Senior Times (March 2019)

SENIOR TIMES MARCH 2019

Malta’s monthly newspaper for the elderly

Messaġġ ġo flixkun Ramona Portelli tiltaqa’ mal-kollezzjonist Luke Micallef.

SEE PAGES 4, 5 & 6

ouR Value It is important to recognise the tremendous potential of the longevity revolution, KNA president Anthony Mulè Stagno says.

SEE PAGES 8 & 9

keeping ouR end up: paRt 1 SEE PAGES 12 & 13

2

|

SENIOR TIMES ‒ MARCH 2019

EDITOR’S WELCOME

IN THIS ISSUE

The ground breaks

A

pril is the cruellest month, the great American poet T. S. Eliot wrote in The Waste Land, one of the most important modernist poems of the 20th century. And students, finding their literary criticism feet, will always ask, why does spring herald ‘dull roots’? Why are lilacs bred out of ‘the dead land’, stirring ‘dull roots with spring rain’?

It is the question that has launched a thousand answers; or rather, a thousand and one answers mulled over in the long night. And when morning breaks, the light will show no definite answer. Rather, the horizon of interpretation will still be far away, out of reach.

Poetry does not hide any universal truths between its layers of rhyme, rhythm, alliteration and form. Its truths are subjective and interpretation is rooted to a subject’s innocence, experience and life.

The same applies to seasons. For some, winter is the hibernation of joy while for others, it is the crackling fire of conversation, ladled like warm soup in a bowlful of friendship. Summer could be the cracked dry earth that feels like a thirst which can never be quenched; and the dull thud of an overripe fruit thumping to the ground and shattering in a million seeds - yet it is also the frilly fun of fireworks exploding like giant cobwebs in the sky.

And spring? It could ache with the pains of rebirth; the shrill glare of harsh new light against sleeping eyes. But it could also be coloured with the brightness of new shades, the zing of young shoots and the dawn of yet another new age.

Stanley

SENIOR TIMES MARCH 2019 EXECUTIVE EDITOR Stanley Borg E-mail: seniortimes @timesofmalta.com CONTRIBUTORS Carmel Baldacchino Tonio Bonello Joseph Busuttil Tony C. Cutajar Dun Jonathan Farrugia Christine Galea Louis Gatt Ramona Portelli Fiona Vella

4. Messaġġ ġo flixkun Li tiltaqa’, titkellem, taqsam l-esperjenzi tiegħek relatata mal-kollezzjoni tiegħek, hija xi ħaġa li l-kollezzjonist Malti jogħxa jagħmel, Luke Micallef jgħid lil Ramona Portelli.

7. L-Antikrist Mattew Silta mir-rumanz ġdid ta’ Tony C. Cutajar.

8. A valuable resource It is important that individuals and businesses recognise the tremendous potential of the longevity revolution, KNA president Anthony Mulè Stagno tells Fiona Vella.

10. Idawwar in-nies mad-dinja b’messaġġ George Zammit idawrek mad-dinja u jkellmek dwar min ħalaqha, jgħid Tonio Bonello.

PUBLISHERS Allied Newspapers Limited Triq L-Intornjatur, Mrieħel BKR 3000 www.timesofmalta.com DESIGN Christian Busuttil SALES & SUBSCRIPTIONS Amanda Gauci Tel: 2276 4332 E-mail: amanda.gauci @timesofmalta.com

11. Maskri

© 2019. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publishers is prohibited.

12. Keeping our end up: Part 1

Kull forma ta’ dixxiplina li nagħmlu fuqna nfusna fir-Randan hija awtentika jekk din tkun f ’kuntest ta’ ħajja fejn ilqjies, il-bilanċ u r-raġuni huma n-norma, Dun Jonathan Farrugia jgħid.

Louis Gatt charts a brief history of the game of cricket in Malta.

16. Step back in time

From Valletta’s historic steps to the Balluta ones drenched in sun and sea, Senior Times and Bay Retro take a step back.

20. Fields of gold

Carmel Vella tells Joseph Busuttil from the Old Motors Club how his love of old cars started from the carcass of a Standard Ten abandoned in a field.

22. Pictures of the world

This month’s news highlights captured in show-stopping photos.

24. The origins of football in Ħamrun

How did Ħamrun Spartans came to be known as Ta’ Werwer and Tas-Sikkina, asks Carmel Baldacchino.

28. White feather

We need to be brave enough to stand up for what is right, says Christine Galea from the Cana Movement.

SENIOR TIMES ‒ MaRch 2019

|

3

NEWS

Empowering older persons through literature

A

s Joseph Addison (1672-1719), an English essayist, po et, playwright, and politician, once said: “Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body”.

With this in mind, the Parliamentary Secretary for Persons with Disability and Active Ageing, Anthony Agius Decelis, recently launched two initiatives to further empower the elderly through reading and writing.

The first initiative is the publishing of a series of six books by the famous Maltese author Frans Sammut, printed in enlarged fonts. These are IlGaġġa, Samuraj, Paceville, Logħba bejn Erbgħa, Kristu filPoeżija Maltija 1913-1973, and Labirint u Stejjer Oħra. These books are being distributed at

the University of the Third Age, Active Ageing Centres, residential homes, and St Vincent de Paul, so that they are

reachable by the elderly in Malta and Gozo.

The Parliamentary Secretary for Persons with Disabil-

ity and Active Ageing also launched a prose competition, entitled Konkors ta’ Proża bil-Malti għall-Anzjani. This

initiative aims at encouraging elderly to narrate stories of their own or write creative ones.

To enter this competition, elderly are to submit one original piece of writing, of not more than 1,200 words. Three winners will be selected at the board’s discretion, and monetary prices of €1,000, €500 u €250, will be given respectively.

Submissions are to be sent, by not later than 12th April 2019, to: Segretarjat Parlamentari għal Persuni b’Dizabilità u Anzjanità Attiva, Palazzo Ferreria, Triq irRepubblika, Il-Belt Valletta.

Application forms can be collected from the Parliamentary Secretariat office, or from the website activeageing.gov.mt. For further information, those interested may call on 2590 3173.

4

|

SENIOR TIMES ‒ MaRch 2019

KOLLEZZJONI

Messaġġ ġo flixkun Li tiltaqa’, titkellem, taqsam l-esperjenzi tiegħek relatati mal-kollezzjoni tiegħek, hija xi ħaġa li l-kollezzjonist Malti jogħxa jagħmel, LUKE MICALLEF jgħid lil Ramona Portelli.

Flixkun tal-ħalib

Flixkun tal-boċċa

Luke Micallef

I

d-dinja b’hekk sabiħa, għax il-varjetà tagħmilha interessanti. Ilbniedem jaf isebbaħha b’għemilu u sfortunatament jaf iħammiġha b’għemilu stess. Iżda kultant b’hekk ilbaqra tinbiegħ kollha, għax f ’dan il-każ, il-personalità tal-lum bena l-passatemp tiegħu minn fliexken mormija barra.

Qed nirreferi għal Luke Micallef.

Għandu tmienja u għoxrin sena, mirRabat u joqgħod San Pawl il-Baħar. Jaħdem bħala għalliem fi skola primarja Kif diġà semmejt, qabel erba’ snin ilu tal-Gvern. Wieħed mill-aktar pas- l-anqas biss kont naf li jeżistu dawn ilsatempi għal qalbu hija l-kollezzjoni ta’ fliexken. Iżda meta minn ftit fliexken dak kollu li huwa Malti. Xi ħaġa li ilu komuni, tibda tiltaqa’ ma’ fliexken differenti, ta’ għamla differenti, b’ismijiet jagħmel minn ċkunitu.

Iqis lilu nnifsu bħala persuna paċen- ta’ kumpaniji Maltin differenti, tibda zjuża, jaf jisma’ lil dak li jkun u bil-lim- tinduna kemm fil-verita ma kellek xejn, itazzjonijiet tiegħu lest li jgħin lil jew m’għandek xejn. Illum il-ġurnata lkollezzjoni tiegħi għandha qrib l-1,000 kulħadd. Xi drabi rasu iebsa wkoll. flixkun, iżda fil-verità naf li hemm Micallef ilu jġemma dawn ildiversi fliexken li għandhom fliexken ta’ Malta għal dawn lkollezzjonisti oħra li jien aħħar erba’ snin. Fil-verità qabel m’għandix, u meta nitkellmu dan iż-żmien l-anqas biss kien jaf bejnietna ngħidu min jaf x’għad li jeżistu, qatt ma kien sema irid joħroġ, li għadna ma nafux b’kumpaniji Maltin li jipproduċu bih. Jista’ jkun li xi fliexken ta’ xi l-luminata tagħhom stess, fi kumpaniji m’għadhom jeżistu fliexken il-ġmiel tagħhom. minħabba diversi raġunijiet.”

Filfatt qabel ma mort ghal din Minn informazzjoni li ksibt l-intervista, kont naf li Micallef matul din l-intervista, sirt naf li minn dejjem kellu għal qalbu ll-kumpaniji tal-luminata lokali istorja ta’ Malta, tant ukoll li jġorru magħhom storja twila għamel Masters in Maltese sa mis-sena 1880. Filfatt f ’dak Studies li huwa kors dwar liż-żmien tista’ tgħid li kull istorja, kultura u tradizzjonijiet raħal f ’Malta u Għawdex Maltin. Il-kumpaniji tal-lumikellu kumpanija tal-luminata lokali jagħmlu parti nata. Hallejt f ’idejn minn aspett żgħir millMicallef sabiex itini istorja ta’ Malta. aktar informazzjoni Immaġinajt li minħabba dwar dan il-fatt. f ’hekk affaxxina ruħu li “Ma rridux ninsew jibda din il-kollezzjoni. il-ħajja kif kienet Hallejt f ’idejh sabiex mija, mija u ħamsin jelabora aktar dwar lsena ilu. Malta ma iżvolġiment ta’ dan idkinitx li hi llum. Li delizzju ġdid għalih. tasal minn raħal “L-ewwel nett nixtieq għall-ieħor mgħobbi ngħid li l-Malti huwa b’kaxxi tal-injam poplu li jħobbha l-kollezmimlijin bil-lumizjoni, tkun xi tkun. Ilnata, ilma, inbid jew kollezzjoni twasslek birra ma kinitx xi tiltaqa’ ma’ kollezzjonisti ħaġa faċli. Għalhekk oħra. Li tiltaqa’, titkellem, bdew jitwieldu dawn taqsam l-esperjenzi il-kumpaniji, li ltiegħek relatata malmaġġoranza kienu kollezzjoni tiegħek, hija xi biss kamra żgħira ħaġa li l-kollezzjonisti, fid-dar ta’ xi familja, b’mod partikolari l-Maltin jew f ’xi kantina, jogħxew jagħmlu. Kull fejn kienu jimlew darba li niltaqgħu, dejjem dawn il-fliexken. nitgħallem xi ħaġa ġdida. Flixkun tal-molla

SENIOR TIMES ‒ MaRch 2019

Tappijiet differenti

Illum saret wisq diffiċli li nsib flixkun ġdid li ma jkollix filkollezzjoni

“L-irħula u l-ibliet il-kbar kollha kellhom il-kumpaniji tagħhom. Li ġejjin huma ftit ismijiet ta’ kumpaniji bl-isem tal-belt u r-raħal minn fejn kienu ġejjin: A. Borin (Il-Birgu), Brittania – Michael Ciappara & Son. (Il-Marsa), Calleja’s Stores (Bormla), Cassar Brothers (Ħal Qormi), Enriques & Bartolo (Il-Furjana), G.L.N. Cutajar Bros. Ltd. (Raħal

Ġdid), Lucrezio Zammit (Il-Ħamrun), Michele Cachia (Iż-Żurrieq), T. Hughes – The English Beer Bottling Depot (TasSliema), St Helen’s Machinery (Birkirkara), Callus & Attard (Iż-Żejtun) u Carsons (Ir-Rabat) fost ħafna oħrajn.

“Iżda mhux l-irħula u l-bliet il-kbar kellhom dawn il-kumpaniji mmexxija mill-familja. Li ġejjin huma kumpaniji

fl-irħula li fil-passat kienu meqjusin bħala żgħar ħafna: Butterfly Aerated Waters – A. Muscat (Ħal Safi), Celestino Muscat (Il-Qrendi), St Joseph Machinery (L-Imsida), St Mary Aerated Waters – B. Cassar (Ħal Tarxien), J. Refalo – The Fountain Mineral Waters (Il-Fontana, Għawdex) u Victory Mineral Waters (Birżebbuġa) fost l-oħrajn.”

Kompla jghidli li din il-kollezzjoni tal-fliexken hija magħmula minn fliexken, pero’ mhumiex kollha fliexken normali li naraw. Il-favoriti ta’ Micallef huma dak li bl-Ingliż jgħidilhom Codd Bottles, bil-Malti nirreferu għalihom bħala tal-boċċa, għax ġolflixkun kien ikun hemm boċċa. “Ħafna minn dawn il-fliexken jinstabu mkissrin, minħabba li fl-antik ittfal kienu jkissru dawn il-fliexken biex jeħdulhom il-boċċa, sabiex ikollhom biex jilgħabu. Aħna l-kollezzjonisti ta’ dawn il-fliexken xorta waħda nżom-

SUBSCRIBE TO

OCTOBER 2018 Malta’s monthly

newspaper for the

elderly

SEE PAGES 8 &

To subscribe, send your details (name, surname, address and payment details) to amanda.gauci@timesofmalta.com. You can also subscribe by completing the attached form and sending it together with payment to Senior Times, Allied Newspapers Limited, Triq L-Intornjatur, Mrieħel, BKR 3000.

Residents of State, Church and private homes for the elderly receive Senior Times every month for free. *Normal subscription is €12 for one full year.

Cheques payable to Allied Newspapers Limited.

9

Interview with Max Farrugia SEE PAGES 4 &

5

aper for the elderly

newsp Malta’s monthly

SEE PAGE 18

NOVEMBER 2018

Receive a copy of Senior Times, every month at home for one full year (12 issues) for the special price of €10* (postage and VAT included). This is a special offer available until April 30. New Senior Times subscribers will also receive one free paperback from a wide range of available titles.

SEE PAGES 4 &

5

SEE PAGE 8

Ê

I would like to subscribe to a full year (12 issues) of Senior Times.

Name Address Tel.

5

muhom dawn il-fliexken li jkunu mkissrin sakemm ma nsibux flixkun sħiħ tal-istess kumpanija. Dak huwa prova għalina li dik il-kumpanija partikolari kienet teżisti.

“Hemm fliexken tal-inbid, li aħna nirreferu għalihom bħala tal-molla, minħabba li kienu jingħalqu b’biċċa molla tal-ħadid u tapp taċ-ċaqquf. Hemm ukoll il-fliexken magħrufin bħala syphons, li huma l-aktar fliexken fraġli, pero’ l-aktar ikkuluriti. Hemm ukoll fliexken taċ-ċaqquf, il-fliexken imbuzzati u l-iktar riċenti qabel qlibna għal plastik, taż-żebgħa. Dawn il-kumpaniji nistgħu ngħidu li bdew jinqatgħu ftit ftit fis-snin ħamsin u sittin, meta beda jiġi mpurtat xorb minn barra minn Malta, li kellhom togħma aħjar mix-xarbiet lokali.”

Illum il-ġurnata għandu qrib elf flixkun – kollha ta’ Malta. Mistoqsi fejn normalment iżżommhom dawn ilfliexken kollha, Micallef jispjega meta beda kellu cupboard żgħir u kien beda jitfa’ ġo fih għax fil-verita’ ma kellux idea kemm setgħet tikber il-kollezzjoni.

“Ma domtx ma rrealiżżajt li fil-verita’ dawk il-ħames xkafef żgħar ma kienux biżżejjed, għalhekk niżżilt kollox fil-garaxx u mlejt il-garaxx bi xkaffar, li llum il-ġurnata huma mimlijin kollha wkoll. Pero’ d-differenza hi li fil-bidu kuljum kont inmur id-dar bi flixkun ġdid. Illum pero’ saret wisq diffiċli li nsib flixkun ġdid li ma jkollix fil-kollezzjoni, għalhekk ma naħsibx

SEE PAGE 7

Senior Times is Malta’s newspaper for the elderly. Issued monthly, it is packed with interesting content, in English and Maltese, as well as competitions, pursuits and more.

|

Surname Email

If you would like to receive promotional material at home, courtesy of Senior Times advertisers, tick this box:

Receive one free random paperback with every full-year subscription of Senior Times.

A WIDE RANGE OF TITLES IS AVAILABLE.

6

|

SENIOR TIMES ‒ MaRch 2019

KOLLEZZJONI/NEWS

li se jkolli bżonn inkabbar wisq aktar,” stqarr miegħi.

Ridt inkun naf jekk qabel ma beda jġemma l-fliexken, kienx iġemma xi ħaġa oħra. Ikkonferma mieghi li kien iġemma gearijiet tal-futbol tat-tim nazzjonali Malti, li kienu milbusin f ’xi logħbiet tan-nazzjonal. Fost il-flokkijiet li għandu hemm tal-aqwa plejers Maltin: Carmel Busuttil (il-Bużu), Raymond Vella (ilMundu), Johnny Buttigieg, Michael Degiorgio, Louis Arpa, Leli Fabri fost l-oħrajn. Kollezzjoni ohra pero tat-tfulija li bdieha meta kien għadu tifel u kien imur il-Mużew kienet kollezzjoni ta’ badges tal-Verbum Dei. Għandu wkoll kollezzjoni ta’ tikketti li kienu jkunu mwaħħlin mal-fliexken, biljetti tal-linja u tal-ferrovija ta’ Malta fost l-oħrajn.

Ta’ min jghid li d-delizzju ta’ Micallef ra l-bidu tiegħu flimkien ma’ sieħbu, fejn fittxew delizzju ġdid flok tal-bolol u delizzji oħra simili. Filfatt qabbadtu ċertu nostalgija, u nfurmani li jiftakarhom iduru fil-kampanja jippruvaw isibu xi flixkun ġdid, u jħaffru fejn fil-passat kien jintrema l-ħġieġ.

Immaġinajt li dan id-delizzju għaqqdu b’xejn, fis-sens li kull flixkun li għandu kollha sabhom barra mormija, iżda kont sejra żbaljata.

“Huma ftit ħafna l-fliexken li sibt barra.

L-ammont huwa insinifikanti. Minħabba r-rarità tagħhom, dawn il-fliexken iġibu prezz għoli mhux ħażin. Pero’ sar rari wisq li ssib xi flixkun ġdid li ma jkunx diġa’ fil-kollezzjoni,” ikkonferma mieghi.

Micallef isostni li dawn l-istess fliexken huma arti fihom infushom.

Flixkun bis-sifun

Tikketta talBritannia Brand

Mhux hekk biss talli qed iġemma wkoll tappijiet ta’ dawn l-istess fliexken, reklamar bhal tabelli u affarijiet oħrajn konnessi. Fi kliemu stess meta wiehed jara d-dettallji li fihom dawn ilfliexken, tal-meravilja.

“Tinduna kemm fiż-żminijiet passati kienu jieħdu sodisfazzjon fix-xogħol tagħhom. It-tappijiet taċ-ċaqquf li nġemma jien fihom storja wkoll. Filfatt kumpaniji żgħar ħafna li ma kinux jifilħu jordnaw u jixtru l-fliexken blarma u bl-isem tal-kumpanija tagħhom, kienu jordnaw fliexken bla disinn, plain, u tapp taċ-ċaqquf biss bl-isem talkumpanija. Din turi d-differenzi bejn dawn il-kumpaniji. Ir-reklamar li kienu jagħmlu ħamsin u erbgħin sena ilu, flopinjoni tiegħi, huwa bil-wisq isbaħ minn dak li joħroġ illum.”

Dwar jekk qatt xi darba kkunsidrax li l-fliexken kollha tiegħu jagħmilhom f ’xi wirja jew mużew, Micallef sostna mieghi li biex jagħmel il-fliexken kollha f ’wirja li ddum biss tul qasir ta’ żmien ma jarahiex viabbli.

“Fiha x-xogħol biex inżarma lfliexken kollha u narmahom għal żmien qasir band’oħra. Ma jeżisti l-ebda post fejn kollezzjonisti Maltin jistgħu jesebixxu l-kollezzjonijiet tagħhom.

Dawn ukoll huma parti mill-istorja ta’ Malta, u nemmen li bħal kollezzjoni tiegħi hawn ukoll diversi kollezzjonijiet oħrajn li jagħtu dawl fuq il-kultura u ttradizzjonijiet passati Maltin, li iżda jinsabu maqfulin għand individwi minħabba li m’hawn l-ebda lok fejn wieħed jesebixxi l-kollezzjonijiet.”

Qlibt id-diskursata dwar xi riċerka li qed jagħmel fuq dawn il-fliexken; imma fl-istess ħin qed isibha diffiċli.

“Kif diġa’ semmejt, ħafna minn dawn il-kumpaniji kienu żgħar ħafna, jiġifieri ma kinux jirreklamaw il-prodott tagħhom. Il-maġġoranza ta’ dawn ilkumpaniji lanqas biss kienu reġistrati, allura aktar u aktar huwa diffiċli li ssib informazzjoni. Nappella lil dawk li forsi għandhom xi ritratti ta’ dawn kumpaniji, jew sempliċiment jiftakru fejn kienet fabbrika partikolari jew kwalunkwe informazzjoni oħra, nieħu pjaċir ħafna nitkellem magħhom.”

Iżda kollox ma’ kollox bis-saħħa talfliexken Luke qed iżomm ħajja parti mill-istorja ta’ Malta, għax kieku aktarx li tkun intilfet. Għalih il-kollezzjoni hija passatemp, xi ħaġa li biha jaqta ftit mir-rutina ta’ kuljum.

“Inkun kuntent ħafna kieku ningħata l-opportunita’ naqsam dak li għandi u lftit li naf ma’ ħaddieħor. Dak ir-rikonoxximent biżżejjed,” sostna miegħi.

An evening of music for string orchestra with the Georgian Sinfonietta

T

he Mediterranean Conference Centre in collaboration with the European Foundation for Support of Culture presents an evening of music for string orchestra with the Georgian Sinfonietta on Sunday, March 24 at 6pm at La Valette Hall, Mediterranean Conference Centre, Valletta.

The Georgian Sinfonietta has established itself as one today’s leading chamber orchestras in the world. It not only plays regularly in Georgia and is the backbone of the Tbilisi International Baroque festival, touring Europe on a regular basis.

Together with conductor Alexei Galea Cavallazzi, they shall present a programme of

music for string orchestra.

Mendelssohn’s string symphony nos 9 will open the concert followed by the Little Suite by one of the most

important composers of the 20th century, Carl Nielsen.

Maltese Music will be represented by Music for Strings by Malta’s most internationally

performed composer, Jesmond Grixti. The last piece of the evening will be by the late Joseph Vella whose works are already part of the concert

repertoire in Malta and elsewhere. His Sinfonietta Opus 36 shall be a fitting climax to a programme of music from the 19th and 20th centuries.

Galea Cavallazzi, whose international career takes him to various countries has been invited to conduct this orchestra a number of times in Tbilisi.

This is the second concert of the Georgian Sinfonietta in Malta.

The Mediterranean Conference Centre continues its excellent work in the field of culture by producing classical music events of the highest standard and at a reasonable price.

The duration of this event is 70 minutes. For more information and tickets call on 2559 5750 or visit www.mcc.com.mt.

SENIOR TIMES ‒ MaRch 2019

|

7

RUMANZ

L-Antikrist Mattew

L-Inkiżitur Visconti fis-sena 1625 iddeċieda li jibni l-palazz tas-sajf tiegħu qrib ir-raba’ tal-Għajn il-Kbira.

Silta mir-rumanz ġdid ta’ Tony C. Cutajar.

M

ela dan tassew li hu saħħar u jaħdem maxxitan,” qal Marco, “biex irnexxielu jagħmel ħaġa bħal din.”

“Jien għadni ma nistax nemminha,” kompla Kavallier minnhom. “Imma int żgur, Eċċellenza, li l-ittra li rċevejt hija mingħandu?”

“Kieku m’iniex żgur ma kontx ngħidilkom. Għandha listess kitba ta’ xi kitbiet minn tiegħu li ġbarna fil-proċess.

Jiena nħossni mbellah iżjed minkom kif dan irnexxielu jagħmel ħaġa bħal din.”

“Dan huwa bniedem perikoluż għall-aħħar,” qal Alessandro. “Imma, ngħid jien, jekk huwa daqshekk kapaċi jagħmel ħaġa bħal din, kif ma rnexxilux jaħrab mill-ħabs meta kien hawn?”

“Dak misteru ieħor. Ma nafx ngħidlek,” qal l-isqof.

“Tiftakru li qabel qabeż filbettija talab li jinħall mill-irbit tal-katini,” qal xi ħadd ieħor.

“Min jaf! Forsi waqt li jkun marbut ma jkunx jista’ jagħmel il-maġija tiegħu...”

“Le, ma naħsibhiex bħalek, Sergio,” qabeż jgħid Pierre. “Li tinħall mill-katini mhix xi ħaġa kbira daqs dak li rajna b’għajnejna.”

“Huwa kien marbut bilkatini l-ħin kollu kemm dam il-ħabs, Eċċellenza?”

“Hekk jidhirli. Dan kien mgħasses ħafna iktar minn priġunieri oħra minħabba li kien ikkundannat għall-mewt.”

“Mela forsi Sergio għandu raġun. Bħalma Sansun tilef ilqawwa tiegħu meta qaxxrulu xagħru, dan forsi tilef is-setgħat maġiċi tiegħu meta kien marbut...”

“Dawn huwa kollha suppożizzjonijiet, ħbieb,” qalilhom l-isqof. “Aħna rridu nsibu l-verità kollha mibnija fuq ilfatti. U ma nafx minn fejn se nġib il-fatti, jekk m’għandhomx xi idejat aħjar.”

Bil-qawwa ta’ dokument legali tat-30 ta’ Mejju 1575, fi żmien meta kienu għaddew iżjed minn sitt xhur minn mindu nqatgħet is-sentenza ta’ Mattew Falson, il-promotur fiskali tal-inkiżizzjoni, ħa f ’isem is-Sant Uffizzju nofs ilpropjetà ta’ Mattew Falson, ilmissier. In-nofs l-ieħor waqa’ f ’idejn l-Ordni ta’ San Ġwann,

Mattew kien jaqla’ x’jiekol billi jagħmel ftit maġija fil-pubbliku

skont kif xtaq il-Papa Gregorju XIII. L-oqsma magħrufin bħala l-Għajn il-Kbira qrib il-Girgenti, limiti tas-Siġġiewi, kienu frott ta’ din il-konfiska – raba’ f ’xaqliba ta’ sbuħija naturali li tgħaxxaq. Din dejjem baqgħet l-aħjar propjetà tal-inkiżizzjoni ta’ Malta u kienet ta’ importanza kbira. Kienet ta’ għajnuna biex tipprovdi għall-parti mill-għajxien ta’ dawk ilbdiewa u persuni oħra li kienu jiddependu mill-inkiżizzjoni.

Min-naħa tiegħu, il-Gran Mastru La Cassière irregala l-parti tiegħu lill-assemblea tal-kappillani konventwali.

Dak iż-żmien kull min kien jiġi kkundannat għall-ereżija kienet tolqtu wkoll il-mewt ċivili, jiġifieri mhux biss jeħdulu ġidu kollu, iżda li wliedu ma kenux jistgħu jsiru qassisin jew reliġjużi jew jieħdu xi mpjieg.

Kienet ċertament sentenza ħarxa biex b’hekk iżommu ‘l bogħod kemm jistgħu s-saħta tal-ereżija fil-pajjiż. Iżda kif nafu, il-bniedem jirriskja għax jistenna li ma jinqabadtx.

Snin wara, Ruma bdiet tissikka lill-inkiżituri biex jaraw x’jagħmlu ħalli l-inkiżizzjoni ta’ Malta tkun taf b’eżattezza liema kienet il-propjetà tagħha f ’Għajn il-Kbira li kienet maqsuma bejn l-Ordni ta’ San Ġwann u bejn l-inkiżitur. Ruma riedet li l-inkiżitur jitkixxef dwar il-valur tal-art u d-

diviżjoni tal-art minn dik talOrdni. Il-Papa kien lest li joħroġ brevi ħalli jordna lill-Gran Mastru biex issir din id-diviżjoni.

B’hekk l-art kollha finalment ġiet taħt idejn l-inkiżitur. Minn dak iż-żmien tas-sena 1607, ilbdiewa li kienu jaħdmu hemm tqiesu fost il-familjari talinkiżizzjoni u gawdew mill-istess privileġġi, imma mhux fuq bażi permanenti.

Kien l-Inkiżitur Visconti li fis-sena 1625 iddeċieda li jibni l-palazz tas-sajf tiegħu qrib irraba’ tal-Għajn il-Kbira. Iżda dan il-palazz, sabiħ għalkemm sempliċi, ftit tgawda u ftit ġie kkurat għax kien maqtugħ wisq minn pożizzjoni ċentrali.

Il-kappella li tmiss miegħu u li hi ddedikata lil San Karlu Borromeo, inbniet xi 140 sena wara mill-Inkiżitur Angelo Durini fis-sena 1763. Illum ilpalazz tal-Girgenti jintuża mill-gvern ta’ Malta.

Mattew Falson baqa’ jgħix fi Sqallija. Għalkemm ma wiret xejn minn dak li kellu missieru qabel ġie kkastigat għallereżija tiegħu, huwa kellu miegħu qaddej Sqalli li kien jieħu ħsiebu. Mattew kien jaqla’ x’jiekol billi jagħmel ftit maġija fil-pubbliku u jaqra xxorti lil dawk li kienu saru jafu bih u bdew ifittxuh id-dar.

Fil-ħinijiet liberi tiegħu huwa kien jgħallem lil dan il-qaddej żagħżugħ bl-isem ta’ Luigi dak

kollu li kien jaf hu. Mhux tant it-tagħlim ta’ Luteru, u lanqas kif jaqra u jikteb, iżda biss kif jagħmel il-maġija. Għaddielu llibrett li kien mogħti minn missieru u li fih kien hemm ħafna sigrieti li għandhom x’jaqsmu mas-superstizzjoni.

Kien librett mimli bi proposti, għemejjel u kelmiet superstizzjużi li jgħallmuk x’għandek tagħmel biex fost affarijiet oħra ssir inviżibbli, biex tkun maħbub kemm millirġiel kif ukoll minn nisa, biex mara qatt ma jkollha tfal, biex issib il-ħalliel li jkun serqek, biex tgħin marid li ma jkunx jista’ jorqod, u iżjed. Kien fih ukoll frażijiet li ma jiftehmux u li kienu jissejħu Bullettini, biex, bis-saħħa tagħhom, takkwista xi ħaġa. Wieħed minn dawn il-bullettini kellu ttitolu: Kif toħroġ mill-ħabs.

Lill-gwardjan tal-ħabs itolbu biċċa ħobż għall-imħabba t’Alla. Fuq il-qoxra tal-ħobż ikteb il-kelmiet ‘Dhrenora goteron o vero goterdan’.

Imbagħad kul din il-qoxra bilkelmiet miktubin fuqha. Wara li tiekol, mur orqod malajr mingħajr ma tgħid l-ebda kelma ma’ ħadd.

Din is-sena huwa l-40 anniversarju minn meta l-awtur Tony C. Cutajar ippublika l-ewwel rumanz tiegħu, Id-Dubbien labjad (Klabb Kotba Maltin).

8

|

SENIOR TIMES ‒ MaRch 2019

INTERVIEW

A valuable

RESOURCE

It is important that individuals and businesses recognise the tremendous potential of the longevity revolution, KNA president ANTHONY MULÈ STAGNO tells Fiona Vella.

T

he opportunity to live a long life should be considered as a blessing.

But is that so? As people are living longer, the needs of society are changing.

But are these new exigencies being addressed? Health issues, loneliness and isolation are some of the major concerns which are affecting today’s elderly.

Anthony Mulè Stagno, president of the National Council for the Elderly of Malta (KNA), thinks it is time to face this contemporary reality to ensure a better outcome for all.

The KNA is an NGO that was founded in 1992. Completely autonomous from the government, as well as from any other institution whether of a political, religious, commercial or of some other character, its main aim is to bring together those organisations and associations that give some form of service to the elderly. Its main objectives are to promote the rights of the elderly, continue improving their quality of life, study, analyse and make every effort to satisfy their needs and aspirations, and organise educational programmes, tal-

ent promotion and leisure activities. Moreover, the KNA assists in the formulation of national policies, plans and programmes that concern the full integration and active participation of the elderly in society.

Mulè Stagno has been serving in this council for the last eight years. Two years ago, he was elected as the president of this council.

“This council has always strived to safeguard the interests of the elderly,” he said. “During our regular meetings with the representatives of elderly organisations

and associations, we focus on the problems and concerns which the older generation must face daily. Being safe in their home and outside, adequate pensions, financial insecurity - these are some of the factors which continue to come up.”

Yet there is more than that.

Although still healthy and able, some elderly people nowadays tend to feel useless and unworthy, particularly when they are forced to retire just because they have reached a certain age.

“If older persons are still good at their job, and still want to remain employed, why should they be obliged to retire? Why are we wasting such a valuable resource when there is such a high demand for workers in our country? Why are we throwing away years of experience which could be passed on to younger employees by the senior workers?”

According to Mulé Stagno, some people, especially males, experience retirement as a trauma.

“Life changes completely once you retire. After a lifetime of responsibilities, decision-making, problem-solving, leading and managing, time seems to stop and no one needs anything from you any longer. As if you have already died. As if from one day to another, you have lost all abilities. Inevitably, if you have no other alternatives, you will feel lost, worthless and of no particular use to anyone.”

From his experience, women tend to fare better than men.

“Everyday chores at home, buying daily supplies, baby-sitting their nephews and nieces, and other errands tend to keep

women feeling busy and useful. Women are also the ones who involve themselves more in community groups and voluntary work, and so life goes on for them. Yet those men who have no hobbies at all and those who were not used to help out at home, end up feeling frustrated, isolated or being a nuisance to their wives.”

We will have to see whether this situation will change in the near future, with working women not used to being only housewives, and with men who are now sharing the housekeeping and child-minding responsibilities with their wives.

“It is important that individuals and businesses recognise the tremendous potential of this longevity revolution. By embracing an older workforce through flexible hours, teleworking, and readjusted responsibilities, our ageing population could generate a significant economic opportu-

SENIOR TIMES ‒ MaRch 2019

|

9

Anthony Mulè Stagno

If older persons are still good at their job, and still want to remain employed, why should they be obliged to retire? nity. Besides strengthening their financial security and therefore also their purchasing power, an age-friendly workplace will also benefit from an advantage in the competition for talent and skills.

Not to mention the health benefits as elderly people will feel more fulfilled.”

The age issue infiltrates also into other aspects.

“The older you get, the more difficult it becomes to get insured. After you’re 80, no one would be ready to insure you since you are considered too much of a risk. This would mean that you have no cover

at all if you have a car accident or if any problem occurs when you are abroad on holiday.”

Although keeping active as much as possible generally keeps you in better shape, the age factor will always remain.

As years go by, some things which went unnoticeable in younger days, will be considered as a great hindrance at a later stage.

“Vision might become slightly impaired, walking might be measured and reflexes tend to slow down.

The jumble of pavements created by all those who decide to ‘adjust’ their area according

to their personal and their cars’ needs are a serious problem. Elderly people who find it difficult to walk on such irregular surfaces, or those who are with a pushchair tending to their nephews and nieces, will have no option but to walk on the road beside the parked cars.”

Last September, the KNA organised a national conference ‘Elders: Social Justice or Exclusion?’ where such issues were discussed further.

“We were delighted to see a very good attendance for this conference. Later on in November, in collaboration

with the Parliamentary Secretariat for Rights of Persons with Disability and Active Ageing, the council set up an arts and crafts exhibition with works of the elderly.”

The council keeps in regular contact with the elderly through the periodical ‘L-Anzjani Illum’ (The Elderly Today) which is issued every three months and offers very interesting features and entertaining games. Mulé Stagno is one of the contributors who loves to present thoroughly researched and intriguing articles.

Now the KNA is looking forward to the Annual General Assembly 2019 which will see the election of the new council.

“The KNA Council is made up of 13 members. Two of these members are government representatives since the government supports this council through sponsorship.

Another two members are

representatives of organisations and associations related to the Church, and one represents an organisation in Gozo.

A further two members represent the two major political parties. The next four members are elected from the 21 elderly organisations and associations which are affiliated with us. Finally, the remaining two are elected from those who are attending the Annual General Assembly and are nominated to participate in the election. The latter two need not be forming part of any association, organisation, political party or church group.”

The KNA Annual General Assembly 2019 is taking place on March 16 at 9am, at the Catholic Institute in Floriana. All the elderly are invited to attend.

More information is available on KNA’s website http://www.kna.org.mt or by calling 2124 3860.

10

|

SENIOR TIMES ‒ MaRch 2019

OPINJONI

Idawwar in-nies mad-dinja b’messaġġ George Zammit idawrek mad-dinja u jkellmek dwar min ħalaqha, jgħid Tonio Bonello.

L

il George Zammit sirt nafu kważi sena ilu.

Illum jgħodd l-eta sabiħa ta’ 70 sena.

Karkariż iżda jgħix l-Iklin flimkien ma’ martu wara li rabbew familja. Għamel żmien jaħdem fit-taqsima tax-xogħolijiet pubbliċi. Aktar tard ingħaqad mat-taqsima tasservizzi tal-ilma minn fejn imbagħad daħal f ’impenn xejn mistenni iżda daqstant kreattiv.

Minn dejjem kien jogħġbu ssafar u din in-namra waslitu biex darba kellu stedina biex jibda jtella’ l-Maltin hu stess barra pajjiżna. Illum, 18 -il sena wara, Zammit jistqarr li ma jafx kif għadda dan iż-żmien kollu.

Fil-preżent hu fost dawk imfittxija għal maniġġjar ta’ ġiti barra minn Malta fejn baqa’ jagħti s-servizz tiegħu mal-istess kumpanija li oriġinarjarjament offrietlu dik lewwel opportunità.

Li tkun tmexxi gruppi ta’ Maltin barra pajjiżek mhix faċli. Il-gruppi aktarx ikunu jvarjaw fin-numru bejn għoxrin sa anke sittin persuna.

Persuni waħedhom, koppji u saħansitra familji ġejjin minn stili ta’ ħajja kompletament differenti minn xulxin. B’gosti daqstant ieħor varji, burdati, aspettazzjonijiet u llum forsi, anke twemmin differenti!

Minkejja dan kollu, dak li jagħmel id-differenza f ’Zammit minn tant mexxejja oħra ta’ gruppi hi r-rieda qawwija li għandu li kull fejn ikun u jmur, dejjem, bil-mod kariżmatiku tiegħu, jara kif iwassal ilkelma t’Alla. Trid kuraġġ kbir tagħmel dan. Nistqarr, illum bilkemm issib reliġjużi b’dan il-gazz li jwasslu kelma tajba b’mod daqstant miftuħ.

Aktarx l-isfond tat-trobbija u l-ambjent li fih għex u trabba, u aktar tard rabba hu stess lillistess familja tiegħu, dan hu lpediment ta’ dan is-sens ta’

determinazzjoni biex li għandu jgħid u jagħmel, Zammit jagħmlu. Fis-skiet ta’ bejn l-erba’ ħitan ta’ daru, Zammit għadu jikteb riflessjonijiet ta’ kuljum dwar il-ħajja u limħabba infinita’ li Alla limbierek għandu għalina.

Mhux biss. Zammit jorganizza diversi adorazzjonijiet.

Sa ftit taż-żmien ilu kien anke jwassal it-talba tar-rużarju fuq Radju Marija, iżur il-morda u jgħin, fejn jista’ u kif jista’ lil min hu fil-bżonn. Ix-xewqa ta’ ħajtu hi li l-ħsieb li hu jikteb ta’ kull ġimgħa, dawn xi darba jarahom stampati fi ktieb biex ma jintilfux.

Vjaġġ barra minn xtutna filkumpanija ta’ Zammit jagħmel id-differenza kollha.

Tara fih kwalitajiet ta’ Malti ta’ veru ta’ epoka oħra. Malti li fih, it-twemmin fi Kristu, tassew hu dak li għalih jiġi lewwel u qabel kollox.

Fejn mexxejja oħra ta’ gruppi (żgur bla ma niġġeneralizza) bil-kemm ilissnu l-frażi popolari assoċjata malivjaġġar; “Madonna tat-Triq..., wassalna fis-Sliem”, Zammit, bi pjaċir għal dawk madwaru jmur proprju u kważi flestrem l-ieħor.

Eskursjoni ta’ ġurnata ma’ Zammit tibda bir-radd tassalib u ħsieb profond, iżda daqstant ieħor ħelu u mexxej li jħallik taħseb għal matul dak il-jum. Ħsieb li normalment jibdhielek il-ġurnata tiegħek ferm eħfef mill-piż mhux żgħir tal-ħajja tqila li aħna ngħixu jum wara jum.

Il-mawra fuq il-vettura li tieħdok minn naħa għall-oħra ta’ pajjiż, waqt li jispjegalek fittul u b’mod riċerkat dak li qed tara jew li se tara, iżda Zammit qatt ma jħalli barra l-fatt li din is-sbuħija naturali kollha li aħna qed ingawdu jew se ngawdu hi grazzi għal ħadd għajr il-Ħallieq divin.

George Zammit

Zammit għandu mod ukoll kif iħalli lil dak li jkun jiftakar li minkejja li jinsab barra pajjiżu, iżda għadu Malti. Dan permezz ta’ CD’s li jtella miegħu apposta għal tul ilvjaġġ fejn wara kull eskursjoni, meta allura kulħadd jintasab bilqiegħda għajjien fil-coach jistenna sa ma jaslu lura l-

Fis-skiet ta’ bejn l-erba’ ħitan ta’ daru, George għadu jikteb riflessjonijiet ta’ kuljum dwar il-ħajja

lukanda, Zammit iwassal silta mużikali ħafifa b’talent lokali, u ma tonqosx xi riflessjoni ħelwa u ta’ ringrazzjament l’Alla ta’ jum ieħor mill-isbaħ, mingħajr xita li tana biex stajna gawdejna u tpaxxejna b’tant ġmiel naturali!

Il-kalendarju reliġjuż u lfunzjonijiet assoċjati miegħu, għal Zammit m’għandhomx limitazzjonijiet.

Sakemm għadna ħajjin, aħna fejn aħna nistgħu infaħħru lil Alla xorta waħda. Hekk f ’ġita li eżempju ġiet fi tmiem bil-festa tal-Għid, Zammit xorta waħda sab il-ħin biex fil-għaxija ġabar lil min xtaq imur miegħu għal funzjoni ta’ Ħamis ix-Xirka.

L-istess għamel f ’Ħadd ilGħid fejn wara eskursjoni oħra mill-isbaħ, Zammit ma naqasx milli jfakkar lil kulħadd flobbligu ta’ nsara li aħna biex nattendu flimkien għaċ-ċelebrazzjoni tal-Quddiesa.

U jekk naqbad insemmi lkappelli, knejjes, katidralli u ħafna aktar li fi ftit jiem ippakkjati, Zammit irnexxielu jdaħħalna fihom, nistqarr kien

kważi miraklu li sar dan. Filftit jiem fil-kumpanija ta’ Zammit stajt nifhem kemm hawn nies li għandhom imħabba fihom infushom u li huma kapaċi jittrasmettu dak is-sens ta’ paċi, ħbiberija u solidarjeta’ ma dawk madwarhom.

Jalla, tassew, f ’pajjiżna, f ’din l-art tagħna l-Maltin, il-ħbiberija, is-sinċerità, l-onestà, dak is-sens ta’ ospitalità li darba dan il-poplu kien tant magħruf għalih, jalla li permezz ta’ Zammit u oħrajn bħalu, il-poplu tagħna jkompli jimmatura, jikber u jissaħħaħ f ’dawk l-aktar kwalitajiet essenzjali fil-ħajja tagħna; irrispett u l-imħabba lejn xulxin.

George Zammit, grazzi.

Tonio Bonello hu l-editur media kif ukoll information and communications executive responsabbli mill-corporate-wide media and communications fl-Uffiċċju tas-Segretarju Permanenti fi ħdan il-Ministeru għallFamilja, Drittijiet tat-Tfal u Solidarjetà Soċjali.

SENIOR TIMES ‒ MaRch 2019

|

11

RELIĠJON

Maskri Kull forma ta’ dixxiplina li nagħmlu fuqna nfusna fir-Randan hija awtentika jekk din tkun f’kuntest ta’ ħajja fejn il-qies, il-bilanċ u r-raġuni huma n-norma, Dun Jonathan Farrugia jgħid.

M

arzu beda bil-karnival.

Festa ta’ ferħ, żfin, talenti, kuluri u - fuq kollox - maskri. Fl-imgħoddi, fi żmien l-imperu Ellenistiku, il-maskri kienu jintużaw fit-teatru, meta l-persunaġġi kienu jkunu tipi fissi: il-maħbubin, l-għajjur li jrid lit-tfajla, il-ħabib li jgħin lill-ġuvni, il-kompliċi tal-ħażin, leroj... insomma stejjer li jistgħu ivarjaw imma b’persunaġġi dejjem fissi. Ilmaskri kienu jgħinu lill-udjenza jidentifikaw faċilment il-karattru tal-persunaġġ, jekk hux ħażin jew tajjeb. Barra minn hekk il-maskri kienu utli biex latturi ma jurux min kienu u l-identità tagħhom tibqa’ mistura għall-pubbliku - ma kienux joħorġu s-souvenir programmes bħal-lum!

Biż-żmien, il-maskri spiċċaw jintużaw fit-teatru u saru xi ħaġa marbuta jew mal-karnival jew mal-festini bil-kostumi.

U l-għan huwa l-istess wieħed: li għal dawn il-ftit ġranet jew siegħat, il-persuna tagħmilha ta’ xi persuna oħra: jew xi saħħara, xi persunaġġ famuż, xi mostru, xi farfett, xi balena... xi ħaġa tkun li tkun basta xi ħaġa differenti mir-realtà.

L-għada li jispiċċa l-karnival naqilbu lfolja u jibda r-Randan - żmien li, għal min

għadu jemmen f ’xi ħaġa, fih nippruvaw nirriflettu ftit dwar il-ħajja nisranija tagħna, fejn waslet u fejn sejra. Għadna bil-gzuz immorru ghall-quddiesa f ’Ras ir-Randan biex is-saċerdot ipoġġilna lfrak tal-irmied fuq moħħna (hemm min jara kif jagħmel biex sa ma jerġa’ jasal sal-bank l-irmied ikun sparixxa, u hemm min jekk jista’ jkun jagħmel ġurnata ma jmissx rasu biex kulħadd jara dak ilfrak), u għadna nsibu numru sew ta’ nies li għar-Randan jagħmlu xi sagrifiċċju (jew il-klassiċi “ma niekolx ħelu” jew “noqgħod lura mill-ikel u x-xorb li nħobb” u min ikun naqra aktar avventuruż u prattiku u jipprova jiċċaħħad mill-

Jekk fir-Randan nagħmlu affarijiet li s-soltu ma nagħmlux, mhux niġu qisna qed nilbsu maskra?

paroli fuq in-nies, mid-dagħa, mill-Facebook). Kultant issib min jagħmel sagrifiċċju u fir-Randan jipprova jmur għallquddies, almenu nhar ta’ Ħadd.

Imma qatt għaddielna minn rasna li dan kollu jista’ jkun maskra oħra? Qatt ħsibna li jista’ jiġri li l-maskarata tal-karnival tibqa’ sejra għall-40 jum tar-Randan sal-Għid? Ifhmuni, mhux qed ngħid li nagħmlu hekk b’intenzjoni ħażina jew biex nidhru qaddisin quddiem in-nies xejn minn dan. Li rrid infisser meta ngħid li s-sagrifiċċji tar-Randan jistgħu jkunu maskarata wkoll għax jekk ir-rieda tajba u l-azzjonijet tajbin inħalluhom għar-Randan biss ifisser li x’imkien xi ħaġa marret żmerġ, u żmerġ ħafna.

Ejja nqabblu dak li qed ngħid ma’ dak li għedt ftit ilu. Fit-teatru u fil-karnival in-nies jilbsu maskra biex għal ftit ġranet ma jkunux dak li huma firrealtà... jekk fir-Randan nagħmlu affarijiet li s-soltu ma nagħmlux, mhux niġu qisna qed nilbsu maskra?

Jekk aħna matul is-sena kollha ma nagħtu l-ebda każ li b’xi mod jew ieħor inżommu l-kontroll fuq kliemna, żaqqna, l-imġieba tagħna (u, għaliex le, l-attendenza jew in-nuqqas tagħha talquddies tal-Ħadd), x’jiswa li għal ftit

aktar minn xahar nagħmlu sforz - li jista’ jsir insopportabbli biex dawn l-affarijiet nikkontrollawhom, meta nafu li hekk kif Kristu joħroġ mill-qabar se nerġgħu mmorru lura għad-drawwiet laxki tassoltu? Huwa f ’dan is-sens li r-Randan jista’ jkun maskra - maskra twila, u forse wkoll skomda, imma xorta maskra. Ħbieb kull forma ta’ dixxiplina li nagħmlu fuqna nfusna fir-Randan - u hija ħaġa tajba li nagħmluha - tagħmel sens u hija awtentika jekk din tkun f ’kuntest ta’ ħajja fejn il-qjies, il-bilanċ u r-raġuni huma n-norma. Jista’ xi ħadd li dejjem jiffanga fil-ħelu jieqaf għal xi żmien milli jieklu bla ma dan ikun pass kważi impossibbli? U jekk jaf li wara ftit se jerġa’ jmur lura jkompli jiffanga, x’ġid se jagħmillu dak il-ftit żmien li jagħmel nieqes?

Daqstant ieħor il-ħajja tagħna. Jekk għal ftit żmien nippruvaw inżommu kontroll waqt li fl-istess ħin ngħoddu lġranet biex nerġgħu għal li konnha, dan ma jiswa għal xejn. Ara mill-banda l-oħra, jekk fil-ħajja l-prijorità hija li nsibu bilanċ, meta jiġu mumenti fejn nippruvaw nissikkaw ftit lilna nfusna - bħal fir-Randan - dan ikun aktar faċli u żgur iħalli ħafna aktar frott.

12

|

SENIOR TIMES ‒ MaRch 2019

HISTORY

Keeping our end up: Part one Louis Gatt charts a brief history of the game of cricket in Malta.

C

ricket, that most English of games, has been played in Malta for well over 100 years. It was originally brought to our islands by British servicemen, so it is logical to assume it has been alive here since the early 19th century. Records trace the game played at the now Marsa Sports Club ground back to the year 1900, when the club was known as The United Services Sports Club, primarily for the leisure of British army, navy and air force officers.

I have divided this history of the game in Malta into two sections, this article will deal with cricket here up to the departure of the British services in 1979, while the second part will chart its progress from 1979 up to the present day.

At the height of the British period there were more than 30,000 service personnel and their families resident on the

island. There were also a few more cricket pitches scattered around Malta than our current single one. The game was also played on the parade ground in Floriana, at the Pembroke barracks, at Ħal Far, Kalkara and even Ta’ Qali. In fact, until very recently the concrete cricket pitch could still be seen on that former wartime airfield. Sadly it was surrounded by a small copse of mature trees, so staging any sort of a match there would have been impossible anyway.

The first half of the 20th century was arguably the heyday of the game locally. Apart from the obvious services sides in the major cricket league, there were a number of indigenous Maltese elevens.

Floriana always seemed to be able to field a formidable team, with players like Victor Miller and Harry Samuel prominent. Miller was a very fine all-rounder who was still playing to a very high standard

in the late 1960s and beyond.

The Miller family contributed a couple of other fine players in two of Victor’s three sons, Stephen and Norman, with whom I myself played. I also knew the late Tommy Costa who was, by all accounts, especially his own, a demon fast bowler and prodigious hitter, who turned out for Kalkara during and after World War II. The 1940s and 50s saw a number of world class cricketers perform here. For example, Miller once told me that the Australian team, on their way by sea to tour the UK, used to stop in Malta to play a game at the Marsa.

In fact, probably the greatest batsman of all time Don – later Sir Don – Bradman once scored over 300 runs in a day at the Marsa, a Malta record that stands to this very day.

There were also a number of inter-departmental services teams that played in various minor cricket leagues also around at this time. Hence the

The great Sir Don Bradman.

pitches at Ħal Far, Pembroke and others.

I began my own cricketing career with a major league side called The Malta Civilians in the late 1960s. At the time the team was captained by Miller and contained some formidable indigenous players. Albert Borg was one of the finest, a batsman who would have got into many a top-rated UK club sides. I once saw him score a ton (100 runs) against some very good bowling and at the end he came off the pitch – on an extremely hot day – without even breathing heavily. Another terrific cricketer around at this time was Roy Swift. Originally a seam bowler who could bat a bit, he turned

A group photo of a 1970s St Edwards cricket team.

A wartime inter services cricket match in Malta.

into an extremely handy allrounder who struck the ball a long way and who modified his bowling action to become a very economical off spinner. One of the Civilians’ most stylish batsmen was Tancred (Teddy) Vella who rarely had a bad day at the crease. He was also a brilliant fielder and later became a useful wicketkeeper. The Civilians keeper at this time however was the neat and athletic Kit Ripard.

We could also boast a comparative rarity cricketwise, a left arm seamer in Eddie Xuereb.

After the aborted British withdrawal in 1972, the United Services Sports Club was turned over to Maltese administration and renamed the Marsa Sports

SENIOR TIMES ‒ MaRch 2019

|

13

The Marsa Sports Club team, champions of 1976. Rear, left to right: Peter Attrill, Colin Easton, David Faulkner, Richard Gwynn, Robin Gill, Riaz Ahmed, Charles Mizzi. Front: Roy Swift, Ash Khan Zada, John Appleyard, Jon Rosser, Teddy Vella, Stephen Miller.

Club. The services returned later that year and the major cricket league also returned. At this time it comprised eight teams: two army regimental teams, two RAF teams – flyers and ground crew, one naval side based at Fort St Angelo, one team of army departments (pay corps, catering corps etc… ) and two civilian teams. Of the last mentioned, the Overseas, composed mainly, but not entirely, of UK school teachers from Tal Ħandaq services secondary school – and finally the Marsa Sports Club team. This was the team I played for occasionally and comprised the remnants of The Malta Civilians, plus a fair smattering of ex pats.

The major cricket league ran from 1972 right up to 1978, the year before the British services finally left for good. The standard of cricket played during this period was pretty high and I would put it at decent UK club level. We entertained a number of touring sides, mainly from the UK, every year and managed to acquit ourselves very well overall.

Probably the best touring side was The Incogniti, led by the legendary Oliver Batcock.

Oliver was an actor by profession and ran the “Incogs” for many years. He was a wily medium paced seam bowler who played well into his seventies. It was said that he took more wickets between the age of 50 to 75 than he did in the first 50 years of his life.

The development of the game in our islands has not always been well handled. Since the early part of the 20th century only one school, St Edwards actually played the game and there has been a dearth of qualified coaches here since day one.

During the 1980s De La Salle school could put out a side, which was mainly made up of Asian lads whose fathers were working in the oilfields of Libya.

Latterly there has been a little more emphasis on cricketing development, but we will deal with that aspect in the second part of my contribution, when we cover cricket in Malta from 1979 to the present day.

14

|

SENIOR TIMES ‒ MARCH 2019

CRYPTIC CROSSWORD 1

2

3

4

5

6

EASY CROSSWORD 1

2

3

7 8

8

10

11 15

12

13

18

19

6

10

11

12

13

16

15

16

20

17

18

19

20

21 22 26 29

23

27

24

21

25

22

28 30

26

31

29

23

27

24

25

28 30 31

32 33

32 33

ACROSS 1. A name no chap would change (6) 7. Understood to have made the grade (8) 8. Where to shop for a thousand of everything? (4) 10. Could you hope to include ducks with this bird? (6) 11. Historic seagoing member with a feminine name (6) 14. A cricket side (3) 16. Flat area wherein the plane crashed? (5) 17. In a model landscape, a low part (4) 19. She has to take £50 to the office before early closing (5) 21. Wait for a New Deal on the 4th of July (5) 22. Sloppy sort of sauce containing some eggs (5) 23. Parts you may have thrilled to? (4) 26.Possibly repair a damaged sewer? (5) 28.By getting the key right on the piano (3) 29.Are out of a tin, but that’s the secret (6) 30.Being untidily coiled will do no harm (6) 31. Biblical name for a samosa ingredient (4) 32. China was broken by this, used as a weapon (5,3) 33. Relatively young ladies (6) DOWN 1. Hurried to turn up and cast off (6) 2. Good place going cheap for a pound (6) 3. Look round at an unusual leg (4) 4. Play in a clever way, i.e. quickly (7) 5. A red nose, perhaps, can never quite be orange (5) 6. Perfect as the ale I’d brewed (5) 8. Gangster’s girl wanting some more money (4) 9. A timber sleeper? (3) 12. She’s a blossom (3) 13. Pottery possibly left to a daughter (5) 15. Victor joins Olga on the river (5) 18. Mountain that looks grand in Eire, possibly (5) 19. Unripe grapes are too much for her (3) 20.Put down as unprofessional (3) 21. Drinking in the street (7) 22. It has its vacationist side (3) 23. Suit to change into (6) 24. A girl I’d take some risks for (4) 25. Vegetables with a way of going to seed, somehow (6) 26.Where there’s no job for a dude (5) 27. The neck gets cold wrapped in tattered rags (5) 28.Mop up for the dog! (3) 30.Wonderful wand bringing light (4)

FEBRUARY ISSUE SOLUTIONS: ACROSS: 3. AD-opt 8. Arrow 10. Realm 11. E-on 12. Green 13. S-wee-ten 15. Tot up 18. Gin 19. St-rid-e 21. Same day 22. Pa-I-l 23. Nero 24. KindRed 26. CH-ases 29. Low 31. Earl-y 32. Ledge-RS 34. Am-our 35. Ave. 36.

Nest-a 37. S-tash 38. SN-O-ek.

DOWN: 1. Crewe 2. Done-gal 4. Darn 5. Pretty 6. Teno-R 7. Cloud 9. Roe(Hampton) 12. Gene-sis 14. Tim 16. Ti-red 17. Pesos 19. Saddler 20. SP-ace 21.

Sitar 23. Newgate 24. Key M-an 25. Rod 27. Have-N 28. Slats 30. Fresh 32.

Lure 33. Eva (ave.).

31. Portent (4) 32. Day after today (8) 33. Snuggle (6)

9

14 17

5

7

9

14

4

ACROSS 1. Pure (6) 7. Fastened (8) 8. Hit (4) 10. Rebellion (6) 11. Dress (6) 14. Conclusion (3) 16. Keen (5) 17. Fool (4)

19. Italian river (5) 21. Witches’ group (5) 22. Tailed star (5) 23. Percussion instrument (4) 26.Heathen (5) 28.Concealed (3) 29.Warns (6) 30.Proper (6)

DOWN 1. Tolled (6) 2. Salty (6) 3. Catch sight of (4) 4. Food hall (7) 5. Shoot (5) 6. Viper (5) 8. Stair (4) 9. Also (3) 12. Pitch (3) 13. Drive back (5) 15. Organ (5) 18. Normal (5) 19. Male cat (3) 20.Wager (3) 21. Twist (7) 22. Vehicle (3) 23. Muscle (6) 24. Paradise (4) 25. Small (6) 26.Glue (5) 27. Bacteria (5) 28.Border (3) 30.Depressed (4)

FEBRUARY ISSUE SOLUTIONS: ACROSS: 3. Clots 8. Petal; 10. Eerie 11. Con 12. Jaded 13. Humdrum 15. Taste 18. Fin 19.

Fennel 21. Jupiter 22. Haul 23. Brat 24. Central 26. Orator 29. Hat 31. Sisal 32. Reptile 34.

Buyer; 35. Ere 36. Besom 37. Bread; 38. On end.

DOWN: 1. Recur 2. Handful 4. Loam 5. Teeter 6. Sedan 7. Piste 9. Tom 12. Juniper 14. Rip 16. Snarl 17. Elate 19. Feather; 20. Chaos 21. Judas 23. Battery 24. Column 25. Rap 27. River 28. Taboo 30. Clear 32. Rein 33. Ire.

WORD SEARCH

Adult Chaff Chalet Costs Darns Digest Dished Drawls Embeds Filler

Foots Gates Grove Grunts Halve Honestly Molasses Moths Noodle Occur

Opuses Owned Parade Parks Perky Polka Railways Rites Slabs Spoke

Steamed Stunt Swish Tempt Thatch Touch Trout Viable Wells While

SENIOR TIMES ‒ MARCH 2019

|

15

Ngħidu kelma

COMPETITION

QWIEL MALTIN U XI JFISSRU Il-flus iġibu l-flus u l-qamel iġib il-qamel.

Money begets money and fleas beget fleas (miserly).

Firmin

by Sam Savage

Aħjar ħobż niexef f ’darek milli frisk għand ġarek.

It is better to have stale bread at home rather than your neighbour having fresh bread.

Għall-fqir, il-qamar musbieħ u l-basal tuffieħ.

For the poor man, the moon is a lantern and onions are apples.

The Olive Harvest

by Carol Drinkwater

Aħjar bl-aptit inkella bit-tabib.

It’s better to have an appetite than need a doctor.

Historic Times

It-tfal bħal ħabaq, jimirdu u jgħaddilhom malajr.

Children are like basil, the get sick quickly and recover quickly too.

This month, we are giving away three bestselling paperbacks. To win, tell us the date when this Times of Malta front page was published. Send your answers via e-mail to seniortimes@timesofmalta.com or by post to ‘Senior Times Competition’, Allied Newspapers Limited, Triq L-Intornjatur, Mrieħel BKR 3000. The first three correct answers that we receive win a paperback each. Last month’s winners are Lina Farrugia who wins a copy of Tales for our Times by Joe Friggieri, John Petterson who wins a copy of A Landscape Approach to Conservation by Louis F. Cassar and Reno Agius who wins a copy of Stark Realities by Alexander Fullerton. The correct answer was February 7, 1952.

Qabbilli waħda

SUDOKU Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9

6 9 2 3 9 1 5 7 7 9 6 4 2 2 4 3 2 7 1 9 5 6 5 1 3

Wild Fire

by Nelson Demille

Banni bannozzi Banni bannozzi, ġejja n-nanna Nozzi.

Nozzi ta’ ħdejna, biċċa ħobż bil-ġbejna.

1 9 3 6 4 7 5 8 2

2 6 4 9 8 5 3 7 1

7 8 5 2 1 3 9 4 6

6 7 1 5 2 4 8 3 9

4 5 9 1 3 8 2 6 7

8 3 2 7 9 6 1 5 4

9 4 7 3 5 1 6 2 8

3 1 8 4 6 2 7 9 5

5 2 6 8 7 9 4 1 3

Il-pupa tiegħi Għandi pupa wisq sabiħa, aħmar wiċċha bħall-peprin.

B’par għajnejn minn lewn issema, bħalha żgur ma ssibx ħelwin.

Il-mamà bħali tlibbisha, mid-drapp stess tal-libsa tiegħi.

Oħti ż-żgħira nistħajjilha, meta jien noħroġha miegħi.

Fejn immur dejjem noħodha għax mingħajrha ma jien xejn.

Minn fejn ngħaddi nisma’ jgħidu: “Dawna donnhom pupi t-tnejn!”

Paċi kulaċi Paċi kulaċi, il-Madonna fuq rasi.

Kristu fuq l-artal, qed ibierek dawn it-tfal.

Dawn it-tfal imberkin, għax se jsiru qaddisin.

16

|

SENIOR TIMES ‒ MARCH 2019

PHOTOS

1

2

STEP BACK IN TIME From Valletta’s historic steps to the Balluta ones drenched in sun and sea, Senior Times and Bay Retro take a step back.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BAY RETRO

4 7

5

6

SENIOR TIMES ‒ MARCH 2019

3

1. Three mums carefully pull their prams up the steps at San Anton Gardens in Attard more than 60 years ago; 2. A driver has a lucky escape after his car fell down the seafront steps at Balluta Bay in 1955; 3. Children enjoy the sunshine on the seafront at Pretty Bay in 1969. PhoTo: AdriAn AllAin; 4. Going down the Għajn Tuffieħa steps in the 1950s for a memorable summer day; 5. Beneath the steps of the royal opera house, business continues at a tailor’s shop in Valletta just days after the building was bombed in 1942; 6. Smartly-dressed people climb up the steps in St John Street, Valletta in the 1920s; 7. St John’s Street in Valletta, pictured in 1880; 8. The historic steps in Valley road, Birkirkara. PhoTo: FrAnCiS MiFSud; 9. Children play on a sunny day in 1943 with washing hanging out to dry in St ursula Street, Valletta; 10. Qui-Si-Sana in 1954. PhoTo: MAry dAVieS.

9

8

10

|

17

18

|

SENIOR TIMES ‒ MaRch 2019

NEWS

Garden therapy R

esearch indicates that physical and visual access to nature can have a number of positive impacts in individuals with and without dementia. These include helping people recover from illness quicker; reducing stress and lowering blood pressure; helping a person maintain circadian rhythms; and aiding in the natural absorption of vitamin D when exposed to sunlight for brief periods of time, which is important for maintaining strong bones.

In addition to this, the benefits of a garden as a place of quiet beauty and mental rejuvenation have been shown to increase with age and have been established for people with dementia specifically.

Gardens and outdoor environments are being increasingly reintroduced as important support tools in the care, management and contribu-

tion to the quality of life of people with dementia.

Some of the benefits to dementia suffers include: providing an enjoyable form of exercise; increasing levels of activity and maintaining mobility and flexibility; encouraging the use of motor skills such as walking, reaching, bending, planting seeds and taking cuttings; improving endurance and strength; helping prevent diseases such as osteoporosis; reducing stress levels and promoting relaxation; providing stimulation and interest in nature and the outdoors; and improving the sense of well-being due to increased social interaction.

There are many different types of dementia gardens, such as healing gardens, sensory gardens and meditation gardens, as well as mobility gardens, rehabilitation gardens and community gardens.

Each of these types of gardens

GREEN BENEFITS

▪ Direct sunlight (increasing bone density, improving sleep cycles and moods) ▪ Lower levels of agitation and aggression ▪ Decreased isolation and aggression ▪ Better orientation to place and time and a temporary distraction from fixations ▪ A sense of ownership and community ▪ Improved social interactions ▪ Playing the role of caregiver for garden plants and wildlife ▪ Increased physical activity as well as decreased falls and injuries

can be useful for dementia patients and one should consider the therapy goals and daily therapeutic programs, such as physiotherapy, occu-

▪ Higher maintenance of cognitive skills and interests. In some cases, the ability to learn or regain lost skills ▪ Increased attention spans ▪ Increased brain volume and grey matter ▪ A less ‘institutional’ environment to share with visitors ▪ Employees find gardens relaxing and restorative during break times ▪ Better understanding of and interest in Alzheimer’s patients as individuals. Enjoyment at seeing patients have fun.

pational therapy and horticultural therapy, when designing a garden.

Whichever type of space you are trying to create, the

principles and tips below can be a great guide to helping you achieve a wonderful design that meets the needs of the patients.

Triggering emotions The ‘Butterfly’ approach touches people at the core of their emotions and in turn produces a reaction, says Charmaine Attard, general manager at Simblija Care Home.

E

lements of the ‘Butterfly Model’ were included in the framework used for the Butterfly Unit in Simblija Care Home. The Butterfly Unit is a memory support unit which houses residents suffering from different degrees of dementia.

Dementia is not a specific disease.

It’s an overall term that describes a group of symptoms associated with a decline in memory or other thinking skills. The condition can become so severe that it reduces persons’ ability to be themselves. Unfortunately there is no cure for dementia. What we can do is help ease the symptoms and concentrate on giving person-centred care to individuals suffering from this disease which in turn would give them a better quality of life.

People are fundamentally emotional beings and although they might forget how to boil water or the name of their

child – they will react to kindness. The ‘Butterfly’ approach for dementia is based on empathy and activities that are focused on the moment. It is a feeling of “being with” and not “doing to” the person.

One example I would like to share is the door to residents’ rooms. Following the “Butterfly approach” which promotes individuality, we introduced a memory box. In a regular unit the door would have a number – but numbers might not mean much to a person with cognitive decline. A memory box is instead put outside of the client’s room with pictures the client may recognise, be it of them as a child, a picture of a parent, their wedding day, or a logo of their favourite team. These images act as way to help clients identify their room. Things like these touch people at the core of their emotions and in turn produce a reaction.

Another element used is colour and imagery on the walls. In all the

rooms, the common room, corridors, and bathrooms colour is used to either code a particular area, such as the toilets where the colour serves as a guide, or acts as a trigger to elicit positive emotions. Doors of client rooms are made to look like front doors painted in the client’s favourite colour giving a sense of home and belonging.

Latest statistics show that there are around 5,000 Maltese suffering from dementia and this number will double by 2030. This means that measures to assist and care for people with dementia have to receive wider recognition and use. Nurses and carers need to be trained to think differently where dementia care is concerned and trained in giving person-centred care instead of the normal clinical care. In this way dementia wards can portray real homes, heartfelt staff, engaging environments, and people living good quality lives.

SENIOR TIMES ‒ MaRch 2019

|

19

NEWS

Elderly victims of fraud more than treble over a decade As crime moves online, those less digitally literate are most vulnerable

O

n February 27, the Times of Malta reported how elderly victims of fraud more than trebled in 10 years, with over 16 per cent reporting the crime last year compared to 4.8 per cent in 2008.

The stark figures from the Crime Annual Report come in the wake of warnings by criminologist Saviour Formosa that crime is moving online, with the police having to be prepared for crimes that “have yet to be conceived” in the digital world.

Trends of online crime will continue to rise as the use of technology increases – and data showed the elderly were the most susceptible, Prof.

Formosa warned.

Everyone could be lured to fake accounts, but the elderly were less likely to be technologically savvy, making them the most vulnerable, he added.

Awareness was key to reducing the likelihood of the elderly being suscep-

Cospicua free transport for elderly used 2,800 times in 2018

A

free service offering transport within Cospicua was used by elderly residents and the vulnerable 2,800 times last year, the Cospicua council said.

The last quarter of 2018 was the most busy, with 400 people booking to use the service. The rise in clients prompted the council to extend the service to run daily instead of three times a week, mayor Alison Zerafa Civelli said.

The idea of purchasing two vans for transport within the city came after a “substantial amount” of complaints from residents, Ms Zerafa Civelli said.

Elderly people and those with vulnerabilities often found it difficult to run errands, go to the health centre or the post office, the mayor added.

The service also helped decrease traffic and lower sound pollution levels, the council said.

Some could not rely on family members to drive them around, Transport Minister Ian Borg added, noting Cospicua also had a lot of steps that meant arriving to the city centre could be an added challenge for residents.

It cost €72,000 to purchase the two electric vans for the service, €60,000 of which were subsidised using the Transport Ministry’s Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan.

The council launched the inter-city transport programme as a pilot project in 2017. During the first three months, the service was used by 258 individuals.

The service, which used to be offered three times a week, will now run daily between 7.45am and 1pm.

tible to online organised crime, Prof.

Formosa said.

He recommended that local councils launch awareness campaigns targeting the elderly, teaching them how to avoid suspicious links. Banks could also better guide clients on what could be done to avoid getting scammed out of their money online, Prof. Formosa recommended.

Seniors are globally often disproportionately targeted as victims of fraud, according to the American Association of Retired People.

Cases of fraud rose by more than 30 per cent over the past year as crime moved to the digital world, the crime report, published earlier this week, showed.

Reports of money-laundering also rose by over 94 per cent, from 17 cases in 2017 to 33 cases last year.

The country’s crime rate reached 15,925 offences last year – a seven-point decrease, figures from the report show.

Rising risk of poverty in vulnerable groups – IMF Tenants are among those at highest risk

V

ulnerable groups like single women with children, lowincome tenants and the elderly are experiencing rising risks of falling into relative poverty, a study by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has found.

In a paper released this week, the IMF found that, as the share of population suffering from material deprivation had been declining, the proportion at risk of relative poverty had been “increasing continuously”.

People classified as experiencing relative poverty are those earning less than 60 per cent of the median income. The IMF found that the poverty risk is rising among tenants, mainly low income households and their poverty risk is compounded by rapidly rising rents in an unregulated rental market.

Minimum lease periods are being considered in the government’s proposed reform of the

rental market, but rent prices will remain at landlords’ discretion.

The IMF said tenants’ struggles pointed to the need to improve housing affordability, including through social policies targeted at low-income households.

The report said the overall earnings gap in Malta is among the highest in Europe. This largely reflects the fact that women, especially low-skilled, single mothers tended to remain outside of the labour market in Malta, the IMF said.

Acknowledging that recent economic growth and policies to promote female participation in the labour market had helped close part of the gap, further encouragement and an extension of these policies was needed to ensure that recent gains were made permanent.

Turning to the elderly, the report said pensioners’ income had failed to keep up with other incomes, relative poverty risk had increased among the elderly.

This pointed to the need to recalibrate social transfers for the elderly, the report said.

It cautioned that the fiscal implications of raising pensions or social benefits would need to be considered carefully in light of existing concerns on pension sustainability in an ageing society.

Ongoing changes in the statutory retirement age to 65 by 2027, from 61 for men and 60 for women in 2013, would be an important step to mitigate both fiscal and poverty risks in the long term, the IMF said.

Low-skilled workers, refugees and tenants were also found by the IMF to be at risk of relative poverty.

The poverty risk was high and rising among low-skilled immigrants from outside the EU. Among these immigrants, refugees, which represented a sizeable share in total population, were particularly vulnerable, the IMF said.

20

|

SENIOR TIMES ‒ MaRch 2019

VINTAGE

PHOTOS: TONY VASSALLO

Fields of gold Carmel Vella tells Joseph Busuttil from the Old Motors Club how his love of old cars started from the carcass of a Standard Ten abandoned in a field.

A

childhood exposure to old agricultural equipment like ploughs, tractors, and means of field transport instilled in Carmel Vella an early interest in old vehicles.

“My father did not even have a car, but from a small age, I used to spend my free time with my brother-in-law Paul in his fields on the outskirts of Rabat,” he says. “He carried out all the maintenance work on his equipment and vehicles, and following him closely, I soon began to develop a natural knack for mechanical matters.”

He further developed this orientation with a sheet metal course at Umberto Calosso college. He then joined the civil aviation department, working there for 16 years on metal maintenance tasks, ranging from vehicles like fire engines to facilities like gates.

In his spare time, Vella also did some work on friends’ vehicles in his garage in Baħrija. One day in 2004, one of them, John, a sprayer who was well aware that there was an old car lurking on his mind, told Vella about an abandoned ancient auto, a 1954 Standard Ten, in a Rabat field.

“We went to see it, but at close quarters, I found out that it was just junk.

Dogs had gnawed parts of the interior.

The current occupier was a large colony of roving rats, which gazed at the human intruders, and continued with their serene squat.”

Definitely not for me, he decided.

Two weeks later, Vella had a Damascene moment and a change of heart. “Together with a small group of friends, we drove a trailer to the field to get it home,” he recalls. “It was more akin to a spontaneous Baħrija community project, as all of us embarked on tasks like repelling the

rodents, clearing the rubbish, and putting the body on the trailer. Once outside my garage, the activity continued without abatement, as we dismantled the old vehicle and continued with the clearing up prior to putting it inside.”

Besides the body and the upholstery, the Standard Ten retained its original engine.

“Obviously, after around two decades of idleness, it was all clogged up. But one of my friends, Godfrey, who is a very good mechanic, took a nozzle bottle with petrol, injected it into the carburettor, and amazingly, the engine sprung to life without protest.”

Vella immediately embarked on a nutand-bolt restoration project that took him four years to complete. Procurement of parts presented the principal problem. Among other headaches there was the luggage booth, which he had to build up himself. Other nightmares fea-

tured rubber parts, especially of the quarter windows, the rear wings, floor and running boards, as well as the grille, which had the base chrome rod missing.

Some of the requirements, like the starter, ignition, and hub cups, were found abroad. His network of friends were also on the lookout for missing parts.

“We found the window rubber in two Standard 10 doors that were on a roof

SENIOR TIMES ‒ MaRch 2019

We found the window rubber in two Standard 10 doors that were on a roof of a house in Dingli, acting as the ceiling for an animal coop

of a house in Dingli, acting as the ceiling for an animal coop. The owner wanted one old Maltese pound (around two euro fifty cents) for them. The weather had taken its toll on the battered doors, but somehow, I managed to pull out the stiffened rock-like rubber and fit it in.”

Another friend came up with three original and new bulb headlamps. The missing grille chrome rod was located

in England, but when Vella bought it, he found out that it did not fit. Not easily discouraged, he started to build it up himself, basing his design on a photo that he acquired, and which his wife Samantha, well versed in information technology and a staunch supporter of her husband’s classic car inclinations, enlarged. Another item built from scratch was the dashboard, resembling an empty bookshelf, which he assembled with glued up layers of builders’ cardboard.

The 948cc straight-four OHV engine remained largely untouched. Vella only carried out the obligatory cleaning of the carburettor and the petrol pump, which were obviously full of rust.

In order to restore the vehicle up to the original state, Vella became a member of the UK Standard Motor Club.

Besides practical advice and guidance, the club also supplied him with the original spare parts catalogue.

“Although I am meticulous in my work, the catalogue proved to be the

ultimate source of reference for any niggling doubts that crossed my mind at intervals. It also served as confirmation or otherwise of what I had already restored. A case in point was the rear and front lights system. I had already bought the set for installation. But on checking with the catalogue, I discovered that the 1954 Standard 10 lights had a flat outline, while the ones that I had purchased were pointed, meaning that they belonged to the 1958 model.

So I had to change them.”

The Standard Ten was produced by the British Standard Motor Company between 1906 and 1961. The name came from the fiscal horsepower of the vehicle, a task of the surface area of the piston – although this term soon became obsolete. The Standard Ten was eventually replaced by the Triumph Herald.

Vella finished off the restoration by covering the old red seats with another new layer in similar colour, a task carried out by his friend Gaetan,

|

21

as well as spraying it again in its original black, the work being done by another friend, Ryan. Proud of the work that he put in to restore the abandoned vehicle back to its showroom condition, he also points out that the vehicle was featured in the UK Standard Car Review magazine.

Vella, who now works at the Water Services Corporation, joined the Old Motors Club soon after bringing the battered vehicle to his garage.

“There is a spirit of camaraderie which I find uplifting”, he says, adding that there has been a significant surge in classic car interest and acquisition.

“Most of my friends, now middle aged, are now going through the nostalgia phase, yearning and looking for that Ford Escort or Capri of their youth.

Alas, it is not easy to find such cars for sale today, and if located, they do not come cheap.”

At the moment, Vella is busy restoring a 1980 Yamaha 175 DT motorcycle, which he bought when he was 17-yearsold. It was left unattended for 30 years, and now he has the time to work on it.

He has also acquired two other motorcycles, a 1980 Vespa P125 X and a 1987 Vespa T5, in good working order.

“These are for my two girls, Emily and Sarah, who also love classic vehicles. And Samantha is egging me to go for an MGB – now that would be my next project, once the Yamaha is restored.”

22

|

SENIOR TIMES ‒ MARCH 2019

NEWS

This aerial photo shows a hot air balloon flying over traditional houses on stilts on Inle lake in Shan State, Myanmar.

Performers take part in the Nice Carnival parade in Nice, southeastern France.

Pictures of the world This month’s news highlights captured in show-stopping photos.

Two children interact with a giant doll during the annual New York Toy Fair, at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City.

SENIOR TIMES ‒ MARCH 2019

People jumping over a bonfire during an event to celebrate the Lantern Festival, which marks the end of Lunar New Year celebrations, in Haikou in China’s southern Hainan province.

Commuters interact with an elephant as he rests in a public road ahead of the annual Perahera festival of the historic Gangaramaya Temple in Colombo, Sri Lanka. PHOTOS: AFP

Students take part in a march for the environment and the climate organised by students, in Brussels, Belgium.

A man surfs by night using a waterproof powerful headlamp at the Cap Frehel beach in Plevenon, Brittany.

Syrian girl Rawan, 11, poses on a destroyed tank with her stuffed bear near the village of Yazi Bagh, about six kilometres from the Bab al-Salamah border crossing between Syria and Turkey in the north of Aleppo province.

Female gorilla Gypsy holds her four weeks old first baby at the zoological park of Saint-Martin-la-Plaine, France.

|

23

24

|

SENIOR TIMES ‒ MaRch 2019

SPORT

The origins of football in Ħamrun How did Ħamrun Spartans come to be known as Ta’ Werwer and Tas-Sikkina, asks Carmel Baldacchino.

I

Ħamrun Spartans shortly after they were formed in 1910. Seated on the left is the great Gejtu Psaila, popularly known as Il-Ħaċċa, and squatting second from right is the famous William McAllister, star of the great Spartans team of the pre-World War I era.

The King’s Royal Rifle Corps before they came to Malta from Egypt in 1910. The Rifles had an excellent football team and on November 9 of that year they defeated the newly formed Ħamrun Spartans 4-0 at the National Football Ground in Pietà.

n 1907 a team from Ħamrun challenged St George’s to a football match. This team could not have been Ħamrun Spartans because we have documents which prove the Spartans were founded in 1910. The team which challenged the Saints in 1907 could have been either Ħamrun Union League or Ħamrun St Joseph’s, the latter being the best candidates because we know for certain that they were already founded at the time.

It is certain that Ħamrun St Joseph’s were active in season 1909-10. The team applied to take part in the cup competition promoted by the Daily Malta Chronicle in 1910 but for some unknown reason, it withdrew its application before the start of the competition. My guess is that the team was made up of youngsters and that they did not wish to play against grown men. This view is supported by the fact that during the same season, St Joseph’s took part in the Junior Cup Competition which was organised by the MFA. St Joseph’s played against Msida United in the semifinals on March 10, 1910, losing a keen encounter by two goals to one.

After this event, Ħamrun St Joseph’s melted into the background. No more was heard of them until 1933 when apparently, the team was reformed.

St Joseph’s took part in the Second Division League together with the other team from Ħamrun, the Small Spartans.

St Joseph’s played their first match in the competition on January 15, 1933 against Rabat Rovers. They lost 1-0, a result which left them with very little chance of winning the competition. At the end they finished in fourth place, four points

behind their neighbours from Ħamrun who were the eventual winners.

It was overall not a bad season for Ħamrun St Joseph’s but at the end of the season they packed up their gear and disappeared from the scene forever leaving behind them vague memories of a bygone era.

The Maltese, like the Brazilians are great ones for nicknames. They will stick one on you before you can say cheese and nine times out of ten it will fit you like a glove. This is even truer in football where every team and many of the players have their own nickname. That is how Ħamrun Spartans came to be known as Ta’ Werwer and Tas-Sikkina. Ħamrun were formed in 1910. On November 9 of the same year, they lost their maiden match 0-4 against the King’s Royal Rifles. The Ħam-

SENIOR TIMES ‒ MaRch 2019

Ħamrun St Joseph’s

run youngsters did not have any money to buy football shirts. Therefore, each player brought one of his shirts and they dyed them black.

The fact that they wore black shirts in their match against the King’s Royal Rifles straight away earned them the nickname of Ta’ Werwer.

Unfortunately, it was not a good start for the Spartans.

Although they had the slope of the pitch of the notorious, national football ground in

their favour, the Spartans suffered an early goal. For the rest of the first-half, they defended well and relied on fast counter-attacks but wasted several good chances of scoring. Towards the end of the first-half they scored what looked like a legitimate goal, but the referee disallowed it for some infringement.

During the second half the soldiers ran away with the Maltese and scored three more goals to win 4-0.

The first Ħamrun Spartans team which lined-up against the King’s Royal Rifles was: Callus, Caruana, Azzopardi, Calaphai, Cricciola, Psaila, Dimech, Ellul, Pisani, Casha, Bellia.

During that season, Ħamrun played many matches at the National Ground, many of which ended in trouble. The Spartans had a reputation of fine football, but their hotheaded supporters often let the side down. Things came to the boil on May 6, 1911 at the

The fact that they wore black shirts in their match against the King’s Royal Rifles straight away earned them the nickname of Ta’ Werwer

National Ground when the Spartans were playing against HMS Exmouth.

The sailors had a formidable team, but they were not renowned for pretty football.

Finding themselves a goal down at half-time they indulged in some rather rough play. The Ħamrun fans started booing and shouting abuse against the sailors. At one time one of the Spartans’ players was badly injured in a tackle with one of the sailors.

The players’ relatives jumped the ropes and attacked the guilty player. Pandemonium broke loose and the police had to intervene to protect the sailors from the wrath of the Maltese.

The Spartans quickly gained a reputation of being troublemakers and they were soon given their second nickname of Tas-Sikkina.

|

25

Ħamrun did not take part in the first League Championship which was organised in 1910 but the next season they took part in the first Maltese competition which was held at the National Football Ground in Pieta.

On April 16, 1911, Ħamrun Spartans met Floriana in the semi-final of the competition.

Although this was the very first meeting between the two clubs, a great rivalry had already developed between them.

Such was Floriana’s reputation at the time that the Spartans entered the National Ground on that day with the clear intention of beating the Greens at all cost. Imagine therefore, the euphoria of the Spartans’ supporters when a few minutes from half-time their team was already leading 3-1. A few minutes later, however, Floriana reduced the margin.

The second half was played at a tremendous pace with both sides trying their utmost to score. As the minutes ticked away and Ħamrun were drawing nearer to a famous victory, tempers rose, and the referee was kept busy whistling for fouls and infringements.

Four minutes from the end Ruġġieru Friġġieri won the ball in his own half of the field, ran up with it, and went past four or five Ħamrun defenders before he let go one of his famous cannon-ball shots. The ball was deflected by the hand of one of the defenders and the referee did not hesitate to point to the penalty spot.

Friġġieri quickly placed the ball on the spot and scored the equaliser for Floriana. The referee whistled for the end of the match. But while the Floriana players prepared for extra-time, the Spartans supporters invaded the pitch and carried their heroes shoulderhigh to nearby Ħamrun without bothering to stay on for the extra half-hour.

There is strong evidence that this match apart from being the semi-final of the National Ground Cup was also played for a side-stake. The prize for the winning team was a silver cup which for some reason was named the ‘Amateurs Cup’. Therefore, after Ħamrun’s defection, Floriana appropriated themselves of this trophy.

This incident which nowadays would result in serious repercussions against the Spartans continued to enhance their reputation of hot-heads and trouble-makers.

26

|

SENIOR TIMES ‒ MaRch 2019

AĦBAR

Maratona ta’ tama Mons. Valent Borg, direttur Missio Malta

I

x-xahar ta’ Marzu huwa marbut mal-Qaddis Patrijarka San Ġużepp.

Dan għaliex fid-19 ta’ dan ix-xahar, il-Knisja tiċċelebra b’sollennità l-festa ta’ dan il-qaddis kbir, li hu l-missier putativ ta’ Ġesù u padrun talKnisja Universali.

Ilkoll għandna x’nitgħallmu minn dan il-qaddis. San Ġużepp, bħal Marija, sema’ l-Kelma, laqagħha u għamilha. Minkejja li San Ġużepp ma fehemx u stagħġeb bil-kbir xħin għaraf li l-għarusa tiegħu kienet tqila, għamel dak kollu li qallu l-anġlu tal-Mulej (Mt. 1:18-25).

F’dawn l-aħħar snin, dan ixxahar ta’ Marzu sar marbut ukoll mal-maratona organizzata minn Missio, jiġifieri minn dak li kien jissejjaħ Uffiċċju Missjunarju. Din il-maratona ta’ ġbir ta’ fondi ser issir nhar is-Sibt 16 ta’ Marzu, u tixxandar fuq l-istazzjonijiet kollha tat-televizjoni bejn nofsinhar u nofsillejl. Għal

darba oħra Missio qiegħed jappella għall-qalb tassew ġeneruża tal-poplu Malti u Għawdxi kollu.

Din il-ġenerożità ta’ wlied din ilgżira, żgħira iva, imma b’qalb tassew kbira, hija saħansitra mfaħħra fil-Kotba Mqaddsa. FilKtieb tal-Atti tal-Appostli nsibu li meta l-Appostlu Missierna San Pawl kien ser jitlaq minn din ilgżira, missirijietna għabbew fuq il-ġifen dak kollu li kienu jeħtieġu (Atti 28:10).

Għalfejn din is-sejħa għall-ġbir ta’ fondi? Ir-raġuni hija sempliċi.

Għad hawn miljuni ta’ nies flartijiet imsejħa tal-missjoni, li jeħtieġu l-għajnuna tagħna. Lisqfijiet tal-knejjes li jinsabu f’dawn l-artijiet għadhom jiddependu fuq l-għotjiet tagħna biex jieħdu ħsieb is-saċerdoti u l-formazzjoni tas-seminaristi, biex iżommu fi stat tajjeb il-knejjes u ċ-ċentri tal-katekiżmu, biex iwasslu l-ilma nadif fl-irħula, biex jilqgħu fl-orfanatrofji t-tfal u t-trabi abbandunati, biex jip-

provdu kliniċi u jattrezzawhom bil-mediċini u b’infermiera li jieħdu ħsiebhom, u tant u tant proġetti li jservu u jgħinu lil ħafna nies foqra.

Kull qatra tgħodd. Alla jaf ibierek kull għotja żgħira kemm hi żgħira, bħalma għamel Ġesù meta bi ftit ħobż u bi ftit ħut tema eluf kbar ta’ nies (Ġw. 6:115). Għalhekk qiegħed nappella lilek li qed taqra dan l-artiklu sabiex tagħti minn dak li tista’.

Wieħed mill-mezzi ssuġġeriti għal dan iż-żmien qaddis tarRandan hu proprju għajnuna lin-nies fil-bżonn. Ftakar li l-karità qatt u qatt ma għamlet nies foqra, anzi tgħinna biex insibu ħniena u naqilgħu l-maħfra ta’ dnubietna la nidhru quddiem Alla (Mt. 25).

Kif tistgħu tagħmlu d-donazzjoni? Tistgħu jew tiġu intom stess bl-offerta tagħkom f ’wieħed mill-uffiċċji tagħna fil-Belt u l-Mosta, jew iċċemplu fuq 2123 6962. Tistgħu wkoll tisponsorjaw xi proġett żgħir. Possibiltà oħra hi li tingħata offerta online fuq www.missio.org.mt.

Voluntiera minn Missio jkunu jistgħu jiġbru l-offerta tagħkom minn djarkom stess. F’ismi u f ’isem dawk kollha li ser jibbenefikaw mill-offerta ġeneruża tagħkom, ngħidilkom grazzi tassew mill-qalb. Jalla lMulej ipattilkom bil-mija filwieħed għall-offerta tagħkom (Mt. 10:40-2).

Behind closed doors

D

uring the 2015 restoration of the cinema which is located at Fort St Angelo in Birgu, a smoking pipe together with a box of matches and a small packet of tobacco were found hidden within one of the walls. An accompanying note revealed that these had been left by one of the builders of the cinema, back in 1920, in order to be enjoyed by anyone who was lucky enough to find them. Such captivating narratives are forming the backbone of the latest Heritage Malta’s exhibition ‘Behind Closed Doors’ which focuses on the experiences at Fort St Angelo during its occupation by the Royal Navy between 1906 and 1979.

While the bigger picture of the exhibition is presenting the naval use of the fort and the architectural modifications which were done to it to address the necessities of the time, the core of this event will divulge intriguing experiences that happened behind the closed doors of Fort St Angelo.

Last photo of last ship company of HMS St Angelo, March 1979.

With its access strictly prohibited to civilians and with clearly defined spaces where Maltese and British servicemen were allowed to enter according to their work and rank, only a few

individuals had ever visited all the areas of the fort. Such experiences are now being shared at this exhibition through a number of personal recollections of Maltese and British individuals

who had a connection with Fort St Angelo during this period.

Aimed to forge an immersive experience, this exhibition will give the opportunity to visitors to ‘enrol’ with the Royal Navy by choosing one of four ranks available. The exhibition unfolds over five different areas in Fort St Angelo where visitors can explore and discover the history and use of the military building, together with life at the fort during the Royal Navy’s occupation, particularly through re-created areas in the fort such as the dormitory, different uniforms used during this period, and a wide collection of personal artefacts which were recently donated to Heritage Malta by several people to form part of Malta’s national collection.

The exhibition at Fort St Angelo will be open to the public from March 23 to September 8, 2019. Heritage Malta is inviting the general public to visit the exhibition and discover what was happening behind the closed doors of the fort.

SENIOR TIMES ‒ MaRch 2019

|

27

28

|

SENIOR TIMES ‒ MaRch 2019

OPINION

The 2002 film The Four Feathers inspires the author to explore the nature of cowardice.

White feather

CH

R I S T IN E GA LE A

We need to be brave enough to stand up for what is right, says Christine Galea from the Cana Movement.

A

couple of weeks ago, Malta was hit by one of the strongest storms ever experienced on our islands in recent years. Hail , torrential rain and gale force winds caused several damages, with trees being uprooted and cars smashed. To say nothing of the odd cow running through the streets of Gudja and a massive amount of fish that was washed ashore at Qawra. In the spirit of civil obedience, and in response to the police statement urging the public to stay safe indoors, I conveniently decided it was not quite the opportune day to venture outside.

So I settled down to a cosy afternoon with the television for company (which in itself is a very rare occurrence).

As luck would have it, I stumbled upon an inspiring 2002 movie which was being shown on a local TV station, called The Four Feathers (also a very rare occurrence considering the lack of stimulating material that is normally available for viewing).

In a nutshell, the plot of the movie revolves around a British military officer who quits his post just before battle in 1885 Sudan. As was customary at the time, following his resignation, he receives four white feathers from his

three closest friends and his fiancée.

The meaning of this custom varies significantly between different countries and cultures, however in the United Kingdom and the countries of the British Empire, since the 18th century, the white feather has been used as a symbol of cowardice. It’s certainly not a compliment to be labelled a ‘coward’ because this indicates a failure of character in the face of any given challenge.

At core, cowardice is a trait in which fear and excessive self-concern take centre stage, as opposed to courage, which is a positive virtue that leads to one doing what is right and good, in spite of the ramifications of one’s actions. But cowardice, which is a kind of fear, can take several different forms.

We have an obligation to speak out bravely against unethical behaviour

Among these forms, at the very basic level, we may encounter physical fear, that most of us possess, and which leads us to take as few bodily risks as possible, that is, unless we are compelled by an even greater fear. Psychological fear involves declining to impose our will on others – also a very common trait in some people. Then there is the kind of fear which prevents us from verbally standing up to those or that which does us – or others – harm. Whether it’s standing up to a bully or taking a stand to defend another person’s reputation, this kind of fear is quite common. Fear of speaking out often goes hand in hand with the failure, or a resistance, to say the truth.

We all know that sometimes people are not ready to hear the truth and although they may listen to what we have to say, they’re only hearing what they want to hear. Of course, telling the truth can be difficult because what is true for X may differ from what is true for Y, and this in itself can cause conflict. That is because truth is subjective to one’s life experience, beliefs, values and opinions. Yet we cannot deny that there are some truths which are undeniable, especially when these are grounded in clear and simple facts.

The fable of the Emperor’s New Clothes comes to mind: no one except the little boy had the courage to declare to all and sundry that the emperor was naked. It took a lot of boldness – and honesty – for such a little chap to acknowledge loudly and plainly that the emperor wasn’t wearing any clothes, especially when all the rest around him were heaping praises on his attire, or rather the lack of it. There are those who would claim that he spoke out of innocence and this could be another way of looking at it, yet I’m pretty sure it also took courage.

One of the biggest barriers to speaking the truth is the fear of retribution if we speak out, but today more than ever, we need to be brave enough to stand up for what is right. Only in this way will we be able to create a culture of moral courage which is sadly so lacking in our modern-day society. We have an obligation to speak out bravely against unethical behaviour or when we notice that things are unjust. We may have to pay a price for our actions, but it’s certainly better to take that potential risk rather, than knowing we are behaving cowardly or having to live with the knowledge that we failed to stand up for what we believe in.