The Gibraltar Magazine June 2020

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE June 2020 | Vol.25 #08

THE

Sustainable FASHION FOR FITNESS

6 BOOKS YOU’LL LOVE

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A BEAR IN COSTA RICA

TRAVELLING TO SOUTH AMERICA

LOCKDOWN IN CALPE HOUSE HOME AWAY FROM HOME

AROUND THE WORLD IN 7 COCKTAILS

DIARY OF A TOWN PLANNER NOT IN MY BACK YARD!

COLOURING FOR THE GHA LOCAL COUPLE RAISES FUNDS

email: gib@musicboxtv.net

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from the editor

JUNE ISSUE EDITOR’S NOTE At last, summer has arrived! Although as I sit here in the heat of my makeshift home office, I haven’t decided whether that’s a good thing just yet.

‘Stay at home’, ‘social distancing’, ‘wash your hands’, ‘the 8pm clap’, ‘lockdown’, ‘COVID-19’… and ‘toilet paper’ are the words that will forever mark this epoch in our history. Richard recounts the good, the bad, and the ugly of the ‘corona affair’ (p. 35) .

AFTER THE STORM, COMES A CALM.

Another one for the list is ‘Zoom fatigue’. Have you finished a video call, only to feel sapped of all energy and ready for a mid-afternoon danger nap? You’re not alone! What with lag, lack of eye-to-eye contact, and the rigmarole of trying to coordinate multiple people for a single call, a 5-minute meeting can end up feeling like a 5-hour one. However, for all its faults, technology really has been the hero of the day during this period, as Denise reveals (p. 27).

For those of us who have been living la vida lockdown, the idea of jumping straight into bathing season may be a daunting one. I for one am as pale as snowdrift in the frost, and not quite ready to inflict this on my fellow beachgoers. However, our resident beauty guru has the solution for a tan on demand (p. 65). For the skincareconscious, there’s no need to forgo the glow, simply reach for the bottle – and don’t forget the SPF! This month we have an article close to my heart, written by the lifegiver herself – Susan Clifton-Tucker. First came the news of cancer, then came the coronavirus. We’re sincerely hoping the next ‘c’ that comes along has something to do with calm. Read all about the sterling work carried out by Calpe House, Gibraltar’s ‘home from home’ for patients receiving treatment in London (p. 40).

And finally, to our readers, thank you for continuing to pick up your copies of Gib Mag, and interacting with us throughout what has been a trying time for us all.

We may not all be in the same boat, but we are all weathering the same storm, together.

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

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EDITOR: Sophie Clifton-Tucker editor@thegibraltarmagazine.com DESIGN: Justin Bautista design@thegibraltarmagazine.com REPORTER: Jeremy Gomez SALES: Advertising Team sales@thegibraltarmagazine.com DISTRIBUTION: DHL martin@matrix.gi

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ACCOUNTS: Paul Cox paul@thegibraltarmagazine.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Alex Bear Alex Orfila Andrew Licudi Bea Garcia Carmel Khalilian Christine Guluzian Coombs Denise Matthews Elena Scialtiel Eran and Ayelet Mamo Shay Joanna Jadczak Joel Francis Jorge v.Rein Parlade Julia Coelho Kerstin Andlaw

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Reg Reynolds Richard Cartwright Romina Mayani Nankani Sophie Clifton-Tucker Susan Clifton-Tucker Tamara Levy facebook.com/gibmag/ twitter.com/gibmag instagram.com/thegibraltarmagazine/ The Gibraltar Magazine is published monthly

by Rock Publishing Ltd Portland House, Glacis Road, Gibraltar, PO Box 1114 T: (+350) 20077748 E: editor@thegibraltarmagazine.com Š 2019 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 6

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61 GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

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48 content 08 Hello There: How Will You Be Spending Your Summer?

10 News

BUSINESS 16 Don’t Take a Loan Alone!

18 Diary of a Town Planner 22 To Have or Have Not

51 Penelope’s Adventures: Mother-Daughter Duo Publishes Books 53 Art Club: Eiffel Tower in 5 Steps 57 Bookish: Our Monthly Book Club 58 Getting CovidFit with Self-Care

25 Working Minds: Creating New Futures

59 Colouring for the GHA

27 All Roads Lead to Tech

LEISURE 61 Travel: A Bear in Costa Rica

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LIFE 31 History: Peter Wasn’t Jolly in Gibraltar

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35 The Corona Affair 38 Hearts of Gibraltar: Talking to Monique Grambow 40 Lockdown in Calpe House 44 A Gibraltarian in Cornwall 47 On My Mind: Grateful for Summer

SCENE 48 Lockdown Inked: Stephen Ignacio

Cover Image: InMotion www.inmotionshop.com Photographer: Stelios Photography Models: Amy Valverde & Georgina Cassar GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

65 Confessions of a Beauty Addict: Don’t Forget the SPF! 69 A Good Cause: Gibraltar Int’l Bank’s Donation 71 Around the World in 7 Cocktails 77 How I Got Into Wine: Part I 80 Fashion: Sustainable Summer

REGULARS 86 Recipes: A ‘Pizza’ What You Like 88 Information 90 Schedules 93 #GibsGems 94 Kids Korner 95 Coffee Time

on't forget to find the D Hungry Monkey!

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hello there

HOW WILL YOU BE SPENDING YOUR SUMMER? Eden Minett, 24, Beauty Therapist at Montanna’s Nails & Beauty

Paula Martinez, 20,

"I haven’t been here for a summer yet - this is my first one in Gib! I’ll probably spend my summer drinking cocktails. I’ve also been told to try tinto de verano!"

Nail Technician at Montanna’s Nails & Beauty "Driving in my new convertible! I hope I’ll have it by June 1st, and that the border will be open so I can finally go for some spins in Spain… I’ve been cooped up for too long!"

Montanna Patterson, 29, Owner of Montanna’s Nails & Beauty "I plan to spend my summer with family this year because I never get to, and quarantine has taught me I definitely need to spend more time with them!”

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

hello there

Tracey-Leigh Kent, 55, Beautician/Masseuse at Montanna’s Nails & Beauty "I live in Spain - I think things will be the new norm there and I’ll be doing what I usually do: swim every day, just enjoy the clean air, the cleanliness of the beaches... and working lots!”

Jemma Smith, 27, Montanna’s Right Hand Woman at Montanna’s Nails & Beauty "I’ve just moved to Caleta, so I’ll be spending summer on that beach hopefully!

Getting a tan, having a drink, and enjoying summer."

Deborah Patterson, 56, Secretary at Provent Gibraltar (and Montanna’s mum!)

"At the moment I’m supposed to be in Barbados, but because of lockdown that’s all changed, so I’ve not even thought that far ahead. I just want to be out and about, having fun with my granddaughter!"

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

9

news REPAINTING OF CITY WALL NAMES The Ministry for Heritage has recently undertaken a programme of works to repaint the fortification names of many of the City walls, bastions and batteries in Gibraltar.

As the signs are normally in prominent positions, they suffer from weather damage but as they tend to be quite high up on the walls, it requires extra logistics with scaffolding or the use of

EBIKES TO PAVE GREEN PATH FOR POSTAL DELIVERIES

cherry pickers, so it is not an easy task.

The works will continue as a rolling programme to ensure that these important heritage assets are kept in the best possible state. Priority has been given to some of the worst affected and the before and after photographs of the signs speak for themselves.

Minister for Postal Services, The Hon Vijay Daryanani, said: “The trial is significant, because it increases awareness about the alternatives means of transport available. That it is e-assisted is also significant. Electric

Amongst them are Couvreport Battery, Prince Albert’s Front, Wellington Front Right Bastion and Raglan’s Battery, where the latter had never been painted previously.

bikes are proving to lower the psychological barrier to getting people out of cars and as such, I wholeheartedly welcome this move. I hope we will see more local businesses inspired to follow suit.”

The Royal Gibraltar Post Office have begun trialling two e-assisted bikes. The threemonth trial has been arranged in partnership with local company E-Bikes Gibraltar.

While the bikes themselves are interesting, the significance is that HM Government of Gibraltar is illustrating that practical, cyclepowered alternatives in Gibraltar can be used.

The load cargo area of the bikes is designed to primarily carry letters and small packages. If the trial is deemed successful, Royal Gibraltar Post Office will expand the program. Postal workers have welcomed the addition of the new bikes to the fleet and the initial tests are very encouraging.

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

news INCREASE TO POSTAL RATES The Royal Gibraltar Post Office wishes to inform the public that new postage rates will come into effect as from 01.06.2020

Europe for Local, European and International destinations.

For example, sending a 20g letter or postcard from the United

Kingdom to Gibraltar currently costs ÂŁ1.35, but sending a letter from Gibraltar to the United Kingdom with the new rate will cost ÂŁ0.90.

Postal rates in Gibraltar were last increased in 2014. Whilst there are increases in the base letter postal rates, there are no increases in the additional grams rates so the impact will be minimum.

The increases represent excellent value for money and the Royal Gibraltar Post Office will continue to offer amongst the best value rates in

50 wines by the glass 40 small dishes of Mediterranean cuisine 30 John Mackintosh Square GX11 1AA Gibraltar. Tel: 200 70201 info@vinopolisgastrobar.gi www.vinopolisgastrobar.gi

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

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news BEFRIENDING SERVICE CONNECTS THE COMMUNITY The Covid-19 Mental Health and Wellbeing Team have worked throughout the current crisis to provide essential advice and support to those who need it.

Through their work they began to engage with members of the community who are over 60, a significant number of whom have reported feeling lonely, vulnerable and isolated, with nobody to talk to.

In response, the Mental Health and Wellbeing Team have established a Befriending Service. This service will match a COVID-19 volunteer friend

MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT AND TRAFFIC INVITE COMMENTS AND PUBLIC FEEDBACK IN RESPECT OF ANNOUNCED ROAD CLOSURES

with those members of the community who are feeling lonely and socially disconnected at this difficult time, and enable them to connect and engage with each other through telephone calls.

Follow up calls and co-ordination with the Mental Health and Wellbeing Team ensures safeguarding for both parties.

Anyone over 60 who would like someone to talk to on a regular basis can request this service using the application form available via this link: www.bit.ly/2WKNYy4 Alternatively, call 200 12494 and an operator will be happy to take your application over the phone.

Volunteers are fully vetted before the matching process.

When it is time to make the call, Pilot Scheme that will become operational as from the 1st June.

Those residents who may wish to meet the Minister to discuss the matter, are invited to send an e-mail to the Ministry for Business, Tourism and Transport

by Thursday 14th May 2020 at 16:00. The address is mbtt@ gibraltar.gov.gi The Minster for Transport and

a befriending service call centre operator will contact the client, informing them that they are about to be connected to their new ‘friend’. Calls will be made 7 days a week from 10:00am until 6:00pm.

Minister for Civil Contingencies Samantha Sacramento said: ‘Because of the lockdown and people being home for long periods of time, the Befriending Service is a valuable way of connecting people across our community and of ensuring that nobody has to feel alone at this difficult time. I’d like to thank the dedicated teams of professionals and volunteers who have worked so hard to make this unprecedented community project a reality.’

Traffic, the Hon Vijay Daryanani, said: “The Government is now ac-tively carrying out the consultation process as the Chief Minister announced it would do.

This in an exciting project for Gibraltar and I look forward to public involvement as this will give residents and businesses in the area an opportunity to express their views on this excellent project.”

The Minister for Transport and Traffic, the Hon Vijay Daryanani, invites residents and businesses who ordinarily require access to the areas of Line Wall Road, Cornwall’s Lane, Engineers Lane, City Mill Lane and Governor’s Street, to provide comments and feedback in respect of the recently an-nounced key 12

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

news

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

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news PORTRAITS OF OUR FRONTLINE WORKERS Gibraltar Cultural Services, on behalf of the Ministry for Culture, and the Fine Arts Association are working together on a cultural initiative encouraging Gibraltarian artists to paint or draw portraits of our frontline heroes.

The idea derives from UK artist Tom Croft who is painting key workers portraits for free, whilst on coronavirus social lockdown. His work can be viewed at: bbc.com/news/av/ entertainment-arts-52319539 GCS is inviting local artists to take on the challenge, with the idea of producing an exhibition once the social lockdown is over and things return to normal. The Fine Arts Association will be making an online appeal, for frontline GHA and other key workers to send their photo(s) to the FAA so that their portrait can be painted for free.

Thereafter, artists are invited to send their artworks and creations to the GCS Development Unit by email to: info@culture.gi and/ or the Fine Arts President Paul Cosquieri by email: cosqui@cosqui. com.

For enquiries please contact the Development Unit, Gibraltar Cultural Services, or Tel: 200 79750 or e-mail as above.

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

news AGONY AUNT Are your kids driving you up the wall? Is your partner’s snoring getting on your last nerve? Are you wondering whether it’s appropriate to drink a cocktail at 11 in the morning?

to answer. No question is too big or too small; get in touch at editor@thegibraltarmagazine.com!*

*Names can remain anonymous if you wish, simply let us know in your email.

theatrical, musical, and dance performances will go ahead, to be filmed without a live audience, and restaurants will reopen (with restrictions of up to 50% in terms of occupancy).

Health permits.

What with people finding themselves in difficult circumstances in their lives these days, both mentally and physically, we are opening up our pages to your questions for our resident Agony Aunt

EASE ON LOCKDOWN Phase 3 of lockdown will begin on the 1st of June, when we can expect to see the return of religious worship (subject to “very strict distancing controls”) and public transport. Some

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

Phase 4 will commence on the 16th of June, the Government will look to reopen bars and restaurants, subject to Public

Chief Minister Fabian Picardo stated that bathing season is expected to open as from midJune, with the idea of seeing “a normal bathing season, with normal beach-going” whilst using common sense to implement social distancing whilst on the beach.

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business

DON’T TAKE A LOAN ALONE!

The lockdown implemented as part of the measures to combat COVID-19 has resulted in immense financial pressure on both households and businesses, who are turning to bank loans to be able to finance cashflow requirements in order to survive.

T

he few banks that are providing loans in Gibraltar are already inundated with applications and while their willingness to help businesses and individuals is definitely strong, they still have to abide by a strict set of risk evaluation criteria. However, the business environment has now become much riskier, and with credit ratios limiting the volume of loans local banks are able to provide, obtaining a loan has now become even harder. Indeed, getting a bank loan approved is not the easiest process. While there are several key areas lenders will be focusing on, it is important that you are ready to present the perfect, complete package for review if you hope to get approved.

At Benefit Business Solutions, we have recently assisted several businesses in obtaining loans from local banks in light of COVID-19 difficulties. Here are our tips to 16

making a successful application: DO SOME HOMEWORK Before heading to your bank, check out loan packages online and see what competitors are offering. You need to be aware of what kind of loan you are looking for, the terms you can reasonably afford, and your goal for paying off the loan as fast as possible.

Check out the fine print before going further.

KNOW YOUR LIMITATIONS If you are pursuing a loan, you should already be aware of your credit history and current financial obligations. Lenders today will rely heavily on your past usage of credit. If you already have a mortgage, car loan, used overdraft facility and credit card debt, your loan application is not going to be easy… Consider your financial limitations when planning for a loan. Apply for the loan based

Obtaining a loan has now become even harder. on your financial ability to make repayments you can honestly afford.

GET PREPARED After you’ve done some initial research online, contact your bank directly to find out upfront what the requirements are for loan eligibility. You may need to make an appointment in person to discuss the necessary materials, documents, and timelines you will need to get started on the approval process. Banks have different requirements and it will be important to know what they are upfront, so you can be prepared. For example, most banks will ask for a Business Plan GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

business and Financial Projections when applying for a business loan. Make sure you have these ready, as without these your application is unlikely to progress.

Based on the information from the bank, it's wise to create a checklist of the appropriate documentation needed for the loan application. It can take some time to obtain the documents you need from your Corporate Secretary, your employer, Government agencies and other sources.

HAVE THE RIGHT EXPECTATIONS Applying for a loan when you're in a hurry is never a good idea. Loan officers have a certain protocol for approving a loan and getting you the money. During the process, make sure to discuss the sequence of events so you'll have an idea of when to expect an answer.

While some loans can be preapproved upfront, the specifics may not be known until a few weeks have passed. Ask the loan officers for advice on following up. Your goal will be to secure a loan you have the means to repay.

You may also need to outline the reasoning behind the loan. If it's a personal loan, the bank might want to know how you plan to use the cash. For example, you may need it for home improvements or debt reduction. If it’s for a business, you may require the loan to pay suppliers, staff, rent and other business costs. The loan process can be a frustrating one and if the loan you applied for is not approved, the lender should provide the specific reasoning behind the denial. Be aware that unsuccessful applications will remain on your record and may GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

It may come as a surprise, but bank terms can be negotiated. diminish your chances of securing a loan in the near future.

NEGOTIATE Yes, it may come as a surprise, but bank terms can also be negotiated. Bankers tend to respect borrowers who can read in between the fine print. If you are be able to compare loan terms for what they really are instead of listening to your lender tell you how great the terms are, you will be in a better position to negotiate. The idea here is making sure you gain respect and participate in the negotiations like an equal as opposed to being the pigeon. First, you must find out which aspects are highly important to you (non-negotiable) as well as the ones you are willing to negotiate. You should also know how far you are willing to negotiate. Ideally, you should only

negotiate those loan issues that are less important to you.

In summary, when approaching the banks for loans the most important things is to be prepared in advance and have all your supporting documents ready.

Having an experienced consultant alongside you to assist you in the preparation stage and also through the negotiations stage is always useful and can make the difference not only in the chances of succeeding, but also in getting the best deal for you! In short, don’t go to the bank alone.

ERAN SHAY, Managing Director & AYELET MAMO SHAY, Business Development Director of Benefit Business Solutions Ltd. (+350) 200 73669 general@benefitgibraltar.com 17

business

DIARY OF A TOWN PLANNER NIMBY - Not in my backyard!

BY JOANNA JADCZAK BA (HONS), MA PLANNING AND SUSTAINABILITY & CARMEL KHALILIAN, BARCH (HONS), MSC BUILDING & URBAN DESIGN IN DEVELOPMENT

D

evelopment is both an exciting endeavour and a potential source of future conflict with your neighbours or fellow citizens, with possible consequences looming around the corner. Similarly, nearby residents and communities are often caught off guard when notices suddenly appear in the local newspapers or affixed to building facades.

Irrespective of the scale of the proposal, whether you are building a new house, or an extension to existing property, all development to some degree will affect individual neighbours, the wider community, and society as a whole.

Modern neighbourhoods are diverse, vibrant, challenging and filled with opportunities but often fear of change, lack 18

of understanding of proposals, misunderstandings and lack of appreciation of one another’s goals, needs and/or aspirations result in friction and conflict between stakeholders too concerned with their individual objectives to see the others’ side, and overall the bigger picture.

The term NIMBY stands for ‘Not in My Back Yard’, and every once in a while, the NIMBY sentiment is indeed directed against a project that will impact someone’s back yard, however much more often, the ‘BY’ in the acronym NIMBY is metaphorical, as objections tend to concern something that will happen within a wider area expected to impact the day-today lives of those concerned.

The higher the density within a city, the more people likely to be affected by any development

proposal, whether large or smallscale. New projects therefore often generate fierce opposition, prompting residents to object, even when these projects offer to improve housing provision and affordability, provide new jobs, or improve access to services.

New projects often generate fierce opposition.

Good neighbourly relationships, openness, transparency and citizen engagement can be a mutually beneficial and rewarding experience/process. Balancing competing aims and principles is key to achieving mutual benefits GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

business

in cities undergoing physical and social change.

A dispute occurs when two or more parties seek to maximise their individual interests and achieve their goals. Disputes also often involve a lack of understanding of what governs these individual parties to seek planning approvals, and the perception that there is an incompatibility between these interests and goals coupled with no agreeable way forward.

An example of this, one that we are all far too familiar with, is a dispute between two neighbours over an extension to one neighbour’s family home.

An additional floor is proposed GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

Resistance against development is futile. to satisfy the need for additional bedrooms for a growing family.

This extension is likely to have an adverse effect on the second neighbour due to the proposed location, design, overshadowing or privacy concern; hence the adjoining neighbour raises objections seeking to protect his/ her family’s amenity. The two neighbours see their interests and goals as competing and do not understand that both are valid, thus should be afforded

consideration, as long as the proposal is acceptable in town planning terms and/or the reasons behind the objection are material considerations.

All these issues however, in most cases, are capable of negotiation towards an agreement. For example, the proportions, design and/or location of the extension may change, the windows may be repositioned or redesigned to protect privacy, issues of overshadowing resolved through design changes, wall heights may be altered to minimise the impact upon daylight, and at the same time the need for additional living accommodation be also satisfied.

How parties perceive each other, 19

business We ought to think about citizen engagement.

an open dialogue between the two parties or not, require a full understanding of the scheme and reassurance that their grounds for objection are valid in planning terms in order to approach the discussions, or in worst case scenarios, object to the proposal.

Expert advice is a key consideration to ensure that both parties act from position of understanding, knowledge and strength to achieve a form of an agreement.

and the use of stereotyping also has an impact. Local residents may view a particular application as just one more example of the greed of developers who are dishonest and prepared to ignore or sacrifice the qualities of the locality in order to achieve their aim. The developer may in turn expect resident objectors to be unreasonable, obstructionist and never likely to be satisfied, thus taking the view that there is little purpose in discussing their concerns.

Although resistance against development is futile, contestation over proposals and city planning in general should not be suppressed if we wish to achieve a constructive process. Rather, we ought to think about citizen engagement, as whom better to provide invaluable information in respect of the local area and assist in identifying opportunities than those people who live, work and spend their leisurely time within these areas. For developers, access to this information and open communication from the outset is key to successful project delivery of schemes that meet the needs and requirements of the local population, without unnecessary delays, financial loss and a tarnished legacy. The objectors, on the other hand, irrespective of whether there is 20

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

WELCOME TO OUR

business

virtual classroom* * Physical classrooms also open as from 1st June. Woohoo!

Continue your current course (or sign up for one if you haven't already!) from the comfort and safety of your own home.

English, Spanish, and French lessons for all ages and levels, starting at just ÂŁ10/hour!

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

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business

TO HAVE OR HAVE NOT The aftermath of the pandemic.

“A

fter a storm comes a calm�, goes the old saying.

Most European jurisdictions are slowly starting to ease lockdown restrictions and eventually moving towards recovery. First and foremost comes health and saving lives in the community. Once the pandemic starts fading away, the economy has to be rebuilt. From an economic point of view, I need not remind my readers what a devastating world we are now going to find when things start moving back to somehow prepandemic days. But more than a devastated economy, the entire community is going back to a rather different world.

There is no question that we are all, at least in Europe, America and parts of Asia and probably the rest of the world, in a similar kind of boat where reconstruction of the economy has to follow up once the health problem is under control. This pandemic is arguably the worst calamity the planet has 22

The economy has to be rebuilt. encountered since the two great wars of the last century. Some countries in Europe have reported well over 25,000 casualties, but it has been assumed the real numbers could be substantially greater than that. The US has way surpassed those figures by more than double and the end does not seem to be anywhere close.

Times are not going to be easy after the pandemic. As mentioned in my previous article, there will be a large amount of companies that will not make it back. Many companies, big and small, will not be able to find a way to recovery whilst some others might, or in some cases even do better than before. Taking into consideration the property sector, how will all this affect the global housing and residential markets? Will property

prices go into a second downturn as with the crisis of 2008? We shall concentrate on how to make the best of the worst in the near and not so near future. Strategies to follow and different options that may come up in the form of different scenarios.

The property sector has several different market areas including the residential or housing market, which will be affected to a greater or lesser degree depending on each particular market and jurisdiction. Then we have the commercial and industrial property markets, which again will be affected in one way or other. Then we have the land and country estates market which could have two different sides to the story. On the one hand, we have the future development land market, which may see a decline in its prices. The country estates and farmland may possibly be a totally different story. If farms produce the right products in order to supply the food chain, they could very well be a safe GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

business

option to invest in. There could be some very drastic changes in the food supply chain. At present you can see fewer imported products than three months ago, for instance. We are not saying exports and imports will cease to flow in and out of Europe and other continents but it could very well be the case that people start consuming their local produce, which is sometimes pricier but often of better quality and easier to get if restrictions continue to be the norm. I have several acquaintances in France, Ireland Portugal and Spain that have seen their farm products soar up to the clouds as far as sales are concerned. There are interesting investments to be looked into in farming land. The secret is simple: Buy wisely and negotiate the conditions so you bag the right GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

deal. It is a buyer’s market no doubt.

The residential housing market is a horse of an entirely different colour, which will need a very careful approach if your idea is to invest in the short to middle term.

This is not a banking crisis like the one of 2008, but it is much more like after war economics. Money is surely going to be available, but the question is, for what purpose?

Banks had a very challenging and difficult position during the last recession and a lot of them got into extremely difficult times.

Some of them no longer exist due to their very poor financial performance over years. They were bought by some large funds or taken over by larger banks, so the investor may not be able to count on large amounts of money

Will property prices go into a second downturn? to finance property investment acquisitions. The question of ‘To have or have not’ is of paramount importance in the aftermath of the pandemic. If the investor has the resources it is going to be quite possible that he can make some extremely interesting acquisitions at bargain prices. There will be people that cannot afford to pay off their mortgage loans, others no longer wish to have the financial burden and prefer to clear up their loans and remain with net and positive property portfolios no matter the size. In 23

business

The question is, for what purpose? addition, some large companies that were doing well in prepandemic days and have a stony path back to recovery will most likely be willing to lay off bricks and mortar assets and move on to more positive areas in their view, like their own companies that supplied the funding out of their hard earned profits to buy property in the first place. Any investor of property who knows the market should be well aware of this and on the lookout for the right property stock.

A major estate agent from the Golden Mile of Marbella wrote to me some days ago. He runs the oldest estate agency in town, with 50 years in the trade. He was talking about reductions in 24

luxury property in Marbella of between 10% and 40%. Let us take 25% reduction as an average example. That is a quarter of the sale price of two months ago.

You could do very well if you are able to produce the funds. Banks will consider lending to prime customers with plenty of collateral and proof of sufficient income as anywhere else. But if you have the money just invest it and you will see your investment flourish in the near future.

property is that you can see it, touch it, use it, rent it, lend it and flip it over at a profit when the time comes. And most important of all you are in total control.

Not always the case with other investments. The aftermath of the pandemic is going to offer some tremendous opportunities as far as investments in the property sector are concerned.

Business in property is no different from the stock market.

To make decent money you have to buy when the market is low and attractive. The good news with

Business in property is no different from the stock market.

JORGE V.REIN PARLADE MBA Business Consultant +350 54045282 jorgeparlade@aol.com GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

business

Creating new futures.

an Event by Auxilium

C

hange and uncertainty is nothing new and is the constant which perhaps for the first time in over a decade we are fully aware of collectively.

Some see COVID-19 as a tragedy that we are all victims to and some see it as a catalyst for change, and opportunity to think outside the box, step-up as people, managers, leaders and employees and create a new normal. One cannot exist without the other and tragic as it is, an opportunity we do have.

The world has changed rapidly and people have adapted in lightning speed and with this has come an awareness of what is important, and what is valuable and desired. Note, that if you are one of the people or businesses that are not clear on what you want or desire, considering what GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

you don’t desire can provide information about what you do want.

not the way it's done’ or ‘it doesn’t work as well’, you are stuck focusing on what you don’t

"I'm convinced that one of the most helpful things we can do for people is to refuse to buy in to their inappropriately restrcitive views of their limitations."

- Nathaniel Brandon Whether this is with regards to your company or business, or related to your work or personal life it works exactly the same way.

For example, if your business is struggling to create new leads and business relationships in these remote and digital working environments because ‘its just

want. Conversely, focusing on the opposite can create new leads through new digital engagement to remove pre-conceived limitations, which replaces it with innovation, creativity and possibilities.

I am convinced that one of the most helpful things we can do for 25

business people is to refuse to buy into their inappropriately restrictive views of their limitations. Nathaniel Brandon The possibility to purposefully create and re-invent the way we work and live only exists if we are willing to focus on what we want, instead of focusing on what we don’t want.

Instead of focusing on the increase in COVID-19 cases that we don’t want, the collapse of the economy which we don’t want, the difficulty in finding new business that we wish was easier, pay attention to what you would like to create as a business and the services/products you offer, for your people and your personal life.

Start by answering the following questions: What is working well in your > business right now? What is

working well for your people and yourself right now?

What do you appreciate, look > forward to or want more of for your business, your people and yourself?

What value does your > business create for your clients

and customers and how could you create more value?

What do you value most? > What do your people value?

What could you create that is > better than before COVID-19?

Now this is nothing radically new, but it steers our focus towards change and transformation that is effortless as we are looking in the direction of potential and 26

possibility.

It is equally important to realise that we could attribute the opportunity for radical positive change to COVID-19, which seems a nice way to shift the perspective to view it as a positive without dismissing the tragedy it also is.

However, that would mean that we are missing the point.

The opportunity for radical and positive change is not new with the arrival of a pandemic and has always existed and continues to exist. It would be a disservice to humanities potential if we would believe this illusion.

We didn’t need COVID-19 to change, to think outside the box, to transform the way we work over night and to step up as people, as managers and as leaders. However, it has been a catalyst for change on a collective level. The potential for radical and effortless change exists constantly and only depends on where we place our focus and attention to create what we want.

Therefore the only question is; what are you going to choose?

Will you continue to focus on what you don’t want and are afraid of, or are you going to purposefully re-invent and create a new future for your business, your people and yourself?

If this has sparked something positive in you, I will be delivering a webinar ‘Creating new Futures’ in June. Please get in contact to reserve your place.

Kerstin Andlaw Executive, Transformation and Wellbeing Coach Founder of Auxilium CTC kerstin@auxilium-ctc.com www.auxiliumctc.com

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

business

ALL ROADS LEAD TO TECH Learning to adapt and thrive.

BY DENISE MATTHEWS

H

istorically, innovation has changed the course of how humans co-exist, mostly accelerated by need or crisis. The inception of money, the electric light, the printing press, the list goes on.

Fast forward to just over a decade the financial crisis of 2008 gave us Bitcoin together with the meteoric rise of Airbnb and Uber.

This was one of the points made

by Santiago Lavallaz from IOV Labs in one of the many virtual panel discussions hosted by One Media Events in April with the theme “What’s next for Bitcoin?” joined by other leading industry experts like Eddy Travia and Malcolm Palle from Coinsilium.

And thus the need to adapt our business models with the transition from live events to online began. Not without a teething problem or two, even for those who are accustomed to remote and online work processes.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

It brings endless possibilities for business and Gibraltar.

The internet has been awash with children and pets photobombing, Zoombombing, dodgy internet connections and garish memes of the new norm which have conceded empathy and humour to our days. On the bright side, aside from staying connected to the outside world, it has broadened the potential for unlimited participation which comes with endless possibilities for business and Gibraltar.

The acceleration to embrace tech solutions and apps began with remote work and online education during April too. Fully embracing this adoption in business always raised the question of delivery

from employees and teams but in the present scenario need overtook these. Zoom video communications topped the worldwide charts for mobile application downloads in April, and the market value soared to $42bn - more than eight times the market capitalization of Consolidated Airlines Group, the owner of British Airways.

As the World Health Organisation, European Union, Governments, leading tech companies such as Apple and Google all look towards Health Care Information Technology (HCIT) for solutions to the global pandemic that is Covid19, behind the scenes locally there are some amazing use cases that involve technology, innovation entrepreneurship, good causes and collaboration that deserve our attention.

APP INSPIRATION Nicole Torres Byrne’s involvement 27

business with disabilities began as it does with many people, a personal experience in 1996. She was then introduced to the Gibraltar Disability Society becoming a member of the committee with Agnes Valarino soon becoming her mentor to reference for all things surrounding disability.

Her dedication and work have resulted in Nicole being the only Supported Employment Practitioner with the Department of Education in Gibraltar.

Supported Employment is a method of working with persons with disabilities and other disadvantaged groups to access and maintain paid employment in the open labour market, not to merely seek employment but finding the right job match.

Supported Employment is underpinned by a set of values and principles that ensure each person and their employer receives a high quality, consistent service and support.

During one of the workshops

28

she attended she came across ‘ENABLE’ a major Scottish charity which provides life skills training, education and employment support for people who want to start or further their career. At said workshop, ENABLE we're

The outcome is reducing the frontier CO2 footprint by over 50%. showcasing a smartphone app called ‘ENABLE Me’ that had been developed pro-bono by J.P. Morgan. It did not really suit the Gibraltar model but she was inspired and hopeful that we could develop a tailor-made version.

That is when software developer and business consultant start-up, cobovec.com, stepped in with founder Valli Fragoso offering to

work on the project of building an APP called ‘SYNergise’. They have since delivered a brilliant demo which has been described as beyond expectations. The launch is due in the next few months.

Similarly building solutions to an everyday problem locally are the founders of queuewiselylimited. com. Carl Hallam and Alfredo Morante got together to brainstorm a bespoke algorithm that takes a user’s phone location data and the community to power that algorithm that would give real time user crossing times. Within the first 2 weeks they got over 2000 users. The idea came after waiting in a 2-hour queue trying to cross for a family dinner round a friend’s house. They released how difficult it was for Google and Waze to gauge traffic jams with such a short distance of 1km.

AGGREGATORS OF DATA The next problem they have

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

business

solved was people rely on so many data sources i.e. flight times, web cameras; and the frontier hotlines. So custom APIs were built that pulled all of that content into one place. With all this data users could then set alerts allowing them to get warnings when the queue got too heavy or the runway was about to close.

Looking to the future, they have already shared the technology with the Chief Minister and Government with the hope to launch a partnership for a project on data analysis of the carbon impact of the frontier queue. The data science capabilities with such a large conversation around our carbon footprint happening at the moment aims to display the benefits of the Government’s data integration. They spent a couple of late nights correlating the impact of the speed of travel and CO2 Emission. The outcome is to empower users with choices thereby voluntarily reducing the frontier CO2 footprint by over 50% There is no magic formula to save the world but when talent comes GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

together the results can be lifesaving, as is the case for GHA's consultant microbiologist, Dr Nick Cortes. He is part of the team at Basingstoke Hospital in Hampshire which has developed a new, faster COVID-19 test producing results in twenty minutes versus eighteen to twenty hours. This led to Dr Cortes bringing the test to Gibraltar, ahead of much of the UK, supplementing the testing regime on the Rock to be able to provide the data to the monitor spread. By early May, Gibraltar

ranked fourth in the world in terms of tests per capita (million) with the Faroe Islands, Iceland and United Arab Emirates leading the ranks. A prime example of how the above-mentioned technology, innovation entrepreneurship, good causes and collaboration can lead us to great things.

Our virtual events are keeping us connected to all the initiatives in new business ideas and start-ups.

Stay tuned at onemediaevents.com.

29

T&Cs apply - visit u-mee.com for details u-mee.com

life

PETER WASN’T JOLLY IN GIBRALTAR.

BY REG REYNOLDS

T

he 19-year-old Canadian was skint and desperate for a place to sleep, but the Gibraltar Police refused to accommodate him. It was the ‘Summer of 66’ and in the spirit of those early ‘hippy’ days young backpackers from North America were getting out and seeing the world, many with substantial financial support from their parents, others like Peter Jolly making their way with a small grubstake and picking up casual work where and when possible.

At the time, air travel to Europe was a bit rich for most young people but Canada was home to the visionary Max Ward who had started up the low-cost, charter airline Wardair. That was in 1962, six years before the famous Brit, Freddie Laker, would launch Laker Air and be the first to provide cheap flights between New York and London.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

To save money on hotels, they would seek out all-night cinemas.

Peter and his two travelling companions, friends from high school, decided on a more adventurous journey. They took the bus from Vancouver to New York, a trip that covered 3,000 miles and took four days. Peter remembers that in New York, in order to save money on hotels, they would seek out all-night cinemas. He even recalls one of the movies, The Sons of Katie Elder, starring John Wayne, Dean Martin, and Martha Hyer.

From New York they sailed on the cut-rate ocean liner Castel Felice, of the Italian SITMAR

Line, owned by a Russian and registered in Monaco. The Castel Felice was built in Glasgow for the British India Company and was originally named Kenya. With the outbreak of World War II, it was requisitioned by the British Government and under the name HMS Keren was converted to a troopship. After the War she was purchased by the Russian Alexandre Vlasov and refitted with air conditioning and a swimming pool and served as a passenger liner for the SITMAR Line from 1952 until 1970 carrying more than 100,000 passengers, mostly immigrants, between Europe, Australia, New Zealand and America.

By the time Peter and his friends reached Gibraltar they had been on the road for months and had already travelled through England, Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Italy, Spain, and Morocco.

They booked into a small hotel at 31

history He asked the police if he could stay in a cell for the night.

La Linea and crossed the border on foot. The young trio visited the usual tourist sites and finished the day by doing a pub crawl. Peter was enjoying himself so much, drinking and gabbing with the locals, that when the friends said it was time to return to their hotel, Peter said he would stay a little longer and catch up with them later.

Peter says he thinks he reached the border somewhere between nine and ten pm but knowing him as I do - we’ve been friends for fifty years - I believe it was much later than that.

Peter will be the first to tell you that he enjoys a drink or two or six and I believe he simply lost track of time and reached the border after midnight. I emailed my Gibraltarian friend Alan Gravett to ask if he remembered the border rules at the time. He replied that he wasn’t in Gibraltar then, but he talked with Doug Poyet, former proprietor of the Royal Oak Bar, and Doug told Alan that in 1966 the border closed at midnight.

Regardless of the cause, Peter was stuck in Gibraltar and didn’t have money for a hotel. He decided he would go to the police station and ask if he could stay 32

in a cell for the night. This was common practice in Canada at a time when hitchhiking across the vast country with little or no money was a rite of passage for many Canadian teenagers. I did it

myself once in a place called Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. A pal and I were hitchhiking from Winnipeg to Toronto, approximately 1,400 miles. Sault Ste. Marie was policed by the famous Royal GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

history Canadian Mounted Police. The two Mounties on duty that night grudgingly allowed us a cell each but offered no blankets or pillows.

We slept, or tried to, on cold metal slabs, next to the noisy drunk tank. They kicked us out at 5 o’clock in the morning.

Peter told me that in his case the Gibraltar Police were polite but firm and told him there was no way he could sleep there, even for one night. Peter asked, “What if I break the law?” and the officer laughingly replied, “You’ll get a lot more than one night.” Well, it was June and warm enough, so Peter curled up on the ground in front of the police station.

The experience didn’t put Peter off Gibraltar as he returned a few days later and stayed at the low-price Toc H Hostel, then operated by an international Christian movement. It has been closed for more than a decade now, and a proposed government development has been delayed.

Peter made his way back through Europe, working for a time at a copper smelter in England, and then flying home via another of the early bargain airlines, Icelandic Air. Now aged 73, he still has the travel bug, and this spring had booked a train trip across the U.S. from Seattle to Boston and a flight to Ireland where he planned a walking tour, pub to pub, of the country of his roots.

Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic struck before he could leave town and now, like the rest of us, he is living in a pub-free zone. At least he doesn’t have to ask the police for a place to sleep, as he recently purchased a caravan.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

33

DHL Express is the global market leader in the international express business, so you probably already know that we can deliver your documents and parcels from Gibraltar to virtually every country in the world.

What you might not know is that we can also take care of all your importing requirements.

For further information please contact: DHL Gibraltar Unit 36 Harbours Deck, New Harbours, Gibraltar Tel: 200 72210 Email: GIBSN@dhl.com GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2014

31

life

THE CORONA AFFAIR ‘Stay at home’, ‘social distancing’, ‘wash your hands’, ‘the 8pm clap’, ‘lockdown’, and of course ‘COVID-19’ are terms that will remain in many peoples’ minds and referred to for years to come... Oh, and 'toilet paper'!

BY RICHARD CARTWRIGHT

A

t the time of writing we’re still in lockdown, eagerly waiting for that curve to completely flatten. So far, we’ve had a number of weeks of very restricted conditions - in my case of having to stay at home - with limited outdoor movement for most, other than going to work, shopping for food, visiting the pharmacy, a quick jog or a brisk walk.

How to treat and manage the deadly virus efficiently must be incredibly concerning, especially to our health institutions who can never have imagined the possibility of an influx of infected persons having to be looked after as inpatients or just being tested and sent home to self isolate whilst having to deal with it all.

Thankfully enough, equipment, ventilators and PPEs (personal protective equipment) have been available as are free hospital beds.

Businesses are hardest-hit by the lockdown: how long could they keep going without selling a thing?

What about paying the employees without generating any income?

Governments too, probably have the biggest headache of all running a jurisdiction with much less cash circulating, wearing government coffers down making them somewhat depleted it has to be said and potentially having to borrow, if it goes on for a very long time.

The big question: when is it all going to go away, and stay away? On the Rock, I don’t think there are many who can fault the Government’s handling of the lethal virus so far, with daily press conferences informing us of the rigorous and exhaustive procedures being carried out in the hospitals, senior citizens’ residences, and keeping us abreast with statistics of those affected

by COVID-19. The essential services too have had their work

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

cut out making sure we all stick to the rules set in place to keep us safe during this drawn out period with no clear indication of when it will all end.

How long could they keep going without selling a thing?

With the compliance of the majority of citizens, the coronavirus is being controlled as best as possible judging by the results. At this stage of writing, seniors can go for walks in the park and other designated areas during a ‘Golden Hour’ and shops and some other businesses have been allowed to open up for much needed trade: more will evolve.

So, when it eventually truly 35

life subsides, what will we remember and learn about this unusually awkward and problematic time?

Only time will tell!

When the storm has passed, what will be the lessons learned?

On the lighter side, the videos and jokes spring to mind as they’re shared from household to household via WhatsApp, not all, but many of them quite clever and very funny, a source of welcomed light relief for a strictly, housebound community - those will be remembered.

Netflix films and series are being viewed forcefully but enjoyably, I would say. Yes, we’re going to remember the singing and clapping every evening from balconies, terraces and windows in appreciation of those who’ve HAD to go to work looking after us in many countries around the world, including those famous performers, singing their hit songs from their living rooms.

Restaurants, cafes and other businesses have generously donated meals and beverages to those finding it hard to get to the shops, individuals have given their time delivering shopping and food as well as knocking on doors of those in need. Takeaways, Hungry Monkey, Rock Hero, NomNoms, Vepo, and others will have done well also. Good for them!

Also, on the productive side perhaps, more time for bonding 36

with children staying at home whilst schooling online. Husbands helping their spouses more at home and perhaps indulging in a little DIY – if that way inclined.

Importantly, when the storm has passed, what will be the lessons learned? The lockdown has meant fewer people and vehicles on the roads keeping those surfaces and the atmosphere a little cleaner.

There are plans to restrict road usage too. There’s been a lot of talk, especially on television, radio and the printed media comparing COVID-19 to World War III – not a warlike killer, but a silent one trapping the world into the unknown, pretty much ignorant of how to put a stop to it!

Much has also been talked about ‘community spirit’ coming to the fore as we come together to praise helpers and key workers (although at the outbreak it was a one-for-all-and-all-for-JUST ONE, as supermarkets were flooded with inconsiderate individuals shopping only for themselves!).

Loneliness – which can happen at any time really – has also been highlighted. But on this occasion however, more thought had to be given to those living alone requiring a little more attention.

Apart from the entertainment provided, the rolling news items on the coronavirus on TV, radio and online speculating on what’s to come have kept us informed.

There’ve been numerous ‘experts’ giving their opinion about the virus and the way to proceed, but clearly no one has a clear picture about this silent killer. Being over 70 and being instructed to stay at home because you’re more vulnerable has highlighted the term ‘senior citizens’. The term

has been ‘promoted’ if you like, and perhaps for some, making this age group feel older than they are as they join the clan and become a member of those nearing their twilight years. Not a pleasant reflection, to my mind!

Something I’ve thought about a lot and so important I think, is how businesses are being affected by the loss of income so much needed to at least keep their heads above water and those employees being laid off during this unfortunate period. Will they all be asked to come back when bosses deal with their losses due to COVID-19? Many businesses are being helped financially by the government but others from some sectors must be having a hard time, enduring sleepless nights wondering if there’ll still be a business to run or a job to go back to by the end of this nightmare.

Working from home has also been brought to light; whether it’ll be a trend which will continue in the future, perhaps cutting down on office staff, remains to be seen.

Not a pleasant reflection, to my mind!

So, will the world be learning from its mistakes by acting faster and being more prepared for what might transpire in the future, bringing communities, religions, races, and countries closer together for the benefit of us all?

Normality will prevail... Here’s hoping!

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

From

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a month

life

HEARTS OF GIBRALTAR Talking to Monique Grambow...

BY ROMINA MAYANI NANKANI, CYE-CYL

I

sn’t it funny how we live in a wonderful town, filled with people we often know?

Whether by face or a simple hello, some we have heard of and some we meet later on in life for the first time.

I was introduced to Monique through a mutual friend. We conducted the interview over the phone and we have never met before. Do read on... You are likely to make some good changes in the way you deal with things.

“Monique just in your ‘Hello’ I can hear your smile, I want to know your secret.”

She laughed, “I am living in gratitude and acceptance every day. And I learnt this via a very difficult and life-changing episode in my life. I’m so glad Celia put 38

us in touch, she has truly been a blessing in my life.”

“In January 2018, I was diagnosed with Diffuse PVNS. Doctors had discovered that I had a benign but very destructive tumour in my left knee which was inhibiting my ability to walk. I was using crutches to help me get by, but 7 months on, I completely stopped moving. The condition had deteriorated. The nerve damage around the knee area had extended towards the rest of my body and was suffering extreme pain. Unable to climb staircases, I could no longer live in my home.

I had no choice and lived with my father for a long period. I was bed ridden for about 3 months.

I’m a mother of 2 wonderful children. I couldn’t do anything with them. They were looked

"I am living in gratitude and acceptance every day." after by my husband and parents.

I am super grateful for all of them.

My husband Dillon has been my superhero.

Without warning, I experienced the worst setback. Everything took a major turn after receiving a radiosynovectomy procedure at the start of 2019. I was in a critical condition due to the intense side effect and was informed I may not make it. I was emotionally GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

life "I’m so grateful I’m here to tell my story." overwhelmed and was majorly concerned for my kids and my loved ones! But somehow, I was able to accept that this could be the end.

My faith kept me calm and gave me the strength to take the final risk required to save my life. I was extremely weak and my blood levels were causing my body to shut down. Doctors informed us that the first 15 minutes of blood transfusions were crucial. I went ahead with the transfusions. And I’m so grateful I’m here to tell my story and continue my recovery.

“When I go out for a drive with my husband and kids, it fills me up so positively to see people doing what I can’t. There is no envy or sadness within me. It truly empowers me to see people embracing their abilities. We are all in this world to pull each other up. My gratitude is limitless and I am thankful to each and every person who’s been a part of my journey.”

Monique is currently a music teacher in Bishop Fitzgerald School and is working hard to

continue healing to get back to work, and offer her experience and tools.

Some days are better than others as far as her health is concerned but that doesn’t stop her from sticking to her positive perception.

Visit Monique’s website at mindfulnesscreativearts.com. She has kindly offered her email to anyone who needs to talk and/ or experiencing any difficulties: mindfulnesscreativearts@gmail.com.

However after such a traumatising event, I experienced a drop in my mental health. The reality of my condition hit me. The pain management, the restrictive life I lived, not being able to do what I used to brought me to a standstill mentally and emotionally. I took the help of fantastic people and used music as a powerful therapeutic tool.

Funnily enough, before all this happened, I had undertaken a few courses in mindfulness, music therapy and sound healing therapy. This helped me immensely. My mindset was transforming and I accepted that this was my life now. I knew that this feeling within would help transmit and radiate that energy to those around me.”

She continued with this beautiful statement: GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

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life

LOCKDOWN IN CALPE HOUSE

First came the news of cancer, then came the coronavirus. Here’s how the story continues in lockdown at Calpe House.

BY SUSAN CLIFTON-TUCKER

U

nder normal circumstances I would not be writing this lockdown account from Calpe House, in central London.

I am here with my husband Andrew, who has been diagnosed with a rare Ewing’s Sarcoma on his knee. Our lives, like those of so many, have been turned upside down by cancer. Thankfully we will learn that it is localised and early stage with a good prognosis.

As a therapeutic exercise and to make sense of our lives, I kept a diary.

We arrived on the 1st January.

It was a freezing, miserable, rainsoaked day. What a way to start the year! Welcome, 2020. I’m just grateful that we had no idea then, that things were to take a more sinister turn, with the arrival of COVID-19.

We didn’t know how long we would be staying. I think we 40

estimated it would be a few weeks, tops. As it turns out we will be living here for several months.

What a way to start the year!

Calpe House on Norfolk Square couldn’t be better located, as it’s close to the capital’s hospitals and Kensington Gardens is just around the corner. We are housed in a large suite with a kitchenette and shower room. It’s light and bright overlooking the gardens.

This, then, is where we will be living for the duration. Manager Dee, together with Jaime and Jo and their team welcome us with a staggering amount of kindness.

As a home from home, we

wondered how long it would take before we bumped into people we knew and in good old Gibraltarian fashion, the answer was a day. Feeling vulnerable, it was comforting to meet up with Albert Poggio, Chairman of the board of Trustees. He worked tirelessly to make Calpe House a reality and is on hand to offer help and advice.

Several people we knew checked in after us and we soon settled into a happy routine of meeting up in the evenings in the communal lounge for a game of cards, or just to get together and catch up on our day.

Of course, we are not here on holiday and our lives soon become consumed with rounds of hospital tests, followed by cycles of chemotherapy. Andrew’s treatment is on alternate weeks, so we make the most of free time, organising outings. Anything to create a distraction. We also seek GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

life

out a nearby gym and discover we have one on our doorstep in St Mary’s Hospital. The Pinnacle Gym even has an indoor pool.

Result!

Come March though, any semblance of normality came to an abrupt end, as the spectre of coronavirus raised its lethal head. Suddenly, as with the rest of the world, we were pretty much confined to barracks. Social distancing was introduced and we were provided with masks, rubber gloves and sanitisers, which disappeared from shop counters overnight.

We started hearing reports that some hospitals were delaying chemotherapy and even cancelling operations as a result of the virus.

Thankfully no one undergoing treatment at Calpe House was affected, but many around the country have been.

house when needed. Recovering patient Paul Setter and his wife Mananie volunteer to do the honours. They are both excellent cooks and treat us to dishes as varied as coq au vin to lentejas.

Cleaning goes into overdrive, as everything is scrubbed and disinfected to within an inch of its life. As cancer patients on treatment have a compromised immune system, catching the virus could prove fatal.

Dee and the team can’t do enough for us. Nothing is too much trouble. Following a conversation about our love of fashion, she surprised me with a stylish black mask with a leopard print trim. Jaime shaved Andrew’s hair off, bringing in his own clippers. Jo organises transport to and from hospital. All of them go way and above the call of duty, with a ready smile.

Food is bought in to be cooked in-

If you have stayed at Calpe

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

House, you will already know how lucky we are to have this facility.

It’s a real bonus to know you are surrounded by loving support and friendship. There is always someone around to have laugh or cry with.

Even during lockdown, not a day goes by when we don’t meet and catch up with our ‘new family’.

It’s hard not being allowed to give each other a hug.

April has heralded the sunniest weather here since records began, so a walk round Kensington Gardens becomes our daily form of exercise. Easter Eggs are delivered to everyone at Calpe House by a mysterious samaritan, 41

Eli Hermida and her famous bread pudding'

It’s hard not being allowed to give each other a hug.

Calpe House Office Staff Member Jaime

who we later learn is Angela Manning. Angela, whose mum is Gibraltarian, and whose daughter Natalie is currently living on the Rock, knows people who have stayed at Calpe House before and how difficult it was for them being away from home, so she wanted to let us know we’re being thought about. Mission accomplished!

Come May, Andrew has successfully had his tumour removed, together with part of his tibia and has had a knee replacement in what turned out to be a 5-hour surgery. Months of gruelling chemotherapy still lies ahead, together with intensive physiotherapy. He is feeling strong and positive.

Thank goodness for the internet allowing us to keep in contact

42

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

life L-R: Andrew, Susan, Mananie and Paul

As I write, we are still in lockdown and I wonder if we will ever return to normal. The devastation that the pandemic has caused and is continuing to cause, claiming thousands of lives globally will surely change us forever.

Additionally, the economic consequences will doubtless be seismic. Surely this is a time for all of us to take stock and improve the way we have been living our lives. Our plundered planet is creaking under our weight.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

A difficult situation really does bring out the best in people.

Whilst we are all desperately missing our family and friends in Gibraltar, we have somehow found a way to get through these dark times. As lockdown eases, we start meeting for lunch in the communal kitchen. Dr Peter Borge brings a lovely red wine to the table and Eli Hermida provides her legendary bread pudding.

Shops in the area are well stocked.

Masked up and looking like a bank robber, I nip out to buy more hand cream, as the constant hand washing is drying our skin. Social distancing is strictly enforced and there is a one in one out policy.

Although restaurants are closed, many are offering a delivery service.

Being away from home and dealing with a serious illness, with the additional limitations imposed

Albert Poggio, OBE

on different forums. There has never been so much to choose from for entertainment and self-improvement. Concerts, exhibitions, online workouts, and tutorials. It’s also a vital tool for us to be able to keep up to date with news from the Rock and the wider world. Luckily, we are also receiving copies of The Gibraltar Magazine each month!

as a result of the virus, is no walk in the park but things can only get better. They will get better; we need to believe that.

No praise could do sufficient justice to the work carried out by the GHA, the Calpe House Trust and the magnificent staff here.

They deserve all our support. It’s our home today, it could be your home tomorrow.

Donations to Friends of Calpe House can be made by bank transfer to Acc No: 06569001 Sort Code: 60-83-14 IBAN: GI88GIBK000000656900001 or by cheque made payable to Friends of Calpe House to PO Box 727, Gibraltar GX11 1AA. Alternatively, visit Calpe House on Facebook.

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life

A GIBRALTARIAN IN CORNWALL

Local writer and teacher, Tamara, reveals how she’s holding things together during lockdown as she forgoes one seaside town for another.

BY TAMARA LEVY

H

armann Broch once stated that “Those who live by the sea can hardly form a single thought of which the sea would not be a part”. The inexorable force of the ocean has the power to change one’s mentality, serve as the instigator to pursue one’s dreams and alter your reality to whatever you want it to be.

Being surrounded by nature’s beauty and in one of the most picturesque places in Europe, the ocean is all-consuming.

From the pearlescent glows of sunsets on the beach, to the rich pigmentation of the undulating hilltops in the Cornish countryside. Every day becomes a cyclical meditative escape, a harmonious oasis amidst the worldwide crisis we are currently experiencing. The melodic reverberations of birds chirping, the trees’ wistful bristling in the wind and the warmth of the caressing sun are all priceless elements in life which give us hope, comfort, peace and joy.

Walking along the winding streets of Padstow, the village is peppered with rural beach house cottages, quaint colonial pubs, and local art galleries. From the 44

mouthwatering smells of freshlybaked goods emanating from the shops prior to the lockdown, to the brazen comfort offered by a hot stone fireplace, every corner of this southern slice of heaven is a utopian fairytale. Sharing the precious moments of gazing out into the horizon and observing the spectacle of fluorescent orange and purple beams painted across the evening sky like a canvas, are moments of magic to be cherished for a lifetime.

Calentita and Bollo Hornazo are replaced with quintessential Cornish Pasties and Yarg.

With Nan’s ‘Taste of Trevone’ blueberry jams and homemade bread and butter pudding, the fight against this pandemic becomes all the more bearable!

Drinking ‘Jammy Red Roo’, stargazing on a clear night, and photographing the moon’s craters

at its brightest, every single day is a scenic escape; a dazzling haze of enchantment and allure. Brushing up on my stone skimming skills along the natural pools at Rocky Beach and breathing in the fresh unpolluted ocean breeze at Little Fistral, life has become an amalgamation of tempestuous calm and silence.

Amidst the worldwide psychological turmoil being endured by all with the coronavirus pandemic, this paradisiacal corner of the United Kingdom is a blessing. With tensions running high, an onrush of severe paranoia, panic-driven Tesco runs and strictly abiding by the two-meter distance rule, conversations with the locals may very well be had via megaphone through the window in the weeks to come! Despite the acute desolation of this magical place, its exuberant personality exudes optimistic pragmatism. While feelings of nostalgia begin to set in having replaced Gibraltar’s own Calentita and Bollo Hornazo with quintessential Cornish Pasties and Yarg, one can observe many parallels between both seaside locations.

As stated by Christopher Paolini, GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

life “The sea is emotion incarnate. It loves, hates, and weeps. It defies all attempts to capture it with words and rejects all shackles.

No matter what you say about it, there is always that which you can't�. Sharing a natural omnipotent connection that is the ocean, there is very much a strong sense of community, solidarity, care and personal interest among the locals. With daily salutations and friendly passersby, the positive energy exuded by nature and all individuals is truly valued and overshadows all melancholy.

What were once jovial and dynamically bustling places, are now deserted hubs of spectral solitude. From being deemed cosmopolitan meccas of tourism and agriculture, both Gibraltar and Cornwall endure a loss of joy.

into a negative state of mind.

Finding myself conversing with the walls, munching on a constant stream of crumpets, laughing and crying for no apparent reason, becoming overly excited when spotting a tractor from afar and committing myself to adopting a pet rock and naming him Fred are certainly symptoms of unabating quotidian monotony!

Reflecting on this past month in quarantine, what permeates through the emotional ambiguity of these confusing times is the beauty and serenity of the ocean, the vibrant luminosity of the sunsets and the whimsical music of the natural surroundings. It

is important to adopt a positive mindset despite these times of strenuous turmoil. To carry out a mental exercise and make a list of all the things one is grateful for. To write down one’s aims and goals for post quarantine life and mindfully instigate a conscious uplift of mental health and wellbeing. Making lifelong friendships with the seagulls, hugging the trees embedded in nature and showing our appreciation for Mother Earth is the perfect antidote to avoid a complete and utter descent into madness while living the quarantined life as a Gibraltarian in Cornwall!

With days merging into weeks and weeks drifting into months, life as we know it has certainly changed.

One becomes emotionally vulnerable and can easily plummet

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

45

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life

ON MY MIND…

BY DR CHRISTINE GULUZIAN COOMBS Hard as it is to believe – given the weaving together of time, dates and even months these days – we are fast approaching summer. Yet, how will our shared experiences of coronavirus and lockdown change this much-anticipated time of the year that most of us look forward to so eagerly?

Summer is a season so connected to a sense of freedom and abandon from our usual dayto-day routines and confines.

Numerous gatherings with family and friends, long-haul travels, mini-getaways, slow and easy seaside days and fun nights out happily dot the summer days. So, many of us might be wondering now: how do we ‘do’ summer this year, amidst a global pandemic which may or may not continue to rear its head at any given time or place? In all likeliness, we will not experience a summer similar to those of the past.

What we can do instead, is to be grateful. Grateful that we have another summer to enjoy at all: a treat not afforded to hundreds of thousands of people the world over who have sadly succumbed to the pandemic. We can also be patient: patient with each other, with our bodies, with GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

our healthcare providers, with the state the world is in at the moment. We can be appreciative too, of the simpler things in life.

Living in a sustainable manner, focusing less on having more and appreciating the people and things that we do have.

However different this summer might be from summers past, gratitude, patience and appreciation of the simpler things

in life will stand us in good stead, no matter the circumstance or the season.

Will you be spending your summer any differently this year?

Write in and tell us how!

Have something on your mind? Write in to editor@ thegibraltarmagazine.com and you could see your opinion piece printed right here in the magazine!

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scene

LOCKDOWN: INKED

Local photographer, journalist, and artist, Stephen Ignacio, reveals the shift in his artwork since lockdown began, from cartoons centred on society to derelict buildings, and pathways leading nowhere…

BY ELENA SCIALTIEL

A

t the time of this interview, photojournalist and artist Stephen Ignacio was well beyond his seventh week of lockdown, as he begun with self-isolation at home because of early symptoms, which fortunately resolved themselves. “Now, when they say ‘self-isolate’, they don’t take into account that doing so in a small flat with kids around is not as easy as it seems. I was never tested at the time, but I certainly adhered to the isolation: sixteen days at home until even the cough was gone,” he says. “Finding time to do my own work from home - in my case looking for sports stories where and when sport does not exist – has been hard, especially with my five-year-old kid clinging about! I hear there are many artists finding the time and filling it by producing artwork. For me it’s been the opposite. I have 48

"I have spent more time looking for time than having it." spent more time looking for time than having it. From educating children at home, to entertaining them, to working remotely, often it was ten at night when I found the time.”

Night is the best time for those creative juices to flow, according to many artists and writers.

Stephen is no exception, as he produced a series of ink drawings that depict a surreal world populated by snails, elves, dwarfs and mushrooms, crumbling castles and boats dangling from hot air balloons. “My work, though GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

art serious - and somewhat dark, I’m told - is actually quite lighthearted. I don’t try realism nor do I wish to.”

The result is a fantasy landscape where light is to be sought between the black lines, marred by nightmarish loneliness and emptiness, the impression of being the sole survivor in a silent, or silenced, land after a major natural disaster or savage ransacking, longing to either seek sanctuary underground through molehills disturbingly shaped as arabesque neurons, or to flee skywards on board of the Flying Dutch galleon.

In keeping with his childhood aspirations

of becoming a cartoonist and comics’ illustrator, Stephen also indulged in full-colour cartoons about the tragic present and the bizarre future of self-isolation.

“During the lockdown I have fallen foul of my wish to express my opinions but not being able to do so openly. As a sports journalist working for a newspaper, my opinions can be misconstrued

"But I am my worst critic. Today I will love my work, tomorrow I will want to burn it." as representing who I work for, so I try to steer clear from expressing my views, unless it’s really clear it’s my view only.”

His cartoons focus on society, and he utilises humour as ‘a good release of tensions’.

“Being a social animal, whilst I don’t chase the limelight, I do like showing my work and letting people react to it.

But I am my worst critic.

Today I will love my work, tomorrow I will want to burn it.”

A few of the pieces he’s showing on his social media pages are mainly executed on an iPad. “Luckily for me the one thing I do have in stock is ink. But as I started to run out of paper the iPad has become my saviour.”

The hi-res large images use techniques which can be described as traditional, according to him: “Stroke by stroke, black on white, keeping to the same tool and the same line depth. Most of my ink drawings have started with a line on a piece of paper. Bit by bit, they have been built up and created into a final piece; I had no clue about how it was going to come out.”

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49

art dwindled in his artwork as the lockdown progressed was the presence of people, or traces of them.

The lockdown gave Stephen a chance to explore the media at his disposal, because there was no pressure on him to meet deadlines. “I tried out some animation, and completed a few short videos/films. In some cases, like the more arty work, it included creating my sounds which is another aspect I find so amazing with the iPad. You can literally do everything you need on it when it comes to creating videos and interactive presentations.”

He reckons that broadcasting a message in his work is ‘inescapable’, whether or not it was consciously placed there: “Because my work is created as if I were writing a journal.

Today I’m doing this section, tomorrow I decide on the next section, and things are like a jigsaw coming together. A jigsaw of thoughts transposed into my fantasy worlds and imaginary scenes. My latest piece features candy, derelict buildings, and pathways leading nowhere.” The one thing that steadily 50

If he had to pick a colour to paint a post-Covid19 landscape, he would go for a colour scheme: “Unfortunately I’m certain we have not seen the end of this yet, and many things will be changing.

But if and when we come out of this with a ‘new normality’, I hope life returns to yellows, greens and earthy browns merging with cobalt skies.”

He admits however he will probably end up painting it in black and white. Inked.

Visit Stephen’s website stephenignacio.smugmug.com, view his works at stephenignacioart. wordpress.com, or find him on Facebook – Stephen Ignacio Photography. Order his original design merchandise from stephenignacio.redbubble.com.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

art & literature

PENELOPE’S ADVENTURES Mother & daughter team publishes illustrated children’s books.

BY ELENA SCIALTIEL

F

rom Saturday mornings’ pastime to children’s book series, Therese and Penelope Caruana’s project is growing steadily, with two illustrated stories already published and a third in the pipeline.

“The books are about a little girl’s life in Gibraltar and the morals she learns growing up,” says Therese, a successful author of fantasy novels in her own right. “Each page features a full-colour picture painted in watercolours by my six-year old daughter. Sometimes, for the more complex ones, I drew the outlines and she coloured them in.” Some pictures represent easily recognisable Gibraltar views, like the Holy Trinity Park, and Main Street.

At first, it was just an idea to entertain Penelope on weekends, then, as her pictures kept coming, and were colourful, precise, detailed and talented, Therese realised they were actually telling a story, so she added a few rhyming lines to comment the illustrations and collected them in a book, bedtime story style.

Both books feature a game at the end, for young readers to get actively involved. In the first GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

book Penelope: Gibraltar girl with a twirl, Penelope learns how to use safely the playground from her father; in the second, Penelope: What shall I bake for daddy’s birthday cake?, Penelope learns that daddy doesn’t need a big party for his birthday, but just the love of his daughter and family. This book also contains fourteen easy recipes for children to make, simply following pictures and numbers.

"It brings a big smile to her face."

Therese reckons the Penelope series is a “nostalgic product in which parents can reminisce about how their children used to draw”. And if their children are of Penelope’s age, they will be able to relate to the images and be inspired to draw their own.

“Penelope has her own imagination and tells me the stories she wants to draw. So I encourage her to paint what she fancies that day, and once we have enough pictures to string into a book, I write down the

story, with her help.” Therese says.

“She keeps the suggestions coming, and so far I am excited to have seen two stories printed. She’s already thinking about the tale of a dragon who behaves naughtily, but that it’s just because he needs glasses.

Well, we will see.”

And it’s never too early to plan for a Christmas tale: “We are thinking about setting it at the nursery Christmas party, where Penelope is eager to help with everything, but forgets to share the joy with others. She eventually learns that Christmas is more fun when it’s done all together.”

The editing process is timeconsuming, because the images have to be scanned into the computer, then, the wording is digitally added, and finally the pages are sequenced and paginated in child-friendly landscape-oriented full-colour format, now available in hard copy from Amazon, or at the John Mackintosh Library.

Therese reveals her success secret for a children’s story: “I think that any story’s imaginative content and resolution contributes to children’s skills at problem-solving.

Every story also sets a standard of values. Children feel safe when the information offered to them 51

art & literature "In order to create a better world for all, you must start by being better " by diverse sources, like parents, teachers, books, TV shows, is consistent. They like to know that they are growing up, and are intelligent beings praised for their accomplishments.”

Repetition, positive reinforcement and reading out loud are pivotal strategies: “When children can guess ahead of the book, this gives them a sense of satisfaction.

For instance, when I read the recipe book to Penelope, there is one sentence that is repeated on each page which she loves to read out loud herself. It brings a big smile to her face. I also think that children like it when the book’s pictures are relatable to what they themselves are able to draw.”

On the all-important issue of introducing children to reading as early as possible, Therese observes that it depends on the attractiveness of illustrations, as well as the toddler’s capacity to sit still and listen for the time necessary to leaf through the book. “Nowadays we are fortunate to have books available in multimedia, for instance in videos or cartoons, and interactive with sing-alongs. It can prove effective to act out the story as a role-play task. Or reverse the roles! Penelope has come to the age that she wants to read to me. So I lie down beside her and relax listening to her.”

There’s a huge difference between adults’ and children’s views of 52

the world, Therese admits. “Children don’t understand the politics and dangers of the real world, but I suppose if adults stopped and looked a bit closer through their children’s eyes, they would notice the more positive side, just like children do. In order to create a better world for all, you must start by being better yourself.”

From Penelope’s vision of the world as portrayed in her paintings, Therese has learnt that any item can be in any colour, and the more colourful, the better: “Penelope has such a lovely imagination that makes anything possible.”

This venture has inspired Penelope to explore storytelling in an active way, and she’s proud of the final product, and cannot wait to see book published. Therese explains: “She loves to be paid

when copies of the books are sold online! When this happens, I give her the profits, and she saves them for personal expenses.”

There is a practical side to keep in mind, of course, when you are the ‘literary agent’ of a child authoress, such as the PR magic that Mum has to negotiate when “Penelope’s two-year old brother sits at the table with her, and flicks paint on her drawings, so I end up with bickering siblings…”

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

art

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

RT CLUB

PAPER PENCIL ERASER RULER COLOURING PENCILS, CRAYONS, OR PAINT (OPTIONAL)

How to draw the Eiffel Tower in 5 easy steps.

BY BEA GARCIA STEP 1:

STEP 2:

Draw a triangle 6cm wide by 11cm high. Draw a vertical dashed line in the middle of the triangle (3cm in). This will be the spine of your Eiffel Tower.

This step is the trickiest of this drawing. Starting with the left-hand side: from the highest point of your triangle draw a curved line down towards the furthest left-hand corner of your triangle. Do the same for the right-hand side: draw a curved line from the highest point down to the furthest righthand corner.

Try and make the curved lines symmetrical to each other. If you are having difficulty with this, use tracing paper to trace the line from the left onto the right. If you don’t have tracing paper at home, you can use greaseproof/ baking paper as tracing paper.

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53

art STEP 3:

STEP 4:

Time to add some details. Add two small rectangles to the top of your triangle. To separate the layers of your Eiffel Tower draw two horizontal lines: one 5cm high and the other 2.5cm high.

These lines are the tops of two rectangles that you will now draw.

Below each of those lines draw in 3 more lines to make a thin rectangle. Add half triangles onto the ends of each rectangle. These are the viewing platforms of your tower. Make sure the top platform is smaller than the lower platform and that they follow the shape of the original triangle you drew in Step 1.

Now that we have the proportions of our Eiffel Tower drawn in, we can add further details. From the top of your triangle draw two further curved lines down to the top platform.

Make sure these lines follow the shape of the outline of the Eiffel Tower. Continue these curved lines in the middle section of the tower. Make sure to leave a 1cm gap at the top of this middle section. Draw a horizontal line 0.5cm below the bottom platform. These curved lines will end in the bottom section of your tower where they meet this horizontal line. To complete the base of your tower, draw in a semicircle.

Leave a 1cm gap from the bottom-lefthand corner and the bottom right hand corner on either side of your semicircle.

STEP 5: Do some crosshatching to fill in the sections of your tower. Best way to do it is to draw diagonal lines in one direction and once you have filled that section with those diagonal lines then go over those lines with diagonal lines going in the opposite direction. Your Eiffel Tower should now look something like this.

FINAL: You’ve successfully drawn the Eiffel Tower!

Feel free to add some colour if you like.

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

55

BOOKISH...

Join us for our monthly book club!

BY JOEL FRANCIS

W

elcome back bookworms, what have you been reading this past month? Any of my recommendations?

If the answer is yes, then you're in luck because I have another 3 (actually it's 5, considering one's a trilogy, but shh don't tell my editor) books for you to get lost in. I really hope you give these picks a chance and enjoy them as much as I did!

TROUBLE BOYS: THE TRUE STORY OF THE REPLACEMENTS Bob Mehr Genre: Biography What’s in the pages? When you think of Rock and Roll excess, the first names that come to mind are probably: Guns N Roses, Aerosmith, Black Sabbath or The Rolling Stones. For me, it's The Replacements, the best band you've (probably) never heard of. Trouble Boys charts the band's decade long career. From its infancy to its demise, capturing every detail of their rise through the ranks of sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll to be one of the most influential and underrated bands of the 80s. (Seriously, go listen to “Left Of The Dial” or “Takin' A Ride").

Why should you read it? Reading like an extensive deep dive of a long-lost relic, Trouble Boys is music journalism at its finest.

Compiled from interviews and articles throughout the band's career, Mehr manages to craft one of the best musical biographies I have ever read. He walks the fine line between pandering to his idols and showing them as true to life characters, knowing when to dial back the idolism to show just how flawed Paul Westerberg and his merry band of misfits could be.

Trouble Boys is detailed to the point of exhaustion but still manages to read as a work of fiction (probably because The Replacements were just that outrageous). After 25 years of rock and roll legends, rumours and one brief reunion, this is the true story of The Replacements, like you have never heard it before... and what a story it is.

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

HIS DARK MATERIALS Philip Pullman Genre: Modern Classic What’s in the pages? This book begins with Lyra, a young girl who lives in an alternate reality version of Oxford. Soon she is thrust into a perilous adventure with her companion Will into alternate realities, meeting witches, armoured bears, fallen angels and soul eaters. With the fate of the living and the dead on their shoulders, they must face the impossible to save everything they have ever known.

Why should you read it? I'm sure by now you've heard of His Dark Materials trilogy. Spellbinding and packed full of adventure, it is the perfect series of books to get lost in while you are stuck at home. The world of His Dark Materials is a beautiful and vibrant landscape of an England that could be but isn't. Pullman manages to explore the themes of theology, religion and science (in particular, quantum particles) while placing them in contrast with love, family and honour, all wrapped up in a nice little bow of a young adult classic. It is the perfect alternative to those who aren't too keen on Harry Potter, dealing with the mortality of good and evil rather than stating that good is good and evil is evil.

WITH THE FIRE ON HIGH Elizabeth Acevedo Genre: Young Adult

What’s in the pages? Emoni Santiago loves to cook, and when she cooks, she adds a little something special to every recipe.

When she cooks, it's the only time she can be herself and forget her reality of being a high school senior who has to look after her Abuela and her young daughter.

This book is a fantastic example of what can be achieved Balancing a job, high school and when communities work together to reach a common goal (in her daughter leaves little time for this case, solving a cold case) and it almost reads like fiction much else, but then a culinary because it is so unbelievable! class opens up with a chance for a school trip to Spain. She knows that although her pot is filled to the brim with ingredients, she might just have to add one more into the mix, even if it means the pot overflows.

Why should you read it? Elizabeth Acevedo does it again. I reviewed her first novel, The Poet X early on in the book review column, and I praised it immensely (it's still one of the best books I've ever read). With The Fire on High is just as good, in fact, I enjoyed it more than The Poet X, this book is a look at a type of adolescence that is usually demonised in general media, seeing young mothers as just that, young mothers and nothing more. What Acevedo does well in this book, is show that it is only one part of Emoni's complicated life and character.

This is a bold, artistic story written by someone who really understands their young adult audience and wants to challenge them, instead of pander to them.

For more book recommendations follow Joel’s Instagram @neurodiversebookworm.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

57

Ge tting C ovidFit

WITH SELF-CARE Health Promotion Department, Public Health Gibraltar.

Public Health Gibraltar launches its second COVIDFit campaign using the catch phrase Selfcare: How. When. Where; which aims to reinforce 3 key points: •

What we can do for ourselves when feeling unwell

•

When we should seek a healthcare professional’s advice

•

Where to access the appropriate services.

We may all experience the same infections quite differently; however, in respect of COVID-19, key symptoms to be aware of are a) a new cough, b) fever, c) unexplained headaches and d) body fatigue/aches.

If you notice new symptoms, go home immediately, and contact 111 for advice.

For most of us, symptoms can be managed within home-isolation with self-care. Recommended treatments include: •

Medicines (recommended dose) to treat symptoms (e.g. paracetamol for fever, sore throat, muscle aches etc.).

•

Adequate rest

•

Keeping well-hydrated

•

Avoiding smoking and exposure to any secondhand smoke

•

Regular hand and respiratory hygiene

•

Keeping your rooms well ventilated

COVID-19 remains deadly for the elderly and those with unstable underlying illnesses. Yet, regardless 58

Ke y COVID-19 Symptoms: Temp >37.8°C

New cough (dry or chesty) Shortness of Breath (unable to complete a sentence without pausing to breathe) Loss of appetite/ sense of smell/ taste Headache Fatigue Muscle Pain /body ache Sore throat

of this new disease, there may be some people who will still suffer and pass away from non-Covid related illnesses.

The GHA’s excellent service is always available for non-COVID-19 related illnesses and emergencies.

The A&E department is still accessible for life-saving emergencies such as chest pain, trauma, stroke etc.

Similarly, the primary care centre retains doctor and nurse practitioner appointments for non COVID-19 queries.

SEEK TIMELY INTERVENTION WHEN YOU NEED IT! If you have symptoms that are persistent and you are unable to manage them at home, contact the GP or Nurse Practitioner via the new telephone service 200 07910 available from 8:30am – 7pm Monday to Sunday.

For more information on keeping #CovidFit see www.CovidFit.gi

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

COLOURING FOR THE GHA Local couple get creative to raise funds for the GHA.

BY SOPHIE CLIFTON-TUCKER Vivien and Ernest Mesilio

Vivien Mesilio was watching husband Ernest doodling one day, when she peered a little closer over his shoulder to ask what he was up to. “Just keeping busy!” was his response. And now he certainly is, as what started as a small personal project has turned into a much sought-after local colouring book for adults and children alike!

This is the third publication from the duo, who began back in 2016 with a collection of 20 handdrawn mandalas, which they sold in order to raise money for Calpe House (Gibraltar’s ‘home from home’ for patients from Gibraltar receiving treatment in London).

It was such a success, Ernest went on to produce their second book, which included his drawings of 40 different historic buildings in Gibraltar. The money raised was given to the Bosom Buddies charity, among others.

The third in their trio of charitable projects is a colouring book, drawn entirely by hand by Ernest himself. Whilst they GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

produced over 300 copies of their previous books, this one had a more modest print run of just 33, to be distributed amongst friends. However, as is the way in Gibraltar, people soon caught wind of this lovely project and they sold out in the blink of an eye!

Luckily, more will be printed as

new orders come in, with the proceeds going to the GHA to help support essential services.

I know how I’ll be spending my weekend!

To get your hands on one of these books, and donate to a good cause in the process, call Vivien on 56000340.

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leisure

A BEAR IN COSTA RICA

Embarking on a trip that holds a top spot on your bucket list instills a medley of extreme excitement and fear. Whether the idea you have constructed in your mind will live up to the reality of your experience is a daunting thought. Costa Rica had been at the forefront of my mind since discovering it encapsulated one of the most biodiverse regions on our planet. The wildlife certainly did not disappoint but I had no idea just how much Costa Rica had to offer.

BY ALEX BEAR

G

etting to Costa Rica is not particularly difficult: a flight from Madrid takes you straight to San Jose, Costa Rica’s capital, and from Gibraltar there are various ways to get to Madrid including train or flying from Malaga. The San Jose airport arrivals lounge is reminiscent of Gibraltar’s old airport; small, outdated and lacking in order, but its compactness means you won’t get lost trying to find a taxi. The air in this city is cold despite the soaring temperatures engulfing the rest of the country. Jeans and a cardigan will help you blend in upon arrival. It is a hectic city with few pedestrian crossings and mostly four-lane roads. Men in yellow vests populate the surroundings as they chaotically usher cars into

‘parking spots’. We chose to spend a night here to refuel our tired bodies and collect a hire car.

If, like me, you want to immerse yourself in the Costa Rica you have seen on Planet Earth so many times, Arenal should be your first stop. La Fortuna is a sleepy town used by travellers as a gateway to the Arenal Volcano National Park. The drive takes about 3 hours and is mostly spent ascending and descending a very windy mountain. Ghostly white mist dominates the air for much of the drive but, as you leave the mountain, watch as blue skies cascade above. In Arenal there is wildlife in abundance.

From nature reserves nestled near the Arenal Volcano, where the landscape is enveloped by

The surroundings breathe more life than the people visiting. lush emerald thickets, to local, small trails for sloth spotting, the surroundings breathe more life than the people visiting. The humidity is inescapable but the magnificence of the surroundings makes for an easy distraction.

Make sure to book a guide when going on a nature trail; their gear will supersede yours and, from afar, termite nests look remarkably similar to sloths.

The Proyecto Asis wildlife 61

travel

sanctuary does a brilliant job at rescuing illegal wild pets and injured wildlife and provides an educational insight into the fundamental importance Costa Rica places on protecting all of its species. Fly across the jungle and marvel at its sheer grandiosity on the Sky Adventures zipline and submerse yourself in one of the free hot springs that can be found a short drive away.

A few days of adventure also requires a few days of relaxation; the west coast is littered with beaches which stretch further than your eyes can see. Which beach town you choose depends very much on you. Jaco is a rambunctious town heaving with gap year party students.

Tamarindo might be populated with resorts and more Americans than locals, but it also is home to the best tacos and sushi I have ever tasted. It also works as a base for exploring some local beaches.

Tamarindo beach provides the stage to behold a majestic sunset, as a spectrum of orange dances 62

across the sky. Playa Conchal is mesmerising, where the sand is composed of tiny crushed seashells. If crowds are not for you, the village of Samara emits serenity. Some of the hotels are situated opening out onto the

deserted beach where tiny grey crabs scurry across the sand and disappear below as if by magic.

For the ultimate immersion in Costa Rica’s wildlife, a trip to Corcovado National Park is GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

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For Gibraltarians this is just an ordinary interaction.

essential. Bahia Drake acts as a base to enter the park but ensure you have rented a 4x4 if you make the drive down, and only do this during the dry season months. The terrain becomes tumultuous as paved roads are a long-forgotten luxury. When you approach a river, get out and use a stick to check the GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

depth before driving through.

Corcovado requires all visitors to take a licensed guide or entry will not be permitted. A personal guide will change your experience and give you the gratification of immediate answers to all the questions streaming through your mind. The Park is home to four species of monkey, the silky and

regular anteater, tapirs, coaties in abundance, peccaries, scarlet macaws among many more - and beware for nasty ticks ready to latch onto your skin. There is no need for an alarm clock when sleeping in this enchanted forest; howler monkeys make the sky tremble and jostle you awake.

If this seems a little too hazardous for a holiday, Manuel Antonio National Park offers a more mellow and easyto-reach experience. Unlike Corcovado where the wildlife is inconspicuous and wary of our species, Manuel Antonio houses 63

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squirrel monkeys that try to steal your food and white-faced capuchins running away with backpacks. Of course while most tourists laugh and stand in awe of this behaviour, for Gibraltarians this is just an ordinary interaction with our primate neighbours.

Costa Rica cannot be discussed without acknowledging the tranquility and beauty of the local people. Unlike many of its surrounding countries, Costa Rica is very much non-violent, it hasn’t even had an army since World War II. Locals take a genuine interest in where you are from and many of the bar staff are quick to spot Andalusian Spanish a world away. Ask for directions when you are lost and trust that they are sending you the right way, even in the most rural and wild of areas.

Costa Rica is possibly the most hospitable and warm place I have ever visited and I am so glad that I still have so much more of it to see.

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CONFESSIONS OF A BEAUTY ADDICT Don’t forget the SPF!

BY ALEX ORFILA

T

hose who are more familiar with my articles will no doubt have heard me harp on endlessly about the importance of wearing SPF (Sun Protection Factor). This is all the more relevant at this time of year when the weather begins to seriously hot up in Gibraltar and summer is upon us.

Our climate here refuses to offer us a smooth transition from one season to the next, and we tend to suddenly wake up one morning in late April or early May to find that we have unknowingly been plunged into a new season altogether. One which will literally escort us up to at least the last quarter of the year.

As the heat pushes us to be more liberal with our wardrobe choices and we start to bare more skin, the longing for a gorgeous tan begins to dominate most people’s beauty admin checklists. So, whether you love being naturally sun-kissed or prefer to fake it, one thing which should always remain at the forefront is not to forget GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

the SPF! Although we are certainly blessed to be graced with such gorgeous sunshine here in the Med, there is also a downside as it becomes all too easy to fall victim to some nasty sunburn or sun damage. Now more than ever we are well informed of the risks this presents us with, not only

That means that protection is key. does sun exposure speed up the development of wrinkles and signs of aging in the skin but it can also contribute to far more dangerous risks such as skin cancer. This is because UV light can damage DNA and cause changes to skin cells.

UV levels in this part of the world start to drastically creep up to the ‘high’ end of the UV index scale around May, which is between

6-7. Whereas in peak summer levels can sometimes soar to 10 (classed as ‘very high’).

This may all sound like a lot of numerical jargon, but what does it actually mean? A reading of 6-7 means there is a high risk of harm from sun exposure and protection is required if outdoors. The advice is that an SPF of at least 30+ should be applied generously at least every hour.

Whereas a reading in the 8-10 range means there is a very high risk of harm from sun exposure and that further protective precautions should be taken, such as avoiding being out in the sun altogether at times of peak sunshine which tends to be around mid-afternoon.

Granted, that being outdoors is at the heart of our summers here and it is unlikely that we will be able to steer clear of UV rays altogether. That means that protection is key.

We can have readings of up to 65

beauty 5 (presenting a moderate risk) even as early on in the year as March, proving that wearing SPF is a skincare step which should be adhered to all year long.

One thing many skincare experts agree on is that if you were going to introduce just one skincare step into your daily routine then this should be SPF. As not protecting your skin from the damaging effects of the sun makes all your other skincare efforts pretty much futile.

Unfortunately, over exposure to the sun is not the only risk presented to those in search of the perfect tan, the concept of acquiring a tan on demand has people resorting to other risky measures such as taking tanning pills.

These sorts of pills often market themselves as being a safer alternative to sun bathing because they claim to help you achieve that sun-kissed glow without having to go out in the sun at all. Although you may not be exposing your skin to damage from UV rays these pills can be harmful in many other ways.

They contain the ingredient canthaxanthin, which is a food colourant that can be harmful if taken in large doses. It basically means that you are essentially ingesting a type of dye, and some of the reported side effects are vision and eye damage as well as gastrointestinal and liver issues – really not a risk worth taking; let’s face it nobody needs a tan that badly.

is something which has become more popular in recent years as the risks of sun exposure have become all the more evident and it is the perfect option for those with a desire for a tan on demand.

We see more salons providing spray tan treatments, whilst many established beauty brands have also jumped onto the fake tan bandwagon and have released their own tanning ranges.

All the above may sound quite negative but this doesn’t mean that you have to forgo the glow, there are some fabulous fake tan options available. Faking it

There are also brands which have focused on this very area alone and built themselves up around the lucrative fake tanning concept. Enter James Read, who

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pride themselves on being the

Let’s face it, nobody needs a tan that badly. only tanning brand which has been entirely formulated and lead by a tanning expert. The brand boasts an enviable variety of multipurpose tanning products with an aim of catering to all skin tones and types whilst delivering a natural looking glow.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

beauty The conclusion? The safest bet is most certainly to ‘fake it’, a catch phrase which would have negative connotations when used in relation to pretty much any topic other than tanning! However, our summer lifestyles here in Gibraltar do mean that we cannot hide from the sunshine altogether, traditionally our summers are dominated by beach going and a

natural tan is often an unavoidable consequence of this. But this doesn’t mean that you can’t stay protected, there are a plethora of fabulous SPFs in all shapes, sizes and textures. So if you just can’t bring yourself to fake it then remember to tan gradually and apply SPF generously.

Best For: Fake Tanning Mousse James Read Fool Proof Bronzing Mousse 100ml - £18 This is the perfect product for anyone after quick results as a tan will develop in 3 – 5 hours. The product not only claims to deliver streak free results but is also said to be formulated with 72hr hydration technology which will keep your skin soft and hydrated.

Best For: Fake Tan Drops Balance me: gradual Tanning drops - £30 These drops are really potent and are suitable for both body and face. Tanning

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drops are a great choice for fake tan beginners as all you have to do is mix them in with your daily moisturiser, which makes it far easier to apply. Literally one to three drops a day is all you need, depending on how intense you like your tan. Within days a natural looking (and safely acquired) glow will be revealed. Although as with all fake tanning products wear a mitt when applying or wash your hands thoroughly after use to get rid of any tan residue.

Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi AntiPollution Sunshine Drops 30ml - £34 It is no surprise that skincare powerhouse Drunk Elephant also wanted an invite to the fake tan party and formulated their own fake tan drops. These too are to be mixed with your daily serum or moisturiser. This product however also boasts some handy anti-pollution properties 67

beauty has become one of my firm SPF favourites.

Best for: Head to toe protection Nuxe Sun Milky Spray Face and Body SPF 20 150ml - £19.50 This widely sold French pharmacy brand is renowned for their range of nourishing body and hair oils.

However, they have now brought this same approach to their sun care range by formulating a range of deliciously scented SPF’s that will give you those holiday feels all summer long!

which will protect your skin from environmental nasties, what’s not to love?

Nivea Shine Control SPF 50 50ml - £8

Best For: Protecting Your Face

Effective doesn’t necessarily equal expensive.

This anti-shine formulation by Nivea will only set you back £8.

Its non-greasy, does not leave a white residue and can even be worn under makeup.

It’s no surprise it

Bobbi Brown Primer plus protection 50 40ml - £24.50 This product works twofold, it acts as a primer but it delivers all the protective power of an SPF. It’s a thick consistency but it does melt into skin nicely, leaving you with a smooth (and protected) canvas on which to apply your makeup.

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A GOOD CAUSE

Following their generous donation of £20,000 to Cancer Relief Gibraltar, The Gibraltar Magazine chats to CEO of Gibraltar International Bank, Lawrence Podesta.

BY SOPHIE CLIFTON-TUCKER Gibraltar International Bank recently made a generous donation of £20,000 to Cancer Relief Gibraltar. How important is it to the bank to be involved with such charitable transactions?

The Gibraltar International Bank was set up as a community bank to offer retail banking products and services locally. As a bank, with its roots firmly established in the local community, we are also very proud to be able to assist local charities which require donations in order to continue to provide services to those in need.

How was the decision made on which charity to choose?

Recently, we have witnessed the generosity by which the people of Gibraltar as a whole have donated monies to charities and in particular to the GHA. On reading the local press a couple of weeks back, the article in relation to Cancer Relief caught my attention insofar that it clearly highlighted the difficulties that the Covid-19 GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

crisis was having on its ongoing funding requirements by way of donations received.

I contacted Marisa Desoiza, Trustee and Chairperson of the charity, and she informed me that the charity has been supporting the local community for over 30 years, currently caring for 340 patients and carers in a variety of ways across 14 services that they offer. They act

We are also very proud to be able to assist local charities. as patients’ advocates, provide clinical symptom control care, carry out regular monitoring and assessment of patients’ conditions, provide vital emotional and psychological support to cancer patients and their loved ones. Most significantly, they

provide compassionate patientcentred holistic care, from diagnosis, throughout treatment and right up to and including end of life care or living with and beyond cancer, whichever way a patient's illness may go.

She informed me that the Covid-19 crisis has increased anxiety and fear levels felt by cancer patients and families. She also mentioned that the Charity requires around £270,000 a year in donations to continue its work. I informed Marisa that I was really impressed by the work being carried out by the charity in relation to this dreadful illness and that the bank was, in some measure, able to contribute to this worthy cause by donating £20,000 to assist the charity with its funding requirements going forward.

If you would like to make a donation to Cancer Relief Gibraltar, visit cancerrelief.gi/get-involved/donate.

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AROUND THE WORLD IN 7 COCKTAILS Whether you are mulling over having that Mule, longing for a Long Island Ice Tea or contemplating over that Chicago Fizz, get ready to be transported around the world in 7 cocktails.

BY BEA GARCIA

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hese cocktails are for a single serving and are all designed to take around 5 minutes to prepare.

CHICAGO FIZZ Ingredients: 30ml dark rum

•

30ml ruby port

•

15ml lemon juice

•

½ tsp sugar

•

1 egg white

Method: Put all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with some ice minus the egg white.

Give it a good shake until it

becomes fizzy.

In a separate clean bowl, whisk the egg white until light and frothy. Pour the contents from your cocktail shaker into a tall glass and then top with the egg white. One egg white can be used for two drinks.

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Illustrations by Beatrice Garcia.

•

travel LONG ISLAND ICE TEA Be warned, this one has quite the kick to it.

Ingredients: •

15ml vodka

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15ml gin

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15ml white rum

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15ml tequila

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15ml Cointreau

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30ml lime juice

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30ml Coca-Cola

Method: Put all the ingredients minus the coke in a cocktail shaker and give it a good shake. Pour your cocktail into a tall glass and top with the coke. For a finishing touch garnish with a piece of lime.

SINGAPORE SLING

Illustrations by Beatrice Garcia.

Ingredients •

30ml dry gin

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30ml cherry brandy

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30ml Bénédictine

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30ml lime juice

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50ml pineapple juice

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Sparkling water

Method: Put all the ingredients minus the sparkling water into a chilled 72

cocktail shaker and stir. Pour into a tall glass and add some sparkling water to your taste.

Garnish with a lemon slice and a cherry.

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MOSCOW MULE Ingredients: •

60ml vodka

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15ml lime juice

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180ml ginger beer

•

1 tbsp lime cordial (optional)

Method: Squeeze a sliver of lime into a tall glass and drop the juiced lime into the bottom of your glass. Pour in the vodka followed by the chilled ginger beer and stir. For an extra zingy kick add a tbsp of lime cordial.

Garnish with another slice of lime.

PARISIAN COCKTAIL Ingredients: • 30ml gin Illustrations by Beatrice Garcia.

• 30ml crème de cassis • 30ml dry vermouth Method: Place the gin, crème de cassis and dry vermouth in a chilled cocktail shaker and give it a good shake. Pour out into a cocktail glass and serve with some fresh blackberries.

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travel MILANO TORINO Ingredients: •

60ml Italian red bitter liqueur (Campari or Aperol)

•

60ml Martini Rosso vermouth

Method:

Illustrations by Beatrice Garcia.

Place the liqueur and vermouth into a shallow glass with ice and stir. Top with a sliver of orange.

OSAKA DRY Ingredients:

Method:

•

60ml vodka

•

15ml sake

Mix the vodka with the sake in a chilled cocktail shaker. Pour into a martini glass. Garnish with a pickled plum(optional).

•

Pickled plum (optional)

Which is your favourite? Make

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sure to drink responsibly, so you can let us know!

For more tongue-tantalising tipples, take a look at The Savoy Cocktail book, Esquire, BBC Good Food, Dan Murphy’s, and Difford’s Guide.

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

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Authorised in Gibraltar via EEA rules & regulations

+35 0 200 674 69 • info@ifai.gi • www.ifai.gi

Let your pension stand out!

Pension & Investments Specialist

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HOW I GOT INTO WINE (PART 1)

It often comes out of the blue. Perhaps a fine bottle is opened and the victim suffers from an almost religious epiphany. Perhaps it’s a gradual process over years inevitably started at the family dinner table. We asked friends and acquaintances to tell us their story of how they got into wine. Their responses, so enthusiastic and fascinating, we decided to publish their personal accounts during our June and July editions.

BY ANDREW LICUDI DIPWSET Anonymous (by request)

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oming from a French family it was normal to have wines with meals.

When I was old enough to grasp a bottle, I loved to carefully pour wine into glasses, especially when my aunts, uncles, and cousins visited. I was not very academic at school and I thought of giving the hospitality industry a try. I got a job as a waitress at a local restaurant which had a famous wine list. It was common for customers not to finish their wine and at the end of each day we had a mini tasting with the sommelier, cooks and waiters. It was not long before I got very interested in wine and I decided to become a sommelier myself.

It was a hard apprenticeship in a man’s world but I ended up working for a Michelin star restaurant in London. The cooks and waiters there were tough and gave me a hard time. On one occasion a customer ordered an £800 bottle of Chateau Petrus 76

but when he touched the bottle, he complained the bottle was too cold and should be ‘a chambré’.

I tried to explain our wines were kept at strict temperatures but he was very rude and dismissed me with a wave of his hand. I was very upset and with tears in my eyes took the bottle into the kitchen and placed it in a very hot oven. The whole kitchen came to a stop thinking I had taken leave of my senses and would be fired.

The girls now were so guttered they couldn’t negotiate the step.

They all peered through the door when I took the now warm wine back to the customer and opened it. The customer tasted the wine and nodded his head in approval.

When I went back to the kitchen, they all cheered and banged pots and pans. I had gained their respect!

J.R. We started as young students at university when we drank Barzac and Spanish Sauternes. Our parents being very poor knew nothing about wine. We heard one woman in a restaurant asking for sugar to be put into wine to make it sweeter! Our introduction to Rioja was in a restaurant; a student’s favourite haunt, where most of the bottles were wrapped in raffia. Once, working as young and not-well-off teachers, we were introduced by a colleague to the delights of better-quality wines and also discovered the great pleasure of wines from our local Italian delicatessen. The best story was of us being at a restaurant whilst on holiday, where to reach the toilets it was up one step to the rear of the GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

leisure room. The girls now were so guttered they couldn’t negotiate the step.

S.L.L. When I was a little girl, I was intrigued by the fact that every two weeks my mother would buy a bottle of Tío Pepe sherry. She would have a glass every evening, but no one else we knew drank sherry instead of beer or wine.

When I got older, I asked my mother if could try a glass and from that moment I was hooked on the crisp austere refreshing taste of sherry.

Over the years we visited Jerez often and we always tried to visit a bodega and try different sherries, but it was after a trip to Sanlúcar I tasted my absolute favourite - La Gitana Manzanilla from Bodegas Hidalgo. I have since tasted many wines from around the world and, apart from sherry, my favourite wine is an austere white Burgundy from St. Aubin with the same tart mineral taste I have come to love.

J.G. As a young 17-year-old I returned to my parent’s home in the Suburbs of Paris in 1976, having finished my boarding school education in Edinburgh. I had secured a deferred entry to university and, wanting some work experience, I started working as the office boy with a firm of British accountants in the centre of Paris. I quickly established myself as the concierge, organising events, concert tickets, and dinners for these sophisticated professionals who worked out of town on audits during the week. One day I GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

was told we had an audit client in Bordeaux who had just completed their year-end stock count and had identified a significant quantity of unlabelled bottles, for which there was no details. They decided to sell off these bottles at 10 francs (£1) a bottle, and so I bought my first case of wine, without knowing what it was nor its vintage. I returned to Scotland the following year determined to impress the girls during Freshers’ Week with my newly-acquired sophistication and my “special reserve” wine collection. They were impressed by the wine but sadly not by my sophistication.

S.L. I was a 25-year-old beer man with very limited experience of wine.

My father had been cultivating an interest in wine for a few years and was involved with a longestablished wine group. They

were an interesting and eclectic mix of individuals with a shared passion for fine wines. Each month one of them would host a dinner and serve (blind) a range of wines which the group would debate in order to identify variety, vintage and various other details.

It was rare for a guest to be invited along, so this was a singular honour to be asked to attend.

The evening started with a sherry tasting. With scant regard to what lay ahead, as only the young and inexperienced can, I was taking advantage of as much “free” sherry as was being made available. It was a huge mistake as it would soon become clear.

By the time we entered the dining room I was already feeling somewhat light-headed. The first wines soon appeared and were 77

leisure passed round the table and, as everyone else was doing, I helped myself. There was a fair amount of commentary and debate and I was surprised how many wines were correctly identified! That was the moment I realised that wine was complex and delicious.

By around the twelfth wine I was in trouble. Giving myself overgenerous measures, as bottles were passed round, turned out to be an irreversible mistake. I was drunk! I may have embarrassed my father by leaving early but I decided that was the lesser of two evils given my state.

I don’t remember what wines we tasted that night but I remember the experience like it was yesterday. And that, as they say, is how I got into wine.

The girls were so guttered they couldn’t negotiate the step.

Phase 3 started with a single bottle epiphany in the mid80s. It was a bottle of Giscours 1977 drunk in restaurant long gone. This woke me up to an appreciation of fine wine and I began to take a really serious interest from that time on.

M.M. It must have been around the early 1970s; I would have been about 15/16. My father had by

then given me the occasional small glass and I had drunk the odd half pint of beer in pubs on camping trips with friends in the Scouts. I was at a friend’s house and was asked to stay for supper and a bottle of Giscours 64 was served I still remember being mightily impressed by the wonderful flavours. Paul and I still remain friends to this day despite an early auction disaster when I suggested in the early 80s that we purchase a case of Calon Segur 1957. It was our birth vintage and on tasting, we poured 10 bottles down the sink in quick succession. We both kept a bottle to remind ourselves of the benefits and dangers buying at auction!

E.M. I was a latecomer to wine but an early devotee of beer and whisky.

Phase one of my involvement started in the late 70s, making me about 35. I haven't the faintest memory of what got me started but my wines of choice were the 1970 Riojas. I would go into off licences and look for these, so I suppose this was the start of the hobbyistic side of my interest. I was encouraged by the fact they were cheap.

Phase 2 was my purchase of a wine bar in 1982. Despite the Rioja interest I was almost completely ignorant of wine - even fundamentals such as Burgundy and Bordeaux were unknown to me. However, I had to start buying and selling wine so I started exploring, my interest grew, and the interest became an obsession.

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

InMotion hit the ground running back in May 2017 after a passion became a project, and has snowballed into one of Gibraltar’s go-to hotspots for premium workout gear and accessories. What sets this company apart? Their commitment to connection and community, as well as helping you to achieve your optimal state of health and wellbeing.

We've got your wardrobe covered InMotion is home to a number of sustainable lifestyle and activewear brands. From squatproof yoga pants to recycled running shorts, there is something for everyone in this veritable workout pick 'n' mix. InMotion maintains a great relationship with the small brands they love, who take care in their products. Fashionable, flattering, and functional, each carefully selected piece reflects the store’s ethos.

Here are some of the brands gracing the racks at InMotion: Dharma Bums

Using only sustainable materials, this ethical yoga and activewear brand utilises bodyfriendly materials such as recycled nylon, organic cottons, and sustainable bamboo.

Free Spirit

The quality of each garment is just as important to Free Spirit as the highly ethical work environment of their manufacturers. Their new range of eco-leggings are made from a material that has gained traction in recent years: plastic bottles! Around 32 bottles are saved from our oceans or landfill for every pair of leggings made.

Girlfriend Collective

From their workout gear down to their

packaging, everything is 100% recycled, 100% recyclable, and 100% ready to go. Girlfriend Collective are indeed the ‘Earth’s number one fan’. Representation matters to this ecofriendly brand, and their products reflect this as they cater to a number of body types.

Whilst perusing the wide range of diverse activewear with which to clad your body, allow your attention to be diverted to the other ecotreasures on offer at InMotion. Grab yourself one of the ever-popular Chilly Bottles, which come in a range of sizes, colours and designs.

With its double wall vacuum technology (keeping your cold drinks cold, and your hot drinks hot), you’ll never find a better workout partner! Are microplastics on your mind? The Guppyfriend Washing Bag is now in stock; the most effective hands-on solution against microplastic pollution from laundry. For the magpies among us, the glint of a Wanderlust Life Jewellery piece is bound to catch your eye. This handmade collection is made using semi-precious gemstones, with an understated and minimal finish.

Wellness; it’s a lifestyle not a fad Tucked away towards the back of the store you’ll find a hidden gem: a purpose-built ‘movement studio’ where you can attend various Yoga, Pilates, and Somatics classes, so you can feel good from the inside out (from your core, to your new, ethically-sourced, stylish leggings!). Class sizes are kept small and personal, ensuring you get the most out of your session.

W: www.inmotionshop.com E: info@inmotion.gi A: 15 Tuckey’s Lane #: +350 200 65101 Facebook/Instagram: inmotiongib

fashion

SUSTAINABLE SUMMER

While we may already have had the pleasure of indulging in a few scorching days over the past few weeks, we all know that summer doesn’t really kick in until sometime this month. In Gibraltar, we’re lucky that we don’t really experience major TOP LEFT: RECYCLED MIX AND MATCH UNDERWIRED weather extremes (aside BIKINI TOP IN MARBLE from the mess that was SNAKE PRINT, ASOS DESIGN, £16.00 April, in every sense of the word), so our wardrobes don’t need a great deal of altering once summer officially arrives.

BY JULIA COELHO

T

his summer is set to be as different as it’s ever been, with many of us not able to travel abroad or even across the border for our holidays as we routinely do. But we’re fortunate to know better than most on this side of the world, that summer garms are not only reserved for trips abroad.

Even though many facets of our ‘new normal’ are still continuing to develop, we should count our blessings that we live in a place like Gibraltar. The fact that we’re able to bask in the sunshine for a significant portion of the year, and make trips to lovely beaches mere minutes away from our houses is a luxury we can all truly appreciate.

We’ve all adapted to living more minimally recently, which could very well be translated into all 80

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fashion aspects of our lives. The past few months have only served to highlight our habits (the majority of them arguably not so great), with many of us overtly expressing a desire to start living more sustainably as a result. The road to sustainability, however, can be a bumpy one due to its many complexities.

Essentially, what we want to know is: what is the fashion equivalent to switching to metal straws, ditching plastic bags, and using reusable bottles? These are all excellent adjustments that many of us have made quite successfully in the last year or so, but when it comes to fashion, most of us continue trudging along in the dark.

SWIMWEAR Lucky for us, there is an increasing number of recycled and sustainable bikini options out there these days, and you won’t have to look much further than your usual high street haunt. Underwire is appearing on more bikini tops than ever before. Once hidden away underneath the fabric, reserved for those who needed the extra support, it’s now being used as a deliberate design detail. Whether you're on the busty side, or not particularly well-endowed, this style is for everyone!

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

TOP LEFT: RECYCLED FULLER BUST MIX AND MATCH STEP FRONT UNDERWIRE BIKINI TOP IN ANIMAL LEOPARD PRINT DDBOTTOM LEFT: EXCLUSIVE ECO MIX AND MATCH UNDERWIRE BIKINI TOP IN CORAL, FREE SOCIETY, £24.00 TOP RIGHT: FULLER BUST EXCLUSIVE ECO UNDERWIRED BIKINI TOP IN NAVY POLKA DOT DD-G, PEEK & BEAU, £28.00

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fashion LEFT: CONSIDERED VIOLA VEGAN CORAL HEEL SANDALS, TOPSHOP, £59.99 MIDDLE: WIDE FIT JAZZIE ESPADRILLE FLAT SANDALS IN NATURAL, ASOS DESIGN, £14.00 BOTTOM: CONSIDERED VIVIA VEGAN BUTTON MULES, TOPSHOP, £55.99

From the office right to the beach.

FOOTWEAR The shops are already teeming with a whole host of slides, sandals and summery footwear.

Excuse the name, but thong sandals are set to become all the rage this summer, while last year’s strappy styles are back with a vengeance as expected.

You’ll find vegan leather options in practically all of your favourite high-street shops these days.

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fashion ATHLEISURE When it comes to sustainability, activewear is one of the more difficult sectors to get right, due to the nature of the materials used in workout clothes. There are many brands out there that are committed to being a part of the solution, offering leggings and other products made from recycled plastic bottles!

RIGHT: COMPRESSIVE 78 HIGHRISE STRETCH-JERSEY LEGGINGS, GIRLFRIEND COLLECTION, £62.00 BOTTOMLEFT: SARABI RECYCLED HIGH WAIST LEGGINGS BY DHARMA BUMS, IN MOTION GIBRALTAR, £65.00

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fashion BAGS The basket bag is one of the most versatile styles around, and one that is able to take you from the office right to the beach. They’re simple and tasteful; perfect for everyday use, while elevating any outfit to instant chic and puttogether status. They’re largely made of natural materials such as linen, straw and raffia too, so you really can’t go wrong.

This year I’ve assigned my summer wardrobe a light-at-the-end-ofthe-tunnel kind of significance, so even if I’m just lazing around my balcony, or making a shorter trip to the beach than usual, getting dressed every morning is something that I’m urging myself to get excited about. And with this added layer of consciousness, the whole process feels much more purposeful.

A FEW TIPS TO HELP YOU IN THE PATH TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY 1. Wash your clothes less, and avoid the tumble dryer if you can. Even washing at 30 degrees is meant to reduce energy usage by up to 40% compared to the standard 40-degree wash. Drying naturally should be a much easier choice throughout the summer months too.

2. Organise your wardrobe to find old discarded pieces you can bring back to life.

We all have a lot more time on our hands these days so it’s the perfect time to do it.

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TOP: EXCLUSIVE CLEAN STRAW TOTE BAG, SOUTH BEACH, £22.00 BOTTOM: VINTAGE 70S STRAW RAFFIA PARISIAN CHIC SHOULDER MINI BAG, ASOS MARKETPLACE, £19.00

3. Consider the fabrics you purchase carefully. Opt for organic cotton wherever you can, as well as other natural options like linen, hemp and raffia. Recycled fabrics are much more prevalent these days too!

4. Buy less and recycle! The fact is that we probably buy a lot more than we actually need. Invest in items that will remain on high rotation in your wardrobe for seasons to come. When the time comes GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

to get rid of old stuff, always opt for donation or recycling.

5. Do your research and read labels. Most eco-related information is communicated transparently in product packaging, whether that’s water usage or information about recycling. Making informed decisions is the most powerful position you can put yourself in as a consumer.

6. Shop from small local businesses where you can, as well as considering vintage and charity shops.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

LEFT: NATURAL STRAW CIRCLE SHOPPER BAG, ASOS DESIGN, £25.00 RIGHT: SEB NATURAL STRAW CROSS BODY BAG, TOPSHOP, PRICE £29.00

A ‘PIZZA’ WHAT YOU LIKE

In this Covid-19 world there is a lot of uncertainty, but one thing that has remained consistent since the word was first documented in 997 AD in Gaeta, Italy, is our love for pizza.

To pineapple or not to pineapple? These ones do not, but they do have banana.

Before you turn to social media to rant about such an atrocity towards the sacred pizza, I say try it before you slate it!

HOMAGE TO BIANCA’S

•

10g tinned red pepper

Inspired by the Marina Bay restaurant’s tropical pizza.

•

15g pine nuts

•

15g seeds and dried fruit mix

INGREDIENTS

•

•

1 pizza base, I use Casa Tarradellas from Eroski

10g ‘bacon’ crumble, available in Morrisons

•

1 tbsp dried oregano

•

3 tbsp pizza sauce (or tomate frito)

•

1 handful vegan cheese

•

½ banana

•

2 tbsp desiccated coconut

•

2 tsp capers

86

• METHOD 1. Spoon and spread the pizza sauce on the base, sprinkle half of the cheese and then add banana,

coconut, red pepper, capers, pine nuts, seeds and dried fruit.

2. Top with the remaining cheese and the oregano.

3. Bake in the oven for 12-14 minutes at 225°C. 4. Once cooked add the ‘bacon’ crumble and top with homemade vegan parmesan cheese (recipe can be found on the Gib Mag website) and cracked black pepper.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

Recipe by The Gibraltar Vegan - instagram.com/thegibraltarvegan

KONA

A more traditional pizza, called Kona after my husband’s favourite place on earth.

INGREDIENTS:

•

2 stems of wild garlic, sliced

•

•

1 tbsp dried oregano

1 pizza base, I use Casa Tarradellas available from Eroski

•

3 tbsp pizza sauce (or tomate frito)

•

1 handful vegan cheese

•

2 cup mushrooms, sliced

•

1 tomato sliced

•

10 black olives

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

2. Top with the remaining cheese and the oregano.

METHOD:

3. Bake in the oven for 12-14 minutes at 225°C.

1. Spoon and spread the pizza sauce on the base, sprinkle half of the cheese and then add mushrooms, tomato, olives and wild garlic.

4. Once cooked, top with homemade vegan parmesan cheese (recipe can be found on the Gib Mag website) and freshly cracked black pepper.

87

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

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

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

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.

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

Gibraltar Services Police Emergency Nos: (5) 5026 / (5) 3598 Gibraltar Public Holidays 2020 New Year’s Day Commonwealth Day Good Friday Easter Monday

Monday 1st Jan Monday 09th Mar Friday 10th Apr Monday 13nd Apr

Workers Memorial Day Tuesday 28th Apr May Day

Friday 1st May

75th anniversary of VE Day Friday 8th May Spring Bank Holiday

Monday 25th May

Queen’s Birthday

Monday 15th June

Late Summer Bank Holiday

Monday 31st Aug

Gibraltar National Day Tuesday 10th Sept Christmas Day Boxing Day

Friday 25th Dec Thursday 28th Dec

SUPPORT GROUPS ADHD Gibraltar adhdgibraltar@gmail.com facebook.com/ADHDGibraltar/ 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.

COPE Support group for people with Multiple Sclerosis, Fibromyalgia or Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Meetings at Catholic Community Centre Book

88

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 Family and Community Centre, Mid Harbours Estate, Bishop Caruana Road. 54007676 or 54014484.

Gamblers Anonymous Telephone: 54001520 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: dyslexia.gi Gibraltar Hearing Issues & Tinnitus Association Voicemail: (+350) 200 66755, Text Message (SMS): (+350) 54066055, Correspondence Charity P.O. Box 90220, Gibraltar. Email: info@ ghita.gi, Facebook: Gibraltar Hearing Issues & Tinnitus Association (GHITA & BSL Club), Our support group meets the first Monday of every month at Suite 3, Kings Bastion Leisure Centre as from 5pm.

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 JUNE 2020

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 Arts Society Gibraltar: Monthly illustrated talks open to the public.

Registration from 6:30pm every 3rd Wednesday of the month. Guest fee £12.

We meet at The Garrison Library. Contact gibraltar@theartssociety.org or Claus Olesen on 54036666. Website with all informaiton is gibraltar.theartssociety.org 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: Hip-hop/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 the 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, monthly, 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’Reilley’s 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 Leeds United Gibraltar Supporters Club.

Meet at The Trafalgar Sports Bar 1 Rosia Road when live matches are on. All Leeds United supporters and their families are welcome. Join Leeds United Gibraltar Supporters club at: facebook.com/luscgib 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

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

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.

Cheerleading 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’ cricket- league & 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 Ice Skating: Gibraltar Rock Stars Figure Skating Club lessons every Tuesday evening & Saturday morning, all levels including adults. Contact grsfsc@gmail.com or 58700000 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 the 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 throughout 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. MonThur 6.30-8pm at Kings Bastion Leisure Centre and Sat 9am-1pm at the Yoga Centre, 33 Town Range. Tel: Dilip 200 78714.

Tennis and Paddle Tennis: Sandpits Club.

Junior and adult training available. info : www. sandpits.club. Tel (Louis) 20077035 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.

89

information

FLIGHT SCHEDULE JUNE 2020 DAY

FLIGHT NO.

AIRLINE

FROM

ARRIVES

FLIGHT NO. DEPARTS

TO

Monday

BA0492

British Airways

Heathrow

16:25

BA0493

17:15

Heathrow

Wednesday

BA0492

British Airways

Heathrow

16:25

BA0493

17:15

Heathrow

Friday

BA0490

British Airways

Heathrow

16:25

BA0491

17:15

Heathrow

Sunday

BA0490

British Airways

Heathrow

16:25

BA0491

17:15

Heathrow

This schedule is correct at time of print. For up to date details and changes visit www.gibraltarairport.gi

02 June '20 - 08 June '20

DUTY PHARMACY OPENING HOURS

09 June ‘20 – 15 June ‘20

Monday to Friday (7pm to 9pm) Weekends & public holidays (11am to 1pm & 6pm to 8pm)

16 June ‘20 –22 June ‘20

For updates, check facebook.com/PharmaGuide

23 June ‘20 – 29 June ‘20

30 June ‘20 –06 July ‘20

Ocean Pharmacy

Unit 2, Ocean Village Avenue 200 76822

New Chemist Pharmacy

19 Main Street 200 45039

Omega Pharmacy

13 Cooperage Lane 200 44544

Trafalgar Pharmacy

48-50 Main Street 20071710

Family Pharmacy

151 Main Street 200 77231

CHESS PUZZLE ANSWER: Sacrifice the bishop!

19. Qxf7 Rxg5 20. Nc5+ Kc8 21. Nxe6 Black’s position is devastated and he now resigned.

90

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

Show Us Your Mag!

Thank you to Maddie Biddlecombe and her beautiful family for sending in this fab photo!

Want to enter our competition? Snap a picture of you, your children (furry, scaly, feathery or human!) or your friends holding the magazine, and you could win a week's worth of meals at Supernatural!

(Competition ends 20th July. Winner announced in our August issue.)

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2020

Listen on 99.2 FM & DAB+ on the Mobile App or Online at www.rockradio.gi

Š ALAN CLARKE

thegibraltarmagazine

Liked by you and 365,999 others thegibraltarmagazine Š Alan Clarke. Have you taken a picture in or of Gibraltar? Snap and send to editor@thegibraltarmagazine.com! thegibraltarmagazine #gibgems #gibraltar #thegibraltarmagazine #gibraltarmagazine #publication #visitgibraltar #therockofgibraltar #mediterraneanlife

Kid's Korner SPOT THE DIFFERENCE

Can you find the 5 differences between the sandcastles below?

SENIORS D E L TEACEFOR L TWO N A C A Little English/B2 Projects initiative to help combat seniors' loneliness

Live M usic

BBQ

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Music, hot & cold drinks, sandwiches, cakes & socialising.

Every 2nd Tuesday of the month, at 2pm.

Calpe Rowing Club

seniorsteafortwo@gmail.com +350 54008999

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

coffee time CROSSWORD 1

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1. Shakespearean Dane (6)

1. Hurry up (6)

4. Majestic; month (6)

2. Irish county (5)

9. Surgeon’s knife (7)

3. Ruler; species of penguin (7)

10. Spanish friend (5)

5. Japanese savoury flavouring (5)

11. Surrey town (5) 11

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6. Joining up (7)

13. Avian output impossible to fry it is said (7,4)

7. Garden tool (6) 8. Row (11)

18. Blade attached to a firearm (7)

14. Shakespearean moneylender (7)

20. Cube; number in a boat race crew (8)

15. Satire by Samuel Butler (7)

22. Egg-shaped (5)

16. Soak up (6)

23. Shakespearean Moor (7)

17. In the highest degree (2,4)

24. Premises where bread, cakes etc made (6)

25

19. Lowest point (5)

25. Noble; chess man (6)

& YOU COULD WIN

SUDOKU

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

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PROFITING FROM THE LOCKDOWN BY

BY GRANDMASTER RAY KEENE OBE For the past month or so here in London we have been faced with a total lockdown caused by the coronavirus Covid-19. The question is, how to turn such enforced leisure time to one’s advantage? For chess enthusiasts the answer is easy, start playing on the internet. There are many excellent sites where fans can learn, play 24/7, and access classic games. Good examples are www. chess.com and www.chessgames. com.

A further solution is to brush up on your chess teaching literature, especially if you are a parent with

coffee time aspiring youngsters. A good recommendation is Junior Chess Training by Julian Simpole, the former coach of Luke McShane and David Howell, helping to bring both of them towards Grandmaster standard.

This month’s game demonstrates that Julian is also an incisive practitioner of the game, as well as being an exponent of chess theory.

Julian Simpole vs. Edward Winter Hove, 1973 Ruy Lopez Opening 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 White’s next move introduces the popular Ruy Lopez opening named after the 16th century Spanish priest, said to be a court favourite of King Philip II. 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 O-O

White's next move offers a gambit to avoid the dangerous line 8 c3 d5 introduced by the American Grandmaster Frank Marshall in a famous game against Capablanca.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JUNE 2020

8.d4 exd4 9.e5 Ne8 10.c3 dxc3 11.Nxc3 Na5 12.Bc2 Bb7 13.Ne4 f6 Black challenges White’s advanced pawn on e5 , but this thrust weakens his king’s field. Black should instead consider 13...c5 or even removing a threatening white piece by means of ...Bxe4.

14.Qd3 fxe5

White’s sacrifice could evidently not be accepted.

19.Ne5 Rg7 20.Rh4 Bd6 21.f4 Qe7 One might describe Black’s parlous state here as a desolate Winter of discontent, to quote Shakespeare.

White’s remaining army now mobilises smoothly and swiftly and against this mighty concentration of power, Black has no adequate defence.

It now looks as if White can unleash a deadly battery against Black’s pawn on h7 by moving his knight on e4. However, that does not lead to anything clear. White prefers to concentrate his forces in the centre.

22.Bd2 Nb7 23.Re1 Qf8 24.Bb3+ Kh8 25.Ng6+ Rxg6 26.Qxg6 Qg7 27.Qxg7+ Kxg7 28.Bc3 Nc5 29.Rg4+

15.Nxe5 Bxe4 16.Rxe4 Nf6 17.Rf4 g6

And Winter resigned.

PUZZLE:

From the game Julian Simpole vs.

Julian Hardinge, Brighton 1971 White’s Queen is under attack and his bishop behind the queen is also vulnerable. How should White proceed?

White had been threatening Rxf6 followed by an incursion against the vulnerable h7 pawn. But after the text move the general weaknesses around Black’s king become insuperable and White crashes through.

18.Nxg6 Rf7

Answer on page 90 97

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little dictionary

furlough noun a temporary layoff from work

e.g. The school worked hard to ensure no teachers were put on furlough.

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