The Gibraltar Magazine May 2021

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE May 2021 | Vol.26 #07

THE

Albert Hammond AN (EXTRA)ORDINARY GUY

BEAUTY ADDICT

HERBALISM IN GIBRALTAR

MAMA LOTTIES

LET’S TALK REAL

THE SKIN BARRIER

LOCAL VEGAN COOKBOOK

MOROCCO TRAVEL THE MAGIC OF THE TANGIA

THE RISE OF PHYTOMEDICINE

POSTNATAL DEPRESSION

EASY SPRING STYLING BUTTON-DOWNS AND BRADIGANS

Obtain first-hand legal experience working alongside Partners, Associates, and Trainees for up to two weeks in a range of different practice areas.

The Micro-Pupillage Scheme is aimed at school students considering a career in law. Two schemes will be held this year: • Monday 5th July - Friday 9th July 2021 and • Monday 2nd August - Friday 6th August 2021

Application deadline: 07/05/2021

The Mini-Pupillage Scheme is aimed at anyone studying Law at university, who may be interested in our Training Contract Scheme in the near future. Two schemes will be held: • Monday 5th July – Friday 16th July 2021 and • Monday 2nd August - Friday 13th August 2021

from the editor

MAY ISSUE EDITOR'S NOTE I’ve been very excited for you to read this issue, due in no small part to our interview with a music legend who, as you’ve probably spotted on our cover, is none other than Albert Hammond Sr. Not only is he knowledgeable about music, but he knows a good cake shop when he sees one (p. 36).

MARCH WINDS AND APRIL SHOWERS BRING FORTH MAY FLOWERS.

Our beauty guru is back with some top tips on taking care of our largest organ – our skin! Learn how to spot the symptoms of a damaged skin barrier (flaky skin, anyone?), the causes, and – thankfully – how to heal it (p. 77).

Caitlin teases us with an article on Morocco and the tastebud-tantalising ‘tangia’, whetting our appetite for some post-pandemic travel (p. 61), whilst Instagrammers Emma and Jamie (@wondersofwine) take us on a journey through Cadiz, revealing their best food and wine finds (p. 64).

This month, we learn all about animal behaviours in A Zookeeper's Diary (p.

29), and our teenage scientist is back with some fascinating facts about a diverse group of lizards known as ‘anoles’ (p. 24).

Let’s Talk Real deals with hard-hitting topics, in the hope that at least one reader can feel supported. In this issue, Isobel speaks to Natalia Ruiz Adnett about a common issue that affects many young mums – postnatal depression (p. 26).

We’ve been busy reaching out to the interesting individuals who help make up our diverse community; Richard speaks to Mariangeles Mascarenhas of Luis Photos, our very own Aladdin’s cave of photography and happy memories of days gone by (p. 32), Carmen interviews DC Mojib Benhakim (p. 22) and new novelist Liam Roche (p. 40), and Elena sits down with the ‘lighthouse watercolourist’, David Staunton Browne (p. 43).

Happy reading!

facebook.com/gibmag twitter.com/gibmag instagram.com/thegibraltarmagazine

4

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

Furry Friends

Daisy

Lulu

Jack

Mickey

These stylish pups are loving their new Gib Mag leads!

Would your furry friend like one? Head down to 241 Main Street (Masbro) to pick up your very own – for free!

Don’t forget to take a photo and tag #GibMagPets for a chance to be featured.

EDITOR: Sophie Clifton-Tucker editor@thegibraltarmagazine.com

24

DESIGN: Justin Bautista design@thegibraltarmagazine.com SPORTS REPORTER: Georgios Tontos SALES: Advertising Team sales@thegibraltarmagazine.com DISTRIBUTION: DHL martin@matrix.gi ACCOUNTS: Paul Cox paul@thegibraltarmagazine.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Alex Orfila Andrew Licudi Caitlin Scott Carmen Anderson Elena Scialtiel Emma and Jamie Zammitt Eran and Ayelet Mamo Shay Georgios Tontos Isobel Ellul James Allan Jess Leaper Joel Francis Jorge v.Rein Parlade Julia Coelho Liana Peklivanas Marco Arturo Sophie Clifton-Tucker Paul Hughes Pete Wolstencroft Richard Cartwright Thomas Maxwell

80

64

Views and opinions within articles are contributor's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the magazine.

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 © 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

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

29

86

content

43

08 Hello There: What is your favourite quote?

LEISURE

10 News

56 The Paris Judgement: Blind Wine Tasting

16 Charity in the Community

BUSINESS 18 Scouting for Success: Technological Change 20 The Case Method

LIFE 22 No Stone Unturned: DC Mojib Benhakim 24 The Teenage Scientist: Lizards 26 Let’s Talk Real: Postnatal Depression

7385

54 Herbalism in Gibraltar

61 The Magic of the Tangia 64 The Wonders of Wine (and Food) 67 The Scoreboard 71 The Urology Guys: Me and My Prostate (Part II) 73 Arabian Influencers 77 Confessions of a Beauty Addict: The Skin Barrier 80 Easy Spring Styling

REGULARS

29 A Zookeeper’s Diary: Animal Behaviours

86 Recipes: Gazpacho and Flan de Coco.

32 Last Man Standing: Luis Photos

93 #GibsGems

88 Information 94 Kids Korner

SCENE

95 Coffee Time

36 Just an (Extra)Ordinary Guy: Albert Hammond Sr 40 Solporians: Evils of Shadow Mountain 43 The Lighthouse Watercolourist 47 Art Club: How to Draw the Eurasian Sparrowhawk 50 Bookish: Join Our Monthly Book Club!

52 Mama Lotties: New Vegan Cookbook Don't forget to find the Hungry Monkey!

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

7

hello there

IF YOU COULD GO ANYWHERE WHERE WOULD YOU GO & WITH WHO?

Clare Francis, 39 Teacher Any opportunity to travel sounds good to me right now, but if I had to choose where to go first I would love somewhere in South America, maybe Peru.

I would take Sherlock Holmes with me, firstly because he would spot any danger and secondly because I’d love to sit and be nosey with him while he figures out everyone’s secrets in two seconds flat!

Caroline Wilson, 45 Teacher After such stressful times I think I would choose somewhere relaxing and beautiful like Lake Como. I’d take Michael Mcintyre with me to make me laugh.

Want to see yourself or your team featured here?

Get in touch at editor@thegibraltarmagazine.com and we'll send you our monthly question!

8

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

hello there

Joey Imossi, 52 Director I have always wanted to visit Canada, tour the country and get lost in the Rockies and after the year we have had that sounds fantastic to me. I would probably ask Johnny Depp as I have enjoyed most of his films. The variety of characters he has portrayed from Edward Scissor Hands to Willy Wonka and Jack Sparrow and everything in between, most of which are a little bit ‘out there’ makes me think he would be an entertaining travel companion which would help in getting away from it all.

Camille Gill, 48 Classroom Assistant.

I would go to Lourdes with Mother Teresa. She had inspired me my whole life and I would love to be in her company in such a holy and special place.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

9

news GIBRALTAR’S TRAVEL INDUSTRY POST-BREXIT As the UK lockdown eases and the Covid rates come down, travel operators say that demand for trips to Gibraltar is expected to be high once Brits can holiday overseas.

With the Rock having vaccinated its entire adult population, tour operators are saying that it’s being seen as one of the safest places to take a break once restrictions are lifted.

Although many smaller companies may not have survived the crisis, MyGibraltar.co.uk is arguably the largest British based company

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED The Gibraltar Cat Welfare Society is looking for volunteers to help feed and care for their cats. If you’re genuinely interested and are able to spare around 2-3 hours a week, please contact them on Facebook: Gibraltar Cat Welfare Society. Thank you.

currently offering holidays in the British Overseas Territory. Director Ali Faque says that there is a great deal of pent-up demand, with a high hit rate on web searches and enquiries. “Gibraltar may well be one of the first places people consider visiting,” he says. “Once the restrictions are lifted the fear factor will still be present. People will be looking for places in the sun with all the activities and attractions that Gibraltar has to offer while knowing that they do so in relative safety, and of course the UK Gibraltar relationship is very strong.”

Paola Mason who is the People Operations Manager at Blands Travel, who organise excursions and tours in Gibraltar, says that people can’t wait to be able to travel. “A great many prospective UK visitors

ARCHBISHOP MARK GERARD MILES Known affectionately on the Rock as Father Mark, The Most Reverend Mark Gerard Miles was last month ordained as an Archbishop and began his role as Apostolic Nuncio to the West African countries of Benin and Togo.

Monsignor Miles was born in Gibraltar in 1967, and ordained a priest in 1996, and incardinated into the Diocese of Gibraltar.

are booking online and then pushing back the dates depending on when travel restrictions lift.”

Pre-Covid, Gibraltar received around 11 million visitors a year, contributing 25-30% of GDP Although numbers will be greatly reduced it’s likely that the tourism industry can look forward to a British influx some time after the 17th of May, when restrictions are being reviewed. As of the 12th April restrictions on social gatherings will be eased in Britain and nonessential shops will re-open. More than 33 million people in the UK have now received their first Covid vaccination, with many getting their second dose in the next 2-3 months.

By Caitlin Scott

General Affairs of the Secretariat of State and most recently in the Holy See Observer Mission to the Organization of American States in Washington DC. The ordination ceremony was held at the Europa Sports Centre, and was attended by 800 people, including VIPs from the Vatican and the UK. With a warm heart we wish Father Mark all the very best in his new role.

He entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See in 2003, and subsequently worked in the Pontifical Representations in Ecuador and Hungry, then in the Section for 10

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

news MAY DAY CELEBRATIONS 2021 May Day Celebrations will this year be broadcast on GBC TV and the GCS Facebook page.

JF Dance, Transitions, MAG Musicians, The Adrian Pisarello Band Universe, Layla Rose, Nicholas Olivero, Surianne and Levanter Breeze. All the sessions have been pre-recorded prior to airing, in keeping with the COVID-19 regulations at the time.

The production will feature the Gibraltar Youth Choir, Showdance,

HM Government of Gibraltar and the organisers invite everyone in

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

Gibraltar to view the May Day Celebrations on TV or online, on Saturday 1st May 2021. The timings of this exciting line up will be released very shortly.

For further information please contact the Events Department, Gibraltar Cultural Services on telephone 20067236 or email: info@culture.gi

11

news SUPPORTING THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN GIBRALTAR The PJI Foundation have teamed up with Kusuma Trust Gibraltar to fund a pilot project that will support young people with mental health issues.

The JM Memorial Foundation is a local charity which focuses on “value-based education, participation and inclusion.” Over a period of 12-18 months, the charity will work with young people aged between 16 and 25 to build a needs-profile for each individual in order to offer practical psychological support, assistance

with educational or employment needs, and guidance for their continued social integration into the community.

Kusuma Trust Gibraltar and the PJI Foundation have donated £8,000 to this worthy cause, which will enable the charity to identify and work with young people in need of support, providing them with the necessary tools to improve their mental health.

The charity hopes that the project will demonstrate that early, proactive intervention and personalised support for each individual, leads to a reduction in relapses and a long-lasting positive impact for the individuals as well as the community.

STREET ART MURAL WALK Gibraltar Cultural Services on behalf of the Ministry of Culture is launching a new Street Art Mural walk, which it will be promoting as a flyer and online.

The flyer aims to promote the artwork found in different areas within the City Centre. The flyer will encourage residents and tourists alike to visit each site and appreciate the work that has been produced by numerous artists. There are currently twelve complete murals, some site-specific depicting different styles and concepts, with a series also promoting prominent Gibraltarian artist Gustavo Bacarisas.

This publicity material is in addition to the Art Walk Tours that promote Gibraltar’s art galleries, namely the Mario Finlayson National Gallery at the City Hall, the Fine Arts Gallery at Casemates and the GEMA at Montagu Bastion.

You can access the flyer online on www.culture.gi/forms

12

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

news

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 MAY 2021

13

news TOVEY COTTAGE NATURAL HISTORY FIELD CENTRE INAUGURATED The Minister for the Environment, Professor John Cortes, has today officially inaugurated a new Natural History Field Centre in the Gibraltar Nature Reserve. Located along Queen’s Road near Princess Caroline’s Battery, the site known as Tovey Cottage will now serve as an educational facility in the heart of the Nature Reserve for schools and young people to enjoy as part of project- based nature learning initiatives. The Centre will also be used to help raise awareness on the wealth of biodiversity found in the Gibraltar.

GIBRALTAR SPRING FESTIVAL 2021 SPRING VISUAL ARTS COMPETITION The Visual Arts competition is open to Gibraltarians and residents of Gibraltar aged 16 and over as of 25th May 2021. A maximum of five entries may be submitted by each artist but not more than two per category and a £10 per entry fee is applicable. Works must be 14

original and not previously entered competitively, except for entries submitted to the Ministry’s art competition for Young Artists.

Entry forms and full conditions are available from: • The Fine Arts Gallery, Casemates • John Mackintosh Hall, 308 Main Street • GEMA Gallery, Montagu Bastion, Line Wall Road • Mario Finlayson Gallery, John Mackintosh Square

• E-mail: info@culture.gi • Website: www.culture.gi Entry forms and artworks for the video category may be handed in at the City Hall, John Mackintosh Square, as from Monday 12th April between 9am and 4pm.

The closing date for entries is Wednesday 14th April 2021.

Entries for all other categories may be handed in at the Gustavo Bacarisas Gallery, as from Wednesday 12th May 2021 between 3pm and 7pm. Closing date for receipt of entries is Friday 14th May 2021.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

news PUNNY CORNER A polar bear walks into a bar and says to the bartender “I’ll have a rum ………… and coke.”

The bartender asks, “What’s with the big pause?”

The bear shrugs. “I was born with them.”

Thanks to Joel for sending in this pun! Do you have one to share?

Email editor@thegibraltarmagazine.com!

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

15

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

17

business

SCOUTING FOR SUCCESS

Nokia, Kodak or General Motors have one thing in common. The former leading companies of the world economy have overslept an important trend and have thus slipped into insignificance.

N

okia has overslept the trend towards smartphones, Kodak has completely misjudged digital photography and General Motors (GM) has recognised the demand for greener cars far too late. Technology scouting would have prevented these companies from overlooking or misjudging relevant developments.

Digitalisation is accelerating the pace of technological change. This promises many opportunities. But especially for established companies, the risk of underestimating the potential of a new technology or even overlooking it is increasing. The attitude "We have our market niche, in which we will still generate our sales in the next 10 years” can even become the fate of really large companies.

WHAT IS TECHNOLOGY SCOUTING? Technology Scouting is a part of trend research which deals with the regular and systematic 18

observation of technological developments and the early recognition of emerging technologies. In contrast to Technology Watching, where the focus is on monitoring existing technologies (e.g. maturity of 3D printing), Technology Scouting can be understood as the proactive search for new technologies (e.g. Scout recognises the trend towards 4D printing in advance). Technology Scouting is thus a starting point for a long-term alignment between innovative external technologies and internal requirements of an existing organisation for strategic purposes.

TECHNOLOGY SCOUTING IMPROVES INNOVATION CAPABILITY Technology Scouting not only anticipates technological changes and new markets, but also minimises innovation risks and reduces the pressure on the R&D department. The key benefits of technology scouting include:

The risk of underestimating the potential of a new technology is increasing.

1. INCREASE IN INNOVATIVE STRENGTH Technology Scouting supports efficient and effective innovation management, especially in innovation search field evaluation, idea generation and project management. The integration of external ideas and technologies significantly improves a company's ability to innovate - regardless of the size of the company and its research and development facilities.

2. REDUCTION OF THE DANGER OF DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGIES Disruptive technologies have

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

business product in view of shortened technology and innovation cycles.

Technology scouting can relieve the burden on the internal R&D department. The capacities released as a result can then be focused on the core competencies of the R&D department and their effectiveness increased.

the potential to replace existing products and technologies as far as possible or to completely sweep them off the market. One of the key threats to competitiveness in many industries is the inability to identify long-term technology trends or disruptive technologies too late or at all. Sometimes because they arise outside their own industry and thus outside the corporate radar. One example is Blockbuster, which has long been one of the market leaders in video and film distribution.

Due to the rapid development of video streaming services (e.g.

Netflix), Blockbuster lost so many of its customers in just three years that it had to file for bankruptcy in 2010. Technology scouting prevents technological trends or potentially disruptive technologies - as in the case of Blockbuster from being overlooked.

3. LESS BURDEN ON THE INTERNAL R&D DEPARTMENT In many cases, the capacities of R&D departments are too small to guarantee the necessary degree of innovation for a new GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

4. IDENTIFICATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF EMERGING MARKETS Corporate growth is an essential factor for the long-term success of a company. Technology Scouting supports a company in identifying emerging markets and their technologies. Moreover, the globalisation of technology development makes it necessary to observe technology trends at the global level.

CONCLUSION: TECHNOLOGY SCOUTING CREATES COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES Passively waiting for technological developments is no longer enough today. Companies must actively screen existing and emerging technologies in order to secure their competitiveness and innovative ability. Technology scouting can serve as an early warning system for relevant technological changes. Technology scouting works best in cooperation with an external service provider.

This cooperation prevents the blindness of companies of any size from suffering. Indeed, on numerous occasions we have seen that our technology scouting

services have saved Gibraltar based companies from spending huge amounts on developing in-house solutions, while we were able to match them with the right technology provider at a fraction of the cost. Moreover, through our contacts in over 50 countries, and through Innovation Tours that we organise (where clients meet 10-15 innovative solution providers, either inperson or virtually) Gibraltar-based companies are able to access technology ecosystems in different corners of the world, thereby giving them exposure to new ideas and solutions that many local companies may have never heard about.

If a company is serious about responding quickly to the ways customer behaviours are changing, the start-ups that are gaining momentum in its industry, and the new technologies that ought to be integrated into its offerings, then active technology scouting will ensure it will maintain its competitive edge.

Eran Shay,

Managing Director &

Ayelet Mamo Shay,

Business Development Director of Benefit Business Solutions Ltd. (+350) 200 73669 general@benefitgibraltar.com

19

business

THE CASE METHOD George Carpentier; fashion designer and producer.

G

eorge Carpentier originated form Paris but moved to London at an early age. He was a well-known character in the international fashion circles of the eighties. He started making saddle and bridle leather belts and accessories in Ubrique close to where his grandfather owned an orange farm plantation in the North of Cadiz.

He managed at the time to build quite a successful little business, with very little capital except for some odd $20.000 which were left over from his grandfathers inheritance and after sort of completing his education at Cambridge University where he read History at one of the main colleges.

Whilst up at Cambridge, George was very popular amongst his 20

peers, and quite responsible and capable, so he managed to lead a good life and simultaneously pursue his education. To quote his own words, he worked hard and played hard as well. He was a keen golfer and tennis amateur.

Years later when he set up in business he spent some important time researching markets where to introduce his small but cute fashion collection. After a short while he was selling his belts, wallets and other leather accessories to the best stores in Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao and other main cities of Spain.

He was a master copying the best designs of Italy and France which he would produce by local craftsmen and market to his established clientele. His forte was his unique marketing skills together with his tremendous drive and ability to convince the

To quote his own words, he worked hard and played hard as well. most difficult buyers to order his exclusive belts, which had already gained a good reputation. One sale helped to achieve another and in this way George Carpentier became very well established. He built his company from scratch and in five years his turnover was well over the million mark, selling his products in the best stores of London, Paris, New York, Tokyo and Sydney.

After his second year in business he met Ronald Winters, who was a top brass buckle manufacturer of The East Midlands of England.

Ronald convinced George to move GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

business his production to England where the best saddlers in existence were located. In those days, China was not in the trade, or at least not to the degree it was to reach in future years.

George moved back to England transferring his production line to several small factories in the UK. This proved to be a turning point in his fashion career. Europe was in general terms a synonymous of quality fashion products and Made in England was highly

Thank Goodness that he never put all his eggs in the same basket. desirable particularly in first class markets like the USA, Japan and Australia along with Europe itself.

George attended the best menswear shows in Paris twice each year in September and February and did so for years to come, making some major contacts and building a massive local French market. The best stores in Paris including Berteil, Upla, Hemispheres, Printemps, Manfield, Agnes B and a vast list too long to mention became part of The French success.

In the mid-eighties George Carpentier made his move to the US market and spent long periods of time developing the market there. In less than two years the best retailers of New York, Chicago and California were retailing his superb mens belts. His turnover had been multiplied several times since the early days and the company GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

was doing very well. On a certain day a Japanese fashion company approached George at a fashion show in New York and asked him if he would consider selling his venture to the Japanese Group.

George Carpentier was not sure of whether he would sell off or not. Had it been a European company he would have certainly considered selling and probably keeping a minority interest in the company. But this company was an entirely different story, being located thousands of miles away from England and in an entirely different jurisdiction with a language George could not speak or understand. He eventually sold out to them for what he considered to be an attractive sum which could provide with enough capital to start a new venture. Possibly in fashion or in another different business field.

George was 29 years old and had established his fashion business some 7 years earlier.

What made George Carpentier close the deal with the Japanese?

Was it that the company had reached its peak sales figure?

When George started back in 1982 he struggled at the beginning but he was determined to make it to a high degree and this, as it most often happens, came at a heavy cost. George had to sacrifice a lot, he hardly had a personal life, worked non stop for years, hardly ever taking a holiday or a break. His mind was totally set to make his venture fly and he did not have time for anything else. He disliked parties and wasting time. All he wanted was to see his company achieve success.

George suffered a set-back from a dodgy manufacturer who stole all his designs and sold them

secretly to other cheap sources using inferior quality products.

Thank Goodness that he never put all his eggs in the same basket so he immediately switched his production to other reliable sources and managed to recover in less than a season. Was this an important factor to make George Carpentier sell off?

Finally, one day George’s father mentioned to him that because of his business commitments he was flying much more than a commercial aviation pilot, and however much money he was making, if he set his mind to property development, he could probably make substantially more doing a fraction of the work and closing deals in the golf course.

Was his father right or wrong? It did not take too long to calculate the thousands and thousands of leather belts he had to produce to match the vast profits that could be obtained from a medium size property deal concluded in the French Riviera of The Algarve.

Was this a turning point in his decision?

Jorge v.Rein Parlade MBA Business Consultant +350 54045282 jorgeparlade@aol.com

21

life

life

NO STONE UNTURNED DC MOJIB BENHAKIM

DC Mojib Benhakim of the RGP is the first Moroccan-born officer to join the force. The Gibraltar Magazine spoke with him about his journey from a boyhood in Tetouan, to becoming one of the Rock’s police officers.

BY CARMEN ANDERSON

M

ojib Benhakim has always had an interest in helping people, and had wanted to find a career path which made him feel fulfilled and gave him a sense of achievement. He especially wanted to help the local community and have a positive impact on other people’s lives.

was a challenge for him to be able to learn the language and it took him some time to come to grips with English. While spoken English came more easily, the written language was more difficult to master. This meant that educational achievements came a little bit later for Mojib than for most young people in Gibraltar.

It was at a time when Mojib was giving his future career some considerable thought that the RGP launched one of their recruitment campaigns.

This caught his attention and he discovered that the RGP was looking for skills which he felt he could offer. He took the plunge, made the application and has been working with the RGP for the past 9 years.

At the age of 21, after a period of work, he returned to full time education at the Gibraltar College, gaining 9 GCSEs and 3 A levels; “It was only after the age of 21 when I realised that I could achieve a lot and that I had a lot of potential.

I wanted to feel that I was doing something for the community and that is why I pushed myself to work for the RGP. It was a big sacrifice, and it wasn’t easy, but it was so worth it.”

Arriving in Gibraltar as a boy of 13 years, born and raised in the north Moroccan port of Tetouan, Mojib could speak Moroccan and French, but no English. It 22

Mojib’s determination and skills led him to be accepted into the RGP as a recruit, entering the RGP training school; a tough

challenge which included weekly exams. Nine years on and Mojib has worked in almost all aspects of policing, including the Neighbourhood Policing Team and the Marine Section, the latter of which is a particular favourite of his.

While he enjoys all aspects of working with the RGP, he particularly appreciates the variety that comes with the job; “I love how every day is different. One day you could be arresting someone, the next you are working as more of a social worker, and the next, you’re a medic! You are literally doing everything, and I love it. I’ve worked with the RGP for almost 9 years and there has been no stone that I have left unturned. My skill set is varied and so I can be used in many different departments.”

Mojib hopes to spend as much time working within the RGP as he can; “Not many people can say GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

life

Mojib and a colleague.

"It was a big sacrifice, and it wasn’t easy, but it was so worth it." that they love their job, but I can say that when you do, then you know you’re going to stay in that job for the rest of your life.”

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

that will be required of you and you face challenges that few other people will have to face. But, if you like the job, and you want to help people, the RGP is the best place to do it. If you have this sort of mentality, I would definitely recommend that you apply. You will love it.”

DC Mojib Benhakim

Mojib knows that there are people out there who have the same ambition of helping the community as he did, and some might be considering working with the RGP: “It is not an easy job,” he advises anybody considering a career in the police force, “it is something that demands a lot of you. There are many sacrifices

23

life

The Teenage Scientist

Picture a beautiful, sunny day in the Bahamas. Your face becomes a playground for the refreshing breeze that radiates from the waves that crash into the sediment on your very own island. Suddenly you notice a problem – you've just fallen from the branches because your legs are too long to grip them. That’s right: you’re a lizard, Harry. A member of the Anolis genus to be precise (you could've gotten worse, just ask Kafka).

BY MARCO ARTURO

A

noles are a diverse group of lizards native to the Americas, which present a wide range of adaptations according to their niche. You’ll find anoles with quite long and muscular legs, helpful for gripping tree trunks, as well as some with tiny legs adapted for life on small twigs.

Agroup of scientists led by Professor Jonathan Losos experimented on small, lizard-free Caribbean islands monopolized by thin branches and twigs. They introduced two species; the brown anole, whose long legs help it run on trunks and thick branches, and the larger, predatory curly-tailed lizard, which is adapted for hunting on the ground. The researchers found that in just six months, the brown anole’s average leg length increased, so as to run away from the curly-tailed lizard more efficiently.

24

But soon after that, the opposite had started to happen: their legs became significantly shorter to make them fitter for life in the twigs.

In just a year, the most impressive phenomenon in the known universe, responsible for the diversity of the 350,000 known species of beetles, the majestic sequoias, and antibiotic resistance manifested itself: evolution by natural selection.

Marco Arturo

A common misconception is that animals, such as anoles, evolve.

But Harold the brown anole’s legs didn’t grow nor did they shorten over his lifespan. No, populations evolve. Our genes are a set of

Who do you think the birds were more likely to spot now, huh? instructions for how to make a copy of ourselves. But this is far from perfect - when cells divide, GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

life Marco Arturo

around 120,000 copying errors are usually made. This is why you’re not an identical copy of your sibling. Actually, ever met a group of a suspiciously large number of siblings? They’ve all got their own thing going on; one is quite tall, one likes math, one has three times the muscle mass of another, and one is just like yourself… I don’t know what your thing is supposed to be, honestly.

The same differences are noticeable in any set of siblings, ever; there’s quite a bit of variation between descendants of trees, frogs, fungi, and yes - anoles.

When they reproduced on the island, their offspring presented quite a bit of morphological diversity. Even if none of them liked math, a few were born with copying errors that made their legs longer and those were the ones who didn’t get eaten, hence the only lizards who could pass their genes to the next generation. The same principle applied when the opposite took place, those born with small legs were better suited to their environment so they had a higher chance of reproducing.

Although evolution is often thought of as a force that drives organisms forward in a linear path GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

major system of belief (all of which would in fact be enriched by incorporating such a marvelous process into their ideas), but also because most people aren’t fully taught the simple yet wonderful mechanism through which it operates. The understanding of said process makes it an axiom, just too obvious. As the geneticist Theodosius Dobzhansky famously said, “Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution”. towards perfection, scala naturae (or ‘ladder of nature’) as it was called, this isn’t the case at all - it’s just a rule that says 'be born with a random mutation that happens to make you better suited to your environment, or die’, and the result leads to a noticeably branched phylogenetic tree.

The pepper moth is a great example of this. It evolved a white color to camouflage itself on the lichen-covered trees. A black morph of this species, again caused by a random mutation through the beautiful mechanism of copying errors, never quite got its chance, since birds could easily spot them against the white lichens. During the Industrial Revolution, pollution in England caused many of the lichens to die out, leaving just the dark color of bare wood instead.

Who do you think the birds were more likely to spot now, huh?

Those moths with a copying error that made them dark-colored soon became the ones with a higher chance of passing their genes to the next generation, effectively becoming the norm.

Evolution through natural selection is, by all means, severely underappreciated. Not only due to its rejection by pretty much every

However, what’s really cool is that it also applies the other way around - everything in biology makes sense in the light of evolution. Just think of any feature of any living being and you can deduce the basics of how it came into being. The early hominids who were born genetically predisposed to be scared of the dark both avoided it and prepared to respond to the threat of a predator, so they were the ones most likely to live long enough to reproduce.

The hognose snakes born with an instinct to roll over and freeze when confronted by a predator tended to be left alone, assumed dead. The wolves that instinctively responded to fast-moving small objects by chasing them hunted the most prey, and that’s why our dogs like to play ball.

When the principle of natural selection is applied to animal behavior, it’s easy to see why zoology deals with the most complex and fascinating collections of atoms in the known universe.

It’s hard to find something more phenomenal and awe-inspiring.

Us animals are the universe’s way to feel, to know, to love, to think, and to understand the beautiful process in which we all try to maintain a firm grip on our thin branch on the tree of life.

25

life

s ’ t e L lk...

Ta Postnatal depression.

Real

BY ISOBEL ELLUL

A

round 10-15% of women become severely depressed after having a baby; around 80% of new mums experience mild hormone-related blues. And this is the difference: with the ‘Baby Blues’, symptoms begin shortly after childbirth, lasting a few weeks. The more concerning ‘Postnatal or Postpartum Depression’ is where symptom onset can occur any time during the first year after childbirth.

Let’s Talk Real (Instagram @ letstalkrealgib) spoke to Natalia Ruiz Adnett (Instagram @talia9591) about her struggles with postnatal depression, who bravely shared her story. It all started with a difficult and long labour. Natalia remembers her blood markers being very low, not receiving the blood transfusion she needed and going home a day later, despite fatigue. She got on with settling at home, forcing 26

herself to do the ‘mother’ thing and putting her tiredness down to the labour. A few days later she broke down with her mother and told her she didn’t want to hold her baby daughter. But she struggled along, not admitting to herself or her mother that she could be suffering psychologically, she was not feeling ‘normal’ or as she thought she should be feeling.

It wasn’t until nearly a year later that Natalia finally opened up to her mother, saying that what she felt as a mother was not what she expected and that she needed help. She was able to cope with the day-to-day chores; her daughter was a very good baby.

But Natalia didn’t feel herself.

She felt very alone and unable to celebrate new motherhood. Her mood changed from happy to sad frequently and the smallest things would bother her, as if nobody understood her.

She felt very alone and unable to celebrate new motherhood.

Natalia puts the development of her postnatal depression down to not having recognised and accepted it earlier, which could have mitigated some of the symptoms. She felt she was going deeper and deeper into a dark hole, not knowing what to do to make it better. A GHA psychologist was able to help her with talking therapy and mindfulness; she did not want medication. This changed how Natalia thought, allowing her to accept her here and now, living in the moment.

This obviously affected her husband and those she loved.

Natalia did not let him in nor was able to actually explain what she GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

life was going through. She felt no one would understand, had to be a brave mother, so she would have her secret crying sessions on her own in the bathroom. That was her way of coping with it all; breaking down privately and then picking herself up to keep going as if nothing was happening to her.

This took its toll until one day she had a complete breakdown and her husband was made aware that she did not feel well.

But once recovered, this gave Natalia the strength to speak to other new mothers and support them where she could. The idea that you have to fulfil an expectation of what motherhood is, or fit into a prescribed ‘box’, is unrealistic. Nothing prepares you for motherhood. The important message Natalia shares is to be wise to how you feel and to get help early on, the moment you do not feel yourself. Natalia feels that her delay in seeking help contributed to her full blown depression and anxiety. It’s OK not to be OK and many of us will suffer depression at some point in our lives, but seek help if you are not coping.

Midwifery and gynaecology team support, early intervention, support groups of other mums who went through the same. Thankfully there is more awareness about postnatal depression, however, it still remains a taboo subject and it is so important to not feel ashamed and to seek help. Do not suffer in silence.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

Postnatal/Postpartum Depression Symptoms: • Loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities • Ongoing feelings of guilt, inadequacy, hopelessness • Mood primarily unhappy, angry or irritable • Struggles to care for self or infant/family • Intrusive/scary thoughts

Baby Blues Symptoms: • Occasional mood swings – happiness, sadness, frustration, anxiousness, weepiness; but predominantly happy • Fatigue • Impatience • Tends to lift once your pregnancy hormones settle to normal levels

27

African grey parrot 28

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

life

A ZOOKEEPERS DIARY Our monthly spotlight on the superstars at the Alameda Wildlife Conservation Park… and their keepers!

M

ay is always a busy month for the park, May Bank Holiday usually being the time for Open Days and fundraisers at the AWCP. But with the lingering pandemic, alternative activities will most probably be likely again this year. May is also a popular month for International Days. This year we have; World Bee Day on the 20th, Endangered Species Day on the 21st and World Otter Day on the 26th. Look out for information and events on those dates on Instagram and Facebook pages for the AWCP this month!

With the internship training program back on track after last year’s lockdown, alongside their animal husbandry training at the zoo, interns are encouraged to produce a small research

project of their choice. Many of the topics include an aspect of animal behaviour, something the team is well-equipped to assist with. Manager Jess Leaper has a Masters in Evolutionary Psychology & Behavioural Ecology and Primate Keeper, Nic Campbell has a Masters in Primate Conservation Biology, including several months of primate behavioural research in Peru and South America. Both are keen to develop a research program at the Park. Nic’s partner, Thiago Pereira, a PhD level Primatologist has been drafted in to voluntarily assist with training the interns on how to study and record animal behaviour. Much of this starts with good observation and understanding of the animal subject, something that all zookeepers invariably become

fruit bat gyptian atment E e th ff E e g after tr recoverin

very adept at.

One of the crucial parts of a zookeeper’s day when they first enter the animals exhibits to feed and clean, is to observe the animals closely to look for any changes in behaviour, any unusual behaviours or signs of illness or distress. After many years working with the same animals, this becomes almost instinctual. For those new to the job, this process can take a little longer. Knowledge of and an understanding of animal behaviour and experience of normal species behaviours is definitely an advantage. Jenna Reeves joined the AWCP as an

11 12 1 10 2 9 3 8 4 7 6 5

29

life

Once the animals have been 11 12 1 cleaned and 10 2 fed and 9 3 the park is ready 8 4 7 6 5 to receive visitors, Keepers and volunteers can concentrate 30

on other tasks. Each Intern is encouraged to produce a short research project during their time at the AWCP. Not only does this help to enhance their learning, encouraging wider reading and research, but also it is a

great resource for future Interns and for the AWCP. One of the valuable aspects for zoos is their contribution to crucial research and data collection on a wide variety of species. Data collected in zoos on captive breeding has been crucial in helping to save many species from extinction in the wild. Species such as the Echo parakeet, would be extinct if it wasn’t for the expertise and knowledge built up over many years of zoo captive breeding programs. In 1986 less than a dozen birds existed in the wild, and only three were female.

Without emergency help from Jersey Zoo, this bird would have been as dead as the iconic Dodo on their logo.

Centre photo: Jenna Reeves

Education Intern in March. Prior to coming to Gibraltar, Jenna was working at a Safari Lodge in South Africa. After her Internship at the AWCP she plans to study Wildlife Conservation at University. Since being at the AWCP, Jenna has been learning about animal observation and animal behaviour. This has proven very useful when tending to the different species of animal at the park, animals she had never worked with before, like the Egyptian fruit bats. One morning on entering the fruit bat enclosure, Jenna noted some strange behaviour from one of the bats. While all the other bats flew to the other end of the enclosure, one was lagging behind. On closer inspection, Jenna saw that the bat had a swollen joint on his wing. She immediately called the Keeper to have a closer look. It turned out to be Jeff the bat, (now a local celebrity) who had been undergoing treatment for a similar injury last year. Sadly, it seems his injury has returned, so it was back to the animal hospital area for Jeff, where he is now making good progress and should soon be back with his group.

Thiago training Interns, Adam & Jenna on data collection.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

life One of the first parts of the behavioural research training will be to introduce the students to behavioural research and how to create behavioural research templates and ‘ethograms’ (a catalogue or list of behaviours exhibited by an animal that creates and inventory of actions/ movements or patterns). These templates can then be used as baselines for future projects by Keepers, students and interns at the AWCP. The first subject is Suzie the African grey parrot.

Suzie came to the AWCP over a year ago. Her owners were unable to keep her so she became part of the collection. At only three years old, Suzie is still learning how to be a bird. Parrots are highly intelligent and require a lot of attention. The hope is that Suzie can soon join the larger group of African grey parrots. The aim of Jenna’s project will be to assess her baseline behaviour now and compare with her behaviour through the introduction with the group and after. “This imminent introduction is a perfect opportunity for me to study the behaviour of a hand-reared bird being integrated into a group of parrots. I am only here for three months so I am really pleased there is a project opportunity like this that I can get involved in,” Says Jenna.

keeping and also introductions to zoo management. At the end of the day, and throughout the day, any observations; signs of illness, behavioural changes, sickness, weights and medical interventions, are all noted down by the Keepers in an Animal Diary.

This data is later transferred to the worldwide database system; ZIMS (Zoological Information Management System). This database is accessible worldwide and this means that all the data on all zoo species that is collected by zoos can be accessed and utilised

worldwide. Head Keeper, Steve Bryant is responsible for making sure all this data is entered into the AWCP database, but all staff and interns are given training on ZIMS data input, an invaluable skill for their future careers.

Visit the AWCP website at www.awcp.gi for more information and updates. Keep a look out on their social media pages - Facebook, Twitter and Instagram - for upcoming events!

Much the same as in the morning, 11 12 1 the closing 10 2 routine at the 9 3 park involves 8 4 observation 7 6 5 of the animals, as well as checking that all areas are secure, the animals are content and of course, that all public have left the park. Intern training involves all aspects of zoo GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

31

life

LAST MAN STANDING LUIS PHOTOS

Pick a Royal Navy ship, any ship going back decades even. There’s a 99.9% chance Luis Photos can find it and print out a copy for you... That is not an unusual occurrence at Luis Photos. Gibraltar scenes: streets, lanes and alleyways of the ‘way it used to be’ are everywhere. It’s a treasure trove of informative and revealing discoveries!

BY RICHARD CARTWRIGHT

G

ibraltar has always had a strong connection with Her Majesty’s Navy, and many retired sailors and/or their relatives will pop in and be captivated with what they can find. Many are enthralled by simply walking around the shop with eyes glued to the walls plastered with hundreds of photographs, or perusing through the many albums available. There are hundreds and thousands of photos to look through and if you’re a true memorabilia buff local especially - many hours can be spent enjoying the numerous scenes you’ll come across that’ll bring a smile of recognition as you relive those halcyon days of the past. There’s certainly much to see and relive at the last shop on our Main Street.

But photographs of naval and commercial ships and quirky reminiscences of the past are not 32

just what Luis Photos has to offer: the studio is the top choice for your ID and passport photographs which are executed professionally.

Meanwhile, seeing to the needs of ship addicts, enhancing old pics and framing Gibraltar scenes or sentimental snapshots, keeps Mariangeles Mascarenhas pretty busy, “And through these continued visits from individuals from here and abroad we’ve made a number of friends,” she declares.

Lately, Mariangeles has also been thinking about taking on portrait work if time allows and during her rare, spare time, you may find her window dressing the shop’s two attention grabbing, photo-gemdisplays... an unavoidable stop for a lengthy peak at what’s exhibited there as you walk by on your way to town or returning home!

Husband Luis – sadly no longer

Luis was one of the Rock’s top ‘image producers’ when it came to weddings, communions, and pretty much everything in between! with us – was a reliable and conscientious photographer for many years and one of the Rock’s top ‘image producers’ when it came to weddings, communions, re-unions, civic and military occasions and pretty much everything in between! He was also very sought after for portraits and models’ photo shoots for their promotional portfolios.

“He was very particular about GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

life

his work, always wanting to do things his way and not keen on suggestions from partners or relatives at wedding photo shoots for example, whether at the Alameda Gardens, the Rock Hotel or anywhere else.”

Clearly Luis knew what he wanted to achieve, was good at his job and needed to be allowed to get on with it and produce a professional standard for his clients, preferably without interruptions... “Oh yes, he really was a perfectionist!” Mariangeles remarks.

Thinking back, Mrs Mascarenhas tells me opening a photographic studio wasn’t an idea that came out of the blue. “No, Luis was always interested in photography as a hobby since he was very young and although we ran a couple of unrelated businesses which kept us busy, he was always on the go taking pictures, finding time whenever he could to pursue GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

his much loved hobby to the point that we managed to set up a ‘sort of’ studio at the back of our shop at Marina Bay. At that time, a young lady - off one of the boats berthed at the marina - required some modelling photographs and asked if Luis would do them for her. He agreed and took on the job.”

Later, Mariangeles tells me an elderly gentleman asked if they could somehow enhance an old Alameda photograph that he

brought in. With very limited experience for that type of work during those years Luis apparently was a touch bewildered as to what to do with the old photograph.

“That’s right” Mariangeles recalls, “but as it turned out Luis worked on it and the gentleman was very happy with the result to the point other relatives and friends came by with more images that needed correcting and improving.”

Needless to say, the writing was on the wall for what was Luis’ 33

life

labour of love which progressed on to developing his passion for taking pictures a full time, professional, business venture.

The land frontier with Spain closing for many years more than helped the Mascarenhas’ businesses – Casemates, Marina Bay and later a retail outlet in the ICC – to close down and that was followed by six months of downtime with not very much happening for the couple. A period which could be described as ‘half a year in limbo’. But the desire to do more with, and the affection for, the lens-and34

shutter device was deeply embedded in Luis the photographer’s mind and was no doubt sorely missed, so husband and wife decided to open a studio somewhere and get seriously involved in what Luis loved most – taking pictures. “We took a risk but went ahead anyway and opened a small photo studio/ shop next to the present one here at the end of Main Street, and to our great surprise it took off instantly,” Mariangeles remembers. “It was the mid90s and we only charged £45 for a 6-photo shoot – today that would come to well over £100. I recall a young lady coming in with two suitcases full of clothes in the hope of getting Luis to agree to photograph her in as many outfit changes as she could get.”

Meanwhile, clients who they’d dealt with in the makeshift marina studio kept on requesting touch ups to improve their old photos.

Word got around and others would want their pics correcting too... “Yes, and Luis would ask them if he could take copies of their photographs and that’s how slowly, our library was building

to what we have today, not least because of a very generous offer to take close on 5,000 photographs of a gentleman’s ship collection which his wife donated to Luis Photos when her husband passed away. We were given considerable amounts by other individuals also!”

These days, Mariangeles runs the business in her shop at Main Street, where you’ll find a rich source of valuable illustrations of local and Gibraltar-linked history. As well as warships and aircraft, cruise liners, cargo ships and hundreds upon hundreds of Gibraltar scenes tracing our history through the centuries, there’s so much more! I remember Luis was always on the go when it came to military parades at the Covent, Casemates and outside the Gibraltar Parliament awaiting the arrival of a new Governor, opening of the Legal Year at the Law Courts and at other events – all those snapshots are there, and on the commercial side, very often he’d be busy clicking away his camera at expat, happy couples as they tied the knot at the Registry Office and later at the Alameda Gardens.

Thinking back, as one sometime does, there have been many commercial photographers working from their studios on the Rock... I recall Luque, Bugeja, Santos, Montegriffo and Shephard amongst others with premises located around town and in recent times. John Green and Nicky Sanchez had commercial outlets too. But that is no more. Today, just one remains...Luis Photos at 329c Main Street!

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

THINK PENSIONS, THINK SOVEREIGN Local, Overseas and Corporate Pensions tailored to your requirements.

Tel: + 350 200 41054 Email: SW@SovereignGroup.com Sovereign Wealth is a trading name of Sovereign Asset Management Limited, Sovereign Place, 117 Main Street, Gibraltar, PO Box No 564 “SAM”. SAM is regulated by the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission as a pension advisor permission number 5992.

January 2021

35

scene

scene

JUST AN

(EXTRA)ORDINARY GUY

Home-grown singer/songwriter Albert Hammond OBE sits down with The Gibraltar Magazine to chat about his life, what motivates him, and of course, his music.

BY SOPHIE CLIFTON-TUCKER

“S

hall we meet for coffee?” asks Albert.

“I know a little place that does lovely cakes”. I would quite frankly have met him in a dingy diner if he’d asked me to, if I’m honest. It’s not every day you get to interview such a prolific musician.

Albert has had a long, successful career in the music industry, the roots of which can be traced right back to Gibraltar, where he played in the band The Diamond Boys alongside Gib Mag’s writer, Richard Cartwright. Over the years, alongside his own music Albert has collaborated with the likes of Roy Orbison, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Tina Turner, Celine Dione, Diana Ross, and Julio Iglesias, to name but a few!

As I pulled up to the café and spotted Albert sitting by the window with his coffee (and cake), we exchanged a smile and a wave. I had an inkling that this 36

Editor Sophie with new friend Albert. would be a brilliant interview, but what I didn’t expect is that he would be such a brilliant individual; remarkable musical career aside. Nor that we would veer so greatly off topic, discussing the purpose of life, the meaning of happiness, and our shared views on spirituality. But I’m so glad we did.

He wouldn’t like to be called extraordinary, but the fact of the matter is – he is. *** Albert grew up in Shakery’s Passage, where he lived until he was seven year’s old. Having spent more time in LA than anywhere else (Albert left Gibraltar when

he was 16) he is arguably a ‘man of the world’, but he recalls his childhood on the Rock with great fondness.

“Having grown up in Gibraltar is very important to me; it’s pretty GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

music unique to be from Gibraltar,” Albert shares. “My childhood was the best I could have ever had, or any human being could have ever had for that matter.”

I pressed Albert on what he was like as a young boy, and his memories of living in Gibraltar. “I was mischievous!” he smiles. “We just had one bedroom, and the only running water in the place was salt water - I’m talking about the 1950s here! The toilet was outside; if you had to go at night, you had to take a candle, and hope it didn’t go out.”

Albert’s description of his familial

It’s pretty unique to be from Gibraltar.

working on a Christmas project,” Albert explains. It’s something he spoke about with his mother before her passing, and heartwarmingly hopes to produce this album as a tribute to her. “My mum died two years ago, four months shy of a hundred. When she was lying in bed, on her way to the universe somewhere, I asked her – ‘What do you think about when you’re lying here?’

She looks at me and she says ‘Son, life is too short’. It taught me something about how important life is, and how to live in the moment.”

As for the direction he would like his performances to eventually go in, Albert reveals he’d like to

home conjures up a vivid image of a simple, honest, and warm childhood. “Life was different. Life was primitive. Growing up that way taught me one way to live, and being given the gift to do what I’ve done has taught me another. But I could live happily either way.”

Albert is a song writing behemoth, reaching #5 in 1972 with “It Never Rains in Southern California” in the Billboard charts, and #1 in 1975 with “99 Miles From LA”. He also has nominations for an Oscar, Golden Globe, Grammy and Emmy Award under his belt, and in 2008 was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

So, what comes next? “I’m working on a new record.

I wrote a song yesterday called ‘Goodbye LA’. I’m also GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

37

music She looks at me and she says ‘Son, life is too short’. offer something a little more intimate than the fully-flanked shows we’re used to. “I’ve done my symphonies and operas and all these other things; I want to do something more vulnerable. A little vulnerability is wonderful at times. The same with my shows – eventually I just want to be there myself, maybe pull out some old songs and tell their stories.”

I asked Albert where he draws his inspiration from. “Well, I don’t.

It comes to me. I never look for anything, I just wait. Have you noticed when you look for your glasses, it’s only when you stop looking for them that you find them?

“I never know when it’s going

to hit. I’m in a good place now, writing-wise. I’m in another world when I write. But songs find me, you know? I don’t know how to write songs clinically. I just wait for something to come to me, and when it does, it’s the most wonderful thing in the world.

When speaking about “Goodbye LA”, Albert explains how a catchy rhythm came to him, demonstrating by singing and tapping on the table of the little café we were seated in. “I don’t know where it came from!” he laughs.

“Sometimes, you don’t recognise it at the beginning, you just know it’s there. And so you start to sing something, and you’re playing the guitar, and you think ‘What is this?’, but you keep doing it and then suddenly… the fog lifts and you start to see the song. It’s like magic. After that, you work.”

After recovering from the fact that I had just been serenaded by a musical legend, we moved on to the topic of his many accolades over the years. What struck me the most about Albert was just how down to earth he was about such things. From a person who still flaunts her middle school medal for running 200 metres (I must show you some time), I was surprised by how little awards meant to him.

This honest, raw way of working shines through in Albert’s music.

He has written in all styles, from operatic, to rhythm and blues, country, and pop; his ability to traverse them all with such ease is a testament to the unmanufactured way in which he operates.

“I am always very grateful, of course. But what does a trophy do, other than collect dust? I’m not really a very good musician; I don’t play guitar well, I don’t play piano well… but what I do,

A little vulnerability is wonderful at times.

38

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

music hundreds of millions of people seem to like. I can change their lives, I can make them cry, make them smile. That’s my trophy. My Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, my Grammy.”

If Albert isn’t a good musician, then that leaves very little hope for the rest of us, but I appreciated the genuine sentiment behind what he was saying.

“I’m just like you,” Albert professes.

“But with more talent…” I added.

But Albert insisted: “No; I’ve just found something that maybe you haven’t found yet.

“I’ll tell you a story. I used to stay at the Park Hotel in Bremen. One day, the janitor of the hotel was telling me how he decided to return to studying. Years later, he came to me and said ‘Let me give you a hug – I just became a doctor!’. He was in his sixties! It’s never too late to find your thing,” Albert concludes. “…But don’t look for it, it will come to you.” He says with a smile.

Albert’s views on life are refreshing, and infectious. It’s rare to find someone who has been thrust so high up into stardom, and yet has two feet planted firmly on the ground. “We’re all the same. Some of us are born richer, some of us are born poorer, but we’re all the same. Having more than someone else doesn’t make you better – that’s just crap!

We’re all just energy.”

Talk of energy made me wonder whether spirituality plays a big part in Albert’s life. “Oh, huge. It always has. They used to call me ‘The Mystic’ because I was always GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

questioning the deeper meaning behind things. Being in the clouds can be nice.”

I probed Albert on the music industry (“It’s always changed, from whenever music was invented. There’s always good music and bad music, and there still is…”) and whether there were any modern musicians he had been listening to as of late: “I got into Justin Bieber at one point. I really think he’s a talented guy. I was really fascinated by his Christmas album. I also love Drake.” The surprise on my face was clearly evident as Albert laughed: “I’m not who people think I am!”

I was beginning to believe this, but it’s incredibly hard to ignore a career that most of us can only dream of. But what if he hadn’t gone down the path of being

Suddenly… the fog lifts and you start to see the song. It’s like magic. a musician? What would he be then? “Something where I could help humanity, nature or animals.

It’s not about how much money I would make or not make. I don’t even know how much I have now.”

(I made a mental note to let him pick up the bill.) “At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter. Life is not about money. It’s nice to have, but I’ve been on the other side.

I’m just grateful to be alive and healthy.”

At 76 years young, Albert seems a man twenty years his junior.

What’s his secret to a healthy life? “I have an Actimel and some vitamins first thing in the morning, then I go running. After that I might have a bowl with raspberries, blueberries, and half a pear, and some gluten-free cornflakes and rice milk. I also drink three or four litres of water a day. For dinner, sometimes I make chicken fricassee, or rosto,” Albert recalls how his mother would teach him how to make Gibraltarian dishes. “I try to eat healthy,” he adds.

I wanted to round up our chat with one surprising fact about Albert. Something about the ‘man from the media’ that we perhaps don’t know: “I don’t have a maid. I cook, wash my dishes, iron, sew…

I did everything to help my mum around the home, and so I learnt. I have someone come once a week to clean, but it’s a big house. I really want a smaller place.” At this point I very generously offered to swap my flat for his villa.

“It’s crazy; when you’re what people call ‘somebody’ in life, people think so differently of you. When people invite me somewhere, they’re not really inviting me, they’re inviting the star.” When asked who he really is, he smiled and said: “I’m just a normal human being; that’s what I’ve been trying to tell you!” We fell about laughing as I pretended to make a note to take him off this month’s cover.

As we finished up our coffee and cake, I couldn’t help but think that although I met up with Albert Hammond OBE, world-loved singer and songwriter to the stars, I left having met Albert.

Just an ordinary guy, with an extraordinary talent.

39

literature

SOLPORIANS: EVILS OF SHADOW MOUNTAIN

Lockdown has been tough for many creatives, but for others, it has given them the valuable time and space needed to be able to work on their projects. This was the case with Liam Roche, a local author who is releasing his novel ‘Solporians: Evils of Shadow Mountain’ on May 13th.

BY CARMEN ANDERSON

L

iam Roche’s novel delves into a magical world where a seemingly normal family is torn apart for unknown reasons: “The story follows two teen siblings as they cross the continent ‘Elros’, where they continuously encounter danger,” Liam told The Gibraltar Magazine.

“Luckily, they meet some unexpected friends on the way who help and guide them.” As the storyline develops, we learn there is a family history connecting the various aspects of seemingly random danger.

This novel is the first in a series that will follow the siblings and their friends as they mature, delving deeper into the family history and what their connection 40

is to the storyline all the while combating evil. “This first book develops the world and the Evil that is rising,” Liam explained.

He started writing this novel a few years ago: “It was a spur-of-themoment kind of thing, but before I knew what was happening, I found that I truly had an interest. It was a great way to let my creativity flow.”

Author, Liam loves reading Liam fantasy novels, so Roche

he found it a natural progression to write in this diverse genre which creates worlds where essentially anything is possible. “I felt this was a better way to let my creative ideas flow, especially for my first book,” said Liam, “I also love the escapism these stories provide.” It was the work of writers such as David Gemmell, Shayne Silvers, Rick Riordan and J.K. Rowling that inspired Liam; “I was always GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

literature amazed at how these authors were able to come up with it all, so I tried to emulate them. I also wanted to give something back to a genre that gave me so much pleasure.”

First novels are where most authors develop their writing process. Liam found his to be a little sporadic: “I knew what kind of book I wanted to write so I started by coming up with an idea for what I wanted the world to be like. From there, I drew up a map, decided on what my main characters would be

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

like and then just wrote the first thing that came to mind. As the story progressed, new and better ideas would come out and I would move back and forth throughout the story matching it all up and interlinking the different aspects.

Liam creates worlds where essentially anything is possible.

Probably not the best method but I think this worked for my first book and helped me come to grips with the characters and their individuality.”

With the encouragement of friends and family, Liam decided to take up the challenge of publishing.

‘Solporians: Evils of Shadow Mountain’ by Liam Roche will be available from May 13th on Amazon Kindle.

41

scene

THE LIGHTHOUSE WATERCOLOURIST And Cañonero the cat.

BY ELENA SCIALTIEL

P

erched on a rocky ledge between Europe and Africa in the shadow of the candy-cane lighthouse, there’s no better location for David Staunton Browne to paint local landscapes while chatting with passers-by about heritage and wildlife.

Tourists and Gibraltarians alike are well acquainted with Dave’s open air art studio sitting just over his cottage and overlooking the southernmost tip of the Rock, to enjoy in a 360° view of mountains and straits, sea and sky, that inspire his artwork as much as historical cityscapes and nature.

He rediscovered the labour of love that is fine art when his life slowed its pace at retirement; upon moving to Gibraltar over nine years ago, he took up painting the Rock’s landmarks, flora and fauna, with mathematical precision and accuracy.

To assert the quirky side of his originality as an artist, he likes to indulge in a dash of surrealism or dark humour in his interpretation of corrida scenes, where David GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

He likes to indulge in a dash of surrealism or dark humour.

precision in project and perspective, the foundation of not just a pretty picture, but one based on technique and realism: “It’s like building with my brush, instead of bricks.”

awesomely studies the torero’s embroidered costume in stark contrast with the bare desperation expressed in the dynamism of the doomed bull (which sometimes sinisterly turns into a cockroach).

He takes photographs of his potential subjects, and once he’s picked the right shot, he reproduces it on card. It takes a few hours to get the sketch right, and draw the outline, then he goes over the pencil lines in light colours, so he can rub the pencil off and fill in bright colours and detail.

“I wouldn’t call myself an artist more a creative person,” he says.

“I like creating things and have done so in a variety of fields: music, landscape gardening, breeding rare poultry, cooking, inventing and making toys from wood and other materials, and of course painting pictures. At an early age I was fascinated by colours in flowers and wildlife.

At school, I was good at painting as well as mathematics, and that combination stood me in good stead with my present artistic pursuit for detail and accuracy.”

In fact, his landscapes and cityscapes are drawn and laid out with clean lines and mathematical

He can now count on a varied selection of views, mostly of the Europa Point area, the lighthouse and the mosque, but also from the Upper Town and Town Centre, all carefully reproduced on art board in watercolours, with the painstaking TLC of the artist that cherishes heritage and pour his art in his artwork.

The Gibraltar views reflected in his art became so popular with tourists that he decided to reproduce them as postcard-sized prints. Selling them at just £1 43

scene each, they serve to make a unique souvenir that also helps promote the Rock’s rich heritage abroad.

Of course, it’s not just about selling cards, it’s about a place where one has the chance to meet people of all nationalities from all walks of life and to share interests. Over the years, ‘The Club’, as he calls it, has grown in popularity because of the wide range of topics that are discussed - and not just relating to art.

“What could be better – out in the open air (weather permitting of course), fantastic views that are ever changing and good company (most of the time)!”

David and his wife Trevelayne started visiting Gibraltar thirty years ago when their daughter, Rebecca Calderon, moved here: “We liked Gibraltar from the start, and visited as often as we could, hoping that one day we could end up living here, which we did nine years ago. I was intrigued by the history of Gibraltar and its many old buildings, which I used to photograph a lot, and it was during these walkabouts that I met many interesting people, including the many good artists that live in Gibraltar. Well, looking at their work reminded me of the days when I used to paint and it did not take long for me to restart painting.”

“It’s like building with my brush, instead of bricks.”

There are bittersweet memories attached to his birth land India, as he recalls times of civil unrest in the lead to, and wake of, independence in 1947, the year his father died when he was just three years old. Two years later he was sent to a military boarding school, and though that was tough at times, like most youngsters, he sought positive things which he found in the wonderful unique to India. Wales, on the other hand, holds peaceful memories of bucolic bliss, when he was in charge of the post office in a tiny village ‘just a mile long’.

“The income was insufficient to support us, so we lived off the land, thanks to the enormous garden of the cottage we’d converted into a post office,” he says. “We had greenhouses, orchards, vegetable gardens and some

livestock including chickens and ducks.” It was there that he took up breeding poultry, in order to preserve rare breeds from extinction, to sell them to collectors, and of course to paint them, with the precision of an Edwardian naturalist.

And how does Cañonero the cat come into the picture? The old tabby cat, allegedly born under the battery just a few metres west of the Trinity House cottages, has been living at Europa Point ever since, acting as if it owns the place and of course, dining at the Brownes. And of course, Cañonero features in many of David’s paintings of the lighthouse.

You can browse a full range of David’s paintings on his Facebook page ‘Staunton Browne Art’.

In fact, Dave had to relegate his artistic flare to the backburner when he started working at just fifteen to support his family. He never attained formal education or a degree in art, and his creative streak was otherwise channeled in practical uses to subsidise his income, such as ‘pimping’ cars and motorbikes with funky designs, or sign writing and painting signs for pubs and shops 44

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

WELCOME TO OUR

scene

virtual classroom* *Physical classrooms also available!

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

English, Spanish, and French lessons for all ages and levels, starting at just £10/hour.

Email: info@littleenglish.gi / WhatsApp: +350 54076150

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

45

46

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

art WHAT YOU WILL NEED: RULER

RT CLUB

HB, 2B AND 6B PENCILS ERASER PAPER BRUSH

How to draw the Eurasian Sparrowhawk in 5 easy steps.

BY THOMAS MAXWELL

T

o celebrate the month of May, we will be focusing on the upcoming Bird Migratory Day. Bird Migratory Day promotes the preservation of migratory bird habitats across the world. Gibraltar and the straits are an important geographical location for migrating birds, due to the winds and distance from Africa. One of the many birds that use Gibraltar as a ‘pit stop’ before migrating further, is the Eurasian Sparrowhawk. The Eurasian Sparrowhawk is a bird that often migrates from Morocco through Gibraltar to northern Europe. Today, I will be showing you how to draw this bird in five steps.

STEP 1 Find the centre of the page and draw a line down. Use your HB pencil to draw a 15cm2 square in the centre of your paper; this is where the bird will fit into. Next, draw a 5cm diameter circle in the centre of the page; this will form the bird's head. Draw the eyes just GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

47

art areas with the 2B pencil. This will make the shadows darker, so you can shade the lighter areas with the HB pencil. For the feathers you want to use your eraser to very lightly remove some of the shading; this is what creates the light feathers. Don't worry about being super detailed on the feathers as this can be quite time consuming and a lot of birds have simple feathers, no details!

above the centre of the circle and draw out the brow of the Hawk just above the left eye. This will be the general outline of the bird.

Step 2 Use the reference piece to map out the major areas of the face.

This includes the brow, the eyes and the beak (TOP TIP: If you are struggling to map out the outlines of the bird, use your ruler to help space the facial features). Once you have drawn the facial features, start separating the feather areas of the face. It is important not to press too hard on the pencil, as this would leave marks on the paper, which will be very hard to get rid of later down the line.

Find the darker areas of the photo and lightly shaded them with your pencil. This is mostly the top of the head, the eyes and the feathers.

Don't forget to use your brush to lightly brush over the graphite from the pencil. This smudges the image slightly but not too hard. Try not to smudge the image with your finger as your finger can leave marks.

Step 5

Step 3 When drawing, there is an important term called ‘blocking’.

Blocking is when you shade the darker areas of the picture and map out the sketch. For this, you will need to keep using your HB pencil. It is very important to not use the darker pencils so early. This is because you want your shading to build up, so if you have any problems, it is easier to change it.

48

Step 4 Now start going over the darker

Once you've got to Step 5, this is where you can put in some detail.

Use your 6B pencil to darken further areas of the image (use the darker pencil near the lighter areas to give a better tonal range). Don't forget to keep erasing out the feather areas as you go further and blend the areas using the brush.

Now, erase out any out lines and you are finished!

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

NEW

!

IN SHOPS NOW

Mama’s 50 must-try vegan recipes It’s time for a new adventure! With the world changing and adapting to new surroundings and ethical movements to better the environment we live in, we thought it was time to challenge ourselves to create a vegan cookbook with some of our favourite recipes made fresh, and easy, using plant based vegan ingredients.

DISCOVER MORE AT

www.mamalotties.com

BOOKISH...

Join us for our monthly book club!

BY JOEL FRANCIS

W

elcome to the May edition of Bookish; I've had the chance to read some fantastic books over the last month. I've compiled my three favourites for you, and I'm sure you'll enjoy them if you give them a chance. If you like my suggestions, consider joining my book club on Facebook. Just search for The Bookmarkers Bookclub group!

RIPTIDES, WRATH & MURDER A.M Ialacci Genre: Murder/Mystery For Fans Of: Claire McGowan What’s in the pages? Since Allie Fox moved to North Carolina, her job as a Private Investigator has kept her extremely busy with no downtime. In desperate need of a relaxing day off, she heads to the beach to watch a surfing competition - only to be confronted by a dead man washing up on the sand.

Everyone who knew Ebbie Watkins said he was a nice guy, and while the police think his death is an accident - something just doesn't add up to Allie. The situation gets even more twisted when Ebbie's estranged son hires her to solve the case, and she starts to unravel a trail of bitterness, deceit, wrath and Ebbie's darker side.

When Allie is attacked, she must overcome her own vulnerabilities to catch the killer before he strikes again.

Why should you read it? If you've read my column for a while, then you'll know that I'm a massive A.M Ialacci fan. Riptides, Wrath & Murder is her fourth book (and the third in her Crystal Coast Cases series), and her stories just keep getting better and better. Ialacci's aptitude for writing murder mysteries that engage and hook the reader from the very beginning is second to none, and it shows itself more than ever in this great book.

I never used to be much of a Murder/Mystery buff, but I credit Ialacci with single-handedly changing that. If you are looking to lose yourself in a book where the story is engaging, the characters are exciting, and the stakes are high, I highly suggest this book.

50

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE V.E. Schwab Genre: Contemporary Fiction For Fans Of: Kate Elizabeth Russell What’s in the pages? Addie LaRue is dissatisfied with her life in the 18th century.

She's being forced to marry a man she isn't in love with, and she wants out. On the night of her wedding, she pacts with the devil to trade her soul for immortality but the devil has a secret clause; he takes away her name and place in the world, forcing her to be forgotten by everyone she has ever met and will ever meet.

Addie runs from her past in a small town in 18th century France, travelling across the world and the ages without a name or possessions; her existence is only to serve as a muse for artists throughout history. She learns slowly what it means to live anew every day.

Until one fateful day when she steals a book from a second-hand bookshop in Manhattan, Addie meets someone who remembers her. Who is this mysterious man, and will Addie LaRue be able to live a normal life once again?

Why should you read it? The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is like experiencing love at first sight and then falling madly for that person.

The story is a once-in-a-lifetime experience you will fall into and not want to come up for breath from until the last page. Its unique premise and reflections on personal choice and responsibility are poignant and moving. Although I did find it relatively slow in some parts, it all pays off with the incredible ending.

If you're looking for an intelligent story about morality and your place in the world, then I highly recommend this book; it's one of the best books I've read this year - possibly ever.

LIQUID: THE DELIGHTFUL AND DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES THAT FLOW THROUGH OUR LIVES Mark Miodownik Genre: Non-Fiction/Science For Fans Of: Rose George What’s in the pages? Using the analogy of a plane journey, Mark Miodownik takes us on a tour of the world of heartbeats and ocean waves, water and glue & coffee and wine.

This book approaches the subject of chemistry in a way that is appealing for nonscientists, with just enough jargon that you can dip your toes into the subject without getting lost at sea with the semantics of it.

Why should you read it? You're about to learn some chemistry, but not the way you did at school. In this novel, Mark Miodownik does the impossible (in my opinion) task of making science fun as well as interesting.

Using the analogy of a plane journey to San Fransico allows the author to present chemistry in an approachable way to the layman - contextualising science's world in a relevant way to everybody's lives.

If you're looking for an introduction to aspects of Physics or just want to learn some new facts, then I highly recommend this book. It's a short and witty read that will engage you from the very first page. If you prefer listening to your books, you're in for a treat because Michael Page narrates the audiobook, and he brings some dry, witty British humour to the book!

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

51

scene

MAMA LOTTIES NEW VEGAN COOKBOOK

Justin Bautista, the man behind the Mama Lotties franchise, a familiar face on our TV screens, and the designer of the very magazine you’re holding, has come out with the 4th in a series of cookbooks. And this time, it’s vegan.

BY SOPHIE CLIFTON-TUCKER

H

i Justin! We’re so used to seeing you cooking on our screens these days.

Have you noticed any difference since your first show?

Apart from a few more kilos and white hairs? I love every series we do; I work closely with the GBC production team who are amazing and open to new ideas so it’s been fantastic to see development in the series in the way it’s filmed and edited, and in my confidence in front of the camera.

WHAT HAS THE REACTION BEEN LOCALLY TO ALL YOUR CULINARY ENDEAVOURS? Overwhelmingly positive! With this past year’s pandemic and various lockdowns, everyone who has been sat at home waiting 52

for the news in the evenings or flicking through their channels has probably seen the show. I get told by many that they really enjoy watching the various recipes we make and how they look so easy to do. I’d love to think the books have become a household staple; many students take them to university as a way to keep their traditions with them and I’m very proud that we were even given a Heritage Trust ‘special commendation’ award in 2018.

WHAT WERE THE THEMES OF YOUR FIRST 3 COOKBOOKS? All books take on inspirations from local culture and surroundings. The very first two books (76 Gibraltarian Inspired Recipes and Tasting the Mediterranean) focused on local recipes and locally inspired recipes that many of us have grown up

Many students take them to university as a way to keep their traditions with them. with, that through generations were at threat of being lost. My aim has always been to preserve the traditional dishes but also bring a bit of modern life to them, which is where the third book came in, 100 Everyday Recipes. This was inspired by various food trends at the time and local ingredients; the main aim is to use ingredients which are always readily available in store or those that we usually GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

scene

have in our cupboards as standard.

WHAT WAS YOUR INSPIRATION FOR BRINGING OUT A VEGAN COOKBOOK? Ever since the shows began and the books came out, I’ve been asked ‘What’s next?’ or told ‘You should try this!’. Ultimately, I wanted to have a book that included everyone, whilst also incorporating some traditional recipes such as Torta de Acelga, Torta Patata and Bollos de Hornazo using alternate ingredients.

Vegetarians can eat vegan, but not the other way around, so a vegan book is all-inclusive.

Needless to say, we all have a new appreciation for the environment as never before, with countless documentaries showing us how we must care for our planet. Adding GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

a vegan diet alongside our current ones would slowly help us progress to that ultimate goal.

WHAT SORT OF RECIPES WILL WE FIND INSIDE? The book is made up of 50 (51, actually!) varying recipes, from simple breakfast treats to sweet treats and desserts.

From the better-known such as pancakes, tortas and cakes, to very fragrant curries, cottage pie and roasted stuffed peppers.

WHICH WAS YOUR FAVOURITE TO CREATE, AND WHY? I’ve enjoyed making each recipe, although some were trial and error where I got quite frustrated,

but there have been a few I’ve really enjoyed or ended up saying ‘WOAH! You’d never know!’ My ultimate favourites have been the flan, banoffee pie, and cottage pie.

Can you tell I have a sweet tooth?

Follow Mama Lotties on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube or visit mamalotties.com. Don’t forget to order your cookbook! Available online via Amazon, and locally from Eroski, Khubchands, and the Heritage Trust.

53

leisure

HERBALISM IN GIBRALTAR

With the recent health crisis, dare I say it, Covid 19, we are more conscious than ever of our hygiene and keeping a strong immune system to stop us from falling sick. Supressing the symptoms of sickness through over-the-counter medication seems to be the only way we know how to handle this, but how can we prevent getting sick in the first place?

BY LIANA PEKLIVANAS SNHS DIP. (HERBALISM)

D

iet plays a huge role in our overall health and without getting too technical we should base our meals on the following: A protein, a fat, vegetables, fruit and if you are not trying to lose weight add a grain (preferable a whole grain). The proteins we choose should contain omega 3, zinc or calcium. However, we don’t always have the time to calculate and prepare all our meals so here’s some insight into Phytomedicine.

Phytomedicine can be defined as the herbal medicine with therapeutic and healing properties.

It came into existence since the advent of human civilization.

Phytomedicines (plant-derived drugs) express a vast array of biological activities and therefore have been practiced worldwide since the ancient times for the prevention and treatment of the diseases.

Phytomedicine, in amalgamation with various other health-care 54

fields, has indeed revolutionised and strengthened the foundation of the existing health-care system and occupies a major stake in the industry. Reports gathered from all over the world indicate there are around 35,000 species of plants that are currently being used in herbal therapies/recipes.

prescribe safe and effective natural medicines tailored to your needs.

Many patients are referred to a herbalist by their GP for treatment.

A qualified medical herbalist is an expert in natural medicine. They would have studied orthodox medicine as well as botanical medicine and are trained in the same diagnostic skills as a GP. However, herbalists take a holistic approach to illness, aiming to identify and treat the root cause of the disease, rather than supress the symptoms.

ECHINACEA

Besides botanical medicine, herbalists study medical modules such as Anatomy, Pharmacology, Pathophysiology and Clinical Skills so that they can interpret blood test results and perform physical examinations. Medical herbalists are able to assess your health and

Fresh oregano is a great antibacterial agent. It has phytonutrients (thymol and carvacrol), which fight infections such as staph. It's loaded with antioxidants that help prevent cell damage, and it's an excellent source of fibre, vitamin K,

We are going to start with five simple herbs that are available to us in Gibraltar.

Echinacea strengthens your body's immune system, helping you fight colds and flus caused by viruses or bacteria. Some research shows that the echinacea plant contains chemicals that help your body create white blood cells.

OREGANO

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

your digestive system and may ease pain. It also prevents smooth muscles from contracting, which could relieve spasms in your gut.

ALOE VERA

manganese, iron, vitamin E, tryptophan and calcium.

BLACK PEPPER Black Pepper has an active compound called piperine that contains potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Studies suggest that black pepper GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

may improve cholesterol levels, blood sugar control, and brain and gut health.

PEPPERMINT Peppermint relieves digestive symptoms, such as gas, bloating and indigestion. Animal studies indicate that peppermint relaxes

Aloe Vera is a rich source of antioxidants and vitamins that may help protect your skin. The important compounds in aloe vera have also been shown to neutralize the effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation, repair your skin from existing UV damage, and help prevent fine lines and wrinkles.

Apply locally to the skin.

All of the aforementioned herbs are safe, however, if you are currently on medication its always best to speak to your GP first. For more information, follow @herbsenseclinic on Instagram and Facebook.

55

wine

THE PARIS JUDGMENT

Steven Spurrier died last month. Without him, what became known as “The Paris Judgement”, would never have taken place. This is the story of an Englishman in Paris who invited the crème de la crème of the French wine establishment to a blind wine tasting one May afternoon in 1976. The object of the tasting? To pit a selection of then unknown Californian wines against the best France had to offer. France would surely wipe the floor with the upstart. Only one reporter turned up to such a onesided competition. What transpired, however, rocked the heady world of fine wine.

Those taking part were subsequently labelled as ‘traitors’ by the French establishment.

It irrevocably tainted many reputations. One was asked to resign as Mayor from a provincial town. It was a story almost everyone would have preferred to have simply fade away, a story which almost never happened but for George Taber, correspondent from Time magazine in Paris, who having nothing better to do that afternoon, ended with the biggest scoop of his career.

BY ANDREW LICUDI DIPWSET

B

y his own admission Steven Spurrier came from a privileged background.

He was by nature an adventurer whose obsession with wine started early, when he was 13, one Christmas eve at the family home, Marston Hall. For the first time he was allowed a glass of wine. “ One sip of that glorious Cockburn’s 1908 and the die was cast.” he recalled.

In 1964 he joined the wine trade, not unusual for a young man of his background though by this time he seemed to have developed a deep love of France which would have undoubtedly influenced his career choice. When he married his wife Bella, in 1968, they immediately headed to Victoria Station and took the all-first-class luxury-boat 56

train to Paris. Having bought a ruin in the South of France they had decided to start a new life in Provence. Spurrier admitted money was never an issue as he had inherited the equivalent at today's value of £5m. However, being young and inexperienced they soon got ripped off when they tried to rebuild their ruin.

After two years they knew their life in Provence wasn’t going to work. Spurrier was determined however not to return to London.

“I wasn’t going to go back with my tail between my legs," recalled Spurrier. In the end they decided to go and live in Paris and go back into the wine trade.

One morning he found himself walking with his friend, a lawyer by profession, down Rue Royal.

They came across a small wine shop called Cave de la Madeleine.

Spurrier commented that a small shop like that would be his absolute dream. His friend dragged him in to have a look around. The owner, a sophisticated French lady, asked them if she could sell them something.

"Yes, my friend here would like to buy your shop.” said the lawyer.

As it happens the shop was for sale and a deal was struck there and then. The lady however had second thoughts. Her husband had been a highly respected wine merchant who had recently died from cancer. She couldn’t see how a young Englishman could honour the reputation of her husband.

Spurrier was determined and it was agreed he would come and work GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

wine

for her, for free, for six months and if she thought he could live up to her expectations then she would sell him the shop. He must have done well because at the end of six months, in 1971, he found himself the new owner of Cave de la Madeleine. Spurrier recalled how Paris was much more international in those days. All the international banks and English-speaking law firms were represented in the city and inevitable had their offices in the ‘golden triangle’ were Cave de la Madeleine was situated.

Spurrier found himself with all these potential English-speaking clients which the previous owner had never thought about. Knowing GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

that most Parisiennes drunk only inexpensive vin ordinaire, he decided the future lay with the English and American expats.

He immediately placed an advert in the Herald Tribune – “Your wine merchant speaks English”. It worked. Spurrier would never sell any wine he himself would not drink and he made sure a good selection of wine was always at hand to be tasted by his Englishspeaking clientele. He was more than happy to talk his clients about what they were tasting.

Spurriers recalled that one day, someone from IBM commented that they would love to learn more about wine if his talks were more

structured. The locksmiths next door, which was on two floors, went bust and Spurrier made a bid for the building at the bankruptcy auction. There he founded the Academy du Vin! This turned out to be why the the ‘Judgment of Paris’ occurred at all.

An American lady by the name of Patricia Gallagher who came to help Spurrier at the academy suggested they should bring some Californian wines to be introduced at the academy. Spurrier had never tasted Californian wine but after she brought over a few samples he was impressed by the quality and agreed they should bring over the 57

wine best of Californian wines simply as an introduction to these wines.

Spurrier invited the some of the most influential French tasters on the basis that it was the 1976 was the bicentennial of the American war of independence . After having sent the invitations and received acceptance, Spurrier was worried the Californian wines would be tasted and simply considered simply good and the whole thing would go off like a damp squib. thought it would be interesting to compare these with the best of France. This would provide some sort of benchmark to allow the Californian wines to be placed, in the mind of the tasters, at their merited level . Nobody objected that the tasting was now to be blind, and they would be pitting Californian against French. The results they assumed would be a foregone conclusion!

When the big day arrive whites would be tasted first. Order of service would be random. All whites would be Chardonnays and the results would be announced before tasting the reds which were all based on Cabernet Sauvignon.

When the white results came in it caused consternation. Many of the tasters decided it wouldn’t happen with the reds. They would be on their guard!

WHITES

Joseph Drouhin 1973 6. Freemark Abbey Winery 1972 7. Batard - Montrachet RamonetPrudhon 1973

9. Veedecrest Vineyards 1972

10. Freemark Abbey Winery 1969

10. David Bruce Winery 1973

2. Meursault Charmes Roulot 1973

1. Stags Leap Wine Cellars 1973

3. Chalone Vineyard 1974

2. Chateau Mouton-Rothschild 1970

58

7. Heitz Wine Cellars 1970 8. Clos du Val Winery 1972

REDS

5. Beaune Clos de la Mouches

6. Chateau Leoville Las Cases 1971

8. Puligny- Montrachet Les Pucelles Domaine Leflaive 1972

1. Chateau Montelena 1973

4. Spring Mountain Vineyard 1973

5. Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello 1971

3. Chateau Montrose 1970 4. Chateau Haut Brion 1970

9. Mayacamas Vineyards 1971

George Taber, the only reporter there got the scoop of a lifetime.

California wines had arrived. The Californian wineries above have since become cult wineries able to charge astronomical prices. The French tasters, when they went back to Burgundy and Bordeaux, got accused of having betrayed France. Their beloved Mouton Rothschild having been beaten into second place by an upstart!

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

Have you been allocated a new home at Hassan Centenary Terraces, Bob Peliza Mews or Chatham Views?

If so, do you need help with your monthly instalments?

Our new Affordable Housing Bridging Loan will help you meet your deposit requirements to buy your new home Your Local Bank offering Local Solutions For a free initial review with no obligation contact our team representative Kayley Danino on 200 13900 or email her at gibraltar@gibintbank.gi to discuss your requirements. We are here to help.

traditional banking with a modern feel gibintbank

@gibintbank

www.gibintbank.gi | +350 (200) 13900 | Gibraltar International Bank Ltd, PO Box 1375, Ince’s House, 310 Main Street, Gibraltar GX11 1AA Gibraltar International Bank Limited is authorised and regulated by the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission. Company Registration Number 109679

travel

THE MAGIC OF THE TANGIA

Dreaming of short-haul travel post Covid travel and some delicious genuine Moroccan food? Ex-BBC TV and Radio News Correspondent Caitlin Scott suggests a vegan experience even meat eaters might find hard to resist, and a recipe to keep you going in the meantime…

BY CAITLIN SCOTT

A

nyone who has strolled the central square in Marrakech, Jemaa elFna, as the heat of the day subsides and darkness gathers will have experienced this. The sounds of people laughing and chatting over a shared meal or food vendors shouting to passersby. The smells of spices are in the air and the gatherings show just how important breaking bread together is in this outgoing and food-loving culture.

Two Christmases ago, before the words ‘Covid’ or ‘travel ban’ had entered our vocabularies, a friend and I were filming about eating vegan in Morocco. We had found specialist cafes, delicious street food and occasionally some goodnatured confusion; eventually we decided we would have a go at self-catering in the uniquely Moroccan style. Rather than just picking up some ingredients and

cooking at our digs, we would have a go at preparing a Tangia.

Enter the Moroccan ready meal.

The tangia is normally seen as the meal for the single person who is hungry at the day’s end but cannot be bothered to cook. The same feeling that gets me into the quick and easy aisle of Morrisons or Eroski. However that feeling

Immediately in went beans, olives, vegetables and a huge dollop of harissa. is about where the similarity ends. With the tangia comes no cardboard sleeve, plastic tray or microwave instructions, neither is the selection or cooking a

rather lonely process where the only human contact is with the supermarket cashier.

Step one is to get slightly off the usual tourist trail. Although nothing is very far apart in the Medina, the local fresh food markets tend to be just outside and after asking a couple of shop owners they recommended finding the tangia man at the market at the end of Derb Sqaya.

(My impression is that every market has one though.) We duly found Said, who provided me with a tall earthenware amphora – a very different shape to the flat, round dishes used for the tagine usually thought of as Morocco’s national dish. The pot is yours for the day, and is normally filled with meat, garlic, seasoning, legumes and sometimes some vegetables.

We explained that this was to be meat-free and immediately in went beans, olives, vegetables, 61

travel handfuls of fresh parsley, preserved lemons, olive oil, ras el hanout (a Moroccan spice mix) and a huge dollop of harissa. The top was covered with parchment firmly secured with string and the whole thing given a vigorous shake.

The magic of the tangia is in the cooking process. We walked back the way we came and asked where the local hammam was – a communal steam bathing houses separated for men and women.

We were guided to some rusty metal gates – the back entrance – because this is the way down to the huge fires that burn night and day, the beating heart of the hammam. We’d gathered something of a following and added to the general hilarity by trying to talk into the camera and walk down the stone steps. This led to my body surfing down a massive pile of wood and sawdust.

For a small fee our tangier joined a line of others in the fire’s embers where it would cook slowly for the next few hours turned occasionally by the fire stoker.

Usually a meat dish will cook for the entire working day, resulting in a delicious, rich confit-type dish to be eaten with flatbread or saffron rice and salad. It was generally agreed that our vegan offering would be very overdone by then, so three hours later we were back to pick it up. The guys were still shedding tears of laughter over the sawdust fall incident as they removed slid the top open so that we could all inspect the contents.

This led to my body surfing down a massive pile of wood and sawdust. textured, it was the harissa and preserved lemons that really made it, with the unique slow cook of the hammam fire.

When one day we can travel again I strongly recommend a hop over to Morocco and having this delicious and social experience.

Until then, here’s a vegan recipe you can reproduce; you can always make your own harissa so that you get the spiciness just right for you. To make your own preserved lemons, pack lemons in a sealable jar with some salt, cinnamon sticks, dried chillies and

We then sat on the steps with some borrowed eating implements and had what was honestly one of the best vegan meals I’ve ever eaten, and which was greeted enthusiastically by our new local friends. Spicy and 62

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

Vegan ‘Tangia for Two •

1 aubergine

•

2 garlic cloves

•

120g green beans

•

40g pitted green olives,

•

1 chopped onion

•

1 handful of fresh parsley

•

300g chickpeas and any other beans you fancy

•

40g preserved lemons (chop into 8ths or more if you’ve made your own)

•

1 tsp ras el hanout

•

1 vegetable stock cube

•

A big dollop of harissa paste

Slice your lemons into small pieces, thinly slice the onion GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

and crush the garlic. Trim the beans and cut the aubergine into 2cm pieces.

Dissolve the stock cube in a jug with 250ml water. Heat a medium sized pan with 1 tsp oil on a medium heat, cook the onion for 5 minutes, add the aubergine and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Stir in the garlic and ras el hanout for 1 minute then add chickpeas, beans, stock, olives and preserved lemons. Either simmer slowly for 30 minutes or until the sauce is thickened, or place in the oven on a medium heat in a casserole dish or tagine for 45 minutes.

Lemon Couscous •

1 preserved Lemon

•

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

•

1tsp ground cumin

Photography © James Blundell

a couple of bay leaves and leave for at least three months. They are well worth the wait!

•

Half a tsp chilli powder

•

300g couscous

•

400ml boiling water

•

Salt and pepper to taste

Halve the preserved lemon and put it in a mixing bowl. Add olive oil, cumin, couscous and boiling water, cover with a dinner plate for 8-10 minutes, uncover and fluff up with a fork. Serve with some pomegranate seeds, pistachios and coriander or parsley.

63

wine & food

THE WONDERS OF WINE …AND FOOD This month, Emma and Jamie, the couple behind @WondersofWine, bring us some of their best food finds in one of their go-to villages in Cadiz, along with some of their favourite wines of the region.

BY EMMA AND JAMIE ZAMMITT

Tartar de Atun Salvaje y Vaca Vieja

W

ONDERS OF FOOD – ZAHARA:

Zahara de los Atunes is a quaint village on the Costa de la Luz, famous for its beautiful beaches and also known for having some of the best tuna in the world! There are a number of restaurants to choose from and each have their own way of preparing and serving the tuna in a variety of ways. Ordering tuna in this place, whether raw or cooked, will be one of the greatest decisions you’ll make!

While some of the older and more traditional (yet pricier) restaurants in Zahara, such as Casa Juanito and Restaurante Antonio are always a good shout, there are plenty of top-notch eateries combining gourmet dishes at reasonable prices in a relaxed and ‘good vibes only’ environment.

We selected a few of our most memorable dishes for you to consider below: 64

SALVAJE: Although this place looks quite unassuming from the outside, what a find this was! This restaurant is part of the Zoko Group of restaurants (there are three in Zahara) and it only

Ordering tuna in this place will be one of the greatest decisions you’ll make!

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

Pornografia de Atun

opens during the summer season. They are keeping their opening under wraps as usual this year, but we suspect they will open as from May until mid-September. The Tartar de Atun Salvaje y Vaca Vieja is a must try! An egg yolk is mixed together with an aubergine and anchovies pate which is then spooned over the tuna and aged beef tartar. They also offer perfectly barbecued 60-day aged beef which will make any meat lover’s mouth water. For those with a sweet tooth, go for the Queso Payoyo cheesecake – you won’t be disappointed!

ZOKARRA ARROCERIA:

TABERNA TIA JUANA: This taberna opens for both lunch and dinner and is located a stone’s throw away from the beach. It offers a simple yet authentic Mediterranean style setting, indoor and outdoor seating and a limited menu with modern and creative dishes. We tend to prefer ordering raw tuna in Zahara given it is as fresh as you can get but we highly recommend the GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

Arroz Atunera

Another restaurant which is part of the Zoko Group, is particularly famous for its delicious arroces. This place only opens during lunch hours (even during high season) and requires bookings at least a few days in advance.

Their staple dish is their Arroz Atunera and the fame it has garnered is rightfully justified.

We would also recommend, as a starter, their beautifully presented Pornografia de Atun and if feeling extra peckish go for the Taco de Camaron.

cooked tuna dish in this place, Ventresca de Atun a Baja Temperatura, slow cooked tuna served on a bed of creamed leeks, roasted garlic and crispy bacon.

Our list of dishes and restaurants to try in Zahara could go on but here are a couple of other places worth visiting - La Fresquita de Perea and Taberna Trasteo.

65

wine & food Ventresca de Atun a Baja Temperatura a great selection of wines but feel that we tend to go for wines that are more familiar to us, such as reds from Rioja or Ribera del Duero (due to the accessibility), as our palates have inevitably become more accustomed to those particular styles and varietals. For this reason, we always like to give less well-known wine regions a try… Cadiz being one of them. Most restaurants in Cadiz always have a section of ‘vinos de la zona/de Cadiz’ in their wine list so here are a few of our wine recommendations which are also of great value from

CADIZ: ARCOS DE LA FRONTERA: ARX Tesalia 2017 from Bodegas Tesalia (Red)

JEREZ: Finca Moncloa 2016 from WONDERS OF WINE - CADIZ:

ARX Tesalia 2017 from Bodegas Tesalia (Red)

Depending on the place we’re visiting, we like to try wines from that particular region. In Gibraltar, we’re lucky to have such 66

Gonzalez Byass (Red) Garum 2018 from Bodegas Luis Perez (Red) El Muelle 2019 from Bodegas Luis Perez (White) Follow Emma and Jamie on Instagram: @WondersofWine for more wine and food recommendations!

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

sports

THE SCOREBOARD The latest football news on the Rock.

BY GEORGIOS TONTOS

G

ibraltar played their first round of World Cup qualifiers in March, with their games against Norway and The Netherlands the first such qualifiers played on home soil – their home games in previous campaigns being played in Portugal.

It was anticipated from the beginning that Gibraltar’s mission would be a difficult one in such a strong group. Gibraltar will have aimed to not finish last and perhaps cause an upset or two, after proving in the Nations League that the team is capable of getting results.

they might have been against Montenegro, given the gulf in quality and experience between Gibraltar and the first two sides, and while none of the results went Gibraltar’s way, hard lessons were learned that will make the side stronger and more resilient over the rest of the campaign, which is expected to continue to be a learning experience for the team.

Gibraltar opened well against Norway, playing a compact game with five at the back and reading the Scandinavian side well, minimising their threat, which came mainly in the shape of

Erling Haaland. The 20 year old superstar took just 11 minutes to have his first sniff at goal, but he couldn’t find a way past Dayle Coleing, whose heroic performance was all that kept the scoreline down. Norway’s first two goals came in quick succession just before the halftime break, and they controlled the game in the second half, putting the game beyond Gibraltar’s reach with a third shortly after the break.

The 4-1 defeat at Montenegro was more unexpected than the loss to Norway, with Julio Ribas fielding a much-changed side in Podgorica

However, three comprehensive defeats (0-3 against Norway, 4-1 in Montenegro and 0-7 against The Netherlands) characterised a difficult start, with Gibraltar’s penalty against Montenegro the only response to 14 goals.

The national side fought to its fullest across the three games, as we have grown accustomed to over these past two years. Expectations were lower against Norway and Holland than GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

67

sports – ten changes to the Norway game. The home side took the lead 25 minutes in after controlling the opening, but Gibraltar were level within five minutes – Reece Styche stepping up to the spot to convert a penalty – although Erin Barnett might have felt that his disallowed goal from Alain Pons’ freekick should have stood, rather than being disallowed and the penalty awarded. Gibraltar’s hopes were short lived though, three more goals from the home team gave them a comfortable and deserved victory.

The final game of the international break was huge not only due to the opposition, but because it signalled the fans’ return to the Victoria Stadium after a year

68

behind closed doors. Arguably the best side in the group, the Dutch had a tough start to the game and although they controlled the game, could not break through the Gibraltar defence.

Julio Ribas again made wholesale changes to the starting eleven, returning to most of the players he started against Norway, other than for Jayce Olivero making way for Ethan Jolley. Frank De Boer named an unchanged side after their win at Latvia.

Dayle Coleing was again the stand-out performer, making many crucial saves, and it took until a few minutes before half time for the visitors managed to get on the scoresheet.

The Netherlands made better use of their superiority in the second half, scoring two in the first ten minutes and following up with four further goals to cement a comprehensive victory.

The national side’s next qualifiers will take place in September with three more matches against Latvia, Turkey and Norway between the 1st and 7th, although the team will return to action in June, with two friendlies against Slovenia and Andorra scheduled.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

Gigabit fibre Why wait?!

u-mee PLUS

*

SYMMETRIC

Available EVERYWHERE now!* All inclusive Plus bundle with Gib’s fastest Internet speeds...still the same price! * Terms and conditions apply - visit u-mee.com/plus for details

u-mee.com/plus

• u-mee Plus 1Gbps download / 1 Gbps upload fibre broadband - £69/month • TV with catch-up, 50 cloud recordings and TV+Go for 5 iOS/Android devices • 5 telephone lines/numbers + apps + 500 ‘anywhere’ minutes + free local landline calls • Premium dual-band router with advanced Wi-Fi features • Apps require Wi-Fi or 3G/4G data - charges and service provider restrictions may apply

Me and my prostate – Part II.

health

BY JAMES ALLAN AND PAUL HUGHES (Consultant Urologists at theurologyclinic.gi)

S

o you have eventually decided to bite the bullet and come and see us with your waterwork issues.

The most important fact is that the vast majority of men that come along to see us can be greatly helped with relatively little fuss and you will have a diagnosis and a treatment plan very quickly.

The first step is for us to listen to you and your story so that we understand your symptoms, the bother it causes you and the infringement on your lifestyle.

The balance between ‘obstructive’ and ‘irritative’ symptoms that we mentioned last month is established. We ask you to fill in a validated questionnaire, called an IPSS score, which allows us to objectively assess the severity of your problem. We will ask you lots of questions to make sure you don’t have any ‘red flag’ symptoms, have you had any bloody or red urine, any waterwork infections and if there is any history of prostate cancer in your family.

We may get you to pee into a clever bucket that records how quickly you wee and then scan your tummy to see if you are absolutely empty. You’ve never had this much fun and it’s all evidence to base our treatment on!

And yes, we will examine you!

Men are notoriously bad at engaging with healthcare and GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE APRIL 2021

yet they have so much to gain by taking advice, minimising symptoms that compromise your lifestyle, living the best quality of life you can and spotting problems earlier to maximise prognosis. So we pop a finger into your tail end and feel your prostate through your rectum. We are looking to assess the size and consistency of your prostate to make sure we don’t think it is worrying or feels suspicious!

Once this is done, we will look at your blood tests to make sure that your kidneys work well and if you have had your Prostate Specific Antigen or PSA done. PSA is a controversial test that your GP will probably have chatted to you about and then perhaps done. It is not a perfect test and has weaknesses and strengths This week we will concentrate on gentleman with normal PSAs. So we have listened to your story, examined you, assessed the severity of your symptoms and now it’s all about making you better. Most men are hugely relieved to be told that they don’t have prostate cancer. Even though you don’t verbalise the anxiety, it’s the elephant in the room and until we look you in the face and reassure you that we are simply dealing with an older bigger prostate, you and your loved ones will worry.

We classify symptoms into mild, moderate and severe. There is a

ladder of treatment and we start on the bottom rung with simple advice about lifestyle issues and education. The simplest treatment is try some tablets which may help you quite a lot. There are two groups of tablets for prostate problems: one relaxes the muscle in the prostate and is called an alpha blocker, the other group shrinks the prostate and block one of your male hormones. If your prostate is one of the larger ones we may use both drugs together to have the optimum result. If you have ‘irritative’ symptoms with a naughty bladder secondary to the blockage from your prostate we give a drug to dampen down the bladder’s irritability.

After a couple of months, we meet again to see if you are happier. If the drugs worked then great, stay on them and stay away from a surgeon! However, if they didn’t or if you had side-effects then we need to start talking about operations and the risk-benefit equation. The skill of surgery is getting this right.

Luckily there have been some huge improvements in minimally invasive prostate treatments that have radically changed the risk benefit equation for men.

Probably the most important is ‘The UroLift’ …and that’s what we are going to discuss next month!

71

travel

ARABIAN INFLUENCERS Former footballer, Frédéric Kanouté’s plans to build the first mosque in Seville for 700 years have doubtless ruffled a few feathers, especially among those who would rather deny Spain’s Islamic past. However, to refer to an Islamic or Arab past for the Iberian Peninsula is to miss the point.

BY PETE WOLSTENCROFT

C

ontemporary observers will, if they have their wits about them, be aware of the influence of the Arab world on Spain and Portugal.

Let us start with that all-important sense of taste. Modern Spanish gastronomy rests on two pillars: ingredients like tomatoes and potatoes, which left the New World from the fifteenth century onwards, and those other, earlier fundamentals such as almonds, citrus fruits, saffron and pomegranates, which crossed the Straits of Gibraltar at the time of the Moorish Conquest of the Iberian Peninsula. (Not quite all of it, I know.)

The famously sweet tooth of the Arab world – thought by many to compensate for the prohibition of alcohol under Islam – made itself

felt in the cuisine of Muslim Spain.

However, if you go to a southern city such as Córdoba today, you can still sample both meat and vegetable dishes which feature such sweet elements as honey and dried fruits: dishes that can be ordered in any restaurant in the Maghreb. Modern favourites like ajo blanco: a cold, white soup whose principal ingredient is the humble almond, would have cooled the Caliphs in the pitiless heat of a Córdoban summer.

Although alcohol was banned to Muslims under Koranic law, the Caliphate of Córdoba was, at the height of its power in the tenth century, a famously liberal place.

The three main communities: Muslim, Christian and Jewish lived cheek by jowl in peaceful harmony. The Christians and Jews, as: ‘People of The Book’ were left to their own devices and

this would certainly have included the consumption of alcohol. It was also clear at the time that certain Muslim princes were not averse to the temptations of the sweet wine for which Córdoba was famous.

With regard to architecture, the Islamic world left its imprimatur on the Iberian Peninsula, not only in Córdoba, where the Mezquita complex is one of Spain’s cultural jewels, but also places like Granada, where the Alhambra – the red fort in Arabic – dominates the city to this day. Arab architects, familiar with the brutal heat of their desert homes, also knew how to assuage that heat, and in the Patio de Los Leones, the fountains that splash both tiles and visitors alike send water vapour into the air to cooling effect. The same technology was used when Sevilla hosted the Expo in 1992, when water 73

travel features were scattered about the site to bring some relief from the leaden heat of summer in Sevilla.

The famous white villages of Andalucía with those typical sugar cube houses clustered around a hillside are not just a feature of southern Spain, but also of the Atlas Mountains in North Africa.

If you look carefully, you will see that some of them have a round dome on the roof. Examine the

Roughly 10% of the current Spanish lexicon derives directly from Arabic. structure further still and you will see slits cut into the base of the dome. These gaps ensure that a convection current pulls air in

from the outside: this cooling upward flow of air is a forbear of the air conditioning units that make life bearable in most of the hotter parts of today’s world.

In much of southern Iberia, in cities like Málaga and Mérida, castles and defensive fortresses will show Roman foundations – often with the distinctive wafer bricks the Romans were so keen on – topped off by the massive granite and sandstone blocks favoured by Arab architects. The fact that these edifices are still standing and still bring in the tourists gives the lie to the old maxim about an Arab past.

With regard to things you might hear, roughly 10% of the current Spanish lexicon derives directly from Arabic. In all honesty, I am not sure if the same thing applies to the Portuguese language but, if you say the word: “Algarve” aloud and don’t immediately think of souks and medinas, well, let’s just say, I would find that puzzling.

Two of Spain’s most important rivers, the Gualalquivir and the Guadiana, clearly owe their names to an Arab past. Just about every word that begins with al comes from Arabic. If you lay your head on a pillow – almohada – or snack on some almonds – almendras – you are acknowledging 781 years of North African linguistic input.

Another Islamic aspect of contemporary Spanish life is that singular fatalism through the lens of which future events are contemplated. A Spanish colleague of mine once told me: “If you worry, you die. If you don’t worry, you die. So, why worry?”

This has more than an echo of the Muslim belief system that says that on the day you are born, the

74

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

travel "If you worry, you die. If you don’t worry, you die. So, why worry?" date of your death is written down on the opposite page of the ledger by some divine power. As we are clearly just flotsam tossed about by the fates, what point is there to worrying? Have another drink, have another cigarette. To put it another way – eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die.

left over from the collapse of the Roman Empire. Granada fell to the Christian forces in 1492.

The intervening 529 years have really done very little to shake off an identity that should not be a source of shame, but of enduring pride.

(Note: The word Moor was derived from a word originally

used to describe people from Mauretania – Morus/Maurus.

To stick solely to the word Arab is to deny the fact that much of the fighting was done by Berber mercenaries, whose ethnic lineage differs from that of purely Arab people. Some of the Berbers were nominally Muslim, but had probably not properly renounced their earlier, animist tendencies.)

When the Arab conquerors were finally and definitively expelled from Spain in 1492, the country embarked upon its journey towards becoming the world’s first superpower. It is true that gold and silver flooded in from the New World, filling Spain’s coffers and funding further exploratory raids on such places as the Philippines. Yet there was already a home-grown product that contributed at least as much – and possibly much more – to those coffers: the fine wool from the Merino sheep. These hardy sheep were introduced to Spain – and I think you might be able to guess where I am going with this – from North Africa.

The mestas – guilds that traded in wool were some of the most powerful people in Spain. To this day, the symbol of the city of Sevilla is a skein of wool. From the various municipal images, you can’t tell if that wool is from a Merino sheep, but I would not bet against it.

What the Moors conquered was not a country called Spain, but a series of warring Visigothic fiefdoms, still scrabbling in a power vacuum for the spoils GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

75

beauty

CONFESSIONS OF A BEAUTY ADDICT The skin barrier.

BY ALEX ORFILA

W

hat is it?

Skin is our biggest organ and it does a lot more than simply envelop our bodies. The outermost layer of our skin is called the stratum. It serves to protect us from all manner of environmental threats and pollutants as well as helping to retain the moisture in our bodies, thus aiding our hydration. It is therefore no surprise that it is often described by scientists as the body’s ‘brick wall’. The

That it is often described by scientists as the body’s ‘brick wall’.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

stratum is made out of a complex network of skin cells, lipids, ceramides and fatty acids. When this delicate balance is thrown off it can result in a damaged skin barrier.

- Inflamed areas.

You may also find that products which you have usually used without any issues now cause a stinging or burning sensation upon application.

What are the What are the causes? symptoms of a damaged skin barrier? The imbalance can sometimes be When your skin’s barrier is damaged, skin loses moisture and becomes more vulnerable to external aggressors. The symptoms could be any, or a combination of the following: - Dry, dehydrated skin - Itchiness - Increased sensitivity - Acne

brought on by factors out of our control, such as environmental pollutants, psychological stress or simply our genetics. However currently the most common cause of a damaged skin barrier tends to be over exfoliation.

Although all beauty fanatics are blessed to have all manner of lotions and potions at their fingertips thanks to online shopping making beauty products all the more accessible – there is actually a downside to this 77

beauty over-availability.

When it comes to skincare, often less really is more. There really is no need to incorporate twelve steps into your skincare routine and this can sometimes do more harm than good. Usually a simple routine of cleansing, toning and moisturising can be just as effective.

In recent years we have witnessed a surge in the variety of singleingredient products being released. The leading brand in this category is of course budget ingredient-led brand The Ordinary. This approach to skincare has no doubt revolutionised the beauty industry and other brands have since followed suit, such as the Inkey List and even high street giant Boots.

Although these brands have been celebrated for making skincare accessible to all through their pocket-friendly prices and science-led approach, it is important to remember that moderation is key. Active ingredients such as AHAs (Alpha Hydroxy Acids) and BHAs (Beta Hydroxy Acids) are exfoliating agents that essentially act as peels. Whilst they can be extremely effective in the right doses, they can also wreak havoc and throw off the balance of the skin barrier if not used correctly.

Many skincare professionals have connected a recent surge in clients with compromised skin barriers to the rise in popularity of exfoliating products. It seems that in moving away from expertly created formulas, such as those found in traditional serums and moisturisers, we are instead taking matters into our own hands 78

which of course has its pros as well as its cons.

When it comes to potent active ingredients such as AHAs, BHAs, Vitamin C serums and Retinol, moderation is key. Remember to use any of these in small doses and to begin with space out how frequently you use these, depending on your skin’s tolerance.

You also want to avoid combining these active ingredients in any one routine, as they can often clash with one another and cause more harm than good.

Similarly, if you do want to introduce an exfoliant into your routine, be very aware of the ingredients in the other products which you are using.

For example, there are may toners on the market now which contain glycolic acid (a type of AHA), the most popular being Pixi’s ‘Glow Tonic’. If you are already using a serum which contains glycolic acid and you also opt for a toner which contains this ingredient you could end up overexfoliating the skin.

How can you heal it?

The good news is that a compromised skin barrier can be healed, but patience is key.

As always, if you are concerned

When it comes to skincare, often less really is more. it is best to seek professional assistance. However, there are some steps you can take straight away.

Firstly, consider whether you have introduced any new product into your routine which could be causing the irritation. If you’re not sure what could be causing it, the safest approach is to strip back your skincare routine completely as any number of products could be the culprit.

Secondly, stay away from any exfoliating ingredients and also avoid products that are fragranced or contain alcohol.

The key here is not to dry the skin out further.

Lastly, stick to a very simple routine with a focus on hydration.

Use a gentle fragrance-free cleanser and when moisturising look out for hydrating ingredients such as hyaluronic acid (which is a humectant, meaning that it locks in moisture), glycerine or ceramides.

Hydrating products that can help maintain a healthy skin barrier: GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

beauty Cleanser Opt for a cleanser that is gentle, fragrance free and non-stripping: Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser 236ml, £9.49

Moisturisers Gentle and hydrating options: CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Plumping Moisturising Lotion For Dry to Very Dry Skin, £9.50

Serums

Avène Skin Recovery Cream Moisturiser for Very Sensitive Skin 50ml,

Pick a hyaluronic acid serum.

£17.50

Serum 10ml, £85

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

Dr Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic

79

fashion

EASY SPRING STYLING

Spring in Gib means scorching heat one day, and chilly blustery levanter days the next; it’s simply par for the course!

BY JULIA COELHO

A

t this time of year, my rotation of jeans remains my trusty transitional solution to my daily outfit confusions, at least until bare legs become a feasible 24/7 eventuality. I’ve always found it hard to style casual looks without overdoing it on the casual. My laidback personal style means that I tend to gravitate towards T-shirts, and at this point, I honestly think I own more than is reasonable for one human being.

These days, one of my sartorial goals is to create a wardrobe made up of easy, wearable pieces that I can chuck on with a pair of jeans at a moment’s notice, but also give me something more interesting than my usual boring T-shirt, jeans and trainers ensemble.

So I started to ponder: how can I develop my wardrobe to the point that I can pull out my favourite jeans, still look casual, but also stylish and appropriate for any dinner or drinks occasion that may pop up? Then 2020 happened. I used to be a funky skirt/shorts/trousers and plain tee kinda gal, but then video calls became my only source of social interaction and I quickly realised that the bottom half of my outfit had become totally redundant.

80

Naturally, for the majority of us, tops started to become the centrepiece of our wardrobes, which is when I realised I was really lacking. As a result of recent times, designers too have become more and more focused on necklines, sleeves and detailing in the tops department, and so we’ve seen a real renaissance in the ‘jeans and a nice top’ category - something I think we can all be grateful for.

SECOND-SKIN TOPS I’ve harped on about these a couple of times already, but they’re just so seasonally transcendent, and come in so many colours, prints and price points what’s not to love?

Whether you opt for something eccentric and printed or plain and unassuming, you'll find that they make great layering tools as well as statement pieces.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

SHIRTS Button-down shirts are both classic and essential to any wardrobe, but it's true that they do go through surges of popularity and become more noticeably on-trend than at other times. Although a simple item, you will find that a well-chosen shirt is the kind of thing you'll pull out time and time again without fail, making it a worthy investment not to be underestimated. This season, easy-breezy linen shirts are absolutely in, and they make for an awesome alternative to an otherwise plain tee.

They somehow manage to straddle the tricky smartcasual divide I struggle with on a day-to-day basis.

So many colours, prints and price points what’s not to love?

BOTTOM LEFT: GAIA TOP PURPLE, KAI, £80.00 INSIDE LEFT: GET A GROOVE ON MESH MARBLE TOP, NASTY GAL, £20.00 TOP LEFT: OVERSIZED POPLIN SHIRT, ARKET, £59.00 TOP RIGHT: SATIN SHIRT, ZARA, £19.99 BOTTOM: BUTTON DOWN OVERSIZED CORDUROY SHIRT, NASTY GAL, £38.00

81

NECKLINES Sometimes the difference between a boring old T-shirt and an elevated classy look is a switch-up in neckline. There’s been a recent explosion of sweetheart necklines along with bustiers featuring in our favourite high street shops as of late. These styles make for a much more interesting addition to a pair of jeans than your average top. The most popular versions right now 82

TOP LEFT: BANDEAU CROP TOP WITH ASYMMETRIC STRAP DETAIL IN BLACK, ASOS DESIGN, £8.00 TOP RIGHT: PETITE KNITTED SWEETHEART TOP IN CAMEL, 4TH & RECKLESS, £20.00 MIDDLE: STRAP ORGANIC COTTON ASYMMETRIC VEST TOP IN WHITE, WEEKDAY, £10.00 RIGHT: FLORAL PRINT SWEETHEART NECKLINE PUFF SLEEVE BLOUSE, NASTY GAL, £30.00

are in knit form, making them both comfortable and weatherappropriate. We’ve also seen a rise in asymmetric necklines.

This is the kind of statement that literally requires no effort whatsoever, but takes any denim pairing to the next level.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

fashion

TOP LEFT: CAMI AND CARDIGAN CO-ORD IN BLUE CHECK, STRADIVARIUS, £34.98 BOTTOM: FLUFFY EMBROIDERED CO-ORD IN LEMON, MISSGUIDED, £60.00

BRADIGANS Yep, you read correctly, bradigans.

Bra/cardigan sets are being churned out en masse by every brand at every price point. I’m a huge knitwear person, so these are absolutely perfect transitional pieces, keeping me very much in my knitted comfort zone bubble, while also looking super cute, feminine and casual all at the same time.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

83

fashion BIG SLEEVES Billowing sleeves, big or small, have been all the rage for quite a few seasons now, and will never fail to take any simple pair of jeans to new heights. On the topic of XL additions, huge statement collars are also absolutely everywhere these days; from giant 70s styles to lacey ruffles, the many iterations on offer on the high street are far from shy and make for awesome combos with your favourite pair of jeans.

KNITTED VESTS Whether they’re worn on their own or layered over a shirt or tee, there is nothing more (somewhat ironically) effortlessly cool than a knitted vest. While I tend to steer clear of micro-trends, and often prioritise longevity in favour of a fleeting purchase, I also don’t want to demonise the concept of trends (especially great ones). Ultimately, innovation and creativity are what make fashion so exciting. In my opinion, the key is to just focus on pieces that remain true to your personal style; so if this one isn’t your bag, then just give it a miss - there are definitely more than enough to choose from.

TOP: CROPPED BLOUSE WITH FRILLY COLLAR, MONKI, £20.00 LEFT: BALLOON SLEEVE BLOUSE, MONKI, £25.00 RIGHT: EMBROIDERED STATEMENT COLLAR BLOUSE, & OTHER STORIES, £65.00

84

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

TOP LEFT: PRINTED PUFF SLEEVE SMOCK TOP, & OTHER STORIES, £55.00 TOP RIGHT: BOXY SILK BLEND VEST, & OTHER STORIES, £55.00 BOTTOM LEFT: WINDY V-NECK VEST, WEEKDAY, £20.00

GAZPACHO

Recipe by The Gibraltar Vegan, follow instagram.com/thegibraltarvegan for updates

Reflective of our neighbouring Andalucía, the combination of tomatoes, cucumber, pepper, onion, garlic and olive oil creates a wonderful cold soup that gives a taste of summers on the beach.

•

1tbsp extra virgin olive oil

•

½ tsp black pepper

•

½ tsp salt

•

1 sprig fresh parsley

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

•

5 medium sized vine ripened tomatoes

•

½ yellow pepper (or red if you prefer a little more sweetness)

1. Scoop out the insides of the tomatoes, dice them and put them in a bowl

•

6 inches cucumber

•

½ red onion

•

4 cloves of garlic

86

4. Add the olive oil, black pepper, salt and parsley 5. Take half of the mixture and place in a blender, blend until very smooth 6. Pour this into a container

2. Peel the cucumber, dice and add to the tomatoes 3. Dice the pepper, red onion and garlic and add to the mix

7. Take the remainder of the mixture and blend it slightly so that it is not as smooth and has texture 8. Pour this into the container with the smooth soup and stir.

9. Serve in a glass as traditional with some fresh crusty bread or drink it directly from a reusable bottle at the beach or on the go.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

FLAN DE COCO INGREDIENTS: •

300g white sugar

•

1 (400g) can sweetened condensed milk

•

1 (354ml) tin evaporated milk

•

1/2 cup milk

•

6 eggs

•

1/2 cup shredded coconut

METHOD: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

1. Place 1 cup of sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Heat gently, without stirring, but shaking occasionally until the sugar has melted. Continue cooking until the sugar has completely melted, and turned golden brown. Pour into a large, glass baking dish. Spread the GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

Recipe featured on MamaLotties.com

caramel evenly over the bottom of the dish, then set aside to cool for 15 minutes before proceeding.

2. Once the caramel has hardened, pour the condensed milk, evaporated milk, milk, eggs, 1/2 cup sugar, and coconut into a blender. Blend for 3 minutes until smooth. Pour into baking dish over the caramel. Put baking dish into a larger baking tray and fill halfway with water to create a bain marie.

3. Bake in preheated oven for approximately 50 minutes or until set. When done, remove from oven and let cool for 30 minutes.

Run a knife around the edges of the dish to separate the flan from the sides. Refrigerate overnight.

Recipe by Ana Maria Morro

Flan de Coco. Sent in by @Julian Correa One of our readers has had a go at a past Gib Mag recipe - what do you think? Send in your snaps to editor@thegibraltarmagazine.com for a chance to be featured!

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 MAY 2021

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 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 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

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

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

R U N W A Y

Victoria Stadium

3

4

REFERENDUM HOUSE ←→ SOUTH BARRACKS

Market Place loop (Eastbound)

http://www.gibraltarbuscompany.gi

Routes operated by

BOTH WORLDS ←→ ROSIA

Rosia loop (Northbound)

MARKET PLACE ←→ EUROPA POINT

3

Midtown loop (Southbound) Midtown loop (Northbound)

Ocean Village

Glacis Kiosk

WILLIS’s ROAD

MOUNT ALVERNIA ←→ ORANGE BASTION

AIRPORT/FRONTIER ←→ TRAFALGAR

EUROTOWERS ←→ ROSIA

http://citibus.gi

H

Bishop Canilla House

PLACES OF INTEREST

Coach Park

Cable Car

Airport

Lighthouse

Cathedral

Museum

BI

Taxis

Seaport

Castle

Beach

Stadium

Trafalgar Cemetery

QUEENSWAY

King’s Wharf

Queensway Quay

Referendum Gates

MAIN STREET

Commonwealth Park

Mid-Harbour Estate

Europort Building 8

A AN RU CA D OP A SH RO

Edinburgh House

58

10

PRINCE EDWARDS ROAD

Eliott’s Way

48 BOTH WORLDS

ROSIA ROAD

Alameda Governor’s House Meadow House Victoria House

H KS RO AD

BA RR AC

Mount Pleasant

3

New Harbours

Cumberland Jumpers Road Building

South Gates

New Mole House

Garrison Gym

© VK (2018)

ce ur So

Gibraltar Bus Network

rg p.o ma et tre ns pe O :

Rosia Plaza

North Gorge

Eliott’s Battery

March 2019 version : correct at time of going to print

Map of Gibraltar

University of Gibraltar

EUROPA POINT

2

Schematic Diagram of Bus Network (not to scale)

Buena Vista

Mosque

BUS NETWORK

GIBRALTAR

9 ROSIA ROSIA 4

Brympton

EUROPA ROAD

SOUTH BARRACKS

SOUTH PAVILION ROAD

St. Joseph’s School

MOUNT ALVERNIA

Schomberg

SO UT

Shorthorn Farm

7

R e s e r v e

Rock Old Hotel Casino

RED SANDS ROAD

Lower Flat Bastion Rd Wilson’s Gardiner’s Ramp Road

Morello’s Ramp

TRAFALGAR Convent Place

Blackstrap Cove

N a t u r e

FLAT BASTION ROAD

Sacred Heart Church

Flat Bastion Rd

R o c k

Caleta Hotel

RECLAMATION Cathedral ROAD Square

King’s Bastion

Arengo’s Palace

PORT St. Bernard’s EURO Hospital GASA Swimming Pool

ROAD

Varyl Begg Estate

MONTAGU GARDENS

9

British War Memorial

LINE WALL ROAD

BOTH WORLDS ←→ RECLAMATION ROAD

Artillery Arms

WILLIS’s ROAD

MAIN STREET MAIN STREET

Moorish Castle Estate

AIRPORT/FRONTIER ←→ RECLAMATION ROAD

Albert Risso House

Sir William Jackson Grove

Waterport Road

QUEENSWAY

Orange Bastion

Fishmarket Steps

1

William’s Way

U p p e r

SIR HERBERT MILES ROAD

1 2 MARKET PLACE

CASEMATES

Routes operated by

10

9

8

7

5

Notre Dame School

Faulknor House

Constitution House

REFERENDUM HOUSE

WINSTON CHURCHILL AVENUE

Park & Ride

MARKET PLACE ←→ WILLIS’S ROAD

R U N W A Y

2

1

BUS ROUTES

5 10

AIRPORT/ FRONTIER

DEVIL’S TOWER RO AD

St. Theresa’s Church

GLACIS ROAD

Eastern Beach

CORRAL ROAD

WATERPORT ROAD

C A R C A B L E

Catalan Bay

N

restaurants, bars & pubs THE LOUNGE Stylish Lounge Gastro Bar on Queensway Quay Marina serving best quality food prepared by passionate, qualified chefs.

Popular quiz on Sundays from 7pm and a relaxed friendly atmosphere. A separate Lounge Bar Area serving a wide range of hot drinks, wines, beers, spirits and cocktails at reasonable prices, with large TV’s for sports and events coverage.

Open: 10am-late Mon - Sun Be sure to arrive early to ensure a seat!

The Lounge, 17 Ragged Staff Wharf, Queensway Quay Marina Tel: 200 61118 info@thelounge.gi

DUTY PHARMACY OPENING HOURS

Monday to Friday (7pm to 9pm) Weekends & public holidays (11am to 1pm & 6pm to 8pm) For updates, check facebook.com/PharmaGuide

CHESS PUZZLE ANSWER: 22. Nc6

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

91

Show Us Your Mag!

Snap a pic of you holding a copy of Gib Mag and email it to editor@thegibraltarmagazine.com to be featured. One lucky winner will be picked in our August issue to win a prize!

© STEVE HOLMES

thegibraltarmagazine

Liked by you and 365,999 others thegibraltarmagazine

© Steve Holmes. 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

SOLAR SYSTEM CROSSWORD

10

Answer the questions and fill in the crossword with the correct answers.

1

One turn around the Earth's axis every 24 hours is called .................................

2

What is the center of our solar system?

3

This planet is famous for its red spot.

4

7 6

1 8

9 5

4

5

3

What objects are commonly made of snow, ice, and dust, and can be found moving around outer space?

6

Which planet has the moons Phobos and Deimos?

7

This is Earth's satellite.

8

The moon's light is caused by ................................. from the Earth.

9

The Sun is a .................................

2

10

94

Which planet has the most number of rings?

This occurs when one moon or planet moves into the shadow of another.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

coffee time CROSSWORD 1

1

2

4

3

4

5

6

8 8

7

2 1

12

13

13

14 17

17

18

22

22

23

15 6

18

20

1. Electrical charge unit (7)

4. We wear them these days; conceals (5)

3. Mislead; make false statement (9)

7 17

19

5. Pebbles on a beach (7)

10. One of the 5 senses (8) 12. Regency socialite associated with being welldressed (4,7) 17. Wild flower; Sussex railway line (8)

21

2. Facial make-up (7)

4. He received the Ten Commandments (5)

9. Capital of Qatar (4)

14

16

1. Amusing presentation; not tragedy! (6)

8. Where you might have found St Francis (6)

11

10

DOWN

7. Searches (6)

10 9

ACROSS

19. Authenticate a document; marine mammal; singer; (4) 20. Expenditure (6) 21. Protect; heraldic feature (6) 22. Prickly shrub (5)

6. Matthew and Patrick and Vitus etc (6) 11. Succeeds in bring the scores level (9) 13. Imaginary line around the world (7) 14. Mixed parentage person of a white and a Native American (7) 15. Brief paper of propaganda or other publicity (7) 16. Quadrilateral (6) 18. Mark on a horse; fire (5)

23. Dexterous; skillful (6)

& YOU COULD WIN

SUDOKU

lunch for two at

6

9

Write your name and either SNAP and SEND your completed crossword to editor@thegibraltarmagazine.com or RETURN TO THE CLIPPER by 20 th May. 1

2

M O R O R

9

S E

11

S

Y 1 15

April 2021 Answers

T

U

B L

23

E T

A P

A M U R J 12

T

A T I

B

O

A

L

2

S

L

I

L

S

A

I 10

A D 10

L M E 13

O R

T

V O

L

T

F O R

13

16

O

E

O M

E D

S

R A

C

6

E

S

O N

S

S

R

S

B

P

E

E

E

C

L

A

R

E

R

Z

11

S

O A N

T

U N A

A

14

O N I

I

18

6

14

T

N U S

T

19

S U N U

T C

A D

22

A M O R O T

7

E

I

T C

L

T

D O

N

S

U

8

5

E N

S

A Y

E

T

17

R

F

S

4

N P O

X R

4 8

O F

A O R 21

3

T A

S

A

20

P

A

L M O N

Y O B

E

L

S

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

5

John Felice

5

9

4

8 6

6

1

5

2

17

R

I

4

5 1

2

7

R

6 4

E

N

24

THE WINNER IS:

5

2

8

4

1

1

3

5

6

9 3

7

5

2

K

95

4. Ba4 d6 5. O-O Ne7 6. c3 Bd7 7. d4 Ng6 White has a well supported, ideal pawn centre, but Steinitz has created a resilient defensive structure.

8. Re1 Be7 9. Nbd2 O-O 10. Nf1 Qe8

17. Ng3 Ng8 Steinitz’s strategy has been spectacularly retrograde, as can be seen from the fact that he has retreated all of his pieces to the back rank. His plan, though, is a sound one. Ultimately, he intends to play …g6 followed by …f5 to break out on the kingside and exploit White’s weakness.

LASKER THE GREAT

BY GRANDMASTER RAY KEENE OBE Earlier this year I produced evidence to suggest that Emanuel Lasker could lay claim to having been the greatest champion of them all. Interestingly my conclusions have been endorsed by a recent book from the joint pens of Steve Giddins and Gerard Welling, The Lasker Method to Improve in Chess, published by New in Chess.

This month’s game is a win by Lasker from Hastings, in the first great international tournament held in that iconic town.

White: Emanuel Lasker Black: Wilhelm Steinitz Hastings Tournament, 1895 Ruy Lopez

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 96

Commencing a somewhat artificial manoeuvre, the point of which, ultimately, is to provoke White into blocking the centre by pushing his d-pawn to d5. Steinitz plans later to counterplay based on the thrust …f7-f5. This strategy is now well known from such defences as the King’s Indian, but in 1895 its subtlety was nothing short of revolutionary. Sadly for Steinitz, his splendid strategic conception is marred by some unnecessary toing and froing with his pieces. He could have achieved an identical goal by playing the immediate 10…Bg4.

11. Bc2 Kh8 12. Ng3 Bg4 13. d5 Nb8 14. h3 Bc8 15. Nf5 Bd8 16. g4 Ne7

18. Kg2 Nd7 Steinitz mistakenly believes that he has all the time in the world to effect his desired flank advance …f5, but this is not the case. If the mass retreats carried out

by Steinitz’s minor pieces from moves 13 to 17 were justified, his coming knight manoeuvre must, in contrast, be condemned as a pure waste of time. The American Grandmaster Reuben Fine, pointed out in his collection of Lasker’s games that 18…g6 at once followed by Bf6-g7 and Ne7 and the prompt …f5 would have granted Black a playable position.

Now Lasker takes control.

19. Be3 Nb6 20. b3 Bd7 21. c4 Nc8 22. Qd2 Nce7 Preferable here is 22… g6 followed by …Bf6 and then …Bg7. Once the bishop is securely placed as a defender to GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

coffee time Black’s king then the intended … f5 will come with greater force.

23. c5 g6 24. Qc3 f5

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAY 2021

35. Re2 …

Rather than cling to an extra piece Lasker gives back material to break the back of Black’s counterattack and seize the initiative.

35. … Nxe2+ 36. Bxe2 Qd7 37. Rd1 Qf7 38. Bc4 Be6 39. e5 Bxc4 40. Nf5 Black resigns.

1-0

Puzzle:

White to play and win.

White: Emanuel Lasker Black: Jacques Mieses Paris, 1900 This is the position before White’s 22nd move. How does White force decisive gain of material?

Answer on page 91

Having waited for so long Black could have deferred this for just one more move and played 24…h6, to give his king a little more space.

As played, Lasker who controls more space and dominates the centre, was able to sacrifice a piece and drag Black’s king into the firing line.

25. Nxe5 dxe5 26. Qxe5+ Nf6 27. Bd4 …

This accurate move wins the game. Lasker had only to avoid the trick 27.g5? which would have been parried by 27…Nxd5. Now Black is without a satisfactory defence.

27. … fxg4 28. hxg4 …

Black’s next move is a tragic blunder which loses material in unfavourable conditions. The right way to continue would have been 28…Kg8 to relieve the devastating pin along the a1-h8 diagonal

28. … Bxg4 29. Qg5 Qd7 30. Bxf6+ Kg8 31. Bd1 Bh3+ 32. Kg1 Nxd5 A desperate attempt to gain counterplay.

33. Bxd8 Nf4 34. Bf6 Qd2

97

WE GO TO IKEA FOR YOU contact

www.ikeagibraltardirect.com ikeagibraltardirect@gmail.com 19 City Mill Lane Gibraltar +350 200 76262

little dictionary

disambiguate verb to make the meaning of something clear

e.g. Their tutor provided ample notes to disambiguate the meaning of each line of poetry.

29 City Mill Lane, Gibraltar +350 200 72470 / info@littleenglish.eu

NEW E-PACE PLUG-IN HYBRID

STRIKING FROM EVERY ANGLE.

New Jaguar E-PACE with Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle technology. Switchable hybrid 309PS powertrain that optimises performance and efficiency. 0-100km/h in 6.5 seconds. Fuel consumption from 2.0 I/ 100km. 55km range when in full electric mode,* with zero tailpipe emissions. 0-80% charge in just 30 minutes.** Enjoy the perfect balance of power.

New E-PACE. Striking from every angle.

A.M Capurro 20 Line Wall Road, Gibraltar +350 200 75149 capurro.gi Official fuel consumption figures for the P300e in l/100km (mpg): Combined 2.0 (141) – 2.0 (141). CO2 emissions g/km: 43 – 45. Drive responsibly on and off-road. *EV range figures are based upon production vehicle over a standardised route. Range achieved will vary dependent on vehicle and battery condition, actual route and environment and driving style. **When using 50kW DC rapid charger. 7kW charger shown. Model shown with optional features

finance

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