The Gibraltar Magazine February 2006

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"Strait Ahead"for Business Cenference

Thanks to the hands-on approach, determination and verve that have made her so successful in weaving up an articulated network of professional and business women in Gibraltar, Morocco, UK, Portugal and Spain, Gibraltar Business Network Chairperson Maruchi Risso is now going 'Strait Ahead' with her dream of hosting a business conference on the Rock to take inventory on the progress in accessing gratifying careers of women from diverse cultural backgrounds.

"Strait Ahead" is in fact the theme of a two-day conference or ganised by the Tourist Board and the CBN and funded by the Gov ernment of Gibraltar and the INTERREG programme of the Eu ropean Union. The conference is to be held on 28* and 29* March at the John Mackintosh Hall with a chal lenging agenda and a collection of high-ranking guest speakers to for ward the message that it is possi ble for small-town or developing countries' women to make it big time, without forsaking their pri vate lives or femininity.

One example for all will be the testimony of Prof. Dr. Daniela Tilbury,a home-grown Gibraltarian who is, with her personal success, putting Gibraltar on the cultural map as far away as the antipodes.

being a famous university profes sor in Australia!

The conference will also focus on the projects launched by the Euro pean Union in the Western Medi terranean region, with particular attention to enhancing accessibility to tailored careers for Moroccan women and to opening channels and financing schemes designed to encourage the developmentof solid links and business cooperation be tween both sides of the Strait.

Briefings will be offered about ongoing European Union ventures, the economic support available to entrepreneurial women and ex haustive information on who is eli gible to funding and how to apply for it.

On this matter, the conference will feature a creme de la cr&me

Malika and Maruchi

the conference willfeature a creme de la creme speaker:former Finnish Prime Minister and current Finland MEP Anneii Jaaneenmaki

speaker:former hinnish Prime Min ister and current Finland MEP Anneli Jaattecnmaki, who is bound to offer a gripping insider account on her'woman on lop' experience as a political leader. Subsequently she will answer questions about the adjustments necessary in Mediter ranean cultures to emulate her win ning Scandinavian model.

But don't fall into the trap of thinking North-European countries are too way ahead — on the path of equality at work and a balance in career opportunities — for Gi braltar, Spain or Morocco to catch up fruitfully and promptly. Meet ing dedicated headmistress Hajbouha Zoubeir,from Laayounc, Moroccan Western Sahara, will make you realise that the key to progress is educating women to educate others in order to spark a positive chain reaction eventually dwarfing gender discrimination, turning tables on prejudices and improving not only one woman's lifestyle, but in due course the en tire community's.

Indeed education is the first step ping stone to success and women raised to succeed are more likely to actually succeed, that's why the conference will shine the spotlight on training and mentoring young women into a winning outlook. One of the listed speakers is local lawyer and CBN member Anne Balestrino, a champion of early education with her crusades at Westside School to lecture girls on forward-thinking career choices.

The conference will also be a big window on Gibraltar, as a trade fair

is being set up at the John Mackin tosh Hall for participants to pro mote themselves and exchange contacts and suggestions.

The Gibraltar Federation ofSmall Businesses, the Chamber of Com merce, the DTI, the Tourist Board, and GONHS will also have their 'stands' to offer a 360" overview of what the local business community is like.

Attendance from Morocco is ex pected to be quite high, with del egates coming over not only from modern 'metropolises' like Tangiers or Casablanca, but also from the remote regions which are aiming to fast forward to European standards and take up permanent residence in the global village.

Most of them are already ac quainted with the GBN because of the inexorable networking opus undertaken in the past years by at tending international conferences in the UK, Spain, Morocco, meet ing counterparts or potential busi ness partners and sowing the seeds for knocking down not only glass ceilings but also frontiers and cul tural divides.

If the programme is quite hectic, it doesn't mean all work and no play: a gala dinner is organised for the first evening at the Casino, at the'friendly' price of £ 30 per per son, with entertainment by the Gi braltar Re-enactment Society and plenty of time to chat and swap emails and practical advice on how to juggle after-hours work and your kids' homework!

Delegates will enjoy a courtesy bus tour of the Rock

quainted with Gibraltar's tourist products, its economic buoyancy and of course... its kaleidoscopic Main Street!

The conference, which will be of ficially opened by Deputy Chief Minister Joe Holliday, contains workshops on the compelling top ics ofdoing business in Morocco or in Gibraltar and the prickly ques

tion of women's rights in the workplace within the tlrree case sce narios of Spain, Gibraltar and Mo rocco.

The conference is open to the general public and registration is free — anyone wishing to attend should sign up on the first day at 9.00 am before the official launch.

"It is a great prospect for the lo cal professional and business community," Maruchi highlighted, "and we hope that local legal,finan cial and commercial firms will send at least one representative to attend the whole event, to then brief the others and pass on the issues raised.

"Nevertheless, I want to stress that participation isn't by any means restricted to women only or to professionals," she added, mak ing clear that although the event is mainly conceived by and for the fairer sex, the GBN isn't an exclu sive or sexist club and anyone, in cluding men,housewives and pen sioners,is welcome in the audience, to listen, question,suggest and un doubtedly learn a thing or two.

Maruchi acknowledged the effi ciency of her committee in organ ising what is for Gibraltar a top event in the business calendar,and appealed for sponsors to come for ward and support this unprec edented event.

Serviceall Centre Ltd

to get acBriefings will be offered abouf ongoing European Union ventures,the economic support available to entrepreneurial women and exbaustive Information on wbo Is eligible to funding and how to appiv for It

HMS Sabre makes a fast pass past the ootgobtg CO in the RIB

Had you ever been to Gibraltar be fore you took up this job?

Yeslcameherein 1989ottL'rl fin ished university. 1 worked in a cou ple of bars and spent a lot of time travelling through Spain and Por tugal and I also managed to learn a little Spanish. Since joining the Royal Navy I have called in to Gi braltar on a few occasions,once on the offshore patrol vessel HMSL/ffdisfarue in 1994, twice on the type 22frigate HMS Battlfaxc in 1995 and with HMS Portland,the type 23 frig ate, in 2000,

When you were given this assign ment had you any preconceived ideas about Gibraltar and the Gi braltar Squadron itself?

I do think that Gibraltar is an in teresting place to work, with great weather and great people. I think the job is a fabulous opportunity to work abroad in a joint environment doing a pertinent task of helping to ensure the security of British Gi braltar Territorial Waters(BGTW). I was able to learn a lot about the Gibraltar Squadron from my brief ings and if anyone is interested in finding out more the unit's web page is hosted within the Royal Navy's website at www.royalnavy.mod.uk.

Obviously you have only been in Command for a short time, but since the Gibraltar Squadron is al most unique in the Royal Navy

The Command of the Royal Navy's Gibraltar based Patrol Boat Squadron recently changed hands with Lt. Cdr Mike McGuire leaving the Rock for a new post in Halifax, Canada after two years at the helm, and Lt. Cdr Rachel Maxwell taking over the reigns at the units HQ at Coaling Island. The Gibraltar Magazine man aged to catch up with her to see how she felt about the task after her first few weeks in charge. (apart from the Cyprus Squadron) what do you think it is, that makes it such a special unit?

It is very special because it has a very focused team who work as a cohesive team to ensure that they are able to fulfill their designated mission. The Squadron has a spe cial relationship with the key Gibraltarian waterborne agencies such as the Gibraltar Services Po lice,Customs and the Port Authori ties as well as the Royal Gibraltar

Police force. The Gibraltar Squad ron also has a dedicated team of six men from the Gibraltar Regiment who form a critical part in the sup port they provide to the Gibraltar Squadron. This has enhanced rela tions with the Gibraltar Regiment no end and the assigned men thor oughly enjoy working with us and developing their sea legs!!

What sort of feedback do you get from visiting warships about how

they feel about the maritime secu rity they get from the squadron?

Actually we request feedback from the warships and auxiliaries after each escort patrol and they are entirely happy with the service pro vided by the Gibraltar Squadron and the Gibraltar Services Police.

How important do you feel is the (ask of maintaining a "Visible Maritime Presence" in British Gi braltar Territorial Waters?

Presence operations are the best deterrent not only against terrorism but also against infringements of British Gibraltar Territorial Waters. Patrols send a clear message of the Commander British Force's intent to maintain the integrity of British Gibraltar Territorial Waters and of course, Gibraltar itself.

What actually prompted you to join the Royal Navy in the first place? Did your family influence you?

I always wanted to join up and get a career in the services;I do have a brother who was a POMEM(L)in the Navy. However it was when I was fortunate enough to be work ing on luxury powerboats in the Mediterranean that 1 really got the taste for being at sea. So conse quently 1 joined the Royal Navy in 1992, which was shortly after fe males were allowed to go to sea and to be honest I have not looked back

Lt. Car. Rachel Maxwell

Commonwealth People's Forum

Gibraltar's economic success is such that if it were a completely independent and sovereign state it would have the twelfth highest GDP of any of the world's countries.

Chief Minister Peter Caruana claimed in an address to the Commonwealth People's Forum held in Malta recently.

In a significant speoch — which has received virtually no attention locallv — Caruana urged greater cooperation between Malta, Cy prus and Gibraltar which he de scribed as the three "Mediterranean rim" countries.

The Chief Minister's visit was the first to the George Cross island from where his ancestors came to settle on the Rock. And he was clearly as impressed by Malta as it was by Caruana whose speech was extensively reported in the Maltese press and where he was entertained by both the island's President and Prime Minister.

Global,regional and other group ings of countries were almost al ways advantageous to small coun tries, Caruana told the conference ofCommonwealth representatives. "Thev tend to rebalance the natu ral disadvantage of small size and thus level the playing field to our advantage—notjust politically, but economically as well," he said. "The political advantages are clear — a meaningful stake in regional and global decision-making and consensus forming processes. These political advantages are im mediate and automatic. The eco nomic advantages arc perhaps greater still, but need to be nurtured and exploited. They do not endure automatically.They do not happen by themselves. They have to be seized through effective execution of carefully laid plans and policies.

Caruana said he was more inter ested in how common links, over laps and bridges between Com- Chief Minister the

monwealth, European and Medi terranean countries can be of help to countries from all of them, than on comparative advantages be tween them.

"How can we help each other overcome our disadvantages and share our advantages to mutual benefit?" he asked.

"Consider that there are three countries taking part in this forum, Malta, Cyprus and Gibraltar, that are part of all three of the Common wealth, the European Union and the Mediterranean rim. Let's call our-selves "bridge countries". The economic scope and potential is huge for bridge countries to assist others to exploit the economic op portunities offered by the blocs or groupings to which the bridge country but not the other belongs."

Commonwealth countries had the advantage of tending to have similar commercial law, legal and judicial systems, political and ad ministrative decision-making proc esses and commercial ethos. "We tend to be Anglophone," he added.

"These factors(which we might call our'Commonwealth heritage') make it particularly attractive and reassuring for our business people to do business with each other and, equally important, through each other with regional third parties. EU countries enjoy the advantage of harmonised trade regimes, singlemarkets and market access rights. Mediterranean rim countries enjoy cultural and historical links, and relationships that enable us to understand each other and how we

Hon. Peter Caruana

do things perhaps better than peo ple from further away might under stand."

Putting all of these together "which is what we 'bridge coun tries' that are in all three categories the EU, Mediterranean, and Com monwealth offer" — and the busi ness opportunities became obvious. Businesses and companies in nonMediterranean or Commonwealth countries which were not in the EU, could,through the establishment of businesses in the bridge countries, obtain access to EU markets for their capital, services and goods, while dealing in a language (Eng lish) with which they were famil iar, as well as laws, legal, political and administrative systems with which they would be familiar and advised by professionals,law yers, accountants, banks and oth ers — which operate more or less like the ones at home.

"The reverse is true as well. EU companies can similarly, and with similar benefits, better exploit and structure business opportunities in Commonwealth countries and nonEU Mediterranean. Taking advan tage of the better cultural and sys temic experience and understand ing that bridge countries have of commonwealth countries."

The permutations were almost

endless, he added. And the scope for enhanced business opportunity through intra- and inter-regional, and global, networking and part nerships considerable.

"These thoughts are not just theoretical. They are real. They are already real to many international businesses which are already tak ing advantage of these ver\' same advantages in my small country to bridge between regional and cul tural blocs, and between different politico-legal systems, and thus to better and more safely exploit busi ness opportunities within a particu lar region of which thev are not a part. And this bridging of the one country's disadvantages and an other countries' advantages pro vides economic benefits to both.

Consider our recent experience in Gibraltar. We are not a sovereign independent state. We are a selfgoverning,self-legislating and eco nomically self-sufficient UK over seas territory.

"Yet, because we are in continen tal Europe and the UK is responsi ble for our external affairs, we are part of the EU and benefit from EU legal regimes and market access rights. This combination has ena bled us to take full advantage of the economic opportunities available from EU membership, Common wealth and Mediterranean rim membership. It has enabled us to construct a vibrant,and prosperous economy precisely by exploiting our status as a "bridge country" into the EU markets, and bv com

bining our Commonwealth herit age {legal systems, laws, political and administration systems) with our physical location in the Medi terranean to exploit the huge inter national inward investment into the Mediterranean rim, particularly in the sectors of tourism, real estate, shipping and financial servicessec tors."

Non-EU companies gain access to the EU through business estab lished in and through Gibraltar. Il lustrating that"this bridging works in practice",Caruana pointed out that though Gibraltar was "a very small country — only 8sq.km with a population ofonly 30,000 people" yet it had a GDP of nearlv £600 mil lion and, if an independent coun try would have the 12th highest GDP per capita in the world.

"We receive seven million visi tors a year. We are the Mediterra nean's largest ship bunkering and ship re-provisioning port. We are probably the world's leading online gaming jurisdiction and we have a prosperous and growing interna tional finance centre. Manv interna tional companies are organising much cross border, international trade and business, particularly into Europe, from a Gibraltar, fiscally competitive, base," he said.

"...the scope for enhanced husiness opportunity through intra- and inter regional,and glohal,networking and partnerships considerahie. These thoughts are not just theoretical. They are real."

A negulator's uream..

Bombarded by regular salvoes of Euro-Directives and under pressure from a string of International organizations to tighten KYC ("know your customer") procedures, it is hardly surprising that off-shore financial centres feel that they are being sub merged in a tsunami of over-regulation. Bankers and other players on Gibraltar's financial stage confirm that the paperwork and effort involved in the systems of "compliance" they face today add substantially to their costs. The same is true on the Isle of man,the Channel Islands Bremuda.... or anywhere else that large sums of investors'funds are managed.

Local Financial Services Com missioner Marcus Killick must, per force, defend the system, but gen erally he and his team at the FSC have a lighter touch on the reins than many while managing to keep Gibraltar ahead of the field in terms of international regulatory require ments. But even so, Killick admits that there is a danger of over-regu lation... and, in an article in the current issue of Offshore Invest ment points to the cost in manhours and effective working of some demands of organizations such as the International Monetary Fund when that body dons its su pervisory hat,

As anyone knows who has heard Killick speak at bankers' or other financial functions, Gibraltar's Fi nancial Services Commissioner has a sharp sense of humour and a wit which at times verges on the mor dant. Both are used to good effect in the article which takes the form of an imaginary conversation be tween Killick and Rodrigo de Rato, the managing director of the IMF — which in March is scheduled to conduct a follow-up assessment of the Rock's financial sector... to which it gave a glowing report af ter its first wide-scale survey a few years ago.

"I got a phone call recently from the Managing Director of the IMF" , the article begins.."'Marcus' he said,'we have been assessing all the work that the IMF,Financial Stabil ity Forum and others have been doing on offshore financial centres.'

'As you know we had been wor ried that offshore centres were the sinkholes of depravity, non-coop erative, full of money launderers, badly regulated, lousy corporate governance etc. We therefore wanted to sort them out. Obviously we needed to establish the truth though, hence the decision by the IMF board to follow the recommen dation of the FSF and establish a programme to assess all offshore

finance centres.'

Still talking in the dream-world guise of De Rato, Killick points out that this has been going on for nearly five years during which time the IM has visited "pretty much every offshore centre" being ex tremely thorough and carrying out

specific analyses, with on-site teams carrying out a Module 2 as sessment or one under the Finan cial Sector Assessment Program or FSAP.(The FSAP is the one theIMF uses to check the economies of on shore jurisdictions.)

"We've checked them

banking standards, insurance standards, investment standards, even their anti money laundering systems.Toensure transparency we have even persuaded virtually eve ryone to publish the results of our visits...' Killick imagines De Rato to say.

"What we found was that many of the larger centres we visited are actually pretty well run, they com ply with the major international standards. Sure they have some weaknesses and areas they should improve, but so does practically every finance centre. Indeed in the last report I got from my Monetary and Financial Systems Department it said that compliance with stand ards in OFCs was,on average, bet ter than in other jurisdictions as sessed under the FSAP."

"So, what's your problem Rodrigo?" I replied, "Seems to be that you can chalk this one up as a job well done. Keep an eye on the basket cases, provide technical as sistance where needed, write a re port saying how much things have improved since you got involved. Quick bit of mutual back slapping, talk about the world being a kinder, better place as a result of your work and move on."

And against this background, Killick advances the not-so-tonguein-check suggestion that the IMF's decision to carry out a second round of visits could be a waste of time and cash.

"But why another round?"

Killick asks. "Do you realise the amount of work it takes to prepare for one of your visits, the amount of regulators' time used up during the visit itself and in responding to the numerous drafts that come out before the report is finalised. You visit some pretty small jurisdic tions; don't you think their time might be better spent actually regu lating? After all you have reported that supervisory deficiencies were most frequently found to result

against

Againstthis background,Kiiiick advancesthe not-so-tongue-in-cheeK suggestion that the iMF's decision to carry out a second round of visits couid be a waste of time and cash

from inadequate resources and skills and your visits soak up re sources."

"Hang on, we have stated that during the second round of assess ments, priority will be given to as sessing (1) progress in addressing weaknesses identified in the first round of assessments;(2) relevant areas not previously assessed; and (3) cooperation and information sharing arrangements. Surely that is perfectly reasonable and fo cused?"De Rato replies in Killick's dream.

"On the face of it yes, but you are still effectively undertaking a com plete reassessment rather than just an update," Killick tells him."You may be prioritising these areas you mention but you are still covering a number of the areas you covered last time. Is such a wide ranging on site inspection really the best use of your and our resources?

"Please don't get me wrong, we aU support the IMF in whatit is try ing to achieve, better global coop eration and less systemic risk are in aU our interests, I am just not sure you are doing it in the most efficient way for either you or us."

"But you forget, participation in the programme is voluntary, a ju risdiction can always choose not to participate if it feels we are wast-

ing their time," says De Rato.

"It depends on your definition of voluntary. A failure to participate for whatever the reasons is bound to have reputational consequences as people would believe the juris diction hassomething to hide. I also note that the FSF have stated that OFCs will be incentivised to partici pate in the second assessment proc ess by the fact that participation it self draws attention to their willing ness to co-operate. I had always thought that the level of coopera tion was assessed in respect of as sistance between jurisdictions on such matters as money laundering and regulatory issues, not that we were to be judged by our level of cooperation with an assessment process."

"But Marcus, there are still wor ries; poor regulation in an offshore finance centre might cause prob lems for the rest of the financial world. Offshore is seen by some as a home for scandal."

"Hang on; look at the evidence of the last five years,virtually every scandal so far this millennium has been onshore. Enron, Worldcom, Parmalat, and now Refco to name but a few. These have shown defi ciencies in onshore supervision, accounting or corporate govern ance, not offshore."

Similarly the money laundering problems exposed have been al most exclusively onshore ones, Killick points out. In fact the most recent US Department of State In ternational Narcotics Control Strat

egy Report recognises that money laundering concerns are global,and includes France,Italy,Spain,the UK and USA in its list of"jurisdictions of primary concern". The only EU nations not listed as being of con cern but are simply being moni tored are Denmark, Estonia, Fin land, Lithuania, Malta and Slovenia.

The fact that some of the onshore scandals had offshore elements is understandable for we live in a globalised financial world, Killick points out. And everyone is con cerned about systemic risk because the failure in one jurisdiction can affect many others.

"But just because subsidiaries in an offshore jurisdiction were being abused to hide losses off balance sheet, does not divert the fact that the actual fraudsters were operat ing onshore, under onshore scru tiny. To claim this as an offshore problem would be a bit like blam ing the Swiss if a fraudster used a Mont Blanc pen to sign his dodgy cheques."

The article, a delight — and a must read for anyone involved in offshore finance —continues in this vein.

But one wonders what the IMF's reaction will be.

"It depends on your definition of voiuntary.A failure to participate for whatever the reasons is hound to have reputational consequences as peopie wouid heiieve the Jurisdiction has something to hide."

Glid intocyb rspace

Computer programmer KellyAnne Frendo was telling me how her web development business has thrived since she opened shop over four years ago. She has not been tempted to go off in all sorts of di rections,and this focused approach has produced a quality service to a wide spectrum of local and inter national businesses and govern ment departments.

Now assisted by qualified pro grammer, photographer and graphic designer Richard Wait, Kelly(who has a BSc in Computer Science from the University of East Anglia),designs websites suited to the customer's requirements,from simple static sites to the most com plex e-commerce and admin tools. 'Sometimes the customers leave it to us to come up with the right product after we've discussed their outline requirements with them,' she told me. 'Other customers know exactly what they want and wc work to their specifications.Our overriding aim is that they all end up with a website that is of posi tive value.'

She told me that the customers' requirements also include the type of domain.'Some people want a.gi domain to emphasise that they are in Gibraltar but others want some thing more global-sounding, such as .com. If they don't know what they want we will advise them on what is most appropriate and costeffective,' she said.

Glide Technologies give a full commercial service; if you want to sell your goods or services on-line, Kelly and Richard will provide the whole thing,including getting you onto the major search engines as well as setting up on-line payment facilities and 'Contact Us' enquiry links. They also provide a mainte nance service for sites that need regular updating, such as price changes or new products.

Graphics are designed if re quired, although many customers already have their own corporate identity which they want to be built into the new website.

Surprisingly, the simplest websites are a lot more affordable than you might think. Kelly told me that a straightforward five-page site can cost as little as £150, but of course there is no upward limit although costs are always clearly

defined and agreed with the client beforehand.

Existing customers include such businesses as a leading shop and office fitter, who used Glide Tech nologies to develop their speciallymade ordering and invoicing soft ware;a local optician's for their be spoke patient recall system;on-line payment /ordering systems for a golf holiday promoter... The list goes on, and includes weekly up dates of a local casino's bingo re sults (Glide also designed and set up the website), various insurance

companies, professional associa tions, wholesalers,shops,and even abar/restaurant.

'We also do a lot ofcharity work,' Kelly told me.'For small local chari ties and non-profit organisations we try and provide our services for free and for larger charities or more complex websites we provide our services at a reduced rate'.

She also said that she undertakes maintenance work on websites, which Glide haven't originally de veloped, showing that Glide can quickly understand the scope of

yourexisting website,even without the need for consulting the original developer.

Glide Technologies' betterknown customers are probably government departments and pub lic utilities. One uses a Glide-de signed multi-user database system to keep track of building and plan ning applications, which facilitates the application process and pro duces standard letters and permits.

A government agency also con tracted Glide Technologies for their multi-user database, which follows up all complaints received by the agency.'It facilitates the whole com plaints handling process, from when they are received until they are closed,' Kelly explained.'It also provides the agency with statistical information on the number and type of complaints received.'

Other major software and website developments include two complex systems for a major local insurance broker-so complex that I'm not going to go into them here, but they have allowed that com pany to automatically handle vir tually every aspect of their busi ness, from generating correspond ence to sending out legally-required reports on cars Insured.And everything in between.

The allocation procedure for a new governmenthousing develop ment has been streamlined thanks to Glide Technologies' input, and one of the Rock's utility companies as well as a variety of businesses in France, UK, Spain and Malta are also appreciative customers.

From the smallest to the largest business or organisation, Glide Technologies Ltd provides a serv ice that is as friendly and straight forward as it is technically accom plished. The company is on the ground floor at Ellesmere House,25 City Mill Lane, (in the former Caxxon Printers' premises) and is open from 9 to 5.30 Monday to Fri day. The phone number is 47010, fax 47051 or email kelly@glide.gi.

Or get the full story from their own website at www.glide.gi

'We concentrate on tailor-nnade websites, databases and software development; that's where our skills lie,' said Kelly of Glide Technologies Ltd.

"Sometfmes the customersleave itto us to come up with the right product after we've discussed their outline requirements with them; she told me.'Other customers know exactly whatthey wanr

Animal attraction:the Gibraitai I ISPCA chairwoman

Everyone knows her from her Main Street 'conversations' with waggingtailed four-pawed friends or as the friendly voice at the other end of the Society's hotline, but now the Gibraltar Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals chairwoman Barbara Dunn has been publicly recognised for her sterling eleven-year long service and will receive the Gibraltar Award from ^ the Governor in early spring in a formal ceremony at the Convent.

"The award is mostly (and deserv edly so)to the Society rather than a singledout member, but since it can be bestowed only upon persons and not associations, I suppose they chose me because I am the longest serving member as well as the current chairwoman," says Barbara Dunn — long time server, first time award receiver stressing that the GSPCA achieve ments in Gibraltar are the result of a cohesive committee and involved members, as ready and pro-active as she is to support animal welfare and cmelty prevention in Gibraltar.

"Sometimes I feel guilty because I am the only one in the committee not to be a resolute vegetarian," she admits, "but 1 believe that some animals are created herbivores and some aren't — we just aren't!"

This effervescent Scottish lady, Gibraltarian for almost four dec ades, who every morning goes to Engineer's car park to feed the stray cats, has a pretty much hands-on approach to animal issues in Gibral tar, being available to be contacted for any enquiry or report and work ing closely with the animal shelters.

Barbara has seen many improve ments in local animal welfare,from the employment of an in-house vet erinarian to the micro-chipping and 'passport'system,to the dangerous dogs ordinance(although it hasn't in her opinion been completely ful filled and some dangerous dogs are still around),to the recent appoint ment ofan inspector on a six-month contract.

"A lot has changed since 1 started — when we didn't have a vet, ma jor operations and neutering relied on the arrival of the Forces vet every six weeks or on visiting globetrotter vets, and pet care was limited to worm pills and minor stitching procedures, unfortunately leading to having to put to sleep many cases which could have been saved by a resident vet!" Barbara

recalls.

Herself the owner of two cats, which seldom leave her apartment, Barbara admits that in Gibraltar life is 'ruff for pels, particularly dogs, because they are usually confined to small flats and leashed short walks, with little chance to enjoy a wild run in an open grassy space.

Before buying a pet, many factors mustbe weighed carefully,not least the extra costs it might add to your budget for its care; food, vaccina tions, insurance, transport...

Then you must adjust your life style to accommodate its necessi ties: a dog needs more company than a cat and shouldn't be left home alone for long hours, and feeding routinesshould be adhered to regularly.

You must also take into account

the eventual dam ages to the furniture and unexpected ex penses in case of sick ness or accident, but most importantly ^Pk you must be always able to guarantee your petsuitable accommodation when you are away on vaca tion.

Also, before buying your chil dren a pet,assess their level ofcom mitment and understanding of the responsibilities entailed.

Once they prove themselves mo tivated, you might as well check their allergies, because the last thing you want is to be forced to give up your child's adored pet be cause dog's or cat's hairs have transformed your soft furniture

into an asthma trap!

Barbara also invites people who for any reason cannot look after their pets anymore to hand them to the GSPCA instead of dumping them somewhere or letting them stray. The GSPCA will make every effort to re-home healthy animals and save unwanted puppies and kittens.

She ensures that no animal is put to sleep unnecessarily — anyway, being put to sleep by the vet is a much more humane end than be ing crushed alive in the rubbish truck after having been chucked in the dumpster!

But compared to the UK or the rest of the world, cruelty cases are just minor in Gibraltar. Attending an RSPCA conference at the Albert Hall ten years ago, Barbara was struck by the account of extreme brutality episodes registered worldwide.

Appearances can be deceiving, though: one alleged cruelty case turned out to be less ghastly than forecast when two scruffy dogs were found living in a filthy house, yet in healthy conditions and not afraid of human contact.

"What strikes me is that, no mat ter how severely they arc abused, .logs don't usually hold a grudge towards humansin general and demonstrate affection to their rescuers. I had a touching ex perience with a big dog kept in such a state ofstar vation that, when freed, it was so hun-At ^ gry it had to stop on the way to lick a ba- ' nanaskin — still, it was so friendly and affectionate with whomever spared him a cuddle!"

So there you have it. Like pets, the Gibraltar Award is given (well, announced)at Christmas, but it is for life — for lifelong accom plishments that make ordinary people extraordinary.

yjGm^LOY

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Hay Morosen la costa!

One Saturday morning in June, this humble scribe was surprised tcfind himself half way up Charles Vth wall, engaged in an academic argument with Howard Fuller, of The Gibraltar Magazine and Freddie Gomez,of Flat Bastion Magazine. Surprised, because none of us might reasonably be called an academic and yet the subject quite definitely was.

Howard posed a question about possible connections between Charles Vth Wall, the now disap peared Devil's Tower and the fa mous Martello Towers,distributed around the Empire by the British Raj.The connection exists and is not so tenuous as might be supposed; this is what we discovered.

Charles Vth Wall was funded by the Holy Roman Emperor in re sponse to pleas from the populace of Gibraltar, to protect them from the predations of the Barbary Cor sairs. One attack in particular, dur ing September 1540, had scared the residents witless; and their de mands for protection were eventu ally met some 15 years later.

Charles Vth despatched the fa mous Italian military engineer Giovanni Battista Calvi, who planned, then commenced the building of the first section of wall from South Bastion (Nuestra Senora del Rosario) via Flat Bastion (Santiago)to the demi-bastion(San Felipe)against the Rock face above.

Having made a start, he then cleared off to Malaga, to start an other job for his sovereign. Unfor tunately,he was never to return but died shortly thereafter.

Around the same time Charles Vth abdicated and work at Gibral tar continued under Philip 11, el Rey prudente, who employed another famous Italian military engineer; Giovan Giacomo Paleari Fratino. El Fralino,as he is known colloquially, completed Calvi's wall and contin ued up to the top ridge of the Rock

with what is now referred to as the Philip II Wall, whose terminus was a defensible gate, not far below the old signal platform.

Giovan Giacomo Paleari Fratino came from a family of military en gineers in the service of Spain, which included his brothers Bernadino and Giorgio and Giorgio's son and grandson; Francesco and Pietro. The Paleari Fratino family, from Morcote near Lugano, were extraordinarily ac tive in constructing defensive works for Spain in Cagliari, Milan, Malta, Gibraltar, Lisbon, Cadiz, Mers el Khebir, Melilla and dozens of other places across the Low Countries, Italy, North Africa and Portugal. Year by year Paleari Fratino engineers travelled throughoutSpanish dominionsfor tifying towns and cities, providing bastions and defensive works that would change those cities for ever.

In 1565, Giovanni completed an isolated defensive tower — the Torre della Mortella — in Corsica. It was well thought out and well ex ecuted and was to stand the test of time.

More than 200 years later,in 1794, the tower came under attack from two British frigates, the Fortitude (74) and the Juuo (32), who sub jected it to continual bombardment for two days. The tower, armed with just one6 pdr and two 12 pdr guns, served by a garrison of 38 men, withstood the assault and eventually the British were obliged to land a force of men with artillery

Year by year Paleari Fratine engineers traveiied throughent Spanish deminiens lertllying tewns and cities

and lay the tower under formal siege. At that point, the French commander hauled down his flag.

The British were so impressed by the structure that they made draw ingsof this Mariello Tmoer and even tually copied it throughout the Empire. Examples may be found in Cape Colony, Canada, the South Coast of England, Dublin, Mauri tius, Delhi and beyond.

In fact the design pawed so du rable that the Americans adopted it in 1820 and the last one was built at Key West, Florida, in 1873. Which takes us nicely round to the Devil's Tower. Giovan Giacomo's original brief — like Calvi's— was protection from the coreairs. The chain of watchtowers along Spain's Mediterranean coast was built specifically to give the earliest possible warning of these Sea Dei'ih.

Our Devil's Tower was built in sight of its nearest neighbours(the eastern one, Sta. Margarita is still there) so that, as in Roman times, the signal could be passed tower to tower along the coast. Could our Devil's Tower, perched on its soli tary rock amidst the sands of the isthmus, have been a prototype

Martello? It seems unlikely,since it was slender with parallel sides and nearly all extant Martello's have a tapered profile — known as a bat ter — but it is not impossible.

Since the Torre della Mortella was executed shortly after El Fratino's visit to the Rock we might expect similar work. So, could our tower have been standing before El Fratino's time or did it replace a rudimentary Martello?

That's where the investigation will go next. Watch this space!

William Serfaty,ofthe Self-Determination for Gibraltar Group, has kindly given The Gibraltar Magazine a copy of a composition Mozart wrote in 1782 to celebrate the strength and bravery of Gibraltarians during what has be come known as the Great Siege.

Mozart never visited Gibraltar and his homeland of Austria was not involved in the war between

France,Spain and Britain which in cluded the Great Siege. So what brought him to write a composition about Gibraltar. Well,as Mr.Serfaty points out in his accompanying let ter, Austria did have a connection to British Gibraltar. Mr. Serfaty writes:

"The historical context of the composition in December 1782 is the peak of the Great Siege (17791783). Bearing in mind that Mozart was Austrian, and that Gibraltar was origi nally taken in 1704 by the Grand Alliance of Powers on behalf of the Archduke of Aus tria, it is not suprising that when the Great Siege came about be tween the same op ponents as 80 years previously Austria was suportive of the defenders."

But there are addi tional reasons. In his book Mozart, His Char acter, His Work (Oxford University Press 1965) Alfred Einstein reveals that Mozart was not keen on the French but he did have a fond ness for the Brit ish and two of his English students

were among his favourites.

Einstein wrote: "Mozart pre ferred some countries to others. He did not like French music, and his experiences in Paris set him against the French people, at least the Pa risians, who seemed to him much changed."

In a letter of 1st May 1778 Mozart penned: "...the French are not nearly as polite as they were fifteen years ago; their manners now bor der on rudeness and they are de testably self-conceited."

Stephen Storace and Thomas Attwood, were the English stu dents whom he loved and who were devoted to him. It was partly in their honour that he wrote the composition about the heroic ac tions — Elliot's defense ofthe Rock and Admiral Howe's relief by a sur prise attack, bringing in fresh sup plies that forced the enemy to raise the seige.

Although Mr. Serfaty and the Mozarteum describe the work as a 'fragment song', Einstein lists it as an 'unfinished ode'.

Einstein relates that it was an unnamed Hungarian woman living in Vienna who commissioned Michael Denis, an ex-Jesuit poet (aka as Sined the Bard),to write the ode and for Mozaet to compose the music. Mr. Serfaty shows Johan Nepomuk Cosmas and Michael Denis as co-authors of the lyrics.

Mozart started work on the ode, variously "OCa)f>e""Gibraltar",in late 1782 but,although he admired the lyrics, he couldn t bring himself

to finish it.

In a letter of 28th December 1782

Mozart wrote: "...I am engaged in a very difficult task, the music for the bard's song by Denis about Gi braltar, But this is a secret, for it is a Hungarian lady who wishes to pay this compliment to Denis. The ode is sublime, beautiful,anything you like, but too exaggerated and pompous for my fastidious ears. But what is to be done?The golden mean of truth in all things is no longer either known or appreci ated. In order to win applause one must write stuff which is so inane that a fiacre could sing it, or so unintelligble that it pleases pre cisely because no sensible man can understand it..."

Finished or not the composition is a fitting tribute to the heroes of the Great Siege and an exciting piece of Gibraltar history to emerge in this year of celebration of Mozart's life and music.

The Gibraltar National Choir under Lili Olivero is considering whether the song can be performed in the original German. Here we print a direct translation by Karl Grambon.Robin Willow,a poet and singer from Exeter, is preparing new English lyrics following the spirit of the lyrics by Cosmas and Denis.

Mr. Serfaty supplies evidence of at least one previous performance: Hans-Peter Blochwitz, tenor, JorgPeter Weigle conducting the Munchner Rundfunorchester. Or chestration bv Erik Smith.

This year the world celebrates the 250th anniversary of the birth of the musical genius Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. So it's enlightening, to say the least, to learn that the great Austrian composer has a Gibraltar connection.

Finished or notthe cempositien is a fitting trihnte te the heroes of the Great Siege and an exciting piece of Gihraitar history

~0 Caipe(Gibraltar)~

Ok Calte>! Tlmti HmJex at(fom but(foufi omciSMtpeak cahf^ looh upoK 1i& uiotld afiouad ke^.

Look! CImdh cm &at(u(g affuu UtB' u/etjew, uHu/ei, gtoufiag uiuien, aM(u!lofpioutUe'.

ft fiutliH, ok CcJpB'! CImk ofhad! ofkah/dtm,! ffoui giaad fhei Bnltamia i Hag, gowc (aiMul Cafpe! BitnigktU faliiMg. €i& co\^ mutaUd, piahd, keai aad bag aad cMk uitk kvi biaehetuahoig lOi/BK wi^ uilem^p!aetiaiioii djutk Ib/ei, iataddag lajfi. Go- ok! TkouioMd lumiMg Haodt!

TU Hum Li toi/enU bg a uUgltg cawg pxoudlg ikovOMg Lkeix kefy mitd. A iea k^uachoK, mgB' U mubex, GpaiM, aad FvuuX' ualted, mtk boMom Idgk cm iwUmiag uc lie bag: go-(o^, gofo>i!k, go fottJ

Higkti G(o^!FueMg Gkipil Tkeg com, mtM ofHe kea, Hevo bieatk am coU, uitkoutfeoK, Heg am Albioa^ 'k offptiiag.

)oiL tkij/e in, i/OM, ok eMifwuk nigkt! WlH gotm blaeket Koaeai pLuuage lb com He kigk, ckmag mttm! Wdigou, loid out agaiatHe gliam&i, wkck He baxd k koag powck om- He kigk, daxiag i/Mtie?

)Gi ag M i/aiK, ok mitU'k btuk! U iOuM, uou, nage, ok u/ojue ttiouMtUak! Up He >co(di. douHo He 'coekii Bagiag, He gto^ iM, kuKpfjmage ca/otiek flou>e,'He timffc offloodk, kik igimkoto of keiwi Hiwugk He uioUd!

Andgou,, Migktg a/wg ok He klum! Andgou,, HmdMag fmtof Ffaaee 'k aad GpcUtt 'k maklkf(a,i/alK Heg Load. He Bitki Tkeg iatidl

l/\/dk nejxeuied theugH Sbmdk He uahiokeM, Rock and He feaikom Rock ofKockk, ke, He keno ofRagatk load, ia,HegKuekom, U Hegwkom wodo ofdeedk aLuagk kmmd and kmme, BUidld

And tiote aU ftiead (m, He Mhiaeek ofkiudlaJi bioHed keatbg He coHiMg tttbH&i, akh lo«g ahkeaee, fcikkiHg He bithen kena fon, Ok, ki^Heg kumuMHegG^iauk Muc, wptiKadadHodoK. fTedidHik — kekuffeeedHik! Heougkgecok — Lot, He fbtimfaad!

UofdoK, okkougi Tkeke(eehyk kiag I, Hebwid, uoCodtia,tuotd kduagk! Biitf. He MOK, uJoatlb lake Hejog ia,lag kHiagk ko Hat He big Hue ofkmumtg, mkuck Hadek He eadk, in tag dag 1bo, uidk iuek kkiMwefiiag deuutek oflodued fuutgtovd-

Washington and the cherry tree "Parson"

Weems's version:

"George," said his father,"do vou know who killed that beau tiful little cherry tree yonder in the garden?

This was a tough question; and George staggered under it for a moment: but quickly re covered himself:and looking at his father, with the sweet fact of youth brightened with the inexpressible charm of all-con quering truth, he bravely cried out, "1 can't tell a lie. Pa; you know 1 can't tell a lie. 1 did cut it with my hatchet."

"Run to my arms, you dear est boy," cried his father in transports, "run to my arms; glad am 1, George, that you killed my tree; for you have paid me for it a thousand fold."

The tale of George Washington and the cherry tree which he chopped down — "Pa, you know I can't tell a lie... I did cut it with my hatchet" — is nothing more than that: a tale, a popular myth drummed into generations of schoolboys across the English-speaking world. There was no cherry tree and no tiny chopper.

The story was apparently con cocted by an itinerant book sales man turned author named "Par son" Mason Locke Weems whose biography of the US President was published directly after his death. It was saturated with talcs of Wash ington's selflessness and honesty, most of them invented for a reader ship devoted to the Bible Belt mo rality of the times.

Miguel may not have heard of George Washington — or of his hatchet,for that matter — but he has all the lumberjack instincts attrib uted to the first President of the United States... and our cottage in Cortes has half a dozen stumps of cherry trees and quince trees to prove it.

Miguel is a shepherd who runs his flock of 25sheep and (currently) 15 lambs on the hill which forms part of our property. He has been doing this for years and local tradi tion has it that in exchange for this privilege he should make an annual payment of a lamb.Instead, he pro vides us with copious quantities of firewood — much of it chopped from our own trees, 1 suspect with which to stoke our open fire.

He has also been around for so long that(a)he half believes that the

place belongs to him and (b) when we came to buy it, he was the only person who knew where the boundaries of the property ran.The previous owner pointed to one set of (imaginary) markers, the estate agent to another... so that on a hot early summer's day Miguel led me, literally, up hill and down dale with a can of red spray paint.

The rocks and tree stumps which I splodged at his instructions cov ered a much bigger area than the first two had indicated... but also proved accurate to within a couple of square metres when — at our in stance — a qualified surveyor marked out the boundaries.

But his lumberjack pretensions remained hidden until early Janu ary when — having just arrived with two huge logs, which were far too heavy for him to have carried from the hill and may have been "liberated" from the neighbouring plot where he also exercises graz ing rights — he asked to borrow my petrol-driven band-saw.. to saw up the logs.

(It was the first time 1 had seen him in action with a saw — usually

an already-sawn higgledy-piggledy heap of fuel waits our arrival in the middle of the muddy track which pretends to be our "drive".)

Miguel with a saw in his hands is a demon and his face creases in delight as the chain begins to whirr... In a matter of minutes the two huge logs were reduced to firefriendly pieces. Which was all very well... but there was a glint in his eye and 1 wondered at the wisdom of my wife's suggestion that 1 should show him the "orchard" where we had spent several days of the Christmas-New Year break clearing the undergrowth to find and prune a mini forest of fruit trees which clearly had not been pruned for years.

Eyes a-gleam, Miguel set the chain saw whirring."Malo" I think he said ponting to a well-estab lished cherry tree that 1 had spent several hours pruning. Such is my abysmal Spanish that 1 thought he was criticizing my efforts at arbo real husbandry. Not so.

Before I could stop him he had laid into the tree a few feet above the ground. Twigs and sawdust

flew.Then he turned to another,and then another..

The manufacturers warn one about the dangers ofapproaching a moving chain-saw,and with a pos sible demented shepherd-turncdlumberjack handling the machine, discretion seemed wise. 1 stood back... and Miguel demolished three more trees.

I think he stopped only because the saw Ijecame blunt, though he had a contented smile on his face as he switched off the saw and handed it to me. He was still smiling as he strolled off clutching the bottle of single-malt whisky I had given him as a "Three Kings" present.

But as well as a scene reminiscent of those early World War 1 photo graphs of Delville Wood, he left be hind six stumps each protruding about a foot above the ground... at just the height one can trip over as soon as the grass has grown.

And 1 know the saw was blunted by his onslaught for next week end I'll have to cut them off by hand with a heavy-duty pruning saw. And as 1 do so, I'll wonder about Miguel...

Is it merely a coincidence that he lives next door to Paco the demon carpenter?

"Maio"I think he said panting to a well-established cherry tree that I had spent several hours pruning

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• Swimming pool

As the John Mackintosh Hall is ready to host the highlight of Gibraltar's cultural calendar, the Competitive International Art Exhibition (thirty-third edition) this February, newly appointed Fine Arts Association president Gino Sanguinetti gives us an insider tour on do's and don'ts for this prestigious showcase of figurative talents, made even juicier by the prospective of handsome cash prizes.

The only big "don't ask" apply ing to this edition is the fact that the artists won't know beforehand who the sole adjudicator is, as the Min istry of Culture is keeping the Royal Academician's identity a secret.

This is to avoid speculation on his or her artistic background to influence the artists into submitting works in line with it, more as an adjudicator-pleaser move than as a spontaneous self-expressing entry.

This art exhibition is indeed char acterised by quintessential freedom of expression for competitors and adjudicator — the artists having carte blanche on subject matter and the adjudicator in professionally and impartially picking the win ners.

Unlike the Fine Arts Gallery that favours almost exclusively artwork designed for house or small office decoration, the International Exhi bition welcomes and rewards what is conceived and upsized for open spaces, like an entrance lobby, and

for visual impact from afar.

There are no rules about offen sive entries, probably because, as Gino remarks,ardstically speaking 'offensive' isn't a mathematic rule (he would find more offensive an ugly picture of the Rock than a beautifully captured yet daring ex plicit erotic scene) — so far no en try in thirty-two years raised af fronted eyebrows.

"Actually, I am disappointed be cause I have seen very few eye brow-raising subject matters hopefully I will this year, because I like to be surprised!"

Gino admits that a sprinkling of controversy is only healthy for an event that aims to gain wide-breath

reputation: "If an international art exhibition becomes too comfort able, it isn't a good sign, because if no one has the extra oomph to raise eyebrows,then there must be some thing missing."

A maximum of two artworks per artist are allowed: this solution was a welcome change last year to scrap controversial pre-selections and guarantee that all works entered will be displayed.

Nevertheless, Gino considers that two paintings or sculptures aren't enough to judge an artist thoroughly: "An artistic trajectory must be analysed over a period of five or six years," he says adding that the one-hit wonder isn't so ap-

pealing if it doesn'tsuggest a prom ising follow-up.

The event is a success with local and foreign artists alike, in a per centage that Gino estimates around 60 to 40 respectively and,consider ing the practical difficulties encoun tered In exporting artwork, it is a positive index on the popularity of the contest abroad.

Abroad principally meansSpain, of course, but many paintings and sculptures come from the UK and Morocco,and itisn't unusual to see ing submissions from other Euro pean countries,the States and even Japan or Israel!

The big marketing novelty this year is the stylish posters distrib uted around town to alert people, especially tourists, about the event and attract visitors and potential buyers, since the Mackintosh Hall manages all sales of artwork la belled tor sale, charging a percent age on the price tag.

Gino laments that the general

'I am disappointed because i have seen veryfew eyebrew-raising snblect matters —bopefniiy i wiii this year"

public's response isn't as enthusi astic as it could be and the exhibi tion is visited principally by peo ple somehow involved with the lo cal art scene, artists and their fami lies and friends, trendsetters, opin ion-makers, while 'regular Joes' shun away from the once-a-year chance to explore — free of charge — the newest paths offigurative ex pression at your doorstep, without queuing for hours at the Tate!

Are local people too parochial for avant-garde artwork? Not more than elsewhere in the world, Gino reckons: no matter whether it is in Paris, London or New York, there always will be some picture bound to cause quite a stir-

Unfortunately size still matters in a materialistic society struggling to embrace the concept that art shouldn't be sold by square metre or by weight,and therefore prefer ence is for big paintings or sculp tures, where the hours of hard work are evident or the paint-covered surface is broad,a reassuring token

of real value for money.

"Like the pyramids, sweat and investment must be obvious in the artwork for it to deserve recogni tion, while the result of a stroke of genius in just a couple of brush strokes seems unworthy of its fat price tag," observes Gino, who is a strong supporter of artists produc ing art for the sake of free expres sion rather than commercialising and prostituting their talent to fastselling banal subject matters.

Entries are often a more wellguarded secret than a bridal gown and local artists reluctantly share with others their choices: afraid of plagiarism? Afraid of being jinxed? Afraid of embarrassing compari son?

All will be unveiled at the John Mackintosh Hall on Monday 6'^ February during the grand opening and prize giving ceremony, where a total of £ 7,500 is up for grabs in five prizes, including the Gibraltar Theme and Young Artist. The exhi bition is open until 17''' February.

Gibtelecom Competition Winners

RENTAL OF PC BOXES

Prizes worth over £3,600 were awarded to local secondary schoolchildren by Gibtelecom's Chairman the Hon Fabian Vinet and the company's CEO Tim Bristow.

Following the success of last year's event, in which over 400 middle school children entered Gibtelecom's 'Design-a-Card' competition,the company decided to hold the contest again this year, with the two secondary schools having their turn at creating a de sign combining the themes of Christmas and Telecommunica tions.

Once again over 400 entries were received, with the First Prize going to Gabriella Sardena, Year 8 Westside, who received a voucher to buy a mobile phone from any local retailer up to the value of

£300, plus two £25 Reload cards. Gabriella's design was also used for Gibtclecom's corporate Christ mas card.

The Best in Year prizes were £200 mobile phone vouchers and a £25 Reload card, which were awarded as follows; Year 8-Bayside Jeremy Evans; Year 9-Westside Tasmin Griffiths; Year 9-Bayside Jake Bell; Year 10-Bayside Alex Benady;Year 10-Westside Emma Rowbottom.

Emma Rowbottom received an additional £50 on her voucher for having had her card selected for the front page of December's Infoiteios which was sent to all cus tomers.

The First Prize winner's school, Westside, received a cheque for £2,000 worth of computer equip ment. This cheque was present^ to head teacher Mr Gordon.

The service is available to businesses and members of the general public as well as associations and other organisations. Mail deliveries to PO Boxes are second to none. They are the least susceptible to service disruptions of any kind and secure.

The opening of a second corridor earlier this year has increased the number of P 0 Boxes available for rent.

The public counter was re-sited to the new wider corridor as it affords easier access to wheel chair bound visitors.

Rental Period

The rental period is from 1st April to 31st May the following year.

Rental Payment

Rental fees are payable in advance.

Rental Fees

Large Box @ £70 per year, plus a one off refundable deposit of £30.

Applications for Rental

PO Box applications are processed by the PO Counter at the General Post Office, 104 Main Street,(Tel- 43697).

Opening Mrs- 9am - 1pm & 2:15pm -4:30pm, Monday to Friday.

Enquiries

As well as the GPO PO Box counter, enquiries may also be made at or at the PO Boxes Counter in Irish Town, which is open from 9am to 4:15pm, Monday to Friday.

Alternatively you may wish to email us at postoffice@Qibtelecom.net.

Royal Gibraltar Post Office

Journalist During Spanish Civil War

Last year I wrote of Arthur Koestler's capture and later release at Gibraltar during the Spanish Civil War [Gibraltar Magazine March 2005). The British zoologist Sir Peter Chalmers Mitchell, who was living in Malaga at the time, was responsible for saving the journalist, and later famed author,from execution. This past summer I came across Mitchell's autobiography My Fill of Days.

My Fill of Days charts Mitchell's life from his birth at Dumfermline,Scotland in 1864 to the final days of the Spanish Civil War at his villa in Malaga. Mitchell had re tired to the villa to enjoy the 'quiet'life after a successful career. He attended Aber deen University and then Christ Church at Oxford and went on to garner inter national respect for his work in biology and zoology. MitchelI wasthe secretary of the Zoological Society of London from 1903 to 1935.

Curiously, although the final chapter of My Fill of Days was written in the last days of the War and after Mitchell had saved Koestier's life, there is no mention of the Hungarianborn writer in the book.

Koestler, who would later gain fame as an author and philosopher, does talk of Mitchell in his own book, Spanish Testament, and in fact the book is dedicated to Mitchell. Koestler was working as a journalist when he had n-jade his way to Malaga to report on the plight of the refugees fleeing the Nationalists. Koestler had heard of Mitchell and he sought him out.

"He is the Grand Old Man of Ma laga. In 1932, after having created the Whipsnade Zoo,the result of30 years of planning, he bought a house here, to lead a peaceful and retired life. Peaceful indeed... Ad venturous spirits like him have a positive genius for getting them selves into messes with the most in nocent air in the world. He has just finished his memoirs,[*see below] My Fill of Days. The well-cared-for house,half Spanish, half Victorian, and the neat garden,are just like an enchanted isle in this spectral town. We make friends at once; Sir Peter invites me to move to his house if the situation becomes critical. He is determined to stay on whatever happens.1 have a vague feeling that 1 shall stay too. This town and its fate exert a strange and uncomfort able fascination over one.

"1 think over what 1 have seen on the various fronts, it all seems hope less. But the strangest thing of all is the absolute quiet on all the fronts. Malaga is bombed from the air at least once a day; at the front not a single shot is fired. The last rebel attack was carried out on the Gra nada and Gibraltar roads simulta neously ten days ago; since that, nothing. I have a growing impres sion that for some reason impossi ble to understand,like so much else that is inexplicable in this bizarre war, the insurgents have given up the idea of attacking Malaga. The city is still without food and muni tions;but it looks as though in some miraculous way it will be saved."

Koestler was seriously mistaken about the Nationalist's intentions. At the time he was a card-carrying Communist and therefore a Repub lican sympathizer. Early in the war he had been arrested in Seville by

the Nationalists but managed to escape in a taxi to Gibraltar. A cer tain Captain Bolin was humiliated by this es cape and he swore that Koestler would be ex ecuted if captured.

Mitchell was also a Communist, although not card-carrying,and a Republican sympa thizer. But he was treated like a kind of honourary Consul by the local officials and using his influence and his protection under the British flag(which flew over his villa) he had helped Spaniards from both sides escape via Gibraltar. Among these was his neighbour Senor Bolin and all of his family. Senor Bolin and Captain Bolin were cousins and that coinci dence is probably what saved Koestler's life.

Senor Bolin was an aristocrat and therefore a target of the Republi cans who were clinging to control of the city. Koestler described what happened in Spanish Testament.

"...and Sehor Boh'n came to the house of his neighbour. Sir Peter, whom he knew to be a'Red',to ask for shelter and protection. He ar rived with his wife, mother-in-law, five or six children and two or three maids.Sir Peter installed the whole Boh'n tribe in his house — it was packed from attic to cellar. Senor Boh'n handed over certain docu ments for safe keeping in an enve lope, which Sir Peter locked away in a drawer of his writing-desk.

"The next day an Anarchist pa trol visited the house.They did not wish to trouble Sir Peter, knowing his sympathetic attitude towards the Republican Government, but

they demanded to see the docu ments of the Sehor living upstairs.

"Sir Peter was obliged to hand over the documents.The Anarchist leader,a young lad,opened the en velope.

The first thing he found was Sehor Bolfn's Phalangist member ship card, the second a set of por nographic pictures such as are posted to amateurs by certain book shops in Paris. The Anarchist seemed highly delighted with both discoveries.Then Sir Peter had one of his usual happy inspirations.

"Look here," he said in his smoothest tones,"we'll strike a bar gain: you keep the pictures,and I'll keep the card."

"The Anarchist, who, as 1 have said, was very young, was at first indignant, then amused, and fi nally,out offriendliness towards Sir Peter, he consented.

Some days later, however,Senor Bolin was arrested. Mitchell se cured his release, obtained pass ports for his family and,risking his own life,smuggled them to Gibral tar.

As the Nationalists approached Malaga,Koestler refused to run and at 11am on Tuesday, 9th February, 24 hours after the rebels had en tered the city, he was arrested. Koestler told his captors that he was a friend of Sir Peter Chalmers Mitchell.

An officer asked in broken Eng lish whether it was true that Mitchell was an English aristocrat.

"I should think he is," replied Koestler."He is a member of a very old aristocratic family, and a great friend of the King."

Koestler claims to have said this so convincingly that the young of ficer turned quite pale.

"Determining to make the most of the situation, I introduced my self and said that I regretted that I was obliged to make his acquaint ance in such an unshaven state. He was completely taken aback, and announced his own name: 'Franco'".

Unfortunately for Koestler Cap tain Bolin was soon on the scene and he ordered a gardener to get some rope in order for the journal-

'The city is stiii withoutfood end munitions;hutit iooks asthough in some miracuious way it wiii ho saved.'

ist to be tied up.Then ten minutes later Mitchell returned pale and upset.

"It was Senor Bolin," he said. "He's just back by car from Gibral tar."

"Has he got any more dirty post cards?"

"No but he's wearing a red beret of the Requetes and has a huge army revolver. He says it will give him great pleasure to hunt down the Reds and kill a few of them with his own hands."

The gardener returned. He had been unable to find a rope, but had brought two yards of electric wir ing.

"I believe they are going to hang me," Koestler said to Mitchell.

Mitchell and the two Bolins en tered a separate room to negotiate.

"What's happening?" Koestler shouted through the open door.

They came out,and Sir Peter said very quietly and with a tender look, "It seems that it is alt right for me, but not for you."

"Anyway," Koestler wrote later, "they did not shoot me there and then".

Koestler wasjailed, however,and each night listened in fear as other prisoners were taken out and ex ecuted.

"To this day 1 do not know what made Captain Bolin change his mind," wrote Koestler in Spanish Testament, "whether my words had made him conscious of the re sponsibility he would be taking upon himself if he were to shoot a foreign journalist in a house flying the Union Jack,or whether the gen tleman with the red beret and filthv pictures had after all brought him self to the point of intervening.

"24 hours after his arrest. Sir Pe ter,thanks to the intervention of the officers of a British warship, was set at liberty. While still on board he tel egraphed the news of my arrest to England. I have him to thank for the fact that my sentence by the Malaga court martial was not put into ef fect."

Right to the last Mitchell was

helping others escape. On the day of his departure he smuggled two Spanish aristocrats, Don Tomas, and his English horn wife. Dona Mercedes, aboard the rescue ship HM5 Ardent.

It has been said that Mitchell re turned to Spain during World War II and helped to set up a Commu nist cell in Gibraltar. I am still in

vestigating this story. Among his accomplishments are the Mappin terraces at the Whipsnade Zoo and several books on zoological subjects including The Nature^Man(1904) and Materialism and Vitalism in Bi(1930). He died in 1945. Koestler later rejected Communisfn and became a pariah of the intel lectual left. His masterpiece is the

political Darkness at Noon.He died in 1983.

Author's note: Publication of My Fill of Days was arrangedfor the au tumn of 1936 hut this had to be post poned. Mitchell wrote chapter XX af ter returning to the UK and this is the chapter where one might have expected Koestler to receive at least a mention.

Koestler's ESP on the Rock

When researching the story of Sir Peter Chalmers Mitchell and his involvement with Arthur Koestler during the Spanish Civil War I came across the letter's claim of his extra sensory communication with the writer Thomas Mann,

From the time of his arrest in Malaga until his release at Gibral tar, Koestler spent four months in prison at La Linea. While a pris oner of war, expecting death at any moment, Koostler meditated upon a passage he recalled from a book, Buddenbrooks, by Thomas Mann (1875-1955). The passage brought him such great spiritual comfort that on the day after his release from prison in May 1937, he wrote to Mann to offer his pro found thanks. Koestler was in Gi braltar at the time and Mann was in Zurich-Kusnacht.

The passage which inspired and comforted Koestler con cerned an essay by Eric Schopenaurer (German philoso pher 1788-1860). Koestler men tioned this in his letter but was startled by Mann's return letter which related the extraordinary coincidence. The original reply was lost but it was burned on Koestler's brain and he para phrased it thus:

"Your[Koestler'sJ letter arrived in May... On the afternoon of that day, I was sitting in my garden in Kusnacht. I had read Schopenauer's essay in 1897 or 1898, while I was writing

Buddenhrooks and had never read it again, as I did not want to weaken its strong impact on me.On that af ternoon, however, I felt a sudden impulse to re-read the essay after nearly forty years. I went indoors to my library to fetch the volume.

At that moment the postman rang and brought me your letter. Sceptics will say that it was pure happenstance or that Koestler, having lost the original letter, took liberties in his para phrasing.

But Mann's diary for the day the letter arrived verifies Koestler's claim.

The Oxford Book of the Super natural provides excerpts from what Mann recorded in his diary on 22nd May 1937.

"...Stirring letter from the jour nalist Koestler, writing from Gi braltar. Sentenced to death and only saved at the last moment,he claims he was able to endure the ordeal with the help of my writ ings, especially the Schopenauer chapter in Buddetibrooks. When his letter arrived I was reading that very chapter."

Koestler (1905-1983) was a be liever i n and an exponent of para psychology. He and his wife were active members of the Voluntary Euthanasia Society and, after he developed a terminal illness,they committed suicide.

He endowed a chair of para psychology at Edinburgh Urtiversity.

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"Sentenced to deatli and only saved atthe last moment,he claims he was able to endure the ordeal with the help of my writings'

"P|GIBRALTAR British orSpanish?

by Dr. Peter Gold ■ reviewed by Mike Brutal (Routledge Advances in European Politics £70)

Dr Peter Gold is Principal Lecturer and Head of the School of Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies at the University ofthe West of England. He is author of A Stone in Spain's Shoe: The Search for a Solution to the Problem of Gibraltar A Contemporary Study ofthe Spanish North African Enclaves of Ceuta and MeiiHa.

Do not be put oft by the title, the price or the fact that the Span ish Ministerio de Educacion y Ciencia in Madrid provided 'Accioneit integradas' funding for this project in its early stages. However it is a book for readers whose knowledge of the Gibral tar problem is well informed. It is neither for the fainthearted nor those who are not steeped in the political intricacies of the events of the last two decades.

Dr Peter Gold's previous book, A Sfoue in Spain's Shoe; The Search for a Solution to the Problem of Gi braltar, published in 1994, was funded largely by a Spanish Agency and so is deemed by Gibraltarian readers to be biased in favour of the Spanish Govern ment'ssuspect case for the reintegration of the territor)' of Gibral tar into the Spanish State.

iDr Gold, after a brief introduc tion devotes two short chapters to British Gibraltar 1704-1963 and Gi braltar incommunicado September 1963-October 1979.

Then follows a detailed examina tion and analysis from the Lisbon Agreement 1979/86 to the 300th anniversary of the capture of Gi braltar by Admiral Sir George Rooke on 4th August 2004.

The book is almost entirely based on fact. Peter had the foresight to find the most effective method of reporting what actually happened to each significant event in the 25 years under review. This was sim ply to record what was published in the major publications in Gibral tar, the United Kingdom and Spain; namely The Gibraltar Chronicle, Panorama, El Pais, El Mundo, The Times and the Financial Times. This was augmented by press releases from the Gibraltar Government, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Foreign Office, Hansard and the reports of the Foreign Affairs Com mittee. It must be stressed that the quotations are about fact, not speculation or leak.

This reviewer, who has been fol lowing the Gibraltar problem for 43 years, can admit that on virtually each occasion when he commented on what might happen in the future he was wrong. This shows how easy it is for Governments to work in total secrecy behind the scenes and how the British and Spanish Governments manipulate what news seeps out by way of leaks to the lobby correspondents of the English and Spanish press.

This is how Tony Blair's planned betrayal of the Gibraltarians by vir tue of the Joint Sovereignty propos als was kept totally secret and leak free until Jack Straw announced it in the House of Commons.

Dr Gold shows that the British Prime Minister and the coterie of diplomats headed by Sir Emyr Jones Parry made the fundamental error in believing that they were smarter than the Chief Minister. Suddenly the British Government realised that the Gibraltar Govern ment held all the cards and,had the Labour Party entered the last Gen eral Election without placing the proposals on hold, then the Con

servative Party, which was 100% behind the wishes of the Gibraltarians, would have made the future of Gibraltar a major is sue in the campaign.

Dr Gold certainly did not start this book with the intention of it becoming a paen of praise for Pe ter Caruana. But any objective reader will see how the Chief Minister has converted theory into reality by making it possible for the Gibraltar Government to talk to the Spaniards at two dis tinct levels — the Trilateral Fo rum between the three govern ments; and those with the Joint Co-operation Committee with the Association of the Councils of the Campo. The previous Chief Minister and the then Governor tried to proceed along these lines but,alas, failed. In fact it all goes back to the advice given to the Spanish Government by Lord Shepherd when he told them to start to woo the Gibraltarians rather than try to force them into subju gation. It was only when the PSOE Government of Jose Luis Zapatero came to power that a change of Spanish Government gave Peter Caruana the opportunity to see the political wheels in motion to start the Trilateral Forum; he was al ready talking to the local mayors. This is a magnificent contempo rary objective history. As expected of an academic work there are pages of detailed footnotes, a first class bibliography and an excellent index.

There are some errors of fact and in view of the Spanish sponsorship Peter plays it safe and calls the most famous Bay in the world by the Spanish Government's preferred designation — the Bay ofAlgcciras. But these do not detract from the book's importance. If a student of Gibraltar's history is restricted to two books then this should be added to General Sir William Jackson's history. The Rock of the Gibraltarians.

Dr Gold certainly did notstartthis book with the intention of it becoming a paen of praise for Peter Caruana

Armadillo on the Move

Armadillo Electrical now has a new, more spacious home at Unit 18, Ocean Heights Gallery. Previously tucked away on Governor's Street the move will allow the team, headed by Louis Bruzon,to offer the same great service and products from a more convenient location.

The concept of Armadillo is sim ple, you bring in your old games (X-box, PlayStation, GameCube etc),DVDsor music CDsand Louis gives you a credit note to put to wards purchasing anything else in the shop. It is a great way of turn ing old games into new — as their motto says "More fun for less cash!'". The Armadillo team test all products before reselling them, in cluding consuls and spare parts

which they also have for sale.

The team offer PC and consul re pairs, and all BEEP services and products and can pretty much tackle anything electrical which is capable of being repaired.

Pop into the shop to see what's on offer or telephone or fax if your needs are more specific Tel/Fax; 44890/43321. Alternatively email the team at this address: armadillo("'gibtelecom.net

The Mayor's Awards

The presentation of the May or's Awards took place at the City Hall in late January. Three nominations for the Awards were received and His Worship presented the Mayor's Silver Award to Ms Melba Moguera, Mr Alfred Gerada, and Mr Christopher Galea.

Melba Noguera and Alfred Gerada for the promptness of mind shown, when,in the early morning of 20th April 2005,they acted promtly in assisting in sav ing the life of Victor Ferro, who had collapsed and wasin a semiconcious state on the science staff room floor of the Bayside Comprehensive School.

Christopher Galea for the prompt action taken, when, on Tuesday 12th July 2005,he dived into rough seas to save the lives

of Francis Torres, Tyrone Castro and Jonathan Field, who had en countered difficulties while in a dingy at Eastern Beach.

His Worship took the opportu nity to remind the general public that any individual,or number of people, can be recommended for the Mayor's Award in any of its three Categories. Nominees should have shown that through their courage, unselfishness and regard for other people, animals or the environment, have per formed a rescue, life saving act, preserved life in any manner or form,or have contributed to such an act by deed, regardless of dan ger,circumstances, time or place.

Recommendations in writing should be made to The Secretary Mayor's Award,Mayor's Parlour, City Hall, Gibraltar.

eoMO)

David has two silver jewellery shops;one near the bottom of Main Street called Garbo Jewellery and the other,Beau Jangles,at 123 Main Street. He explained that Garbo is aimed more at visitors whilst Beau Jangles has become a sparkling grotto whose clientele are almost all local people.

But all the items on display have one thing in common: every piece has been designed and hand-made in Israel by specialist artisans. Some of it, the silver filigree work, is incredibly intricate and is made by Ben-Zion David, an 8th generation silversmith from the Yemen.

David Bentata is well-known in Gibraltar, and has been in retailing locally for 45 years, 44 of them in the rag trade. He retired in October 2004, but found his life of leisure to be Incredibly boring after an active business career.So when he saw the opportunity to open the two specialist jewellery shops in Main Street he jumped at it.

'It was a brilliant idea,' he said 'importing hand-made silver items from Israel-based designers.People go to live in Israel from all over the world, so you do get the best selection there.'

He explained that all the hand made jewellery is limited edition, and he usually limits this even further by just bringing one piece of each design to Gibraltar. So whatever you buy from either of the shops, you can be confident that you won't see anyone else wearing the same item. This applies to almost all of the jewellery sold.

What abut the Roman glass? It is set in silver but in several coloursblue, green cream, white — so did the Romans use coloured glass?

David explained; 'The Romans were in that part of the world for around 300 years, and got through a lot of glass.There is a good supply from the many archaeological digs that go on there,and our designers collect the off-cuts that aren't wanted for museums.The different colours,' he clarified, 'are simply caused by such factors as the age, the depth at which they are buried, and the temperatures they went

David and Lourdes ofBeau Jangles through depending on altitude as well as levels of moisture in the soil. But they all started off transparent.'

So, there is somewhere in Gibraltar where you can buy jewellery that dates back around 2,000 years.

Amazingly, David's two shops don't even go back 2,000 days.Beau Jangles only opened last June, and Garbo in November; so it is an

achievement to have already reached the stage where both shops are thriving — Beau Jangles mainly by word of mouth amongst Gibraltarians.'1 am really grateful for the local reaction,' he said.'They truly have appreciated the beauty of the pieces. Local people are the backbone of the business.' He also told me that many tourists have said that it is the most original

jewellery on the Rock.

David (who started designing jewellery himself as a hobby in 1975)visits Israel four times a year to see his designers and buy their latest works of art;in the meantime the business is in the safe hands of his son, Asher,(David's right hand man), and the two sales ladies: Lourdes, very experienced and mature, at Garbo; and Nieves, younger and very enthusiastic, at Beau Jangles.

Whilst talking of his helpers, David stressed that he was also exceptionally grateful for the assistance, advice and support given to him at the beginning by Suresh Mahtani, who owns such shops as Antonio and Prestige.

Both of David's jewellery shops will arrange special commissions, at no extra charge and based on existing designs, where the customers state their individual preferences and their measurements are taken. Usually this is for wedding rings, and you should allow six weeks for the item to be made and delivered to Gibraltar.

Everything sold is in practice guaranteed for life as all repairs are free — as are alterations.

Customers are all ladies(except when they send their men folk in to buy them a specific present),and range in age from schoolgirls to 85 year-olds. And, beautiful as every piece in the vast range is,the prices are surprising: from £6, for a pair of earrings, up to £300.

Everything is sterling silver 925 — the highest possible jewellery grade—and as such does not cause the allergic reactions that are sometimes associated with the more usual nickel alloy silver.

And there is a worthwhile Valentine's offer all this month — a free pair of silver earrings worth £21 with every silver watch costing from £80.

Garbo Jewellery at 17 Main Street,and Beau Jangles at 123 Main Street, are both open from 10 to 7, straight through, Mondays to Fridays, and the telephone numbers are; Garbo, 41441; Beau Jangles 41522.

'All our jewellery is silver,' said David Bentata,'and a lot of it is made with ancient Roman glass insets.'

Some beautiful examples of the jewellery

Pr^op^

The Way it Used to Be: Shopping from Homo...

Today you can buy almost anything online. Funnily enough we came close to the idea of purchasing goods without moving from home ages ago, when vendors and other service merchants came to your door to offer their wares. A sole 'similarity' amongst many changes that have taken place since then.

It's strange to remember that in the fifties and sixties we had a maid at home,all day, right through the week — full time that is! Couldn't afford that today, no way. She did the washing, scrubbed the floors and generally did the cleaning around the house, but never cooked. 'Rosa' would be paid about two shillings and sixpence a week, if I recall correctly, plus maybe a packet of sugar or some other item. I don't know whether that was the going rate or not, but surely you would've got much more than that, had you been in official employment doing a simi lar job, even in those days.

So there,is a case of'employment abuse' right on my doorstep! And it's to that doorstep that many came to 'service the community'.

If you think about it, you didn't have to move from home to do much of your shopping if you didn't want to,just like you can do today on your electronic typing thing!

You would get'El Ditero'knock ing on your door, offering all man ner of clothing which he carried stuffed in two big baskets; what ever you bought needed a dammed good ironing of course. He would return the following week and pro duce this fat leather bound book, which contained details of your'on tick' purchases. You would then pay him three shillings or whatever, and off he went to collect from the next victim what was due to him.

That was the trend also with bread vendors, fish vendors and fruit and vegetable vendors.

We also had 'El Lechero', the milkman, who came round with his milk urn, selling it by the pint.

For those who were sweet toothed, the cake man was in the area most days, with his two bas kets full of your favourite 'japonesas' or 'mil ojas' for you to enjoy.

Salvador was a popular charac ter with his 'Pari,' and he would shout out to let you know he was around. 'Pari' was a triangular shaped type of wafer, buttered with a choice of two or three spreads.One wasa coconutty kind

and coconut balls on a stick.

Supermarkets were way ahead somewhere in the future you see, and 1 guess these service providers complemented the so called corner shop, like 'Pisani' down the road from where 1 lived, who also of

fered a free delivery service to their regular clientele.

Sugar comes to mind again, be cause in those days it was sold 'loose' so to speak, by the pound, wrapped in brown paper, and but ter was cut off a slab and weighed to your needs. However, you, would have to provide the shop assistant or el hombrc de la lienda

with a bottle or container of some sort to fill with oil, which he would pour out of a barrel.

So you see how even then, what a comfy life we had! At least we thought so.

There was one particular trades man, whose successor I was sur prised to see still doing the rounds, while on holiday last summer.'El Afilador', is the guy that sharpens knives and scissors and things. He still goes around blowing his pan pipe, but has upgraded his mode of transport from the barrow-type 'largewheelonastrapthing', pow ered by strong leg muscles and a pedal, his former self used to push around,to the motorscooter he was whizzing around on when 1 saw him up the coast.

There was a number of other senores offering their goods up and down our streets too,like'Paloma' with his Calentita, which is still sold today. 'El Aguador,' a tall lanky man, sold water in small wooden kegs, carting them around in a wheel barrow.

You could also buy water from street distribution points for a penny a bucket. 1 remember strug gling with heavy zinc buckets full of water, which 1 would carry quite a distance and then empty into our 'Tinaja,' a large clay receptacle which kept the water cool and fresh.

The mind boggles as to how we managed to make ends meet on such poor wages, especially with large families — it wasn't uncom mon for them to number eight or nine each.

My father earned about twenty pounds a month working in the Post Office,and 1 made two pounds and eight old pennies a week,slog ging away — I think not — in the Dockyard, where 1 worked for a while.

1 remember my mother having to go to see the... let me whisper this now... quietly... the "money lender" once or twice, when we were a bit strapped for cash, or she needed a substantial amount extra, which could be something like as little as, by today's standards, fif teen or twenty pounds.

A Gibraltar street vendor selling ice cream of confectioner's custard and there was some other. He also sold tof fee apples

Forihose who were sweettoothed,the cake man was in the area most days,with his two hasketsfuiiofyourfavourite' or foryoutoonloy

Today we don't have any qualms about telling someone we've taken out a loan, but then, it wasn't nice for people to know you were in debt. In fact that was what it invari ably turned out to be — debt.

I have vague recollections of my mother running into a little diffi culty meeting payment dates, not least because of the 25% interest slapped on top of what was owed, by the'shark' money lenders.

But in those days, that was the only large sum of money,that was probably owed you see. There was no car, so there was no car loan, no telephone bills — no telephone. Holidays? Yes, in your dreams! Nights out in restaurants, fees for sports and leisure activities, assist ing children with their university expenses etc,etc,etc,etc? Not a chance! Oh yes, 1 almost forgot, there was another outlay — two and sixpence a week for poor old Rosa, the cleaning lady!

In fact there was the odd time things becamejust a little awkward, when a few shillings or a couple of pounds were needed,for example, to buy me a scout uniform. I was the younger of two brothers, and

Iwould normally get the 'hand me downs', but on this occasion fi nance was necessary to fit me out as one of Baden Powell's follow ers. Anyway I can't imagine what the movement would have been like without me in its ranks, so the pennies had to be found!

Big items of expenditure just didn't crop up I suppose,like I said, to own a car wasn't on the agenda in those days.There were probably a couple of hundred people who actually owned a private car on the Rock. On my street, there were maybe throe or four parked on it, and that included the corner shop's delivery van.

Mortgages? Who, was tied up to one of those? I'm sitting here, try ing to think! 1 don't think there was one single person who could even spell the word, let alone be paying for one.

And that was our lot, 1 declare. What you didn't know about, you didn't care about, so then you didn't miss, and life ran smoothly without a hitch.

At least, that's how it seemed to me... after all, they do say don't they... "Ignorance is Bliss'.

On this occasionfinance was necessaryto fit me out as one of Baden Poweli'sfoliowers

From Regimentio Health

The Honourable Ernest Britto QBE, ED and Minister for Health held out his hand and greeted me at the door of his office on 7"" floor of St Bernard's Hospital.

The Minister's office is comfort able,clean and modern with a style that befits a government official without being extravagant or osten tatious. It also has a beautiful view overlooking the sea and western side of Gibraltar. We sat on some comfortable chairs and as the Min ister relaxed with a tea, without preamble, we chatted,

Ernest Britto has been a public servant of Gibraltar in some way or other since he was conscripted into the Gibraltar Regiment in 1962 for his 4 months service. It is a service that was miraculous in a way be cause it may not have happened at all.

Long before he waseven thought of his mother was evacuated along with many others during the sec ond World War to camps in Ja maica. His father was a teacher and with other Gibraltarian men,stayed in Gibraltar as part of the war ef fort. This was until someone real ised that the evacuated children still needed an education and it wouldn't be served in a foreign land far from home without the right kind of teachers. So his father was fortunate to end up in Jamaica teaching and reunited with his wife — around nine months later baby Ernest made his entrance.

After the war was over the fam ily came back to Gibraltar and a couple of years later his brother Gerry was born.

His grandfather had launched the Music Store on Main Street, right where Sport City is now and most of Minister Britto's early memories revolve around the shop, the streets and the visits of ships to Gibraltar from all over the world.

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1 asked him what it was like then when the streets were full of sail ors and soldiers compared to now. "It was much worse in those days," he answered, "it was a real case of bring down the shutters and lock up your daughters.I remember the town having these sort of saloon bars selling drinks,and girls danc ing on a raised platforms entertain ing the troops. One was called the Trocadero, nothing sordid just risque fun and as boys we would try to climb to see inside the win dows until we got chased away. There were shore patrols and mili tary police everywhere bashing heads and literally throwing

drunken people into the back of vehicles to take them back to the ships. In comparison, today's mili tary visitors are very well behaved; you'd have to have seen it to truly believe how it was back then".

As a young student he had am bition to go to university but the family business started by his grandfather needed him, so he completed his'O'and'A'levels and then called time on his studies.

Although still working at the shop at the age of 19 he entered the Gibraltar Regiment as yet another conscript for his tour of duty conscription meant 4 months with the regiment, then a 15 day camp

every 2years until the age of28.But the contrast to his home life, disci plined, yet less controlling, the more broader outlook it gave him, meeting different people, the free dom to use initiative and the out door physical exertion all mixed together for him to see that this could be the sort of life he was go ing to enjoy.

At the end of his 4 months he volunteered to remain within the Regiment as a reserve soldier and had the best of both worlds being able to help to run the family busi ness yet continue on his own path of discovery.

He was promoted to Corporal quite quickly and it wasn't too long before his leadership qualities were recognised and he was promoted again, this time to Sergeant.

Interestingly the Minister told me he felt he wasn't the Senior Non commissioned Officer (SNCO) type. "It is a different kind of per son that has the ability to be a SNCO.Yes I felt I had the ideas and the planning but 1 didn't think I would make a good Sergeant Ma jor or Warrant Officer. It isn't about shouting or being tough,the quali ties needed to make a good SNCO are every bit as important as the qualities needed to make a good Officer but they are different kinds of qualities. The Regiment must have seen that too and it was sug gested 1 might consider a commis sion".

In 1965 Ernest Britto was com missioned into the Gibraltar Regi ment and over the next 20 years he would serve Queen and country culminating in him being the last ever continuing serving reserve sol dier to make Lieutenant Colonel and Commanding Officer of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment in 1982 at the age of 39. He was also awarded the OBE soon after,a great honour being presented personally by Her Majesty the Queen at Buck ingham Palace.

During his Army career he dis covered a talent for shooting and as well as being involved in many Army competitions he also repre sented Gibraltar in the Common wealth Games and the Island

The Honourable Mr Ernest Britto O.B.E.ED:

In a series of Interviews with Government Ministers Frankie Hatton is going behind the political persona to see if public perception is as wrong as some would have us believe.

As a young student he had amhitien te ge te university hut the famiiy husiuessstarted hy his grandfather needed him

Games during which he won 2 bronze medals.

Surelv I asked, representing Gi braltar at such an illustrious level must be a high point? "Yes, it is a proud achievement", he offered, "but I also won the Wilkinson Sword for shooting during my last year In the Army. This win was prestigious because it is a competi tion that was staged not over one shoot but a whole weekend against my peers and some of the tough est,sharpest, military riflemen to be found anywhere. In effect, that year I was overall military champion, beating the best in the British Royal Navy,Army and Royal Air Force as well as the corresponding Volun teer and Cadet Units."

Gibraltar Regiment terms of service meant he had to retire at the age of 42, a waste of talent in some ways but there was still the family business to keep him occupied if only for part of the time.

The silver lining in the cloud of course was the freedom to pursue other avenues and like many oth ers he had a keen interest in poli tics. An interest that had to be kept under wraps whilst serving in the time honoured tradition.

His political aspiration at the time was to improve things consti tutionally for the people of Gibral tar.

Two years after leaving the Army he was asked to join the executive committee of the AACR which he did and was somewhat of a dark horse as elections loomed in 1988. The Gibraltar Chronicle at the time speculated as to who would stand for election and Minister Britto didn't even make the newspaper speculative list.

He was selected and elected to the House of Assembly in 1988 and remained there as a member for the Opposition until the CSD were elected to Government in 1996.

Without wanting to dwell too much on politics I asked what he thought he'd done as a politician to improve Gibraltar. "During my time as both the Minister for Gov ernment Services and Sport (19962000) and the Minister for Public Services, the Environment,Sport & Youth(2000-2004)1 was instrumen tal in creating sporting facilities the like of which we'd never dreamed of before. Reclaiming land and buy ing land for the people to enjoy. I also put in place the beginnings of policies that now give us a Sports Hall of international standard. We

also have an Olympic standard hockey pitch and other new facili ties such as an archery range, a fit ness trail, paddle tennis, a golf range and a Watersports Centre are still being built.

"As Minister for Health taking the baton from my predecessor and carrying on his good work I was also lucky enough to oversee the move of St Bernard's hospital to its new site. Even more recently we have had the inauguration of the new Dialysis Unit and the new Mammography screening unit and CT scan machine at St Bernard's and I take pride in achieving goals not for myself but for the people of Gibraltar".

Politics off the menu again I asked him what he does to relax af ter some 40 years service for Gibral tar?"Well it is an old cliche but I do love a bit of gardening these days", he smiled."I also enjoy photogra phy and with my daughter having returned with her family from Western Australia where she has been living 1 have the pleasure of three beautiful grandchildren, who at the ages of 7, 8 and 3 are just the perfect ages to be spoilt by their grandfather".

With the family back from Aus tralia and you seeming to relax more, are you thinking of retiring? 1 asked."No not just yet although it is a fact of life as wo all get older we must think of retirement," he ventured."The next election has to be no later than November 2007, if I am still needed and wanted by the part\' at this time I would stand again".

Do you have any regrets about the wav your career has mapped out? I enquired. "Not really, if I hadn't joined the Army and gone straight into politics I may have been a more rounded and longer serving politician but the Army gave me other traits that helped shape me,made me a different kind of politician".

Finally I asked how he would sum up the uniqueness of Gibral tar and why he believes it is such a great place. "Simple really, this is the only place like it in the world, look at what we have. Look at an equivalent population in any other country of the world and you will notsee its equal.Gibraltar is the size of a town, with the resources of a city and the ambition of a country".

It's not often I agree with politi cians but I have to say he's got it right there.

Mike Clark B.D.S.

"Gibraltar Is the size el a town, with the resources of a city and the amhition of a country"

_J|^ Bell Pharmacy

Your Family Chemists

Here to help you by answering all your pharmaceutical questions

Consult us al 27 Bell Lane Tel; 77264 F.ix: 42984

Dr Rene A Beguelin MB BS

General Practitioner

Sally Correa

Osteopath Gt Naturopath

Aylen Vielma

Clinical Psychologist

Central Clinic, 1 A Centre Plaza, Horse Barrack Lane. Tel: 59955

Fax: 49495 E-mail: beguelin@gibtelecom,net

Dr Keith J Vinnicomhe

BUS iWiilen LOS HCS(tne> MhOOl'lUKt

Denial Snrf^eun

Unit F5B ICC. 2a Main Street Tel/Fax: 40747

Emergency After Hours: 787.56

91ie Qii-eafitfi Sto/tG

5 City Mill Lane, Gibraltar. Tel: 73765

Suppliers of Glucosamine, Cinkgo Biloba and all vitamins. New large range of American products now in stock.

Body Building Products (Creatine etc)

Open: 4am - 1pm & 3pm - b..TOpm

HEARING AID

-centreagents FOR PHILIPS HEARING AIDS

Open Mon.-Frl. 10am-1pm / 4pm-6pm

2 Horse Barrack Court, Gibraltar Tel: 73341

/ \ r - Chiropractic Health Clinic

o If, Dr Sleven J.Crump B.Sc. DC.MtC

I,\ Open: Mon - Fri y.,tOam - 6.30piu

Treatment of Back Pain, Neck Fain, Headaches,[.imb Pain & Sports Injuries Tel: 44226 ICC Suite F5C Isi Floor, Casemates. Cibraliar Meinhi r of UririKli ChiroprM rit Afsofiunoi)

College Clinic now on Ground Floor, Regal House. Queensway Tel: 77777 Fax: 72791

E-mail; lnfo@collegecllnlc.gl

www.collegecllnlc.gl

Open: 8am-8pm Men • Fn and lDam-2pm Satiiiday

EYE STUDIO

OPTICIANS Unit 20B Grand Casemates Tel: 47800 Fax: 47801 FOR A PROFESSIONAL OPTICAL SERVICE

McTimoney Chiropractor

Gentle holistic treatment for all back or muscular problems and sports injuries

Gillian Schirmer MA,DC, MMCA Clinic (Claudia'sl, 1st Floor, 58 Main Street Tel : 41733 or after hours: 40026

STEINER CHIROPRACTIC CLINICS

Or Carsten Rudolf Steiner BSc DC

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 House. Tel: 77777

For all your Pharmaceutical needs

^Louis'Pharmacy

open: 9 - 7 Monday - Friday. Saturdav 10 -LSOpin, Closed Sundays

Unit F12, International Commercial Centre, Casemates. Tel: 44797

JOHN W. MILES

BSc(Podiatry), M.Ch.S

STATE REGISTERED CHIROPODIST

Treatment of all Foot Problems

Ingrown Toe-nails including Surgical Removal

Biomechanical Analysis for Insoles / Orthotics including Children Wart(Verruca) Clinic

• Diabetics

New State-(^f-the-Art Clinic

Open: 8.30am - 9pm Monday • Friday

lOam • 4pm Saturday

25 City Mill Lane

Gibraltar

Tel: I3E0I 40563

Fax:(35CI 75377

Sports

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

Louis' Pharmacy Unit F12, International Commercial Cen tre, Casemates. Tel: 44797

CHIROPODISTS

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

CHIROPRACTORS

Dr Steven J. Crump BSc, DC, MCC ICC F5C 1 St Fir, Casemates. Tel; 44226

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

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

DENTAL SURGEONS

Mike Clark BDS

The Dental Practice, Baudelaire House, 15D-1 Town Range Tel/Fax: 52882

Dr Keith J Vinnicombe

BDS(Wales) LDS RCS(Eng) MFGOP(UK) Unit F5B ICC, 2a Main Street Tel/Fax: 40747 Emergency: 78756

GENERAL PRACTITIONERS

Street Tel/Fax:(350] 77778 email: enqulries@naiurespaililid.com

CLA88ICAI HOMEOPATH

Ken Offedal, BSc. imafhu aoufe and chronic illneeses

Instruction in Classical Homeopathy

- see website for free on-line healtK test

68 Main Stieet, let Floor Tel: 41733 or 952896424 www.homeopathg.eunl.org

PASSANO

Dr J. Shelley & Dr M. Salem College Clinic, Regal House, Queensway. Tel: 77777 Fax: 72791

E-mail: info(a>collegeclinic.gi

Website: www.collegeclinic.gi

HEALTH STORES

The Health Store 5 City Mill Lane. Tel: 73765

Nature's Path 47 Governor's Street Tel/Fax: (350)77778

Email: enquiries@naturespathltd.com

HOMEOPATHS

Ken Oftedal.BSc, MAEHU At Claudia's Beauty Clinic (Fridays) 58 Main Street. 1st Floor Tel: 41733 (or Spain 952 89 64 24)

OPTICIANS / OPTOMETRISTS

Eye Studio Opticians Unit 20B Grand Casemates Tel ; 47800 Fax: 47801

Gache & Co Limited 266 Main Street. Tel: 75757

SURGEON

Visiiing Orihodoniisi & Oral Surgeon 62 Main Street. Suite 6. FO Box 909. Gibraltar Tel: 76817

Not^-intrusu/t^ heLUtic IwJuU fn RtiktauvprfmaO-tuaJiKjok a sfiirituAl,fikfsuAl, murtoior tmotienjU lartl,

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

REIKI

Marian Rush Fortunes, Casemates Square

Tel: 51058 Email: gibreiki@Yahoo.co.uk

SPORTS THERAPIST

Simon Coldwell Dip ftstlcspiiStwabba G3, Eliott Hotel 2 Governor's Parade Tel: 51113 Mobile: + 34 678 857 185

Email: simon coldwell@hotmail.com

Following Nature's Path to Good Health

lunch or prepare a vegetable feast you will discover that eating more healthily can be great tasting too. And whisper has it that Nature's Path will soon be offering organic salads and sandwiches,so you will

no longer be able to blame lack of time for eating what's good for you.

Call in at Nature's Path,47 Gov ernor's Street Tel:77778—you will be surprised just how much good stuff can be put into a small shop.

DentalPractice new atTown Range

mm

Nature's Path,the new and won derful natural health store at 47 Governor's Street offers everything from fruit and vegetables to breads and food supplements,but there is something quite special about this particular range of healthy food stuff... The majority of what is on offer at Nature's Path is organic, and that includes the delicious range of herbal teas and even the

crisps!

There is a lovely range of natural baby products such as shampoos and nappy creams using organi cally produced essential oils plus a special range of organic baby food

— what better start in life could baby have?

Whether you want to improve the healthiness of your midday snack, or your children's packed

The Dental Practice, previously of Main Street will open doors at Baudelaire House, 15D-1 Town Range on Monday 30th January 2006. The /nave to more spacious premises will allow Dentist Mike Clark, to offer more sendees such as Botox and Dermal Filler therapies. TellFax: 52882forfurther information or to book an appointment.

DMA to Eliminate Knee Surgery Waiting list

During the coming months, the GHA will be taking decisive action to cut the waiting lists of patients who require knee surgery. A Government sponsored initiative which is estimated will cost about £700,000 will be launched on 28th January 2006 in co-operation with Guy's and St. Thomas's Hospital in London.

The majority of patients requir ing orthopaedic surgery are those needing total or partial knee re placements. There are over 80 pa tients awaiting such procedures. These patients are being prioritised in accordance with clinical criteria as well as the length of time on the waiting list and will be operated on at week ends in groups ofabout6 patients at a time. Surgery commences on 28th/29th January 2006 and 25th / 26th February 2006 and will con tinue at intervals thereafter until the programme has been com pleted.

Mr Peter Ernshaw,the Consult

ant Orthopaedic Surgeon who spe cialises in knee surgery, will be leading the Orthopaedic Team, which includes Mr Jason Cross, a Clinical Nurse Specialist and other UK professionals, from Guy's and St. Thomas's Hospital. This team has an excellent reputation for knee replacement surgery and will be joined by local professionals.These include the GHA Anaesthetic Team, the Orthopaedic Team, Theatre nurses. Captain Murchison Ward nurses. Physiotherapists and Occu pational Therapists. Some of these local members of the team are go ing to Guy's and St. Thomas's for a period of familiarisation training.

GHA is writing to all patients on the knee replacement waiting lists asking them to confirm that they are willing to be included in this initiative. Fitness for surgery of each individual patient will be con firmed at a pre-assessment clinic at St. Bernard's Hospital which will take place in advance of actual sur gery.

The GHA is intending to sched ule the admission of each patient into hospital on an individual ba sis and will be contacting patients personally in this respect assoon as a surgery date has been identified. Patients will also be asked to indi cate if they would agree to being

available on standby for surgery at short notice, should a cancella tion arise earlier than their sched uled date for surgery.

Patients are being advised that not all the dates on which the op erations are to be carried have yet been finalised with the visiting team from Guy's and St.Thomas's Hospital. Patients on the Ortho paedic Waiting List are therefore being requested to wait until they are contacted by GHA and pro vided with dates for their surgery and to avoid telephoning GHA at this stage for this information as it may not be possible to confirm the dates at this moment in time.

pets>^accessories

Protect Your Dog Against Fatal Summer Diseases

Heartworm, Leishmaniosis, Tickborne Diseases

Phone Gibraltar Veterinary Clinic for details 77334

Emergency:8977

TroptCai A^oaria

1% PET CENTRE>

open: lOam - 7pm Mon-Fri, 10-2 Sat

International Commercial Centre Unit F11 (1st Floor)Tel: 78177 Fax: 51716

Jim is a two year old cat who has spent most of his life in a loving home but now finds himself at the cat shelter. He is desperate to love someone to bits!

Contact Sylvia Cat Welfare Society ;4- Tel: 42301

Petal is a lively inde pendent cat who would suit a household with no other pets. She is full of character and her curi ous nature ensures that those around her have a laugh.

Cat Welfare Society

Tel: 42301

framing

obtainable from Bookshops in Gibraltar

hobbies pastimes

FREDDIE PARODY

Book Wholesalers

Book Distribution

• Social Stationery • Novelties

Europa Business Centre Tel/Fax: 75842

first Floor, Caicmates S/ioppi)i^ Precinct & Giiirfllfur Butaiiif Cnrrfcns

The A lameJa. Tel:4170«/72619

The most imaginative gift shop. If nature hasn't thought of il — it's not worth having. Come and enjoy shopping with us.

To advertise on this page contact 77748 or email:

Sue Esserti of Candle Fantasy on the 1st Floor of the ICC has some lovely gift ideas — for a friend, for a Valentine or just for yourself!

Sue is delighted to have opened the little candle shop with the sup port of her daughter and friends and is sure her gifts will prove popular with all. In addition to thecandles—aromatherapy, nov elty, ball, birthday, church etc etc — Sue has in stock aromatherapy oils and room fresherners, oil burners,candle snuffers and hold ers, plus some extra special hand

made cards, table decorations and Dead Sea products. The Dead Sea products contain healing miner als for natural therapeutic skin treatments. Try the bath salts, natural mineral soap, mud mask or body lotion. Sea of Life prod ucts are free of detergents and animal fats, and arc packed with minerals and herbal oils which have given relief to suffers of pso riasis and eczema.

And Candle Fantasy has some fantastic Valentine's gifts! Don't miss this great addition to the ICC, Casemates. Tel: 46546

Med Golf Update

Terry's of Irish Town

Terry's, that well known Irish Town emporium of second-hand books and DVDs plus greeting cards, balloons and of course.the famous cake decorating supplies, has just got bigger... much much bigger.

Terry and Georgina Jesty have now taken over the Art Shop next door and expanded their premises through the wall... literally.

The colourful shop, packed to the gills with paper things and ic

ing sugar now opens onto the equally fascinating world of artists's supplies... Next door to stacks of paperbacks are paints and frames and canvases and brushes.

The combination of the two colourful browser's delights can only add to the joy of finding things you never even knew you needed alongside just what you were looking for to start with.

Visit Terry's at 96 Irish Town.

aano hemps

It was a good end to the year 2005 for local restaurateur Denny

To, when he won the Med Golf tournament, sponsored by Aage Hempel Marine Electronics, at Alcaidesa on Sunday 11th De cember. Denny now secures his spot along with last month's win ner Louis Calvente, for the Med

Golt Masters, which will be held at Valderrama in November 2006. Not content with winning the main competition, Denny also took the top senior prize and top team prize with Darren Warren.

Second place went to Dan Aldridge who had an excellent round of 73 in very windy condi

tions, with Les O'Reilly taking third place and Julie Brewer being the top lady on the day.

Members should note that all the tournament dates, where winners receive their invitation to the Med Golf Masters at Valderrama, are now in place with the next compe tition being at Monte Mayor on

Sunday 12th February for the Fa mous Grouse Trophy.You should make sure you book your tee time at www.teetimespain.com or ring Johnathan Goodson on 0034639741886. You can also get the full tournament schedule and membership details at the website or from Johnathan.

Tuesday 24th January to Thursday 2nd February

4th Gibraltar International Chess Festival at The Caleta Hotel. For information contact The Caleta Hotel Tel:71050 www.caletahotel.gi

Monday 6th February

Gun Salute in honour of HM the Queen's Accession to the Throne 12.00 noon at The Tower(Berth 41). For further information Tel: 53624

Tuesday 7th to Friday 17th Febru ary

33rd International Art Exhibition at John Mackintosh Hall, Upper & Lower Exhibition Rooms & Gallery 9.30am to 10.30pm. Entrance free. For information contact Ministry of Culture Tel: 44691 Email: mincultured'gibtelecom.net

Monday 6th February

TheGibraltar Philharmonic Society Cello Recital, Franz Batholomey (Principal Cellist, Vienna Philhar monic Orchestra) at The Convent 8.30 pm. Tickets £15.00 available at Solomon Levy Estate AgentConvent Place & Sacarello Coffee Shop - Irish Town. For info contact Angelo Sanquinetti Tel: 72134

Thursday 16th February

Danze Academy Annual Choreog raphy Competition at John Macktintosh Hall Theatre 7.30 pm. Tickets £6.00 available from John Mackintosh ticket office. For infor mation contact Ann Marie Gomez Tel: 44828

Saturday 18th February

Gibraltar Botanic Gardens Tour. Meet: George Don Gates (at the south end of Grand Parade) 10.30am. There is no fee but dona tions are welcome.Tel: 72639 Email: alamedad'Wildlife.gib.gi

Sunday 19th February

WHAT'S ON THIS MONTH JL

GONHS-Monthly Outing Europa Point 1 - Seabirds: Europa Point 3pm. For information contact Charles Perez Tel: 49229 Email: cperez@gonhs.org

Tuesday 21st February

GONHS- Monthlv Meeting"Alien Plants" by Leslie Linares-GONHS

- Botanical Co-ordinator at John Mackintosh Hall in the Charles Hunt Room 8.30pm. For further information Tel: 72639 Email: alameda@wildlife.gib.gi

Wednesday 22nd February

The Gibraltar Museum talk by Dr Sam Benady "Don & The Gibraltarians" at John Mackintosh Hail Theatre 8.30pm Entrance free. For information contact the Gibral tar Museum Tel: 74289

Saturday 25th February

Gibraltar Heritage Trust tour of the 'Old Red Light District' led by Tito Vallejo. Meet: Hospital Steps (out side'Anything Goes')2.30pm. For information Tel: 42844

Sunday 26th February

Calple Rambles meet Spanish Side of the Frontier just to the right of theAduana Vehicle Exit at Sam.For information contact Ray Tel: 71956 or John Tel: 74645

Thursday 2nd to Saturday 4th March

The Gibraltar Stage Dance Festival at John Mackintosh Hall Theatre. Tickets: £5 or £15(4 sessions).(4th March has two sessions on in the morning and the Night Gala).Tick ets on sales at the Nature Shop, Casemates from Monday 20th Feb ruary at 11am.For information con tact Seamus Byrne on Tel: 79758 or e-mail: seamus@gibtelecom.net

by Leslie Linares. Arthur Harper and John Cortes

LORD NELSON CASeMATGS

Starters

Market Fresh Mussels £4.95

<lur cjj^h is served in a >vhilr vvims icnrlir uml rn*ain samv. uJso uvnilahio as

II IIHIIII CDIII'M*

Itomemacle Chicken Liver Pale

S»!rvtHl wiili nti oraii(£f sjiui-t' and ofaHiipntiicil vviUi loasl nntl bulUT

King Prawns Pii-Pii

I'l-oU-d kiiiR iifiiwiis scrvi-d in a \irffin nlivt- oil, jsiirlic iind chilli ."tiiicc

Spanish .Manchego Cheese & Jaindn Pala Negra

'IViic SpiitilMi niivoiirs, Mnnchcfto chco.sc iind Himoiis I'lilii Ncjcni liiifii

French Onion Soup

Si'iTfd with (Toiiton.s .and lopped «ilh iiieiietl eliee.se

French .Avocado and Smoked Salmon

.Sened on h base ol'salad lea\e!> and ilren-sed in a balsamk' vUioRar

Tomato and Mozzarella Salad

Pim- and Minple. bei-r loniiiloes sen ed with nufTalu Mozzarelln Cheese

Deep fried fela cheese

.Sen eil «illi a salad Kiiniisli

Main Courses

£4.25 £6.95 £7.25 £3.25 £5.95 £4.25 £4.45

Fresh Fillet of Duck Breast £12.95

ran !i ied \ sealed, then Tmished in Ihe oven with a speeial oruiifce sams-

13()verSole . £12.50

\lnrhel fresh Dover sole l>iuslie<i \\illi flour tlien pan-fHefi,ser»Td wlUi hulter. parsley & lemon

Tournedo Rossini _ £12.95

The Rnesl I'ul ofllie ffllel. p-illed & soned on a croulon base,lopjied wilfi ami Pala

NfRioi Jiniu'iii. Ihen eovereti with a sweet donii-Rtas sauce,lltlii dish U cooked to your liking

Fresh Fillet of Beef £12.50

Looked In your l.a.sic, plain (triUfd or serveil wiUi o ehoiee orsiuiees: Pepper, Hliio t;heese. Lliiisseur, Ih'ainiy. Garlir Duller

i.ord Nelson's Traditional Fish and Chips . £8.50

I'Veslilv liniiei'cd in the (tahey's secret rec ipe Inilter. sened wllh chips A mushy peas

Liver and Onions £7.95

I'lin-I'riecl ealtes tivcTs sauK'ed wilJi onions,red wine It (ti'iivy, served with mastied polnlcKrs

Fillet of Chicken Breast £8.95 tresli chicken hroasl seeved in a ehoire of sonees: Cream of Miishroum. Gnrlie and Prawns. Pepper or Ilhie Cheese satire

Stir Fried Pork _ £9.95

Tender sirips of pork fillet ennked with soy sanee. served wllh bean spront.s

Fetlucini Marinara £8.25

.S'rved with mixed seafood,euoktrd in a rich tomslo.gariie & white wino sauce

Vegetarian Pasta Bake £5.25

Baked in the nten, rotered vs1lh cheese sauce 0)

Scottish Salmon Steak ..£10.50

h esh grilled salmon sleak. served nitli mcllcd butler A lemon

Mussels in Wliile Wine _ £8.95

Our slRiiiiluiv dish - Fresli mussels eooked In while wine, garlic & cream

Desserts

Chocolate Tart

Itjeh c'hoi'ohile Uirl, dusled with choc hile itowder & serv ed with i<re-ereain

Homemade Lemon Tart

Whiil euli we sat!

Slrawben-y Cheesecake

Delieloiis homemade en-am nilxett witli cheese, topped with simwberry jam

Apple Pie IVuditional wann.served with ice cream

Ice Cream VanlUa..strawberry or Chotxtlaie A a ehoire ofcream and/or elUM-olale syrup

Peacil Melba Hairpeach with rich cream lopiieU wllli syrup of choeoiate & .sv nip

All desserts £3.75

Coffee

LxpreS.SO - simng. hlnek eolTee in a .sniiill( lip

Cappuccino - K.xpresso. steamed milk nilxeil with Ihe expresso and tupped will) roamed milk

Latie - 1/1 expresso.2/^ steamed milk

Americano - Expresso shot in a Clip of hoi waier

MochaCCinO • Rxiiresso with hot chocolate & {'named milk

MaCChiatO - Rxpn-sxo shot with whipped cream

Romano - Rxpre.sso with a twist of lemon peel Book

Poetry:To Bo Blunt..

I don't know about you, but I never quite know what to make of. poetry. I think, though only on the slimmest and most subjective of internal evidence,that I can identify fairly well the ridiculously bad and the sublimely wonderful, but between the two extremes lies, for me, a vast wilderness of stuff that leaves me cold, baffled and supremely indifferent.

As an accomplished writer of te dious fifth-rate doggerel myself, it might be imagined that I would possess the necessary insight to appreciate the deft line, the musi cal marriage of meter and rhyme, the golden shimmer of celestial wordplay. But no. It is a sad truth that the world is awash with peo ple who believe themselves to be poets. That the great majority are hopelessly self-deluded is plain, but there remains a great army of what might be considered border line cases; wordsmiths of clearly better than average skill who may, for all 1 know, have a legitimate claim to the title but who,for me at least,fall short of offering definitive proof.

Into this great, undistinguished wilderness 1 must controversially cast the blameless Wilfrid Scawen Blunt. 1 admit that 1 am being harsh. The man never did me any harm and, for all I know, he was very good to his mother.There arc many who consider him a fine poet and, as 1 have already made plain, I con spicuously lack the critical acumen to contradict them. But as with so many of his fair-to-middling ilk, when 1 read his verse (which I do as infrequently as 1 converse in Ice landic) I am left with the nagging feeling that he might perhaps have made better use of his time by learning to juggle while riding a bicycle.

My inadequate research has not established for a certainty that Blunt ever set foot in Gibraltar, but at the very least he passed close by, and as we shall see, he was deeply moved and impressed by the place, so let us pause briefly to pay him a little homage in return.

On the face of it. Blunt was an unlikely man to have been im pressed by Gibraltar, at least in a political sense. Despite being born into a well-established, solidly pa triotic Sussex family in 1840, he grew to despise the existence of the British Empire and all that it stood for. In his view, the empire's effect on both the colonisers and the colo nised was cntirelv negative.

In his diary for 9th January 1896, he wrote,"the British Empire is the

greatest engine of evil for the weak races now existing in the world", adding for good measure that he would "be delighted to see England stripped of her whole foreign pos sessions". He was convinced that England (he seems never to have been entirely comfortable with the concept of "Britain",though he did refer on occasion to "the British is lands")was far more respected,and indeed respectable, in the days of Queen Elizabeth T' when it held no territory beyond its own bounda ries.

His views were unusual for the time,and made even more so by the fact that he spent over a decade working in the diplomatic service.

But his heart was never really in the job. As he unwillingly went about waving the flag in foreign faces on behalf of Queen Victoria, he yearned to make his name as a poet, which may be one reason why he chose to marry Lady Anne Noel, who was not a great beauty but who had the attraction, for Blunt, of being the only known descend ant of Lord Byron.

The pair first met in Venice, and the most gallant comment that the lovestruck Wilfrid felt able to make was that she considered herself "plainer than she was". There are some days, are there not, when the muse lies dormant and stubbornly

refuses to wake?

If there was fire in the soul, and passion in the heart of Wilfrid Scawen Blunt, it found expression in his life-long commitment to antiimperialism and the cause of what he considered oppressed nations.

In this respect he was far from being an all words and no action gentleman dilettante, as may be seen from the fact that he drew a prison sentence in 1888 for his vo ciferous efforts in the cause of Irish home rule. At least that put him out of the frame as a candidate for Jack the Ripper.

Politically he wasfar ahead of his time, writing The Future ofIslam in 1882, when a sizeable chunk of the British public would not have known whether that was a religious faith or a variety of onion.

After his marriage to Lady Aruie he abandoned his hated career in diplomacy. To fill his time he took to breeding Arab horses. He and his wife travelled widely (on horse back, of course)through North Af rica, Asia and the Middle East look ing for suitable specimens to enrich his increasingly famous stud. Somewhere along the way he even managed to fit in an affair with Jane Morris, the wife of William Morris and one-time model for the painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti.

His best-known volume of po etry, Love Sonnets of Proteus, was published in 1880 and was well-re ceived. From the vantage point of 2006 it is easy to scratch our heads and wonder what the Victorians saw in such stuff, but to do so misses the point.

This was an era before television, before computers and iPods,before even the opportunity of the masses to travel widely. Illiteracy was still the norm for large sections of soci ety. A deft touch with the written and spoken word was a rare and greatly admired skill.

The production of at least one slim volume of verse was almostde ri^ueur for the well-to-do young man (seldom woman)about town.

These days a great deal of Victo rian poetry, even that which was highly regarded at the time,seems comically wordy and over-the-top,

the most gallant commentthatthe lovestruck Wilfrid felt ahle to make was thatshe considered herself "plainer than she was"

This lover ofthe east and Gonnoisseur of far-flung places caked with alien dust was heth seasick and homesick

like the wild-eyed flamboyant act ing in silent films.

Which brings us neatly back to Wilfrid Scawen Blunt, horsebreeder,champion ofthe underdog, but above all, at least so far as he was concerned, a poet. And it is in his poetry that we detect perhaps the shadow of a hint that beneath his blustering, empire-hating exte rior there beat a heart that was pos sibly a touch more patriotic than he would have felt comfortable in ad mitting.

Nowhere is this plainer than in theshort poem that he was inspired to write by the sight of Gibraltar.

He had been at sea for many weeks, and it had been a stormy voyage. This lover of the east and connoisseur of far-flung places caked with alien dust was both sea sick and homesick.Suddenly,in the brightness of a calm, clear evening the mighty Rock hove into view.A symbol of Empire it may have been, but for once Blunt's emotions were stirred in an unexpected direction.

Frantically he called for pen and paper,and,perhaps before he even knew what he was saying,he scrib bled down a poem that he called, Gibraltar:

Seven weeks ofsea,and ttvice seven days ofstorm

Upon the huge Atlantic, and once more ride into still water, and the calm Of a sweet evening, screen'd by either shore

OfSpain and Barbary. Our toils are o'er, Our exile is accomplish'd. Once again We look on Europe, mistress as of yore Ofthefair earth and ofthe hearts of men.

Ay,this is thefamed rock which Hercules And Goth and Moor bequeath'd us. At this door

England stands sentry. God! to hear the shrill

Sweet treble ofherfifes upon the breeze, And at the summons of the rock gun's roar

To see her red coats marchingfrom the hill!

He slept well that night.

Blunt was better when he cast off the contrived pomposity of his po etry and wrote his simple, heartfelt prose.

On the last day of 1900 he took out his diary and penned a few wistful and, in retrospect, shrewd words on the passing of the old cen tury, and the coming of the new:

"I bid good-bye to the old cen tury, may it rest in peace as it has lived in war. Of the new century I prophesy nothing except that it will see the decline of the British Em pire. Other worse empires will rise perhaps in its place, but 1 shall not live to see the day.It all seems a very little matter here in Egypt, with the pyramids watching us as they watched Joseph when, as a young man four thousand years ago, per haps in this very garden,he walked and gazed at the sunset behind them, wondering about the future just as 1 did this evening. And so, poor wicked nineteenth century, farewell!.."

Fate allowed him to witness al most a quarter of the new century, and when he died in 1922, back home in Sussex, he was buried, as his wish, in the style of a Muslim.

perhaps before he even knew what he was saying,he scribbled down a poem that he called,"Gihraitar"

Aii:^ Li Criih.6

The Arts Centre, Prince Edward's Rd. Art classes for children {5-6pm Mon,5-6.30pm lues, 5-7pm Thurs), adults (Mon - Tues 6.30pm-8pm, Wed 6.30pm-8.30pm, life painting Wed 7pm-9pm). Tel: 79788.

The Fine Arts Association Gallery 1 st Floor above Gibraltar Crystal, Casemates. Open 11am-2pm, 4-6pm Mon - Fri, Sat 11am2pm, 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. Contact: Audrey Batty on 44355

Board Games

Chess Club meets in Studio 1, John Mack intosh Hail 8-10.30pm Tues.

The Gibraltar Scrabble Club meet John Mackintosh Hall Mondays. Bank holidays changed to Thursday same week. 7pm11pm All welcome. Tel: 73660 or 75995.

The Subbuteo Club meets Charles Hunt Room, John Mackintosh Hall 7.30 -11pm.

Dance

Modern 6 Latin American Sequence Danc ing Mondays Catholic Community Centre 8.30pm Ibeginners 7.30). Over 15s welcome. www.gibnynex.gi/inst/cccseqdance/

Old & Modern Sequence Dancing sessions at the Catholic Community Centre at 8pm, beginners at 7.30pm, Wednesday,

The DSA Old & Modern Sequence Danc ing sessions at Central Hall Fridays 8pm, be ginners 7,30pm. Tel : 78282 or e-mail manvio@gibnet.gi Everybody welcome.

Senior Citizens Teatime Dances at The Youth Centre, Line Wall Rd on Mondays 25.30pm. All senior citizens welcome for cof fee, tea and biscuits. Entrance free.

Classical Ballet classes for children A+.

Spanish dance and hip-hop at Liza School of Dance, 3rd floor, Methodist Church, 297/ 299 Mam St, Classes Weds & Fri from 6pm at Chiitern Court(4Cs), Tel: 58111000, Line Dancing GGCA Hall, Hargraves Ramp, Weds 7-Bpm beginners;&-9pm improvers: 9-10pm advanced. All welcome, including visitors to Gib, Tel: Helen 50381 /54013760.

Latin Caribbean Dance Classes Salsa, Samba, Merengue, Cha-Cha. Wednesday 9pm-10pm £3, Instructor Ffedro Vera, Urban Dance Studio,Jumpers Bastion, Rosia Road, For ail levels, adults, singles and couples, no experience necessary, come and have fun, exercise and enjoy the rhythms.

History b Heritage

The Gibraltar Heritage Trust The Main Guard, 13 John Mackintosh Sq, Tel: 42844. The Gibraltar Classic Vehicle Association Dedicated to preservation of Rock's trans port/motoring heritage. Assists members in restoration / maintenance of classic vehicles. Members/vehicles meet first Sunday of month, Safeway'scarparkfrom 10am, New members welcome, Tel: 72481 Fax: 72033.

Music

The Gibraltar Music Centre Trust Complete spectrum of instrument learning strings drums etc. Theory lessons- Five days a week 4pm-9pm. Tel: 75558 for details.

The Gibraltar National Choir and Gibral tar Junior National Choir rehearse on Mon day and Thursday 7,30pm - 9pm. New sing ers of all ages always welcome. Tel: Lili 40035,54006727

Outdoor Activities

The Caipe Ramblers This group walks on last Sunday each month, except July and August. Meeting place is the Spanish side of the frontier 8am just to the right of and opposite the Aduana vehicle exit. For any

information contact either Ray Murphy 71956 or John Murphy 74645, the two co ordinators of the group.

The Duke of Edinburgh's Award is an ex citing self-development Programme avail able to ail young people worldwide equip ping them with life skills to make a differ ence to themselves, their communities and the world. To date over 5 million young peo ple from over 100 countries have been mo tivated to undertake a variety of voluntary and challenging activities, F^r further de tails contact The Duke of Edinburgh's Award Montagu Bastion, Line Wail Road, Gibraltar

Tel: 59818 Fax: 51971 Reg, Charity No: 61

Quizzes

Cannon Bar quizzes are held on Tuesdays with at least three quizzes per night. Start ing with a warm up, then two other quizzes, including a theme quiz. Starts at 8.30pm, all welcome and prizes are given. Free en trance but a donation to charity is requested. Tapas served after the quiz.

The Edinburgh Arms, Naval Hospital Road, has a quiz night from 8.30pm every Monday with prizes and free tapas.

The Tunnel in Casemates has a pub quiz and entertainment on Sunday nights.

Social Clubs

Scots on the Rock: Any Scots visiting the Rockcan contact Charles Poison (Tel: 78142) for assistance or information.

Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes(Gi braltar Province) meets at RAOB Club, Vault

1 Jumpers Bastion on these days: Provin cial Grand Lodge, 1st Monday of month, 8pm.Executive Meeting,last Mon of month 7pm. Knights Chapter, 2nd Mon of month 7.30pm, Examining Council, 3rd Mon of month 7pm. William Tilley 2371,Thurs 8pm. Buena Vista 9975, Weds (fortnightly) 7pm, Por Favor 9444, Weds(fortnightly)7pm,Fare well 10001, Tues 8.30pm, Goldacre 10475 (social) last Fri of month 8pm.

The Tuesday Ladies' Club meets 8pm, Queensway Club on first Tuesday each month. Open to ail women in Gibraltar who enjoy making new friends. Non-profit mak ing, proceeds donated to charity. Tel: Anne 43869, or Margaret 70816.

Special Interest Clubs b Societies

Gibraltar Horticultural Society meets first Thurs of month 6pm,John Mackintosh Hall, Annual Spring Flower Show. Also slide shows, demos on flower arrangements and outings to garden centres plus annual tour of Aiameda Gardens. All welcome.

The Gibraltar Photographic Society meets on Mon at around 8pm, Wellington Front. Basic courses, competitions etc, UN Association of Gibraltar PO Box 599, 22a Main Street. Tel: 52108,

Sports Supporters Clubs

Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Club, Commorant Wharf Boat Owners' Club, For details/fixtures Tel: Mario 40240, Michael 55185,John 43166,Tito 70410, Dick 79000, John 59804 or Raju 76176.

Sports B Fitness

Artistic Gymnastics: Gibraltar Artistic Gym nastics Association club for beginners, jun iors and squad at Bayside School in eve nings. Tel: Angela 70611 or Sally 74661,

Athletics: Gibraltar Amateur Athletics Asso ciation holds competitions throughout year for juniors, adults and veterans. Two mam clubs (Calpeans 71807, Lourdians 75180) hold training sessions at Victoria Stadium, Badminton: Recreational badminton is avail able weekdays at Victoria Stadium (Tel: 78409 for allocations). Gibraltar Badminton Association (affiliated to IBA 8 EBA) has leagues and training for adults and second ary school. Tel: Ivan 44045 or Linda 74753.

Basketball: Gibraltar Amateur Basketball Association (affiliated FIBA) leagues/ train ing for minis, passarelle, cadets,seniors and adults at a variety of levels, Tel: John 77253, Randy 40727 or Kirsty (minis)49441, Billiards & Snooker: Gibraltar Billiards and Snooker Association (member IBSA) round leagues and competitions at various venues. New members welcome. Tel: Eddie 72142 or Peter 77307.

Boxing: Gibraltar Amateur Boxing Associa tion(member lABA)gym on Rosia Rd, Over 13s welcome to join. Tuition with ex-pro boxer Ernest Victory(75513 w,42788 h).

Canoeing: Gibraltar Canoeing Association, Tel: Nigel 52917 or Eugene 58014000.

Cricket: Gibraltar Cricket Association(mem ber ICC) runs leagues/competitions at Europe PointA/ictoria Stadium. Junior/senior training. Tel: Tom 79461 or Adrian 44281.

Cycling: Gibraltar Cycling Association vari ous cycling tours, Tel: Uriel 79359, Darts: Gibraltar Darts Association(member WDF)adult/junior leagues/competitions. Tel: Tony 70379 or Harry (Junior darts)41798.

Football: Gibraltar Football Association runs leagues/competitions for all ages OctoberMay. Futsal in summer months, Victoria Sta dium. Tel: 42941 www.gfa.gi. Senior Tel: Albert 41515, Junior Tel: Richard 58654000, Women's Tel: Brian 52299. Recreational foot ball for over 35s Tel: Richard 70320.

Golf: Med Golf tournaments held monthly. Tel: 79575 for tournament venues/dates, Gi braltar Golf Union has competitions through year, EGU handicaps. Tel: Bernie 78844.

Hockey: Gibraltar Hockey Association(mem bers FIN 8 EHF)high standard competitions/ training for adults and juniors,Tel: Eric 74156 or Peter 72730, Judo; Gibraltar Judo Association UKMAF recognised instructors for all ages and lev els at Budokai Martial Arts Centre, Welling ton Front. Tel Charlie 73116 or Peter 73225.

Ju-jitsu: Gibraltar Ju-jitsu Academy training and grading for luniors/seniors held during evening at 4 North Jumpers Bastion (Rosia Rd). Tei: Tony 79855 or club 47259.

Karate-do Shotokai: Gibraltar Karate-do Shctokai Association sessionsfor junior/sen iors, gradings and demos at Karate Club house,41H Town Range Tei: Andrew 48908.

Motorboat Racing: Gibraltar Motorboat Racing Association Tei: Wayne 75211, Netball: Gibraltar Netbail Association (affili ated FENA 8 IFNA) competitions through year, senior/junior leagues.Tel: Moira41795 or Suzette 41874, Petanque: Gibraltar Petanque Association plays at Giralda Gardens, Smith Dorrien Ave, New members welcome. Tel: Francis 70929.

Pool: Gibraltar Pool Association (member EUKPF) home and away league played on Thurs through season, Tei: Linda 74753.

Rhythmic Gymnastics: Gibraltar Rhythmic Gymnastics Association run training ses sions for girls 5-18 years weekday evenings during school holidays, Tel: Richard 70320, Rugby: Gibraltar Rugby Football Union train ing sessions for Colts (14-1-), seniors and veterans. Play in Andalusia 1st Division Oct - April, Tel: Darren 77938

Sailing: Gibraltar Yachting Association jun ior/senior competitive programme through season (April - Oct)Tei: RGYC48847.

Sea Angling: Gibraltar Federation of Sea Anglers (members FIPS-M 8 CIPS) Superb calendar of events with four clubs partici

pating, Tel: Mario 72622 or Charlie 74337, Shooting: Gibraltar Shooting Federation over 14s only. Rifle, Europa Point range (Tel: Joe 74973): clay pigeon. East Side(Tel: Harry 74354); Pistol, facilities near Royal Naval Hospital (Tel: Fidel 71990).

Skating: Gibraltar Skating and Xtreme Sports Association opens its Skate Park, Coaling Island, Queensway, Monday, Tues day 8 Wednesday, from 5pm til 8pm Satur day 8 Sunday,from 2pm til 5pm Thursday 8 Friday, closedSat 2-6pm, State of art ramps for Xtreme/aggressive roller biading /skate boarding. Leisure skating fa cilities provided within excellent rink(when

not used for roller hockey training), Tel: Eric 70710 (after 5) or jusl turn up.

Snorkelling 8Spear Fishing: Over 145 wel come for snorkelling, over 16s for spear fish ing. Tel: Joseph 75020.

Squash: Gibraltar Squash Association, The Squash Centre, South Pavilion Road (mem bers WSF8 ESP). Adult/junior tournaments/ coaching, Tel: Ronnie44922 or Barry 73260, Sub-Aqua: Gibraltar Sub-Aqua Association taster dives for over 14s, tuition from local clubs. Voluntary sports clubs: Tel: Phil 44606, Noah's Dive Club Tel: Leslie 79601. 888s Dive Club Tel: Martin 70944. Commer cial sports diving schools also available. Swimming; Gibraltar Amateur Swimming Association(member FINA& LEN)opens its pool for leisure swimming Mon - Fri 78.45am, 12-4pm, 8-9pm. Junior lessons (Rebecca 71342), squad for committed swimmers, water polo(Chris 72869).

Table Tennis: Gibraltar Table Tennis Asso ciation(members ITTA)training/playing ses sions, Victoria Stadium, Tues 6-10pm and Thurs 8-11pm with coaching and league competition. Tel: Lizanne 45071/54020477 or Eugene 58014000.

Taekwondo: Gibraltar Taekwondo Associa tion classes/gradings Tei: Marl 44142, Tennis: Gibraltar Tennis Association, Sand pits Tennis Club, excellent junior develop ment programme. Courses for adults, leagues / competitions, Tel: Frank 77035.

Ten-Pin Bowling: Gibraltarlen Pin Bowling Association(members FIQ 8 WTBA)leagues at Ultra Bowl,training for juniors and squad, Tel: Gary 42447 or Charlie 71125, Triathlon: Gibraltar Triathlon Union (mem bers ITU)Tei: Chris 75857 or Harvey 55847, Volleybaii: Gibraltar Volleyball Association (members W 6 EVP)training, leagues, com petitions for juniors/seniors. Tel: Tony 40478 or Elizabeth 58306000.

Yoga: integral Yoga Centre runs a full pro gram of classes from Mon-Fri at 33 Town Range. Tel: 41389. All welcome.

Theatrical Croups

Gibraltar Amateur Drama Association Ince's Hall Theatre Complex, 310 Main Street E-rnail:gibdrama@yahoo.co.uk Tel: 42237 www.geocities.com/gibdrama

Stage Musicals Group contact Trevor on 73098.

Trafalgar Theatre Group meet 2nd Wed of month. Garrison Library 8pm. All wetcome, Cfubs, Associations,should submit details to The Gibraltar Magazine. S3D ICC, Main St Fax: 77748 for inclusion in this guide.

Support Groups/Associations

Akoholics Anonymous meet 7pm Tues and Thurs,!lam Sat at Nazareth Hse Tel 73774.

Citizens' Advice Bureau Open MondayFriday 9 30-12.30and 2.30-4.30. Tel: 40006

Email: info@cab.gi or visit 10 Governor's Lane. No appointment necessary, no charge.

The Gibraltar CAB is holding outreach clin ics at St Bernard's Hospital every Tuesday. Advisors are available at the first floor re ception on Zone 4,from 9am to 3pm. Infor mation and advice given is free, confiden tial and impartial,

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 9om at Nazareth House. For more details Tel: 70047 or 73465.

Gibraltar Cardiac Rehabilitation and Sup port Group meets on the first Tuesday of ovory month at8.30pm at the John Mac Hall, except for July and August.

Gibraltar Marriage Care. Free relationship counselling, including pre-marriage educa tion(under auspices of Catholic Church, but open to all). Tel: 71717.

Gibraltar Society for the Visually Impared. Tel 50111 i24hr answering service).

Hope. Support after miscarriage Tel: 41817.

Narcotics Anonymous Tel: 70720

Overeaters Anonymous support group of those with compulsive overeating problem, Tel: helpline for details of meetings 42581.

Parental Support Group, helping parents and grandparents with restrictive access to their children and granchildren. Tel: Rich ard 46536. Jason 76618,Dominic 54019602.

Psychological Support Group. Nazareth House. Group therapy Tuesdays 7-9pm(so cial. crafts, games, music etc.). Workshop Thursdays 2pm-4pm. Tel 51623.

SSAFA Forces Help Gibraltar, is a national charity, established to assist serving and exService personnel and their families. The charity helps to improve the lives of 80.000 people annually and there are approximately 7,000 voluntary workers. Community Sup port Team telephone(515481.

With Dignity Gibraltar friendly support group for separated, divorced, widowed or unattached people. Regular meetings Weds 9pm at Catholic Community Centre. Line Wall Rd. Outings and activities. Tel. Flor 54007181 or Marie 79957.

Women in Need. Voluntary organisation for ail victims of domestic violence. Refuge available. Tel: 42581 (24 hours).

Women's Aid. Aims to protect women and children from violence. Tel: 41999,

Church Services

Bahia Tel: 43637 for meetings.

Church of England Cathedral of the Holy Trinity Tel 78377. Sung Eucharist. Sunday

l0.3Cam. Sunday School

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Suite 21a Don House, 30-38 Main Street Tel'50433 Sundays 10am.

Church of Scotland St Andrew's. Gover nor's Pde. Tel: 77040. Worship & Sunday School 10,30am. Bible Study Tues 7.30pm-

Evangelical Bretheren Assembly, Queensway Quay. Sun 11am. Tues Bible

Study 6pm. Thurs Prayer Meeting 6pm.

Hindu Engineer's Lane Tel. 42515.

Jehovah's Witness Line Wall Rd Tel: 50186.

Jewish 10 Bomb House Lane Tel: 72606.

Methodist 297 Main St Tel: 77491. Sunday services 1 lam 87pm. Midweek Fellowships.

Roman Catholic Cathedral of St Mary the Crowned. 215 Main St Tel: 76688.

The Cityline Church 13 Castle Street Tel: 75755 email: citylinegib@yahoo,com. Meet ing: Tues 8pm. Sundays 11am.

Support Groups artd Churches should sub mit details to The Gibraltar Magazine, S3D International Commercial Centre. Main St Fax: 77748for inclusion in this guide.

The Mad Commineo

They call themselves the "Mad Committee" and though only its ex officio chairman can explain the origins of the name — "It just hap pened", chorus Barclays business bankers Jenny Tilbury and Sundra Botteridge when I ask — its fund raising for Gibraltar charities is far from daft and has grown from strength to strength since it was established.

In October last year the commit tee raised more than £4,000 for can cer related charities and the bank matched the funds they raised pound for pound.

"October is seen as the month in which international charities devote their activities to raising funds for cancer, and this year we will again be raising cash for cancer in Octo ber," Jenny says. "Hopefully, we'll double what we raise."

The "Think Pink" day for cancer relief and the sponsored "Walk for Life", which she and Sundra spear headed — and both of which Gi braltar took to its heart — raised cash not only for international can cer research but also gleaned more than £2,400 (again doubled by the bank) for the Lady Williams Can cer Relief fund. It will be used to improve facilities in the library area of the fund's premises in Devil's

Tower Road.

Bank staff will also give up some of their leisure time to sew curtains and put up shelving in the build ing, Sundra tells me.

"In the past year we've also raised funds — through cake sales and so on — for the Manacare Foundation and other charities... though nothing on the same scale and the cash we've raised for can cer," she adds."There are also regu lar'dress-down'days organized by Mark Harrison — usually with a

Also on the cards is a month of activities to raise cash for a school for the blind

In Sierra Leone...

specific theme — with prizes raf fled to raise additional cash."

This year the Mad Committee plans to focus its efforts on a differ ent area of charities and other vol untary organisationseach month.., including fund-raising for local youth groups such as the Boy Scouts and Guides."We may even look at ways to help youngsters' football and other sporting clubs," says Jenny.

Also on the cards is a month of activities to raise cash for a school for the blind in Sierra Leone.,. And that"mad" tag for the com mittee?

"It stands for'Make a Difference' and was coined by my former PA Harriet Wares," explains local Barclays Bank director Tim Streatfeild-James who has thrown his own, and the bank's, weight behind the charitable fund-raising.

RUNNING WITH THE BATON A Gibraltar family history byJoeGaggero-£12

'Running with the baton' is the story of a remarkable Gibraltarian, the 78 year old Joe Gaggero. It is also the economic history of the Rock during the last sixty years by a man who is regarded as the most successful Gibraltarian of his generation.

Despite the failed 15th economic siege of Gibraltar by General Franco, which had a serious effect on the finances of the Bland Group, Joe was able to increase turnover in the year ending 31st March 2005 to £206 million. He tells the story of how this was achieved.

Alan Clark,a regular contributor to the GB Airways in-flight maga zine, has assisted in the writing but the book sounds exactly as Joe speaks. Indeed it reads as if Joe is talking to the reader. He has also been helped by Robert Palmer and Simon Gooch who were editor and art director of the same magazine.

Joe has avoided the temptation to interpose the narrative with po litical and economic information which although fascinating to those interested in politics would have bored the non Gibraltarian reader.

Instead, 36 pages are dedicated to six appendices;- his 1965 address to senior British European Airways management;- the reasons for the need to grant financial assistance to sustain the Mons Calpe lifeline Gi braltar-Tangier maritime service;notes handed to the Governor on 28th December 1964;- his 1983 ad dress to the Gibraltar Rotary Club on commercialisation following the closure of the Dockyard;- his memorandum arising from a meet ing held at the Foreign Office on 11th March 1988 to clarify AngloSpanish Gibraltar Airport Agree ment.Joe points out that the memo randum is designed to eliminate potential misunderstandings aris ing from a fudged text where each side could construe a different in terpretation, not acceptable to the Gibraltar Government who exer cise a veto;- paper handed to the Chief Minister in the autumn of 1999 conveying the desirability of seizing the moment to launch a fresh initiative on a way forward with Spain.

Over the decades many are the stories and rumours circulating about the Gaggero family. Joe has either confirmed the truth of some or consigned the remainder to my thology.

There is a wonderful selection of photographs which greatly en hance the text. The reader will re-

Running with the baton

mistakes. This is very much a can did look at Gibraltar during the last sixty years and how life has changed from the virtually unchal lengeable might of the military as represented by the Governor whose every whim and instruction had to be obeyed by military and civilians alike to the more lenient Colonial Masters as in the person of Darrel Bates,and the slow growth ofgenu ine democracy linked to the evo lution of the Gibraltarian identity.

The downside to writing an au tobiography when the author is known to all 20,000 Gibraltarians is that it has to be accurate or some one will soon provide a different recollection ofany event.To date no one appears to be in contention with the main thrust of the Gaggero family story.

In 1951, aged 24, Joe was elected to the Board of the Gibraltar Cham ber of Commerce.He writes;'Other members were mostly old hands who'd been through the rigours of the war and who,aslong as I didn't encroach on their interests, wel comed my youthful brashness with great goodwill and even a little at tention.

fer repeatedly to these photos as well as the family tree of8 genera tions, the first Gaggero arriving on the Rock in 1811.

There are vivid stories about life in the households of the various members of the family and the paragraphs about his mother, the legendary Mabel, are both truthful and hilarious. This is but one exam ple;'When it's my turn(to die)I will be there too (North Front cem

etery).Strangely, Mabel and George do not lie together; my mother is with her own family,the AndrewsSpeeds, some distance from the Gaggero family plot. As it's a more attractive spot, I've decided that I will rest there too. I hope this is a wise decision in the light of our of ten turbulent relationship and that mother doesn't nag me through all eternity'.

Naturally Joe admits to making

But the Chamber of Commerce was widely regarded as protection ist and patriarchal; a haven of the "old guard". Nobody wanted to rock any boats, or change the longestablished ground rules. It was all very pleasant, all very gentlemanly and belonged in another era. Gi braltar's commercial life took place in a time-warp; stuck at least twenty years behind the times. Eve ryone sat behind their neat desks and basically just waited for the business to come in. There was lit tle planning ahead; if your com pany was doing all right that week or that month then God was in his heaven and all was well with the world. But the inward-looking at titudes of the commercial commu nity, though to some extent under standable given the size of our en vironment, were seriously bad for the Rock'.

From that moment in time Joe decided that it was no good look ing inward at Gibraltar but that eventually the Bland Group would have to grasp business opportuni-

There are vivid stories about iife in the households of the various memhers of the famiiy and the paragraphs about his mother,the iegendary Mabef,are both truthful and hilarious

ties in Spain, Morocco, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Joe has always networked, long before the word became fashion able. Over the decades he has built up an amazing list of contacts to which he adds nearly every day. He learnt from his father the necessity to cultivate senior military figures, senior Colonial Office and then For eign and Commonwealth Office officials, all local politicians, busi nessmen, journalists and indeed anyone who might atsome stage be of use to the Bland Group.

He also used his position as the largest employer on the Rock to obtain access to the succession of governors and chief ministers.

Fro!'nl955 to 1960 Joe was the Chairman of the newly created Gi braltar Government Tourist Com mittee which was in effect the first Ministry of Tourism, There are those who opine that no subse quently elected Minister ofTourism has ever been as effective.

Joe is proud to be a Gibraltarian and writes movingly of what this means to him: "The Gibraltarian's life is filtered through the prism of our turbulent history, our national identity and the continued uncer tainty of our future".

"In my life, this lump of lime stone is almost as much a character

as any human being. Throughout my life, this vibrant melting-pot of a place has constantly demanded my attention. In my working world,it has thrown terrible obsta cles in my path, driven me to dis traction and tied me down like Gulliver.In my private world,it has brought pressures and stresses that most outsiders would find impos sible to understand. But the chal lenges it has thrown me have forced me to grow both as a businessman and as a human being and I can never regret that. However much time I might now spend in England orSpain or Morocco, 1 always think of myself as a Gibraltarian. Being one may not have made my life easy, but it has rarely been dull".

Joe warns of a worrying new phenomenon that has reached the Rock; the economic fact that com mercial power is falling out of the hands of the Gibraltarians."All the big new projects on the Rock are being funded by outside interests and that makes the economy so much more vulnerable. If that hap pened, more and more of our young people wilt drift away to make their fortunes in other places".

This is a great read and highly recommended.

Gibraltar-Ballvinena

As part of the ongoing ar rangements for the twinning of Gibraltar with Ballymena. His Worship the Mayor of Ballymena, Councillor Tommy Nicholl and the Cultural Serv ices Manager Mr William Young will be paying a familiarisation visit to Gibraltar from 30th Janu ary to 1st February.

The Gibraltarian's life isfiltered through the prism of our turhulent history,our national identity and the continued uncertainty of ourfuture"

Out0^Africa

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Rooke Remembered (at last)

Sharon Keenan was commissioned by the Gibraltar Heritage Trust to sculpt the statue of General Sir George Rooke to mark the 300th anniversary of the capture of Gibraltar. This larger than life sculpture stands proudly at Devil's Tongue. Arthur Molinary, the most renowned medium who is a Gibraltarian, communicated with Sir George and was told that he was delighted with the statue as it is a fine likeness. En passant he mentioned that it had taken three centuries for him to be given any formal recognition on the Rock.

The General told Arthur that dur ing the unveiling ceremony he would send down a white feather as a sign of his appreciation. And loand behold a feather wafted into view and remained floating in front ofthe statue for many minutes dur ing the ceremony. The feather is clearly visible in the video of the ceremony.

Sharon is a sculptor, painter and design consultant. This multi tal ented artist started her career at the early age of three by modelling in clay;at six won a road safety poster competition and at 13 was awarded a coveted place at the Harrow Art School, followed by the Central School of Art and Design at South ampton Row in central London. By an amazing coincidence her tutor at Harrow was Theo Ramos who taught her life drawing and portrai ture. Theo,a Gibraltarian, went on to fame and fortune as a portrait artist who has painted many mem bers of the Roval Family.

In 1968 Sharon decided to turn her hand to jewellery design and went into business in East Sussex with her uncle. He specialised in sculpture whilst she concentrated on designing and making jewellery. After some time she was intro duced to sculpting and found that she loved to express herself in this medium.

Life docs not follow straight paths and in East Sussex she met Peter Proud, a prominent art direc tor, who thought that she had a natural talent to design window displavs. Ho introduced her to the Selfridges window display man ager and she was given a job on the team. Then she was asked to make

the display props to go into the window and so she was able to use her talent in making these mini sculptures who were mannequins with identifiable faces and who were fashioned in different pos tures. She also made up the faces and made the wigs. This she did for two years and also freelanced for other stores.

Sharon was then introduced to the film industry and was con tracted to make the props, decora tions and to paint the portraits and paintings that would feature on the many different sets used in a film. Her brief expanded to painting por traits and sculpting heads. Her films include The Master ofthe Game, Doctor aud the Devils, The Last Days ofPompeii, Hounds ofthe Baskennlles, The Sc"(jr/t'/ Pimpernel. The Holcrofl Coi'enant. Madam Sousatska. Blame it on the Bellboy, Ellis Island and The Tenth Man.

In 1979she worked on providing graphic design for the Financial Service industry and established herself as a design consultant in fine and applied arts and in the manu facturing industry whilst at the same time carrying on with sculpt ing and portraiture. Bowater Cor poration, Loctite International, Time Assurance, Professional Ad viser Services Ltd,and the Medical Protection Society were amongst her clients.

All this variety was the best possible experience for when she set up as a sculptor, de signer and painter.

Sharon has exhibited with the Roval Academy; the Roval Society of Marine artists; the So

ciety of Portrait Sculptors (award winner). Woman Art Gallery, New York; Hamilton Gallery, London (private show).

Another string to her bow is sculpting children and animals which can be displayed in a garden.

Her public commissions include work for the City of London, Kilmamock City Council and the Territorial Army.

Sharon has pro vided portrait

sculpture for the City of London, the Hague, Madame Tussaud, Vaux-le-Vicomte, the London Pal ladium, Museum of Moving Image and Hever Castle.

This is the pedigree of the artist responsible for the fine statue of Admiral Sir George Rooke. She considers it to be her most success ful work of art to date better even than the sculpted head of Mickey Steel Bodger which can be seen at the East India Club in St James' Square. Should any reader wish to contact Sharon her tel ephone and fax is 0044 207221 9074

Sharon Keenan:

The General told Arthur that during the unveiling ceremonv he would send down a white leather as a sign of his appreciation

by Alan Gravett

12'GATE, computers

13B College Lane

Tel: 50612

Decorative Crafts.

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Card MakiiiK Supplier Ink Prtrfs, Peel Offs, Blank Cards, Rubber S/awps ek"

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Send completed cros>a-orA The Cannon Bar, Caiini'n Lane, Gibraltar. One enirx/ per person.

first PRIZE: Lunch for 2 at The Cannon Bar

Winner notified in next issue of The Gibraltar Mtigazrne.

Closing date: 23rd Tebncari/ 2005

Last month's answers: Across: 1. l.amb Cutlet,7. Spare rib, b. Heft, 9. Loin, 10. Ejector, 12. Promulgated, 14. Lambasl, 16. Rump, 19. Seen,20.Downpour,21.Corrugated. Down:1. Lapel,2. Martino,3. Cure,4. Toby jugs, 5. Ethic, 6. Afford, 11. Outsider, 12. Peahen, 13. Trumpet, 15. Bingo, 17. Pound, 18. Swag.

Crossword Winner Deborah Bcntiell, Bomb House Lane

GIBRALTAR CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU

The Gibraltar Citizens Advice Bureau is a registered charity that offers free and independent information and advice.

All welcome, whatever the problem,the Gibraltar Citizens Advice Bureau is here to help you.

We don't tell!

We don't charge!

We don'tjudge!

Contact the Bureau at tel: 40006, Fax:40281,email:

Across

5) Coiffeuse(11)

7) Peruse carefully or electronic medical check (4)

8) Old title of pub landlord, now used mostly jocularly (4,4)

9) Glaringly obvious(7)

11) See 17)

13) Building for a community of monks or nuns(5)

14) SAS,for example(7)

16) Boring, as a dentist or oil prospector might be doing (8)

17)& 11)Creator of 5d), 1)(4,5)

18) A citizen of Belgrade, until recently (11)

Down

1) s€?e 5 down

2) Inflexible(7)or 1970s/1980s pop singer(4,3)

3) Material of jeans(5)

4) Avoidance(8)

5) And 1)Tom Sawyer"s friend (11,4)

6) Preparation of a common metal unique to a specific large country (7,4)

10)Study of the existence of God (8)

12) Cotton fabric with a checked pattern (7)

15) Wash lightly; your 5)across might give you a blue one!(5)

17) Post(4)

rnor s

ppositc

The climax vegetation of the Up per Rock is what is known as maquis.This is consists of a dense, sometimes impenetrable, mass of small trees and shrubs, together with a number of climbing plants. Ground cover is provided by those species which can put up with the lower light level allowed through by the canopy. A richer variety is found in any clearings in the maquis, and along footpaths and roadsides.

The principal trees of the maquis are the wild olive {Olca europaea), osyris (0.syn'.s quadripnrtita), Medi terranean buckthorn {Rhainnuii

alaternus),lentisc(Pistacia lettHscus), and terebinth {Pistacia terebinthiis).

All these trees produce berries which are an important food source for birds and other animals. The fruit of the wild olive is a favourite of the monkeys, and it is common to see the monkeys with dark bluepurple "lipstick" as a result of feast ing on them. The lentisc and terebinth are of the same family as the popular pistachio nuts. The leaves of these two trees give off a strong resinous smell when crushed. The buckthorn is easily confused with the olive, but they can be told apart from the fact that

the buckthorn's leaves are greener than those of the olive, which are more grey-green,especially under neath. The buckthorn's leaves are also slightly toothed.

Other common small trees or shrubs are the scorpion vetch (Coronilla vali'iitiuu s.sp, glauca), lo cally known as St Patrick's flower, and the spiny broom (Calicotomc i'i7/os«). The yellow flowers of these two plants give off a wonderful scent which wafts around the Up per Rock during early spring. The yellow-flowered wild jasmine (Ja^miuutv frufiain^) is also quite common, but the flowers lack the

scent of the cultivated forms. Also very common is the white aspara gus (Asparagus aWus). These very spiny shrubs have white stems and thorns, and produce tiny, white, sweet-scented flowers at the end of summer or beginning of autumn. At the time of flowering, they lack their narrow green leaves.

More information on Gi braltar's ivildflowers can be obtainedfrom the book The Flowers of Gibraltar written by Leslie Linares, Arthur Harper and John Cortes. Available from local bookshops.

MOD partners ship-wreck treasure hunters

Jon Lewes explores the details of the billion pound deal and the possible threat to our underwater cultural heritage

About a dozen miles oft' the coast of Gibraltar, 1,000 metres below the surface ofsome of the busiest ship ping lanes in the world, is thought to lie the wreck of HMS Swsstx once the flagship of one of Britain's fin est fleets. Twenty-three other ships from the fleet of eighty were sunk by the storm in which the Siisst'.r foundered together with many of the ships from the convoy of mer chantmen the fleet was protecting. Loss of life totalled more than 1,200, which included all of the crew of 500 of the Swsset,save two,and the Admiral of the fleet. Admiral Wheeler, whose body was later found washed up on the beach in Spain.

The tragedy took place when the fleet was a day out of Gibraltar sail ing for the Eastern Mediterranean early in the morning of the third day of the storm,February 19,1694.

Some three months earlier the Swsst'x had set sail with the fleet from her base at Spithead, heading south to take up station near Cadiz with orders to protect the Spanish 'Plate' fleet. It was the time of the Nine Years' War and at that time France was the enemy. Spain was an ally,so the British fleet gave pro tection to the Spanish ships return ing with precious cargos from the Phillipines and from the Americas, going on to deliver to the Mediter ranean ports.

The Shsscx had additional,secret, orders to pick up from Gibraltar a payment to deliver to the Duke of Savoy, a payment of gold as a pay off for the Duke's military support of Britain in the war against France. That payment consisted of coins and gold bullion to the value of one million pounds sterling, estimated to have a value today of some two billion pounds sterling, perhaps more.

That payment went to the bot tom,1,000 metres down,instead of being paid over to the Duke of Sa voy.He accepted instead a payment from the French for his support, thus changing the course of the war and of subsequent European his tory.

Now, more than 300 years later, while a salvage operator claims to have located ^e wreck and intends to recover the treasure, the argu

ments continue as to whom,to what country, the lost treasure, if recov ered, will belong.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisa tion (Unesco) has calculated that there are some three million wrecked vessels in the world's seas and waterways with rights and ob ligations regarding salvage covered by international conventions — un der Customary International law UK authorities have jurisdiction over the wrecks of British ships wherever they might lie. On the basis of that law the UK govern ment has given permission to an American exploration company, Odyssey Marine Exploration, the company that carried out the sal vage of the Titanic, to salvage the Sussex with a partnership deal be ing made between Odyssey and the UK's Ministry of Defence. In the meantime,the regional government of Andalusia has claimed that Od yssey also needs permission from Spain to carry out exploration in Spanish waters and hassent out the Guardia Civil's coastal patrols to disrupt the salvage operation. The captain of the Odyssey's salvage vessel has recently been summoned to a court hearing in La Linea, but, after legal opinion was sought on the jurisdictions involved,the com pany instructed him that he did not need to make an appearance and to continue with the salvage opera tions.

In a statement Greg Stemm, cofounder of Odyssey, said: "We re spect international law and have continued the Sussex project based on the official communications that have taken place between the rel evant governments and transmitted to Odyssey. We believe that we are in good legal standing with all the competent governing authorities

that have jurisdiction in this mat ter and wc intend to continue op erations on the shipwreck believed to be HMS Sussex. Wc are con cerned that a significant amount of false and misleading information has been furnished to the Spanish media. Nevertheless we are stead fast in our resolve to continue the Sussex excavation according to the approved project plan while at tempting to address all reasonable concerns by relevant authorities".

The deal that Odyssey has struck with the Ministry of Defence means that in return for financing and car rying out the salvage operation the company will get a share in the treasure — 80'/". of the first 45 mil lion pounds recovered, half of eve rything up to 500 million pounds and 40% of everything above that. Odyssey is quoted on the stock ex change and its shares have per formed well as a result of this agree ment.The UK government will fur ther benefit by undertaking joint marketing for the sale of artefacts recovered from the wreck,together with handing over exclusive rights to merchandise traded under the name HMS Su.sscx in return for a royalty.

"It is questionable, to say the least, whether a government agency responsible for selling off defence equipment should be in charge of such a sensitive heritage issue.

During the Odyssey's earlier search expeditions418 targets were located, many of which were mod ern shipwrecks or debris but sev eral have turned out to be ancient shipwreck sites including Phoenician and Roman sites over 2,000 years old. Some archaeolo gists have expressed doubt about the identity of the wreck, but Od yssey says it is confident that it has located the right wreck,a view sup ported in part, it says, by the fact that it is the only wreck with can ons. The canons are English, not Spanish or French,and another clue to the identity is the lack of olive oil jars on the wreck indicating that the wreck is not Spanish.The wreck is also "very close to the position where the Fleet Secretary reported in 1694 that the Sussex had foundered", says Odyssey. "It lies

the company Will geta share in the treasure— 80% of the first45 miiiion pounds recovered,haif of everything up to 500 miiiion pounds and 40% of everything above that

at great depth on a gently graded slope with a gen erally level seabed. The observed wreck mound measures 33 metres in length and 12 metres in width and is elevated six to seven metres above the surrounding seabed."

The salvage company has advised the British government the exact lati tude and longitude of the wreck but will not release the information publicly for " operational and se curity reasons." The com pany says it is concerned that other salvage opera tors may just go after the treasure with "grab buck ets" showing no concern for the cultural and intrin sic value of the artefacts and for that reason has not released the exact location of the wreck.

The salvage agreement is consid ered to be in full agreement with the Valetta Convention but archaeolo gists at the Council for British Ar chaeology have stated their concern that the "British government is giv ing legitimacy to a principle that is not widely accepted...the unique agreement between the salvage company and the Ministry of De fence,the first of its kind,could set

a precedent for the looting of wrecks around the world....the sal vage company is clearly trying to be reasonable and responsible, but the same situation in the hands of

less scrupulous people could end up with the looting of wrecks. The concern is not specifically about this case - it's the precedent it sets for others, especially cases that may

not bo handled in such a suitable way."

The Council for British Archaeology is "an edu cational charity that pro motes knowledge,appre ciation and care of the his toric environment for present and future gen erations."

The Council believes that" instead of promot ing, and benefiting from, commercial treasurehunting under the guise of archeology, Britain should sign up to the Unesco Convention on Protection of the Under water Cultural Heritage and use the naval base at Gibraltar to develop and demonstrate ways in which governments might patrol and monitor their his toric wreck sites in international waters"

It goes on to say,"It is question able,to say the least,whether a government agency responsible for selling off defence equipment should be in charge of such a sensi tive heritage issue. If the Govern ment believes this deal is ethical, it should publish full details of the agreement and its policy in this matter."

It Is Questionable,to say the least,whether a government agency responsible for selling eft defence eanipmentshould he in charge of such a sensitive heritage issue

The Gavin Clinton Constabie of the Year Award

Biancas'Charily Braw

The recipient of this year's Gavin Clinton Constable of the Year Award was PC 181 Elizabeth Gomez.

The Gavin Clinton Constable of the Year Award is an annual pres entation given to the Royal Gibral tar Police constable who has worked exceptionally well during the year.

The RGP Policy Group carries

out the selection. Constables are nominated for the award by their respective Heads of Departments or Units. This year there were seven nominations.

PC Gomez joined the Royal Gi braltar Police on 17th March 1980. She has served most of her career in the Operations Division. At present she is in the Operations Administration Department.

Brays Giftfor Mount Aivernia

To end 2005 Bray Properties recently presented Mount Aivernia with a donation of £1000 to assist the residents.

Speaking to The Gibrtiltar Maga zine. Just Bray said:

"We are delighted to be able to support our elderly once again and especially in the Christmas season. We would like to take this opportunit)'to thank the staff of Mount Aivcrnia for their ster

ling work and caring attitude to the residents and hope ou r dona tion will help with their shop ping lists at this important time of year."

Bray Properties have named Mount Aivernia again this year as their charitable cause for 2006.

In Biancas' monthly Charity Prize Draw the latest winner was Daniel Griffin who received a Robsapien robot. Daniel was de lighted with the prize, which he received just in time to give to his nephew Stephan as a Christmas present. The prize was presented to Daniel by Christopher who has

topicaltalk

worked at Biancas for more than two years.

The newly refurbished Biancas restaurant,on the quayside at Ma rina Bay, is gearing up for a busy summer,and we are sure custom ers old and new will be delighted with the swish new look.

Tel:73379 to reserve your table.

by Alan Gravett

rant on a February evening,cross ing a terrace where 2 diners were intrepidly eating away in a tem perature ofjust above zero. When asked why,the waiter sniffily re plied that they wanted to sit in the non-smoking area! French smok ers rule, eh?

The 1" January 2006 was more than New Year's Day in Spain. New laws were introduced and a jaw-dropping social change.

The new laws included a ban on smoking in public places. Smoking bans are being intro duced everywhere nowadays but inveterate smokers like the Span ish must find it vexing.

1Of course, Spain's climate, es pecially in the South, makes smoking al fresco acceptable enough(to the smoker),but these bans had already been introduced in Ireland, France and Scandina via where chilblains etc. are more of a threat.

IWhen the ban was introduced in Ireland, the fastest growing sales market was in patio heaters as bar owners strove to heat up any small outdoor area where the addicted smoker/drinker might be sited to avoid losing trade.

In France (another country where smokers abound), and in Paris to be precise, I read about a journalist who entered a restau-

Another new law in Spain pro hibits the hooting of car horns ex cept for the intended purpose of warning someone you are there. In Madrid, in particular,(though not the only place 1 can think of!), it is common to hoot horns for all sorts of celebrations most espe cially when Real Madrid win a game.

The fine is n60 per offence. 1 cannot think that this measure will raise much money this year given Real Madrid's compara tively poor performances!

As so to the jaw-dropping so cial change.

Civil servants and other em ployees must vacate their offices by 7pm each day.Jolly good, you might think, the poor people shouldn't be stuck in their offices at that time and later anyway.

But the point, of course, is that they work late because they have had 2 hours for lunch. So now they not only have to go home to their spouses(or sit around drink ing in non-smoking bars), earlier than has been the custom but lunch must be restricted to just a tapa or 2instead of the traditional beanfeast followed by a siesta!

iMstin Bray of Bray Properties presenting their donation to Pst Brooks(on right)snW Mffr fliTir'T"-- rf"r'lT "'rffiBii

Bars Raise £1.950 For Cancer Relief

f* Chakity Day 2005 Jfe

_9fuutd^a^/

The Hunter twins John and Andy staged their third Charity Day in December for The Gibraltar Society for Cancer Relief. The day incorporates half of all takings in both the Star Bar and Lord Nelson.

John and Andy expressed thanks to Anglo Hispano Ltd, and Lewis Stagnetto Ltd who contributed kegs of beer towards the day,also thanks to Safe Hands Security(who supplied half price

security for the evening) and the Alcaidesa Wednesday Club Golfers (who contributed £100). Playing for charity, Gibraltar's top musicians including Stan & Zooney, Phil Valverde & Ernesto,Chris Osbome,

Joe Pires, Chris Johnson, also Clive,Andrew,Trevor,Lorry and Jason.

4?il4

6^ rish Town

Fax: 72250 Restaurant

on

5 lar^c overhead TVs

Traditional Homemade Pub Food including Fish & Chips.

9ltuated right on the water's edge at Marina Bay offers you a full a la carte menu and exceptional daily specials

We're open all day, 7 days a week, so come on down and enjoy excellent food and ambience at realistic prices.

Admiral's Walk, Marina Bay Tel: 73379 Fax: 79061

Steak & Ale Pie Quiches etc

FULLY AIR-CONDITIONED

FRIENDLY FAMILY ATMOSPHERE

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2006 59

ftv a

nispAKo

Edwards

lovers of wine

In those far-off days when I was a teenager, I would regard the approach of St Valentine's Day with a nnixture of hope and dread. Would I get a card? X might send one because we kissed when last we met and I'd like to meet again. Y might send one because we are going to the cinema together next week. Z might send one — but I'm not sure I want one from Z. But the vital thing was to get at least one, and not have brothers and sisters hooting with derision at my lonely state. Yes, my mother or father would usually send one to me but the rest of the family would know that. It was vital to receive another card or preferably cards!

Time moves on and now I am somewhat more relaxed about cards. But commercial organisa tions have butted in to Valentine's Day to persuade us all to buy a heart-shaped fluffy cushion, a chocolate heart and other such hearty trinkets for the object of our desire. No thank you. If you feel the urge to give your loved one more than a card, then a bottle of wine is best — and it has the ad vantage that you should get to drinkhalf of it. 1 cannot guarantee results, but at least you won't have to look at a fluffy cushion in the future.

Pink Champagne is supposedly the great seducer. Hmm. A bit ob vious, but if you want to give it a go(so to speak)then the best value is Lanson Brut Rose(£21.25, Anglo Hispano,5-7 Main St, Tel 77210). But why pay about £2 extra just for the colour? A possible reason is the appalling fact that you have been given a fluffy cushion and so you can justify throwing it away on the ground that the colour clashes. 'Proper'champagne is better value. While the Grandes Marques cham pagnes are always reliable(and so they should be at the price), there are often treasures to be found among the smaller houses. 1 have found De Vauzelle Brut N.V. (£15.25, Aiiy/o Hispano, as before) to be superb and,while the name may not impress those who have only heard of the Grandes Marques,the wine certainly will. And you will know you have notfound your true love if he or she is only impressed by the name on the bottle and not the contents.

Moving down a bit, if your wal let only stretches to a sparkling wine then make a 'champagne cocktail' out of it (see my column in last December's issue), or a 'Kir

royale'(add a bit of creme de cassis or, if the worst comes to the worst, Ribena). Cava(from anywhere) is reliable and unfussy; or you could try my latest discovery the Italian Prosecco 'Teresa Rizza' (£5.80, Anglo Hispano. again!). This is basi cally Italy's version of Cava, but I find it softer, lighter and fruitier, delicious with strawberries.

You may be thinking of a long commitment—or you may already have one. In that case a bottle for

laying down for a few years would be a treat (see last November's is sue). For me there is only one op tion here and that is my perennial favourite, Ruinart 1996 Brut (£33.50,Anglo Hispano). This is topnotch champers that reeks of qual ity and finesse. It is not cheap but imagine celebrating your wedding anniversary with it in, say, five years' time, and it will be just as good if not drunk with the person it was originally intended for.

you will know you havo notfound your true love if he or she is only impressed hy the name on the hottio and not the contents

If you have been obliged to buy a fluffy cushion and the champagne or the first growth claret are beyond your budget as a result, then have a fluffy white to go with the cush ion and your first romantic course. The Antipodes have — after going downhill for a while — started to produce much better quality at rea sonable prices. I still tend to avoid the over oaked Chardonnays (so nineties, my dear),but there is now a very acceptable Nottage Hill Chardonnay 2005(on offer at £4.29, Morrison's Tel: 41214) which I can thoroughly recommend,especially as it has the depth and fruit of a much more expensive wine (and there is no need to reveal the price), with the most subtle hints of oak.If you arc one of the ABC crowd (Anything But Chardonnay!) you might like to try Spier 'Inspire' Sauvignon Blanc 2005 (£5.99, Morrisons a^ain)from Steilenbosch in South Africa's Western Cape. This is very aromatic and tantilizingly herbaceous and per fect with the dozen oysters you'll be tempting your loved one with!

After the champagne or the fluffy white, a warming red is called for to enable you to compare the rich colour to that of your partner's hair, dress, tie, nose or whatever. De pending on your budget, Ginestet Bordeaux( £3.25 Morrison's, Tel: 41114), which is light but full of fla vour, with a good finish, or why not try the lusciously velvety Casa LapostoIIe Merlot 2000 (£6,85, Anglo Hispano, as before) from Chile? it will put you in the right mood for either making a declara tion of undying love or being able to ignore the fluffy cushion.

If the declaration is rebuffed, or the cushion still revolts, then drown your sorrows in a decent cognac. Otherwise it's champagne again.

A Valentine Champagne box from The Beautiful Box Co, UK

restaurants

La Barcina Restaurant & Tapas Bar

2/1 Casemates Square. Tel: 41100

Situated right in the heart of town in the popular Casemates Square, La Barcina serves delicious seafood seven days a week including fresh mussels. In addition there is a good tapas list and a vegetarian menu. Large terrace for sum mer dining.

Open:7 days a week

Biancas Restaurant

6/7 Admiral's Walk, Marina Bay. Tel: 73379 Fax: 79061

Bopular and pleasant restaurant on the Quayside at Ma rina Bay with large quayside terrace. TtycHcken tikka raita, avocado & smoked salmon or fresh carrot & ginger soup to start,followed by barbecued spare ribs, beef viagra,swordfish steak,Cajun Ceasar salad,kuku nyama pizza,or chicken and smoked salmon tagliatelle to name but a few for the main course. Crepes, pics, ice cream sundaes etc for des.sert. Children's menu, vegetarian dishes, daily specials. Great for all the family.

Open:7 days,9am • late.

Cafe Solo Grand Casemates Square. Tel: 44449

Modern Italian eatery set in Casemates. Everything from cajun spiced langoustines Caesar salad, or aromatic prawn salad on romaine leaves bound in wild mushroom & sherrv mayonnaise, to pastas (eg: smoked haddock risotto with mascarpone and basil oil;open ravioli of swiss chard,basil, garlic and potato with parmesan cream sauce)and pizzas (eg;Qudtto Stagioni topped witli mozzarella, ham,chicken, pepperoni and mushroom).

Casa Pepe

18 Queensway Quay Marina. Tel/Fax; 46967

Situated right on the water front at Queensway Quay,Casa

Pepe has a comprehensive a la carte menu which includes dishes such as melon & Serrano ham,stuffed piquillo pep pers and filled mushrooms to start, followed by a choice of salads, rice and noodles and fish, poultry and meal dishes which include King Prawns Macarcna (cooked with fresh ginger,tomatoes, mangos and bananas served with basmati rice, fried bread and bananas), Medallions of monkfish cooked with white wine and lobster sauce, duck brea.st Armanac-stylc (with Cognac, mushrooms and pine nuts). Medallions of pork loin cooked with Serrano ham and dry Jerez sherry, and fillet steak Malaguena c(K>ked in creamy garlic mushrooms and sweet sherry sauce topped with prawns. A wide range of tapas/ raciones is also available.

Open: Monday to Saturday 11am till late.

Claus on the Rock Queensway Quay. Tel/Fax:48686

International menu served on the quayside for lunch, after noon and dinner. Well worth a visit, especially if you ap preciate good wines and cigars.

Open:Lunch & Dinner. Closed Sundays.

Hong Kong Chinese Restaurant

11-13 Market Lane. Tel: 77313

Good no fuss Chinese Restaurant off Main St near Post Of fice serving all the traditional favourites including Spring Rolls, Chicken Satay, Buddha Duck in Black Bean Sauce, Pork Sweet and Sour, King Prawns with Spring Onion Gin ger Sauce, Shredded Crispy Beef, Special Noodles and Chicken in Black Bean Sauce on a Sizzling Plate.

Open: 12•3, 6.30 - midnight every day.

La Mamela Catalan Bay. Tel: 72373

lamamelai^gibtelecoin.net

Serving fresh fish caught daily by local fishermen, so you

can select your fish before it is cooked to order. La Mameia promises good Mediterranean food and good wine in a re laxed atmosphere — you will he welcome to eat certain dishes with your fingers— perched on the site of an old smuggler's lookout. Try the paella and Arroz a la Marinera.

Open:7 days a week

Da Paolo Marina Bay. Tel: 76799

Da Paolo serves a high standard of attractively presented international cuisine right on the waterfront at Marina Bay. Try baked leek & wild mushroom tartlet or lobster bisque to start, or for main course, crepe of fish & prawns glazed with hollandaise sauce; baked aubergines filled with ratatouilic gratinated with mozzarella; or perhaps the loin of pork baked in cider with cinnamon. Continental/Eng lish breakfast,lunch, inc. light meals & baguettes, and full a la carte dinner served. Quayside terrace.

Open:from 9.31)am. Closed on Sundays.

Paradiso Ristorante

15 Queensway Quay Tel: 50540 paradisoS'paradiso.gi

Situated on Gibraltar's prestigious Queensway Quay Ma rina, Paradiso offers a wide selection of pasta, meat and seafood dishes. Try the house special grilled sea bass, seahream,sole or lobster in special sauces. Great food and good selection of Italian and Spanish wines. Large quay side terrace.

Open: 11am • Ilpm Monday - Saturday.

The Rib Room Restaurant, Rock Hotel. Tel: 73000 www.rockhotelgibraltar.com

With stunning views of the hay,the Rib Room is acclaimed for its high standard of service and cuisine. Ultimate venue for intimate dinners, or larger gatherings, the Rock Hotel rises to the occasion with style and sophistication. Glass of fino and appetiser welcome diners. Summer a la carte and daily house menu from £21.93 p/p specially prepared by the Executive Chef with classical cuisine and a modem in terpretation. Comprehensive wine list.Sunday lunch £14.95 for a welcome Manzanilla,4-courses always includes roast sirloin and some of best Yorkshire puds in town. Sunday newspapers. Relax afterwards to the resident pianist/gui tarist. Air-conditioning, parking, kid's menu/high chair. Open:7pm-]Gpm daily. Credit cards: AC, D, E, M, V

Award winniiiji breakfastsfrom 7.3()am

Great meals & snacks ail day

Evening Steak House menu Med Golf Clubhou.se

Leeds United Gibraltar HQ

Parliament Lane Tel: 75924

Salad/£r So/exdMiclvBar

Eat-Uvor Take/-away

Tel:48185,Unit 7,ICC,CasematesSquare W&xt deyryy tey-PC^^O/Hut

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Simon's Restaurant 44 Cornwall's Lane. Tel: 47515

Excellent food in a sophisticated, intimate atmosphere. Hosts Suzanne and Simon ensure everyone receives per sonal attention. Start with Simon's own pate with red on ion jam and hot toast, or king prawns themiidor with tar ragon mustard, white wine and cheese cream sauce or per haps baked New Zealand mussels with garlic butter and melted camembert. Main courses include kebab of swordfish and kirw prawns with creamy dill sauce, breast of chicken witn mushroom, bacon, rosemary stuffing and masala sauce, and roast tenderloin of pork wrapped in ba con with apple, sage and Calvados sauce. Or try the roast rack of iamb with mint, redcurrant and red wine sauce or the grilled fillet of mero with avocado and prawns. There is something to delight every palate. Fully air-conditioned. Open:evenings(bookings recommended).

Thyme Restaurant

5 Cornwall's Lane. Tel: 49199

Email: thymegibiPhotmail.com

Modern wine bar serving refreshing cocktails and a wide range of New World and European wines in a cool lively atmosphere, and on the 1st floor above is the restaurant serving bistro cuisine with a menu featuring dishes from all over the world. Try one of these dishes from the wide selection: crispy fried monkfish,rocket salad, chilli jam and creme fraiche; steamed nius.sels flavoured with ginger, lemongrass, chilli & coconut milk; hand rolled ravioli of smoked chicken, crab, basil & marscapone, parmesan veloute; or mains of millefeuille of char grilled salmon & Mediterranean vegetables,seared scallops and basil pesto; charred aubergine,tomato, basil & mozzamlla parcels, red pepper & olive reduction; or Slow braised Moroccan lamb shank,tabboiileh,spiced onion,almond & sultana chutney. Main menu changed seasonally and specials run daily- Eve rything made on the premises using only the best, fresh ingredients. Wide range of New World and European wines.

Open: 12.3U - 3pm and 7pm till late. Closed Sundays.

informaleatlng

A1 Andalus Bar Restaurant

3 College Lane. Tel: 49184

Small eatery in the centre of town serving lots of tasty food from sandwiches and baguettes to barbecues(lamb chops, fillet steak, mixed grill etc) and tajines. Try the cous-cous (beef, veggie, chicken or lamb)or the tapas - £1 (eg: Span ish omelette,boiled crab legs,garlic chicken,cuttlcfi^stew).

Open:8am-late evening. Now-serving breakfast fromSain-

Barbary Ape

Opp. Queen's Hotel. Tel; 44380

Homemade food, breakfast, lunch and dinner, including English breakfast, toasties, club sandwiches, salads, burg ers and fish & chips. Kid's menu. Enclosed terrace, park ing, near cable car.

Open:from 10am Monday - Saturday. Closed Sundays.

Buddies Pasta Casa

15 Cannon Lane. Tel: 40627

Tasty Italian specials in pleasant ambience. Large selection of starters from garlic bread to calamari. Main courses in clude fettuccinc de formaggio, spaghetti alia carbonara, fusilli al salmone, and entrecote al whisky to name a few.

Tasty desserts and variety of wines-

Open: Monday - Wednesday 10am - 3pm, Thursday, Fri day and Saturday 10am - 4pm and 7pm - midnight.

Charlie's Steak House Grill Marina Bay. Tel/Fax:79993

George and Paula are your hosts at Charlie's where you w'ill find a wide selection of international food including

Charlies Sizzling Specials with steaks or mixed grills. We also carry a good scleciion of svine, spirits and beers.

Steak House Grill & Tauem

Where people meet to eat

.1 Due and varied tiincii menu and a comprehensive a la carte menu thai compDmenis hoiii our kitclien atid our customers.Hvervlhing trom toasties to laglialelle and from full English breakfast lojamaicatt Pepper Pot.

We're on the harbour wall al the beaiiDful Marina Bay so book a pleasant table for iwo or just sit watching iJie world go by while siitping an ice cold beer.

Reserve on Tel/Fax: 79993

\o. 2 Admiral's Walk.

Marina Bay,(libraitar

E-moii: george@gibnet.gi

We love to cater for groups and parties so why not spend that next special occasion at Charlies':'

sizzling steaks,tandooris and seattxxl dishes plus daily sporials. Try the special sizzling mixed grill which includes tandoori and garlic chicken breasts, slices of prime fillet, king prawns,sausages, bacon,tomato and peppers. Regu lar theme nights. Quayside terraa'.

Open:9am - late everv day.

Le Coq D'Or

Unit 9-10 Watergardens. Tel: 43601

Eat-in or take-away at this busy eatery for all the favourites such as fish and chips, pie and chips,sausages, donner and chicken kebabs, roast chicken, curries, pinchitos, pakoras, salads and Moroccan cakes.

Open: lOam - late 7 days a week.

The Comer House Restaurant

Continental Hotel

1 Engineer's Lane

Tel:76900 Fax:41702 Email: conliho4^gibnet.gi

Ideal for a rest after shopping as it is centrally located on Main Street, this cafe serves breakfasts (all day), lunches and afternoon teas. Try the homemade mushroom soup or the roast leg of lamb demi gia/e, or perhaps the fish and chips or homemade steak mince burger in pepper sauce. Kiddies menu available.

Open:7am to 7pm (lunches from 12.30)

Fancy That Sandwich Bar

Ground Floor, ICC. Tel: 47262

Great place for hot and cold rolls, sandwiches(wide selec tion or fillings), toasties, hot pies, and salad pots. Plus tea, coffee, soft drinlts, doughnuts, mul^ins and biscuits.

Open: Mun - Fri 8.30 - 6pm,Sat 10 - 2pm.

Just A Nibble

hi Fir international Commercial Ctr. Tel: 78052

Full blown licensed cafeteria serving English breakfast, vast range of toaslies, rolls, and other snacks. Meals include steak and kidney pio, Bob's famous chicken curry / chilli con carne,& now Kentucky-style fried chicken, 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 hi Floor ICC Tel: 48014

Comfortable bright and airy cafe serx'ing vegetarian and non-vegetarian cuisine from bmakfast and lunch to after noon tea. Homemade desserts a speciality. Eat-in or takea way at sensible prices. Outside catering service.

Open:8am - 4.30pm Monday to IViday.

Khan's Indian Cuisine

Unit 7-8, Watergardens. Tel: 50015

Eat-In or take-away at this traditional Indian eatery. Evcr^'thing from onion bhajia and ga-en pepper pakora to chicken tikka. tandoori king prawns. Khan's special fish curtA', chicken jalfrezi, lamb rrigan josh, naan bread, rices, vegetable dishes and everything in between!

The Lunchbox

301 Eurotowers. Tel: 49310 with orders

Fa'sh filled baguettes and Vienna/wholemeal mils, paninis

Serranito style (roast pork, green peppers and sauce), brie, ham & tomato or mushroom,or tuna mayo and sweetcorn, Calentita, salad.s, baked potatoes, chilli beef with cheese nachos. Relax with the Cliroiiich- in the coffee and TV lounge. Range of local dishes, homemade caki-s and desserts.

Open: Monday - Friday 7am - 6pm,

Mumtaz Indian Cuisine Take-away

20 Cornwall's Lane. Tel: 44257

Cwxl Indian take-away sen ice H-rving all the favourites from masala naan and spinach bhajia to lamb biryani, chicken likka masala, king prawn korma and tandoori

chicken kebab roll. Sauces and vegetarian dishes plus spe ciality dishes each Sunday (all dishes a-asonably priced).

Open 7 days a week 11 - 3,6 - late.

Munchies Cafe

24 Main Street. Tel; 43840 Fax: 42390

A gmat sandwich bar/cafe offering an unusual range of sandwiches on white or granary bread, plus salads, ba guettes,soups,desserts,homemade ice-cream and hot/cold drinks. Business lunches, parties and kids parties also ca tered for (for party and office platters phone or fax order by 5.30pm dav before - minium orders for delivery £12).

Open: Mon - Fri 8.30-7, Sat 9-4,Closed Sun.

The Office Bar-Bistro

Parliament Lane Tel: 40932

On the site of the old Bull and Bull this new bar/bistro has different specials every day to complement tapas and all dav English breakfast plus a menu which includes ba guettes, toasties, gambas pil pil, chicken with mushroom or pepper sauce, minute steak,omelettes and cakes. There is a sheltered terrace for summer drinks and food plus a TV for sporting events.

Open: Monday to Friday 7am-6pm Saturday 8am-4pm.

Closed Sunday.

The Pic Machine

83 Governor's Street. Tel:49314

Delicious pies homemade on the premisesincluding chicken & mushroom, pure chicken,steak & kidney, minced beef& onion and lots more. Also sausage roils, filled rolls, soft drinks, tea and cotfee. Eat-in or take-away.

Open: Mon • Fri 7am •6pm,Sat/Sun Sam - 2pm.

The Real Taste of ComwalJ

16 City Mill Lane. Tel: 70737

Real pasties, handmade in Cornwall and baked in Gibral tar, are available fi\)m this Pasty Bar and Takeaway located just ott Main Street near Mothercare. Go along for a quiet pint or take a pasty home for tea, many flavours available from beef & Stilton to Cheese & Bacon,Steak & Ale to Broc coli, Cheese & Sweetcom.

Open: lOam - late Monday to Saturday.

Roy's II Fish and Chips Cafeteria

Opposite the Convent, Main Street. This tish and chip cafeteria and lakc-away is located di-

THREE^ ROSES

• rectly opposite the Governor's residence on Main Street. Traditional fish and chips,burgers,salads and much more-

Open: IBam-lOpm.

nSacarello Coffee Co.

57 Irish Town. Tel: 70625

Converted coffee warehouse, ideal for coffee, hoineniade cakes with afternoon tea, plus full menu including excel lent salad bar, specials of the day and dishes such as lasa gne, stcat and mushroom Guinness pie, hot chicken salad, toastics,dub sandwich and baked potatoes. Art exhibitions.

Open:9am - 7.3tlpm. Closed Sundays.

Smith's Fish & Chips

295 Main Street. Tel: 74254

A traditional British fish and chip shop with tables/seating available or take-awav wrapped in newspaper.

Menu: Cod, haddock or plaice in batter, Cornish pasties, mushy peas etc. Also curries, omletles and burgers.

Open:Ram - 6pm Mcmday - Friday. Breakfasts fix>m Sam.

Located: Main Street opposite the Convent.

Solly's Salt Beef Parlour & Delicatessen

8 Canon Lane. Tel: 78511

Newly opened on Cannon Lane this carvery, charcuterie and deli offers delicious food to take away eat in or for delivery. Try thecarvery(from llam),hot orcold baguettes with fillings such as curried chicken breast, Merguez sau sages,schnitzel, pastrami,smoked turkey and pressed beef. There are also salads and platters including bangers& mash, lamb chops, beet burgers and hot dogs. (Clalt Kosher)

Open: 12pm - late. Closed Saturdays, Sunday 6pm - late.

Solo Express

Ground Floor, Intemalional Commercial Centre

Solo Express,locafeci right next to Pizza Hut,serves a good variety of salads and baguettes (white, brown & ciabatta) filled with a wide deli selection of things such as n^ast 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 at just 75p per generous .sciwp. Tea,coffee etc plus cakes(such as carrot cake and muffins) arc also availabc through out the day. Eat-in available.

The Tasty Bite

59a Irish Town. Tel; 78220 Fax: 74321

Tasty Bite has one ot 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.

bars&pubs

All's Well

Grand Casemates Square. Tel: 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 hand ing the keys to the watch. All's Well serves Bnssbwrs, wine and spirits plus pub fare. English breakfast served all day, hot meals such as pork in mushroom sauce,sausage & mash, cod and chips and steak & ale pie are complimented by a range of salads and filled jacket potat(H.'S- Large terrace.

The Angry Friar

278 Main Street. Tel: 71570

The Angry Friar is everything you'd expect frem a British pub, but with a large terrace. Food 9.30 - 4, 6 - 9.15 inc. breakfasts. (Sunday roasts 11 - 4,6 - 9.15pm).

Open:9.30am-midnight(Sun.from llam) Located: Opposite The Convent.

"Market Taver/?

Aragon Bar

15 Bell Lane. Tel: 78855

A friendly traditional bar serving good homemade food. Outside tables available.

Open:7 days, 10-late, food 10 - 10.

The Cannon Bar

27 Cannon Lane. Tel: 77288

Now run by Amin, the friendly face from the kitchen for over 18 years! Good pub food served all day plus Amin make.s cous cous or tajinc to order.

Located: off Main St at Marks & Spencer.

The Clipper Irish Town. Tel: 79791

Large popular bar .serving good homemade food from breakfasttodinner. Large varied menu. Top sporting events covered on overliead TVs. Private functions catered for.

Open:9,30am to midnight(Fri and Sat to lam). Food served 9.30am to 10pm).

Corks Wine Bar Irish Town. Tel: 75566

Under the new management of Neil and Gino, CorLs is a popular and pleasant wine bar serving an excellent range of hot and cold dishes at lunchtime (12-3pm) with daily specials. Toast, coffee and scones served 9.30-11,30am, af ternoon toasties. English breakfast. Tuesday evening is Curry Night, Thursday evening is Steak night

Open:9:00am - late. Closed Sundays

Duck & Firkin

Building 6,Europort. Tel: 72745

Live football on a giant TV showing all premier league ac tion from Skv Sports plus more. Quiz machines, 2 poker machines,2 pool tables. Karaoke on 2nd Saturday in month.

Food served ICam - 3pm Mon-Sat.

Open:from 10am -midnight(Friday-Sat urdayllam-lam)

The Horseshoe

193 Main Street. Tel; 77444

Right in the centre of town,the Horseshoe is a popular,busy bar. Good menu from full English breakfast,to burgers and mixed grills. Currv and chilli specials on Sunday.

Open:9am to late, Sunday 10am - late.

Facilities: Main Street terrace.

The Market Tavern

Walerport/Casemates Gates. Tel: 50800

Serving good food from salads, snacks and full English breakfast (until 3pm)to burgers, toasties, curries, fish and chips, and pie, chips and gravy. Pool table upstairs. Live music Friday 9pm -late. Karaoke Wed and Sat 9pm- late. Open:8am • late Mon - Sat, Sun lOam-late.

The London Bar

76/78 Governor's Street Tel: 77172

A comfortable bar located close to the Eliott Hotel and sen'ing a variety of hot and cold bar snacks such as breakfasts, sandwiches, rolls and toasties, burgers, salads, omelettes or onion ring, chips and cheese, colesla\^' or beans. Terrace seating. Air conditioning.

Open:9am - midnight Mon - Sat. Closed Sundays.

Lord Nelson Bar Brasserie

10 Casemates Sq. Tel:50009 www.lordnelson.gi

E-mail: reservationsMordnelson.gi

Attractive bar/brasserie in historic Casemates building. Done out to respresent Nelson's ship with cloud and sky

ceiling crossed with beams and sails. Spacious terrace

Menu:Lunch:try the speciality mussels in white wine,gar lic and cream, or the famous fish and chips served with homemade tartar sauce. Daily specials and snacks avail able. Evening:full a la carte including special dishes cooked at your table. Steak Diane, king prawns a la romana,crepes suzette and many more. Sunday lunch from £6.95. Credit cards accepted. Live music every weekend.

Open:from 10am till very late.

Pickwicks

Governor's Parade. Tel; 76488

Newly refurbished and run by well-known friendly face, Mandy,this small pub with a large terrace is situated in the new Theatre square away from the traffic and safe for all the family. Sometimes there's live music in the summer months. Good food available. Private parties catered for.

Open: weekdays from 9.30am - midnight(-lam Fridays)

Location: turn off Main St at Marks & Spencer.

The Pig and Whistle Unit 18, Watergardens. Tel: 76167

A comfortable pleasant pub with pool table and terrace on the quayside. Big screen television for sporting events.

Open:10-midnight(Fri-Sat 11-lam)

Red Lion Pub

Walergardens. Tel: 44392

Pleasant recently relurbished pub in Watergardens serving all homemade food for breakfast and lunches with Sunday lunches starting soon. Plasma TV for sport.s fans.

Open:9am - late, including Saturdays and Sundays.

The Royal Calpe

176 Main Street. Tel: 75890

Comfortable traditional bar close to the Cathedral on Main Street. Beer garden at the rear. Serving good pub food all day including breakfast, omelettes, salads, jackets, toasties and main coursessuch as curry;chilli,lasagne,scampi, burg ers and fish and chips. Kiddies menu available.

Open:9ani-12 Mon - Sat, Sun llam-lOpm.

Royal Oak Bar 59c Irish Town. Tel: 71708

Informal pub, popular for its pool table and sports talk.

Outdoor seating.

Located: Irish Town, parallel to Main St.

nThe Star Bar Parliament Lane. Tel: 75924

Reputedly thi^ oldest bar in Gib, this bar opens early for breakfast(English or toast & cereal). Lunch/evening menu includes fillet steak, fish and chips and salads. Kids menu 99p. Home of Med Golf(10% discount on food for Med Members). Home of Leeds United FC supporters club.

Facilities: Outside seating.

Open:from 7am every day.

Located: first right off Main Street(walking from N to S).

The Three Owls

Irish Town

The Three Owls is a traditional bar serving best of English beers.Three separate bars/floors:ground tloor — big screen tv, pool table, poker machines,games machines,bar — open from 10.30am daily. First floor'Hoots' — 2 match pool ta bles, poker machines, darts board, games machine, bar open from 1 pm daily. Second Floor'Nest' —American pool table, poker machine, games machine, card table, bar open from 5pm daily.

The Three Roses Governor's Street. Tel; 51614

Ann and Stuart from Scotland runs this bar, known as The Scottish Embassy, serving homemade food (until 3pm). Dartboard and pool table. Happy hours 3-7 Friday, 12-2 Saturday- Free tapas 4-6 Friday.

Open:all day, everv day.

The Tunnel

8 Casemates Square. Tel: 74946 Tel/Fax:44878

Large bar located in the historic Casemates Square.

Menu: Wide variety of affordable food including Sizzling specials from 7pm. Selection of international meals.Indian specialities, vegetarian selections, homemade ice-cream. Sunday carvery served lpm-9pm (hot & cold).

Facilities: Large terrace, big screen TVs,regular live music. Open:7 days a week 9am - very late.

The Venture Inn

Lynch's Lane. Tel; 75776

A good central meeting place, this bar serves home-cooked food all day. Terrace seating off Main Street.

Open:from 10am

Located: Main Street near Casemates,opposite the ICC.

Wembley Bar

10 South Barrack Ramp. Tel: 78004

Popular bar for hot and cold bar snacks, function room,in south district. Fridays lOam for breakfast. Air conditioned.

Open: 11am - midnight Sundav - Thursday, 10am - lam Fridav, llam - lam Saturdays.

acrossthe H)?"(ier

La Diva

142 Av de Espana, La Linea

Little bar within short hop of the frontier. Ideal stop off for Spanish and English food, tapa.s and Sunday roasts. Great place to meet up and easy to find (on roundabout beloic Rocamar building). Food 12noon - 10pm.

Bar La Dm

^nqr ^riar

Spanish & English Food 12noori -lOpm including T^S& Sunday Roast <tODd Meeting Place, Ample Parking 142 Av de Espana,La Linea (turn left at ijorder.on roundabout before Rocamarl

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Successfor Express

There are daily specials in the baguette and wrap department too — hot roast pork with stuffing and apple sauce, or a four meat feast wrap for example.

It's not all about baguettes and wraps though, homemade fresh soups are made daily, all with lo cally bought ingredients. It was carrot and leek curried soup with coconut on the day I was there, on another it might be chicken and sweetcorn — it's always changing.

There are no less than 11 differ ent salads every day, all made by Kerry and her team who start pre paring in the early hours.

Kerry commented "We want to provide a quick, quality lunch in a bright, friendly, non-smoking at mosphere."

The portions are certainly gener ous and prices range from £2.25 for hummus,roasted peppers, red on ion, avocado, black olives and mixed leaves to £3.25 for smoked salmon, cucumber, mixed leaves and mascarpone. Anything you create yourself is likely to fall within that range.

Bright, sparkling, fast and fresh — those are the words that came to mind as soon as I walked into the new salad and sandwich bar in the ICC at Casemates Mill.

It has a stylish wavy-line bar of varying width with comfortable seats for those who want to eat in, all lit by contemporary lighting.

Freshness and flavour with an exciting menu are factors which motivate Kerry and her team. Kerry is married to Frank, who manages both Cafe Solo and All's Well, and the couple are making their mark in the hospitality indus try here on the Rock. Solo Express was conceived to address the cur rent demand for good quality food.

You might think "yet another sandwich bar", but when you look at what is on offer, you'll see just how different it is. How about ba con,brie,avocado and spic)'tomato salsa? Or three cheese with beet root and apple relish? Some of the growing band of fans choose their own fillings for their baguettes, ciabatta or wraps.

There's a lot more — quiches, Danish pastries, doughnuts, muf fins, jacket potatoes, pannini, gar lic bread and bruschetas. Who could ask for anything more,except a drink? Well, there's a choice of coffees and teas as well as all the usual soft drinks and red/white wine and Becks beer.

"It's all been highly appreciated by the customers, who are gener ally a mixture of office workers,lo cal traders and some tourists — we opened a little late in the year to catch the full tourist season," said Kerry-

She told me that she is planning to install wireless internet facilities soon,and the white wall along the eating counter will have modern artwork. Meanwhile it all looks fine to me.

IOpen Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 4pm,Solo Express is next to the ICC's Pizza Hut and can be accessed from Casemates Hill, just a few yards up from the square, or from inside the ICC on the ground floor. The number for enquiries or pre-orders is 48185.

"We've only been open a few months and already we have a lot of regular customers," said Kelly at Solo Express.

Aona and Kerry of Solo Express

Freshness and flavour with an exciting menu are factors which motivate Kerry and her team

Around Town

ere we go again the first Gihmltar Maga zine of a new year! I hope you all had a good Christmas and enjoyed seeing in the new year — the party in Casemates was as good as ever and I'm sure that there wore one or two party animals with just a bit of a hangover the next morning, but it was a good night. Unfortu nately the real hang-overs from all the cel ebrations come a couple of weeks after the event when the wallet busting credit card bills drop through the letter box and then when you get ready for the return to work it's al most impossible to do your zips up because your waistline has got out of control. How ever, you've got to let your hair down every now and again and with just a bit of deter mination those extra few pounds gained will ^ soon disappear in plenty of time to get out summer gear and bikinis — and those credit card bills will all be cleamd ready for next Christmas

IAt the beginning ofeach New Yearever\'thing is pos sible for everyone, and for sports fans and soccer fa natics in particular. For those of us whose teams arc still in contention for potential greatness the year 2006 could be the year. As I sit here and write these immor tal words "The Pride of the East End" the "Mighty 0's"are sitting comfortably in the league poised ready for promotion, and if that wasn't enough they man aged to beat Fulham of the Premier league in the third round of the F.A. Cup 2-1 and have just drawn Charlton in the next round, can lightning strike twice? Who knows, but what glory for the "Mighty O's" at the start of a new year. As 1 strolled up Main Street the day after the game 1 was amazed at just how many people men tioned the result to me— 1 didn't realise just how many followers the Orient have on the Rock. But for other followers of the beautiful game,especially Celtic fans, the new year bought disaster. I haven't seen Celtics No.1 fan Dermot since the defeat but I can imagine what he might have said and I'm sure it would be unprintable. What a game it is, one day it's all glory, the next disaster and that's what makes it such fun.

Photo Recall

One fellow who did have a smile on his face,and it had nothing to do with any results, was Liam of the Ship at Marina Bay who apparently is a big Nottingham Forest fan — still, can't hold that against him. Over 17 years ago Liam had his photo taken with the late Brian Clough,then manager of Forest, but somehow over the years the picture was lost amongst the family treasures, however just recently Liam's photo with "Cloughie"hasbecn rediscovered and now has "Pride of Place" at Liam's house.

Driving Miss Dominique

Dominique of the Lord Nelson never seems to have a dull moment in life, in fact she leads what can only be described as a "full life". 1 bumped into her just before Christmas as 1 was delivering some magazines and she kindly offered to help,so taking her up on her offer off we went with Dom pushing the barrow. As we were working away she was all excited as she told me that she had just passed her driving test on a motor scooter. "Well done!" I said and as 1 ut tered those words she ran over my foot with the barrow. Fortunately there was no lasting damage so I couldn't even have membership of the"Bad Leg"club. Dominique's boyfriend is none other than the infamous Dennis Penalver Jnr.

who invited Dom and family to his parents' house for the New Year's Eve celebrations and come the mo ment the clock struck midnight Dennis Snr. decided to let off a few fireworks. Everyone stood back to safely enjoy the display but be cause they were so old {the fire works not the guests!) they only coughed and spluttered and then landed in the next door neigh bour's garden. I suspect the fire works were only the prelude to a possible announcement from Dennis Jnr. — it wasn't forth coming but with this month being February and 14th St.Valentine's Day who knows. Watch this space!

Birthday boys and girls in February include young Gavin Sharrock, Dave, Christopher, Noonie, Veronica, Pepe Fabre,"Lord"Ted Wheatcroft and last but not least Reg Reynolds. Happy birthday to you all.

Motor Drama

For the first time in a long time there are no new members of the "Bad Leg" club this month, although I thought that after having my foot run over by Dominique I was in with a chance but it wasn't to be. Another fellow who came close was Phil Smith ofSmith's fish n' chip shop who somehow or other managed to twist his knee getting into his car. Mind you Phil's got a great big 4x4 that would go up the Hima layas if needed and you almost need a stepladder to get into it. So there are no new members this month but with the skiing season in full swing 1 expect plenty of new members in the next couple of months. I did hearofone or two people who had trouble staying on their motor scooters over the holiday though.

I'm led to believe that Ross of Biancas took a tumble and Rose Penalvcr also ended up with a few bruises after falling off. So be careful on those bikes it hurts if you fall off!

Creature Discomforts

Poor Mandy of Pickwicks has been in the wars again. Just before Christmas some wretches pinched all her light bulbs and early in the New Year her cat "Sammy" threw a fit and launched himself at her taking a lump out of her nose. If that wasn't enough the wretched animal is allergic to fleas — I ask vou, how can a cat be allergic to tleas? 1 always thought that cat was an ungrateful creature.

Well that's about it for this month and I make no apologies for going on about the "Super 0's"it isn't often they have such glory. Hope you all have a good 2006 and I'll see you on Main Street.

Cavalcade Pictures

One last thing, thanks to Mark Montovio for the great cavalcade pictums on this page. A selection of models from Mount Productions, including Runway 05 and Runway 06 participants, took part in the procession, but instead of gliding by on the bonnet of a car in the traditional way it was decided that the models would walk along Main Street and interact with tlie public having photographs taken as they went along.

> ^•'^1

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Natural History & Heritage Park

Admission 930.un to /pm

by tickets (mcluae;". ontrance to sites within the Purk mclud ing St. Michael's Cave, Monkey s Den, Great Siege Tunnels, Military Heritage Centre,'A City Under Siege' Exhi bition and Moorish Castle),(Facilities closed Christmas Day and New Year's Day.) Adults

£7/Children 5-12 years: £4, Children age 4 and under free, vehicles £1.50. Private ve hicles may be restricted at certain times and it is advisable to take a Rock Tour by taxi/ mini bus. The Natural History & Heritage Park can also be reached by cable car (leaves Grand Parade9,30am-5.15pm Mon day to Sunday. Last cable down: 5.45pm).

The 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 Gi braltar as the shortest crossing between Eu rope and Africa, but botanists will also be interested to see over 600 species of flow ering plants, including some unique to Gi braltar, Watch out for colourful lizards, the non-venemous Horseshoe Whipsnake. but terflies and pipistrelle bats. Info on the Rock's flora and fauna Is found at the Gi braltar 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 4O-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 audito rium 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.

The Great Siege Tunnels: Tunnelling In the Rock began during the Great Siege (17791783) when France and Spain made an at tempt to recapture the Rock while Britain was busy with the American War of Inde pendence. 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 sug gested tunnelling and there are now over 30 miles of tunnels inside the Rock with

various exhibitions irside the tunnels.

The Mllftary Heritage Centre: Housed m one of the Rock's many historic batteries, the Military Heritage Centre displays infor mation 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 of the earliest British building on the Rock, Original graffiti, drawn by duty soldiers to stop themselves falling asleep, is still vis ible. 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 Gibral tar 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. The tower is an ex cellent view point.

Natural History b Heritage Park Walks: The recommended walk Is St Michael's Cave through to Charles V Wall but walk ers should be relatively fit. It is also pleas ant walking along the upper rock roads. Fact Files and brochures are available free from all Tourist Board offices.

Botanical Gardens: Opened in 1816, the Alameda Botanical Gardens fell into disre pair but are currently being restored to their former glory. Visitors can enjoy a stroN be neath pines, dragon trees and palms, and see many of Gibraltar's native plants as well as exotic species. The shop sells environ mentally friendly gifts, plants and seeds, Tel: 72639/74022. Large car park available.

Nelson's Anchorage: Rosia Road 9.30am - 5.15pm Monday to Saturday(last entry at Spm). Closed on Sunday. Admission: £1.00 (free of charge with Nature Resen/e 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 un derground tunnels surmounted by an im pressive 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'. Open 10am to 6pm every day except Mondays. Adults £2/ Children & OAPs £1. Cafeteria on site

Flat Bastion Magazine Flat Bastion Road, Geological Rcseaich Station and Lithology ol Gibialtar, To visit please contact: F. Gomez Tel 44460, P HodkinsonTel.43910.

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

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

General Information

Gibraltar Museum Tel: 74289

18/20 Bomb House Lane Open 10am-6pm (Sat. 10am - 2pml. Closed on Sunday, Ad mission: Adults £2/Children under 12years £1, Special exhibitions also held at museum premises in Casemates gallery.

Registry Office Tel: 72289

it IS possible to get married on the Rock within 48 hours of arrival. A fact taken ad vantage of by stars such as Sean Connery and John Lennon.

Rock Tours by Taxi Tel: 70052

As well as offering normal fares, Gibraltar taxis provide a complete Rock Tour taking in the Upper Rock, Europa Point and other sites of interest. It is the best way to see the Rock's major features in a short time.

Tourist Board Tel: 74950

Gibraltar National Tourist Board. Arundel Court, 179 Strand, London Tel: 0207 836 0777 Fax: 0207 240 6612 E-mail giblondon®aol.com

John Mackintosh Hail Tel: 75669

Centre of Gib's cultural life, includes a caf eteria, theatre, exhibition rooms and library, 308 Mam Street 9.30am • 11 pm Monday to Friday. Closed weekends.

Cruise Ship Schedule

Total Number of Vessels scheduled to call in 2006 is 204. Total Number of Passen gers scheduled to visit in 2006 is 230,312 No cruiseiiners due in for February.

March 2006

Total Number of Vessels calling this month = 7

Approximate Number of Passengers call ing in this month = 3,647 Sat 18 Midnatsol 0800-1800 TFDS 648 capacity Malaga-Tangier Men 20 Astoria 1430-2200Transocean

500 capacity Wed 22 Paloma I 1400-1830

Kreuzfahrten 350 capacity

Cartagena Coral 0700-1200 Louis Cruises 756 ca pacity Marseille-Tangier

Mon 27 Astoria 0730-1200 Transocean 500 capacity Barcelona-Tangier

Fri 31 Kristina Regina 0900-1900 Kristina Cruises 245 capacity Casablanca-Malaga Nordnorge 1500-1900 OVDS 648 capacity

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