The Gibraltar Magazine January 2018 by Rock Publishing Ltd

January 2018 Vol. 23 # 03

LAST OF THE GREAT EXPLORERS

BEAUTIFUL BERGEN PACK YOUR COAT

JANUARY VEGANUARY JOIN THE GREEN SIDE

AM I TOO OLD FOR UNIVERSITY?

MARINE ROWER ONE BOAT, ONE LEG

MANAGING STRESS THE KEY TO SUCCESS

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from the editor

JANUARY ISSUE EDITOR’S NOTE Dear Readers, I’m typing to you from my duvet fort in my winter trousers (this is what I call my post-Christmas stretchy waist trousers, my fitted jeans having abandoned me roughly three Christmas dinners ago). 2017 had its ups and downs for the world, but I’m now excitedly focused on 2018 – I hope you’ll join me. What better way to start the new year off than with inspiring stories of dramatic discoveries and tantalising travels? It was an immense privilege (after I had recovered from nervously babbling my way through an introduction) to interview Colonel Blashford-Snell, an intrepid explorer and the dapper gentleman you’ll find on our front cover this month. Read about how he navigated the Blue Nile and carted a grand piano through the Amazon jungle (p. 55).

HERE'S TO THE FIRST BLANK PAGE OF A 365 PAGE BOOK. LET'S WRITE A GOOD ONE

As if this wasn’t enough to wet your wanderlust whistle, we also have the incredibly humbling tale of one man, one rowboat, and one leg. Lee ‘Frank’ Spencer is a man on a mission as he attempts the eye-watering feat of rowing from Gibraltar all the way to Venezuela (p. 39). What’s your New Year’s resolution for 2018? Mine is to stop hanging around people who ask me what my New Year’s resolution is. This month we took to the streets once again to ask you which annual promises to yourself you find hardest to keep (p. 20). If you’ve indulged a little too heavily in the pata negra this year, fear not! We have a delicious detox for you (p. 85) as well as an article that tackles the ‘v’ word, and may just inspire you to switch over to the green side (p. 78). If you feel like starting your health habit overhaul (or if you’re just hungry), why not give Eileen’s nutty gnocchi recipe an attempt (p. 84) - the healthy snack to get you back on track! Along with promises of healthy diets and resolutions anew comes the inevitable January blues. Luckily stress management guru Geraldine Canepa has some tasty tidbits about the link between what we put in our mouths and what goes on in our heads (p. 52). For some of us, the start of a new year can be accompanied by a weight of expectations and can be a particularly trying time, but you’re not alone. Gib Sams is here to hear. Read about their outreach programme and how you can help others (p. 50). To top off our wonderfully wintry issue, Chris takes us to the Norwegian city of Bergen to indulge in snowy hikes and fjord cruises (p. 67) – but don’t forget to wrap up warm! Luckily Julia has got our back (and our front, and arms for that matter) as she advises us on what might just be our most important purchase of the year – a coat. See you again in February, when we have collectively (hopefully) made a full party-season recovery and had the chance to thaw out a little. facebook.com/gibmag/ twitter.com/gibmag instagram.com/thegibraltarmagazine/ editor@thegibraltarmagazine.com

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

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contents 8 News 18 Around town 20 Hello there: New Year's resolutions

BUSINESS 23 26 28 30 34 36

Goodbye 2017 and hello 2018 A New Year, a New Business - What’s in store? Blockchain Summit - Startup advice Confusing Technology - Made simple New Year New Politics? - Let’s discuss Property conveyancing

LIFE 39 Marine Rower - From Gibraltar to Venezuela 42 Am I Too Old? - Returning to University 44 Main Street - The history behind our signage 47 Gibraltar lottery & terrapin smuggling 50 You Are Not Alone - Gib Sams is here for you 52 Stress - How to control it 54 The Last of the Explorers - Col. Blashford-Snell 23#03 January 2018: Colonel Blashford-Snell photo from private archive

Contributing writers: Ian Le Breton, Eran Shay & Ayelet Mamo Shay, Denise Matthews, Graeme Fulton, Jorge v.Rein Parlade, Mark Montegriffo, Andrea Forde, Elena Scialtiel, Jo Ward, Reg Reynolds, Robert Vasquez, Sophie Clifton-Tucker, Richard Cartwright, Lewis Stagnetto, Peter Schirmer, Patrizia Imosso, Chris Hedley, Andrew Licudi, Julia Coelho The Gibraltar Magazine is published monthly by Rock Publishing Ltd Portland House, Glacis Road, Gibraltar, PO Box 1114 T: (+350) 20077748 | E: info@thegibraltarmagazine.com Copyright © 2018 Rock Publishing Limited. All rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced without written consent of The Gibraltar Magazine.

www.TheGibraltarMagazine.com Magazine & website archived by the British Library

! ADVERTISE The quality of a magazine reflects on the businesses that advertise within it. The Gibraltar Magazine is Gibraltar’s premier magazine packed with first class content. We don’t have pushy sales people, so get in touch if you have a business or strategy to promote. We will explain your options and help you with artwork if you need us to. We are passionate about what we do and about our home, Gibraltar.

! GET INVOLVED If you are an artist with an exhibition, a club or charity with an event coming up, we’d love to hear from you. This is a community magazine with no VIP area. Everyone is welcome to contribute so drop us a line.

! GET IN TOUCH We’d love to hear from you. Sometimes we get a bit lonely in our office, and we like to get letters, phone calls and emails with your feedback and photos. We might even publish the best so keep them coming. This is your magazine so get involved.

Email: info@thegibraltarmagazine.com Tel: 200 77748 GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

SCENE 59 TTG Panto - A new dame for a new year 62 Solitude House - A dark tale 64 Extracts from the novel Solitude House

LEISURE 67 72 74 78 82

Beautiful Bergen - A wintry retreat Chupa Sangre - The blood-sucking fiend Winter Warmers - The right coat for you January Veganuary - Going green Is Wine Poison? - We have the facts

84 Recipes: Gnocchi and Detox Cleanse 86 Guides and Information 93 #GibsGems 94 Olympian Gods – Monthly prose 98 Coffee Time and Schedules Editor: Sophie Clifton-Tucker editor@thegibraltarmagazine.com Design: Lina Sproge design@thegibraltarmagazine.com Sales: Luis Jimenez sales@thegibraltarmagazine.com Distribution: Jordan Brett jordan@thegibraltarmagazine.com Accounts: Paul Cox paul@thegibraltarmagazine.com 7

news

WINTER CULTURAL PROGRAMME JANUARY 2018 Saturday 2nd December to Sunday 14th January 2018 Christmas Fun Fair Attractions 2017 John Mackintosh Square 12am to 7pm Organised by Gibraltar Cultural Services. For further information please contact Gibraltar Cultural Services at info@culture.gi Tuesday 12th December to Saturday 20th January 2018 The Affordable Art Show 2017 Fine Arts Gallery 10am to 6pm Mon to Fri Entrance Free. For further information please contact the Fine Arts Gallery on 200 521 26 or email finearts@gibtelecom.net

Thursday 4th January Orchestral Concert for children John Mackintosh Hall Theatre 5.30pm Free of charge for kids and their families New Years Classical Concert John Mackintosh Hall Theatre 8.30pm Organised for HM Government of Gibraltar by the Gibraltar Philharmonic Society. Tickets £20 from the Society on 200 72134 or www.philharmonic.gi. Friday 5th January 61st Anniversary Three King’s Cavalcade 2018 Main Street 7:30pm (Starts from Casemates Square) For further information please contact Eric Abudarham on Tel 57586000 or email: eabudarham@gibtelecom.net. Wednesday 17th January The Art Society Talks Lars Tharp (Antiques Road Show presenter): The gate of Heroes: On the China Trail Garrison Library 7:30pm Tickets £12.00 at the door. Art students come free. Join for a glass of wine provided by The Cellar from 6.30 pm Thursday 18th January Gibraltar and The Sixth Extinction John Mackintosh Hall 7pm Entrance Free. A lecture by Stewart Finlayson at John Mackintosh Hall. Saturday 27th January St Andrews Craft & Collectors Fair St Andrews Church 10am – 2pm Governors Parade Entrance £1. Please call 540 23 166 for further information.

DISCOVER MORE 8

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

news 2018 ANNUAL ART COMPETITION FOR YOUNG ARTISTS Gibraltar Cultural Services, on behalf of the Ministry of Culture is inviting local artists to partici-pate in the annual Art Competition for Young Artists that will be held in February 2018. Closing date for receipt of entries is 6pm on Friday 16th February 2018. The competition is open to Gibraltarians and residents of Gibraltar attending school in years 9 to 13 (or College equivalent), as well as to young Gibraltarian artists aged up to 24 years old as at 26th February 2018. Works must be original and not previously entered competitively, with the exception of non-winning entries in the 2017 Spring Visual Arts Competition and 2017 Interna-tional Art Competition. Artists may submit a maximum of three paintings/drawings and two sculptures.

Unframed art-works will also be accepted. All entries will be exhibited at the John Mackintosh Hall from the 27th February to 9th March 2018. Prizes to be awarded are: 1st Prize The Ministry of Culture Prize £1,000 2nd Prize The AquaGib Award £500 The Alwani Foundation Award School Years 9 to 11 £500 The Alwani Foundation Award School Years 12 to 13 £500 The Arts Society Gibraltar Sculpture Award £500 All the artworks listed above will become property of the Ministry of Culture. Entry forms and full conditions are available from:

•B ayside and Westside Comprehensive Schools • Gibraltar College of Further Education • The Fine Arts Gallery, Casemates •M ario Finlayson National Art Gallery, City Hall •G ibraltar Exhibitions of Modern Art (GEMA), Montagu Bastion, Line Wall Road • John Mackintosh Hall, 308 Main Street •O r via email from: info@culture.gi or on our website www.culture.gi Entries may be handed in at the John Mackintosh Hall as from Wednesday 14th February 2018 from 3.30pm to 6pm. Closing date for receipt of entries is 6pm on Friday 16th February 2018. For further information please contact GCS Events Department on 20067236 or email: info@culture.gi

THREE KINGS CAVALCADE 5TH JANUARY 2018 ARRANGEMENTS FOR DISTRIBUTION OF SWEETS As the festive season comes into full swing, arrangements are well underway for the organisation of the Three King’s Cavalcade, organised by the Cavalcade Committee. The Gibraltar Cultural Services have been working closely with the committee to ensure that once again sweets are distributed at the event. Sweets will be handed out to spectators instead of being thrown from the floats. The Gibraltar Cultural Services staff will be responsible to hand these out to children and persons lining the route of the Cavalcade. GCS staff will be departing Casemates Square at 7.15pm. The Three King’s Cavalcade will take place along Main Street on Friday 5th January 2018 at 7.30pm.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

news

BAYSIDE SCHOOL BRINGS YOU ‘BAYWATCH’ Baywatch is the newly revived magazine produced in Bayside Comprehensive School – by students, for students (or anyone who can get their hands on a copy as they fly off the shelves). The extra-curricular project is run by a group of Bayside sixth-formers and aims to cover school events, student work and academic topics as well as including information on charity initiatives, school clubs, GCSE advice and so on. The team is comprised entirely of students who are responsible for finding and creating content. The journalists interview students and staff whilst documenting the process with photos whilst the design team come up with their own illustrations and artwork with careful consideration of the layout and presentation. The marketing team diligently organised sponsorship in the form of company adverts. From our magazine to yours, well done!

GBC TO MOVE INTO NEW PURPOSE-BUILT PREMISES AT SOUTH JUMPERS BASTION In line with its manifesto commitment, Her Majesty’s Government of Gibraltar has announced the move of the Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation from its old cramped premises in South Barrack Road into new, purpose-built accommodation at South Jumpers Bastion. This new building will contain two new large television studios, four radio studios and a voice-over studio, along with all the areas essential for make-up, costumes, props, etc. The whole complex should be ready by the end of 2019 and, indeed, Mr Picardo said that he was already looking forward to being in the new studios for the pre-election debates in the run-up to the 2019 election. The building will be rented for £300,000 per annum with an option to purchase for £7.5 million.

Teuma said that his staff were clearly excited at the prospect of moving into such prestigious and well-equipped accommodation. The Chief Minister said: ‘When it came into office, this Government immediately increased GBC’s annual budget in order to enable it to make the essential switch from analogue to digital broadcasting – and that investment that has produced a return in droves. Meanwhile, today’s announcement is clear evidence of that we are investing in GBC’s highly professional staff: a team that is highly valued by our community. ‘GBC is a hugely important asset for this community. Quite simply, it provides a focal point for Gibraltar’s cultural life and I am delighted to announce that, at last, it will have the accommodation to allow it to fulfil that role to the best of its ability.’

GBC’s Chief Executive Officer, Gerard 10

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

news ‘FLORA OF GIBRALTAR’ ONLINE The Gibraltar Botanic Gardens and Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society (GONHS) have jointly launched an online ‘Flora of Gibraltar’ project. The project is the culmination of years of work by the GONHS Botanical Section and technical staffat the botanic gardens. This is the first attempt to provide an identification guide to the entire native and naturalised vascular and bryophyte flora of Gibraltar. The website provides infor-

mation on the identification, distribution and ecology of all of the plants of Gibraltar, including maps and photographs for all plant species identified from the Rock.

by the public, schools and students at the University of Gibraltar. It is a scientific tool but is also user-friendly and expertise in botany is not required for its use.

The project is the natural successor to ‘The Flowers of Gibraltar’, a book authored by Leslie Linares, Arthur Harper and John Cortes and published in 1996. However, the online nature of the current project means that it can include more species, images and information, and can continue to be updated with information as further understanding is gained of Gibraltar’s flora.

Minister for the Environment, Prof. John Cortes, who was present at the launch, congratulated theteam for the work, complimenting the “It is an outstanding piece of work, which will be an important tool for research and for education, and a logical conclusion of the botanical work of both GONHS and the Botanic Garden. Not only is it full of information, but the non-specialist will find the photographs a delight to behold. Few countries of our size can boast such a comprehensive online flora.”

The website is an educational resource of considerable potential that can be used

OPENING OF UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE VIEWING PLATFORM As part of HM Government of Gibraltar’s commitment to improving and enhancing the Gorham’s Cave Complex World Heritage Site, a new viewing platform with interpretation panels was officially opened Wednesday 13th December by the Minister with responsibility for Heritage, the Hon Prof John Cortes, MBE, MP. The Viewing Platform is the latest in a series of stages that are aimed at promoting and providing access to the World Heritage Site. The caves themselves are subject to an annual quota of visitors because of their archaeological sensitivity and the new facility will provide spectacular views and interpretation of the site without risk of causing damage to the fragile archaeology within

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

the caves. In addition, the viewing platform offers unique views of the entire World Heritage Site all the way to the highest point of the Rock at O’Hara’s Battery (426 metres above sea level), including the popular Mediterranean Steps. The viewing platform initially be open Monday to Friday between 10am and 2pm. Access will be free of charge to holders of Gibraltar Identity Cards, on production at the ticket office. Special arrangements to open additional hours will be made for organised groups by prior appointment.

As from today, free access to the Gibraltar Museum will also be available to Gibraltar Identity card holders, in line with the policy of opening out our Heritage to the community. Further improvements are currently being prepared and will be announced in the New Year. Work at Gorham’s and Vanguard Caves will also continue in 2018 with two months of excavations planned for the summer months.

news REBRANDING OF PUBLIC HEALTH MAKE A CHANGE TODAY FOR A HEALTHIER TOMORROW The new Healthy Gibraltrar website (healthygibraltar.org) is distinct from that of the GHA, and provides information and advice on several aspects of healthy living, from childhood through to adulthood. Its content is tailored specifically to Gibraltar, and its contents and campaigns are specific to Gibraltar’s needs. The website also works to support the Public Health Department’s Schools Programme, through which children are provided with the knowledge and skills they need to make healthy choices throughout their lives. The main website has been developed from the ground up and is comprised of 6 microsites: Change4Life, Smoking, Healthy Eating, Alcohol, Physical Activity and Campaigns. Each contains very

GHA ANNOUNCES THE OPENING OF A NEW LYMPHOEDEMA CLINIC The Gibraltar Health Authority, working in partnership with our community, is pleased to announce the opening of the brand new and purpose built Isaac and Rachel Levy Lymphoedema Clinic. Staffed by trained GHA nurses, but totally funded by Mr James Levy CBE QC, the Lymphoedema Clinic, based in

comprehensive, up-to-date information and advice on a wide range of health topics, based on the latest research and in line with UK guidelines. The website has a modern interface that is colourful, contemporary and easy to navigate. It will be updated regularly with interactive material that supports Gibraltar’s latest Public Health campaigns, communicates research developments and provides useful resources, including recipes, event information and leaflets. Feedback from the public and interested stakeholders, including non-governmental organisations and charities, is welcomed and encouraged. The Public Health team can be reached by email health.promotion@gha.gi or by phone +(350) 20072266

the Primary care Centre, is an impressive and modern facility designed to care for patients suffering with this long-term chronic condition. Lymphoedema is swelling and fluid retention in areas of the body caused by damage or a blockage of the body’s natural lymph fluid drainage system. This condition is very difficult to treat and needs management with fluid drainage-assisting massage and equipment, which provides pressure waves up a limb to move fluid away from a swollen area. The relief from the constant pressure of fluid retention when a patient completes a treatment is enormous and extremely rewarding to see. Mr James Levy CBE QC said “My wife, family and I are delighted to have been of

some help in the refurbishing of this small but important facility for the GHA. We are honoured that it should bear my parents’ name and we are very grateful for the opportunity given to us to participate in this project”. Dr Krishna Rawal, Deputy Medical Director, stated: “I am so pleased to see how the Primary Care Centre is working with our community to develop and deliver some truly important services, so we can improve our care of patients who have very specific medical needs. It has been a privilege to work with Mr James Levy on this project; his willingness to help and the bonds we have strengthened have made this a high point of my year. It is my genuine belief that we are all part of the team when it comes to caring for our precious community.”

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

news INCREASED CAPACITY AT PRIMARY CARE CENTRE Her Majesty’s Government of Gibraltar maintains a commitment to listening to feedback from all members of our community. As such, the Ministry for Health is pleased to announce that the Primary Care Centre (PCC) will increase the number of General Practitioners until the end of March to keep pace with not only the increased winter demand on appointments, but to overall increase GP walk-in and on the day appointments and the flexibility of the PCC to meet the needs of Gibraltar. With immediate effect, locum cover will be provided for extra clinics and these will continue through to March 2018 to ensure all aspects of the winter flu season have comprehensive GP cover. In addition, a

further part time GP will start in the PCC with immediate effect to provide far greater capacity throughout not only the winter, but also the summer months. The PCC will introduce a “See and Treat” style service, where patients can be seen in an area that mirrors the minors area of a UK A&E Department, with nurses and GPs working together to see patients as they walk in the door. This will create not only extra capacity, but also a flexibility that the PCC has hitherto been unable to offer. Dr Krishna Rawal said: “We are extremely grateful for the increase in clinician numbers. Our GPs and Nurse Practitioners work extremely hard to provide the best level of service possible, but the winter flu season places the PCC under great strain and it is always a deep disappointment for us if we find ourselves in a position where we have no more appointments to offer. These increased resources will give us approximately 280 extra walkin and on the day appointments for the winter months. I am very excited about the development of the “See and Treat” area, which I am confident will enhance our services.”

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news AWARENESS TRAINING ON LEARNING DISABILITIES

EQUALITY MEANS BUSINESS: FRONT LINE STAFF TRAINING ON DISABILITY AWARENESS FOR BUS DRIVERS

The Ministry for Equality recently delivered a new training session that is focused for NGOs and the voluntary sector who work with, or would like to welcome, people with learning disabilities to their organisation. The aim of this new training programme is to promote the participation of and integration of individuals with learning disabilities through a better understanding of the subject matter by leaders and organisers. There was a high turnout at the seminar, titled “Introduction to Learning Disabilities and Autism; Good Practices and Strategies” which offered volunteers an introduction to the general principles of learning disabilities and provided key information thereby assisting the vital work they do with individuals with learning disabilities in their respective organisations. The seminar was focused on 5 key points: • Understanding learning disabilities, autism and mental health

The Ministry of Equality and the Ministry of Transport have organised disability awareness front line staff training for drivers and staff of the Gibraltar Bus Company and Calypso Transport Ltd, both of which provide a public bus service. There have been various training sessions since the 29th of September to today. Jason Belilo, Equality Development officer from the Ministry of Equality presented the training to the drivers. Mr Belilo underwent a ‘Train the Trainer’ course earlier in the year and are now certified by UK Charity, Attitude is Everything to deliver training on disability awareness. They will be delivering this awareness training throughout Government Departments. The Minister for Equality, the Hon Samantha Sacramento, MP, said: “As part of our vision to make Gibraltar as accessible and inclusive as possible we are providing disability awareness training to front line staff thought public services. By providing this training we intend to improve the service government provides to the public and especially to people with disabilities. It is also very satisfying to me, as Minister for Equality, to be able to say that government officials can now provide in-house training with regard to Disability Awareness and this further shows that Government is fully committed to furthering the disability agenda.” The Minister with responsibility for Transport, the Hon Paul Balban, MP, welcomed this initiative on the part of the Ministry for Equality: “This training underpins the commitment put forward by the STTPP to improve public transport service in Gibraltar for all its users.” The Minister was delighted with the turnout of both transport companies at these courses. 14

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news • Causes associated with these diagnoses • Understanding links between certain conditions • Understanding behaviour within these conditions • Positive approaches to working with people with learning disabilities The seminar was fully subscribed, with over 30 volunteers. The NGOs represented were Special Olympics Gibraltar, Gibraltar Girl Guides Association, Gibraltar Scouts and Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Gibraltar. The feedback from those who attended the seminar was extremely positive with many volunteers expressing a desire to attend further follow up training to build upon what they had learnt. Further training which will provide a higher level of understanding is being commissioned and a follow up seminar will be provided early in the new year. In the meantime, a repeat of the introductory seminar will be offered to other volunteers interested in attending and will take place in mid-January. Attendance is limited to 30 places and registration with the Ministry for Equality is required in advance.

GOVERNMENT DELIGHTED TO OPEN TENDER PROCESS FOR SALE OF EX-MOD HOUSING HM Government of Gibraltar is delighted to announce the opening of the tender process for the sale of ex-MoD housing. A total of 161 former MoD properties, all in the South District, will be made available for purchase to those who have been resident in Gibraltar for a minimum of 10 years. The following accommodation is up for tender: • 104 houses at Europa Walks Estate • 30 flats at Trafalgar Heights • 10 houses at Naval Hospital Hill • 5 houses at Lake Ramp (Buena Vista) • 12 flats at Prevost House and Phillimore House (Buena Vista) It is expected that all these properties will be transferred to the Government in early 2019. They will initially be used to provide accommodation to athletes during the Island Games. Therefore, although successful tenderers will be notified and deposits will be required to secure a successful tender during the course of 2018, the Government expects the first completions to begin in August 2019, whilst Prevost House and Phillimore House will be ready for completion in early 2020. The Government of Gibraltar will carry out necessary infrastructure works, including

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

to electricity supply, plumbing and internet access, prior to completion. Land adjacent to Europa Walks Estate will also be developed by HMGoG to provide pools, play areas and extra parking (which will be available for sale in the future) for that estate. A new residential development consisting of 17 townhouses is currently in the design stage for the area adjacent to the Europa Walks Estate play and pool areas. These will not be subject to the same tender process but will be sold for fixed prices starting from £750,000. This development is subject to a full review process by the Development and Planning Commission, in the same way as any private developer. Select viewing dates for some of the properties in each estate will soon be made available for those interested in submitting a tender. All the properties carry a reserve price, and tender bids that fail to meet the reserve price will not be accepted. Successful tenderers will be required to pay a nonrefundable deposit of £10,000 within 21 days of being notified, with the full balance due on completion. All relevant information, including detailed plans, can be found online at www. gibmodsales.gi. This is also where tender documents can be accessed and tender bids can be submitted. The deadline for all tender submissions is 12:00pm on Friday 23rd February 2018. 15

news UK AND GIBRALTAR CONTINUE BREXIT DISCUSSIONS IN LONDON The fifth meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee Gibraltar Exit Negotiations (JMC GEN) took place in London this morning. This is the formal structure of inter-Ministerial discussions on Brexit between the United Kingdom and Gibraltar Governments. The UK delegation was led by the Permanent Under Secretary of State at the Department for Exiting the European Union Robin Walker MP. The Gibraltar team was led by the Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia, who is responsible for work related to our departure from the European Union. It also included the Minister for Commerce Albert Isola, who is responsible for Financial Services and Online Gaming, and the Attorney General Michael Llamas. There was a detailed briefing on the progress of negotiations with the EU, including the end of phase one last week and the movement to the second stage. The discussions included an update of the progress of the different working groups which have continued to meet in between the main JMCs. A new working group on Transport issues is set to meet later this week. Commenting on the meeting, the Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia, said: “The flight that Minister Isola and I were on was diverted to Cardiff late last night as a consequence of the bad weather in the United Kingdom and it was not clear at one point whether we would make the meeting in London on time. However, we were able to make it and as a result the UK and Gibraltar Governments today continued their positive engagement as preparations proceed for our departure from the European Union.”

GIBRALTAR RECEIVES STAUNCH SUPPORT SUPPORT IN NORTHERN IRELAND The Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia has declared that any Brexit deal which excludes Gibraltar would be a bad Brexit deal for the United Kingdom as a whole. Dr Garcia was speaking at the conference of the Democratic Unionist Party in Belfast where his address was interspersed with applause and received a standing ovation at the end. The Deputy Chief Minister flagged the question of a possible Spanish veto under Clause 24 of the Council’s negotiating guidelines. He recalled the political storm that this news had caused in the United Kingdom and the cross-party expressions of sympathy and support for Gibraltar which had been received. “You continue to be among the staunchest supporters of the right of the people of Gibraltar to determine our own future and among the most passionate defenders of our choice to remain British,” he told the delegates to applause. These included Arlene

Foster MLA, until recently First Minister and Nigel Dodds MP who leads the group of DUP MPs who hold the balance of power in Westminster. The UK Government Chief Whip Julian Smith MP was also present. Dr Garcia explained the background to the 50th anniversary of the 1967 referendum and how 99% of the people voted to remain British with only 44 voters choosing to join Spain. “We made it very clear that our birth-right was not for sale,” he said. He then explained the historical connection between Gibraltar and Northern Ireland and the wartime evacuation there of Gibraltarians during the Second World War. Dr Garcia thanked those present for making the delegation from Gibraltar so welcome in Belfast and presented party leader Arlene Foster MLA with a cut-glass model of the Rock.

THE ACQUARIUS TRUST TROPHY

Matthew was also the Category 1 runner up with 34 points.

Sunday December 10th saw Med Golf returning to Alcaidesa to contest the Acquarius Trust Trophy on the Links Course.

The best team was Paul Appleyard and Roger Griffiths with a combined score of 65 points; a swan-song for Paul, the triple World Blind Golf Champion, as it was his last Med Golf event before leaving Spain. We wish him well. Roger went on to claim the Category 1 winner prize.

The event attracted 75 players including 15 guests mostly members of Alcaidesa who supported the event including the Captain and Lady Captain, Brian and Veronica Thompson. The golf format was individual Stableford. The best result was 37 points scored by Peter Grüetter which won him the Acquarius Trust Trophy and 2 green fees on the San Roque Club Old course. Peter also had the best gross score of 78 and won the best senior prize. The best gross score on the par 3s went to Matthew Charlesworth with a score of level par – better than it sounds given the speed of the greens and that there were 5 par 3s.

The longest drive was won by Richard Atkinson.

The three best guests were awarded a one year free membership to Med Golf. In ascending order they were: third, Veronica Thompson with 32 points; second, with 33 points was Brian Thompson and first was Dawn Milton with 36 points. Our handicap category prizes were won as follows: Category 1 (handicaps 0 to 12): Matthew Charlesworth, a familiar

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

news HIGH COMMISSIONER OF AUSTRALIA TO THE UNITED KINGDOM VISITS THE ROCK Last Month Gibraltar welcomed the High Commissioner of Australia to the United Kingdom, His Excellency the Hon Alexander Downer, to the Rock on a fact-finding visit. The Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Joseph Garcia, had previously met with Mr Downer when in London in September. The High Commissioner’s visit to Gibraltar included a number of briefings and working meetings on a wide range of subjects, including Brexit, future trade and the economy. On Monday night the Deputy Chief Minister addressed His Excellency at an official dinner, where other guests included the Chief Justice, Ministers, Opposition Members and representatives of the Financial Services and Online Gaming sectors. The Australian expat community in Gibraltar was also invited. Dr Garcia’s speech covered the themes of Gibraltar’s history and strategic military importance

face on the podium, was the runner up, beating Louis Calvente on handicap, with a score of 34 points. The winner was Roger Griffiths with 35 points. Category 2 (handicaps 13 to 22): Andrew Lewis beat several players on handicap to be runner up with a score of 32 points. The winner was Paul Miles, the sponsor of the day, with 34 points. Category 3 (handicap 23 and above): Ian Collinson was the winner with 34 points and the runner up was Tommy Pearson with a score of 32 points. Nearest the pin winners were: Russell Blessett, Paul Miles, Tim Mitchell, Dan Banister and Linda Fletcher. Duncan Hamilton won nearest the pin in 2 on a par 4 and Norman Savitz was winner of nearest the pin in 3 on a par 5. Prizes were presented by Paul Miles on behalf of the sponsor. Paul also presented the card draw prizes as

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

from the Battle of Trafalgar to today, Australia’s support for Gibraltar at the United Nations throughout the 1960s and for the first sovereignty Referendum of 1967, and Gibraltar’s economy, in particular the importance of Gibraltar’s respected and growing financial services centre and expertise in online gaming. Gibraltar is gearing up for a post-Brexit future, and it is only natural that we want to do business with those countries that share our core values. Australia, a respected fellow member of the Commonwealth shares our commitment to fairness, democracy, human rights, to standing up for the underdog, to freedom and justice, and to self-determination, said Dr Garcia. Visits such as this one are invaluable for building relationships, identifying mutual interests and exploring ways to work more closely together in the future.

follows: one litre bottle of Johnnie Walker red label whisky was won by Andrew Lewis and golf caps were won by Pete Yeoman and Dawn Milton. Anders Østgergaard presented the Jyske Bank Draw prize of a presentation pack of special Danish beer. A very good time was seen to be had by all. John Hunter, Med Golf Director, thanked the sponsor and the players for supporting the event and wished everyone the compliments of the season on behalf of the Med Golf Team.

BILL TO AMEND THE GIBRALTAR ELECTRICITY AUTHORITY ACT The Government has published a Bill to amend the Gibraltar Electricity Authority Act that will, for the first time ever allow individual customers of the GEA to feed-in electricity generated at home from renewable sources. The change in the law, following approval by the Board of the Gibraltar Electricity Authority, is aimed at encouraging renewable energy micro-generation in the home. Customers who install such equipment will be able to enter into a feed-in agreement with the GEA whereby all the units of electricity fed into the network will be credited to the customer’s electricity bill. The Minister responsible for the Environment and Energy, John Cortes commented, “Our fast improving electricity network can now take energy fed in by customers, and this amendment to the law, once taken through Parliament, will allow individual consumers to be producers as well, and to get electricity credits for any power that they feed in. This will result in savings to the consumer and also in reducing the emissions and carbon footprint of Gibraltar. How far we have come in six short years.”

For more details on our full schedule and the benefits of joining Med Golf please visit our website: medgolfmembers.com

The Jyske Bank Order of Merit Only the top 10 will qualify for next summers Med Golf Masters. Here are the current top 20 Matt Charlesworth, Louis Calvente, Richard Atkinson, Roy Azopardi, Mike Cowburn, Chris Purkiss, Daniel Lomax, Joe Sanchez, Kevin Jones, Paul Nash, Matthew Warner, Nick Farr, Nicky Sanchez, Ian McNee, Tim Mitchell, Douglas Cascairo, Peter Gruetter, Matthew Robinson, John Hunter, Jon Bowden

around town â&#x20AC;&#x201C; GBC Open Day

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

around town – TAXI at the Rock Hotel © Mark Galliano Photography

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

hello there

Thomas Johnson, 27

Justin Bautista, 27

Operations manager at WaveCrest

Designer and Mama Lotties Foodie Writer

Any resolution involving fitness. I am astonishingly lazy most of the time, and anything with a low effort-to-reward ratio never keeps my attention for long. Take fitness apps, the real challenge to me is to go through the day with the least amount steps, not the most!

Honestly, I find most of my resolutions hard to keep, I think I set them too vague at times and get distracted along the way. My hardest resolution to keep however is to travel solo. I'm envious of those that have the drive and will to travel far on their own and experience the world. Time to get out there and see new things!

WHAT RESOLUTION DO YOU

Davina Barbara, 40

Cora Anne Ramirez, 23

Broadcast Journalist at GBC

Stylist at Mayfair on Main

I try and make realistic resolutions, but I also try and challenge myself and have fun with them. And thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the secret to success!

One of my hardest resolutions would be to let my hair grow long and keep it as healthy as I possibly can, but I find it really hard as I like to change very often and try new hairstyles and colours. Being a hairstylist makes it even harder for me; seeing all the amazing colours such as pink, blue, purple and grey influences me!

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

hello there

Michèle Portelli

Robin Batchelor, 27

Property Manager at Chestertons

The Health Store

Every January I tidy up my sock drawer and roll up all my tights and into a neat ball; socks and tights lie neatly alongside each other. Then after a week they all get mixed up again. This is very frustrating as it takes me ages to find a matching pair.

I don’t usually ever make resolutions as the only ones I’d keep are ones that aren’t that important and shouldn’t be a resolution. If I want to change something, I just do it, I don’t wait for the new year. However, this year I have decided to make one! My resolution is to be kinder to people… lame, I know!

FIND HARDEST TO KEEP?

Zane Manasco, 39

Mark Rodríguez, 22

Creativepreneur at Epic Brands

Consumer of planets (Receptionist during the weekdays) at Gib Ink

Waking up at 6 to go to gym. That goes out the window by mid-January.

Dieting. I really love a mixed grill with cocktail sauce and a Sun Cola. Maybe one day I'll try, but for now I'll stick to my mixed grill with cocktail sauce and a Sun Cola.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

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business

GOODBYE 2017 AND HELLO 2018 Inflation, strategic planning and the 'B' word

t the turn of the year it is traditional to look back at the year just passed – and to look ahead at the 12 months in prospect. I note, with some amazement, that this is the eleventh time I have performed this feat for The Gibraltar Magazine, so is this time round any different to similar pieces I have penned over the last ten years? I venture to suggest that there may be some new things to say – and genuinely grounds for optimism. Read on. Before I set out my thoughts on 2018, we must rake over financial coals of the last 12 months. As the economy continued to improve or at least stabilise across Europe, UK interest rates – which also apply in Gibraltar – doubled to half of one per cent from the historic low rate set in the aftermath of the EU referendum in June 2016. Financial people often split a single percentage into 100 basis points (expressed of course by the relevant initials). It cerGIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

able of course but if everyone follows the tainly sounds more impressive to say that same policy, the economy will go downhill rates moved up from 25 to 50 b.p. but for very rapidly. A modest level of inflation is savers this still means that returns remain therefore considered a good thing. Luckily perilously low. Borrowers are paying a little more for their mortgages and other perhaps, the delicate balancing act that is required to ensure that inflation does debt, but stiff competition between banks not spiral out of control is something way and other lenders mean that at the end of beyond most of our pay grades! 2017, funding is still cheap by historical standards. Perhaps as a It concerns result, the savings ratio appears It concerns me a little that for me a little to be dangerously low. many, the financial crisis now that for appears to be nothing more than many, the a memory. It is, after all, only ten Inflation has been creeping up financial years since the original difficulties recently and this will need to be monitored carefully in the year were exposed and the Eurozone crisis now is definitely not out of the woods ahead. We seem to be past the appears to yet. Some countries may struggle time when the threat of deflation be nothing again, although at the time of hung over us – falling prices are more than a writing the days of national in fact more perilous than a rising memory trend. This is because in a deflabailouts appear to be behind us. tionary environment, people may In some cases, such as Iceland (which was the first to be rescued) and delay the purchase of large goods (white Ireland, the speed with which their econokitchen appliances are a good example) mies have recovered has been astonishing. in the expectation that the price in a few months’ time will be lower. It’s understand23

business the greatest challenge of our time, not just for the UK but also for the other EU member states. Moreover, other countries worldwide will need to adjust the way they look at us – and trade with us – too.

as a new personal base too. Our Category 2 residency scheme remains highly attractive to such people and, in my view, there is plenty of business out there for us to find and bring home.

I have long been convinced that the UK Gibraltar may not have sought this and its satellites should also outcome (96% of us voted to ‘rebe mining the rich seam that is main’ in the referendum) but I am “Britain the Commonwealth of Nations. convinced that we will make the and Gibraltar The 52 members currently have best of it. The votes have been are fully a combined population of 2.3 cast and counted so we have no open for billion – or about 30% of the choice but to explore how we business estimated global population of can exploit this brave new world. 7.6 billion. This represents a A large number of foreign busi– and we As the New Year begins, the EU remains huge opportunity because all nesses are looking to establish or want yours”, a key news item and the dreaded ‘B’ word Commonwealth members have expand their operations in Britain should be remains the principal issue. One of my cora strong connection to Britain. to retain competitive advantage respondents has asked me to get through our slogan. In the main, their governments in what is, after all, one of the a whole article for once without using (and by extension, I hope, their largest and most prosperous the ‘word’ but my meaning is clear. In the business leaders) all have a close affinity to European nations. The current UK populaweeks leading up to Christmas, negotiaus and want to trade with us. The forthtion is not that far off 70 million tions for Britain’s departure from coming leaders’ summit – CHOGM – is so the rewards are huge, and the the EU and its future trading Gibraltar due to take place in the UK in April and likely cost of doing nothing is status with the remaining bloc may not should provide an ideal opportunity to get unpalatable to say the least. members after 2019 continued have sought our message across. “Britain and Gibraltar to dominate the news agenda. this outcome are fully open for business – and we want One of my key objectives over yours”, should be our slogan. but I am the coming 12 months will be Gibraltar is of course totally to encourage as many of these convinced implicated. Unlike the Channel I cannot leave without mentioning the foreign-owned businesses as that we will Islands, the Isle of Man and other forthcoming royal wedding. Whatever possible to consider including make the British overseas territories, we your views on the monarchy, there is no Gibraltar as part of their straare a full member of the EU and best of it. doubt that ‘the firm’ delivers a huge annual tegic planning. Regular readers will be exiting alongside the UK, windfall in terms of tourist spend and may recall that I have addressed presumably in March 2019. Frighteningly international profile. 2018 should break this in previous finance columns. Foreign this is now little more than a year away! all records. Good luck to Prince Harry and businesses should consider setting up With all due respect to my friend who is Meghan I say, and let’s welcome all the a Gibraltar holding company or perhaps bored with the ‘B’ word, this represents visitors who will want to be part of it in owning their UK subsidiary via a Gibraltar Gibraltar. trust or foundation. With our low corporate tax rate – just 10% on profits accrued or derived in Gibraltar – the advantages So it is with somewhat more optimism could be hugely to their benefit. than I have felt in recent years that I conclude this piece in the traditional fashion. For some inexplicable reason, I have Added to this, foreign firms should considalways preferred ‘evenly’ numbered years er basing senior staff here. In some cases, but, less irrationally, I think that assuming business owners might consider Gibraltar the successful outcome of Britain’s discussions with the EU, perhaps served with a small helping of good fortune, we should prosper in the year ahead. On behalf of all Sovereign staff (there are 110 of us in Gibraltar these days) I wish all readers and their families a very happy – and prosperous – New Year.

IAN LE BRETON Corporate Services Director, Sovereign +350 200 76173 ilebreton@SovereignGroup.com 24

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

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business

A NEW YEAR A NEW BUSINESS Top ten tips for entrepreneurial start-ups

you. There is no room for the blame game. tarting a new business is a bold Contributing factors aside, most startups step. There are many risks and uncertainties but also great opporfail because they just give up, not because tunities and rewards. If you are cur- they run out of money or time. rently an employee of another company, then starting your own as an entrepreneur Having left the comfort of the big corpois a lifestyle change. Don’t make the misrate life to start our own venture, we can take of assuming it is a way to get definitely say it has been a rollerrich quick, or an escape from all coaster of a journey, but we do People problems. Starting a business is not regret it a single day. In order who feel hard work, requires a lot of deterto avoid some of the pitfalls and competent mination and learning, and only obstacles along this path, careful but unsatispays off in the long term. Take planning is necessary. Below are fied or bored an honest look at yourself before our Top Ten Tips for the new in their leaping. If you are desperate to entrepreneur: current job get out of an existing role, you may just be lurching into entremake better 1. Don’t be afraid to talk preneurship, only to find it more entrepreabout your idea stressful and unsatisfying. People neurs. who feel competent but unsatisIf you keep your idea a secret fied or bored in their current job and don’t consult with anyone, you will make better entrepreneurs than people find it very difficult to progress your idea. who feel overworked, under-appreciated, Listening to various opinions will help in and over-stressed. As a startup founder, validating your idea as well as giving you remember that the buck always stops with further “food for thought”. 26

2. Research the market Make sure you thoroughly study and familiarise yourself with your target market, whether it is a new territory, a niche industry sector or a specific population segment. Conduct market surveys, use focus groups and read relevant literature. 3. Know your competition Familiarise yourself with both direct and indirect competitors in the marketplace. Understand the strengths of their products/services and their customer base to be able to identify your core competitive advantage and position yourself at the leading edge of the competition. 4. Consult with professional service providers (lawyers, accountants, tax advisors etc) While their advice may be costly, it may often give you the best value for money, as GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

business well the ability to tap to their network of contacts and learn from their experience. It will also help you structure your business in the most effective way, thereby saving you greatly once your business matures. 5. Prepare a business plan Having prepared and read hundreds of business plans throughout our career, we can definitely say no business plan is like the other. While you are most likely to be asked for a business plan at one stage or another (by the bank, investors, regulator, or others), preparing a business plan is your opportunity to set In order out for yourself the objectives to avoid and goals for your business, as some of the well as the process by which you pitfalls and will execute your plan and the financial forecast you expect to obstacles attain. Such business plan should along this be reviewed and updated as path, careful your business progress. Lacking a planning is business plan is one of the main necessary. factors why some start-up fail, and seeking professional advice to write it is the best way to ensure you end up with a document that is fit for purpose. 6. Don’t accept just any investor

on the quality of your employees and don’t be afraid to let go of anyone who doesn’t measure up to your expectations.

The biggest excuse why people do not start their own business is because of the fear of failure. So many people SAY they want to ‘take risks’ and ‘start a business’ for years but never act. Why? 9. Try to obtain free money They’re afraid of failing. Which It’s not IF really means they’re afraid at There are various grants, sponyou will fail. what people will think of them sorships, interest-free loans, tax It’s WHEN for failing. The most successful breaks and other aid funds earand what people I know have the most marked for new businesses. Make you do failures. Because they take the sure you explore these oppormost chances. It’s not IF you will about it. tunities and learn how to obtain fail. It’s WHEN and what you do them. It may often be easier than about it. The faster you can accept this you think... paradigm the faster you can get over ex7. Protect your IP cuses like these and onto FINALLY starting 10. Use social media to get exposure your own business. If your business is based on some Intellectual Property, make sure you take In the internet era you don’t necessarily the relevant actions to protect need to spend huge amounts on these intellectual assets as early expensive advertising. Word of Raising as possible, such as applying for mouth and viral marketing over funds may patents, registering trademarks social media sites have become a be perhaps and copyrights, and look after powerful, yet cost effective way one of the your key employees. to potentially reach millions of biggest customers. Raising funds for your new business may be perhaps one of the biggest challenges you may face, but don’t be tempted to accept just anyone’s money. Funds from family and friends may be easier to raise but in case of a business failure may cost you your most precious relationships. By taking “stupid money” from unprofessional individuals, you may find yourself stuck with partners who have no added value to your business, yet have the power to control your business decisions.

8. Hire only the best

challenges you may face.

While employees are often the biggest business cost, they are also its biggest asset. No matter how good your product may be, people do business with people and it is this human interaction that will determine the success of your business. Hence, don’t compromise GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

Gibraltar is an ideal place for entrepreneurs and start-up businesses as it offers a business-friendly environment characterised by low bureaucratic obstacles, low taxation, various financial assistance programs, and numerous professional associations.

ERAN SHAY, Managing Director & AYELET MAMO SHAY, Business Development Director of Benefit Business Solutions Ltd. (+350) 200 73669 general@benefitgibraltar.com 27

start-ups

BLOCKCHAIN SUMMIT Towards the end of 2017 the topic was development and scaling. Welcome 2018 and what is the plan? Why, expansion of course.

BY DENISE MATTHEWS

ith a now established product and brand which has sustainably added value to our business community, One Media & Events (OME) as the driver of Startup Grind Gibraltar will be upscaling. Embracing one of the hottest global tech topics, Blockchain, will be the priority this year, and May 2018 will see the Gibraltar Blockchain and Innovation Summit launched by OME with plans to take it round the world. On the 6th December 2017 the final bill to amend the Financial Services (Investment and Fiduciary Services) Act, brought to the House by Minister for Finance Albert Isola, was passed unanimously. Minister Isola however, after a question from Roy Clinton, explained that ICO’s should not be confused with Distributed Ledger Technology, but confirmed that Government was moving quickly to also provide a level of regulation in this area. The conferences, seminars and events 28

being hosted locally are already on the rise, so credibility and validation must also be maintained in this space.

After attending the EY Gibraltar Seminar with Paul Brody - their Global Blockchain Innovation Leader - last year, the follow up brochure sent explained “Blockchain technology is a way to structure data without So why focus on Blockchain and startthe need for a central authority. ups for the May summit? Back A blockchain is a distributed in the day, January 2009 to be It was database that hosts a continuexact, the proposed Bitcoin obvious that ously growing number of records. payment system was exciting and the main The database stores records in innovative, but it has been the technical blocks rather than collating them mechanics of how it works that is innovation in a single file. Each block is then truly revolutionary. Shortly after “chained” to the next block, in the white paper’s release, it was was not linear, chronological order, using obvious that the main technical this digital a cryptographic signature; as a innovation was not this digital currency or result, records cannot be revised, currency or that, but the technolthat, but the and any attempted changes are ogy that lay behind it. technology visible to all participants. This that lay process allows blockchains to Although commonly associated behind it. be used as ledgers, which can with cryptocurrencies and ICO’s, be shared and corroborated by blockchain technology has many anyone with the appropriate permissions. other applications. In fact, Bitcoin is only These distributed ledgers can be spread one of about seven hundred applications across multiple sites, countries or instituthat use the blockchain operating system tions. Although blockchain technology is today. GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

start-ups the foundation for cryptocurrency (such as Bitcoin), there are a variety of financial and accounting applications beyond the realm of cryptocurrency.”

with technology as one of the only industries we can fully rely on as a jurisdiction to save us from all the adversity that an unfortunate outcome of Brexit Start-ups presents. Marrying the next chain rise and fall of events in the calendar for everyday 2018 into a summit is the natural any founder transition.

Adoption by large corporations, such as that by Microsoft in partnership with Bank of America can relate Merrill Lynch in June 2017, have been predicting comprehensive Startup Grind’s Global to that, so if blockchain integration across Conference (startupgrind.com/ your starttech companies and financial conference) will take place in up is on the firms, proof the technology is maFebruary. This is an event for blockchain, turing and still has lots of room start-ups everywhere, and local things are to grow. Start-ups rise and fall businesses and entrepreneurs looking up. everyday any founder can relate should set their sights on attendto that, so if your start-up is on ing. Over 7000 entrepreneurs the blockchain, things are looking up. In will meet in Silicon Valley for 2.5 days of terms of compliance, the distributed nature sessions led by top CEOs and influencers, invites collaboration between companies dynamic networking events, meetings with

investors, access to invaluable resources, and more. Additionally there is a Director’s Retreat; this is a part of the event held exclusively to those who run a chapter. Connecting with each other brings us together and the networking possibilities are endless. Aside from learning how to improve on our individual chapters from more experienced directors from other countries, the structure provided and network is the platform for each of us to help fuel our own start-up, and that is the essence of this phenomenal organisation and why Google for Entrepreneurs has their back. The Barcelona Chapter of Startup Grind is one of the strongest and most active chapters of the community, the first ever Barcelona – San Francisco Summit held in this city in October presented a lineup of local and international speakers, and attracted quite a crowd – 700 attendees. Àlex Rodríguez Bacardit, Startup Grind Regional Director and Co-Founder of Mars Based (marsbased.com), a development consultancy for web and mobile apps, is the guest for this month’s Fireside Chat in Gibraltar on the 11th January at the World Trade Center (search startupgrind.com for details). For information on Gibraltar Blockchain and Innovation Summit email denise@onemediaevents.com.

and individuals in the ecosystem. For that reason, blockchain start-ups as a whole are in a unique position to reshape entire industries. Some applications of blockchain will also see the new EU General Data Protection Regulation active on May 25, 2018 already incorporated with the self-sovereign digital identity, a promise whose values are reiterated in the GDPR legislation. Non-executive director of The Gibraltar International Bank, In essence, Marcus Killick, announced that Gibraltar from November 2017 the bank is breaking will now be accepting accounts borders with from companies who use the entechnology. crypted technology. Businesses using Blockchain will be provided standard banking services, but every account will be assessed beforehand on its own merit, and will need to comply with all regulatory standards. In essence, Gibraltar is breaking borders GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

technology

CONFUSING TECHNOLOGY MADE SIMPLE Over the last year there has been a bunch of new trends in tech: the explosion of Blockchain, cryptocurrencies, the rise of alternative reality, virtual reality but to name a few.

BY GRAEME FULTON

ll this technology is no doubt amazing and has everyone talking, but how many of us actually use them? Whilst it’s possible to spend Bitcoin in Supernatural, who does? It seems to be just a handful of tech-savvy people in the know. That is often the case, of course, until demand causes these technologies to be made accessible to the masses and actually easy to use. One novel example of this is CryptoKitties - one of the world’s first blockchain games. As well as making $3 million dollars just in its first week, it also motivated a lot of new people to use and understand blockchain and the cryptocurrencies in the process. “People who never would have never thought about purchasing Ether (a cryptocurrency like bitcoin) are now rushing to get their hands on some fancy cats.” (inverse.com) Essentially, CryptoKitties presented blockchain in fun and friendly way, inviting the 30

average person with no previous experience of the technology to use it. Whilst it may seem a strange craze, CryptoKitties is just one example of how a seemingly complex technology can made available to a brand new group of users purely by presenting it differently. Design in Gibraltar The same type of thing happens with all technologies that rise in popularity; there eventually becomes a tipping point at which the tech needs must be actually usable, by anyone. And this is where design comes in. “Design is more important than technology in most consumer applications” — Dave McClure This month we look at news in the design world and talk to people from the design community in Gibraltar to see the impact design has on the Rock. Here we have Andrew Cetnarskyj and Radoila Hristova (Radi) from the William Hill design team.

What do designers do? William Hill are one of the world’s leading gaming companies, and were one of the first in their industry to adapt to changes in people’s behaviours to place bets online. Nowadays, they seek to go beyond this, and transform the experience of their products on mobile devices. Making these changes brings a lot of impactful design decisions which essentially define how a product will be experienced by the end user. From a high level, they need to get two things right - both things massively impacting the success of the product: • The User Experience (UX) Design: How to make products easy to understand and use. • The User Interface Design: How to make products visually appealing and accessible. Here are their insights on the challenges the GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

technology

CryptoKitties face when at William Hill, as well as their tips on how to get into design for those who see this as a possible career: How is design changing things at William Hill? Are there any challenges?

I think artificial intelligence and virtual reality (VR) are still at innovation or concept stage within most companies.

Radi: Greatest challenge from a User Interface (UI) perspective is achieving visual consistency within one product, but also across different products and channels, like online, retail, TV etc. William Hill has a strong and well-known brand presence, but achieving consistency has proven a bit difficult. We have been working hard past couple of years to come up with a WH design system, a common visual language for online, to resolve this issue and we are in the process of implementing it.

Andrew Cetnarskyj, Sportsbook Design Lead What do you foresee for UX in Gibraltar in the coming year (cryptocurrencies, gaming, AI, VR)?

Andrew: I see UX becoming a key stakeholder in gaming and cryptocurrency businesses as they fight for market share next year. Across all business, particularly mobile, a good customer experience can make all the difference. I think artificial intelligence and virtual reality (VR) are still at innovation or concept stage within most companies. William Hill did trial a VR horse racing project a couple of years ago though. Radi: I definitely can see cryptocurrencies finding their way into Gibraltar. What fascinates me and what would be an interesting thing to see happen is a rise of AI and more advanced VR used to build upon an existing product.

Andrew: Splitting User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) design into specific disciplines across three offices No one is the biggest change this year. A wants to solid process has been a challenge work with a but we are almost there and we rock star or have had to adapt new processes diva. tool for remote communication and collaboration.

How did you get into design, and what advice do you have for those looking to get into it? Andrew: I completed a Consumer Product Design degree at University and saw native and web

apps start to become more common place, often taking over physical or traditional products. So in my third year started learning how to code and build websites. I then paid my dues in some agency work before moving to William Hill. My Biggest advice for UX designers is to try and learn the basics of the tech side – this can make it easier to turn ideas into reality. It’s also extremely important to be a team player and listen to other stakeholders. No one wants to work with a rock star or diva. Radi: Design has always been wrapped in a lot of opinions and is very subjective. Listen to your users, look outside of gaming, follow best practices and you will be successful. Future designers need to be patient and believe in themselves and the work they are doing. However, as Andy said, working with a team and not just any team, but people you love working with, will get you very far. As Radi highlights in her last answer, it’s important for designers in gaming to look outside their industry for inspiration. Spotting what trends are coming next is important not only in shaping how technology can be used, but who will be using it.

What’s the most exciting area you’d like to experience working in over the next year as a designer and why? Radi: I definitely would like to have the opportunity to work on native apps. Especially Android and working with Material Design (Material Design is the design language by Google). Andrew: Native apps - they offer more capabilities in the mobile customer experience. However, web technologies and Progressive Web Apps are slowly catching up, so either of these are interesting subjects from a UX point of view. GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

Radi, User Interface Designer 31

“Each one of us can make a difference. Together we MAKE CHANGE.” – BARBARA MIKULSKI

he Gibraltar Association of Compliance Officers (GACO) and the International Compliance Association (ICA) have recently signed a significant partnership agreement. The ICA have been instrumental in the creation of standards of competence in anti-money laundering, compliance and financial crime prevention. These standards are used by firms and regulators globally as a vital contributor to the management of the risk function. Since 2004 GACO has been instrumental in creating a culture of compliance in Gibraltar and in making sure that all professionals in the finance sector obtain access to best in class training as well as allowing industry professionals from different economy sectors to share their knowledge and expertise. Therefore, it was a natural development GACO enter an agreement with ICA to enable us to share in their resources for the benefit of the compliance professionals in Gibraltar. GACO feels that this will add further to their professionalism and to ensure that as a Jurisdiction and economy sector we keep pace with international developments in legislation, regulations and best practices. The aim of this advertorial is to enable the local community to understand a little more about GACO and ICA, and to outline what the benefits of the joint relationship will be for GACO members, and indeed for any person or organisation confronted with money laundering (AML) or Combating Financial Terrorism (CFT) issues in Gibraltar, from this joining of forces. Participating in this interview are Tom Perry, Senior Membership Manager ICA and Carlos M. Martins, GACO Chairman.

Q: Tom, could you please further explain who ICA are? Tom: The International Compliance Association is a professional membership and awarding body. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in the UK, with offices in New York, Dubai and Singapore, we provide for the educational and continuous professional development (CPD) needs of regulatory, anti-money laundering and financial crime compliance professionals across a range of industries. Q: Carlos, could you please further explain who GACO are? Carlos: The Gibraltar Association of Compliance Officers (GACO) is the local association of Compliance professionals in Gibraltar and was created in 2004 with the aim of enhancing the role of compliance. At the same time, GACO is a forum for discussion for Compliance professionals facilitating the sharing of knowledge and expertise. We also act as a consultative body to the industry in any discussions with the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission, the Finance Centre, Government bodies and other stakeholders. We are further committed to provide our members access to the best possible training and educational programs in order to equip them with the necessary knowledge and skills to ensure that they comply effectively with local and international regulations and legislation. Q: Tom, what do you see as the ICA’s Mission? Tom: To help make the world more stable

and successful by inspiring, educating and enabling our global community of compliance specialists to perform to the highest standards of professional practice and conduct. Q: Carlos, what do you see as the GACO’s Mission? Carlos: GACO’s mission is to educate and prepare Compliance Officers and MLRO’s in Gibraltar so that they can develop the necessary skills and competences to allow them to create and manage effective risk management systems and compliance tools within their organisations. This will ensure that we continue to raise the jurisdiction’s reputation and hence allow us to further develop our economy in a sound, compliant and sustainable manner. Q: Tom, can you give us more information on what ICA does? Tom: ICA provides a wealth of knowledge, tools, resources and support for use at all stages of careers to both individual members and firms. For firms with teams of compliance professionals, we offer the opportunity to license these resources to our members who can then use them internally. Being a member of ICA’s global community demonstrates a commitment to the highest standards of practice and conduct, enhances your professional reputation and employability and significantly protects and improves the performance of your organisation. We are also proud to be recognised as the leading global provider of professional certified qualifications in regulatory and financial crime compliance.

to the success of GACO, its development activities and the continuous professional development (CPD) and education of its members. Carlos: ICA members have access to over 7,000 online resources. All those resources will now be available to GACO members.

Q: Carlos, could you please give us a further insight on the activities of GACO? Carlos: GACO provides regular training opportunities to all its members on the various topics related to AML and CFT. GACO also analyses the various international developments in terms of best practice, legislation and regulations and regularly organises international seminars with experienced professionals who bring to Gibraltar the latest expertise on how to effectively combat money laundering and CFT dangers. We participate actively in the public debate around all topics related to AML/CFT by engaging with all the relevant stakeholders and by ensuring that Gibraltar’s compliance officers are at the forefront of the international developments in the sector and that they keep pace with the same. We act as a sounding board for the local Finance Centre, representing all our members and their respective economic sectors and interests in all matters related to Compliance. Q: Why are ICA & GACO collaborating?

Another important thing to remember is that when you enrol for a qualification you wish it to be internationally recognised. In an ever changing world, it is desirable to be professionally mobile and always have the right qualifications and training accreditations independently for the country in which you intend to work. Therefore ICA qualifications are ideal for the following reasons: ICA qualifications are recognised, benchmarked qualifications used by regulators, education authorities and serve as evidence of competence and ‘fitness and properness’ to undertake compliance roles. ICA qualifications are awarded at Certificate level (assessed at level 2), Advanced Certificate level (assessed at level 4), Diploma level (assessed at level 6) and Professional Post Graduate level programmes (assessed at level 7). The Certificate level qualifications align with benchmarks established for the UK’s National Qualifications Framework (NQF). The qualifications at levels 4 - 7 align with benchmarks established by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA), which are mapped in accordance with the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. All qualifications are quality assured through and awarded in association with the Alliance Manchester Business School, The University of Manchester.

Tom: ICA provides a wealth of knowledge, tools, resources and support to compliance professionals at all stages of their careers.

Q: Carlos, is there anything else you would like to mention in relation to GACO or to compliance in general?

The shared goal of ICA and of GACO is to maintain and enhance the level of professionalism of compliance roles in Gibraltar. ICA wishes to contribute

Carlos: Historically compliance jobs would mainly apply to the Finance Industry. We have seen that over the years, this has evolved into other sectors of the economy. Since the transposition of the EU’s

4th Anti-Money Laundering Directive even High Value Dealers need to comply with AML/CFT regulations in a way that they didn’t before. Therefore it will be even more important for persons active in those sectors and that are possibly not yet familiar with the topics around AML/ CFT to increase their knowledge through appropriate training. Anyone interested in the subject matter can join GACO as a member (gaco.gi/member-application) and thereafter apply for ICA membership in order to have access to all the available ICA resources, courses and qualifications. For all the existing GACO members active as Compliance Officers and/or Money Laundering Reporting Officers having vested interests in those subjects or considering a new challenge in the compliance universe, this new agreement gives them the opportunity to assess their current skills and qualifications and to consider a tailor-made training plan that will further strengthen their qualifications and skills and prepare them for new and more complex challenges that our industry might face in the future. For those that are active in the Compliance Industry in Gibraltar and that are not yet members of GACO, this is a unique opportunity to join and to immediately profit from the benefits of being a GACO member and to take part in all the seminars at a discounted rate and at the same time become members of ICA and access all their resources for a great discount.

CARLOS M. MARTINS GACO Chairman

TOM PERRY ICA Senior Membership Manager 33

politics

NEW YEAR, NEW POLITICS? With Parliament returning after the Christmas break, the big issues facing our wider community are back on the agenda, as well as the big divisions between the two parties. But how do we improve things for people who are feeling distanced from the political process? In 2018 we can look to a few ideas to increase participation in Gibraltar's future, as the need for hope and engagement grows stronger in the midst of the Brexit negotiations.

BY MARK MONTEGRIFFO

power. Of course, any self-respecting is not assumed that if you are Labour that f you ever get into a political discussion party would probably take advantage of in Gibraltar, you are bound to hear a you agree with everything that the Labour this if it believes in its own policies. It is complaint on the party divide – ‘we party says. In a small community, that is a are too small to have allegiances’, ‘we huge loss to our democratic advancement. not, though, the most democratic system Parties have a role in political orof democracy. A more democratic sysdon’t work together anymore’, tem would, in tandem with parliamentary ganisation, as do unions, feminist ‘we have too much in common to In a small reform, begin by taking the power away be so divided’, and so on. People and minority groups, and NGOs. community, from the parties and their establishment, think that the entrenched party They ought not, however, be the that is a allegiances limit our democracy sole and hegemonic and putting it back into the hands huge loss power. The outcome of of the people, concerned citizens instead of enhancing it. Voters A true to our and neighbourhoods. our current status quo often vote for the party that their political democratic regarding parties (and parents voted for, and when we opposition advancetalk about politics, we may often this is in large part due Checks and balances is somemust identify use the phrases ‘I am GSD’ or ‘I to our parliamentary thing most people can get ment. this and shift behind; just as with further transsystem) is that whichevam GSLP’. This does not reflect political the broader opinions of society on various er party wins a general election parency, democratic reform, and involvement becomes, broadly-speaking, the issues. modernisation of government. arbiter of policy. back into the But this has not gone far enough. And even if it did ‘go far enough’, Party allegiances are black and white idencommunity. In other words, decisions for the it only answers half of the probtities which not only fail to fully explain lem. These reforms and bit-part changes, state are made almost exclusively with our thoughts and values, but block out though necessary, are merely institutional. the sign-off by the party of government. constructive and open dialogue. This is fine in the UK, for instance, where there Ironically, it is a democratic system without They are not fundamental and universal. We may have the access to documents are millions of people who loosely tie a democratic outcome, because the democratic election provides the autocratic that reveal business dealings that would be themselves to a political narrative, and it 34

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

politics of the public interest, for example, but if got Obama a big reputation in Chicago there is no culture of engagement it would before his national presidential campaign all be for nothing. If there was no ambition in 2007/8. It is one of the key aspects of in the community to challenge and discuss a ‘populist’ or ‘people’s’ movement. But the issue of our time in a fashion that is the word populism is used as a negative above party political labels, there is only term in Europe. Social scientist Cas Mudde symbolic meaning to reform. If identified that “in the public parties are coming in and out of debate populism is mostly used Young government and basically lead to denounce a form of politics people are the community in the same kind that uses demagogy, charismatic realising that leadership or a pub discourse”. of way, there will be no change their once and the outcome will be what we The truth about populism is not promising have been seeing recently – govas simple as the nominal usage of

future has been replaced by crises.

ernments blaming previous governments, blaming previous governments, blaming previous governments…

the word in the public sphere. To be a populist does not mean to aspire to power by any means necessary or to abandon one’s values in the name of shiny projects – that’s A true political opposition must To be a identify this and shift political inpopulist does just irresponsible governance focusing on short-term electoral volvement back into the communot mean gain. Take a populist like Corbyn nity, empowering people, not the to aspire to who, until recently, appeared to establishment and its institutions. power by be holding on to his values tightly A true political opposition then any means even if it harmed him politically. must come from the community, necessary or Populists by nature are supposnot from established ‘parties of edly anti-establishment, but there government’ that may criticise to abandon are important distinctions. There here and there but will probably one’s values is left-wing populism that focuses wind up doing this same thing if in the name on growing inequality, ‘the one they were to reach power, like of shiny percent’, social injustice, and the government prior, and so on. projects. progressivism (Bernie Sanders, Together Gibraltar has made the Podemos, and Corbyn’s Labour, right noises as a movement, and for example). There is also right-wing one hopes that they follow through if they populism that also sees society as headed become a party. into a divide between ‘the people’ and ‘the elite’, but is also strongly focused on Let’s step back a bit now. What I am fighting immigration and some nebulous describing is a form of politics inspired concept of ‘political correctness’ (think by community organising, which is what GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

Trump, Le Pen and Wilders). Ultimately, tired political institutions and financial interests are being challenged in a fundamental way around the world for failing to serve the community. Young people are realising that their once promising future has been replaced by crises in the labour market, the wider economy, and in housing. As the rich get richer and the powerful get more power, not only are they living in a different world to everybody else, but they can no longer pretend to represent the interests of society. As Sanders understood, the vast changes in the name of democratic socialism that he wanted to make, such as free tuition and universal health care, would require a ‘political revolution’ in America due to the ‘rigged’ nature of the political system. He did not mean an armed uprising, but a revolution of ideas, involvement and inclusivity. 35

property

PROPERTY CONVEYANCING Time and circumstance have come together, producing good conditions to sell your local property. How can this be done whilst abroad?

he Gibraltar property market, due to several factors, is a healthy and stable market. This very fact together with other elements make it most attractive for overseas clients and investors to purchase property locally. Some of the main reasons for investing in Gibraltar include:

• No capital gains tax when you sell • A market which has always been marked by a high demand, normally considerably higher than supply, which keeps it on the move.

• A very user-friendly legal and general paperwork system

• And now that Brexit seems to be a reality to come at some point, a large number of UK buyers are considering Gibraltar as a place to make an overseas investment, with no currency exposure to worry about combined with fabulous infrastructure and balmy Mediterranean weather conditions.

• A low corporation tax or personal tax system in the case of making rental income

With all the above reasons in mind, and having made a purchase of a property in Gibraltar and having enjoyed its use and/or some good rental earnings,

• A stable market which is somehow always on the move • A decent rate of return which varies between 5% and 9% to be made from renting property out to clients, either on a short-term or long-term basis

the time has probably come to move on and sell it and to harvest some profits to possibly invest back again in something larger or newer. I often hear: “I am abroad, how do I proceed?” The answer is ginclear. Just get someone to do the conveyance for you. Here are some important points to consider and follow:

Now that Brexit seems to be a reality to come at some point, a large number of UK buyers are considering Gibraltar.

Appoint a solicitor or business consultant or estate agent to do the job for you if you do not wish to be present. The person you choose has got to be a professional with a good experience in conveyance. However simple it may look, transferring a legal title deed of a property from a company or person on to another has its complexities and there is no doubt this must be done professionally. In Gibraltar there are excellent professionals to choose from. Their fees vary, but as a norm they are about 1% of the transaction value or a little GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

property

less if we are talking about a very large deal. It is essential to get this point clear from the moment we appoint someone to act on our behalf to avoid surprises at a later stage.

How safe is it to operate with an appointed consultant in Gibraltar? The answer probably is as safe as anywhere else.

cepted for the sale, his fees and the timing amongst other notes of relevance to secure a smooth sales deal.

Who pays the expenses? This varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. In general terms the buyer must pay for all the purchase expenses but make sure of this before you move ahead. In Spain, for example, the above case rules except that the buyer must make a 3% retention of the final sales price in order to cover the municipal capital gains tax. This is not exactly the case in Gibraltar but check these points with your consultant as laws change every now and then and you must obviously comply with the existing regulations at the time of completion of the sale of the property in question.

The following step is to make the relevant power of attorney to the person chosen above. Bear in mind your chosen consultant must sign on your behalf when the exchange of contracts is agreed upon and must also sign over the transfer of the property deed when the relevant dates arrive. The Power of attorney may be a general one or more often a specific one to enable our chosen professional to represent us in the sale of our property. Ideally you must go to a Notary Public in Gibraltar and grant this document to your representative. This could also be done in The UK, but make sure it includes â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Apostille of The Hagueâ&#x20AC;?. This is to Gone - or make sure it is usable in certain almost gone overseas Jurisdictions including - are the Gibraltar.

How safe is it to operate with an appointed consultant in Gibraltar? The answer probably is as safe as anywhere else. Safe if you appoint the right person. days when Besides you should set out in there used Another essential point is to your letter or document with to be cash address you representative in your consultant how you wish involved. written and to clearly set out the payments to be done. When your instructions to pursue the I act on behalf of a client, for sale of the relevant property. Price, condiexample, I specifically request the buyer tions of payment, deposits, contracts and to make or transfer the funds directly to time frame to conclude the transaction the client or vendor. This is a much clearer and a good amount of relevant points are and safer way of doing business and saves all to be set out clearly in this document. your consultant a few possible headaches. Normally your solicitor or business consulGone - or almost gone - are the days when tant will meet up with you and agree to all there used to be cash involved. This is the points. The minimum price to be acsomething I have always recommended GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

clients to avoid. The dangers involved are too many to mention in this article. Just do things legally as they should be done and pay your dues is the golden rule, and then hopefully your sales deal should run as smoothly as a well oiled and tuned engine.

JORGE V.REIN PARLADE MBA Business Consultant (+350) 540 45282 jorgeparlade@icloud.com 37

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life

LEAN, MEAN ROWING MARINE “I don’t believe anyone should be defined by something they can’t do or their limitations” – Lee “Frank” Spencer

BY ANDREA FORDE

n 18th January 2018 ‘The Rowing Marine’, Lee ‘Frank’ Spencer, will set off on an unsupported solo rowing attempt 3,500 miles across the Atlantic Ocean. Starting from Gibraltar and ending in Venezuela, the feat will raise money for the Royal Marines Charity and the Endeavour Fund. An extraordinary story made more extraordinary by the fact that Lee is an amputee. Lee served for 24 years in the Royal Marines and survived three operational tours of Afghanistan unscathed, but his life changed forever when, off duty, he pulled over to help a motorist in the central reservation of the UK’s M3. “On the night of 5th January 2014 shortly after setting off to drive back to base after Christmas leave I got a flat tyre. I pulled over to change it and quickly took a photo of my van jacked up that I uploaded to Facebook with the comment ‘Well this journey can’t get any worse’. I couldn’t have been

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

more wrong. Quite a few miles later and I knew that I was very close to dying and around midnight on the M3 I came across I briefly considered calling my wife Claire a vehicle that had crashed into the central to say goodbye, but I knew that if I did reservation. I immediately pulled over and that, it would feel that I was giving up the was in the process of helping the three fight to stay alive. It was at that point that occupants of the crashed car when anotha Rastafarian from Hackney called Frank er vehicle crashed into it with such force, came along. I told him that I needed to get it flung its engine and gearbox out along a tourniquet on my right leg and when that the road about 70 metres, hitting didn’t work, I got his daughter me on the way. The impact flung Zanele to stand on my femoral “I knew I me over the metal barrier at the artery to stop the flow of blood. had between side of the hard shoulder, totally So with Frank’s belt tied around 7 and 12 dislocated my left knee and took what was left of my right leg and minutes to my right leg off below the knee.” Zanele standing on my groin, we stop the Although his right leg was sevwaited for the ambulance.” loss of blood ered in the impact, the serviceman’s training kicked in and he Then followed five weeks in before I bled was able to instruct bystanders hospital and a long stay in rehato death.” on how to tie a tourniquet and bilitation, while recovering from so helped paramedics to save his injuries Lee began planning his future. his life. “I knew I had between 7 and 12 “I woke up the next morning in St George's minutes to stop the loss of blood before I Hospital in Tooting a disabled man. I bled to death. Vital minutes passed withthought that the person I was the night out anyone helping me and I could feel all before had gone and that I would have to the classic symptoms of shock coming on. redefine who I was in terms of disability 39

life

A colleague noticed a tiny puppy stuck in between two wire fences...

and not physicality. My accident generated a lot of interest in the media and I had an idea that I thought would turn a negative situation into a positive one. So within a week of being injured I set myself the goal of raising £10,000 for the Royal Marines Charity using the interest in my accident,” he explains. Lee was no newcomer to charitable causes and describes another incident, four years earlier, as the one that ignited his fund-raising passion. “I suppose my story started with a puppy in Afghanistan,” he recalls. A Puppy Named Hannah

sponsorship. I had never thought about charity events before but I enjoyed it so much I started signing up for more and then organising my own events.

“As my first year as an amputee came to a close and I was beginning to think what was I going to do next, I received an email asking for volunteers to put together the world’s first all-amputee crew of four to row across the Atlantic. I found my focus for the coming year, answered the email and set about getting a place on that rowing boat.” On 20th December 2015 Lee set-off to row the 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean with the Row-to-Recovery team, a team of four injured veterans who had just three legs between them. In February 2016, some 46 days, 6 hours and 49 minutes later the team rowed into land as the first British military all amputee team of four to row an ocean. “Rowing across the Atlantic had changed my life as significantly as losing my leg, but the difference is that it was totally positive. About half way across I had an almost epiphany moment when I realised that I was the same person that set off to drive back to work just over two years before, the only thing that had changed was that there was a little bit less of me now. I can’t explain how important regaining that sense of self was, knowing who you are is the most fundamental thing you can know and in trying to redefine who I was in terms of disability, I had lost that.

“I organised a marathon across Dartmoor “In January I’m rowing again, this time I for the Royal Marines Charity which led to will be rowing solo and unsupported from a double marathon in June 2013 to help Gibraltar to Venezuela. I’m attempting to fund an exoskeleton for a former be the world’s first physically disRoyal Marine who was paralysed The only abled [it seems contradictory to in an accident in Norway. With describe him as such] person to thing that the help of a group of like-mindrow solo and unsupported from had changed ed former and serving soldiers in continental Europe to continenwas that my village, I ran 52 miles across tal America - a Guinness World there was a the rugged terrain of Dartmoor little bit less and we raised over £12,000 of me now. with the Royal Marines Charity giving the other £77,000 needed. Finding Hannah set me on a path of doing daft things to raise money and an association with the Royal Marines Charity.”

“In the summer of 2008 I was serving in my 1st tour of Afghanistan when a colleague noticed a tiny puppy stuck in between two wire fences on the perimeter of the camp we were based. I instinctively rushed out when no one was around and prized the wire apart, reached in and Recovering a Sense of Self grabbed it. We adopted the puppy and named her Hannah and I contacted all Following his accident on the M3, Lee my family and friends to ask them to start continuously challenged himself, walking sending out dog food in parcels. My cousin his first mile with the Royal Marines 1664 told me about a charity that he had heard challenge, racing Henry Cavill up the Rock of called Nowzad that brought of Gibraltar and organised various dogs and cats that had been adother charity events, eventually I felt that opted by soldiers in Afghanistan raising over £12,000. Raising I could be and Iraq back to the UK. money for the Royal Marines proud of Charity had given him a focus, the person I but more importantly it had given “I contacted Penny Farthing, a had become him a sense of worth. “Because fellow Royal Marine who started again. of a small puppy in Afghanistan the charity, and he arranged for that had started my association Hannah to come home and asked with the Royal Marines charity, and doing me if I would consider doing some fundcharity events, I felt that I could be proud raising. At the end of my tour I signed up of the person I had become again. for a cycling event and set about getting 40

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

life Record, proving there is life beyond injury and that being disabled doesn’t mean that you cannot do amazing things.” Not satisfied with achieving this accolade alone, Lee will also attempt to Being beat the current able-bodied disabled record set by Stein Hoff in 2002. doesn’t The first solo ocean rower to row mean that across the Atlantic East to West you cannot from mainland Europe (Portugal) do amazing to mainland South America (Guyana) in a time of 96 days, things. 12hr and 45 minutes. (The first record set for a physically disabled solo ocean rower was in 2004 when Stuart Boreham left from the Canary Island of La Gomera and 109 days, 12hr and 9 minutes later arrived in the Caribbean island Barbados.) During his feat of extraordinary physical and mental endurance beginning in Gibraltar this month, Lee will battle 30 foot waves, sleep deprivation, extreme fatigue, fear and solitude. “I don’t believe anyone should be defined by something they can’t do or their limitations,” he says. “It’s about rediscovering who you are, not redefining who you are and being labelled. I feel passionately about raising awareness of this and challenging these preconceptions. Disabilities vary and they aren’t just physical either, I hope I am able to inspire all those who seek to rediscover themselves and raise awareness and funds for two very worthy charities who have supported and inspired me ”. ollow @therowingmarine for photos, videos F and daily updates. To donate please go to uk.virginmoneygiving.com/LeeJSpencer

THE ENDEAVOUR FUND is a programme managed by The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry. It supports wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans using sport and adventurous challenges as part of their recovery and rehabilitation. The fund plays an important role in ensuring more servicemen and women have the opportunity to rediscover their self-belief and fighting spirit through physical challenges. AIG, the global insurance company, signed up in 2015 as the lead corporate partner of the Endeavour Fund for three years. More information can be found at www.endeavourfund.co.uk.

THE ROYAL MARINES’ CHARITY. Today’s Royal Marines and their families are fighting battles they cannot win alone. The Royal Marines’ own charity is uniquely placed to understand, respond and react, enabling Marines and their families to overcome their challenges including life changing injury, life limiting illness, mental disability, transition to civilian life and even poverty. The charity ensures no one is left behind with a mission to raise resources and provide the best possible charitable support for Royal Marines, veterans and their families. More information can be found at www.theroyalmarinescharity.org.uk.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

life

TOO OLD FOR UNIVERSITY Am I too old for this?

BY ROBERT VASQUEZ

my outlook generally. Life as a lawyer naram back at university; back as a I will learn new things. My experience will 65-year-old pensioner, 44 years after rows one’s thinking and viewpoint in many be enhanced by living in London, with graduating from Bristol University with ways. Using modern jargon, I am following everything it has to offer, including the my first degree and then qualifying as a path for a while that will help change the privacy and anonymity that is impossible to ‘chip in my head’. a Barrister in 1976. I am leaving a long cahave in Gibraltar. reer in law on hold, whilst I study for a one-year MA in newspaper It was the I will see the year through but, if The decision to return to university is one journalism. thing, but arriving at the Department of era of hippies I drop out at 65, it won’t matter much. Dropping out back in the Journalism on the first day of Induction and free Week (at my age it wasn’t Freshers’ Week!) I returned to study after my rock festivals early 1970’s, which crossed my mind then, would have son suggested it as something was another. Trepidation was my after all! I was met to do on a sabbatical. Looking fundamentally changed overriding emotion, not to call it for a career break, I applied to my life. Studying at that sheer fear. by students time was not exactly my main City, University of London, without giving in their priority - it was the era of hippies it much thought, and was accepted. I I was met by students in their early 20’s, started my course in early October. I chose and free rock festivals after all! early 20’s, looking at a grandfalooking at a Even the Glastonbury festival, journalism because of my frequent forays ther! My self-consciousness led grandfather! into the world of news media. I refer to down the road from Bristol, was me to thoughts of what might be my ‘Opinion’ pieces and letters in the free, although smaller in those going on in their heads, on seeing days. Chronicle and my political blog ‘Llanito me waiting for the lecturer (younger than World’ (now on Facebook). me) to arrive. Studying something new will broaden What led me to study again, so late in life, my outlook, open my mind to different Thankfully, soon after, as I mingled and perspectives, and enable me to apply my is the desire to pursue a university course spoke with other students, barriers started life experiences in other ways. Importantly, outside Gibraltar that will help me adjust to fall away and are still falling. I began to 42

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

life feel more comfortable, though I had to make much of the initial effort. Today, a few months into the course, I mix easily, with the only slightly noticeable difference being an element of respect. In some regards, the impact of my age difference is reduced by the contrast between being in London from my time at Bristol. There is less of the collegiate life that I experienced at Bristol. It feels more like going to work, than being a time-rich student immersed in university life. Being taught is what I have had to get used to most. Studying is not the issue: practising law is a constant process of research and learning throughout. There is a huge difference, however, between self-development and being taught. Lectures allow for little interaction. I find myself biting my lips frequently, holding back from asking that question or making an argument. Part of getting used to a return to university is the massive personal differences at my stage of life. My time at Bristol, and later in London studying for my Bar qualification, was coloured by the knowledge that my ability to practice as a lawyer depended on qualifying. Today little turns on how well or badly I do in my degree, save that I am driven by my own competitiveness. It is primarily about the experience and what I learn. This differentiates me from other students. They are at the start of their working lives, aspiring to move into long term careers as journalists, much turns for them on how well they will do.

It’s just

I am very conscious of what other another hill students aspire to and that much that I need depends for them on doing well. am impressed by the personal to climb: I take a full part in tutorials and interest taken in students by the workshops but keep my constant there have lecturers of the Department. In desire to intervene controlled. I been many in my case, they are aware of my inhesitate frequently with a view terest in politics; so much so, that my life. to allowing others the chance the lecturer, who heads my group to take an active part but never in the interviewing module, chose me to leaving unsaid something that I think is be one of three students who interviewed fundamental. Meg Hillier at the House of Commons. She is MP for Hackney South and Shoreditch I have one small grumble (that, perhaps, is and the Chair of the Public Accounts allowed at my age). There is an expectation Committee. I interviewed her on Brexit, so that all are able to quickly pick up on how I asked how it might affect Gibraltar. Meg to use I.T. software needed for some parts Hillier displayed knowledge of Gibraltar of the course and assignments. Perhaps but had no specific information of how this expectancy arises because most stuBrexit might impact it, beyond saying that dents are young and so are more computer its situation would have to be taken into savvy than a 65-year-old! There again, it’s account. just another hill that I need to climb: there have been many in my life. All in all, I am liking my return to university at my ripe old age (for a student!). I decidOutside the formal parts of the course, I ed to go back with a minimum of thought GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

A fresh-faced Robert as a student of Bristol University in 1972. but I have no regrets. I miss Gibraltar, my friends and Gibraltar politics but I will return re-invigorated with my new ‘chip’ installed. 43

history

MAIN STREET AND OTHER PLACES

Has Baker’s Passage caught your attention and have you wondered why it was given that name? Was there once a bakery there or was it named after an important `Mr Baker’ who may have lived there or in the vicinity? Well, the jury’s still out on that one too. But there are plenty of our other street names that do derive from something or someone’s name or that suitably corresponded to an activity of some sort...

BY RICHARD CARTWRIGHT

ave you ever wondered when walking or driving along Gibraltar’s thoroughfares how roads, streets, lanes and alleyways get their names? Many are derived from certain personages or less important characters who resided there many decades or even centuries ago, others because of particular activities carried out in that street, lane or neighbourhood, but there are many named for reasons not known to anyone around today who could shed some light as to the locality’s label! There are of course, plenty of assumptions and educated guesses applied to the thinking behind why they could be so-called, especially from local historians and keen aficionados who delve into matters of this kind. “It could be because of this or that, maybe for that purpose or some other reason or function,” and so the debate continues with no concrete answer ever coming to light. Main Street is our main street for sure, al44

though not always called that. The stretch from Casemates to John Mackintosh Square was called ‘Waterport Street’, John Mackintosh Square to the Convent you would have called ‘Church Street’, and the final stretch from the Convent to Southport Gates and Referendum archway, ‘Southport Street’. Devil’s Tower Road was named after a lookout or military watch tower standing close to the rock face where soldiers would lookout for enemy intruders. There is also a Devil’s Gap Road and Devil’s Gap Steps indicating – or so they say - the forked Devil’s tongue spitting out with both leading up to Devil’s Gap Battery, where the so called ‘spit’ would convert to gunfire, one supposes! Then we have Engineer Lane where the Chief Engineer’s residence was located, Parliament Lane deriving from a meeting place where Freemasons used to convene, Fish Market Road explains itself, as does Forty Steps leading up to Prince Edward’s Road from Town Range. A popular one is

Irish Town, where it’s claimed Irish soldiers used to be billeted; that one’s disputed also, I’m told. Horse Barrack Lane sounds like an obvious one to do with horses and stables you would have thought, well, there is no actual record of specific army stables there. Hospital Ramp and Hospital Hill are absolutely justified as they both led to the Colonial Hospital later to become St Bernard’s Hospital and now housing two schools. There are hundreds of streets, lanes, walkways, steps and even cul-de-sacs in and around our city. To fill me in on this intriguing and never ending list of hypotheses, suppositions and guesswork as to who are the individuals whose names appear on those ‘plaques’ or why that lane or avenue was given that 'label’ fixed to our buildings’ facades and street corners, I went along to the Heritage Trust in John Mackintosh Square (named after a great Gibraltar benefactor, John Mackintosh) and chatted to Heritage Trustee, Manolo GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

history Galliano. Manolo has been a keen enthusiast of Gibraltar’s history and heritage since his early teens, and as a retired top Civil Servant spends many hours researching and writing on the top floor Trust offices and at home. “I simply love to get involved in all of this and others should get involved also and become members of the Trust. I’ve written two books on the Cathedral of St Mary the Crowned and Devil’s the Convent and now I’m on my third which is on the history of Tower Monks and Nuns on the Rock. Road was I often visit the archives and named after the Garrison Library to do my a lookout research. Here at the Trust offices or military we have a very good selection of watch tower books and use of the internet on standing Gibraltar’s fascinating history and close to the so I’m kept quite busy.”

were slaughrock face tered Manolo has also been kept busy hence, where solcontributing to the Gibraltar Market Lane right opposite diers would Chronicle as a member of the across Line Wall Road, where the lookout Gibraltar Heritage Trust writing Bland building is that leads onto for enemy a section all about... yes, street Main Street. There was a mill, on intruders. names, which is why I asked him City Mill Lane, Road to the Lines to fill me in on the subject. “There is a lane at the northern end of is so much history in that because we’re the upper town leading to ‘The Lines’ or not just going back to the early British ‘Line’ - La Linea. Cannon Lane leads to period but the Spanish one also, and even Artillery House and all things ‘army’, and going back to the Moorish occupation with then there’s Kavanagh’s Court, named after names deriving from the Arabic, translatThomas Henry Kavanagh who was awarded into Spanish.” Many of those districts ed a Victoria Cross for his heroic action and street names are still remembered at the siege of Lucknow during the Indian and even called by their Spanish names Mutiny in 1857. He was returning to India, by some members of our older generataken ill, and landed in Gibraltar where tions. For instance, it’s generally agreed he died and was buried in North Front that the Spanish name Turba, referring to Cemetery. That’s another name, many may the Southern district of the Rock, derived say, is fittingly recorded and placed on the from the Arabic turba-al-Hamra, which in wall of some steps by Hargrave’s Ramp. turn translates to ‘red hill’ and from which another of our thoroughfares derives: Red There’s no doubt what’s hidden behind the Sands Road that runs along the length of list of names, events and services providthe Humphries Housing Estate (red being ed in days gone by. Our street names are the colour of the earth in that attention-grabbing, remarkably area of Alameda Gardens sloping fascinating, and endless! Many down passed the housing estate). of those So that’s another street name districts and that makes sense.

street names

“There are more of course,” are still Manolo reminds me, “Cooperage remembered Lane by the ICC is to do with and even the fact where barrel makers called by called Coopers used to build their Spanish wooden barrels. Bedlam Court names by Jyske Bank is another which by some comes from a mispronounced, ‘Bethlehem,’ an army barracks members which used to be located there.” of our older Our history enthusiast tells me generations. Zoca Flank, where the Catholic Community Centre is, stems from Zoco (market in Arabic) where animals GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018 3

THE GIBRALTAR LOTTERY & TERRAPIN SMUGGLING

The next time you purchase a lottery ticket, pause and spare a thought for Peter Cook. Yes, that Peter Cook, the famous anti-establishment comedian, star of Beyond the Fringe and partner of Dudley Moore, because it was his father, Alec Cook, who gave Gibraltar its own lottery.

BY REG REYNOLDS

ike his father and grandfather before of how he was, “…able, energetic, kindly and thoughtful, but whose cheerful and him, Alec Cook was a careerist with the Foreign Office. Peter was amusing exterior skilfully concealed an expected to follow in the family easily depressed temperament”. And that was the thing about Peter’s antecedents, tradition but during his university years at despite that one tragic event, Cambridge he was seduced by they were, like so many of the the world of entertainment and He was his anarchic humour became a fa‘Raj’ set, clever with world-weary seduced by vourite of the anti-establishment senses of humour, traits that the world of Peter inherited and took to new crowd of the swinging sixties. On entertainheights. his death, January 9, 1995, Peter ment and Cook was hailed a comic genius. his anarchic In his book A Biography of Peter Cook (1997) Harry Thompson Peter’s grandfather (Alec’s father) humour wrote of how likeable and loyal Edward Cook was Traffic Manager became a Peter’s male predecessors were: for the Federated Malay States favourite of “For successive generations Railway at Kuala Lumpur when the anti-esthe Cook family put service to he committed suicide by blowing tablishment his brains out with a revolver; the Empire above mere family crowd. considerations, representing their it was May 1914 and Alec was monarch dutifully in a variety of only eight years old. Apparently, distant locations, while the sons they proEdward had become depressed due to duced were sent home to boarding schools the pressure of an impending promotion to begin the process anew. Theirs was a to Acting General Manager. In tribute, the Malay Mail noted his popularity and wrote line of gentle, witty, dutiful and impecca-

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

bly-mannered men, with melancholy souls that undoubtedly owed much to their lonely, separated childhoods.” Without a father to provide influence and financial support getting a ‘proper’ education proved problematic for Alec. He attended the Imperial Service College, Windsor where he excelled at cricket and in 1924 earned a scholarship to Pembroke College, Cambridge. Four years later he won a place in the Colonial Office, and almost immediately was sent to serve as Assistant District Officer in Calabar Province, Nigeria. Alec didn’t speak any of the three languages of the region, but he performed his duties with a “dry, slightly subversive sense of humour” which was well received in the towns and villages scattered throughout the region. Eventually he would reach the rank of District Officer with a responsibility for half a million Ibos spread over a thousand square miles. 47

life While Alec returned to administering the world’s most famous Rock would be Nigeria, Margaret stayed behind to look the most treasured times of Peter’s childafter her new born baby. But after only hood and teen years. a few months she reluctantly took up her colonial duties. As a result, Peter To quote Thompson’s book: Theirs was was raised primarily by his ma“Margaret went with him (Alec) ternal grandparents at the family because the Mediterranean was a line of home in Torquay. With such considered officially suitable gentle, witty, elderly guardians he had few for young children, so did baby dutiful and childhood friends and his early Sarah. Peter was left behind again impeccablybirthday parties were attended but this time he was also to be mannered mainly by adults. separated from Granny Mayo, men, with and Aunt June and Uncle Roy.” melancholy Peter only saw his parents on souls that their four week breaks every It was time for Peter to go to other year and during World War boarding school and St. Bede’s undoubtedly II Alec and Margaret remained in Eastbourne was the chosen owed much in Nigeria. Peter didn’t see his institution because it was affordto their mother again until the end of able and considered appropriate lonely, 1944 when she sailed home for a youngster anticipating a separated through the dangerous waters childhoods. Peter's father Alec Cook. so that she could give birth to (Courtesy Sarah Seymour) sister Sarah (born in January of 1945) on British soil. Alec didn’t appear Following each 18 months of service Alec at home until after the War ended and received four weeks’ vacation, and it was that is Peter’s first memory of his father: during one of these holidays, while visiting “I suppose I first realized who my father friends in Eastbourne, that he met and fell was when I was seven, when he came in love with Margaret Mayo - the daughter back with some very black bananas from of a local solicitor. Margaret was acaNigeria. And I thanked him for those. But demically brilliant, but due to the parlous I didn’t quite know who he was, and I was state of family finances she was told he was my father. So, we unable to attend university. Alec’s shook hands and agreed on it. He I suppose I clever mind and exotic lifestyle was a total stranger to me.” first realized appealed to her intellectually who my frustrated side. The couple marThe family were together for father was ried in June 1936 and sailed for only a short time before Alec when I Nigeria on July 1st. Within a few was given a surprise posting as was seven, months Margaret was pregnant Financial Secretary at Gibraltar. It when he so she returned to England and meant Peter was again separated on November 17th, 1937 in a from his parents but at least now came back hospital at Torquay, Devon, she he could visit them on his school with some gave birth to her first child Peter holidays and the annual visits to very black Peter's mother Margaret Cook. Edward Cook. bananas (Courtesy Sarah Seymour)

from Nigeria.

career with the Foreign Office. Peter was a good student and a capable athlete, but St. Bede’s was typical for its era, cold, harsh, and rife with bullying. Peter, whose primary tormentor was an older boy named Ramsbotham, soon discovered that wit and sarcasm were his best defenses, thus he unwittingly honed the sardonic demeanour that would become the hallmark of his comedy.

Alec Cook, a lone white man in the Nigerian Bush. (Courtesy Sarah Seymour) 48

While Peter suffered boarding school and damp English weather, his parents enjoyed the sunshine of the south and became popular players in Gibraltar society. As Financial Secretary Alec was an important figure in the community, his signature appearing on Gibraltar bank notes. He was a good sport whose fancy for a flutter* led him to launch the Gibraltar Lottery in GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

life when his terrapin poked its head out of a teapot and was confiscated by customs”. I took that to mean that Peter was attempting to smuggle the terrapin into the U.K., but in his book Thompson says Peter was trying to smuggle it from Spain into Gibraltar. Either way it makes for a comical image, a cartoonist’s delight.

Peter at St. Bede's preparatory school. (Courtesy Daisy Cook) 1951. Margaret played violin in the Gibraltar Symphony Orchestra and the Cook’s Gibraltar house was a happy one full of music.

Probably one reason I was so surprised to find the reference to Gibraltar in the book is because in many years of watching (and reading of) the brilliant comic in his many guises and roles – actor, stand-up, sketch writer, author and master talk-show guest - not once was there ever a reference to Gibraltar. Interestingly in Tragically, William Cook reports that shortly before his death Peter was tossing around the idea of producing a radio show Peter from Gibraltar. It’s unfortunate he soon didn’t live to do it because there discovered is every chance it would have that wit and been hilariously funny, and if sarcasm nothing else, it would have been were his best worth hearing about his adventures with the creepy-crawlies defenses, and other denizens of the Rock. thus he

unwittingly honed the sardonic demeanour that would become the hallmark of his comedy.

Peter would later tell his wives (Wendy Snowden, 1963-71, Judy Huxtable 1973-89 and Lin Chong 1989-his death), but only his wives, of how lonely he had been at school. While his parents were alive Peter would tell interviewers that he loved visiting “…all those different places” but Thompson writes in his book that in fact Peter lived for his visits to Gibraltar, so he could be with his family again. There his little sister Sarah became his constant companion as they scoured the Rock and the rivers in Spain in search of “creepy-crawlies”.

*In 1951, the year the Gibraltar lottery was launched, Alec had a dream that a horse named Nickel Penny would win the Grand National. There was no Nickel Penny in the field but there was a Nickel Coin with odds of 40-1. More than 250,000 people turned out to watch 36 runners compete

Peter and his sister Sarah in Gibraltar shortly after the end of the war. ( Courtesy Sarah Seymour) in the 105th running of the historic steeplechase. An unprecedented 12 horses fell at the first fence and only three of the starters, all long shots, finished. Nickel Coin was 1st at 40-1, second place Royal Tan was also 40-1 and third-place Derrinstown was 66-1. The favourite Arctic Gold, 8-1, fell at the 8th fence. Alec wagered a small amount on Nickel Coin, but a close friend bet big and cleaned up. Alec never let family members buy Gibraltar Lottery tickets because he was afraid one of them might win and create a scandal.

“They caught little fish at Rosia Bay using home-made rods and bait, and fed them to the cat. They rescued terrapins from a dried-up river bed in Spain and made a pond for them among the figs and geraniums of their rambling garden. Peter installed a fearsome-looking praying mantis in a shoe box, which terrified the life out of his sister.” It was because of Peter Cook’s fascination with terrapins that I learned of his connection to Gibraltar, and that was only last year. I was reading the book Tragically, I Was an Only Twin, a collection of Peter’s interviews, scripts and quotes edited by William Cook (no relation). In the book Peter’s youngest sister Elizabeth, 14 years his junior, recalled, “It’s a family tale that Peter once smuggled a terrapin from Gibraltar… Peter wept uncontrollably GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

Peter as Doll Common in The Alchemist at Radley College, March 1954. (Courtesy Sarah Seymour) 49

life

YOU ARE NOT ALONE; IT’S OKAY TO TALK Breaking the stigma behind mental health

BY JO WARD

our volunteers, so if they are vulnerable in founded Gib Sams which launched in mental health problem can feel any way themselves, we may say that they just as bad, or sometimes worse, October with a £10,000 grant from the are not quite ready to become a than a physical illness, but you Gibraltar Government. “Now we can’t see it and sometimes the rely on private funding, charity listener yet, but they could help But we still events and fund raising, us in other ways.” Going on to stigma of admitting you have a need more explain that not everybody is able “Marie Lou states. mental health problem can be the Sometimes volunteers to listen, Marie Lou says that Gib hardest thing of all. the stigma and anybody Sams does not give advice or tell “We have had an of admitting can be part people what to do, they learn unbelievable response Former business woman and you have since the launch of Gib Chairperson of the GFSB, Marie of Team Sam, how to get people to open up a mental their feelings and talk. Sams, but we still need Lou Guerrero, started Gib Sams, whether health a member of the Befrienders more volunteers and they become problem The Gib Sams logo was designed Worldwide charity organization, anybody can be part listeners, of Team Sam, whether particularly with Gibraltar in because of the high rise in the can be the help with mind. Marie Lou explains that she numbers of people taking their hardest thing they become listeners, awareness wanted something that portrayed help with awareness or own lives in Gibraltar in 2016. of all. or with fund in fund raising.” exactly what they aim to do. “The “I knew four of them and it raising. tortoise shell is being held by triggered something in me. I had a hand that is being supported to take action to stop this happening,” she Marie Lou urges anyone who is by Gib Sams.” At a presentation in a local says. “I get a gut feeling that something is interested to come along to a selection school, Marie Lou asked why the tortoise needed and I know that if I can, I have to day. “There is no commitment,” she exwould be hiding. Was it because it was act.” plains. “Join in some workshops and then shy, introverted or feeling sad? “One of have a one-to-one session with a trainer.” the students said that it looked really hard There are two things that the trainers look Marie Lou sought the help and advice on the outside but that if you dropped it, out for. “Our first priority is to look after of Dr Rene Beguelin and together they 50

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

life

Appearances aren’t always what they seem and you can’t tell from the outside what is going on inside.

“And that is exactly what we are trying to portray.” Appearances aren’t always what they seem and you can’t always tell from the outside what is going on inside.

they won’t show up on any phone bill. There is also a concern that people in Gibraltar may be talking to somebody they know. Marie Lou addresses this by stating that there are always two people manning the phones, and if either the listener or the caller recognizes a voice they can ask to talk to someone else.

it would break,” Marie Lou says, “and that is exactly what we are trying to portray.” Appearances aren’t always what they seem and you can’t tell from the outside what is going on inside. “We have to get across that ‘it is okay to talk’ and we want people to realise that everything is totally anonymous.” The calls can’t be traced and GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

listen and we want them to know that they have got a friend in Gib Sams,”

The helpline is currently available on Mondays to Fridays from 7 pm to 10 pm with the hours increasing soon from 4 pm until 10 pm and on Fridays until 1 am. One of the benefits of working with a global organization is that people in other parts of the world help each other out. “After 1 am we switch over to Australia who take the calls for us, allowing us to offer a 24/7 service, and in exchange we will be taking some of their calls.”

Gib Sams has also initiated The service will expand as more volunan outreach programme to teers are trained. “At the moment they help others in the commuundertake a three hour shift once a week nity with awareness skills. at an office space where the phones are “Going forward we are look- manned.” Once the listeners have finished ing to bring out specialised their training they go straight on the lines, trainers for our prison and but with a mentor. “There are always two police work,” Marie Lou volunteers together, but at the beginning confirms. “We are also the mentor will pick up the phone until working with the schools both the volunteer and the mentor are to get across the confident that they can be on the fact that young lines on their own,” Marie Lou We want people can talk states. them to to us about any sort of problem.” know that This could include sexual orienYou could make an amazing they have tation, bullying, cyber bullying or difference by volunteering so if you got a friend self-harming. “Whether they are would like to support Gib Sams in gay or transsexual or whether in Gib Sams. any way, please get in touch by they want to come out, we need email at: info@gibsams.gi. If you or young people to understand that someone you know if suffering from a mental it isn’t embarrassing, that we are here to health problem, call SAM on 116123. 51

life

THE STRESS IS ON RELAXATION Geraldine Canepa fills us in on what stress is, what it does, and how we can prevent it

BY ELENA SCIALTIEL

it and help the pituitary gland through spe- although stressful (but in a positive way) ou know that ‘stressed’ backfor how busy it was and for the way it wards spells ‘desserts’, but did cific yoga poses and dietary adjustments,” promoted awareness on various issues; it you know that acute stress Geraldine tells about the reasons that turned out to be the start of something, as can be quelled by introducing prompted her to organise a hormonal yoga therapy workshop in early February aimed more events during this year are planned.” bananas and dark chocolate to your diet? at women suffering from PMS, infertility, So, what are you waiting for? Grab your slice and make a beeline for the perimenopausal conditions and Geraldine expects to hold relaxation workchocolate fountain! other ‘period drama’. She adds shops for students undergoing exams this That the that the initiative is inspired by spring, because she feels that teenagers initiative is the volume of requests nowadays are under overwhelmA diet rich in fruit and leafy veginspired by she was inundated ing pressure, sometimes objecetables is amongst the therapies Teenagers the volume with after her successtively more than they can handle, advised by Stress Management nowadays of requests ful Stress Awareness so that it turns into stress. She Consultant Geraldine Canepa, are under Day last November. she was defines ‘pressure’ as the positive who boasts a fifteen-year long “The International boost to our system that gets us experience in stress management overwhelminundated Stress Management alert, reactive and pro-active beand relaxation training for the ing pressure, with after Association (ISMA) fore danger, deadlines, relationtreatment of debilitating sympsometimes her successwhich is my, and theraships, and any purposeful pursuit toms like chest pains, anxiety, objectively ful Stress pists’ like me, governing we may encounter during our life. depression, palpitations, hypermore than Awareness body, holds such event However, when the predicament tension, and digestive problems. they can Day last yearly, but 2017 was grows too lengthy or too complex handle. November. the first time it was and we cannot envisage the end “Stress is one of the causes of extended overseas of it, not coping with the strain hormonal imbalance which in that the ‘fight or flight’ dilemma is putting turn causes low moods, irritability and anx- and I was honoured to be the coordinator here in Gibraltar. It was a successful day, on our body and brain can turn good iety, but one can learn to counterbalance 52

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

life stress, the motor of every human activity making life worth living, into bad stress. And it can actually make us ill, mentally or physically, with various symptoms like agoraphobia, palpitations and shooting chest pains that mimic heart attacks, with surplus stress for patients and families alike. Relaxation Techniques such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, meditation and visualisation are mindful ways to reduce stress levels, and one should start ‘unwinding’ at least three hours before going to bed to achieve the perfect beauty sleep. Easier said than done, in today’s hectic lifestyle? Well, yes, but you needn’t sprawl on the couch for three hours before lying down in bed: you can carry out your chores while listening to soothing music (not necessarily waves crashing and seagull squawking: heavy metal will do too, if that is what makes you push negative thoughts out of your mind!). In her therapy sessions, Geraldine coaches her patients into deep relaxation, claiming that a twenty-minute session, if accurately performed, may tally up as the equivalent of four hours sleep! Deep relaxation is not hypnosis, but it isn’t easy to achieve, as one need to clear one’s mind of all thought, worry and preoccupation (‘quiA twentyeting your brain’ Geraldine describes it), minute to visualise the harmony and cooperation ments or, better still, include women than men seek my between consciousness and automatic session, if almonds, cashew nuts, salmon, advice,” she says, “perhaps bebodily functions, while picturing oneself accurately yogurt/kefir, or kelp in your diet. cause the mental health stigma somewhere tranquil. There are breathBlueberries, plums and other attached is still strong, or perhaps performed, ing and muscle de-tensing techniques dark-peel fruit, together with because men are expected to be may tally involved which take some time to master, super-food bananas, are great ‘manly’ and cope with pressure, out as the but they grant satisfying results anti-stress remedies, as but several concerns spark from equivalent in naturally lowering the levels they reduce cortisone straight-through working hours. Good of four hours of adrenaline and insulin in the levels, with the added At the end of their working day, stress, the bloodstream. sleep! bonus to boost your they are too mentally drained by motor of eyesight. Avocado, ashours of uninterrupted computer every human Common perception is that stress paragus, salmon and other oily screen gazing that they have no strength activity has a psychological trigger manfish will do the trick too. There or will to do anything fun, unless they ifesting itself in psychosomatic making life you go: you’ve got your healthy must, like for example mothers who drive symptoms like acid reflux, irritaworth living, dinner sorted. And don’t forget to their kids to practice or supervise their ble bowel syndrome, headaches, seal it with a matchbox-sized slab homework.” turns into hypertension, arrhythmia, but we of dark chocolate, repeating the bad stress, must keep in mind that conversenew mantra: ‘a dark chocolate a Yes, lunch ‘al desko’ is negatively stressful, and it can ly some medical conditions can day keeps the doctor away’! and one should instead make the most actually elicit anxiety and depression, the of lunch break by munching on make us ill, most common being iron and The stress management something healthy for half an ‘A dark mentally or vitamin B12 deficiency. Geraldine clinic is getting busier hour and spend the remaining chocolate a warns to have your blood physically with patients as young half strolling about in a pleasday keeps checked if symptoms persist. as nine: “I see schoolant environment like the park, the doctor children with severe panic atactually walking briskly to burn If you ever feel blue with no obvious away’ tacks, too anxious to go to school out the excess adrenaline. Unless reason, check your greens: are you eating or socialise, and it reflects on you are an adrenaline junkie, in enough broccoli, spinach, rocket and kale? their wellbeing.” Cyber-bullying, distorted which case some extreme skateboarding, Did you indulge in generous helpings of body image, peer pressure, career choice, kitesurfing or parachuting is guaranteed to Brussels sprouts last Christmas dinner? parental expectations… some youngsters have your stress levels zeroed! Is your magnesium and potassium intake have a lot on their plates before they turn on the perky side? Magnesium absorption eighteen. Like ‘Geraldine Canepa Stress decreases with age, therefore it is advisConsultant’ on Facebook, or email her on able to top up your levels with suppleAnd what about their parents? “More geraldinecanepa@gmail.com. GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

life

LAST OF THE GREAT EXPLORERS Colonel Blashford-Snell

BY SOPHIE CLIFTON-TUCKER

’m sitting in my carefully selected seat at the Caleta Hotel overlooking the sea under an increasingly dusky sky, but I’m focused on my phone, which is advising me that I should address Captain John Blashford-Snell as ‘Colonel’, pronounced ‘ker-nel’ NOT ‘co-lo-nel’, of course. Ker-nel not co-lo-nel. Kernal not co-lo-nel. Kern - “HELLO HEY Col.. Ker.. Sir!” Right then. Mercifully, the rest of our interview ran smoothly, offering up a cornucopia of awe-inspiring and at times jaw-dropping recounts from a man described the ‘last of the great explorers’. 81-year-old Colonel John Blashford-Snell, affectionately ‘Blashers’ to his friends, has lived - is living - a life some of us could only dream of. A sort of David Attenborough-Bear Grylls hybrid, the Colonel has led a number of expeditions

dition of about 60 people involving Royal that have contributed to his status as Engineers and scientists that quite possibly a living legend. But which of his many took the biscuit. bravely-tackled and widely-documented expeditions stand out for the man himself? The Blue Nile - said to have been the last “It was in many ways more of a challenge; unexplored section of Africa at the time we’d been commissioned to try and take and celebrating its 50th anniverRange Rovers from Alaska to sary this year - proved to be an Cape Horn, much of which was He said to unexpected feat. no great problem, but the Darién me: “If you Gap was the unbridged territory can do it between Panama and Columbia. “Luckily we were heavily armed, with two or The South Americans wanted so we were able to fight our way three youngto get a road through and they out in the end, but the combination of bandits and white water wanted the Americans to pay for sters why and crocodiles and hippos and it, but the Americans didn’t think can't you it was feasible, so they needed landslides was certainly chaldo it with people to find a pilot to inveslenging.” Certainly. It was also on two or three tigate and of course take a car this expedition that the Colonel hundred?” through to show it was possible. accidentally invented white-water rafting while attempting to Rover had just invented this new traverse a river using yacht tenders stuffed vehicle [the Range Rover] for which they wanted publicity. Superb in many ways, with football bladders to ensure they wouldn’t sink. except they hadn’t really been tested to destruction before! We got from Alaska as far as Panama and then into the jungle However, it was the Darién Gap, an expe55

life by going down the middle and they were last seen going underneath, killing them all.”

Their priest said “When you come back, which I hope you will, will you do something for me? Would you bring me a grand piano?

during what was supposedly the dry season, but actually it was raining hard. The wheels stuck in the mud and the engines roared, and something had to give in the middle. We broke nine back axles. We weren’t just there for the challenge of the vehicle, we were there to consider what would happen to the people who lived in this jungle if a road was built, so we had anthropologists, scientists, zoologists, biologists and botanists with us who were investigating the fauna and the flora, and trying to work out how they’d help. There were lots of snakes and bugs and animals, and there was also a growing threat of the communist farmers in Columbia who eventually attacked our escorts, sadly killing six of them. There were many dramas, but amazingly after 100 days the Range Rovers got through on St George’s day, which was rather appropriate, and we drove on all the way through to Cape Horn and proved that it was viable and produced the maps.”

This adventure proved extremely beneficial as the Darién National Park was established to protect the environment, though the road itself was never built, and hasn’t been built to this day. Nevertheless, the Range Rovers sold like hotcakes shortly after. By this point, The Scientific Exploration Society (SES) had been established and had garnered themselves quite the reputation for cracking obstacles. The next challenge was the Congo River. The Congo River is about 2900 miles long 56

It was on this expedition that the Colonel was joined by two young men from Jersey and one from America. “We didn’t normally take young people, but on this particular occasion we agreed. After the expedition, they went round lecturing to schools and colleges, inspiring the Elizabethan spirit of adventure. Prince Charles’ equerries told him all about it when they got back, and he said to me: “If you can do it with two or three youngsters why can’t you do it with two or three hundred?” As a society we came up with a global expedition involving youngsters aged 17 to 25 from all nations - there were even some from Gibraltar. The Prince announced Operation Drake and that anyone who was fit and compatible, could speak English and swim could have this opportunity of a lifetime. 58,000 volunteered. We had these very arduous selection tests involving measuring snakes and tarantulas and all sorts of things.” - the second longest on earth and was first partially navigated by the explorer Henry Morton Stanley, someone who inspired Blashford-Snell from a young age. 100 years after Stanley, the Colonel once again set out on a pioneer adventure with new equipment. One of the expedition’s main aims was to study the disease onchocerciasis (or ‘river blindness’).

Operations Drake and Raleigh Operation Drake was named just so because it commemorated the 400th anniversary of Sir Francis Drake circumnavigating the world - the first sea captain to go right the way round.

“Part of the challenge for the ‘young explorers’ was that when they went home at the end they had to do something to help in their We spend communities. Not only were the a lot of time “It’s carried by a nasty bug called expeditions about conservation, trying to the buffalo gnat that bites and wildlife studies, medical work help the lays its eggs under your skin. and community aid but it was When they hatch, the worms also what you did afterwards. We local people gravitate towards the back were trying to create young leadbecause of your eye and eat your eye ers. Halfway round the Prince of if we help away so you actually go blind. Wales said: ‘You can’t stop now, them, they Strangely, it didn’t seem to affect can’t you make it bigger and do it help us, and as many women as it did men, again?’ so again, we went back to the results so we had a team of 11 interthe drawing board. The governwill help national ophthalmic experts as ment bought us a 2000 tonne well as Royal Engineers and Zaire everybody. research vessel as our headquarsoldiers who wanted to develop ters, again the cry went out for a cure by studying the disease in women. volunteers and again we were swamped. It Again, the problem was getting down continues today as Raleigh International. the river. The rapids were horrendous, far bigger than anything we had seen “As I reached 55 in ‘92 I had to retire from before. Thanks to Prince Phillip we got a the army and I went back into expeditions loan of some jet boats (they had just been with the older people who irreverently got invented) which were shipped over from called ‘the wrinklies’ by the young. Today New Zealand. The inventor, Sir William we go all over the world carrying out a Hamilton, sent his son over with them and mixture of environmental studies helping we used those in the final stretch of the people with flora and fauna, archaeology, big rapids going down Livingstone Falls. zoology, botany, looking for lost cities, lost They were enormous. The expedition people, lost everything!” that followed us were all wiped out; they thought they could do one better than us So in an opinion formed over numerous GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

life some Kazakhs who hunt the marmots with eagles - you may have seen them in the documentary The Eagle Huntress. They lent us their eagles which would catch the “One of the biggest curses of the world “Education is high on the list. We always marmot and bring it in. We would have is malaria. I was with a very eminent take lots of school books with us. If you to separate the marmot from the eagle Colombian scientists recently who is trying can educate the people you can to some and comb out the fleas, wearing to develop a vaccine for malaria, extent make them into conservationists protective clothing and swallowand get them to protect their environment. a remarkable man. He reckons We were ing large doses of antibiotics as a he’s 60% there but he’s got to We spend a lot of time trying to help the met by a prophylactic. When we collected prove it to the WHO that its local people because if we help them, whole mass all these fleas and bottles them completely effective. But then they help us, and the results will help of whiteall up we then had to fly them something else will come out. everybody. coated lab back to England for analysis at There are other diseases like Cambridge, and the plane we assistants leishmaniasis which is a terrible “Recently in this very remote area of the were flying on which was going one. One of the biggest danriver I was staggered that people had and police, via Beijing broke down! We then gers in Mongolia is the bubonic televisions, DVD players in the school, cell and were had to land with all our luggage plague - still endemic there. We phones... but they had no medical facilities escorted out and I thought ‘Oh my God.. if the went there on one expedition at all and no water supply. The reason is of the arrival Chinese examine our baggage…’ to try and find out a particular politicians who want to get people’s votes hall while the we were carrying these vials of area which was said to be riddled just before an election will come around fleas were fleas! Luckily they didn’t open with the plague. It’s carried on and distribute all these luxury goods - but rushed off in then up and when we got to a flea which lives in the fur of a what they don’t do is the long term essenEngland we were met by a whole marmot - sort of like a hare really tials like clean water and health clinics. At a big van. mass of white-coated lab assis- it lives in hollows in the ground. the moment were trying to raise money to tants and police, and were escorted out of We were commissioned by the Mongolian go back and put in a water supply that’s the arrival hall while the fleas were rushed health department to go off and catch right on the side of one of the Amazon these marmots, comb the hair, take out the off in a big van.” rivers - you’d think they’ve got plenty of water but of course the Amazon is the big- fleas, bottle them and bring them back for There are all sorts of strange projects the gest sewer in the world, so they’re drinking analysis to show whether these particular marmots were carrying the plague because Colonel has been involved with. One of polluted water and getting sick. What they them involving a grand piano. “…that was a it was killing quite large numbers need is a pump and filter system challenge.” of people. By the time the news so that they can live healthily. The trouble got to Ulaanbaatar, the capital, Again, if you go back to educais the kids it was too late to get help to “We’d gone to an area on the Brazilian bortion, you can teach people how have clocked them - from the point of infecder of Guyana at the request of the govto improve their way of life and the idea now tion to death is about 9 days. The ernment to help with the dentistry and the sometimes what they have to do and they Mongolians were just cordoning health of these people called the Wai Wai to raise their standards of living, off the areas off and letting them tribe. After about a month their priest said then that’s a great step forward. come rundie. To catch the marmots they “When you come back, which I hope you We put in wells for indigenous ning up to gave us a Russian .22 rifle which will, will you do something for me? Would people but the trouble is once you and say, was hopelessly inaccurate - only you bring me a grand piano? We were 350 you train up a man in the village 'Take out my 1 shot in 3 tries. We then met miles into the jungle, and I said, “Have you to maintain the well he may get tooth! I want a small payment through the the puppet!' village, after a time he’ll realise he can go into one of the big towns and become a plumber and earn twice as much money, so he pushes off.” adventures, what does the developing world need most from the West?

come running up to you and say, 'Take out my tooth! I want the puppet!'

Health One of the things that we do now on almost every expedition is we take a dentist; they’re invaluable as a lot of these people eat far too much sugar cane and things like that so their teeth are in an appalling condition. We took an army dentist with us to the amazon in may and he was pulling out teeth at the rate of knots. I have this team of ladies who knit all these puppets; what we do with the children is when they’ve had a tooth removed we give them a wool puppet of an animal they have in their forest and we say ‘you must look after your puppet and you must look after the animals in the forest’. It’s a way of starting to teach conservation. The trouble is the kids have clocked the idea now and they GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

life knife, cut its throat, pushed a stick up its had come with us to film; we tugged and heaved and pulled this piano on a sledge backside and held it over a fire and roasted over the Savannah and into the jungle it. I know, awful.” where we had to build bridges and so on. We finally got to where the village should Success Stories have been… but they’d moved it! They’d gone up to the top of a hill about 6 or 7 “There are so many people who went miles away, and the only way to get there through the Drake and Raleigh process was up a river. This meant loading the who’ve made a huge success in life. The piano into a very big canoe and shooting British Ambassador of Beijing was with up the rapids with this piano in it. By some us at 18 - she’s now a Dame. The leader miracle we managed to do it. When we got of the Maori party in New Zealand was a to the foot of the mountain then we had youngster with us. Another chap called to get up a creek and eventually Simon Chinn got an Oscar as the 100 Indians appeared. I said, a producer in Hollywood. We Half my life ‘why didn’t you come in the first had another girl who managed is involved place?’ and they said, 'Oh well, to persuade Bob Geldof to start with the we didn’t think you’d come'. Band Aid. She is also a dame,

concrete jungle and the other half with the green jungle.

ever seen a grand piano?” and he said “I’ve seen a picture of one.”

“The Wai Wai learnt to play the piano and it revitalised the whole of their village, but the most important thing was the BBC film that went out worldwide encouraged an American charity called Conservation International to come up with a couple of million dollars and turned the whole of the tribal area into a protected zone, which stopped the illegal loggers and miners and coming in and destroying the forest. Although the piano didn’t last more than a couple of They years before it rotted, the impact produced a of the film changed the whole way of life for this tribe.” little spider

monkey, and sort of handed it to me as a gift. I thought, ‘the last thing I want is a monkey’

“When I asked him why he wanted one, he explained that the young men had read about the bright lights on the coast and the nightclubs and all these exciting things and they wanted to leave the jungle and make their way to Georgetown to join in, potentially getting in trouble with drugs an alcohol as they had no trade, no training, they couldn’t get jobs, they were simply warriors. He said: ‘If we can produce something symbolic like a grand piano they’ll stay here and play it.’ An interesting argument.

With someone so well-travelled perched in front of me, I couldn’t resist asking the cliché question: ‘What’s the worst thing you’ve ever eaten?’ - I wish I hadn’t.

“I have eaten monkey but only under protest. I’m not too fond of it, so the macaques are quite safe there. When I was in the Darién Gap a couple of young Kuna women came into the camp one night with a baby that had the most terrible skin rash. We gave them some antibiotic cream which of course, on someone who has never had any antibiotics before, worked like magic. A couple of days later “When I got back to England I You can get they returned to thank us. They spoke to a gathering of people amongst the produced a little spider monkey, at a big hotel in London and said herds - as and sort of handed it to me as ‘By the way, these people want long as you a gift. I thought, ‘the last thing I a grand piano,’ and to my horror, want is a monkey’ but it would the general manager of the keep quiet. be ungracious to turn it down. I hotel said “I will give you a grand It’s very thought the best thing I can do piano” I was then stuck with good for the is say ‘thank you very much’ and having to do this expedition. We adrenaline accept it, and when the girls had arranged that when we arrived I might say! gone, let it go. [You might want to there would be a hundred Indians skip the next couple of sentences to help carry this grand piano if you’re sensitive to graphic scenes!] So which weighed about 800 pounds. When I thanked them and the girl took it back, we arrived there were 6 Indians there. reached under her dress, pulled out a Three of them were children. The BBC

Claire Bertschinger. When I was with Operation Raleigh in Alaska, I was talking to a group of young people who had just finished a kayaking trip on a very tough river and I said, “Right, now you’ve done that you can reach for the stars!” not thinking that years later one would. His name was Tim Peake, now an astronaut. There are lots of them who have gone on to great heights. One of them married one of my daughters - so I don’t doubt it!” So is the Colonel planning on slowing down anytime soon? “I’m taking one group to Kenya in January to help with the movement of elephants through an underpass under a freeway using horses to herd them, building a new primary school and doing various wildlife studies in the bush, and then in July next year I go to Mongolia. Riding wild elephants during research is good because you can get amongst the herds - as long as you keep quiet. It’s very good for the adrenaline I might say! I’m also looking at the possibility of doing one in Siberia where there is some unusual botany in the autonomous republic of Buryatia.” That’s a no, then. “The requests for expeditions pour in all the time and we get involved with everything from looking for a well-known shipwreck or the remains of a civilisation even to the lost canal that connected the Caribbean to the Pacific through Nicaragua. I’m involved in many charities too. Some abroad, some involving inner city children in England. Half my life is involved with the concrete jungle and the other half with the green jungle. “One keeps oneself busy otherwise I’d be growing roses or playing bridge, and I don’t fancy doing either.”

scene

NEW DAME FOR TTG PANTO Beating the January blues in style

BY ELENA SCIATEL

antomime is a Christmas tradition. Oh no, it isn’t! Oh yes, it is! In Gibraltar, it isn’t! In fact, in Gibraltar it has become the prescribed remedy against the January blues and a warm-up to Carnival masquerade balls.

forward to dressing up and supporting the event.” Nadine had just succeeded veteran director Margaret Seed, over the years credited for developing the format that has introduced pantomime as a staple event in the Gibraltarian calendar.

Now, the panto circus is ready to overcome any growing pains: “Last year at my This year, Gib panto season will start on the bluest day of the year, the 25th January, solo debut, after having co-directed with and will continue until Saturday Margaret in 2016, I was concerned that hers were too big 3rd February, including the usual I can count weekend matinees to accommoshoes to fill for me and I would on cast and let the cast or the audience date the youngest spectators. A crew rallying sneaky preview is being afforddown, until I realised how strong around each ed earlier in the month, when their support was and how hard other and the cast worked towards running amateur drama company Trafalgar me. Theatre Group is participating in everything smoothly, so this year I am more relaxed in that respect, the Three Kings’ Cavalcade with a walking float, as they did last year. This confident I can count on cast and crew ralwas one of the innovations introduced by lying around each other and me. However, I believe that they now have higher first-time director and experienced comeexpectations having seen what we can do dienne Nadine Gonzalez: “We didn’t enter the Cavalcade only to promote ourselves, together, while last year they were being nice, patient and empathic to my plight.” but also because the junior cast looked GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

If the audience may not care about whom the director is as long as the production is enjoyable, the TTG committee retains only the directors the cast is happy with, not to risk that auditions are deserted by perspective performers: judging by sheer numbers involved in this production, Nadine surely struck a chord with the group diehards, as well as a couple of new faces that the audience will be intrigued to see somehow cast against type, and the usual baddies they will love to hate. Radio presenter and seasoned actress Harriet Seed is donning the velvety robes of the wicked witch, namely Gothel, Rapunzel’s mother. Of course I did tell you that this year’s pantomime is about Rapunzel, didn’t I? O no, I didn’t! Well I am telling you now: its full title is in fact ‘Rapunzel: a tangled panto’, loosely inspired by the Disney version of the story. “We don’t ‘Disneyfy’ our productions, but we find that any fairytale made into 59

theatre The cast is completed by Tony Jurado ters in the past, is stepping backstage to playing the royal gopher; sidekicks Lina design and build the sets as well as to fill Tonnassen and Ed Lawson; not one, the all-important part of stage manager. but three fairies, Kerry Marriott, Jolene He will be supervising everyone’s whereGonzalez and Trisha Wood, newabouts and scouting and providcomer to the TTG; Karim Corby ing every prop imaginable, from As a as the King and Karen Lawson as gem-studded crowns to hankies theatre the Queen. when the inevitable happy ending group we draws a tear or two. disclaim the Children’s rehearsals are held concept that on Saturday mornings: “Kids are “All cast and all crew roles are fast learners and it is a pleasure equally important in our group, crew are to teach them. I was away for so just because someone is not not stars, two consecutive Saturdays for on stage it doesn’t mean they because personal reasons, so Harriet and are not shining,” Nadine explains. they are choreographer Kathryn Parker “As a theatre group we disclaim essential to took over and when I returned the concept that crew are not the success the following week, the chorus stars, because they are essential of those who had already learnt three dance to the success of those who are. are. routines just like that!” Nadine For example, just imagine how snaps her fingers. “We accept all drab the show would be if actors children from the age of eight, as long as burst on stage in street clothes, hadn’t the they are willing to be part of it.” costume designers contributed! I also tend a Disney film tends to be more popular to cast one person in one role, so they can with young children. Furthermore, we’d focus on it and give their best to it. I like to never done Rapunzel before, and I liked the stick to my director’s chair and although I script for being current, with gags that can was on stage in the past, I don’t be well adapted to Gibraltarian think I would be able to give the “We don’t ambientation, and room for best of myself if I were to direct ‘Disneyfy’ chart-topping pop songs with myself.” their lyrics tweaked to fit the our plot,” the director explains. productions, A great addition to the cast is

but we find Samantha Barass playing the part The biggest novelty is the casting of the Prince. Having rocketed to that any of a new Dame donning outrafame in serious roles, Samantha fairytale geously garish gowns and not shed her gravitas last year and made into a mincing the double entendres made a whirlwind appearance as Disney film out of his big lipstick-smeared the wonky newshound in startends to be mouth: Mark Dallison, a relative shaped shades and trench-coat, newcomer to local drama who more popular a teaser prelude to this year’s has already established himself as with young larger-than-life stage presence. a talented comedian (especially “Samantha is a great actress and children." in villain roles, which he confessshe would ace any part, but this es he enjoys the most) is now time the Prince felt right for her,” Nadine switching to the bright side. Being so tall says. and slender, Nadine promises he will have to puff up with over-frilled frocks under the watchful eye of wardrobe mistress Pat Borda. Rosalind Rogers, who was Tinkerbelle in the Peter Pan production a few years ago, stars this time in the title role – actually co-starring with her one-metre-and-a-half long blonde wig. Thus wig was one of the first props ordered, so that they could rehearse with it as if it was an extra cast member, making sure nobody stepped on it, and it didn’t slap anyone in the face when Rapunzel turned her head, unless purposely so. “There’s plenty we can do with it: plait it, let it flow to the floor, braid it, and dangle it from the window…” Nadine says. Steve Lawson, another pantomime staple having delivered several savoury charac60

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

theatre With the support of her family, Nadine has lived and breathed theatre since she was a teenager. Now her two sons are following her footsteps, if not treading the boards, at least in the tech department, and her husband on hand backstage. Rehearsals started in September: “One doesn’t realise how much time it takes to stage a panto until it is over, but soon after that, I am already planning ahead for the following year, reading through scripts and testing the waters for auditions. I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Shows are on Thursday to Saturday (25th-28th January and 1st-4th February) at 7.30pm at the Ince’s Hall, with matinees at the weekends. Tickets can be booked with cast members, liking the TTG Facebook page, or at the theatre box office closer to the date.

One doesn’t realise how much time it takes to stage a panto until it is over.

R A P UNZ EL A TANGL ED PAN TO M IM E GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

prose

SOLITUDE HOUSE

The house on the hill with a view on hell

BY ELENA SCIATEL

he fine line between solitude and loneliness cracks into a chasm in the solipsistic novel ominously titled ‘Solitude House’, published by local writer M. G. Sanchez, who participated in the last Gibraltar International Literary Festival, to present his latest novel ‘Jonathan Gallardo’.

in 1985, while the protagonist strives in his personal ascension to the summit of the metaphoric and topographic hill of premium property ownership.

allowed to practice when he exhibits such little empathy for those around him. And yet, you will do just that: empathise to the fullest with his lifelong goal to isolate himself from any form of The grand human contact.

Doctor John Seracino is the finale is anti-hero every reader will love definitely There’s indeed a romantic, to hate and, despite rationally worthy finding him despicable in his almost Wildean grandeur in the of Edgar bedside manners, or lack thereof, stylisation of this Maltese-born, Surely, Sanchez knows how to put the London-educated otolaryngoloboth with his tedious patients ‘soul’ – or shall we say ghoul? – in ‘soliAllan Poe or tude’, when he unravels in some three hun- and his sassy señoritas, you will Stephen King gist relegated to GP duties in a British colony where he expects dred pages the last thirty years of be mesmerised by the in its clinical to work the least possible hours, brazen charisma and the tormented life of a darkly narDoctor analysis utter cheek with which make the most possible money cissistic character whom everyJohn of the he conducts himself in and enjoy an early and secluded one sees as a respectable general Seracino is devastating retirement. If the first part of the all situations, whether physician at the Medical Centre, the anti-hero he is processing paeffects of story could fit comfortably with but who in reality is a self-conZola or Dickens, the grand finale fessed amoral misanthrope and tients like items at the every reader loneliness on supermarket checkout is definitely worthy of Edgar Allan misogynistic womaniser. The will love to the human or shopping for ‘fresh Poe or Stephen King in its clinical subplot surfs the significant hate. mind. analysis of the devastating effects meat’ at the nightclub. political and social changes that of loneliness on the human mind, Gibraltar experienced in the 80s, no matter how conceitedly superior or including the partial opening of the border The reader will wonder how on earth – or educated. in 1982 and the full reopening of the gates how in hell – this sociopathic doctor is

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

prose At the core of what Mark describes as his ‘irreverent’ novel, stands the purpose, perhaps life mission, of the doctor to move up the property ladder – ridding himself of obnoxious neighbours and landing himself the most isolated house on the Rock, after years of frustrated and frustrating attempts. The cynical descriptions of insufferable neighbours are the highlight of his residency in rented accommodation - though not half as freaky as the ones he will bump into at Solitude House though… There are two living exceptions to the mob of faceless characters populating the book: the first is the gentlemanly attired realtor who seeks Seracino’s medical help in treating his grandson’s throat infection, and becomes pivotal in advising him about the imminent auctioning of a derelict, solitary, and almost inaccessible colonial cottage perched on a cliff. The Then the second is named just as the last chapter Bishop, a level-headed bereted affords septuagenarian who accepts to unobstructperform a purification ritual at ed views the grounds, but unwittingly ends over the dire up unleashing hell, if not literally, straits of at least literarily.

the personal

And if the power of the mind is hell that indeed stronger than the laws psychosis or of physics, then the last chapter obsession affords unobstructed views over can stir. the dire straits of the personal Writer M. G. Sanchez hell that psychosis or obsession can stir. Mark says: “I chose a doctor as assures us that his exquisitely confectioned my protagonist, because I was interested noir is nothing more than a divertissement, in the idea of the duality of a man who a form of escapism for the twisted mind: is supposed to care for others, but is “There’s no moral in this story. It’s just a also very misanthropic and a shameless work of black comedy, that’s all, and everywomaniser. I wanted the character to be body can read into it what they will. Above Maltese because I wanted him to have all, it is meant to be an entertaining book.” an outsider’s view of Gibraltar and the Gibraltarians. If he had been Gibraltarian, The novel has been critically acclaimed he would have never been able to reflect overseas and was the subject of two on what he sees around him like he does. lectures delivered by Professor Ina I also cherish the idea of a pro-British Habermann last June and October, at Empire traditionalist coming to Gibraltar the Universities of Basel and Portsmouth because of its Britishness, only to discover respectively. Similarly, the Italian that Gibraltar and Malta are more journal of post-colonial studies There’s no similar than what he thought at Il Tolomeo writes: “With his new first.” moral in this novel, M.G. Sanchez not only story. It’s brings to the fore the theme of John Seracino is a particularly just a work Gibraltar identity and society, but vivid character, whose disdainof black he also widens his gaze and conful manner cannot be easily siders the historical interconneccomedy, forgotten, and whose dramatic tions with another anglophone that’s self-confinement to his bedroom territory in the Mediterranean: all, and to avoid the ‘faces’ appearing Malta.” in and around the ruin in his everybody property’s backyard will surely can read into Speaking about his recent partichaunt you. Although the novel it what they ipation at at the Gibraltar Literary deals with issues such as medical will. Festival, Mark said: “It was great negligence, superstition, mental to come back home and deliver illness, depression and lonelia talk before a Gibraltarian audience. In ness with high-flying professionals, Mark the last eighteen months I have spoken GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

Solitude House front cover about my books in different venues across Europe, but, above all, I wanted to do so in my hometown. It was both an honour and a pleasure for me to be finally able to do so.” Solitude House is available on Amazon in paperback and e-book, or can be purchased locally from the Gibraltar Heritage Trust shop in John Mackintosh Square. 63

To gain access to the mentioned pool you had to be a bona fide resident of Sea View Heights. That is to say, you had to live in one of the forty-odd apartments housed within the four-storey building. If for any reason you wanted to bring in any guests, you were required to sign their names in a water-stained ledger-style book that was kept chained to a small wooden table by the swimming pool entrance.

Residents are politely reminded that they can only bring two guests at any one time to the pool and that they are at all times responsible for their guests’ behaviour. Any resident who breaks the rules will be reported and banned from using the pool. THANK YOU. BY

The Sea View Heights Management Company.

You were also asked, by means of a large plastic notice attached to the actual glass door, to take responsibility for your guests and their behaviour within the premises: A fine sign, needless to say. A very clear and thoughtfully worded sign, you might even claim. The only problem was that, just like in my native Malta, signs don’t mean much in Gibraltar unless there is somebody there to enforce their prohibitions and proscriptions. From Monday to Friday, yes, there were barely more than three or four solitary individuals to be seen sitting around the swimming pool’s whitetiled perimeter. You could observe them scattered here and there at

a respectable distance from each other. The fat English schoolteacher from the third floor who wore her pink swimsuit so low across her chest that you could glimpse the edge of her leathery purple nipples. The bald German bank clerk from the first floor who always seemed to be reading the same book (a creased and yellow paperback version of Thomas Mann’s Der Zauberberg). The old Gibraltarian retiree (Mr Bensusan? Or was it Mr Bensadon?) who would sit for hours cross-legged and poker-faced at the far end of the pool. A nice bunch of people. Very respectable and formal. Not the kind who’d be asking you for a light or pestering you with small talk, at any rate. But when the weekend came, alas, it was a different scenario altogether. Taking advantage of the fact that there was no pool attendant or lifeguard to enforce any of the management’s regulations, the Gibraltarian residents would throw caution to the wind and smuggle in three, four, five, sometimes as many as six or seven relatives into the pool. These ‘illegals’ always came with large sun umbrellas and inflatable beach balls, a herd of noisy, foul-mouthed, chattering monkeys whose constant whining and horsing around was enough to drive anyone half-crazy. They’d position themselves in clusters around the pool, all of them sitting there stuffing their faces with homemade calentita or torta-de-patata. Each family always sat in the same place, too. The Gomezes, for instance, plonked themselves near the fibreglass diving board. The Gonzalezes, for their part, gathered around the ladder leading into the shallow end of the pool. The Sanchezes, creatures of habit, occupied the raised terrace behind

the Gonzalezes. The Viñaleses, by nature slightly standoffish, bunched together just in front of the female changing rooms. The result of all this unspoken territoriality was that you could hardly walk anywhere around the premises without feeling that you were intruding on somebody else’s patch! However, this wasn’t the worst of it. What was far worse — what in my opinion was positively and utterly disgraceful — was the way that these interlopers would sit there and let their children do whatever they liked. That kind of shit pissed me off. Seriously, seriously irritated me. Eyes rolling, half-heartedly shaking their heads, they’d tell off the brats once or maybe twice — and then refocus on their albondigas and their tortas and never bother scolding them again. Meanwhile, the children would be getting up to all sorts of mischief. Jack-knifing from the diving board. Splashing each other with water. Running round and round the pool’s perimeter. Even sprinting out through the exit and rushing up and down the different floors, screaming out Anglo-Spanish obscenities as they galloped their way through the tower block’s carpeted corridors! For an obsessive lawabiding Anglophilic, borderline misanthropic reactionary such as myself, the situation verged on the intolerable. How could these people sit there sipping their Thermos coffees and munching their tortas de aceite while their kids were running riot inside the block? Did they have no shame? Had they somehow got it into their heads that everybody else viewed their bratty progeny with the same forbearance as themselves? From my own Maltese upbringing, I knew that certain Mediterranean women can be less than mindful when it comes to controlling their children, but this was something else. This was infantile criminality. No, criminality is too mellow a word. Terrorism, that’s what it was. Sheer prepubescent terrorism.

******* Then came the day when everything changed: February 5 1985. A Tuesday. Cold and laced with a touch of swirling grey mist. Rays of wintry sunshine breaking through the Levanterous gloom at around ten thirty in the morning. Like most Tuesdays, my appointments list was long and filled with all sorts of emergency cases. I was also tired and bored and a little disappointed that I hadn’t bagged any muchachas during the previous weekend. But none of it really mattered. Why? Because only a few hours earlier, at around five minutes past twelve, as Monday slowly spilled into Tuesday, two Spanish Government officials had walked up to the dividing line between Spanish and British territory and unlocked the iron frontier gates, throwing them open to tourists, vehicles and the free transit of goods for the first time in nearly sixteen years. Like the closing of the border in 1969 and its partial reopening in 1982, the event had attracted a large throng of spectators, journalists and government officials, all of them jostling for position as the two Spanish funcionarios públicos fumbled nervously with the lock and a visiting Welsh choir sang ‘Guide me through, O Great Jehovah’ from a raised podium on the Gibraltarian side. The local newspapers in both Gibraltar and La Línea blathered on about the importance of the occasion, but its real significance only became apparent to me when, crossing the border on Friday evening, I saw border policemen smiling. Yes, smiling. If that wasn’t startling enough, cars and motorbikes were now being ushered through with the barest checking of documentation! I don’t know what other people thought about all this, but I can tell you one thing: to me it was a tremendous surprise. A complete and utter shock. Prone as I have always been to see the worst in men, I had assumed that all that former incivility and brusqueness had been either a throwback to the old Francoist days or, what was even worse, a peculiarly Castilian

characteristic, a sort of deeply encoded trait in the Spanish DNA. But the fact that they could now be so charming proved that I had been wrong. Obviously, they had been under instructions to act that way. Obviously, they had been following central government orders all along. What, then, caused Madrid to reverse years of national policy towards Gibraltar all of a sudden on that winter’s day back in 1985? Well, according to the local papers in Gibraltar at least, it was never about improving cross-border relations. Or bringing economic prosperity to the citizens of the adjoining Campo de Gibraltar. Or even showing the world that Spain had set aside its neo-Francoist belief in the politics of separation. It was simply about this: self-interest. Pure, unadulterated political self-interest. For the last few years, you see, Spain had been trying to gain admission to the European Community. The bigwigs at Brussels were quite happy for the Spaniards to come on board, but wanted them to set their own house in order first. Okay, they said to the Spanish Prime Minister Felipe González, your application looks fine, but we believe in freedom of trade and movement and you’ve got this border with a fellow member half-shut and subject to all kinds of restrictions. If you want to become members of our exclusive gentlemen’s club, you will have to do something about this. So Spain prostrated itself and did the needful. Even told its border cops to start smiling and be courteous to the llanitos and llanitas walking past them. But, anyway, who cared about all this at the time? Certainly not me. The main thing was that the border was finally open, that I could now approach those damned gates at any time of the day or night without the usual feeling of nauseous trepidation. And if the border was no longer an issue and you could cross backwards and forwards as many times as you liked, then guess what? I could relocate to Spain like I had been planning to do for the last couple of years!

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

leisure

BEAUTIFUL BERGEN Norway’s hub to a winter wonderland

BY CHRIS HEDLEY

he warmer months around Gibraltar are great. It’s hot, there’s lots to do, and you can easily drive into Spain or Portugal to explore cities and beaches slightly further afield. You can even nip to Morocco for a change of scene. Everyone’s happy and everything is lovely. Suddenly, the clocks change, and the cold, black evenings of winter creep over us to dampen our spirits. We do our best to embrace it, with the festive lights of Christmas and New Year’s brightening the dark evenings and transforming the otherwise disheartening rainy days into a sight to behold. But a few weeks into January and we’re all fed up again: back to work, back to school, and it’s still cold and dark. With this in mind, January is the perfect to time take a holiday, and instead of running from the cold, why not embrace it entirely in the form of a Scandinavian mini break? As it happens, a winter in the Norwegian city of Bergen may not be as cold as you

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

think. The Gulf Stream keeps the picturfootwear, you’ll freeze if you don’t have esque, seaside setting relatively warm, and the right clothes, and most importantly, a the surrounding mountains offer some beer can set you back ten of your finest protection from those fierce, icy winds. British pounds. But Bergen remains an exThis combination means you can tremely popular destination with find yourself scores of degrees Foreigners and Norwegians alike. Apart from Celsius warmer than the inhabiApart from the city itself, there’s the city tants of the capital, Oslo (despite one other main reason people itself, there’s being roughly the same latitude). flock here: Fjords. one other That’s Bergen one, Oslo nil. What main reason else? Well, it might just be the Norway has over 29,000 kilopeople flock most charming little city in the metres of coastline, but when world. The colourful, traditional you discount that which is made here: Fjords. buildings which flank the harbour up of fjords, the number drops make for a beautiful centre-point, with dramatically to around 2,500 kilometres. snow-capped mountains or the stretching Without getting too scientific, there are a North Sea serving as a backdrop. Lovely. few differences between the English and Another point for Bergen. There is, howScandinavian languages understand of the ever, a saying in Norway: ‘In Bergen it only word ‘fjord’. We have a specific scientific rain twice a year. July through to January definition, which equates to something and February to June.’ like ‘massive glacier pummels its way through the earth leaving a U-shaped Let’s get all of the bad stuff out of the way valley in its wake’ (I may have abridged and be done with it. Yes, it rains. A lot. this). The Norwegians throw around the You’ll fall over if you don’t have the proper term a little more liberally. Any small inlet 67

from the sea or long channel of water could qualify. Perhaps even a large enough puddle. I’m not well versed enough to know all the technicalities, so if you’re Norwegian, or a geologist, I’m sorry. Nevertheless, there are plenty of all types of fjord to be found here and Bergen acts as the hub to some of Norway’s best, with an international airport and direct flights from Malaga.

Preikestolen (or Pulpit Rock) has been named one of the world’s most spectacular viewing sights.

Preikestolen (or Pulpit Rock) has been named one of the world’s most spectacular viewing sights by Lonely Planet, and it’s easy to see why. This chunk of Norway towers 600 metres above the Lysefjord,

Stavanger in winter 68

with views of the hills interspersed with lakes below. Hiking up to the top will take 4 hours out of your day, where you’ll find yourself on a large, flat rock, sticking out like a massive plank with sheer drops on three of its sides. Walk as close to the edge as your dare; the Norwegian government has opted not to put up any fences so as not to distract from the area’s natural beauty. Keep in mind that Norwegians tend to have more respect for nature and the dangers it possesses than a lot of other nations, so most would agree with the government’s decision. From a higher vantage point or from below the rock, its flat vertical faces on each side

Preikestolen (or Pulpit Rock)

travel

look like they have been precisely cut with a samurai sword (though it’s probably more likely to do with ice expansion or erosion. Or melting). Preikestolen is far enough away from Bergen to warrant an overnight stay, with the fastest route from Bergen taking around 7 hours. Your best bet is to get the fast ferry to Stavanger, which is only a couple of hours from the hiking spot and serves as a decent place to put your head down. Another overnight trip is required to see what is perhaps the most famous fjord in Norway; the Geirangerfjord. Wild waterfalls plunge straight into the narrow fjord from the vertical mountains rising straight out of the water, which can be viewed from a ferry, kayak, or raft as you make your way into this natural wonderland. The Seven Sisters are seven waterfalls (the clue is in the title) cascading down the rock face, and said to be dancing playfully while The Suitor (directly opposite) attempts to solicit them from the other side. The Bridal Veil is name so because as it’s backlit by the sun, the water falling delicately over the rock face forms the appearance of a thin veil. Expect rainbows. The town of Geiranger will provide a bed for the night, local food created to match the scenic view from your window, and the fear of a tsunami. Yes. The area is under constant threat from the Akerneset mountain, which is about to collapse into the fjord creating a wave that could destroy the downtown area. Don’t watch the 2015 movie based on this scenario, The Wave, before visiting this UNESCO site. GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

travel A final notable mention is Trolltunga, which out of the harbour providing an elevated various attractions throughout the city. For is only about a 3 hour drive from Bergen view of Bryggen, the old city of Bergen, bonus culture, spot some Munch at the art with similar ice age related glacier breakage before reaching the Osterfjord. You’ll find museum. to thank for the angular formation we see yourself surrounding by steep mountains today. The hike is demanding and not for as the fjord narrows, allowing a better view Speaking of munch, head across the the faint hearted. Proper consideration, of the waterfalls, from which you may well harbour to Fjellskål Fisketorget for some along with equipment, should be taken be offered a refreshing drink. You of the best fish soup the country before embarking on this trip, which will can expect to find wildlife such has to offer to warm you up on Lake take at least 10 hours. The rock formation as seals and eagles along the way a cold day, or visit the pier on a Ringedalsat the top juts out into the air 700 metres too. Saturday morning for the local vatnet, above Lake Ringedalsvatnet, arguably prostreet market where you’ll find arguably viding the most scenic view Norway has to a wide range of delicious and That’s probably enough use of providing the ethically questionable foodstuffs. offer, with an extreme version of the cliff/ the word fjord for one article. most scenic valley/lake combination. The Norwegian Back in Bergen itself, having view Norway government is very keen to stress that been on the cruise you may wish this path should not be attempted during to explore the old town further. has to offer. winter. Snow and Ice are to be expected in Bergen was founded somethe trail most of the year round, covering time before 1070, but a number of fires the boulders and settling around have meant that the remaining the creeks and streams along buildings are mainly from the Don’t the way. This time ten years ago, 1700s. The colourful shopfronts watch the less than 500 tourists per year along the harbour provide you 2015 movie attempted the hike, this year it’ll with some of your best holiday based on this be close to 100,000. Of course, snaps, and the wooden houses scenario, The just behind make for a pleasant the usual Norwegian belief of ‘no Wave, before stroll in the rain. To escape the barriers or fences’ exists here. visiting this rain but maintain your cultural If you’re more pressed for time streak, nip into the Bryggen UNESCO there are day tour options right Museum to find out more of the site. from Bergen harbour lasting 3 area you’ve been meandering or 4 hours and costing around £50, which around. If you’re planning on seeing a lot can sate your desire for fjord viewing withof sights on your trip, consider the ‘Bergen out a long journey or hike. The cruise sails Card’ for free and discounted admission to

Trolltunga

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

travel After filling your face and an afternoon nap, you may want to sample some of the libations on offer. There are lots of quirky bars dotted around Bergen, which if stumbled upon in East London, would be branded ‘hipster’. No Stress bar does exactly what you’d expect at a fairly reasonable (for Norway) price, with the added touch of an in-house Nintendo 64 to have a quick Mario Kart battle while you sample the local lager.

The Bergen railway

Apparently the playwright born in Bergen, Ludvig Holberg, was inspired by Rome’s nickname ‘The City of Seven Hills’, and decided that his own city must be blessed with such a grand title. Today Bergen is often called ‘The City of Seven Mountains’, although exactly which seven is disputed by locals. With this nickname, it makes sense to get to the top of at least one of them. The

There are lots of quirky bars dotted around Bergen, which if stumbled upon in East London, would be branded ‘hipster’.

who’ve hiked up with their sleds funicular Fløibanen will It is no and skis; a great idea if you can take you right to the top get your hands on some. of Mount Fløyen where wonder you can look over the this is often Travellers who have flown into Bergen peninsula with suggested to Oslo with a view to visiting islands and fjords litterbe the most Bergen or vice versa are in for a ing the backdrop. The beautiful treat. The Bergen railway is six views from up here are train ride in and a half hours of snowy mounthe best of the city and the world. tains, foaming waterfalls, lakes, will add to your envy-inrivers, fjords, and glaciers. Every ducing Facebook album time you peer out of the window you’re in the making. There are endless met with a fresh view of a landscape that hiking option up here, and in never gets old. It is no wonder this is often the winter months the paths are suggested to be the most beautiful train floodlit and occasionally covered ride in the world. Take the earlier train to in snow (weather permitting), avoid the view disappearing into darkness which makes for a very pleasant towards the end, and most certainly don’t wintry setting. On the way down, opt for an overnight cabin unless you you’ll be overtaken by locals

The funicular Fløibanen will take you right to the top of Mount Fløyen where you can look over the Bergen peninsula 70

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

travel hate nature. As the line climbs over 1,200 metres, the snow on the ground becomes more abundant, as does your sense of gratitude that you weren’t one of the workers tasked with building a train track over this terrain. If you haven’t chosen to fly into Oslo but like the sound of this experience, or if you’re just short on time in general, fear not. There is a solution for you too. The ‘Norway in a Nutshell’ tour attempts to encompass everything you’ve come to the country for. Designed to be specifically breathtaking in the winter, you’ll take various trains and a bus through the stunning Norwegian countryside (including part of the Bergen railway). The trip is offered as a day tour, but there is the option for an overnight stay in various locations along the way, each offering their own list of additional activities to make the tour even better.

Voss is

the place to Voss is the place to get your fix of extreme sport. The usual susget your fix pects of skydiving and paragliding of extreme entire time could be well spent in Bergen, is both the most fun you can are on offer due the appealing sport. relaxing in the cafes and wandering the have and the most cold you can panoramics, and the rivers cobbled streets. If you have three or four possibly be. The weather here in provide plenty of white water for days, it’s definitely worth opting for the you to brave the temperatures and indulge the winter is extremely chilly and although they provide warm overalls if needed (they fjord cruise and the Norway in a Nutshell in river sports such as rafting or kayaking. tour to effectively flashpack If you feel like being confined to the safety will be), be sure to bring your the area and keep your camera own three or four pairs of gloves of a boat with paddles is too mundane for Be sure to loaded with gems. This wintry if you still want your fingers by you, there’s always river boarding - where bring your the end of it. wonderland getaway is sure to you just fling yourself down the rapids own three or put a smile on your face to last on a bodyboard and hope for the best. four pairs of until the summer sun returns to As always when you go away, Kite surfers aren’t the only thing in the air gloves if you Gibraltar, at which point, we can there’s enough to do and see above Lake Vangsvatnet; Parabungy has still want all start to think about new travel the same premise of regular bungy jumping here to fill a month-long holiday, your fingers destinations to avoid the heat… not just a long weekend. Your with a twist. Suspended at 180 metres from a flying parasail, you can now bungy by the end jump with the additional sensation of of it. flying. Nope, nope, nope. Voss also has all the regular winter sports you’d expect from a Norwegian mountain town as well as various hiking options to see fjords, waterfalls and more. For a more relaxing stopover, try Flåm, where fishing on the river and admiring the view is a more popular activity. From here you can also hike to Nærøyfjord, which has the narrowest fjord in the world, shrinking to just 250 metres wide at one point. Quite the view with towering mountains on either side. This is also the spot to follow the Rallarvegen cycle route through the mountains and over rivers. Sometimes you get tired of the same methods of travel; trains, buses, bikes… it’s all so normal. Further down the itinerary on the Norway in a Nutshell tour is the Geilo, where you can get from A to B by dog. The base camp for this husky sledding trip is based a few kilometres away from the town in a little place called Skurdalen. Here it’s just you, the dogs, and the view. Dog sledding GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

Husky sledding trip 71

environment

‘CHUPA SANGRE’ The legend of the blood sucking fiend.

BY LEWIS STAGNETTO, THE NAUTILUS PROJECT

with wooden ice-cream sticks to carefully hroughout my youth my family loved to spend summers on pick the horrors off the rocks, altruistically Catalan Bay beach. In those making the area safe for others. We were days the beach was couched real life heroes and it felt great. Imagine my shock when I first learnt that the between two rocky outcrops deadly chupa sangre was in fact a and I loved exploring the rock Imagine pools which formed during low beadlet anemone. my shock tides. It was during this young when I first and impressionable period that I As part of the phyla Cnidaria, learnt that was confronted with a horrifying beadlets are in fact animals the deadly organism called the ‘chupa sangre’, which are closely related to chupa sangre corals and jellyfish. Anemones or blood sucker. was in fact are non-calcifying solitary polyps a beadlet with tentacles covered in stinging This fiend lived on the undercells called nematocysts. Zoomed side of rocks and sat waiting for anemone. in, a nematocyst is like a spear unsuspecting children to brush on a spring and all Cnidarians have them up against it so it could suck their blood. I remember being told about this and even which is why the phyla name translates being challenged to touch one if I dared to to “stinging nettle”. The reason that some of these animals sting us and some don’t question the perceived wisdom. Besides, is fairly easy to explain; they ALL sting the organism was a deep dark red colour and what else is like that other than blood? us. The difference is in the length of the spear in the nematocyst. If the length of the spear is longer than the depth of our This fearsome reputation encouraged skin then it can deliver its poison, we get hordes of young gullible children armed

stung and it swells and hurts. If the spear is shorter than the depth of our skin then we cannot be ‘stung’ and consequently you don’t feel anything at all. In all cases the tentacles stick to our skin because they are attempting to sting us. A beadlet’s sting cannot hurt us! Beadlet anemones are veracious predators which will eat pretty much anything they can put their 192 tentacles on. They are known to take on more than they can consume, eventually being forced to spit out oversized food items. Typically though, their favourite food items include mussels, shrimps and crabs when they can get them. Otherwise they just waft their tentacles in the water column and capture any zooplankton which comes into contact with them. Although they are considered sessile, anemones actually move around the rock surface to secure the best spot for feeding and for protection against constant wave GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

environment efforts in general. As predators they exert top-down control on the populations of crabs, shrimps and mussels that habituate the rocky shoreline. This makes them a key player in maintaining ecosystem balance with respect to the stated species. They also produce an antibacterial substance which is different to lysozyme present in most other animals. Lysozyme is an antibacterial agent found in humans in our tear drops, saliva, human milk and mucus. This means they have a strong research possibility towards developing new antibacterial formulas which could help us fight all sorts of infections. So, who might be the heroes now?

The invader has no choice but to drop off the rock and find a less hostile spot.

action. Indeed, if they find themselves on an overcrowded rock they have the ability to drop off and reattach themselves at another less crowded site. They are also known to be highly territorial animals. Should their tentacle come into contact with another anemone which is not a direct relation, they embark on an assault which can last for weeks. The invader has no choice but to drop off the rock and find a less hostile spot. Beadlets can reproduce sexually or asexually and are hermaphrodites. A lesser known fact is that beadlet anemones are viviparous, they give birth to live young. Their embryos develop inside their bodies until they are ready to be released into the water column. This gives the tiny embryos a head-start as they grow within the protection of their parent. Once ready to be released, the young are ejected from the mouth into the water column. The young will settle close to their parent creating a familial territory although they do not form colonies. The opening and closing of the anemone is highly dominated by tidal cycles. When beadlets are caught from the wild and brought into aquarium environments, they continue to display synchronicity with the tidal area they were originally caught in, for a few days after. This opening and closing is used to prevent the animal from desiccation when exposed by the falling of the tide. In fact, they can survive out of the water in this state for many

hours even if exposed to direct sunlight for much of it.

The latest genetic work now implies that these colour morphs might actually be subspecies or even different species altogether!

Typically, the closed state of the anemone looks like a blob of red stuck to the rock. However, they can be green, brown and yellow too. Conventional wisdom has always suggested that the various colour morphs form part of the same Beadlet species, Actinia equina. anemones However, the latest geare veracious netic work now implies predators that these colour morphs might which will actually be subspecies or even eat pretty different species altogether!

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

much anything they can put their 192 tentacles on.

So next time you are walking along the beach and you see children attacking a chupa sangre it might be worth mentioning that they are not blood suckers but a species important to the health of the ecology of the Gibraltar coastline. Together, conservationally speaking, we can provide a winning sting!

So, what important ecological role do these animals play? Beadlets occupy an important niche in the ecosystem making them vital for conservational 73

fashion

Tan Oversized Borg Trucker Jacket Missguided £55

WINTER WARMERS New year, new coat

BY JULIA COELHO

018 is here, and in the fashion world a new year means new trends, ready to be welcomed in with open arms! I’m sure many of you have had a few of those “new year, new me” pep talks with yourselves in the last couple of weeks. With a resurgence of energy for every new year, we gear ourselves up for promises of self-improvement and better habits. But how about a brand new coat to kick it all off? The coat is, without a doubt, the focal point of the winter wardrobe; it’s the item we expect the most longevity from, but it’s also the one we’ll wear most often. To be quite honest, I’ve spent my entire life dreading the day, come October or November, I would finally have to buy a coat in anticipation of the impending winter season. I always found it a nuisance; nothing but a boring expense, but also a necessity, which in true blind consumerist form, naturally makes it less exciting than buying a bunch of dresses and shoes just 74

because I feel like it. Year in year out, I’d tag is fair enough! Along with a great pair buy the same old Zara double-breasted of jeans or boots, a good coat can truly buttoned coat, and move on, spending become a staple piece in our wardrobes the rest of the winter moaning that can last us a lifetime. about the cold or how I had no Essentially, coat to match certain looks. In Gibraltar, I find the coat-buying coats process all the more tricky. If you have two A coat can often be the live in London, you know you can main roles, purchase that takes us out of just go for the thickest, warmfunctionality our budget, and if you think est, most weather-proof option and about it, that does make sense. (sometimes style has to come aesthetics: Essentially, coats have two main second, people), but in Gib, we roles, functionality and aesthetteeter on that fine line, weathwe want ics: we want them to look good er-wise, between risking something them to look but they also need to do the job that is simply overbearing, or on good but of keeping us warm. Aside from the flipside, maybe just right for they also these two tasks, however, we daytime but not quite cutting it for need to do also need them to be comfortthe evening chill. It’s an underrated the job of able, appropriate enough to struggle for sure, but once you get keeping us transcend occasion, not too it right… in my adulthood, buying warm. stuffy, in order to accommodate the perfect coat has become one for autumnal layers, as well as of my biggest triumphs. having the ability of complementing any outfit. That’s a lot of pressure for just one Take a look at some of the biggest trends piece of clothing; I guess the heavy price in the world of coats for 2018: GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

fashion Teddy Coat Patch Esprit £99 Sasha Coat Weekday Stores £125

Padded Jacket H&M £39.99

Puffers The fashion world’s obsession with the puffer jacket isn’t going anywhere this year. Metallic styles in particular seem to be all the rage this winter; I must say it’s not something I would have usually opted for, but they definitely do add a super cool edge to any outfit. You could be wearing a pair of black skinny jeans, a simple sweatshirt and some Vans, and a metallic puffer jacket will elevate your otherwise simple look to the next level. It’s definitely on my purchase list this winter. Also, if you’re planning on hitting the slopes in the very near future, you’ll be pleased to know that puffer jackets are extremely ski-chic this season. GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

AV15 Padded Jacket with Hood Teddy coats

Nike £105

Teddy coats; the name pretty much gives it away, are the cosier of options, and were around for the better part of last year too! I invested in one back in October, and I’ve never looked back since! Mine is short and shaggy, and perfectly complements any feminine dress and boots pairing, while also making a casual mom jeans and tee outfit look all the more cool and relaxed. If you want to feel like you’re being hugged by a fluffy cloud, get yourself a teddy coat right now. 75

fashion Short Faux Fur Coat Bershka £49.99

Faux fur coats My love for faux fur coats is relentless and undying, there’s no question! They’re one of the most versatile options out there, because as much as they can be worn with any informal outfit and still look effortlessly stylish, they can equally be worn with the most elegant of dresses for a fancier affair, and look super glam! There are so many different styles, textures and colours on offer at the moment. Everyone needs a faux fur coat in their wardrobe! Checks Moving on swiftly from the ever-popular checked blazers, which were all the rage in the transitioning autumn months, longline checked coats have hit the shelves and caused quite a ruckus. I love them because they provide that hard-to-find balance between sophistication and cool. Rarely can a coat tick both ‘office-appropriate’ and ‘trendy’ boxes, but if there’s one that’s going to do it, it’s definitely a checked coat. Aviator Coats The aviator coat trend has got off to a flying start. These were huge a few years back, and then slowly phased out to be replaced by moto and military-style jackets. But hooray! They’re back with a vengeance, and looking cooler than ever. Who doesn’t love a good faux sheepskin lined jacket? I plan on getting my hands on one very soon. It doesn’t just stop there. From trench coats and biker jackets, to longline vinyl jackets, there are so many fantastic and stylish options on the high-street this season. And the great thing about coats is that they can often be totally unisex; let’s face it, most of the time, the boys’ section has better (and cheaper) stuff than the ladies’. Now may be the right time to take advantage of those post-Christmas sales, and make a positive investment in your coat collection. 76

Faux Fur Jacket H&M £79.99

Suede Aviator with Faux Shearling ASOS £180 GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

fashion Checked Wool Mix Overcoat in Navy ASOS £85 Wool Coat in Check

Statement Aviator Jacket

ASOS £85

Monki £95

If there’s one that’s going to do it, it’s definitely a checked coat.

Wool Coat in Check Monki £85 GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

Let’s face it, most of the time, the boys’ section has better (and cheaper) stuff than the ladies’.

Aviator Jacket with Faux Fur Lining River Island £90 77

Ed. If you’re anything like me, the thought of giving up a perfectly seasoned slab of steak, my 4am Gilbert’s or – heaven forbid – the annually anticipated pata negra that graces the family countertop at Christmastime, seems torturous. But I’m beginning to think this a bit rich when the source of my food-related joy is coming from a place of… well, torture actually. There is certainly a big shift taking place which is only going to get greater in 2018. Local convert, Patrizia Imossi, is a lot further ahead in her vegan journey than I am, and her little meat-free nuggets of wisdom have been invaluable during my own. In this article, she imparts some crucial information, a lot of which most us know, but choose to ignore like an ostrich with its head firmly in the sand. With the way things are going, it’s becoming apparent that the only way we can maintain this level of meat consumption is to ignore the facts – or to not care. And with that, I prepare myself for my first toddler-like steps into the world of healthy, conscious eating. If only for a month. After all, every little helps (said the old lady, as she contributed to the sea).

health

JANUARY VEGANUARY Let’s talk about food, ethics and the environment

BY PATRIZIA IMOSSI

remember the afternoon when the evolved once again. I am now deep into ‘Eureka!’ moment happened, the my veganism journey and yes, it has been realisation that the freshly caught fish challenging, it’s a work in progress, I still swimming and flopping around in my eat eggs sometimes and it has been a huge uncle’s bucket were in fact not my friends learning curve. and they were never going to be my friends. My fishy pals were to become a We are in the midst of terrible ecological tasty side addition to our family barbeque devastation. It sounds dramatic – because that evening. This was one of the formait is. Raising animals for food is the single tive experiences that eventually greatest human-caused source of turned me towards vegetariandestruction to our environment. We are in ism; being served the flesh of It is one of the major causes the midst fish that I had known personally of rainforest deforestation and of terrible made it difficult to avoid the water pollution. It is the largest ecological connection that animals were source of greenhouse gases and food. Since then my idea of what devastation. it is also a major contributor to a balanced, normal diet evolved ocean dead zones, habitat loss, It sounds and changed. and species extinction. And when dramatic – we include all the resources that because it is. Vegetarianism was a moral decigo into raising animals for food; sion made on my own grounds as the land, fertilizers, pesticides, fossil fuels and freshwater, the animal a child. I became uncomfortable with the idea of eating meat. There was always a industry is shockingly inefficient and a highly wasteful use of our limited natural bone, a vein, or an unidentifiable something in my food. I began to question resources. How long can we realistically go where my food came from. As we learn on ignoring these facts? and as we grow it is healthy that we challenge ourselves with new mindsets According to vegansociety.com: “Veganism and new ways of perceiving the world. represents a philosophy and way of living As an adult I started looking at the issues which seeks to exclude —as far as is around animal welfare, modern farming possible and practicable — all forms of exand the impact of animal industries on ploitation of, and cruelty to, other animals our environment. Much to my horror I for food, clothing or any other purpose; began to understand more about these and promotes the development and use issues and the way I thought about food of animal-free alternatives for the benefit

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

health Public Food Market just outside of overnight isn’t realistic. Going vegan is a Casemates. The Health Store on Cornwall’s process. It can take years to fully transition Lane also has an organic produce section because it requires a complete overhaul along with an array of meat substitutes of the way you think about food. Some and cheeses. people find part-time veganism controverWhen we think about farming and sial and don’t approve, but it’s a great first where the animal products we consume step. Cutting down your animal product The best ways to ease your transition to come from, we tend to think about Old consumption in any way possia vegan diet is to challenge yourself and MacDonald and his farm. A unible helps animals, the environdevelop your cooking abilities. All it takes verse in which grassy farmlands We would ment, and your health. You can is a recipe and some time to acquire basic with cows grazing leisurely in the still like to do things like only eat animal cooking skills that benefit you for the rest open air exists, where happy pigs believe in products when you dine out, or of your life. Roasted vegetables are so easy are rolling around in the mud, the fairytale perhaps try and include more to prepare, for instance, there’s really no and where chickens rest in cosy, view of veggies and less meat portions to way to mess it up. Interesting salad dresswarm coops laying their eggs. animal meals. Every little helps. Whether ing are scarcely any harder, and you won’t It is unfortunate that this is not you care about eating ‘food with farming, believe how good vegan tacos and lasagne the case - farms like these hardly faces’ or not, I think we can all tastes. Relax and learn to love to cook, exist anymore. Instead, cows are where agree that involuntarily ingesting explore new cuisines, and be adventurous kept pregnant and pumped full blushing all the hormones and other things with food. Most importantly, be easy on of hormones to produce an abplump farmers pump their animals full yourself. Don’t view a vegan lifestyle as normal amount of milk; pigs are maidens milk of is less than desirable. the finish line, but as an evolving raised in concrete cages inside smiling cows. After all, would you let process of conscious eating. windowless metal buildings, and After all, someone come up in to two hundred and fifty thousand would you laying hens are piled in one, single building, you in the street and inject you Putting veganism into practice let someone with some unknown substance? before the produce is neatly packaged will require a little patience, come up in with labels such as ‘Organic!’, ‘Free Range!’ some knowledge of nutrition to you in the For those of you interested in and ‘Farm Fresh!’. I’m sorry to tell you they (which is easily learned and is making a change, taking part in are about as free as a convict on death a most rewarding study) and street and the ‘Veganuary’ campaign (veganrow. On average, each caged laying hen perhaps a bit of help from other inject you uary.com) might be the kick-start is afforded only 67 square inches of cage vegans who have acquired local with some for you. Veganuary, as the name space - less space than a single sheet of knowledge. Once you begin, unknown suggests, is a month long pledge letter-sized paper. And the male chicks? you’ll need someone to rant to substance? to go to the green side. The start Shredded alive like unwanted junk mail. about how many times a day you of a new year is a great symbolic Photographs of industrial rows of cramped get asked where you get your opportunity to start again. Before doing so, protein. Whether your support lives next pens imprisoning solitary animals would be prepare yourself for this culinary advenenough to shock those of you who would door at vegan restaurant The Kasbar on ture; read as much as you can on the substill like to believe in the fairytale view Calle Comedia, or is through a Facebook ject. If you’re going to give up cheese for of animal farming, where blushing plump page (‘Seeds Of Change’ being a great local an entire month, you might as well learn a maidens milk smiling cows. vegan group), you’ll widen your world of little in the process. vegan-friendly products, recipes, and local restaurant options. So your desire to go vegan may be strong, I know, you’re worried you’ll have trouble but perhaps, like me, you hold back. You’re living in a small Gibraltar where specialty too worried about what family, friends, This isn’t about perfection, it’s about vegan products aren’t widely available. Not progress, so don’t worry if you slip up and and co-workers have to say and you feel that there’s anything wrong with having a the main obstacle is not so much dietary, consume animal products, whether accivegan soy patty or soy burrito - which they dentally or deliberately. To live as a vegan but a social issue, you don’t want to do sell in Eroski by the way - but inconvenience people in anyway in a non-vegan world takes both courage it’s neither healthy, affordable, and eating out is often an issue. and curiosity. It’s the nor practical to sustain yourParents are difficult to convince. small, daily self on those types of foods. Of all the people we interact choices Instead, familiarize yourself with with, undoubtedly they have the we make new kinds of ingredients. You of strongest desire for one’s well time and course won’t love or even like evbeing. To many people, especially erything you try, but the name of to us in the Mediterranean, a diet time again the game is to try as many new without meat is considered to that either foods as possible, and to have be unsustaining and unhealthy. support or fun doing so! I have found, however, that the undermine majority of people are interested our ability in improving their health, losing Going vegan will inspire your to make weight or avoiding diabetes, supermarket shopping in a difpositive cancer and other illnesses. I am ferent way. Both Morrisons and changes. a firm believer that it’s the small, Eroski sell basic vegan staples like daily choices we make time and grains, beans, hummus, tofu and time again that either support or undernut milks. Both have good produce secmine our ability to make positive changes. tions, although you can also find produce elsewhere in town such as our small local vegetable and fruit shops and our Gibraltar I understand that going completely vegan of humans, other animals and the environment” – and how can that possibly be a bad thing?

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

wine

IS WINE POISON?

Continually we are reminded of the dangers of wine. To get the message across, Governments and health agencies are using an increasingly simpler story. Nobody wants a Michael Fish scenario with wine but these simple stories may end up backfiring, where in the end, nobody will believe anything. This short article looks the evidence behind scary wine-drinking headlines and why experts, like us, may just be fumbling in the dark when deciding if moderate wine consumption is good or bad for us.

BY ANDREW LICUDI DipWSET

hundreds of years old coming into use risk of an alcohol related disease. umans have been consuming only after the Americas were discovered. wine for thousands of years. We are part of a handful of mammals Determining how moderate intake of wine When commenting on the latest guidethat can tolerate alcohol, and in a world of rising obesity, inactivity, rising lines and asked to explain the 1% lifetime many believe that our resistance to ethanol sugar consumption and pollution risk, Sir David John Spiegelhalter, remains fraught with evolved perhaps over hundreds statistician and Winton Professor It would difficulties. of thousands of years after we of the Public Understanding of appear that Our got hooked from imbibing natural Risk in the Statistical Laboratory these weekly resistance fermenting fruits. Some researchFew would dispute that at the University of Cambridge, allowances to ethanol ers suggest that Saccharomyces Government has a duty had this to say: will expose evolved cerevisiae, the yeast necessary of care to its citizens, to ferment fruit juice into wine, us to no years after but perhaps like me you “These guidelines define ‘lowmay well be the first example of may feel we are being risk’ drinking as giving you less more than a we got “animal” domestication which told a simplified story than a 1% chance of dying from hooked from 1% lifetime occurred long before we domeson wine consumption. an alcohol-related condition. imbibing risk of an ticated cattle or dogs, and never Latest guidelines are set So should we feel OK about natural alcohol found in the wild but passed at around 7 small glassrisks of this level? An hour of fermenting related down through countless generaes of wine per week TV watching a day, or a bacon fruits. disease. tions. Wine has long been assoirrespective of gender, sandwich a couple of times a ciated with some of the so called age, weight, smoker or week, is more dangerous to ‘Blue Zones’ like Sardinia or Icaria where non-smoker, regular exerciser or couch your long-term health. It all seems to longevity is unusually high. Wine is considpotato, sugar and refined flour addict or come down to what pleasure you get ered as much a part of the Mediterranean Mediterranean diet devotee. It would from moderate drinking.” Diet as olive oil. Contrast this with appear that these weekly allowances will refined sugar or tobacco which are merely expose us to no more than a 1% lifetime I would suggest that it may be practically 82

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

wine impossible to conduct long-term dietary study nor participants with energy intakes experiments on humans. If it wasn’t, the fat (excluding alcohol) as high as 3600 v. carbs v. sugar arguments currently raging kcal/day for women or 4200 kcal/day would have been settled a long time ago, for men. These, and a myriad of other and the multibillion-dollar industry of fad complex variables from Body Mass Index diets would be dead in the water. Trying to aspirin-use, would be handled within to establish how one, two, or the study by statistical tools and more glasses of wine could affect techniques. Smoking our health over a lifetime in the aggravates midst of rising obesity, diabetes, If there is one major conclusion matters persistent use of tobacco, drugs from the cohort studies it is that under all cirand high sugar consumption, will smoking aggravates matters cumstances. continue to prove challenging. under all circumstances. The Nevertheless, we need well-baldiagrams below, taken from the anced and meaningful information so we study, clearly shows the increased risks can make value judgments how wine can for smokers (blue line) compared to never fit into our lifestyles. Using a simple story smokers (red line.) and engendering Project Fear will be counterproductive, and in the end, nobody will believe anything. Ever smoker Never smoker

The studies’ aim - to find statistical correlation between alcohol and cancer - was ambitious and admirable, involving over 100,000 men and women over a period of thirty years. During this time dietary, drinking and other lifestyle habits were obtained by means of questionnaires every four years. Less than 400 participants kept detailed records (I can hardly remember what I ate or drunk a few days ago let alone four years ago), yet this was considered acceptable. The obvious shortcomings of obtaining data by self-reporting was acknowledged by researchers, but not considered detrimental to the study. Again, highly questionable as its well-known we tend to underestimate food and alcohol consumption. Smokers were not excluded from the GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

RELATIVE RISK

2.5

P for trend (all): <0.001 P for trend (moderate): 0.51

2.0 1.5 1.0

P for trend (all): 0.06 P for trend (moderate): 0.31

Reference

0.5 0

3.0 2.5 2.0

P for trend (all): <0.001 P for trend (moderate): 0.1

1.5 1.0

P for trend (all): <0.001 P for trend (moderate): 0.001

Reference

0.5

HERE IS MY SURVIVAL GUIDE TO DRINKING WINE IN MODERATION. • Look at the alcoholic label on the bottle. Keep away from wines approaching 15% ABV. The colder the country of production the lower the alcohol generally.

WOMEN (ALCOHOL RELATED CANCER)

RELATIVE RISK

Few would dispute that the US suffers from serious public health issues. Diabetes, obesity, stress and work/life imbalances are considered increasing problems. The US is the largest consumer of sugar in the world at 126 grams per person per day against a W.H.O. recommendation of a maximum of 25 grams. Fast food, full of sugar and fat, is cheaply available and perceived as an integral part of American culture. Yet neither the BBC nor the British Medical Journal sought to comment on the obvious difficulties of trying to find out how the effects of moderate drinking could be extricated from such a complex cultural and public health background.

W O M E N ( T O TA L C A N C E R )

• Develop a taste for German and Austrian wines which can be as low as 7% ABV.

• Drink wine with food and water.

M E N ( T O TA L C A N C E R ) 3.0 2.5 RELATIVE RISK

The basis for such scary headlines was a British Medical Journal summary of the results of two large US studies.

It remains to be seen if in the future similar studies are carried out elsewhere, perhaps on populations where diet and lifestyles will allow simpler correlations between alcohol and health. We know that some of the longest-lived people in the Mediterranean drink wine daily and consider this an integral part of their longevity. It would be interesting to determine if this is really the case.

3.0

• Buy half bottles (or decant half the wine into an empty half bottle. It will keep nicely for a few days).

P for trend (all): 0.02 P for trend (moderate): 0.50

2.0 1.5 1.0

P for trend (all): 0.74 P for trend (moderate): 0.80

Reference

0.5 0

• Buy the best you can. Savour the wine. • Have a few dry days in the week.

M E N ( T O TA L C A N C E R ) 3.0 2.5 RELATIVE RISK

Last year BBC News (online) run a particularly frightening headline: “Even light and moderate drinking could increase the risk of cancer”

The BBC headlines are indeed right but no longer as scary unless you smoke. It is curious that in two of the diagrams, risk for non-smokers falls after increasing alcohol consumption. No explanation is given for this.

P for trend (all): <0.001 P for trend (moderate): 0.006

2.0 1.5 1.0 Reference

0.5

P for trend (all): 0.13 P for trend (moderate): 0.18

• Don’t force yourself to finish the whole bottle. Keep a container for leftover wines. At the very least, you will end up with seriously good vinegar for your cooking and salads.

0 0

0.1–4.9

5–14.9

15–29.9

≥30

• Don’t smoke.

A LC O H O L C O N S U M P T I O N ( g /d a y)

Risk of total and alcohol related cancer jointly by alcohol consumption and smoking history.

• Drink sensibly.

recipes recipe by Eyleen Sheil instagram.com/thegibraltarvegan

GNOCCHI WITH HAZELNUTS Pesto, vegan bacon or chickpeas on a bed of rocket

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

1 packet of egg and milk free gnocchi

1. Chop the hazelnuts in half, slice and dice up the garlic cloves

3/4 cup of hazelnuts 1 packet of The Vegetarian Butcher’s bacon (or 1 cup of chickpeas) 3 garlic cloves Dairy free pesto Rocket Violife Parmesan cheese

PREP TIME

2. Fry up the bacon in a little oil on a medium heat for approximately five minutes

7. Add in three to four heaped teaspoons of pesto, depending on how strong you like it.

3. Add the hazelnuts – if you haven’t use the bacon and are opting for chickpeas instead the hazelnuts and chickpeas can be cooked together at the same time. Cook under the hazelnuts and/ or chickpeas are starting to go golden brown.

8. Stir until the pesto has been evenly distributed throughout the dish.

Five minutes

4. Boil up a saucepan of water and add the gnocchi when it is boiled. Gnocchi takes minutes to cook, the general rule is once it is floating it is ready.

COOKING TIME

5. Add the garlic to the hazelnut, bacon/ chickpea pan.

15 minutes 84

and put it in with the hazelnut, bacon/ chickpeas.

9. Place the rocket on a plate leaving space in the middle for the gnocchi. 10. Dish the gnocchi onto the plate, grate the parmesan cheese and top with cracked black pepper. NOTE: Gnocchi is generally a filling food, so this recipe is ideal for three people or two really hungry adults.

6. Once the gnocchi is cooked, drain it GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

recipes recipe by Supernatural

DETOX CLEANSE

A kickstart to a healthy post-Christmas routine

INGREDIENTS 60g spinach 60g kale 100g celery 100g cucumber 25ml fresh lime juice 200g apple Juiced or blended

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

restaurants, bars & pubs

BON APPETITE FOOD AND DRINK CASA PEPE

NUNOS ITALIAN

CAFÉ SOLO

A delightful terrace, bar, restaurant on the prestigious Queensway Quay Marina. Wonderful location for business meetings, weddings, anniversaries and other special occasions. Specialising in fresh fish caught locally with daily specials including seabass, dorada, sole, and bream, plus a very comprehensive a la carte menu. Also available are tapas and raciones (double size tapas) to share (or not!) prior to a main course. Mixed paellas also available, as well as fish cooked in rock salt, whole suckling pig and baby lamb to order.

Nunos Italian Restaurant, overlooking the Mediterranean, is popular with hotel guests, tourists and local residents. This 2 rosette rated, AA restaurant is renowned for its eclectic interior, intimate atmosphere and fine cuisine. Savour a wide selection of freshly prepared Italian delicacies, including bread, pasta, meat and fish, followed by delicious desserts. In the summer months, the hotel offers alfresco dining for private parties in the Garden Grill. Sitting nestled in the colonial garden you can enjoy a mouth-watering menu of charcoal-grilled meats and freshly prepared salads in candlelit surroundings. Open: Mon-Sun 1-3pm lunch, 7–11pm dinner

Modern Italian eatery set in lively Casemates square. Everything from chicory and crispy pancetta salad with walnuts, pears and blue cheese dressing, or king prawn, mozzarella and mango salad to pastas (eg: linguine with serrano ham, king prawns and rocket; smoked salmon and crayfish ravioli with saffron and spinach cream) to salads (eg: Vesuvio spicy beef, cherry tomatoes, roasted peppers and red onions; and Romana chorizo, black pudding, egg and pancetta) and pizzas (eg: Quatto Stagioni topped with mozzarella, ham, chicken, pepperoni and mushroom) and specialities such as salmon fishcakes, beef medallions and duck. Daily specials on blackboard. No smoking.

Open: Tues-Sat lunch & evening, Sunday lunch only, closed Mondays. Casa Pepe, 18 Queensway Quay Marina, Tel/Fax: 200 46967 casa.pepe.gib@gmail.com. www.casapepegib.com

Nunos Italian Restaurant and Terrace Caleta Hotel, Catalan Bay Tel: 200 76501 Email: reservations@caletahotel.gi

Café Solo Grand Casemates Square. Tel: 200 44449

THE LOUNGE

SOLO BAR & GRILL

JURY’S CAFÉ-WINE BAR

Stylish Lounge Gastro Bar on Queensway Quay Marina serving best quality food prepared by passionate, qualified chefs. Popular quiz on Sundays from 7pm and a relaxed friendly atmosphere. A separate Lounge Bar Area serving a wide range of hot drinks, wines, beers, spirits and cocktails at reasonable prices, with large TV’s for sports and events coverage.

Solo Bar and Grill is a stylish and modern eatery — perfect for business functions or lunches — and part of the popular Cafe Solo stable. Serving everything from Goats’ Cheese Salad, Mediterranean Pâté and Cajun Langoustines to Beer Battered John Dory, or Harissa Chicken, and Chargrilled Sirloin Steak. This is a delightful venue in Europort with a cosy mezzanine level and terrace seating. Well worth a visit, or two! Available for private functions and corporate events — call 200 62828 to book your function or event.

Next to the Law Courts, with a terrace seating area, Jury’s has a selection of Ciabattas, paninis, baguettes and wraps, plus popular sharing dishes, such as Your Honour’s platter. Jacket potatoes, main courses, pasta and some innocent salads too. For those with a sweet tooth, there are tantalising homemade desserts, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, as well as Lavazza coffees and frappes.

Open: 12-8pm. Solo Bar & Grill, Eurotowers Tel: 200 62828

Jury’s Café & Wine Bar 275 Main Street. Tel: 200 67898 │ www.jurysgibraltar.com

Open: 10am-late Mon - Sun Be sure to arrive early to ensure a seat! The Lounge, 17 Ragged Staff Wharf, Queensway Quay Marina Tel: 200 61118 info@thelounge.gi

Open: 7am-midnight Mon-Sat, 9am-midnight Sun.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

restaurants, bars & pubs ALL’S WELL

O’REILLY’S

LORD NELSON

Traditional pub in fashionable Casemates area. Named for the 18th century practise of locking gates to the city at night when the guard called ‘All’s Well’. All’s Well serves Bass beers, wine and spirits plus pub fare. English breakfast all day, hot meals such as pork in mushroom sauce, sausage & mash, cod & chips and steak & ale pie plus a range of salads and jacket potatoes. Large terrace. Karaoke Mondays and Wednesdays until late. Free tapas on a Friday 7pm.

Traditional Irish bar with full HD sports coverage and Irish breakfast from 8am (Sunday from 9am). Guinness on draught. Food includes salads, jackets, beef & Guinness pie, Kildare chicken, chicken brochette, gourmet burgers, wraps, children menu, homemade desserts, daily specials and more. And just like in Ireland there’s no smoking inside, so a great atmosphere for all.

Situated in the corner of Casemates Square, the bar is a celebration of the life of Lord Nelson. See the collection of nautical art & memorabilia, including a brass pin from HMS Victory itself. HMS crews’ breakfast served from 10am, full menu including steak & ale pie, traditional fish & chips & much more served all day until 10pm. Jam session Thursday, live top local band on Friday & Karaoke Saturday nights.

All’s Well Casemates Square. Tel: 200 72987

O’Reilly’s Ocean Village. Tel: 200 67888 www.oreillysgibraltar.com

Lord Nelson Bar Brasserie 10 Casemates Tel: 200 50009 Visit: www.lordnelson.gi

BRIDGE BAR & GRILL

STAR BAR

SOLO EXPRESS

Located on the water’s edge, Ocean Village, just across the bridge from O’Reilly’s. This bar & grill is a fusion of an American themed menu with Tarifa chill out style. Open for breakfast from 9am serving healthy options, freshly squeezed orange juice and Italian Lavazza coffee. Try the spicy Caribbean rum ribs, southern fried chicken bucket, the popular Texas burger or a selection of tasty salads and homemade desserts. London Pride, San Miguel & Carling beer on draught, live sports.

Gibraltar’s oldest bar, just off Main St. Small cosy and famous for its full English breakfast from 8am (9am on Sunday). A full menu including fish & chips, until 10pm. The home of Star Coffee, draught beers include Heineken, Old Speckled Hen, Murphys and Strongbow cider. Managed by Hunter Twins from Stafford, England, also home to Med Golf & Tottenham Hotspur supporters club.

Located next to Pizza Hut in Casemates and in Eurotowers, serves a variety of salads/baguettes (white, brown, ciabatta) filled with a deli selection such as roast chicken; smoked salmon & mascapone; ham, cheese and coleslaw; or humous, avocado & roast red pepper. Salads fresh and tasty (Greek, Waldorf, cous cous, tuna pasta etc), great value. Jackets, quiches, coffee plus cakes (flapjacks, muffins) available all day. Eat-in area. Soups in winter.

Bridge Bar & Grill Ocean Village Tel: 200 66446 www.bridgebargibraltar.com

Star Bar Parliament Lane. Tel: 200 75924 Visit: www.starbargibraltar.com

Solo Express Grnd Flr, ICC, Casemates & Eurotowers Tel: 200 62828

GIBRALTAR ARMS

WANT TO SEE

YOUR ESTABLISHMENT ON THESE PAGES?

Ask us about our fantastic new advertising deals 200 77748 │

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

On Main Street opposite the cathedral, enjoy a meal, coffee or a cool beer on the terrace and watch the world go by! Bar decorated with rare military plaques from regiments and navy ships visiting Gibraltar. Full breakfast menu served from 7am, draught beers on tap include Old Speckled Hen bitter, Murphys Irish stout, Heineken lager and Strongbow cider. Gibraltar Arms 184 Main Street. Tel: 200 72133 Visit: www.gibraltararms.com

editor@thegibraltarmagazine.com

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Worldwide from Gibraltar Company Trust Foundation Marine & Business Services Tel. +350 200 79013 info@europa.gi www.europa.gi

Quality Kitchen Ware Gibraltar’s Best Stocked Cook Shop 46 Irish Town Tel: 200 75188 Fax: 200 72653

GACHE & CO LTD EST. 1830

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

CRAFT CLASSES - PHONE FOR INFO HORTICULTURAL CONTRACTORS Tel: 200 43134 Fax: 200 50648 Convent Gardens, Convent Garden Ramp

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JANUARY 2018 GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2017

clubs & activities Arts & Crafts Cross Stitch Club: John Mackintosh Hall, 1st Floor, Mon 6-8pm, fee £1. Gibraltar Arts & Crafts Association: Children: Mon&Fri 12.30-2pm, Mon-Fri 3.45-5.15pm Adults: Wed 5.45-7.15, Sat 10.30 to 12.30, Tel: 20073865 email: gibartsandcrafts@hotmail.com Knit and Natter Group: Tues 11am-3pm, Thurs 5.30-7.30pm, at Arts & Crafts Shop, Casemates balcony. Free to join and refreshments provided. Tel: 20073865. The Arts Centre: Prince Edward’s Road, Art classes for children and adults. For more info call Tel: 200 79788. The Fine Arts Association Gallery: At Casemates. Open 10am-2pm, 3-6pm Mon-Fri, Sat 11am-1pm. The Gibraltar Decorative and Fine Arts Society: Affiliated to UK NADFAS meets third Wed of month at 6.30pm at Eliott Hotel - lecturers & experts from the UK talk on Art etc. Contact: Chairman Claus Olesen 200 02024 claus.olesen@sghambros.com. Membership Ian Le Breton 200 76173 ilebreton@SovereignGroup.com Board Games Calpe Chess Club & Junior Club: meets in Studio 1, John Mackintosh Hall Thursday, Juniors: 5p.m. - 7 p.m. / Tuesday & Thursday 7p.m. - 10:30 The Gibraltar Scrabble Club: Meets on Tuesdays at 3pm. Tel: Vin 20073660 or Roy 20075995. All welcome. The Subbuteo Club: Meets in Charles Hunt Room, John Mackintosh Hall. Dance Adult Dance Classes: Wed evenings at Kings Bastion Leisure Centre from 7-8.30pm. Contact Dilip on 200 78714. Art in Movement Centre: Hiphop/Break Dance,Contemporary Dance, Pilates, Capoeira, Acrobatics, Street Kids & Tods, Modern Dance. Performance and Film opportunities. Judo & Jujitsu Classes: Tue/ Thur with Sensei Conroy. All ages. Budokai Martial Arts Centre, Wellington Front. www. artinmovement.net FB: Art In Movement A.I.M, tel 54025041 or 54007457 Ballet, Modern Theatre, Contemporary & Hip Hop: weekly at Danza Academy. Training from 3 years to Adult Advanced. 68/2 Prince Edward’s Rd Tel: 54027111. Bellydance Classes, all levels, Tue 8-9pm at the Ocean Village Gym (non–members welcome). Contact 54005593. DSA Old & Modern Sequence Dancing: Sessions at Central Hall Fri 8.30pm, beginners 8pm. Tel: 200 78901 or tony@gibraltar.gi Everybody welcome. Modern & Latin American Sequence Dancing: Mon at Catholic Community Centre 8pm. Tel. Andrew 200 78901. Modern, Contemporary, Lyrical, Flexibility, Hip Hop & Dance Theatre: Classes weekly at Urban Dance Studio, 2 Jumpers Bastion. Tel: Yalta 54012212 or Jolene 54015125. Rockkickers Linedance Club: Governor’s Meadow 1st School. www.rockkickers.com Salsa Gibraltar Salsa: Tues at Laguna Social Club, Laguna Estate. Beginners 7-8.30pm. Intermediates 8.30-10pm. Tel: Mike 54472000 or info@salsagibraltar.com Zumba Classes at Urban Dance: Jumpers Bastion, with certified instructor Tyron Walker. Tel: 20063959 or 54012212 or Twitter: @UrbanDanceGib History & Heritage The Gibraltar Heritage Trust: Main Guard, 13 John Mackintosh Sq. Tel: 200 42844. The Gibraltar Classic Vehicle Association: Dedicated to preservation of Rock’s transport/motoring heritage. Assists members in restoration / maintenance of classic vehicles. New members welcome. Tel: 200 44643. Garrison Library Tours: at 11am on Fri, duration 1h 50mins. Tel: 20077418. History Alive: Historical re-enactment parade. Main Street up to Casemates Square every Sat at 12 noon. Music Gibraltar National Choir and Gibraltar Junior National Choir: Rehearses at the Holy Trinity Cathedral. Tel: 54831000. The Calpe Band: Mon & Wed. For musicians of brass/woodwind instruments of all standards/ages/abilities 7-9pm. Tel:

54017070 or thecalpeband@gmail.com Jazz Nights: Thurs at 9pm at O’Callaghan Eliott Hotel. Tel: 200 70500. Outdoor Activities The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Gibraltar: Exciting self-development programme for young people worldwide equipping them with life skills to make a difference to themselves, their communities and the world. Contact: Award House, North Mole Road, PO Box: 1260. mjpizza@ gibtelecom.net, www.thedukes.gi. Social Clubs The Rotary Club of Gibraltar meets the Rock Hotel, 7pm Tuesday evenings. Guests welcome. For contact or info www.rotaryclubgibraltar.com Royal Antediluvian Order of Buﬀaloes: (Gibraltar Province) meets RAOB Club, 72/9 Prince Edward’s Road - Provincial Grand Lodge, Thu/month, 7.30pm. William Tilley 2371, Thurs 8.30pm. Buena Vista 9975, monthtly, Social Lodge. www.akearn1.wix. com/raob-gibraltar, william.tilley.lodge@ hotmail.co.uk, Clive, tel: 58008074 Special Interest Clubs & Societies Creative Writers Group: meets up on Tuesday mornings at 10.30 in O’Reillys Irish Bar and it is free to attend. Tel: Carla 54006696. Gibraltar Book Club: For info Tel: Parissa 54022808. Gibraltar Horticultural Society: meets 1st Thurs of month 6pm, J.M. Hall. Spring Flower Show, slide shows, flower arrangement demos, outings to garden centres, annual Alameda Gardens tour. All welcome. Gibraltar Philosophical Society: devoted to intellectually stimulating debate. Frequent lectures and seminars on a range of topics. Tel: 54008426 or Facebook: facebook.com/gibphilosophy Gibraltar Photographic Society: Meets on Mondays at 7:00 p.m. Wellington Front. Induction courses, talks, discussions, competitions etc. For details contact the secretary on, leslinares@gibtelecom.net Harley Davidson Owners’ Club: www.hdcgib.com Lions Club of Gibraltar: Meets 2nd and 4th Wed of the month at 50 Line Wall Road. www.lionsclubofgibraltar.com St John’s Ambulance: Adult Volunteers Training Sessions from 8-10pm on Tues. Tel: 200 77390 or training@stjohn.gi The Royal British Legion: For info or membership contact the Branch Secretary 20074604 or write to PO Box 332. UN Association of Gibraltar: PO Box 599, 22a Main Street. Tel: 200 52108. Sports Supporters Clubs Tottenham Hotspur Supporters Club: Meets at Star Bar, Parliament Lane, when Spurs games are televised - call prior to matches to check game is televised. Great food for a lunch if KO is early or an early supper if the game is later. Gibraltar Arsenal Supporters Club: Meets match days upstairs at Time Out Café, Eurotowers. Gooners of all ages welcome. For info/news visit www.GibGooners.com Tel: 54010681 (Bill) or 54164000 (John). Gibraltar Hammers: Meets on match days at the Victoria Stadium Bar, Bayside Road. All league games are shown live. All West Ham supporters and their families are welcome. For details visit www. gibraltarhammers.com or gibraltarhammers@ hotmail.com Sports & Fitness Artistic Gymnastics: Gibraltar Artistic Gymnastics Association. Tel: Angela 200 70611 or Sally 200 74661. Athletics: Gibraltar Amateur Athletics Association holds competitions through year for juniors, adults and veterans. Two main clubs (Calpeans 200 71807, Lourdians 200 75180) training sessions at Victoria Stadium. Badminton: Recreational badminton weekdays at Victoria Stadium (Tel: 200 78409 for allocations). Gibraltar Badminton Association (affiliated to BWF& BE) junior club/tournaments, senior leagues/ recreational. www.badmintongibraltar.com Ballet Barre Fitness: Adults on Wed 10am & Fri 6pm at The Arts Centre. Tel: 54033465 or pilatesgibraltar@hotmail.com

Basketball: Gibraltar Amateur Basketball Association (affiliated FIBA) leagues/ training for minis, passarelle, cadets, seniors and adults at a variety of levels. Tel: John 200 77253, Randy 200 40727. Boxing: Gibraltar Amateur Boxing Association (member IABA) gym on Rosia Rd. Over 13s welcome. Tuition with ex-pro boxer Ernest Victory. Tel: 56382000 or 20042788. Cheerleading: Gibraltar Cheerleading Association, girls and boys of all ages. Chearleading and street cheer/hip hop at Victoria Stadium. Recreational / competitive levels. Tel: 58008338. Canoeing: Gibraltar Canoeing Association. Tel: Nigel 200 52917 or Arturo 54025033. Cricket: Gibraltar Cricket, National Governing Body & Associate Member of ICC. Governs International & Domestic Men’s, Women’s, Boys’ & Girls’ cricketleague & cup competitions and in-school coaching. www.gibraltarcricket.com, info@ gibcricket.com, Twitter: @Gibraltar_Crick Cycling: Gibraltar Cycling Association various cycling tours. Darts: Gibraltar Darts Association (full member of WDF & affiliate of BDO). We cater for men, ladies & youth who take part in leagues, competitions and a youth academy for the correct development of the sport. Tel: Darren 54027171 Secretary, Alex 54021672 Youth Rep, Justin 54022622 President. Email: info@ gibraltardarts.com Football: Gibraltar Football Association leagues/competitions for all ages OctoberMay. Futsal in summer, Victoria Stadium. Tel: 20042941 www.gibraltarfa.com Gaelic Football Club (Irish sport): Males any age welcome. Get fit, play sport, meet new friends, travel around Spain/Europe and play an exciting and competitive sport. Training every Wed on the MOD pitch on Devil’s Tower Road at 7pm. Andalucia League with Seville and Marbella to play matches home and away monthly. Visit www.gibraltargaels. com or secretary.gibraltar.europe@gaa.ie Hockey: Gibraltar Hockey Association (members FIH & EHF) high standard competitions/training for adults/juniors. Tel: Eric 200 74156 or Peter 200 72730 for info. Iaido: teaches the Japanese sword (Katana), classes every week. www.iaidogibraltar.com Iwa Dojo, Kendo & Jujitsu: Classes every week, for kids/adults. Tel: 54529000 www. iwadojo.com or dbocarisa@iwadojo.com Judo and Ju-jitsu: Gibraltar Budokai Judo Association UKMAF recognised instructors for all ages and levels at Budokai Martial Arts Centre, Wellington Front. Tel: Charlie 20043319. Ju-jitsu: Gibraltar Ju-jitsu Academy training and grading for juniors/seniors held during evening at 4 North Jumpers Bastion. Tel: 54011007. Karate-do Shotokai: Gibraltar Karate-do Shotokai Association - Karate training for junior & seniors at Clubhouse, Shotokai karate centre, 41H Town Range. Monday: 9:30 p.m. & Wednesday 9:45 p.m. Karate: Shotokan karate midday Mon beginners, other students 8.30pm. Thurs 8.30pm. In town at temporary dojo or privately by arrangement. Contact Frankie 54038127 or info@fhmedia.co.uk. Motorboat Racing: Gibraltar Motorboat Racing Association Tel: Wayne 200 75211. Muay Thai and Muay Boran Club: Tues & Thur at Boyd’s Kings Bastion Leisure Centre at 6:30pm, Tel: John – 54024707 FB: Gibraltar Muay Thai Netball: Gibraltar Netball Association (affiliated FENA & IFNA) competitions through year, senior/junior leagues. Tel: 20041874. Petanque: Gibraltar Petanque Association. New members welcome. Tel: 54002652. Pilates: Intermediate Pilates: Tues & Fri 9.30am, beginners Pilates: Fri 10.50am at the Shotokai Centre, 41H Town Range. Tel: 54033465 or pilatesgibraltar@hotmail.com Gibraltar Pool Association: (Member of the EBA) home and away league played on Thurs through out the season, various tournaments played on a yearly basis both nationally and internationally, Tel: 56925000 gibpool@gibtelecom.net, www.gib8ball.com Rhythmic Gymnastics: Gibraltar Rhythmic

Gymnastics Association runs sessions from 4 years of age, weekday evenings. Tel: 56000772 or Sally 200 74661. Rugby: Gibraltar Rugby caters for all ages from 4 years old to veterans (over 35’s). It organises competitions and sessions for Juniors; 4 x Senior Clubs; Veterans team; Touch Rugby and a Referees Society. Email admin@gibraltarrfu. com or visit www.gibraltarrfu.com Sailing: Gibraltar Yachting Association junior/ senior competitive programme (April - Oct) Tel: Royal Gibraltar Yacht Club at 200 78897. Shooting: Gibraltar Shooting Federation. Rifle, Europa Point Range (Stephanie 54020760); Clay pigeon, East Side (Harry 200 74354); Pistol, near Royal Naval Hospital (Louis 54095000). Snooker: Members of European Billiards & Snooker Association - facilities at Jumpers Bastion with 3 tables. Professional coaching for juniors/seniors. Organised leagues/ tournaments and participation in international competitions. Tel: 56262000 / 54000068, or info@gibraltarsnooker.com Squash: Gibraltar Squash Association, Squash Centre, South Pavilion Road (members WSF & ESF). Adult and junior tournaments and coaching. Tel: 200 44922. Sub-Aqua: Gibraltar Sub-Aqua Association taster dives for over 14s, tuition from local clubs. Voluntary sports clubs: Noah’s Dive Club and 888s Dive Club. Tel: 54991000. Commercial sports diving schools available. Time - Thursday 12:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.. Telephone, Jenssen Ellul - 54027122 Swimming: Gibraltar Amateur Swimming Association (member FINA & LEN) opens its pool for leisure swimming. Junior lessons, squad for committed swimmers, water polo. Pool open Mon&Thurs: 7-10am, 12.30-4pm. Tue, Wed, Fri: 7-10am, 12:30-5pm. Sat: 3-5pm. Sun: closed. Mon to Fri from 5-6pm groups training. 6-7.30 squad training. Mon, Wed, Fri 7.30-8.30 swimming joggers, Tues & Thurs 7:30-8:30 junior Water polo. Mon, Tues & Thurs 8:30-10pm Adult water polo. Tel: 200 72869. Table Tennis: Gibraltar Table Tennis Association training and playing sessions, Victoria Stadium, Tues 6-10pm and Thurs 8-11pm with coaching and league competition. Tel: 56070000 or 20060720. Taekwondo: Gibraltar Taekwondo Association classes/gradings Tel: Mari 20044142 or www. gibraltartaekwondo.org Tai Chi: Tai Chi for children and adults. Mon-Thur 6.30-8pm at Kings Bastion Leisure Centre and Sat 9am-1pm at the Yoga Centre, 33 Town Range. Tel: Dilip 200 78714. Tennis: Gibraltar Tennis Association, Sandpits Tennis Club. Junior development programme. Courses for adults, leagues and competitions. Tel: Louis 200 77035. Ten-Pin Bowling: At King’s Bowl in the King’s Bastion Leisure Centre every day. Gibraltar Ten Pin Bowling (members FIQ & WTBA) leagues, training for juniors and squad. Tel: 200 52442. Triathlon: Hercules Triathlon Club organises swimming, running and cycling training sessions and competes regularly in Andalucia and Internationally. Contact chris.walker@york. gi or Facebook “Hercules Triathlon Club” Volleyball: Gibraltar Volleyball Association training, indoor leagues, beach volleyball competition, 3 v 3 competition, juniors and seniors. Tel: 54001973 or 54885000. Yoga: Integral Yoga Centre runs a full programme of classes from Mon-Fri at 33 Town Range. Tel: 200 41389. All welcome. Theatrical Groups Gibraltar Amateur Drama Association: Meet at Ince’s Hall Theatre Complex, 310 Main Street. Tel: 20042237. Trafalgar Theatre Group: Meets 2nd Wed of month, Garrison Library 8pm. All welcome.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

information EMERGENCY SERVICES EMERGENCY CALLS ONLY: ALL EMERGENCIES..................................112 FIRE................................................................190 AMBULANCE..............................................190 POLICE..........................................................199

NON-URGENT CALLS: Ambulance Station 200 75728

Business Information Financial Serv. Commission Tel: 200 40283/4 Chamber of Commerce Tel: 200 78376 Federation Small Business Tel: 200 47722 Company Registry.Tel: 200 78193 Useful Numbers Airport (general info.) . Tel: 200 12345 Hospital, St Bernards. . Tel: 200 79700 Weather information. . Tel: 5-3416 Frontier Queue Update Tel: 200 42777 Gibraltar Museum Tel: 200 74289 18/20 Bomb House Lane 10am-6pm (Sat 10am-2pm). Admission: Adults £2/Children under 12 - £1. Exhibitions also at Casemates gallery.

Police 200 72500

Gibraltar Services Police Emergency Nos: (5) 5026 / (5) 3598

Gibraltar Garrison Library Tel: 200 77418 2 Library Ramp Mon-Fri: 9am-5pm. Free Library tour offered every Friday at 11am. chris.tavares@gibraltargarrisonlibrary.gi

Gibraltar Public Holidays 2018

Registry Office Tel: 200 72289 It’s possible to get married within 48 hours. A fact taken advantage of by stars such as Sean Connery & John Lennon.

Good Friday

Friday 30 th Mar

Easter Monday

Monday 2nd Apr

New Year’s Day Commonwealth Day

Monday 1st Jan Monday 12th Mar

Workers Memorial Day Monday 30th Apr May Day

Tuesday 1st May

Rock Tours by Taxi Tel: 200 70052 As well as offering normal fares, taxis provide Rock Tours taking in the Upper Rock, Europa Point etc.

Spring Bank Holiday

Monday 28 th May

Queen’s Birthday

Monday 11th June

John Mackintosh Hall Tel: 200 75669 Includes cafeteria, theatre, exhibition rooms and library. 308 Main Street 9.30am - 11pm Mon-Fri.

Late Summer Bank Holiday

Monday 27th Aug

Gibraltar National Day Monday 10 th Sept Christmas Day Boxing Day

Tuesday 25th Dec Wednesday 26 th Dec

SUPPORT GROUPS

Alcoholics Anonymous meet 7pm Tues & Thurs at Nazareth House Tel: 200 73774. A Step Forward support for single, separated, divorced/widowed people, meet 8pm Mon at St Andrew’s Church. Mummy & Me Breastfeeding Support Group those who are pregnant, breastfeeding or have breastfed to get together for coffee / support. Partners and older children welcome. Meets 1st Wed / month at Chilton Court Community Hall at 1.30pm. Enquiries and support 54014517. Childline Gibraltar confidential phone line for children in need. Freephone 8008 - 7 days a week 5pm - 9pm Citizens’ Advice Bureau Open Mon-Thur 9:30am-4:00pm, Fri 9:30am- 3:30pm. Tel: 200 40006 Email: info@cab.gi or visit at 10 Governor’s Lane. Free & confidential, impartial & independent advice and info. 92

COPE Support group for people with Multiple Sclerosis, Fibromyalgia or Rheumatoid Arthritis. Meetings at Catholic Community Centre Book Shop at 7.30pm first Thur of each month. Tel: 200 51469 Email: copeadsupport@hotmail.com Dignity At Work Now Confidential support and advice for those who are being bullied at work. Tel: 57799000. Families Anonymous Support group for relatives and friends concerned about the use of drugs or related behavioural problems. Meet weekly on Thurs at 9pm at Gladys Perez Centre, 304A Main Street, Tel: 54007676 or 54014484. Gibraltar Cardiac Rehabilitation and Support Group meets on the first Tues of every month at 8.30pm at John Mac Hall, except for Jul & Aug. Gibraltar Dyslexia Support Group 72 Prince Edwards Rd Tel: 200 78509 Mobile: 54007924 website: www.gdsg.co.uk Gibraltar Marriage Care Free relationship counselling, including pre-marriage education (under auspices of Catholic Church, but open to all). Tel: 200 71717.

Gibraltar Society for the Visually Impaired Tel: 200 50111 (24hr answering service). Hope miscarriage support Tel: 200 41817. Mummy & Me Breastfeeding Support: Meets every Thursday 12:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Narcotics Anonymous Tel: 200 70720 Parental Support Group helping parents and grandparents with restrictive access to their children and grandchildren. Tel: 200 46536, 200 76618, or 54019602. Psychological Support Group, PO Box 161, Nazareth House. Meet Tuesdays at 7pm, Fridays 8pm. Tel: Yolanda 54015553 With Dignity Gibraltar support for separated, divorced/widowed or single people. Meet Weds 9pm, Catholic Community Centre, Line Wall Rd. Outings/activities. Women in Need Voluntary organisation for all victims of domestic violence. Refuge available. Tel: 200 42581 (24 hrs).

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

The Gibraltar Magazine is published and produced by Rock Publishing Ltd, Gibraltar. Tel: (+350) 200 77748

ADHD & Learning Difficulties Meetings at Fellowship Bookshop Catholic Community Centre, Line Wall Road. Coffee, chat, books and info on display. Tel: 54027551 or 54014476.

BY DANIEL GHIO

TAKEN A GREAT PHOTO OF GIB AND THINK EVERYONE SHOULD SEE IT? Email it in high resolution to editor@thegibraltarmagazine.com and you might see it published here! 93

prose

OLYMPUS NEW YEAR Unhappy consequences of a New Year’s resolution.

BY PETER SCHIRMER

with Praxiteles’ statute of the Father of the ments moved erratically and the aircraft his was not a good idea... that Gods will know that Zeus stood considerman Rajoy has a lot to answer for,’ jolted suddenly off course by 31 degrees. ably taller than this. Zeus whispered. Hera, who over the millennia had become used Zeus noticed none of this. He was preocto her husband’s verbal non-sequiturs, Despite the airline’s name, this was to be cupied with his intense discomfort. Not merely nodded, refraining from pointing only had he been pressed into wearing no easy flight, Hera reflected – consoling out that the decision to visit their herself with the anticipation of an off-the-peg suit, Roman relatives had been his and bought hurriedly in the the onward flight from Heathrow That was The seats had nothing to do with Spain’s January sales (which, to Rome which should be pleasthe trouble was clearly prime minister. But the other ant and promised the ‘luxury’ of each year, started some with Zeus’ designed 320-something passengers on first-class travel with Emirates. two months before whispers. for dwarfs, the easyJet flight from Gibraltar Christmas), but wore a They could for his to Gatwick peered nervously at constricting collar and The decision to visit Rome and the flaps of the overhead lockers cause mounknees were tie – clothing totally ‘clean the slate’ of millennia-long which had sprung open simultaalien to the toga-like animosities had been taken in a taintops to squeezed neously, and threatened to casdrapes of his normal euphoric moment of New Year tremble. upward cade hand luggage onto anyone wear. Resolution when the ever-belalmost seated next to the aisle.. ligerent Ares wondered ‘how touching his And to make matters worse, the those upstart pretenders’ spent chin. That was the trouble with Zeus’ whispers. Christmas. And Apollo, whose space between the easyJet seats They could cause mountaintops to tremdaily global spin took him over was clearly designed for dwarfs, ble. And the effect on a passenger plane the ‘Eternal City’, was quick to tell that a for his knees were squeezed upward – even a Boeing 707 built to withstand candle-clutching crowd had gathered in almost touching his chin. And though this massive turbulence and lightning strikes – the city centre where they were addressed was an uncomfortable way to travel for roused even those in the cockpit as instruany mortal taller than 5ft 9in, those familiar by ‘a bloke in white robes – a bit like yours, ‘

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

prose missing – though it would arrive on the following day’s flight. ‘Right from the start, I said this was stupid idea. We should never have come.’ Zeus began a litany of complaint that continued all the way into Rome, across the Tiber, and up to their suite in a five-star hotel overlooking the Borghese Gardens. Slightly mollified by a tumbler of Amaretto from the mini-bar, and the thickly comfortable bathrobe that had replaced his sodden suit, Zeus peered through the French window at a rain-veiled Rome. ‘We can’t really tell Jupiter we’re here until we’ve got their presents - the toy monkeys, the T-shirts, the baseball caps, and the sticks of Gibraltar rock,’ said Zeus as he watched two raindrops racing each other down the window. ‘And we can’t go out until we’ve a dry change of clothes, so I suppose we should order something to eat in the room. I don’t suppose they have fish and chips?’ he asked hopefully as Hera scanned the room service menu.

Pop, but cleaner. Apart from that, it was a bit like here, only noisier... and a hellish lot more mortals.’ ‘It’s a pity we ever fell out with them,’ Hera sighed, ‘Juno had some interesting recipes we didn’t get round to sharing.’

A Customs Official at Heathrow attempted to confiscate a brace of thunderbolts in Zeus’ hand luggage.

‘How did it all start?’ asked Artemis. ‘I remember a row with Diana about which of our arrows, had brought down the phoenix, but it can’t have been that.’ ‘Something Jupiter said, or did, but blow me if I can remember what,’ the Father of the Gods rumbled through a mouthful of left-over Christmas pudding. Though, if anything, his dislike of Christmas had hardened since leaving the relative isolation of Olympus for the over-crowded Rock; but after discovering ‘Xmas Fayre’ (as one of Gibraltar’s more pretentious restaurants described it) he was hooked. Not only hooked, but temporarily lulled into an uncharacteristic mellowness. So it was that in this a-typical spirit of goodwill that Zeus chuckled and said: ‘Let’s all forgive and forget – even if we can’t remember what it is we are forgiving and forgetting. We’ll make that a family New Year’s Resolution, and spring a surprise visit on Jupiter, Juno and their brats.’ GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

‘That’s a resolution that won’t last ‘till breakfast-time,’ Poseidon muttered. But it had.

And, though their offspring pled a variety of excuses as to why they couldn’t accompany them to Rome, here were Hera and Zeus crammed uncomfortably into seats B and C of row 15 on an easyJet flight to Gatwick..,

There seemed to be every sort of pizza and every shape of pasta a mortal chef could concoct: a range of healthy salads; club sandwiches with a multiplicity of fillings; burgers with melted cheese; burgers with bacon and lettuce; burgers with cheese, bacon and lettuce… but nowhere on the menu was Zeus’ favourite - fish and chips. They settled for tagliatelle a la carbonara and bottles of a red and a white Chianti, but after a couple of mouthfuls, Zeus put down his spoon and fork and wiped a strand of pasta from his beard.

‘They say “when in Rome do as the Other than a brief contretemps with a Romans do”, but if this is what the Jupiters Customs Official at Heathrow eat, it’s not surprising that they’re who attempted to confiscate a so bloody-minded. We should Slightly brace of thunderbolts in Zeus’ have stayed in Gibraltar like I said mollified by hand luggage, the onward jourwe should.’ a tumbler ney with Emirates was halcyon. of Amaretto ‘Oh do shut up,’ said Hera. ‘Eat from the However, Leonardo de Vinci your pasta, and be thankful the Airport was swathed in rain; mini-bar. plane didn’t crash. Tomorrow the its ground staff were on strike sun will shine, we will get our lost Zeus peered following the rejection of their luggage, and we’ll sight-see and through demand for triple pay over the visit the Jupiter family.’ the French holiday period, and by the time window at a the celestial couple reached the And, sure enough, the next rain-veiled shelter of the arrivals hall, they morning the sun glinted on the Rome. were drenched. They passed dome of St Peters, sparkled on through the bureaucratic barrier the Tiber, and warmed the paveunchallenged, but the heavy suitcase ments and stones of Rome. The Olympian which had been consigned to the aircraft’s couple were re-united with their luggage hold (and which contained changes of and set off to visit the distant relatives in clothing, Zeus’ formal robes, and a batch Rome, which – the Fates and Furies willing of presents for their Italian relatives) was – we will tell you all about next month… 95

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information FLIGHT SCHEDULE JANUARY 2018 DAY

FLIGHT NO.

AIRLINE

FROM

ARRIVES

FLIGHT NO.

DEPARTS

Monday

EZY8901 BA490

easyJet British Airways

Gatwick Heathrow

11:00 16:30

EZY8902 BA491

11:30 17:20

Gatwick Heathrow

Tuesday

EZY8901 BA490 EZY6299

easyJet British Airways easyJet

Gatwick Heathrow Bristol

11:00 16:30 19:30

EZY8902 BA491 EZY6300

11:30 17:20 20:00

Gatwick Heathrow Bristol

Wednesday

EZY8901 BA490 EZY1963

easyJet British Airways easyJet

Gatwick Heathrow Manchester

11:00 16:30 16:55

EZY8902 BA491 EZY1964

11:30 17:20 17:35

Gatwick Heathrow Manchester

Thursday

EZY8901 BA490 AT990 EZY6299

easyJet British Airways Royal Air Maroc easyJet

Gatwick Heathrow Tangier Bristol

11:00 16:30 18:20 19:30

EZY8902 BA491 AT991 EZY6300

11:30 17:20 19:10 20:00

Gatwick Heathrow Tangier Bristol

Friday

EZY8901 BA490

easyJet British Airways

Gatwick Heathrow

11:00 16:30

EZY8902 BA491

11:30 17:20

Gatwick Heathrow

Saturday

EZY8901 BA492 BA490

easyJet British Airways British Airways

Gatwick Heathrow Heathrow

11:55 14:25 16:30

EZY8902 BA493 BA491

12:25 15:15 17:20

Gatwick Heathrow Heathrow

Sunday

EZY6299 EZY8901 EZY1963 BA492 BA490 AT990

easyJet easyJet easyJet British Airways British Airways Royal Air Maroc

Bristol Gatwick Manchester Heathrow Heathrow Tangier

10:30 11:15 11:30 14:25 16:30 17:40

EZY6300 EZY8902 EZY1964 BA493 BA491 AT991

11:00 11:45 12:00 15:15 17:20 18:30

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CHESS PUZZZLE ANSWER 1 Rxg6+! hxg6 2 Qxg6+ Kf8 3 Bd6 wins the black queen. GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2018

26 Dec ‘17 – 01 Jan ‘18

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CHESS COLUMN

BY GRANDMASTER RAY KEENE OBE This month sees the start of my monthly column in the Gibraltar Magazine. I start by introducing myself with one of my favourite wins. After that, each month will focus on exploits from the Gibraltar Masters at the Caleta Hotel, currently sponsored by Tradewise. The game this month is a personal favourite, culminating in a sacrificial attack against Tony Miles.

Chess column for the Gibraltar magazine by grandmaster Ray Keene OBE Article 1

Last month’s winner: Kyle Sivers

White: Raymond Keene This month sees the start of my monthly column in the Gibraltar Magazine. I start by Black: Tony Miles introducing myself with one of my favourite wins. After that, each month will focus

Hastings 1976 on exploits from the Gibraltar Masters at the Caleta Hotel, currently sponsored by Queen’s GambitTradewise. DeclinedThe game this month is a personal favourite, culminating in a sacrificial

1) Decide; determination (7) 8) Thin strips of pasta; simpletons (7) 9) Ancient vehicle (7) 10) Small parcels of pasta (7) 11) Avoid; US car marque; Kansas city (5) 13) Comic book character usually with miraculous powers (9) 15) Spanish city (9) 18) If you make fun of something you take the ----- (5) 21) Watercolour painting method (7) 22) Start a voyage at sea (3,4) 23) Large properties and lands (7) 24) Forgetfulness (7)

DOWN

Either SNAP and SEND your completed crossword to editor@thegibraltarmagazine.com or RETURN TO THE CLIPPER by 20th December

& YOU COULD WIN lunch for two at

ACROSS

1) Careered; competed against (5) 2) Where spectators are housed; not to sit! (5) 3) Premier League football team in UK (9,4) 4) Snare (6) 5) West Midlands town (13) 6) Recess (6) 7) Native of the far north of Canada etc. (6) 12) Edible pod also known as ladies’ finger (4) 14) Cheat; chess piece (4) 15) Eavesdropped electronically; filled with insects! (6) 16) Awakens (6) 17) Black Sea port in Ukraine (6) 19) Complete disorganisation (5) 20) Crimean site of a famous conference (5)

attack against Tony Miles.

1 Nf3 Nf6 2 c4 c5 3 Nc3 Nc6 4 e3 e6 5 d4 White: Raymond d5 6 cxd5 Nxd5 7 Bd3 cxd4 8Keene exd4 Be7 9 Black: Tony Miles 0-0 0-0 Hastings 1976

CHESS PUZZLE 1

15 ... Rc8 16 Bh6 Re8 17 a3 Nc6 18 Nxg6 hxg6 One of the classical isolated queen’s pawn Queen’s Gambit Declined 15 ... Rc8 16 Bh6 Re8 17 a3 Nc6 18 Nxg6 hxg6 19 Bxg6 19 Bxg6 positions, in which White’s extra space W________W 1 Nf3 Nf6compensate 2 c4 c5 3 Nc3 Nc6 e3 e6 5 d4 d5 6Apart cxd5 Nxd5 from7 Bd3 cxd4 8 exd4 Be7 9 and attacking chances for 4the áWDr1rDkD] White to play. 0-0 0-0 capturing theWhite’s extra space structural weakness. One of the classical isolated queen’s pawn positions, in which à0bDWgpDw] bishop Black attacking chances compensate for the structural weakness. 10 Re1 Nf6 11and Bg5 ßW0nDphBG] 10 Re1 Nf6 11 Bg5 has two other is from Nakar-Foisor, All White’s pieces are coming outcoming at out at great speeddefences: All White’s pieces are while Black still has problems ÞDWDWdWDW] This Tradewise Gibraltar completing development. great speed while Black his stillqueenside has problems Chess 1 Masters 2016. a) 19 ... Bf8 20 ÝWDW)WDWD] White’s Puzzle ... Nb4 12 Bb1 b6 13 Ne5 Bb7 14 Re3 bishop on e5 is a monster. Black completing his 11 queenside development. Ü)WHWDW$W] is trying to keep things under control and W________W Bc2+ Kh8 21 Bxf8 Rxf8 22 11 ... Nb4 play. ÛW)WDW)P)] White árDW1W4kD] plans toto meet the obvious 1 h5 with 1 ... Qd2 Ng8 23 12 Bb1 b6 h4+. However, White can do better. How? Ú$wDQDWIW] à0bDWgp0p] Rh3+ Kg7 24 13 Ne5 Bb7 WÁÂÃÄÅÆÇÈW ßW0WDphWD] Rh7+ (Fritz 14 Re3 ÞDWDWHWGW] gives 24 Qf4) 24 ... Kf6 25 d5 winning. A difficult ApartKxf7 from capturing bishop ÝWhW)WDWD] b) 19 ... Bd6 20 Bxf7+ 21 Rg7+theKf8 22 Black has two other defences: and bold a) 19 ... Bf8 20 Bc2+ Kh8 21 Bxf8 Rxf8 22 Qd2 Ng8 23 Rh3+ Kg7 24 Rh7+ (Fritz Qf3 and wins. gives 24 Qf4) 24 ... Kf6 25 d5 winning. move. When ÜDWHW$WDW] is ... quite helpless, b) 19 Bd6 20 Bxf7+ Kxf7 21 Rg7+ Kf8 22 Qf3 and wins. I played it ÛP)WDW)P)] In this position Black this position Black is quite helpless, in spite of his extra material. material. I already Ú$BDQDWIW] in spite of his extraIn 19 ... fxg6 20 Qb1 had to be WÁÂÃÄÅÆÇÈW 19 ... fxg6 20 Qb1 An original square for the queen in a mating combination, but neither 20 Qd3 Ne5 nor sure that 20 Qc2 Ne5! 21 dxe5 Ne4 (exploiting the pin on the c-file) would be good enough for An original square for the queen in a mating White. my kingside attacking chances would be A difficult and bold move. When I played it I already had to be sure kingside combination, butthat neither 2021Qd3 20my ... Ne5 dxe5 Ne5 Ne4 nor sufficient compensation for my lack of attacking chances would be sufficient compensation for my lack 21 of queenside Without the(exploiting c-file pin thisthe is sheer 20 Qc2 Ne5! dxe5 Ne4 pin desperation. queenside development theclumsy clumsy developmentand and the position of my rook on the third rank. Nxe4 Kh7enough 23 Nf6+ for Bxf6 24 Qxg6+ Kh8 25 Bg7+ Bxg7 26 Qxg7 checkmate on the c-file) would22be good position of my 14 rook on15the ... g6 Rg3third rank. It looks odd to aim the rook against a granite wall (g6) but the granite has faulty White. 14 ... g6 15 Rg3 foundations. In contrast, the more natural 15 Rh3 achieves nothing. 20 ... Ne5 21 dxe5 Ne4 It looks odd to aim the rook against a Without the c-file pin this is sheer desperation. granite wall (g6) but the granite has faulty foundations. In contrast, the more natural 22 Nxe4 Kh7 23 Nf6+ Bxf6 24 Qxg6+ Kh8 25 Answer on page 97 Bg7+ Bxg7 26 Qxg7 checkmate 15 Rh3 achieves nothing.

W________W áWDWDWDkD] àDWDb1WDp] ßpDpDWDp!] ÞDpDWGWDW] ÝWDW)PDW)] ÜDWDWDW$W] ÛP)WDWDPI] ÚDWDWDrDW] WÁÂÃÄÅÆÇÈW

This is from Nakar-Foisor, Tradewise Gibralta a monster. Black is trying to keep things under 1 h5 with 1 ... h4+. However, White can do bet

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