PETER USTINOV & THE GRAND PRIX OF GIBRALTAR

In September 1958,Peter Ustinov, thirty-seven years old and already renowned as an actor, writer and producer, walked into the New York studios of Riverside Records clutching a handful of notes. He emerged a few hours later, having fashioned out of thin air and the nimble dancing of his wild imagination an enduring comic masterpiece: The Grand Prix of Gibraltar. It is by anybody's standards an amazing tour-de-force.

Working entirely alone,with only his rough notes to guide him, Ustinov created a memorable cast of characters for his mythical race, many of them based on famous rac ing drivers of the day. The great Ar gentinian driver Juan Fangio be comes Jose Julio Fandango, while his English rival Stirling Moss is re born as Girting Foss. was hip. To emphasise the tenuous link which Hefner's imaginary play boy figure had forged between the two, Keepnews issued a series of "specialty" records which consisted of recordings of sports car races. It seems bizarre that people would actually buy and listen to record ings

The French team are more inter ested in wine and women than win ning,the Germans are ruthlessly ef ficient, the Italians forever brawling and the British bumbling amateurs who will somehow muddle through. The Russian observer, needless to say,turns out to be a spy more intent on taking photographs of the dockyard than paying atten tion to the race. It is all in the glori ous tradition of national stereotyp ing which the Stalinist doctrine of political correctness has since largely killed off. Yet while bitingly sharp,Ustinov's inspired caricatures are ultimately gentle,almost loving, as befits a man who has been a good will ambassador for UNICEF since 1971.

The mystery of The Grand Prix of Gibraltar is how such a quintessentially British piece of humour came to be issued not only on an Ameri can record label, but one that was devoted primarily to jazz. For that, ironically, we may have to thank Hugh Hefner, founder of Plai/boy magazine.

Hefner was,and is, a great lover ofjazz. When heset about construct ing the largely imaginary archetype of his "typical reader" in the 1950s, he came up with a young, affluent male who was a connoisseur not only of beautiful women,but also of fine wine, good food, jazz music and... sports cars. Suddenly the music that had once been synony mous with New Orleans brothels, Chicago speakeasies and smokefilled New York clubs became the musical equivalent of the coffee-ta ble book — an accessory to a mythi cal ideal of high living.

Riverside Records, founded in 1952 by the wonderfully named Orrin Keepnews, had by i958 built an enviable reputation among jazz fans both for its traditional and his torical releases, and for its innova tive contemporary catalogue. River side, in the vernacular of the time.

Riverside Records approached him. He had a remarkable knowledge of classic cars, and had owned a number from the Golden Age of motoring — Aston Martin,Hispano Suiza, Alfa Romeo. He was also a devotee of motor racing. Stir all of that together,and it is indisputable

He had arfen^eTth?Monaco urani Prix, and somehow the concept of staging a similarly unlikely race on the Rock of car engine noises, but apparently this was so.

In 1953, one of Peter Ustinov's plays. The Love ofFour Cohmeb, had been staged on Broadway starring Rex Harrison and Lili Palmer. He was also becoming a familiar face in films,especially the Roman epic Quo Vadis in which he played Nero, so he was not entirely unknown in America when he made his own Broadway debut as a performer in 1957 in his own comedy, Romanoff and Juliet. It was a hit, and he was soon appearing regularly on TV talk shows where his legendary reputa tion as a peerless raconteur was born. It was around this time that that in 1958, Peter Ustinov was hip too.

Riverside really had no idea what exactly they wanted Ustinov to do. They had a vague notion that he might come up with something sa tirical about motor racing, but that was all.

Ustinov admitted, when inter viewed shortly before The Grand Prix of Gibraltar's long overdue reissue on CD in August 2002, that he had no idea either. He had attended the Monaco Grand Prix, and somehow theconcept ofstaging a similarly un likely race on the Rock of Gibraltar came to him. He scribbled a few notes and went to the studio.

Accents may come easi ly to a man fluent in French, German, English, Italian, Russian and Spanish, who can also get by well enough in Greek and Turkish, but besides providing the voices for his international cast of characters, Ustinov also provides the sound effects, mimicking the engine noises of his imaginary cars, a feat apparently helped by the fact that on the day of the recording he was suffering from a mild cold.

Though it was conceived as a parody of the Monaco Grand Prix, The Grand Prix ofGibraltar,does more than merely substitute the name of the Rock for that of the principality.

Ustinov knew Gibraltar, and lov ingly recreates various parts of its to pography. Anyone old enough to remember the Rock in the 1950s will find The Grand Prix of Gibraltar not only funny,but wonderfully nostal gic.

Apart from incongruously includ ing an American team in his line-up, Ustinov makes almost no conces sions to what was originally in tended to be an American aud ience. The humour is of the resolutely Brit ish kind that Americans find it no toriously difficult to understand, and there are numerous references which would surely have baffled them completely.

For example,Ustinov introduces as one of his chief commentators a certain Roland Thaxter. British lis teners instantly recognised his inspi ration as Raymond Baxter, the vet eran BBC broadcaster best known today as presenter of Tomorrow's World, but a man who would have been totally unknown in America.

The Grand Prix of Gibraltar is one of those quirky comic gems that de fies categorisation and sounds as fresh now as it did the day it was recorded.

Copies of the original vinyl album have long been difficult-to-find col lector's items,particularly for collec tors of Gibraltar memorabilia. It was made available on cassette during the early 1990s, but with its recent reissue on CD,a new generation of listeners can finally experience a whimsical masterpiece created out of nothing almost by chance one September day in 1958 and which, against all expectatior\s, is continu ing to delight listeners almost half a century later.

Arts 6 Crofts

The Arts Centre,on Prince Edward's Road holds art classes for children and adults.

Children can take part from 5-6pm Mon days.5-6.30pm Tuesdays and 5-7pm Thurs days. Aduit classes are field on Mondays and Tuesdays 6-30pm-8pm and Wednes days 6.30pm-8.30pm, with an additional life painting class on Wednesdays 7pm9pm, Tel: 79788.

The Rne Arts Association Gaiiery on 1 st Floor over the glass factory in Casemates is open 11am - 2pm and 4pm - 6pm Mon day - Friday, Saturday 11am - 2pm.

Arts b Crafts Gaiiery next door is open

Monday - Friday 9.30am - 5pm(summer)6pm (winter), Saturday 9.30am - 3pm,

The Poetry Society meets on 20th of each month Contact: Audrey Batty on 44355

Charity Evonts

Charity Boot Sale at Safeway's car park every Sunday.

Church Services

Bahia Tel: 43637 for meetings.

Church of England Cathedral of the Holy Tfiniiy lei 78377. Sung Eucharist. Sunday 10 30um 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 Church.

Governor's Parade. Tel: 77040. Worship and Sunday School 10.30am. Bible Study

Tuesdays 7.30pm.

Evangelical Bretheren Assembly, Queensway Quay. Sunday 11am,Tuesday

Bible Study 6pm. Thursday Prayer Meet ing 6pm. Hindu Engineer's Lane Tel: 42515.

Jehovah's Witness 26u Line Wall Road Tel: 50186

Jewish 10 Bomb House Lane Tel: 72606. Methodist 297 Main Street Tel: 77491. Sunday services 11am and 7pm. Midweek Fellowships.

Roman Catholic Cathedral of St Mary the Crowned,215 Main Street Tel: 76688 Fax: 43112.

Board Games

Chess Club meets in Studio 1,John Mack intosh Hall from 8 - 10.30pm on Tuesdays.

The Gibraltar Scrabble Club meet at the John Mackintosh Hall every Monday. Bank holidays changed to Thursday of same week. Contact Vivian or other committee members 71967 /Gib mobile 54000835

Time: 7pm-11 pm All players welcome.

The Subbuteo Club meets at the John Mackintosh Hall in the Charles Hunt Room from 7 30pm • 11 pm.

Dance Modern & Latin American Sequence

Dancing sessions every Monday at the Catholic Community Centre at 8.30 pm (be ginners classes at 7.30 pm. Everyone over 15 years welcome, www.gibnvnex.gi/inst/ cccseqdance/start.htmi

Old b Modern Sequence Dancing ses sions at the Catholic Community Centre at 8pm, beginners at 7.30pm, Wednesday

The DSA Old b Modern Sequence Dane* ing sessions at the Central Hall every Riday at 8.00 pm, beginners at 7,30 pm. Fur ther details on Tel: 78282 or e-mail manvio@gibnet.gi Everybody welcome.

Clubs Activities

Senior Citizens Teatime Dances are held at the The Youth Centre, Line Wall Road on Monday afternoons 2pm - 5.30pm. All senior citizens welcome for coffee,lea and biscuits. Entrance free.

Children aged 4 plus may attend classes in classical ballet, Spanish dance and hiphop at the Liza School of Dance on 3rd floor of the Methodist Church, 297/299 Main Street. Classes on Wednesday h Friday from 6pm at Chiltern Court (4Cs). Tel: 58111000.

Line Dancing at Oueensway Club, Central Hall every Wednesday at 8pm -9pm be ginners; 9pm- 10pm advanced. Everyone welcome, including visitors to the Rock. For further information contact Helen 50381 or mobile 540137760.

History b Heritage

The Gibraltar Heritage Trust is located at The Main Guard, 13 John Mackintosh Square Tel 42844.

The Gibraltar Classic Vehicle Association is dedicated to the preservation of the Rock's transport and motoring heritage. It aims to assist members in the restoration and maintenance of classic vehicles.

Members and vehicles meet on the first Sunday of every month at Safeway's car park from 10am. Prospective members welcome to attend, Tel: 72481 Fax: 72033 E-mail: gibdassiciSgibnynex.gi.

Outdoor Activities

Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural His tory Society rambles are walked on the last Sunday of the month (meet Spanish Side of frontier, just to right of the Aduana vehicle exit at 8am). Tel: 74645/71956 for details. All welcome. GONHS organises birdwatching every Saturday when a mem ber will be available on site at Europa Point Observatory to the right of the lighthouse from 2pm. The GONHS Birdwatching and Naturalist walk up the Mediterranean Steps takes place every Sunday from 9am to 11am. Contact 72639/76818 for details on GONHS.

Performing Arts

Stage Musicals Group meet every Wednesday and Thursday at their rehearsal room at British Lines Road (next to the Frontier loop)at 8pm. For further informa tion contact Iris on 73098.

The Trafalgar Theatre Group meets on 2nd Wednesday of each month at The Garrison Library 8pm. All welcome.

Quizzes

Cannon Bar quizzes are held on Tuesdays with at least three quizzes per night. Start ing with a warm up, then two other quiz zes, including a theme quiz. Starts at 8.30pm,all welcome and prizes are givenFree entrance 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 Ciubs

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

Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes(Gibraltar Province) meets at the RAOB Club, Vault No. 1, Jumpers Bastion on the fol lowing days: Provincial Grand Lodge, 1st Monday of month, 8pm. Executive Meet ing, last Monday of month 7pm. Knights Chapter, 2nd Monday of month 7.30pm, Examining Council. 3rd Monday of month

7pm. William Tiltey 2371, Thursdays8pm. Buena Vista 9975. Wednesdays (fort nightly)7pm.Por Favor 9444,Wednesdays (fortnightly)7pm. Farewell 1{XX)1,Tuesdays

8.30pm. Goldacre 10475 (social) last Fri day of month 8pm.

The Tuesday Ladles' Club meets at 8pm at the Queensways Club on the first Tues day of each month. And is open to all women in Gibraltar who enjoy meeting people and making new friends. It is a non profit making organisation, and any pro ceeds are donated to charity at the end of the financial year. Contact Anne Tel: 43869, or Margaret Tel: 70816

Special Interest

Ciubs 6 Societies

Gibraltar Horticultural Society members get togelher on the lirst Thursday of the month at 6pm,John Mackintosh Hall. The society's main feature is the Annual Flower Show held in Spring. Other events include slide shows, demonstrations on flower ar rangements and outings to garden centres plus an annual tour around the Alameda Gardens. All welcome.

Gibraltar Internet Club meetings are held monthly on Mondays at the College of Fur ther education from 7pm to 9pm. All are welcome to attend, whether experienced surfers or just starting to get acquainted with the net. There are a number of com puters connected to the internet as well as a number of machines with programs for the creation of web pages. Also avail able is a colour scanner for anyone who wants to scan pictures for personal use.

The Gibraltar Photographic Society meets on Mondays at around 8pm at Wel lington Front. Basic courses in photogra phy, competitions etc.

UN Association of Gibraltar PO Box 599, 22a Main Street. Tel: 52108 Mobile: 56657000 E-mail: unagibrallar@maii.com.

Sports Supporters Clubs

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

Portsmouth FC supporters would like to start a Club. Anyone interested please call Billy 58873000.

Sports b FHness

Golf: Med Golf tournaments are held monthly. Tel: 79575 for details of mem bership or tournament venues/dates.

Skatlng:Gibraltar Skating and Xtreme Sports Association opens its Skate F^rk at Coaling Island, Queensway, Tuesdays to Saturdays, 5 - 9pm. The Skate F^rk has state of the art ramps for those who enjoy Xtreme/aggressive roller biading or skate boarding. The park also provides leisure skating facilities within its excellent skat ing rink (when not being used for roller hockey training). For info contact the Fork's Manager Mr Eric Young 70710 (Tuesdays to Saturdays) or just turn up at the park.

Squash; Gibraltar Squash Association, The Squash Centre, South Pavilion Road.

Swimming: Gibraltar Amateur Swimming Association opens its swimming pool for early swimming every Monday to Riday 7am • 8.45am (swimmers can also swim any time between 12 noon and 4pm and 8pm to 9pm Monday to Riday). Tel: 72869.

Table Tennis;The Gibraltar Table Tennis As sociation will be holding training and play ing sessions at Bishop Rtzgeratd Middle School on Wednesdays from 6pm to 10pm and Thursdays 8pm to 10pm. Contact Eugene Rons on 72934 or just turn up at sessions.

Yoga: Integral Yoga Centre runs a full pro gram of Yoga classes from Monday to Ri day at 33 Town Range. Tel: 41389. Every body welcome.

Support Groups/Associations

Alcoholics Anonymous meetings at 7pm Tuesdays and Thursdays and 11am Satur days at Nazareth House Tel: 73774. Citizens'Advice Bureau service aims that individuals do not suffer through lack of knowledge of their rights and responsibili ties of the services available to them, or through an inability to express their needs effectively. Late opening hours Wednesday 5.30 - 7.30pm. Open two Saturday morn ings each month. Tel; 40006 Email: info@cab.gi or visit 10 Governor's Lane, No appointment necessary, no charge.

Gibraltar Cardiac Rehabilitation and Sup port Group meets on the first Tuesday of every month at 8.30pm at the John Mac Hall, except for July and August.

Gibraltar Marriage Care.Ree relationship/ marriage counselling, including pre-marriage education (under auspices of Catho lic Church, but open TO anyone).Tel; 71717. Hope. Support after miscarriage or still birth. Tel: 41817.

Narcotics Anonymous Tel: 70720

Overeaters Anonymous support group of those with a compulsive overeating prob lem. Call help line for details of meetings Tel: 42581.

Psychological Support Group. Nazareth House. Group therapy Tuesdays 7- 9pm (social, crafts, games, music etc.). Work shop Thursdays 2pm-4pm. Tel: 51623. With Dignity Gibraltar is a friendly sup port group for separated, divorced, wid owed or otherwise unattached peopleRegular meetings Wednesdays9pm at the Catholic Community Centre, Line Wall Road. Outings and activities. Contact Rli 71824 or Gladys on 71465 for information.

Women in Need. Voluntary organisation for all victims of domestic violence. Ref uge available. Tel: 42581 (24 hours).

Women'sAid. Aims to protect women and children from violence. Tel: 41999.

Clubs, Organisations and Support Groups should submit details to The Gibraltar Magazine, PQ Box 561, PMB 6377, Suite S3D International Commercial Centre, Main Street, Gibraltar Fax: 77748 for in clusion in this guide.

Live Music Venues

The Lord Nelson in Casemates has live music on Friday and Saturday evenings. Jam session on Sunday evenings - ail musicians welcome.

The Tunnel, also in Casemates, has live music every Riday nightfrom 10pm and live etertainment on Saturday nights from 10pm until late (watch this space for details of their Thursday night live entertainment!).

There is live music at Corks on Irish Town every Friday from 9pm to late.

The Three Owls on Irish Town has a jam session, hosted by Richard Cortes and STD,on Wednesday nightsfrom 8.30pm

The Rock Hotel, Europa Road,has regu lar entertainment from 4-6pm with gui tarist Tito Valerga. and on Saturday eve nings with Masquerade.

Thursday night is Jazz night at the Ellott Hotel from 9pm.

A Florida recording contract has led to Gibraltar group

Milbajac releasing an album at the end of October.

If you don't recognise the name Milbajac then perhaps Glow will spark a light in your head. That's what Milbajnc were previously known as,from when they first got together in 19% until earlier this year.

So why the change of name when they had a good following under their original title? It turns out that there was a good and practical rea son for it: when they were negoti ating the US recording contract they were told that there were already three groups in the States called G/ine, and that they would have to come up with something different if they were to land the deal.

Wanting to make sure they cre ated a new name that was original and therefore not already in exist ence,the band sat down and even tually devised one that was made from all the members'initials; Mark Brooks,(drums), Lawrence Imossi (vocals),Jordan Ahnan(lead guitar) and Corey Alman (bass).

That did the trick and the group was signed up by Tony Bongiovi. That name sounds familiar? Well, it should do because Tony is a cousin of John Bonjovi (who changed the spelling of hissurname for neatness) and runs Bongiovi Records & Entertainment in Florida. A fairly powerful force in the US music business, Tony has worked with Ozzy Osbourne,Talk ing Heads and many other famous names.

Back in '97, when the band was still a-Glow,they brought out a fivetrack HP called Rain which was re leased locally through Milestone Records and sold well on the Rock.

The new album. Shade of Grey, came about as a result of the group sending a total of 25 demos to the Florida agency.Tony Bongiovi liked what he heard, whittled the number down to eleven and asked them to come over to Florida to record the tracks at Power Station Studios.

The group's eclectic sound is pop-rock, and Shade of Grey con- out of the eleven on this new re lease.

At the other end of the scale is a raucous punk number called The only one with, as the group them selves put it, 'a bit of everything represented on the other tracks'.

Milbajac are semi-professional and have played all over Spain as well as locally. It's likely that they will be performing their new album in Florida and they are also expect ing to be in a Gibraltar concertsoon, organised by Rock on the Rock.

There are no plans to release Shade ofGrey in Spain or the UK at present,just the United States and Gibraltar. I learned that they had to put a bit offirm but

sound Is

tains a good mix of styles, with some of their previous popular songs alongside brand new titles. All of them are written by the band, and one of the new ones is a tribute to former band member Michael Danino who has, sadly, passed away. It's called We shall meet again. Michael was also co-writer along with the others on five of the songs friendly pressure on the Florida studios to get them to agree to release it in Gibral tar;the company thought the market was too small and distant to be viable, but Milbajac prevailed — and good for them. That's also another good reason to buy the CD,which is now in all t>f Gibraltar's record shops — all three of them!But at least local fans (and those who will become fans after hearing it) have been given the chance to share with Florida an other of Gibraltar's talented musi cal exports. p

Let's hope this hard-working, pleasant-mannered and original band continues to be appreciated in more and more countries as their steady upward progress continues.