually couched gives them a certain apparent importance. Simply saying ‘Snakes can be poisonous’ does not have the same ring as ‘Do not wear ear-muffs in the land of the rattlesnake’. In the same way, there are various proverbs and sayings about wine. Some are true, some need a pinch of salt and some are just portentous statements of no great meaning. The first is ‘red with meat and white with fish’. This is a generalisation and like all generalisations (including this one) it is false. Leaving aside the philosophical question involved here, the fact remains that a chicken often cries out for a white; a tuna steak will often overwhelm a white. A light (chilled) Beaujolais will often be better with salmon than a heavy white burgundy. If not having beer with your traditional fish and chips, then a red will be preferable to a white. There is no hard and fast rule; you should drink what you like with what you like. We then hear that wine, in particular red wine, should be allowed to breathe before being drunk. In other words, the cork should be removed at least an hour before drinking and, in many cases, the wine should also be decanted into another container. About 100 years ago this was good advice. Decanting ensured that the dregs — the remains of the must — did not get into the glass and opening a little in advance of

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

drinking allowed the wine to oxidise slightly in order to release its full flavour. However, on most bottles, other than the purest (and most expensive), you will now see the magic words: ‘contains sulphides’. This means that sulphur has at one stage or another been added to the wine to kill off unwanted bacteria and to clarify the wine so dregs are a thing of the past. Because, of course, wine-makers wish to give the impression that wine-making is an entirely natural process and does not rely on any artificial additives, the sulphur is only referred to in very small print at the bottom of the label. It is, however, a Good Thing and will have improved both the look and the taste of the wine by getting rid of impurities without doing it any harm. Despite their bad press, scientists can and sometimes do improve food and drink; we should be grateful for it rather than pretending that scientifically tested and proved additives do not really exist. A further truth is supposed to be that red wine should be at room temperature; white (and rose etc) wine should be served cold. There is no valid scientific reason for this. It is just what we are used to. And the fact is that a cool white wine on a hot summer’s day does seem to taste better than a tepid one. But that is our perception rather than any actual difference in taste. It all boils down to that vital word ‘perception’. When presented with a bottle of Chateau Talbot 1982 your senses are heightened in advance by the prospect of a treat in store. You are already conditioned to expect ambrosia and so — to some extent — that is what you will get.

If it were sprung on you from a carafe halfway through a convivial dinner party you might, perhaps, notice that this was rather a better glass than the previous one. Would you realise that it was ambrosia? It is for this reason that wine-makers spend almost as much time on the label as they do on the product. See the label in advance and your perception of what you are about to taste will affect what you do taste. A good ordinary claret will taste like a good ordinary claret. An Australian oaked Chardonnay will taste pretty awful. In general, the gaudier the label, the worse the contents: the wine-maker is hoping to heighten your perception by covering the label with rich red and gold colours to make it look both impressive and expensive. Whatever flourishes it contains, the label will always contain the vital information of the grape variety and the region. So you know what to expect. That is why blind wine tasting is so difficult. There is no point of reference to hang on to except the colour. (And it is surprising how often, if the colour is also hidden, you will get the colour wrong.) All you have is your own taste and vague recollections that if blackberries are involved it must be a cabernet. The advantage of a blind tasting is that you sometimes find a wine you really like. With luck, this one turns out to be at the cheaper end of the scale which you might not have considered if you had just looked at the label. The moral is that proverbs, labels and supposed truths can help; ultimately you have to rely on your own taste. Or ‘Take that which thou likest when thou likest it’. n

A ro u n d To w n .. .

a light-he arte d look at Gibralta r soc

iety

Birthday celebrations at Cafe Rojo

Well it’s September again and we all know that means donning the red an white and celebrating National Day on 10th. There will be lots of fun and activities for all the family around town from fancy dress to the spectacular fireworks.... ooohhhh aaaaahhhh. What a Week In the week preceeding National Day there’s a special classical concert at St Michael’s Cave (wonderful setting) on 2nd September, then on Friday 3rd September there’s the Beer Festival (tickets £20 includes open bar from Lewis Stagnetto, 41 Main Street). The final event before the big day is the National Week Rock Concert on 9th September in the Coach Terminus, Waterport. Entrance is free and you can party until 1am. This year’s concert promises to be a really great event.

Iain and Samantha - Holy Trinity Cathedral

The Summer Ball For all those big kids out there don’t miss the Gibraltar Summer Ball from 6pm to midnight at the Alameda Botanic Gardens on 2nd September. A great fun night out to raise money for charity with everything from bucking broncos to trapeze artists and fire dancers plus unlimited food and drink and all for £40.00 which goes to Cope, The Disability Society and Childline charities. This year’s dress code is ‘white’ — don’t miss it. Well Done & Farewell Well done to all our A Level students who have done us proud again this year, and to all the Durham Business School students who will be receiving their certificates at the end of September (29th). Little Freddy

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Urban Dance Summer Development — the certificates!

Scott and Amanda GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • MARCH 2007 GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

fe Rojo

This page: celebrations at Bayside and Westside schools as students collect their A Level results at the end of August

Farewell this month to all our students who are heading back to their studies in the UK — Casemates and Ocean Village will certainly be quieter places for a few months! Congratulations & Celebrations Congratulations to Scott Simmons and Amanda Noble (of Hassans) on their recent engagement... ahh aint love grand! Welcome to the world Freddy, son of Ian and Pennie (of Waterfront restaurant) who was born last month weighing in at 7lbs 10oz (and what a little cutie he is). And congratulations to Ian and Brian who celebrated their 21st anniversary in August. Many Happy Returns Happy birthdays this month include Janette Macdonald of the Gibraltar Arms on 7th, Anglo Hispano‘s Lucy Felipes on 11th, Noelle Aldorino on 16th, and regular visitor from Newcastle, Leanne Roberts on 20th. Denville Designs’ Jane Hart celebrates another year on 23rd, and the next day it is Andy Hutcheon of Barclays Wealth’s turn. ‘The Rouge’, Michelle Rugeroni, will be partying on 29th and rounding up the month is Corey Alman who gets another year older on 30th. Let the Project Begin Congratulations of another sort to local charity AKIN who have raised the princely sum of £4,665 from their various fund raising events and have now started their project to refurbish the Regent Primary School in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Their first job will be to work on the roof and ceiling and they’ll be working their way down from there! Well that’s it for this month.... next month Hallowe’en... spoooooky!

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clubs&activities Arts & Crafts The Arts Centre, Prince Edward’s Rd. Art classes for children (5-6pm Mon, 5-6.30pm Tues, 5-7pm Thurs), adults (Mon - Tues 6.30pm-8pm, Wed 6.30pm-8.30pm, life painting Wed 7pm9pm). Tel: 200 79788. The Fine Arts Association Gallery 1st Floor above Gibraltar Crystal, Casemates. Open 11am-2pm, 4-6pm Mon - Fri, Sat 11am - 2pm. Arts & Crafts Gallery (next door) opens Mon - Fri 9.30am - 5pm (summer) -6pm (winter), Sat 9.30am - 3pm. The Poetry Society meets on 20th of each month. Tel: Audrey Batty on 200 44355 . Board Games Chess Club meets in Studio 1, John Mackintosh Hall 8-10.30pm Tues. The Gibraltar Scrabble Club meet John Mackintosh Hall Mondays. Bank holidays changed to Thursday same week. 7pm-11pm All welcome. Tel: 200 73660 or 200 75995. The Subbuteo Club meets Charles Hunt Room, John Mackintosh Hall 7.30 - 11pm. Dance Adult Dance Classes Wednesday evenings at the Youth Disco Room, Kings Bastion Leisure Centre from 7-8.30pm. Cha-Cha, Salsa and Merengue. Lessons £5 and all proceeds to GibMissionAfrica Charity. Contact Dilip on 200 78714 or dance@trainingtm.net Salsa Gibraltar Salsa classes held Tuesdays at Laguna Social Club, Laguna Estate. Beginners 7-8.30pm, £5 per lesson. Intermediates 8.30-10pm, £6 per lesson (all profits going to the charity Help Us To Help Them). Contact: Mike 54472000 Email: info@salsagibraltar.com website: www.salsagibraltar.com Modern & Latin American Sequence Dancing Mondays Catholic Community Centre 8.30pm (beginners 7.30). Over 15s welcome. Old & Modern Sequence Dancing sessions at the Catholic Community Centre at 8pm, beginners at 7.30pm, Wednesday. The DSA Old & Modern Sequence Dancing sessions at Central Hall Fridays 8pm, beginners 7.30pm. Tel: 200 78282 or e-mail manvio@ gibraltar.gi Everybody welcome. Senior Citizens Teatime Dances at The Youth Centre, Line Wall Rd on Mondays 2 - 5.30pm. All senior citizens welcome for coffee, tea and biscuits. Entrance free. Classical Ballet classes for children 4+, Spanish dance and hip-hop at Liza School of Dance, 3rd floor, Methodist Church, 297/299 Main St. Classes Weds & Fri from 6pm at Chiltern Court (4Cs). Tel: 58111000. Modern, Contemporary, Hip Hop & Flexibility classes held weekly at Urban Dance Studio for Performing Arts, No. 2 Jumpers Bastion. Contact Yalta (54012212) or Jolene (54015125). History & Heritage The Gibraltar Heritage Trust Main Guard, 13 John Mackintosh Sq. Tel: 200 42844. The Gibraltar Classic Vehicle Association Dedicated to preservation of Rock’s transport/motoring heritage. Assists members in restoration / maintenance of classic vehicles. Members/vehicles meet 1st Sunday of month, Morrison’s car park from 10am. New members welcome. Tel: 200 44643. Music The Gibraltar National Choir and Gibraltar Junior National Choir rehearse on Monday & Thursday 7.30 - 9pm. New singers of all ages welcome. Tel: Lili 200 40035, 54006727 St Andrew’s Music Academy Musical Monsters Club, musical workshops. Group musical activities for kids 3-7 years. Singing, rhythmic games etc. Tel: 200 42690 email: samagib@ hotmail.com Outdoor Activities The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is an exciting self-development Programme available to all young people worldwide equipping them with life skills to make a difference to themselves, their communities and the world. To date over 5 million young people from over 100 countries have been motivated to undertake a variety of voluntary and challenging activities. Contact Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Montagu Bastion, Line Wall Road, Gibraltar Tel: 200 59818 Reg. Charity No: 61

Don’t be bored... do something fun! Quizzes Cannon Bar quizzes are held on Tuesdays starting with a warm up, then two other quizzes, including a theme quiz. Starts at 8.30pm, all welcome and prizes are given. Free entrance but a donation to charity is requested. Tapas served after the quiz. The Lounge friendly quizzes take place on Sundays from 8pm right on the quayside at Queensway Quay. Social Clubs Scots on the Rock: Any Scots visiting the Rock can contact Charles Polson (Tel: 200 78142) for assistance or information. Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes (Gibraltar Province) meets RAOB Club, Jumpers Bastion on these days: Provincial Grand Lodge, 1st Monday/month, 8pm. Executive Meeting, last Mon/month 7pm. Knights Chapter, 2nd Mon/month 7.30pm. Examining Council, 3rd Mon/month 7pm. William Tilley 2371, Thurs 8pm. Buena Vista 9975, Weds (fortnightly) 7pm. Por Favor 9444, Weds (fortnightly) 7pm. Farewell 10001, Tues 8.30pm. Goldacre 10475 (social) last Fri/month 8pm. Special Interest Clubs & Societies Gibraltar Horticultural Society meets 1st Thurs of month 6pm, John Mac Hall. Spring Flower Show, slide shows, flower arrangement demos, outings to garden centres, annual Alameda Gardens tour. All welcome. Gibraltar Philosophical Society devoted to intellectually stimulating debate. Frequent lectures and seminars on a range of topics. Contact 54008426 (after 6pm) or email gibphilosophy@ live.co.uk for further information. The Gibraltar Photographic Society meets on Mon at 8pm, Wellington Front. Basic courses, competitions etc. Harley Davidson Owners’ Club www.hdcgib. com UN Association of Gibraltar PO Box 599, 22a Main Street. Tel: 200 52108. Creative Writers Group meet every Tuesday at the Eliott Hotel bar at 8pm. The workshop is run by Carla, Tel: 54006696 and is aimed at learning to write fiction and non-fiction, for pleasure or publication. Each session is £5.00. Sports Supporters Clubs The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters Club meet at the Star Bar, Parliament Lane, when Spurs games are televised - call prior to matches to check the game is televised. Great food for a lunch if the KO is early or an early supper if the game is later. For info call Mario on 56280000. Gibraltar Arsenal Supporters Club meet on match days at the Casino Calpe (Ground Floor). Gooners of all ages welcome. Tel: Bill 54010681 or Dion 56619000. Website: www.clubwebsite. co.uk/ArsenalGibraltarSC/. Gibraltar Hammers meet on match days at the Victoria Stadium Bar, Bayside Road. All league games are shown live. All West Ham supporters and their families are welcome. For details visit www.gibraltarhammers.com or e-mail gibraltarhammers@hotmail.com Sports & Fitness Artistic Gymnastics: Gibraltar Artistic Gymnastics Association club for beginners, juniors and squad at Bayside School in evenings. Tel: 200 Angela 200 70611 or Sally 200 74661. Athletics: Gibraltar Amateur Athletics Association holds competitions throughout year for juniors, adults and veterans. Two main clubs (Calpeans 200 71807, Lourdians 200 75180) training sessions at Victoria Stadium. Badminton: Recreational badminton weekdays at Victoria Stadium (Tel: 200 78409 for allocations). Gibraltar Badminton Association (affiliated to IBA & EBA) has leagues and training for adults and secondary school. Tel: Ivan 200 44045 or Linda 200 74753. Basketball: Gibraltar Amateur Basketball Association (affiliated FIBA) leagues/ training for minis, passarelle, cadets, seniors and adults at a variety of levels. Tel: John 200 77253, Randy 200 40727 or Kirsty (minis) 200 49441. Billiards & Snooker: Gibraltar Billiards and Snooker Association (member IBSA) round leagues and competitions at various venues. New members welcome. Tel: Eddie 200 72142 or Peter 200 77307. Boxing: Gibraltar Amateur Boxing Association (member IABA) gym on Rosia Rd. Over 13s welcome to join. Tuition with ex-pro boxer Ernest

Victory (200 75513 w, 200 42788 h). Canoeing: Gibraltar Canoeing Association. Tel: Nigel 200 52917 or Eugene 58014000. Cricket: Gibraltar Cricket Association (member ICC) runs leagues/competitions at Europa Point/ Victoria Stadium. Junior/senior training. Tel: Tom 200 79461 or Adrian 200 44281. Cycling: Gibraltar Cycling Association various cycling tours. Tel: Uriel 200 79359. Darts: Gibraltar Darts Association (member WDF) mens/ladies/youth leagues/competitions. Tel: Darren 54027171 “Secretary”, Dyson “Youth Rep” 54024149, Justin “President” 54022622 Email: info@gibraltardarts.com Football: Gibraltar Football Association leagues/competitions for all ages October-May. Futsal in summer, Victoria Stadium. Tel: 200 42941 www.gfa.gi. Senior Tel: Albert 200 41515, Junior Tel: Richard 58654000, Women’s Tel: Brian 200 52299. Recreational football for over 35s Tel: Richard 200 70320. Golf: Med Golf tournaments held monthly. Tel: 200 79575 for tournament venues/dates. Gibraltar Golf Union has competitions through year, EGU handicaps. Tel: Bernie 200 78844. Hockey: Gibraltar Hockey Association (members FIH & EHF) high standard competitions/training for adults and juniors. Tel: Eric 200 74156 or Peter 200 72730. Judo: Gibraltar Judo Association UKMAF recognised instructors for all ages and levels at Budokai Martial Arts Centre, Wellington Front. Tel: Charlie 200 73116 or Peter 200 73225. Ju-jitsu: Gibraltar Ju-jitsu Academy training and grading for juniors/seniors held during evening at 4 North Jumpers Bastion (Rosia Rd). Tel: Tony 200 79855 or club 200 47259. Karate-do Shotokai: Gibraltar Karate-do Shotokai Association sessions for junior/seniors, gradings and demos at Karate Clubhouse, 41H Town Range Tel: Andrew 200 48908. Motorboat Racing: Gibraltar Motorboat Racing Association Tel: Wayne 200 75211. Netball: Gibraltar Netball Association (affiliated FENA & IFNA) competitions through year, senior / junior leagues. Tel: Moira 200 41795 or Suzette 200 41874. Petanque: Gibraltar Petanque Association plays at Giralda Gardens, Smith Dorrien Ave. New members welcome. Tel: 200 70929. Pilates - at the King’s Bastion Leisure Centre Mondays 1pm-2pm and Wednesdays from 1pm - 2pm and 5.30-6.30pm. For further enquiries call Chantal 60518882 or email: chan_elle82@ yahoo.co.uk. Pool: Gibraltar Pool Association (member EUKPF) home and away league played on Thurs through season. Tel: Linda 200 74753. Rhythmic Gymnastics: Gibraltar Rhythmic Gymnastics Association runs sessions for 4 years of age and upwards, weekday evenings. For more information contact Sally Tel: 200 74661. Rugby: Gibraltar Rugby Football Union training sessions for Colts (14+), seniors and veterans. Play in Andalusia 1st Division Oct - April. Tel: James 200 72185 Sailing: Gibraltar Yachting Association junior/ senior competitive programme (April - Oct) Tel: RGYC 200 48847. Sea Angling: Gibraltar Federation of Sea Anglers (members FIPS-M & CIPS) Superb calendar of events with four clubs participating. Tel: Mario 200 72622 or Charlie 200 74337. Shooting: Gibraltar Shooting Federation (over 14s). Rifle, Europa Point range (Joe 200 74973); clay pigeon, East Side (Harry 200 74354); Pistol, near Royal Naval Hospital (Fidel 200 71990). Skating: Gibraltar Skating and Xtreme Sports Association. State of art ramps for Xtreme/aggressive roller blading /skate boarding. Leisure skating facilities provided within excellent rink (when not used for roller hockey training). Tel: Eric 200 70710 (after 5). Snorkelling & Spear Fishing: Over 14s for snorkelling, over 16s for spear fishing. Tel: Joseph 200 75020. Squash: Gibraltar Squash Association, Squash Centre, South Pavilion Road (members WSF

what a page turner! www.thegibraltarmagazine.com

& 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: Gibraltar Ten Pin Bowling (members FIQ & WTBA) leagues, training for juniors and squad. Contact Charly on 56014000 or Paul on 54029749. Triathlon: Gibraltar Triathlon Union (members ITU) Chris 200 75857 or Harvey 200 55847. Volleyball: Gibraltar Volleyball Association (members W & EVF) training, leagues, competitions for juniors/seniors. Tony 200 40478 or Elizabeth 58306000. Yoga: Integral Yoga Centre runs a full programme of classes from Mon-Fri at 33 Town Range. Tel: 200 41389. All welcome. Theatrical Groups Gibraltar Amateur Drama Association Ince’s Hall Theatre Complex, 310 Main Street E-mail: gibdrama@yahoo.co.uk Tel: 200 42237 www. geocities.com/gibdrama Trafalgar Theatre Group meet 2nd Wed of month, Garrison Library 8pm. All welcome. Theatrix: Contact Trevor and Iris on Tel: 54006176 or email theatrixgib@yahoo.co.uk Clubs, Associations, should submit details to The Gibraltar Magazine gibmag@gibraltar.gi

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

support

events

Support Groups/ Associations Alcoholics Anonymous meet 7pm Tues and Thurs at Nazareth Hse Tel: 200 73774. A Step Forward support group for single, separated, divorced or widowed people. Meet 8pm Mondays at St Andrew’s Church. Childline Gibraltar confidential phone line for children in need. Freephone 8008 - 7 days a week 6pm - 10pm. Citizens’ Advice Bureau Open Mon-Fri 9.30-4pm. Tel: 200 40006 Email: info@ cab.gi or visit 10 Governor’s Lane. No appointment necessary, no charge. Gibraltar CAB outreach clinics at St Bernard’s Hospital every Tuesday. Advisors available at 1st floor reception, Zone 4, 9am-3pm. Info and advice is free, confidential and impartial. COPE Support group for people with Multiple Sclerosis, Fibromyalgia or Rheumatoid Arthritis. Formed to ease day-to-day challenges of individuals, families and care partner. Meetings at Catholic Community Centre Book Shop at 7.30pm first Thursday of each month. Contact Sue Reyes Tel: 200 51469 Email: copeadsupport@hotmail.com Dignity At Work Now. Confidential support and advice for those who are being bullied at work. Tel: 57799000 Mon - Thur 8pm-9pm Families Anonymous Support group for relatives and friends who are concerned about the use of drugs or related behavioural problems. Meetings are held alternate Thursdays at 9pm at Nazareth House. For more details Tel: 200 70047 or 200 73465. Gibraltar Cardiac Rehabilitation and Support Group meets on the first Tuesday of every month at 8.30pm at the John Mac Hall, except for July and August. Gibraltar Dyslexia Support Group 3/8 Serfaty’s Passage Tel: 200 78509 Mobile: 54007924 website: www.gdsg.co.uk Gibraltar Marriage Care. Free relationship counselling, including pre-marriage education (under auspices of Catholic Church, but open to all). Tel: 200 71717. Gibraltar Society for the Visually Impaired. Tel: 200 50111 (24hr answering service). Hope. miscarriage support Tel: 200 41817. Narcotics Anonymous Tel: 200 70720 Overeaters Anonymous support group of those with compulsive overeating problem. Tel: helpline for details of meetings 200 42581. Parental Support Group, helping parents and grandparents with restrictive access to their children and granchildren. Tel: Richard 200 46536, Jason 200 76618, Dominic 54019602. Psychological Support Group, PO Box 161, Nazareth House. Weekly Meetings Tuesdays at 7pm, Fridays 8pm. Tel: 200 51623. SSAFA Forces Help Gibraltar, is a national charity, to assist serving and exService personnel and their families. Tel: (5)5481. E-mail olivero@sapphirenet.gi With Dignity Gibraltar support group for separated, divorced, widowed or unattached people. Meetings Weds 9pm, Catholic Community Centre, Line Wall Rd. Outings/activities. Tel: Flor 54007181 or Marie 200 79957. Women in Need. Voluntary organisation for all victims of domestic violence. Refuge available. Tel: 200 42581 (24 hours).

Summer of Love celebrations at the Lounge Queensway Quay for Collin’s birthday!

Paintball Gibraltar Left: Steven Pardo, captain of the Animus Paintball Team, pictured with Ian Blair from Glass House Trading Limited, sponsor of the 2010 team & new 2010 team kit. Above: Gibraltar’s Animus Paintball Team

The Johnnie Walker Trophy The new 2010-11 Med Golf kicked off with acompetition at the super El Paraiso Golf Course where players enjoyed some great conditions on a super golf course. Med Golf regular Dave Pinniger won the Johnnie Walker Trophy and a pro shop voucher for 100

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • SEPTEMBER 2010

euro with a high scoring round of 42 points. Winner of the 1st category (0-12 handicap) was Keith Johnson, runner up Louis Calvente. Winner of the 2nd category (13-21 handicap) was Steve Cary, runner up Douglas Casciaro. Winner of the 3rd category (22-36 handicap) was Martyn Brown, runner up Les Housley. Other prize winners

for nearest the pins were, Douglas Casciaro, Denis Lafferty, Jit Aujli, Denny To and Dave Pinniger. The top senior player was the youthful Keith Johnson. The best gross score winner was Dave Pinniger. For full schedule and benefits of joining Med Golf visit www.teetimespain.com or contact Johnathan 56001055 or jg@ medgolf.gi

information

dmission 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 4 and under free, vehicles £2. Private vehicles may be restricted at certain times, tours available by taxi/mini bus. The Natural History & Heritage Park is also reached by cable car (leaves Grand Parade 9.30am-5.15pm Mon-Sun. Last cable down: 5.45pm). 50p per person to walk with no entrance tickets.

he flora and fauna on the Upper Rock are considered to be of great conservational value. It’s a perfect place for birdwatchers, as migratory species use Gibraltar as the shortest crossing between Europe and Africa, but botanists will also be interested to see over 600 species of flowering plants, including some unique to Gibraltar. Watch out for colourful lizards, non-venemous Horseshoe Whipsnakes, butterflies and pipistrelle bats. Info on flora and fauna is found at the Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society’s information centre at Jews Gate. St. Michael’s Cave: The cave comprises an upper hall with five connecting passages and drops of 40-150ft to a smaller hall. A further succession of chambers, some at 250ft below the entrance, is reached through narrow holes. The Cathedral Cave is open to visitors and is used as an auditorium for concerts and theatre. The cave was prepared as a hospital in WWII, but never used. A further series of chambers ending in a mini lake is called Lower St. Michael’s Cave and can be visited with a guide. The Monkeys’ Den: There are around 160 monkeys in the Park and around 30 can be seen at the Monkey’s Den. Often called apes, they are tail-less Barbary Macaques and Europe’s only free living monkeys. £500 fine for feeding the monkeys - don’t do it! The Great Siege Tunnels: Tunnelling in the Rock began during the Great Siege (1779-1783) when France and Spain made an attempt to recapture the Rock while Britain was busy with the American War of Independence. Governor General Elliot offered a reward to any man who could tell him how to mount a gun on the north face of the Rock. It was a Sgt. Major Ince who suggested tunnelling and there are now over 30 miles of tunnels inside the Rock with various exhibitions inside the tunnels.

of the earliest British building on the Rock. Original graffiti, drawn by duty soldiers to stop themselves falling asleep, is still visible, the earliest dating back to 1726. The Moorish Castle: actually just part of a Moorish town and castle which was built up during the Moorish occupation of the Iberian Peninsula, spearheaded from Gibraltar in 711AD by Tarik-ibn-Zeyad (“Gibraltar” is a corruption of the Arabic words “Jebel Tarik” - Tarik’s mountain). The part we see today, The Tower of Homage, dates back to 1333AD, when Abu’l Hassan recaptured the Rock from Spain. Natural History & Heritage Park Walks: Med Steps is a stunning walk with the steep climb at the end rewarded with spectacular views of the Rock and Spain. Another recommended walk is St Michael’s Cave through to Charles V Wall but walkers should be relatively fit for both. It is also pleasant walking along the upper rock roads. Brochures available free from all Tourist Board offices. Botanical Gardens: Opened in 1816, the Alameda Botanical Gardens fell into disrepair but are currently being restored to their former glory. Visitors can enjoy a stroll beneath pines, dragon trees and palms, and see many of Gibraltar’s native plants as well as exotic species. The shop sells environmentally friendly gifts, plants and seeds. Tel: 200 72639/200 74022. Parking. Nelson’s Anchorage: Rosia Road 9.30am - 5.15pm Monday to Saturday (last entry at 5pm). Closed on Sunday. Admission: £1.00 (free of charge with Nature Reserve ticket. Tickets for the nature reserve can also be bought at this attraction). Parson’s Lodge: Rosia Road. A narrow limestone outcrop with a labyrinth of underground tunnels surmounted by an impressive battery, which has witnessed the development of coast artillery over 300 years. Once housed three 18 ton 10-inch rifled muzzle loaders positioned behind a

unique sandwich of armour plate and teak, known as ‘Gibraltar Shields’. TEMPORARILY CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC.

per Rock, Europa Point and other sites of interest. It is the best way to see the Rock’s major features in a short time.

Flat Bastion Magazine Flat Bastion Road, Geological Research Station and Lithology of Gibraltar. To visit contact: F. Gomez Tel. 200 44460, P. Hodkinson Tel. 200 43910.

Tourist Board.....................Tel: 200 74950 Gibraltar Tourist Board, Duke of Kent House, Cathedral Square, Gibraltar. UK Tel: 0207 836 0777 giblondon@aol.com

Shrine of Our Lady of Europe (Museum within premises) Europa Road. 10am-7pm Monday to Friday, 11am-7pm Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays. Closed 1pm - 2pm.

John Mackintosh Hall.......Tel: 200 75669 Includes cafeteria, theatre, exhibition rooms and library. 308 Main Street 9.30am - 11pm Monday to Friday. Closed weekends.

Trafalgar Cemetery: Trafalgar Road, open 9am - 7pm daily (admission free).

Bicycle Racks Bicycle parking is provided at the following locations: Europort Road, Casemates Tunnel, Land Port Ditch, Fish Market Road, Commonwealth Car Park, Reclamation Road (by English Steps) + Line Wall Road.

Business Information

Gibraltar Financial Services Commission ......Tel: 200 40283/4 website: www.fsc.gi Chamber of Commerce.......Tel: 200 78376 Federation Small Business.Tel: 200 47722 Company Registry...............Tel: 200 78193

Useful Numbers

Airport (general info.)..........Tel: 200 73026 Hospital, St Bernards..........Tel: 200 79700 Weather information.................Tel: 5-3416 Frontier Queue Update.......Tel: 200 42777

General Information

Gibraltar Museum.............Tel: 200 74289 18/20 Bomb House Lane Open 10am - 6pm (Sat. 10am - 2pm). Closed on Sunday. Admission: Adults £2/Children under 12 years £1. Exhibitions also at Casemates gallery. Registry Office...................Tel: 200 72289 It is possible to get married on the Rock within 48 hours of arrival. A fact taken advantage of by stars such as Sean Connery and John Lennon. Rock Tours by Taxi............Tel: 200 70052 As well as offering normal fares, Gibraltar taxis provide Rock Tours taking in the Up-

Emergency Services Emergency calls only: Fire/Ambulance.......................Tel: 190 Police...............................Tel: 199/112 Emergency Number...............Tel: 112

The Military Heritage Centre: Housed in one of the Rock’s many historic batteries, the Military Heritage Centre displays information on the development of Gibraltar’s military defences through the ages. A City Under Siege Exhibition: Exhibits depicting the lives of the civilian population during the many sieges, are housed in one

History Alive

Every Saturday morning the Rock’s past is brought alive by a troop of soldiers in 18th century period uniform. The soldiers march from Bomb House Lane at 12 noon to Casemates. At Casemates they carry out a “Ceremony of the Keys” and then march back up Main Street to the Cathedral of St Mary the Crowned.

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Gibraltar Bus Company Routes

Public Holidays 2010

New Year’s Day Friday 1 January Commonwealth Day * Monday 8 March Good Friday Friday 2 April Easter Monday Monday 5 April May Day Monday 3 May Spring Bank Holiday Monday 31 May Queen’s Birthday * Monday 14 June Late Summer Holiday Monday 30 August Gibraltar National Day * Friday 10 September Christmas Day Monday 27 December (in lieu of Saturday 25 December) Boxing Day Tuesday 28 December (in lieu of Sunday 26 December) *Gibraltar Only Spain Fixed: New Year’s Day 1 January, Epiphany 6 January, St Joseph’s Day 19 March, Labour Day 1 May, St John 24 June, St James 25 July, Assumption Day 15 August, National Day 12 October, All Saints 1 November, Immaculate Conception 8 December, Christmas 25 December Moveable: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Corpus Christi Non-urgent calls: Ambulance Station..........Tel: 200 75728 Police...............................Tel: 200 72500 Gibraltar Services Police: Emergency Nos: ....Tel: (5) 5026 / (5) 3598

The Gibraltar Magazine is published and produced by Guide Line Promotions Ltd, 1st Floor 113 Main Street, Gibraltar. Tel/Fax: (+350) 77748

Natural History & Heritage Park

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