COMPLIMENTARY EDITION
N º11 -NOVEMBER/DECEMBER
essential essential magazine® gibraltar ISSUE 11 • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014
ESSENTIAL FOR LUXURIOUS LIVING
e
GIBRALTAR
Boom town ROCK
CONSTRUCTION FRENZY!
Justine Picardo FIRST LADY OF FASHION
WOW!
THE BMW i8
Eco
Celebrities
BURMA RIVER CRUISING Wonder
WATCHES
N E W S I C U LT U R E I P E O P L E I T R E N D I S T Y L E I S PA I P R O I L E I S U R E I G O U R M E T & M O R E
G11_cover.indd 1
10/29/14 4:00 PM
CALIBRE DE CARTIER DIVER MANUFACTURE MOVEMENT 1904 MC
cartier.es
WATER-RESISTANT TO 300 METRES, THE CALIBRE DE CARTIER DIVER WATCH IS AN AUTHENTIC DIVING WATCH. FITTED WITH THE 1904 MC MOVEMENT, IT COMBINES THE HIGH TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS OF THE ISO 6425: 1996 STANDARD WITH THE ASSERTIVE AESTHETICS OF THE CALIBRE DE CARTIER WATCH. ESTABLISHED IN 1847, CARTIER CREATES EXCEPTIONAL WATCHES THAT COMBINE DARING DESIGN AND WATCHMAKING SAVOIR-FAIRE.
143 MAIN STREET – GIBRALTAR
Issue11•November/December 2014
S T A F F PUBLISHER AND DIRECTOR
IAIN BLACKWELL director@essentialmagazine.com
GENERAL MANAGER
ANDREA BÖJTI sales@essentialmagazine.com
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
MARISA CUTILLAS editorial@essentialmagazine.com
GIBRALTAR EDITORIAL PRODUCTION MANAGER ACCOUNTS EXECUTIVE OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR
CREATIVE DIRECTOR DESIGN & LAYOUT STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER GIBRALTAR PHOTOGRAPHY
BELINDA BECKETT belinda@essentialmagazine-gibraltar.com SUSANNE WHITAKER design@essentialmagazine.com MARIANO JEVA cuentas@essentialmagazine.com MONIKA BÖJTI info@essentialmagazine.com
ANDREA BÖJTI INMA AURIOLES MELINDA SZARVAS KEVIN HORN JAYDEN FA
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
IAIN BLACKWELL, MARISA CUTILLAS, RIK FOXX, LOUIS MONTEGRIFFO, TONY WHITNEY, DAVID WISHART
COVER COVER PHOTOGRAPHY MAKEUP HAIR ART DIRECTION STYLING
JUSTINE PICARDO JAYDEN FA, www.facebook.com/jaydenfaphotography NYREE CHIPOLINA JANICE HAIR AND BEAUTY GUY BAGLIETTO JUSTINE PICARDO
PRINTING DEPÓSITO LEGAL
JIMÉNEZ GODOY A. GRÁFICAS, MURCIA D.L. MA-512-99
EDITORIAL & ADVERTISING OFFICES COMPLEJO LA PÓVEDA, BLQ. 3, 1º A, CN 340, KM 178, 29600 MARBELLA, MÁLAGA. TEL: 952 766 344 FAX: 952 766 343
ESSENTIAL GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE
@GIBMAGAZINE
www.essentialmagazine.com Member of the Association of Spanish Periodical Publications
ultradesign®
affiliated to:
conditions:
The publishers make every effort to ensure that the magazine’s contents are correct, but cannot accept Marbella Magazine cannot accept responsibility for the effects of errors or omissions. responsibility for the claims, goods or services of advertisers. Marbella Magazine. © Publicaciones Independientes Costa del Sol S.L. for No part of this magazine, including texts, photographs, illustrations, maps or any other graphics may be reproduced in any form without the prior written consent of Publicaciones Independientes Costa del Sol S.L. Printed on recyclable paper, produced without wood and bleached without chlorine.
G11 GMh.indd 1
10/29/14 4:08 PM
179 Chopard.indd 1
6/25/14 10:30 AM
contents
The Trend
Cinema 12 Home Viewing 14 Music 16 Books 18 Cars: The BMW i8 20 Gadgets 22
The Local Property Projects in Gibraltar 24 BMI Property Report 30 Justine Picardo 32 Gina Victory 36 John Hopkins 38 The Literary Festival Takes Over Gibraltar 42
The People 44 Celebrity Environmentalists
The Style 50 Patricia Darch: New Natuzzi Showroom 56 Watches-To-Die-For 60 Beauty: Janice Hair and Beauty 62 Health: Boost Your Immunity for the Winter
g The Pro 64 Enterprise 68 Business Profile: Morrisons’ 20th Anniversary 70 The Vibe
The Leisure 72 River Cruising in Burma
The Gourmet 78 Restaurant Review: Gauchos 80 Mama Lottie’s Cookbook 82 Restaurant Guide
G11 GCon.indd 1
10/31/14 12:24 PM
Winner of the Gibraltar’s Leading Hotel Award since 2009 The AA’s highest rated hotel in Gibraltar
...the other side of Gibraltar
SIR HERBERT MILES ROAD, CATALAN BAY, PO BOX 73, GIBRALTAR. TEL: +350 20076501 Gibraltar's leading hotel since 2009
G01_caletahotel.indd 1
AA’s highest rated hotel in Gibraltar
Two AA Rosettes for Culinary Excellence
www.caletahotel.com - reservations@caletahotel.gi
3/1/13 12:37 PM
WORDS BY IAIN BLACKWELL
publisher’s letter
W
ith the weather we have been enjoying recently, it’s hard to believe that Christmas will soon be upon us. This November/December edition covers the run-in to that much-awaited time of year with seasonal holidays and great family times together to look forward to. In this issue, we talk exclusively and revealingly with Justine Picardo who also graces our front cover, Gina Victory, who has been busy mentoring Shyanne Azzopardi for her appearance at Miss World in London in December, and American veteran John Hopkins in advance of his talks at the Gibunco Gibraltar International Literary Festival. Gibraltar is once again experiencing a demandled property boom as typified by the Imperial Ocean Plaza off-plan sell out, with construction proceeding apace, and we highlight some of the principal property projects underway locally, together with BMI Group’s recent Property Report which underpins current trends. We also present a partial focus on environmental matters, which are an increasing cause for concern on our fragile planet. Fortunately, many high profile celebrities are actively involved in campaigning in this field although, as we will see, they don’t always practise what they preach. Elsewhere, don’t miss our visit to the sumptuous new Natuzzi showroom by Patricia Darch at Blue Sotogrande Marina and come river cruising with us up the Irrawaddy in magnificent Myanmar.
G11 GPuL.indd 10
Boomtown
ROCK 10/29/14 2:41 PM
G11 GTB.indd 1
10/23/14 10:16 AM
All you need is GBC
Bringing Music to Your Ears & Gibraltar to your Screen
GBC Television
Radio Gibraltar
GBC Online
available on Gibraltar Freeview and gbc.gi
91.3, 92.6 & 100.5FM, 1458AM, DAB+, gbc.gi and Gibraltar Freeview
available at gbc.gi
Access All Areas Christmas Specials EURO 2016 Qualifiers Live Inspired by Malta Join the Club Open Day 2014 Talk About Town The Hub The Sports Locker Viewpoint Full schedule at gbc.gi
Weekdays: 7am – Ben Lynch 10am – Ros Astengo 1pm – James Neish 2pm – Paul Grant (English) 2pm – Teresa Goncalves (Spanish) 6pm – Claire Hernandez Overnight: Non-Stop Music… through the night
GBC TV Live GBC TV Watch Again Radio Gibraltar Live Radio Gibraltar Listen Again Latest Local News
G11_GBC.indd 1
© ultradesign
Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation Broadcasting House, 18 South Barrack Road, Gibraltar Tel: (+350) 200 79760 (all departments) I Fax: (+350) 200 78673 I E-mail: info@gbc.gi
10/28/14 3:03 PM
trend READING / MUSIC / FILMS / GADGETS / MOTORING / TRENDS
Home entertainment takes on a decidedly eco vibe this month, with suggestions of top reads on Nature. We also keep you up-to-date with fun eco gadgets, new cinema and DVD releases and the very latest news on music. Meanwhile, for sheer exhilaration, hop aboard the new hybrid BMW i8.
G11 GIntros.indd 2
12
Cinema
14
Home Viewing
16
Music
18
Books
20
Cars: The BMW i8
22
Gadgets
10/29/14 2:47 PM
trend
WORDS MARISA CUTILL
CINEMA
AS
e BLOCKBUSTER » GENRE
Fantasy/Adventure
» DIRECTOR
Francis Lawrence
» ACTORS
Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth
OF THE MONTH Katniss Everdeen is g it distraught after battlin s, yet me Ga r nge Hu the in t ou k bac r he n tur she cannot y ask the en wh els reb the on down her to help them bring ce on ol pit Ca t rup cor the and for all.
s e m a G r e g n u H The ckingjay Part 1 Mo
» GENRE Drama » DIRECTOR Liv Ullmann (Persona)
» ACTORS Jessica Chastain,
Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton
Miss Julie » GENRE Science Fiction » DIRECTOR Christopher Nolan
It is a sultry midsummer night in Fermanagh in 1890 and the beautiful young daughter of an Anglo-Irish aristocrat sets out to seduce her father’s valet.
(Inception)
» ACTORS Matthew McConaughey, Anne
Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Michael Caine
Interstellar
A group of intrepid exploreres uses a wormhole to travel into space and conquer the vast distances that lie between the stars.
» GENRE Thriller » DIRECTOR Michael Cuesta (Dexter) » ACTORS Jeremy Renner, Mary
Elizabeth Winstead, Robert Patrick
Kill the Messenger
Jeremy Renner plays Gary Webb, a journalist who works for a modest newspaper during the presidency of Ronald Reagan. Gary unwittingly comes across the story of a lifetime, when he discovers that the CIA is permitting Colombian drug cartels to distribute thousands of millions of dollars of drugs in the US, part of which will be used subsequently to finance illegal operations against guerilla forces in Central America. When his editor dares to publish the story, Gary becomes a target for those who stand to lose a big chunk of their takings.
» GENRE Comedy » DIRECTOR Bob and Peter
Farrelly (There’s Something About Mary) » ACTORS Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Kathleen Turner
Dumb and Dumber To
It’s been 20 years since Harry and Lloyd first met but neither seems to have matured in the slightest. When Harry is diagnosed with a health problem, he decides to track down his son (whom he hardly knows) to ask him to donate a kidney and enlists the aid of his intrepid yet even dumber friend, Lloyd.
12 / NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM
G11 CiE.indd 12
10/28/14 12:24 PM
reload, Gibraltar’s pre-paid mobile service
• Full local coverage
• SMS from 3p per message
• Full roaming in UK, Spain and with major operators worldwide
• FREE Family and Friends service 20% discount on calls to selected numbers
• 24/7 support
• Online top-up at www.reload.gi
• Mobile Internet from 30p per day
www.
.gi
www.gibtele.com Tel. (+350) 20052200
by
trend HOME VIEWING
Marisa Cutillas brings us a few of the season’s top DVD releases. » GENRE Action/Adventure » DIRECTOR Anthony Russo (You, me and Dupree)
» ACTORS Chris Evans, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson » IMDB RATING 8.0/10
Need for Speed » GENRE Action » DIRECTOR Scott Waugh (Act of Valor) » ACTORS Aaron Paul, Dominic Cooper,
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Captain America: The Winter Soldier takes off after the last edition of The Avengers. Steve Rogers (Captain America) is tranquilly living in Washington, D.C., trying to adapt to the modern world, when a S.H.I.E.L.D. colleague is attacked. He enlists the help of Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) to battle a powerful new enemy: The Winter Soldier.
Imogen Poots
» IMDB RATING 6.7/10
ASE OF THE MONTH
Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul plays Tobey, a young street racer who has recently faced a prison sentence for a crime committed by his former partner. Tobey races across the country to win a prestigious race which will not only bring him material wealth, but also avenge the death of his best friend and bring an old enemy to justice.
D RELE e FEATURED DV »
GENRE Action/ Adventurea
» DIRECTOR
Marc Webb (The Amazing SpiderMan)
» ACTORS
Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx
» IMDB RATING 7.1/10
nemesis: Max – Spider-Man has a new l engineer who a shy, retiring electrica ing genetically tain con k falls into a tan and mutates modified electric eels generator. y icit ctr into a living ele only source of n’s -Ma der Spi ’t isn Max refuses to he en wh worry, however; Osborne’s ry Har , aire on billi e help cur ing his nat do by incurable disease enlists and ter bit ws gro ry blood, Har ject the sub h bot the help of Max and n. ctio tru des and om city to do
2 n a M r e d i p S The Amazing » GENRE Drama/History » DIRECTOR Peter Webber
(Girl with a Pearl Earring) » ACTORS Matthew Fox, Colin Moy, Tommy Lee Jones » IMDB RATING 6.5/10
Emperor Emperor is based on real-life events which took place in 1945, when Japan surrendered to the Americans and General MacArthur took over the beleaguered, war-torn nation. General Bonner Fellers (Matthew Fox) is forced to decide whether or not Emperor Hirohito should be hanged as a war criminal. To make his decision, he turns to Aya, a young exchange student he had met years before in the United States.
» GENRE Comedy/Drama » DIRECTOR Jordan Vogt-Roberts » ACTORS Nick Robinson, Gabriel Basso, Moises Arias
» IMDB RATING 7.2/10
The Kings of Summer Three teenage friends, tired of the rules that govern their respective homes, decide to build a home in the forest and move in. With no adults weighing them down, they are free to enjoy Nature to the fullest and live by their own rules. The film, which premiered to rave reviews at the Sundance Film Festival, is an emotion-filled foray into the last years of childhood, wrought as they are with childish joy, adolescent confusion and adult worry. It is one last, fleeting, failed attempt at turning one’s back on society and living like a child of Nature.
14 / NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM
G11 DvD.indd 14
10/28/14 12:26 PM
bmi-essential-devs.pdf
1
22/10/2014
13:13
Are you considering
investing in property?
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
Wouldn’t you want to see the
bigger picture?
CMY
K
If you are looking at buying or investing in property, take the time to seek serious advice. Tel: (+350) 200 51010 BMI Group Limited, Unit 7 Portland House, Glacis Road, P.O. Box 469, Gibraltar
#property
Email: info@bmigroup.gi
w w w. b m i g r o u p . g i #newdevelopments
#gibraltar
trend MUSIC
¿QUÉ PASA? WORDS RIK FOXX
Good and bad news for PINK FLOYD fans – on November 10 a new album, The Endless River, will rise, but according to guitarist DAVID GILMOUR, “This is the last thing that’ll be out from us.” The album will include a track featuring celebrated scientist STEPHEN HAWKING entitled Talkin' Hawkin. And OZZY OSBOURNE has announced that BLACK SABBATH will also make one last album and tour it next year mainly due to the health of guitarist TONY IOMMI who has been battling leukemia since early 2012. Well it’s been a long time coming but the much anticipated FREDDIE MERCURY / MICHAEL JACKSON collaboration, There Must Be More to Life Than This, will finally land on November 10 on Queen Forever, a collection of the band’s timeless love songs plus a previously unfinished track Let Me In Your Heart Again and a new stripped-down ballad version of Freddie’s first solo hit, Love Kills. Already available to buy in the UK is a official QUEEN-branded vodka Killer Queen – to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the band’s 1974 hit single of the same name – apparently it’s been selling well with fans just wanting the bottle as a collector’s item. Sticking with JACKO, the iconic Thriller video may be revamped in 3D, it was originally an idea that was going to be part of the ill-fated This Is It London shows which never took place due to his death... but talk suggests the ‘family’ have put the brakes on the project as they want more money – I bet the US tax man is keeping an eye on what’s going on there. Useless information # 253: In 2010, Thriller became the first music video to be added to the US national film archive. Staying in the States – KATY PERRY has been confirmed as the first act for the prestigious Superbowl half-time show next February – as mentioned last month organisers also want COLDPLAY and RIHANNA. Meanwhile Ms PERRY will go head-to-head with her Twitter nemesis TAYLOR SWIFT at the European MTV awards in Glasgow for best female which can be seen live on the channel on Nov. 9. On the same night either MADONNA or GAGA will perform in Berlin to mark the 25th anniversary of
the fall of The Wall. The organisers want both to headline; it’s common knowledge there’s no love lost between the two after the former called her younger pretender “reductive” amid accusations that the latter’s tune Born This Way resembled Madge’s 1989 song Express Yourself and on Two Steps Behind, a song that may feature on her forthcoming album, the veteran sings “You’re a copycat. In your fantasy, you can try it all. But you can’t be me.”
Also suffering health wise is AC/DC guitarist MALCOLM YOUNG, who is now in a nursing home facility “full time” that specialises in dementia and he has been replaced by his nephew STEVIE YOUNG. But life goes on and the boys are back with a new album, Rock or Bust, which will start bustin’ eardrums on December 1 – having heard a foretaste – Play Ball – it’s as good as anything they’ve done in the last few years. They are expected to tour the album in Spain next summer – if you’ve never seen them!
And it seems like JIMMY PAGE has finally given up trying to persuade ROBERT PLANT to tour under the LED ZEPPELIN banner and he will now move on to other ventures despite the legendary rockers new found glory thanks to the remastered versions of their first five albums this year. Led Zeppelin IV and Houses Of The Holy were released on October 27. DAVID BOWIE is back this month with a new single, Sue (Or In A Season Of Crime), on the 17th – a taster for his new greatest hits package, Nothing Has Changed, which also features two other new songs. The MCFLY / BUSTED alliance MCBUSTED release their first single, Air Guitar, on November 23 and an album will follow in time for the Christmas market. Talk around town suggests that the latter’s former lead singer CHARLIE SIMPSON is not happy with the way things have gone as he thought it wouldn’t work out, plus his own venture, FIGHTSTAR, which he secretly formed while BUSTED were still together, has flopped big time. An LP release war was set for November 24 but ONE DIRECTION have brought the release of Four forward one week, TAKE THAT have moved III back seven days to December 1 while ADELLE has put her new offering on ice. That leaves just SUSAN BOYLE with Hope – and she had better hope fans of PINK FLOYD, JOHN LENNON and SIMON & GARFUNKEL don’t get upset with her respective versions of Wish You Were Here, Imagine and Bridge Over Troubled Water! e
16 / NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM
G11 Cd.indd 16
10/28/14 12:17 PM
G11 Boux Av.indd 1
10/29/14 2:28 PM
trend BOOKS
The Wonder of Nature
Some might say that the best way to discover the beauty of Nature is to go out and experience it. This may be true but, Nature, like the planet’s most splendid historical and architecture sites, can also be appreciated when we allow ourselves to fall under the sway of the world’s most influential writers on the subject. We hope you enjoy our suggested list of top reads, compiled by Marisa Cutillas.
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING BY NAOMI KLEIN
Best-selling author and environmental activist, Naomi Klein, warns us that surviving climate change depends directly on the extent to which we are ready to make radical yet necessary changes in our lives. Klein has interviewed environmental specialists and experts from across the globe, coming to the conclusion that without a widespread people’s movement, carbon emissions will continue to rise and greenhouse gases will continue to accumulate. Weak international treaties and questionable political bargains won’t cut it as the Planet becomes immersed in the greatest environmental mire it has known. In a wonderful interview with Rolling Stone, Klein forayed into the inexorable link between capitalism and environmental degradation: “We’ve built an economic model that tells us that maximising our self-interest is going to lead to the maximum benefit for the most number of people. That’s the trick of free market economic theory, it doesn’t just ask you to only be selfish and not care about others. It tells you that by being selfish, you are helping others. And, in fact, by trying to directly help others, you will hurt them. This is what people reared on Ayn Rand and Milton Friedman have been told.”
EVERY NATURAL FACT: FIVE SEASONS OF OPEN-AIR PARENTING BY AMY LOU JENKINS
KEEPING A NATURE JOURNAL: DISCOVER A WHOLE NEW WAY OF SEEING THE WORLD AROUND YOU BY
CLARE WALKER LESLIE AND CHARLES ROTH
This handy book journal will provide endless hours of fun for parents and children working together. It provides tips and techniques on how to sketch and take notes on the beautiful plants that colour the seasons. The book seems made to quell anxiety in those who are insecure about their drawing or writing abilities, since the authors approach both tasks in an unpretentious, practical way. Best of all, you’ll have a beautiful journal filled with memories you will treasure many years down the line.
Award-winning author, Amy Jenkins, brings us this visually stunning work, which focuses on the many parallels in the human and natural worlds. Mother and son explore natural history and plant behavior, finding that Nature holds up a mirror to many issues they face in day-to-day life, including education, generational gaps and parenting styles. It is also a beautiful poem of love from a mother who realises that one day, her son will leave the nest, yet that life always goes on.
THE PRIVATE LIFE OF PLANTS: A NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANT BEHAVIOUR BY DAVID
ATTENBOROUGH
Based on Attenborough’s six-part programme for the BBC, this beautiful book surprises us with the unique behaviour and habits of plants in many diverse settings: rainforests, mountain ranges and deserts, showing how plants fight it out to survive in a cruel world, competing with animals and insects by communicating, changing their position and capturing potential predators. Just like animals, plants struggle to find food, they fight and sometimes, they even consume their enemies, making them among the hardiest inhabitants of Planet Earth.
THE BOTANY OF DESIRE: A PLANT’SEYE VIEW OF THE WORLD BY MICHAEL POLLAN
Best-selling author, Michael Pollan, shows us the value of Nature in a most peculiar way: by revealing the intricate, interdependent essence of the human-plant relationship. In The Botany of Desire, the author shows how four essential human desires — for sweetness, beauty, intoxication and control — are satisfied by plants: the apple, tulip, marijuana and potato. Pollan demonstrates how plants have evolved to satisfy the urges of man, and how they have survived (in some cases) thanks to human ingenuity.
18 / NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM
G11 Re.indd 18
10/28/14 12:26 PM
G10 GPAGINAS SUELTAS.indd 1
10/28/14 3:25 PM
trend MOTORING
BMW i8
HIGH PERFORMANCE PLUG-IN HYBRID SPORTS 2+2
B
MW is no stranger to electric power having created what I thought at the time was a very pleasing little city car – the E1. When I drove the prototype E1 around Munich back in 1991, I regarded it as ready for volume production, but nothing came of it. But the i3 and i8 indicate that far from shelving the notion of EVs, BMW has been hard at work developing exciting products that we’re now able to buy. The i8 is perhaps the most visually distinctive BMW since the M1 limited production supercar of the late 1970s. That was not a great success despite its looks and fewer than 500 were ever sold. BMW does not plan to build
the i8 in large numbers, although it should easily sell the 500 per year planned at this time. BMW embraces a new design approach with this car and its i3 stablemate which involves intriguing combinations of body colour and black panelling (unless you order a blackon-black paint job). The overall effect is very contemporary and, of course, the shape of the car is as sleek and, slippery as they come. Naturally, the nose incorporates the traditional BMW ‘kidney’ grille, so everyone will know who built this car as soon as they see one. The doors are a departure, being neither ‘gullwing’ nor ‘scissor pattern.’ They’re being dubbed ‘swan doors’ and when they’re both opened up, it’s easy to see the reason why. They open upwards
and outwards, which must have posed quite a problem to whoever designed the hinges. Perhaps more compelling than the i8’s styling is the technology involved in its drivetrain. Basically, this is a plug-in hybrid, which means that although an on-board engine charges the battery when needed, it can be charged by plugging it into a domestic power outlet or one of the public quick chargers that are appearing in many major cities. It’s also possible to have a quick charge system set up at home, though this is probably an expensive option. In many ways, plug-in hybrids are the best of all EV worlds because their range is far greater than it would be with a pure electric vehicle.
Several manufacturers of high-end performance sports cars have hinted that they have electric or plug-in hybrid models in the pipeline, but BMW seems to be ahead of the pack with its stunning 2015 i8. The famed Bavarian car-builder already has a foot in the EV door with its i3 hatchback, which is now on sale and, like the i8, represents a new design philosophy for the company. WORDS TONY WHITNEY PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF BMW
20 / NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM
G11 Ca.indd 20
10/28/14 12:28 PM
The compact petrol engine is interesting in that it’s a 1.5-litre, three-cylinder twin turbo unit. The electric motor produces 96 kW and when the two power units are combined, they develop a total of 357-horsepower. This is impressive enough to get you to 100 km/h in about 4.4 seconds, according to tests. The electric motor delivers full torque from a standing start, so acceleration seems even more of a thrill than the performance statistics indicate. BMW points out that in overall use, the i8 will match the fuel consumption and emissions of a small saloon. Driving with electric power alone is possible – press the eDrive button on the dash and you power the front wheels. The little petrol engine drives only the rear wheels, but with both motive units in play, you have an all-wheel drive car. There are various selectable modes available to the driver, depending if the need is for comfort, sporty performance or maximum economy. I haven’t seen an owner’s manual for this car yet, but it must be of Biblical proportions! As any manufacturer of electric vehicles will inform you, driving range depends on many factors, including personal driving style, road variations, weather and whether or not ancillaries like air conditioning are in use. BMW claims an all-electric range of 37 km for the i8, which is fine because you have the petrol engine to get you off the hook if the batteries run low. The futuristic interior looks more concept car than production model and it again features a new design language for BMW. The i8 is a 2+2, which means that there are a couple of small seats in the back. They’re actually quite usable, partly because the front seatbacks are very slim and don’t take as much room as you’d
expect. The layout of the instruments and controls is intelligently handled and there’s nothing that’s hard to reach. The instrument panel is, as might be expected, entirely electronic with a variety of coloured screens and readouts to keep you informed of what’s going on. There’s a reasonable amount of cargo space under the rear hatch and if you really want to splurge, there’s an optional set of Louis Vuitton fitted luggage available. Even if the i8 had a conventional drivetrain with a compact V-8 up front, it would be a very appealing and fascinating car. But with the almost bewildering array of technology it boasts, it’s certainly the most intriguing premium sports car on the market right now. And since production is limited, it will always be very exclusive and probably a rare sight out on the roads. Is the combination of a powerful electric motor and an advanced, innovative petrol engine the way of the future for this class of supercars? Time will tell how things will develop, but there are certainly a number of upscale car builders watching this product very carefully and perhaps moving on with plans of their own. In the meantime, BMW is out in front with the i8 and promises to be there for quite some time. e
Z ENGINE Three-cylinder 1.5-litre twin turbo petrol engine plus 96 kW electric motor. Total horsepower 357. Z TRANSMISSION 6-speed automatic, 2-speed automatic for electric motor. Z ACCELERATION Zero to 100 km/h in 4.4-seconds. Z TOP SPEED 250 km/h (governed). Top electric-only speed, 120 km/h. Z I LIKED A truly radical design with all kinds of innovative engineering features. BMW’s new design language works very well with this car and it has great character and individuality. Outstanding performance aided by the high torque provided by all electric motors. Charge it regularly and this can be an amazingly economical sports supercar. Z I DIDN’T LIKE The doors will take some people a while to get used to and each driver will develop their own technique for climbing in. The technique will depend on whether you’re wearing trousers or a skirt! Like all EVs there are range limitations. Z MARKET ALTERNATIVES The plug-in hybrid luxury supercar market is in its infancy right now, but shoppers in this segment will probably look closely at the all-electric Tesla Model S and the new Cadillac ELR, which has an on-board charging engine. For a smaller EV with a prestige nameplate, the BMW i3 is worth a look. Z WHO DRIVES ONE? The i8 is so stylish and responsive, you don’t have to buy it as a statement of being ‘environmentally responsible.’ It can stand up against all kinds of premium sports cars with conventional drivetrains. All nature of people will buy this car for a multiplicity of reasons. Z PRICE AND AVAILABILITY Selling now in limited quantities at €129.900.
ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 / 21
G11 Ca.indd 21
10/28/14 12:28 PM
trend ELECTRONICS
1 2
s t e g d a G o Ec
3
ool C e b n a C gets d a ly G d e n s e i u r a F y l Bec l enta m n o r on; i v n n oxymor a r e and E g n lo is no s and ea ts’ and gift id ‘eco gadge The word these cool devices r in you. check out he inner eco warrio discover t LLAS M COMPILED BY
ARISA CUTI
1 – Eco Stapler: Did you know that the average industrialised country wastes tons of metal a year in staples? If that seems like an awful lot to you, consider adding this nifty little device to your office: the Eco Stapler, whose cutting edge design allows it to staple up to three pieces of paper together without the slightest bit of metal. i www.amazon.com 2 – Solar Velomobile: This futuristic looking vehicle runs on a 600W electric motor and can travel some 160km, if you add a little pedal power (without pedalling, it reaches a maximum distance of 70km). The maximum speed it achieves is 48km/h, making it a safe vehicle almost the whole family can enjoy. As you move through your estate or the local park, it must be pretty amazing to think that you are producing no hydrocarbons or toxic waste of any kind! i www.envirogadget.com
4
3 – Bedol Water-powered Travel Alarm Clock: This has got to be the ultimate gift for the environmentalist who has everything. The little clock is battery-free yet boasts up to twelve weeks or more of uninterrupted operation with just one ‘water charge’. i www.bedolwhatsnext.com 4 – Impecca Wireless Bamboo Keyboard: This gorgeous carved keyboard made of biodegradable material will adapt to any computer. Talk about celebrating the simple beauty of Nature! i www.amazon.com
6
5
5 – Niwa Smartphonecontrolled Greenhouse: This gorgeous greenhouse is controlled via Smartphone and uses hydroponic technology to grow, meaning no soil is necessary. Just download the dedicated App and control your plants’ humidity, temperature and watering systems. Even those who have never done any gardening before will find this fool-proof garden easy to handle. i www.getniwa.com 6 – Urbanears Plattan Headphones: Save about 5m2 of the Costa Rican rainforest by purchasing this cool set of headphones, made from leftover parts of discarded headphones. i www.impericon.com
22 / NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM
G11 GaE.indd 22
10/28/14 12:29 PM
local
CULTURE / HISTORY / FEATURES / FAMOUS PEOPLE / INTERVIEWS / HUMOUR
Gibraltar is in the spotlight once again; we hope you enjoy our comprehensive article on Property Projects in Gibraltar and BMI’s Property Report. We offer readers fascinating interviews with Gibraltar’s First Lady, Justine Picardo; with Miss Gibraltar mentor, Gina Victory, and with talented Author, John Hopkins. Finally, we peruse the upcoming Literary Festival, a true celebration of words for lovers of literature in all its genres.
G11 GIntros.indd 3
24
Property Projects in Gibraltar
30
The BMI Property Report
32
Justine Picardo
36
Gina Victory
38
John Hopkins
42
The Literary Festival Takes Over Gibraltar
10/29/14 2:47 PM
THE FOCUS property
Stylish and subsidised – the government’s affordable housing projects
Boomtown Rock Report Belinda Beckett Photography courtesy of the Government of Gibraltar, Chesterton, FKA Gibraltar Clear Design/The Armada Group, buenavistaparkvillas.com, Ocean Village, The Caleta Hotel, The Rock Hotel
Fortress Gibraltar has long been associated with bastions and battlements but the ‘boom’ everyone’s talking about now hasn’t come from a cannon. A raft of new construction projects is transforming the urban landscape into a sleek steel and glass cityscape Lord Nelson wouldn’t recognise, with both his eyes!
S
caffolding and plant hire are lucrative businesses to be in, these days in Gibraltar. Every spare square metre of land seems to be a building site although there aren’t that many brown field plots going begging in the 6.2 square kilometre British Overseas territory. Just reading down the list of public and private developments pending or underway makes you wonder how they’re all going to fit into an area 19 times smaller than the municipality of Marbella: over 1,000 new government-subsidised homes, a second five-star hotel, five high-rise office projects
including a World Trade Centre – a building bonanza worth in excess of £260m. That’s not counting the university, the UEFA football stadium (when they can decide where to build it ) and, the ‘biggie’ of them all, a multi-million pound project to develop Eastside with a swanky marina to rival the world’s most luxurious of resorts. And the list doesn’t end there. There’s the road tunnel to divert traffic under the airport runway; the new £20m small boat marina; two land reclamation projects (one for the £68million power station near North Mole, one at Western Beach for
sporting and/or industrial use); a £22m sewage treatment plant; the Gibraltar International Bank, opening next March in the Inces Hall complex (a much-needed new source of private sector funding) and several luxurious private housing projects underway... so the dust from building work is unlikely to settle any time soon! “There’s no doubt that Gibraltar is experiencing a major construction and investment boom,” confirms Deputy Chief Minister Dr. Joseph Garcia, whose portfolio includes land development and planning. “We’re processing 30 to 40 new
24 / NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM
G11 FeA1.indd 24
10/30/14 10:55 AM
Busy times for Deputy Chief Minister Dr. Joseph Garcia
The MidTown concept
planning applications, of varying scale, at every monthly meeting. We’re also seeing unprecedented interest from developers and investors although, as the demand for land exceeds the supply, whoever has it is racing to build on it.” It’s quite a different story in Spain, where the property market is only showing tentative signs of recovery. The rest of Europe, too, is playing catchup after a crippling economic recession. Conversely, Gibraltar’s government can flaunt its robust 10.3% economic growth to private investors; and it has cash to splash on its own projects too, thanks to last year’s £65m budget surplus. One of the largest public projects already underway is the government’s £100m affordable housing scheme which will increase the Rock’s residential stock by 10 per cent at a stroke. “This project fulfils the promise we made in our manifesto to house every Gibraltarian whose name was on the waiting list on the day we were elected, and we’re achieving it in record time,” says Dr. Garcia. It will provide Gibraltar with 1,016 new homes at Beach View Terraces, near Eastern Beach; Mons Calpe Mews on the site of the old coach park; and Charles Bruzon House in Europort Avenue. A mix of senior citizens’ rental accommodation and apartments that can be bought with a government subsidy of up to 50 per cent, solar heating and lighting and green water collection are among their environmental features. “With the maximum subsidy, a family can buy a 4-bedroom flat for £99,000,” says Minister Garcia. “More homes are planned and we have embarked on a wholesale refurbishment of government rented accommodation, with the addition of lifts.” Activity has been further stimulated by the government “freeing up projects which had become stuck under the previous administration”, says Dr. Garcia, citing the MidTown office and residential project, the Gibraltar World Trade Centre and – one of the most amazing success stories Gibraltar has seen in some time – Imperial Ocean Plaza at Ocean Village.
Buying Blitz Chesterton, the top-performing agent for the residential skyscraper, can look forward to a particularly merry Christmas. Agents took deposits on all 116 apartments and penthouses in five working days! That’s £46millionworth of real estate spoken for on a project not due for delivery until 2017. “There was such demand, we kept our office doors open until one in the morning on two nights that week,” says Mike Nicholls, Chesterton’s
Managing Director. “We cancelled our ad campaign on the screen at the border before it had started because we had nothing left to sell.” Buyers who paid prices ranging from £165,000 to over £1m were mainly ex-pat investment speculators from the UK and Europe. “Gibraltar has enormous prestige abroad,” says Nicholls. “It is seen as a trusted financial centre with a buoyant sterling economy. The British factor and the climate are other major attractions. People aren’t too put off by the border problems which they see as no more of a nuisance than the tailbacks they endure on the M25 in and out of London.” It was a major result that Nicholls puts down to “six years of pent-up demand for residential accommodation”, and is a repeat of the success he saw over a decade ago, as Finance Director for Ocean Village, when owner Greg Butcher couldn’t put the residential tower blocks up fast enough. As well as privately-financing the new Gibraltar World Trade Centre, Butcher has exciting plans for Ocean Village’s sibling, Marina Bay. In addition to smartening it up, Butcher is keen to attract higher-spending short-stay yachties with free overnight berthing, as most of OV’s moorings are occupied year-round by live-aboards. There is also talk of yet another residential tower just behind Ocean Village, which Butcher expects to bring to market sooner than originally planned. “If Imperial makes our Christmas, we would expect this next launch to make our Easter,” he beamed.
Five-star Frenzy Last year Gibraltar had zero five-star hotels. Soon it will have four! Sunborn yacht hotel, floated this spring, was only the first; The Rock Hotel, coming to the end of major refurbishment, is aiming for an upgrade from four stars to five; The Caleta Hotel’s plans for a £15m transformation into a five-star suite hotel with serviced apartments and a spa are undergoing environmental impact studies; and a five-star Marriott will shortly break ground on the old Royal Gibraltar Yacht Club site – a mix of 125-room core-brand hotel and a Residence Inn of 100 serviced studio apartments with kitchenettes – you still get your bed made in the morning but you can cook your own supper. With a completion date of late-2016, the hotel’s attractions will include a panoramic rooftop restaurant and skybar and Gibraltar’s largest banqueting and conference suites to accommodate functions for 350 and 500 respectively. “The Marriott will give Gibraltar its first internationally-branded hotel and huge clout in attracting lucrative MICE business,” (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions) says promoter Mike Nicholls. “The Residence Inn will answer the need for short-let apartments in Gibraltar, as
ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 / 25
G11 FeA1.indd 25
10/30/14 10:55 AM
Suite new look for the Caleta Hotel
rooms can be rented for up to three months at well below normal hotel rates.” Chesterton is also sole agent for Victory Place, an 8-storey office block which will be built next to the Marriott, to British Council for Offices Grade A Specifications. “It’s the first time this quality benchmark has been offered in Gibraltar and we have presold some 50 per cent already,” says Nicholls. If all the slew of new office projects find funding they will provide Gibraltarians with an extra 60,000m2 of work space – more than the Queen enjoys in the whole of Windsor Castle! One of those projects is MidTown at the Old Naval Grounds, a multi-million pound residential and commercial mix in sleek high-rise towers. Part of this old MoD site is being developed with a second leisure park, linked to the recently-opened Commonwealth Park. To be called Central Park, it will be a welcome extra green lung between the high-rises that are giving parts of downtown Gibraltar the look of a miniature Manhattan.
Headline Meanwhile, some of the private mansions being built could rival Marbella for scale and grandeur. Luxurious Buena Vista Park Villas is a stunning example. Sited on top of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment’s old HQ in the South District, buyers can enjoy views of the Strait that were once a military secret! The first phase of nine executive townhouses and six sumptuous villas
The shape of things to come? The Armada Group’s vision for Eastside
were sold off-plan for prices from £955,000 to £2,695,000. Starting soon are Phase 2, the renovation of the old stone-block barracks into one or two showpiece properties and Phase 3, three exclusive townhouses and eight villas ranging from £1.8-5m. The 1,300m2 blockhouse project, priced circa £20 million depending on the buyer’s interior design choices, is destined to become one of the finest homes in Gibraltar. Ditto The Sanctuary, with knobs on – a superselect enclave of five villas in a jaw-dropping location at the entrance to the Upper Nature Reserve, due for completion early next year.
Each villa has six bedrooms, seven bathrooms, three receptions, a full-floor penthouse suite, a rooftop terrace with spa, infinity pool and sunken cabaña, staff quarters... The project is targeted at the world’s ultra high net worth individuals who are attracted by Gibraltar’s low tax jurisdiction. Priced at £10m, with unique interiors designed by the developer to suit individual buyers, this places the Sanctuary at the top of the local market. Chesterton’s Mike Nicholls points out that in Monaco, often compared to Gibraltar with its similar population size of 36,000, an identical property would fetch in excess of £55m.
26 / NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM
G11 FeA1.indd 26
10/30/14 10:55 AM
Buena Vista Park Phase 2
The Sanctuary – rocking Gibraltar
ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 / 27
G11 FeA1.indd 27
10/30/14 10:55 AM
Eastside Story The mother-of-all projects is the much-vaunted £1b Eastside Project, known as Sovereign Bay and Cape Vantage in previous still-born incarnations. This massive 100,000m2 site, entirely reclaimed from landfill, was sold a decade ago; but despite getting as far as the design concept, including input from Lord Norman Foster of London Gherkin fame, it was abandoned like a jilted bride at the altar. The government bought it back this year for £28million (£4m less than the developer paid) and, since putting it back out to tender, has received an avalanche of proposals from 17 different sources in the UK, Spain, France, the UAE and Australia. Does Gibraltar have sex appeal or what! If all the proposals are as ambitious as the two which have been made public, they will make fascinating reading. Whichever scheme is chosen, the project will be marina-focused, fulfilling another of the government’s manifesto promises to provide police and customs officials with law enforcement capability from a marine base on the east side. The most avant-garde concept has been
Instant academia – designs for the new Gibraltar University
submitted by Kjerulf Ainsworth, son of Australian betting machine billionaire Len Ainsworth. He proposes a tunnel through the heart of the Rock to link the isolated Eastside with the town centre by train, emerging on the doorstep of City Hall in John Mackintosh Square. Ainsworth, nicknamed the Frack Man for his successful campaign against fracking in Australia, proposes a timeline of a decade but the government would need to chip in for a breakwater. Perhaps the more likely project – as it includes the breakwater construction – has been pitched by the UAE-based Armada Group. Based on the plans submitted by Australian architects Fender Katsalidis in 2007, now with the addition of educational, health and sporting facilities, their concept includes a luxury hotel and a FIFA-approved football pitch. Armada, one of the four largest developers in the Emirates, touts its previous experience “pushing engineering boundaries” in Dubai as credentials, adding, “The Emirates model works; we will bring it to Gibraltar.” Is the future of Gibraltar downtown Dubaishaped? Watch this space!
Instant Academia
Gibraltar is on fast-track to build and open its first university in time for the new academic year in September 2015. The government is whizzing a bill through parliament for £10 million in supplementary funding for the project, which will include four faculties, a language centre and halls of residence for 200 students and visiting professors at Europa Point. The campus will be a mix of new and refurbished iconic buildings with the former St Christopher’s School site as the hub. The four faculties will be: ZZ Health Studies and Sports Science ZZ Business, to include specialisms in Accounting and Finance, Law and ICT ZZ Life and Earth Sciences and Gibraltar/ Mediterranean Studies ZZ Tourism and Hospitality The faculties will provide undergraduate and post-graduate programmes in collaboration with internationally-recognised universities, as well as locally-developed courses in Gibraltar Tax and Law. An Institute of Professional Development and Continuing Education will meet Gibraltar’s own industry needs in the public and private sectors. Explaining that the university will not preclude students preferring to graduate at a British university from applying for scholarship funding, Education Minister Gilbert Licudi said: “It is a huge satisfaction for the Government to see our dream of establishing a University of Gibraltar take shape and be so close to becoming a reality.” e
The Armada Group’s vision for Eastside
28 / NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM
G11 FeA1.indd 28
10/31/14 12:26 PM
O rly Ea ng ni 16 pe 2 0
Enabling Gibraltar as the gateway to Europe
"We provide turnkey solutions to independent asset management firms wishing to establish a fully authorised independent financial advisory practice in Gibraltar. Having a quality infrastructure and presence is crucial to us and we believe that World Trade Center will absolutely deliver that.�
Pascal Vinet
Managing Director
20% discounts to be withdrawn soon
t: +350 200 74724 • e: enquiries@worldtradecenter.gi • w: www.worldtradecenter.gi
THE FOCUS property
GIBRALTAR Property If it looks too good to be true, it normally is… or is it? The Sanctuary, Gibraltar
WORDS LOUIS MONTEGRIFFO
M
y brief, in a nutshell, is to describe Gibraltar’s property market over the past decade or so – well, there it is in graphic form (see below), cheeky I know, but it certainly paints a pretty picture and given the disastrous state of western economies (and their respective property markets – save for London) over the past six or seven years or so, I’m sure a success story is well overdue. Gibraltar, a British Overseas Territory and not a colony (as the Spanish might have you believe), is self-Governed and enjoys a stable, democratic, multicultural, low crime environment – but that’s not all. In his budget speech in June, 2014, the Chief Minister announced the following: Z GDP growth estimated at 10.2 per cent for the tax year 2013/14 Z Gross public debt stands at 32% of GDP, with net public debt at 25 per cent of GDP Z Budget surplus for financial year 2013/2014 is estimated to be a record £65m, 4.6 per cent of GDP Z Ranked in the top 20 globally for GDP growth and placed in the top 10 ranking of GDP per capita I won’t bore you with any further details on stats, budgets and graphics but will say this; only a few years ago I argued that our finance centre marketing and that of the jurisdiction as a whole was pretty dire – I so happened to be arguing with a Finance Centre executive. His reply (far from defensive) was simply this: “Louis, if you want to market the jurisdiction, may I ask that you refer all your clients to the last 10 years’ worth of Budget speeches – there’s simply no better way to get someone on side.” The dotted blue line on our graphic shows the GDP trend up to 2013; although it has no direct bearing to the sales figures, it’s placed simply to underpin a record of the strength in our economy.
30 / NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM
G11 FeA2.indd 30
10/31/14 1:06 PM
New Aloes, overlooking Rosia Bay
To the property market: If you are still reading this, I’m impressed, not with the fact that you are reading it, but rather that you are allowing yourself to be guided by an Estate Agent; then again, over the years we’ve all allowed ourselves to be guided by Bankers, Lawyers and Accountants, ending in the biggest financial train crash since the 1930s – so stick with me for just a little more. So, does “it look too good to be true”? Well in order for you to make a judgement on that it’s only fair that you have some facts… Gibraltar’s property market really began to take shape back in the mid to late 1990s; note that prior to 1990, only five per cent of Gibraltarians owned their own home. Through a targeted effort by local Government in providing low cost properties during the early 1990s, owner occupier figures soon rose to over 35 per cent and in effect began what we know today as the market. It’s important that we note that, back in the 1990s, our market was principally driven by a one tier sector (the low tier) where rates/m2 averaged around £850/m2 and the majority of our buyers were invariably all from local origin or with some organic connection to Gibraltar. It was the advent of a growing Finance Centre during the late 90’s that created a new platform in our property market, which swiftly developed into a three tier market catering for all sectors albeit still at prices which by comparison to competitor jurisdictions were (and remain) low. The graphic clearly shows both ‘average house price’ stats, the green line excludes the top 10 per cent high value sales. As was the case with most western economies, the property trend over the period between 2000 and 2007 was bullish, and in Gibraltar’s case was steered primarily by a growing economy (indicated by the dotted blue line) with finance centre, online gaming and port-related activity forming the major thrust of that growth. You will be forgiven for assuming that in Gibraltar we too suffered from that fateful calamity now known as Credit Crunch or as George W. Bush so finely put it, “Wall Street got drunk and now it’s got a hangover”. Property prices did see a dip over a 24-month period, but not because of an economy in decline, but rather due to an overheated speculative market with a little too much stock.” In short, that peak that you see in 2007 was driven purely by speculative investors. We had arrived at that fateful moment when everybody becomes a property expert… says the estate agent. Jokes aside, the following 24 months were not easy and like other property markets around the world, we were heavy in stock and light on buyers. However, unlike other
Key factors of note:
markets, it took Gibraltar all of two years to turn it around; no prizes for guessing how, but the dotted blue line should give you a clue. Clearly our strong economy has been the overriding factor in the recovery of the market over the past four years. The current climate continues to be positive and likely to improve further. For three years (since 2011) we have witnessed the market harden up and prices slowly improve, 2013 underpinned this further with a marked increase in ‘high value’ sales. Demand has continued in line with the growth in the economy and we have seen property prices (particularly in the high value market) over the past three years increase by up to 40 per cent in some areas, but averaging out at approximately 20 per cent. Key to all of this is the fact that unlike our last property boom in 2007, which was speculatively led, today’s prices are geared by an owner occupier market. Of particular interest is the high value sector which over the past two years has matured to the extent that we are potentially seeing a four tier market: low, mid, high and a new high with an increase in £1m+ property sales.
Z Our lettings portfolio today is down further to an average of 10 units from an all-time high of 40 units four years ago. Z Our sales portfolio is at an average of 130 units for sale from an all-time high of 240 units four years ago. Z Our sales volume in 2011 / 2012 saw substantial increases from previous years of up to 20 per cent and 35 per cent respectively. 2012/13 has seen a 10 per cent increase. Z 2013 had kicked off as the best year we have had since 2007 with 2014 already shaping up with similar forecasts. Z Volume of sales in the top end of the market increased notably during 2012 with 2013 seeing further growth in this sector of the market Z With no high volume forecasted ‘New Developments’ in the pipeline, the market is likely to harden further.
Key related economic factors:
Z There continues to be NO bank repossessions Z Unemployment remains relatively low Z Finance centre industry is growing from within and continues to seek outside investment
g Louis Montegriffo is the Managing *
Director of BMI Group Gibraltar. Tel: +350 200 51010. www.bmigroup.gi
ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 / 31
G11 FeA2.indd 31
10/29/14 3:37 PM
THE LOCAL people
First Lady of Fashion
JUSTINE PICARDO
They say that behind every successful man stands a strong woman and Justine Picardo, Gibraltar’s fashionable ‘First Lady’– as many call her – fits that billing. And, with a second baby on the way, she’s delivering in more ways than one!
32 / NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM
G11 LoP1.indd 32
10/29/14 1:29 PM
Report Belinda Beckett Photography Jayden Fa Makeup Nyree Chipolina Hair Janice Hair and Beauty Art Direction Guy Baglietto Styling Justine Picardo
J
ustine Picardo was somewhat relieved to open the Gibraltar Chronicle on the morning of our interview and read that the Government is 20 per cent ahead of the Opposition in the polls – and not just because she has a vested interest as the Chief Minister’s wife! Although she doesn’t pay too much attention to polls, as “the only poll that counts is the one on election day”, it means she won’t feel quite so guilty about taking more of a backseat role during the next campaign. Gibraltar’s First Lady is expecting her second child. And, in a repeat of her first pregnancy, the new baby has timed its arrival right in the middle of another election year! The new baby is due in April, the same month that their son Sebastian was born in 2012, a manic period in Justine’s life that’s still fresh in her memory. In the run-up to the last elections, she was putting in a full day’s work as a commercial lawyer at Hassans before grabbing her GSLP rosette and hitting the campaign trail. She’d often collapse into bed in the early hours of the morning and invariably woke up with morning sickness, from which she’s suffering once more. “I was proof reading, delivering leaflets, reading manifestos, attending dinners, taking phone calls, going to the hustings and feeling nauseous all in the same day,” she laughs. “I’m planning to take things a bit easier this time!” Since becoming engaged to Fabian in January 2011, Justine’s life has been a whirlwind of change. “We moved home the following February, Fabian became GSLP Leader in April, we were married in July, found out we were expecting in August, won the elections in December and then Sebastian came along,” she reels off, breathless just to recount it all. Nor was there much respite during maternity leave as Sebastian, now in his ‘terrible twos’, was walking at eight months. “He’s adorable but definitely not a placid child!” she laughs. “He needs constant stimulation. He won’t sit quietly playing with his toys and is very demanding of attention. Strong-willed, too. In that respect he
takes after both his parents!” Although clearly a glutton for punishment – she’d like three children – she’s glad to be back at work, confessing: “I’m not really a stay-athome Mum. I love the stimulation of my job and being home alone talking baby language can feel very solitary. Luckily I have the fantastic family support network Gibraltar’s famous for. My sister Alison collects Sebastian from nursery school and looks after him until I get home in the afternoon. Mum takes over on the evenings we’re out at functions, or when we travel. “I’m self-employed which gives me greater flexibility and, with modern technology, I can work more from home. As a Senior Associate, I really should be working crazy hours – there’s no such thing as a part-time lawyer – but with my responsibilities as a mother, and public events, I find there aren’t enough hours in the day. I’m just keeping my hand in now and trying my best but I would like to make partner one day.” Fabian is already a partner at Hassans but the Chief Minister and his Missus have more in common than that. They both come from working class backgrounds, share the same political ideology and are similarly passionate about Gibraltar. “We enjoy a good debate and the free flow of ideas,” says Justine. “We always discuss our day together at home. Politics fascinates me and I like to express my opinion (a lot!) although we don’t agree on everything,” she laughs. To the extent of influencing policy I wonder out loud, thinking of Commonwealth Park, a favourite new haunt for mothers and babies? Justine’s not saying but she’s her own woman so I wouldn’t be surprised… Although meeting anyone in a place as small as Gibraltar could hardly be termed ‘fate’, a set of coincidences brought this ideally-matched couple together. Rose Bossano, a close friend of Justine’s mother, had a major hand in it. Rose is the wife of ex-GSLP leader Joe Bossano. She also acted as a surrogate gran to Justine as a child, when her single-parent mum lost her own mother. It was Rose who persuaded the rebellious teenager that her inquisitive and argumentative nature was more suited to a law
career than teaching. During her first summer of work experience, 15-year-old Justine found herself at Hassans arguing a point of law before a panel of Partners, Fabian included. Everyone was impressed by her performance. After several more summers at Hassans, Justine returned from Britain with a law degree and her bar qualifications and landed a permanent job there. As her friendship with Fabian deepened, they began dating. It’s now almost the stuff of legend that Fabian got down on bended knee to propose to Justine at the top of the Rock! “I was in complete shock. It was a classic Fabian gesture, very romantic if slightly cheesy”, she jokes. “It was eight o’ clock in the morning, I was wearing my jogging suit and trainers, hair tied back, no make-up on. I think I was even wearing my glasses! Being a typical man, Fabian hadn’t stopped to consider that I might have wanted to look a bit more glamorous so we could take photos of the momentous occasion.” The photos were never shared on Facebook although, as First Ladies go, Justine is right up there with the likes of Carla Bruni in the glamour stakes, with her golden hair, big green eyes and sexy curves. Once dubbed Gibraltar’s Fashion Ambassador in the press, she’s a snappy dresser with a preference for classic styles. “Shift dresses, suits, off-the-shoulder tops, glamorous evening wear especially,” she says. “And I have a shoe addiction although I have a permanent collection at the menders, as high heels get wrecked on Gibraltar’s cobbled streets.” Recently at Brighton Fashion Week to promote the collection of up-and-coming Gibraltar designer Paul Perez, she’s very up for wearing more local labels at photo calls, to help showcase local talent. Fashion was one of the topics she chatted about to the Duchess of Cambridge on a trip to London for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. She was also thrilled to meet Al Gore during his visit to Gibraltar. “It was amazing to be conversing at dinner with a former Vice President of America and he was every bit as fascinating as his credentials,” she says. More recently, she and Fabian were in
ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 / 33
G11 LoP1.indd 33
10/29/14 1:29 PM
”
“
It’s the stuff of legend that Fabian got down on bended knee to propose to Justine at the top of the Rock
”
Portugal to watch Gibraltar FC play its first Euro 2016 qualifier against Poland. When I mention the word “thrashing”, Justine’s national pride comes to the fore: “We were a little nation of 30,000 people playing against a team from a country of 60 million whose striker had recently scored four goals against Real Madrid, so we didn’t do too badly! I am really proud of those guys!” Although she enjoys the arriving more than the travelling – Amalfi, where she spent part of her honeymoon, is a favourite holiday haunt – like most Gibraltarians, she’s a home body. A stroll down Main Street with Fabian and Sebastian on a Saturday morning is a regular fixture on the family’s social calendar. “Gibraltar being such a small place, we often end up at the Piazza Grill with half the Cabinet sitting around the table eating breakfast with us,” she laughs. “Everyone knows everyone. It can be a downside if you want to be incognito but it’s also part of Gibraltar’s charm.” As usual this December 25, the Picardos will enjoy the traditional festive family feast at 4 Stagioni, Justine’s family’s Italian Restaurant. “We close off the restaurant to the public and all the family come,” she says. “Last year, 25 of us sat down to suckling pig, roast beef, goat, lamb and all the Christmas trimmings.” They don’t go over the border much as a family these days, due to the current hostility from Spain and the Chief Minister’s recognisable face, although both she and Fabian have Spanish ancestry. “Cortes is our family name on my mother’s side and you can’t get more Spanish than that,” says Justine. “A breakthrough with Spain would be monumental. Although Fabian won’t ever let Gibraltar be pushed around, he’s a reasonable man and very open to dialogue. I believe that if anyone could bring the two powers together, he’s definitely the man to do it.” e
34 / NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM
G11 LoP1.indd 34
10/31/14 1:06 PM
SOCIETE GENERALE PRIVATE BANKING HAMBROS
WE MANAGE YOUR WEALTH
SO YOU CAN ENJOY IT Y O U R P R I VAT E B A N KE R W O RKS C LO SE LY W I T H A D E D I C AT E D T E A M O F I N D U S T R Y E X PE R T S. SO C I E T E G E N E RA LE P RI VAT E BA N KI N G O F F E RS Y O U H I G H Q U A L I T Y SO LU T I O N S T O M A N A G E Y O U R WE A LT H I N A C O M P L E X E N V I R O N M E N T. SO Y O U H AV E T I M E F O R T H E I M P O RTA N T T H I N G S I N L I F E . privatebanking.societegenerale.com/hambros
P a s t p e r f o r m a n c e s h o u l d n o t b e s e e n a s a n i n d i c a t i o n o f f u t u r e p e r f o r m a n c e. P l e a s e n o t e t h a t investments may be subject to market fluctuations and the price and value of investments and the i n c o m e d e r i v e d f r o m t h e m c a n g o d o w n a s w e l l a s u p. A S S U C H Y O U R C A P I TA L M AY B E AT R I S K .
Issued by SG Hambros Bank (Gibraltar) Limited, which is regulated and authorised by the Financial Services Commission, Gibraltar. © 2014 Societe Generale Group and its affiliates. © Hugo Stenson - FRED & FARID
SG_GIBRALTAR ESSENTIAL_230X300_FILLETTE VELO_HAMBROS_150ans.indd 1
HD
26/02/14 11:59
THE LOCAL people Photography Jayden Fa Makeup Nyree Chipolina Art Direction Guy Baglietto
G
ina Victory admits she’s not always ‘nice’ to reigning Miss Gibraltars. If their makeup’s too heavy or their clothes unflattering, she’s straight-up about it in a way that even their best friends would never dare to tell them! For two months every autumn – and for the last 20 years – Gina works for the Government preparing the Rock’s reigning beauty queen for her moment of fame at the world’s oldest and best-known beauty pageant: Miss World. The skills she passes on – from how to dress to how to address dignitaries – will last a lifetime. Watched by millions of TV viewers, including most of Gibraltar’s 30,000 residents – lots of them relatives, neighbours, ex-teachers and acquaintances (Gibraltar is a small place) – it can be a scary ordeal for any young girl, especially one brought up in the sheltered environment of the Rock. But after a few sessions under Gina’s wing, the shy begin to shine, the gauche learn grace, social ingénues pick up the finer tips on etiquette and every girl knows a great deal more about the world in general and about herself in particular. “I’m pretty direct with my advice and sometimes brutally frank!” laughs Gina. “But the girls take it very well and are grateful for my honesty.”
Model Mentor Poised, well-groomed and elegant, with the serenity and ring of confidence beauty pageant judges look for in a winner and three young daughters of her own, Gina is the ideal mentor. Her role is a mixture of personal wardrobe adviser, beauty therapist, tutor, psychologist and ally. She dislikes the word role model. “It’s not about turning the girls into a stereotypical model assuming false pretences”, she laughs. “Every Miss Gibraltar has her own unique beauty and personality. My job is to ensure she is mentally and physically prepared to make the most of this once-in-a-lifetime, lifechanging experience, and she can’t do that if she’s full of insecurity. Having self-belief is half of the battle won,” says this one-woman Finishing School. Gina has sashayed down a few catwalks herself, having trained as a model at 16 under the auspices of Gibraltar’s late fashion designer, Eduardo Viotto. “He took time and patience to teach me everything I know about fashion, the social graces and how to present myself.” Those life-skills proved invaluable in her own life and career. She’s delighted to be able to pay it forward. By the time Miss Gibraltar is sitting on the lids of her bulging suitcases for the six-week trip (packed with 10 cocktail dresses, 10 evening gowns and a national costume, as well as sports clothes and
everyday wear) she will feel at ease conversing on every level with a Who’s Who of VIPs. Studying this bible of need-to-know names and watching the news every day is part of the process. She will also know a lot more about the history of Gibraltar and international current affairs; she will be au fait with protocol and etiquette and will be able to work her way through the cutlery at an eight-course banquet with aplomb. Gina is surprised how some of the newlyelected Miss Gibraltar’s lack local historical knowledge and are not adept with current affairs. “Some of them live with their grandparents – a golden opportunity to learn about our culture firsthand. Sadly, most young people don’t engage their elders in that kind of conversation, which is a pity as it would be so much to their benefit.”
Tea and Empathy She works around the girls’ diaries, usually holding classes at her own home over afternoon tea or supper. “I watch and listen to see how tolerant they are, how sensitive, how physically fit, whether they have a sense of humour, whether they’ve been crash dieting, which shows in the lustre of their hair, their complexion, the brightness of their eyes,” she says. Nothing escapes her eagle eye. “A girl obsessing about kilos can come across as a very dull young person. A happy demeanour goes much further than being stick-thin and Miss World winners tend to be more curvaceous. Beauty is an inner radiance, a state of mind that comes from learning confidence and feeling good about oneself.” As well as her advice she often lends the girls clothes and accessories – a silk scarf, a handbag or an item of jewellery – and encourages them to borrow from their friends, too. “Their Miss Gibraltar prize money covers many of the expenses but wearing a crown is always going to cost you money.” She also walks the girls through the entire contest process, which will take them away from Gibraltar for six weeks. Miss World is not just the one-night stand we watch on TV. The bikini shoot alone, usually held somewhere different than the host country, takes one week of filming. Every girl has to make a video in support of her chosen charity, there are sport and talent contests that will fast-track the winner to an automatic place in the final 15, and a People’s Choice Award – won last year by Gibraltar’s Maroua Karbouch, who worked hard to amass thousands of Likes on her Facebook Page. Gina pays special attention to interview techniques – the segment all the girls dread the most. No protégée of hers will ever be heard
saying she wants ‘happiness and world peace’! But is it all strictly necessary, I wonder?
Pageant Power “The dynamic has certainly changed,” says Gina. “Local girls today are generally more astute, ambitious and confident, more well-travelled and fluent in English, which wasn’t the case in Gibraltar in the days of the first pageants, when Spanish was their strongest language. But a Gibraltarian teenager will always be less mature and worldywise than her peers from other countries who have had wider life experiences and greater exposure to uncertainties and tragedies. On little Gibraltar, with its strong family support network, we do tend to lead more sheltered lives. And make no mistake, Miss World is big business,” she adds. “It’s Beauty with a Purpose, and Julia Morley expects the girls to come prepared. Every contestant is an ambassador for her country so it’s quite a big deal.” And don’t get Gina started on the relevance and ethics of beauty pageants. “Why not?” she says, eyes flashing. “I only went to a Miss World contest once, in London, and there was the usual demonstration outside, with protestors calling it a cattle market. If people don’t like it, that’s their problem. Beauty should not offend! Besides, Miss World is a great opportunity for a girl to widen her horizons.” Kaiane Aldorino, now Gibraltar’s Deputy Mayor, proved her words true. One of Gina’s proudest moments was watching Kaiane step up to the podium to collect her Miss World crown in 2009 – the only Miss Gibraltar who has won the title. “She thanked me afterwards for cramming her with the names of World leaders,” says Gina. “She was one of the few contestants out of 128 to know that Jacob Zuma was the President of South Africa!” Gina remembers all her protogées and has a word that, aside from their physical beauty, sums up every one of them. “For Kaiane, my word is ‘humility’, she’s such a gentle, unassuming person; Abigail Garcia, who was Miss Gibraltar back in 1999, was ‘happiness’; Tessa Sacramento, ‘elegance’; Larissa Dalli, ‘determination’; Kim Falzun, ‘sweetness’; Melanie Soiza, ‘assertive’; Krystle Robba, ‘great, sharp sense of humour… I’m still getting to know Shyanne who is proving fantastic to work with and extremely committed to the community.” Whatever fate has in store for Miss Gibraltar 2014, Gina hopes she will remember the most important advice she gives to all her girls: “Just be yourself and have fun – it’s the experience of a lifetime.” e
36 / NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM
G11 LoP2 Gina.indd 36
10/29/14 1:45 PM
Gina Victory
MENTORING MISS GIBRALTAR
When Shyanne Azzopardi jets off to London to represent the The Rock at Miss World in December, she’ll be one of the best-prepped beauty queens in the glamorous line-up, thanks to her new ‘best friend’ Gina Victory, as Belinda Beckett reports.
ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 / 37
G11 LoP2 Gina.indd 37
10/29/14 1:45 PM
THE LOCAL people
s n i k p o H n Joh es Photogra
phs courte
sy
opkins of John H
and Tessa
Codringto
n
m i T d l Wi r e i g n a T in
nd crowd a y r a r e it see che l r the lou asbahs. Tennes o f t e n g a ma ted k uded ties was se in its kif-scen g cast that incl Diaries n e v e S and r ti n ier mu e Sixties ght the creative les and a suppo life in The Tang was an h t n i o c sou Bow e as n he Moroc rics who urroughs, Paul atles loom larg n Hopkins, whe this year’s t n e c c e B e a r ty er at he B . m S. y Joh s, Willia aul Getty and T des compiled b d a guest speak enturous youth m a i l l i W v n ca Forbes, P of his ad his 70s a adent de Malcolm ot of those dec raduate. Now in kett on the days c g sh – a snap able university with Belinda Be n s t io impress stival, he reflec Fe Literary
John and his Princeton pal Joe McPhillips in Nairobi, 1961
38 / NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM
G11 LoP3.indd 38
10/29/14 2:31 PM
‘Last night Paul and Talitha Getty threw a New Year’s Eve party at their palace in the Medina. Paul McCartney and John Lennon were there, flat on their backs. They couldn’t get off the floor, let alone talk. I’ve never seen so many people out of control.’ The Tangier Diaries. In 1962 John Hopkins set sail on the Mons Calpe ferry from Gibraltar for a year’s teaching assignment at The American School of Tangier. His adventure lasted for nearly two decades. That first July night, he and his Princeton pal Joe McPhillips sat in Zoco Chico – the Tangier square that inspired Tennessee Williams to write Camino Real – knocking back Fundador until 4am. ‘You come to North Africa in the middle of summer and everyone is wearing tweeds’ was one of the first impressions John scribbled down in his diary. Everyone except Tennessee Williams… ‘Not an impressive sight in a bathing suit with a rather large pot belly and greyish skin,’ John noted. ‘Arab boys danced about him like bright leaves fluttering from an ageing tree.’ The young graduates were no strangers to travel, having already been to Peru to check out coffee farming and on safari across Africa astride their BMW motorbike, The White Nile. That escapade is chronicled in John’s latest book, The White Nile Diaries, published half a century after he wrote them! The pair pitched up in Tangier, wrote John, because ‘after Africa and South America, Europe was too cold, too tame, too civilised. Too expensive.’ Tangier was an eye-opener; a city where kif was smoked as openly as cigarettes, thé à la Belge (whiskey and chocolates) preferred to afternoon tea, bottles of brandy downed while driving to extravagant parties, where hashish petit fours were served on silver trays by white-gloved waiters. While teaching at The American School they came into contact with Tangier’s bohemian literary set, headed by Paul Bowles and his invalid playwright wife Jane, who called him ‘Fluffy’. ‘Their intimacy is more fraternal than sexual,’ John noted at the time. ‘They live in separate apartments, one above the other, and communicate by a squeaking mauve toy telephone.’
‘Tangier is a lax place, too many vices and too many servants’ Excerpt from The Tangier Diaries
Gay Times Bowles, like many literary expats in Morocco at the time, was gay. “In those days you could be thrown into jail for being homosexual, which was part of North Africa’s appeal. Malcolm Forbes, a close friend and neighbour of my family in New Jersey, was also coming out of the closet at the time,” John tells me. The multi-talented Bowles, who studied music with Aaron Copland, wrote the modern classic The Sheltering Sky, made into a movie by Bernardo Bertolucci starring Debra Winger and John Malkovich. William S. Burroughs, whose novel The Naked Lunch became the subject of an obscenity
John in Tangier, 1962
trial, was another familiar figure whom Hopkins describes in his diaries as ‘a gentleman junkie… a lonely ascetic figure in a dark business suit whose undertaker look puts people off.’ As an aspiring young writer, John now considers himself blessed to have spent his formative years in the company of such literary glitterati. “It has been called the Moroccan Bloomsbury,” he enthuses. “I sat at Paul Bowles’s feet for nearly 20 years and, unlike many successful authors, he was exceptionally generous with his time. He read and edited everything I wrote and taught me to express myself more clearly, more grammatically. Most of the writers and artists we met were my parents’ age. They had a past elsewhere before washing up in Tangier. I profited from their wisdom.” Everyone smoked pot, many were junkies. John recalls a lunch with Mick and Bianca Jagger: “I was invited because Mick wanted to hear about Burroughs.”What were the Jaggers like? “Very much in love and all over each other at the table.” Did it sadden him that so many writing talents were literally ‘going to pot?’ “I never felt sad in Tangier. The city had a seedy reputation – drugs, young boys, gangsters. Whatever you wanted, it was there, but it was also a very healthy, exhilarating place to live.” A diary note sums it up: ‘Tangier is a lax place, too many vices and too many servants. Food is fresh, booze is cheap and rents are low. The weather’s warm and the beach is near. En otras palabras, paraiso!’
Sahara Safaris When paradise became too soft, John decamped to his adobe house in the Marrakesh oasis or disappeared into the Sahara to escape Tangier’s damp winters and treat his asthma in the dry desert climate. He enjoyed the ‘purity’ of that emptiness, noting: ‘I felt sublimely free and could see the point of going native.’ That he did too, shaving his head, wearing a turban, keeping Ramadan, drinking camel’s milk (‘bitter but refreshing’) and learning Arabic. In Marrakesh, John was introduced by the American designer Bill Willis to Paul and Talitha Getty. Their palace in the medina became a magnet for le beau monde and their parties were legendary. According to Rolling Stone Keith Richards, they served “the best and finest opium”. Patrick Lichfield’s portrait of the Gettys on their roof terrace, swathed in Moroccan chic, became one of the most iconic photographs of the Sixties. Tangier’s social milieu included Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton, who had the gate of the kasbah widened to accommodate her green Rolls Royce; American psychologist Timothy Leary, who advocated LSD for medicinal use and was called ‘the most dangerous man in America’, by President Nixon; Count Jean de Breteuil, French aristocrat
ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 / 39
G11 LoP3.indd 39
10/29/14 2:31 PM
Easy Rider – Ivy League Style!
‘Not an impressive sight in a bathing suit with a rather large pot belly and greyish skin’ John’s description of Tennessee Williams and drug dealer to the stars (Jim Morrison and Marianne Faithfull among them); not forgetting the Saudi Prince who arrived for a hunting trip in a motorcade of chauffeur-driven Mercedes. ‘From each car the back seat had been removed,’ wrote John. ‘In its place a padded bar had been inserted across the windows. On each bar solemnly perched a peregrine falcon, ornately hooded.’ At one Marrakesh party, John recorded, ballet star Rudolf Nureyev treated guests to an impromptu rooftop dance, ‘the likes of which they never saw at Covent Garden’. He ‘teetered drunkenly along the edge of the parapet, four storeys up’, watched by actor Burt Lancaster ‘sitting on a pouf, grinning like a Cheshire cat’.
John Hopkins’ literary career had already begun before he became aware of it himself. Writing for a living was only a vague aspiration when he and his university buddy, Joe McPhillips, set off to explore Africa astride their gleaming white BMW motorbike, which they dubbed ‘The White Nile’. He went on to publish five novels, including Tangier Buzzless Flies (1972) and The Flight of the Pelican (1983). But the daily journals he kept of that very first adventure – all handwritten – languished in his attic for half a century before seeing the light of day as The White Nile Diaries. Released in hardback this year by London publishers I.B. Tauris, the book has already had success in France where Le Figaro described it as ‘Easy Rider, Ivy League style’. Half travelogue, half coming-of-age adventure, it tracks the Princeton pair’s bumpy ride from the Oyster Bar at Grand Central Station in New York to Italy, and via Egypt, Libya, and The Sudan to the ranch of a fellow Princetonian in Kenya. “It’s true, that diary – the first I ever kept – remained a pile of notebooks on a shelf until my French publisher asked if I had any other diaries lying around,” says John, who will be signing copies of his new book during the Literary Festival. “I suppose I never regarded them as literary works, just a casual record of the multiple adventures I was having across South America and Africa.” In essence, the book is a prequel to The Tangier Diaries which John wrote between 1962 and 1979 but did not publish until 1995. Although successful in America – France too, due to its historic literary ties with North Africa – the book has been out of print in Britain for some time. The original material was pared by John “to about one diary page in 10.” The new edition, out next year, will include new unpublished material. The late Paul Bowles, who critiqued the book, would have approved. “It’s a beautiful work,” he said. “I am only sorry that it’s not longer. I’d be exceedingly proud to have written it.” Burroughs weighed in with “Every page drips with memories.”
The Write Stuff Keeping a daily diary was therapy, says John. “It helped to give form to the formless life we were leading. Writing reassured me; it provided me with a daily mission; it gave me confidence in a strange land. My notebook became a friend that I looked forward to communing with every day.” “I was also lucky to have had a great travelling buddy in Joe,” he adds. “Without him, I wouldn’t have stayed so long.” Joe McPhillips became headmaster of The American School of Tangier, founded another school in Marrakesh and remained in Morocco until his death in 2007. His school plays became a Tangier legend; Yves Saint Laurent designed costumes for one and Paul Bowles composed music for nine. Although most of his Tangier friends are dead now, John has been back to Morocco many times, staying with the English photographer (Spirits of Tangier) and long-term Tangier resident Tessa Codrington, who introduced him to his future wife, Ellen Ann Ragsdale, an artist from Arkansas. The Tangier Diaries describes their civil ceremony in Gibraltar, conducted by Registrar George Flower, followed by a champagne reception at the Rock Hotel, a wedding in St. Andrew’s Church in Tangier and a beach party where the guests ‘danced to the Sufi beat until dawn’. Malcolm Forbes was among the party, along with ‘tout Tanger’. Does John regret not staying on? “We miss the weather, the food and the Mediterranean lifestyle. But Ellen Ann became pregnant. Tangier was fine for consenting adults, but not the ideal place to raise kids,” he says. “We moved to London for that; also to be near an English language publishing centre.” They now live in rural Oxfordshire in a National Trust property reserved for an American writer. Their three sons are married. One is an aspiring film director, another an academic, the third runs Jamie Oliver’s production company. They have one grandchild. Does John suffer from writer’s block? “Rarely. When I do, I dive back into the unpressurised diary format, where you don’t have to make anything up. No blockage there,” he says in the American twang he’s never lost. So what’s next? “A novel based on the Isabelle Eberhardt legend. She was a Russian woman who became a Muslim and went into the Sahara dressed as a man to have freedom. She drowned in the desert in 1904,” says John intriguingly. “Paul Bowles sent me to find her grave in Algeria, and I’ve been on her case ever since.” It sounds like a great read. Let’s hope John doesn’t wait another half century to get it published! The new updated edition of The Tangier Diaries will be published by Tauris Parke Paperbacks next year. John Hopkins will give two talks during the Festival: Saturday 15th November, 2pm: The Tangier Diaries; and Sunday 16th November, 2pm: The White Nile Diaries. e
40 / NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM
G11 LoP3.indd 40
10/29/14 2:32 PM
G10 GPAGINAS SUELTAS.indd 2
10/28/14 3:26 PM
THE LOCAL literature From left to right: Lord George Carey, Kate Mosse, Nicholas Parsons, Ben Okri, La Lipman and Sally Gardner © Kate Christer
A Lyrical Literary Festival
Talks laced with music will add a ‘novel’ twist to the 2nd Gibunco Gibraltar International Literary Festival. And with actress/comedienne Maureen Lipman and singer Patti Boulaye among a stellar line-up of more than 50 international authors, speakers and entertainers, it’s sure to go with a swing. WORDS BELINDA BECKETT
W
hat’s a funny gal like Maureen Lipman doing at a literary festival, you may wonder? In fact, the versatile actress known to millions as Beattie in the BT TV commercials has authored several books herself. But during her visit to The Rock, Lipman will be reading from jazz poet Jeremy Robson’s new collection, Blues In the Park, which she describes as “a marvellous wry observation of the sweet, sour, and savoury in life”. She’ll also be delivering some of her witty monologues, interspersed with music from Jacqui Dankworth (daughter of jazz musician Sir John Dankworth), accompanied by the Butterfly Wing jazz trio. And if you think that sounds diverse and offbeat, you should see the rest of the Gibunco Gibraltar Literary Festival’s three-day programme! This year it’s more than bookish, with live music adding an extra dimension to many of the talks and readings – a combo that has already proved successful at Gibraltar’s sister event, the FT Weekend Oxford Literary Festival. Speakers have been drawn from across the Arts spectrum and beyond, with chefs, broadcasters, musicians and an ex-archbishop of Canterbury adding a novel twist to the line-up of best-selling authors. As last year, many of the talks will be held in Gibraltar’s most iconic buildings, among them the Garrison Library, The Convent and several churches. Commented Festival Director Sally Dunsmore: “Gibraltar has a unique cultural heritage and we hope the Festival will continue to confirm the Rock’s reputation on the global literary map.”
Music and the Muse An undoubted highlight taking place in the atmospheric setting of King’s Chapel sees the return of Man Booker Prize winner Ben Okri for the launch of The Age of Magic, his first novel in seven years. During his talk, pieces of music that have special resonance for Africa’s foremost post-modern author will be performed by the Orchestra of St John’s, conducted by John Lubbock of Proms fame. Joanne Harris, author of 13 novels including
Chocolat, also makes a Festival come-back in a session of musical storytelling, based on her lifelong passion for Norse myths. She will be joined by Okri, who will draw on myths from his African heritage. The event will be accompanied by The Bookshop Band, whose speciality is setting literary works to music. British-Nigerian singing star Patti Boulaye tops the bill at two events, sharing insights about her extraordinary life and work at the Garrison Library, and headlining a concert in the spectacular surroundings of St Michael’s Cave. Rock star-turned-author Steve Hogarth, lead singer of the progressive rock band Marillion, has his own gig, entertaining on piano and reading from his new autobiography, The Invisible Man Diaries 1991-1997. For other talks with a musical note, see author Christopher Howes setting his recent 3,000-mile railway journey, The Train in Spain, to his favourite Spanish sounds while Mark Lewisohn, a world authority on The Beatles, will reprise memories and music from the Fab Four.
presenter of Radio 4’s hugely popular Just a Minute. And philosopher, AC Grayling will give the prestigious Kusuma Trust Lecture, themed on the nature and significance of friendship. Political buffs should enjoy former cabinet minister Jonathan Aitken’s talk on the life of Margaret Thatcher; ex-Observer editor Jonathan Fenby’s viewpoint on China as a world power; former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord George Carey’s dissertation on the moral dilemmas of the 21st century; and former Newsweek International editor Tunku Varadarajan’s perspective on the Gibraltar question. Also likely to spark lively debate, a panel of speakers including Alex Furest from the National Catalan Assembly will discuss Catalan independence. Children’s authors are represented by Carnegie Medal winner Sally Gardner who is presenting her new book The Matchbox Mysteries, the fourth in the Wings & Co series, hailed as ‘Agatha Christie for kids’; and Katherine Rundell, winner of the 2014 Waterstones Children’s Book Prize. To whet festival-goers appetites for more, Indian culinary genius Madhur Jaffrey will prepare a lunch at the Royal Gibraltar Yacht Club and food writer, Claudia Roden will host a literary lunch Among the most anticipated based on recipes from her cookery speakers, author Kate Mosse books. Steve Hogarth, The Bookshop Band and will introduce her new murder Patti Boulaye “Last year’s event was a resounding mystery, The Taxidermist’s success and we look forward to Daughter, in her Festival debut. Mosse’s books have welcoming back some of the world’s foremost literary sold more than five million copies internationally, talent,” said Gibraltar’s Tourism Minister, Neil Costa. most famously Labyrinth which was turned into a “The Festival is now established as a leading light in four-hour mini-TV series by Ridley Scott. Broadcaster our annual calendar of cultural activities.” and entertainer Nicholas Parsons (remember him i For the full programme and ticket information, from TV’s Sale of the Century?) will recount hilarious see gibraltarliteraryfestival.com moments from his six decades and 900 episodes as
Best-Selling Talks
42 / NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM
G11 FeA3.indd 42
10/29/14 3:45 PM
Essential At a Glance 2810_Layout 1 29/10/2014 13:21 Page 1
THE
GIBRALTAR INTERNATIONAL LITERARY FESTIVAL
THE GIBUNCO GIBRALTAR INTERNATIONAL LITERARY FESTIVAL
The Festival is organised by
FRIDAY 14th TO SUNDAY 16th NOVEMBER 2014
Festival at a Glance John Hopkins The Tangier Diaries
Saturday, Nov 15
2pm
10am
Katie and Giancarlo Caldesi Venice and Morocco: Recipes Lost and Found– With Tastings
Saturday, Nov 15
2pm
Christopher Lloyd What on Earth? Wallbook of Shakespeare
Peter Martland, Jimmy Burns, David Liebler The Secret War: Gibraltar and Spain 1939-1945
Friday, Nov 14
10am
Iain Finlayson Tangier: City of the Dream
Friday, Nov 14
Nicholas Parsons Welcome to Just a Minute: A Celebration of Britain's Best Loved Radio
Friday, Nov 14
10am
Saturday, Nov 15
2pm
Christopher Lloyd What on Earth? Wallbook of History
Friday, Nov 14
10am
Beltrán Domecq Sherry Uncovered: A History and Guided Tasting
Melanie King The Last Taboo? Death in Literature and Popular Culture
Saturday, Nov 15
2pm
Friday, Nov 14
12pm
John Julius Norwich The Governor's Lecture: The Middle Sea
Anna Bogie Happy Hooves. Ta Dah! Happy Hooves. Oh! Oh! Oh!
Saturday, Nov 15
4pm
Friday, Nov 14
12pm
Harry Freedman The Talmud – A Biography
Friday, Nov 14
12pm
Richard Garcia Wholesome Wines and Kindred Spirits – A Celebration of Saccone & Speed
Saturday, Nov 15
4pm
Kate Mosse The Taxidermist's Daughter
Saturday, Nov 15
4pm
Steve Hogarth Marillion and the Invisible Man Diaries
Saturday, Nov 15
5pm
Saturday, Nov 15
Joanne Harris and Ben Okri Storytelling with the Bookshop Band
Friday, Nov 14
12pm
Madhur Jaffrey Literary Salon Lunch
Friday, Nov 14
12.30pm
Ada Parellada Vanilla Salt With Tastings
Friday, Nov 14
2pm
David Sáez Ruiz, Dioni Arroyo Merino, Enrique Reyes Voices from Spain
Sunday, Nov 16
10am
6pm
Mark Lewisohn The Beatles – All Those Years
Friday, Nov 14
2pm
Merche Carneiro Valencia in the News
George Carey Moral Dilemmas of the 21st Century
Friday, Nov 14
2pm
Jonathan Fenby Panorama Series: Will China Dominate the 21st Century
A C Grayling Kusuma Trust Lecture: Friendship Among Friends
Sunday, Nov 16
10am
Friday, Nov 14
2pm
Christopher Lloyd What on Earth? Wallbook of Shakespeare
Alex Furest, Rafael Arenas Should Catalonia be Independent of Spain?
Sunday, Nov 16
10am
Friday, Nov 14
2pm
Christopher Lloyd What on Earth? Wallbook of History
Sunday, Nov 16
10am
Katherine Rundell Rooftoppers
Sunday, Nov 16
10am
Jonathan Fenby Panorama Series: The General: Charles de Gaulle and the France He Saved
Sunday, Nov 16
10am
George Carey Festival Service
Sunday, Nov 16
10.30am
Ross King The Accidental Masterpiece: Leonardo da Vinci and the Painting of The Last Supper
Friday, Nov 14
2pm
Paul Quarrie The Garrison Library and its Place in History
Friday, Nov 14
4pm
John Julius Norwich Darling Monster: Lady Diana Cooper's Letters to her Son
Friday, Nov 14
4pm
Bookshop Band Stories in Song
Sunday, Nov 16
12pm
Charles Powell Juan Carlos of Spain: Self-Made Monarch
Friday, Nov 14
4pm
Claudia Roden The Food of Italy – With Tastings
Sunday, Nov 16
12pm
Prajwal Parajuly Land Where I Flee
Friday, Nov 14
4pm
Kate Williams Josephine: Desire, Ambition, Napoleon
Friday, Nov 14
6pm
Maggie Gee Virginia Woolf in Manhattan and My Animal Life
Tunku Varadarajan Gibraltar Chronicle Lecture: Gibraltar Belongs to . . .
Sunday, Nov 16
12pm
Jonathan Aitken Margaret Thatcher: Power and Personality Sunday, Nov 16
12pm
Lucy Atkins Storytelling: Have You Got a Book in You
Friday, Nov 14
6pm
Françoise Atlan Spirit of Granada: performance of Sephardic songs
Sunday, Nov 16
12pm
Erica Wagner The Critic’s Must-Reads of 2014
Friday, Nov 14
6pm
John Hopkins The White Nile Diaries
Sunday, Nov 16
2pm
Patti Boulaye Patti Boulaye in Concert
Friday, Nov 14
7pm
Sally Gardner The Matchbox Mysteries – Wings and Co 4
Sunday, Nov 16
2pm
Patti Boulaye From Nigeria to the West End
Sunday, Nov 16
2pm
Friday, Nov 14
6pm
Joanne Harris Moroccan Community and Peaches for Monsieur le Curé
Saturday, Nov 15
10am
Giselle Green Finding You
Saturday, Nov 15
10am
Christopher Howse The Train in Spain: Destination – Seven Spanish Songs
Sunday, Nov 16
2pm
10am
Christopher Lloyd What on Earth? Wallbook of Shakespeare
Sunday, Nov 16
2pm
10am
Nick Rankin Telegram from Guernica: The Extraordinary Life of George Steer
Sunday, Nov 16
4pm
Barnaby Rogerson Marrakesh Through Writers’ Eyes
Sunday, Nov 16
4pm
Maureen Lipman, Jeremy Robson, Jacqui Dankworth, Butterfly Wing Blues in the Park: An Original Programme of Poetry, Jazz, Song and Humour
Sunday, Nov 16
5pm
Lauren St John Laura Marlin and One Dollar Horse Series William Chislett Walter Starkie and JB Trend: The Scholar Gypsy and the Cambridge Don
Saturday, Nov 15 Saturday, Nov 15
Christopher Lloyd What on Earth? Wallbook of Natural History
Saturday, Nov 15
10am
Richard Klein Television: The Great Communicator
Saturday, Nov 15
10am
Martin Kemp Leonardo da Vinci Mona Lisa and the Straits of Gibraltar
Saturday, Nov 15
12pm
José Luis Alonso de Santos 50 Years of Spanish Theatre
Lord Hennessy The Gibraltar Lecture: The State of the Nation – the Future of British Politics
Check website for details
Saturday, Nov 15
12pm
Barnaby Rogerson The Last Crusaders
Saturday, Nov 15
12pm
Jonathan Fenby Panorama Series: Leadership: How Roosevelt, Stalin and Churchill Won the War
Check website for details
Kate Mosse, Joanne Harris, Lucy Atkins Domestic Chillers: Why Gone Girl Has Us Hooked
Check website for details
Katie Hickman Travels with a Mexican Circus
Saturday, Nov 15
12pm
Diarmaid MacCulloch Silence in Christianity
Saturday, Nov 15
12pm
Claudia Roden Festival lunch
Saturday, Nov 15 12:30pm
Ben Okri The Age of Magic to The Music of the Orchestra of St John’s Conducted by John Lubbock
Saturday, Nov 15
Festival Title Sponsor
1pm
Tickets can be bought online at www.gibraltarliteraryfestival.com or in person at The Garrison Library, Monday – Friday, 9.00am – 5.00pm For particular accessibility requirements, please email info@gibraltarliteraryfestival.com
www.gibraltarliteraryfestival.com
P L Y A T I N R
Green is the new black in Hollywood as celebs rush to offset their carbon footprints (and tax bills) on charitable eco causes. But is it ‘Champagne environmentalism’ or the real ‘down-to-earth’ deal? Belinda Beckett reports.
RS © s_bukley / Shutterstock.com
H
ET-HUGGE
CELEB
THE FOCUS celebrities
e owns a fleet of electric cars, donates millions of dollars to green causes through a charity foundation he set up when he was 24, and he’s almost as famous for his activism as his acting. If any Hollywood star was a contender for a Best Friend of the Planet Oscar, it’s the committed Leonardo diCaprio whose efforts in the name of the environment have been nothing short of Titantic. He has worked with Al Gore on climate change, produced an eco-documentary, campaigned to protect sharks in California, tigers in India, elephants in Africa… Then, in one unguarded remark, he undid all his good work, talking of his plans to “fly around the world doing good for the environment”. If Leo had momentarily forgotten that a single transcontinental flight pumps as much carbon into the atmosphere as driving a car for a year, the press hadn’t and they took him cruelly to task over it. Despite the faux pas, the baby-
faced actor who turns 40 this month is still Hollywood’s ‘green giant’, a fact recognised this autumn when he won a Bill Clinton Global Citizen Award and was declared UN Messenger of Peace on Climate Change. “As an actor I pretend for a living, I play fictitious characters often solving fictitious problems,” he told delegates at September’s UN Climate Summit. “I believe mankind has looked at climate change in the same way, as if pretending it wasn’t real would somehow make it go away. But I think we know now that this isn’t the case” Maybe it’s the pretending that’s the problem for actors who adopt a green cause. It’s ok when they’re ‘working’ to promote it but it’s tougher keeping up the illusion in their OTT, everyday lives. According to research, the richest 500 million people on the planet – seven per cent of global population – create 50 per cent of global carbon emissions. Quite a lot of those rich people are ‘celebrities’.
44 / NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM
G11 FeA2 Celebrities.indd 44
10/28/14 12:36 PM
Material Madness in London this autumn, which aims to accelerate the global switch from fossil fuels to clean energy. Before the press could shout ‘hypocrisy’ she made it an Off-Grid Party, powering the entire gig by solar energy. It was a case of once bitten, twice shy, for the eccentric fashion designer who was ‘outed’ in 2007 for making no eco-concessions in her multi-million-pound clothing business. To which she lamely responded: “I don’t feel comfortable defending my clothes. If you’ve got the money to afford them, then buy something… just don’t buy too much.” Naked Chef Jamie Oliver is another selfproclaimed environmentalist who covers his back against accusations of double standards. He uses wind turbine power in his restaurants while his American Road Trip was the first fully carbon neutral TV show in America – and he had the figures audited to prove it.
“
The environment should be put in the category of our national security. Defence of our resources is just as important as defence abroad. Otherwise what is there to defend?” Robert Redford
© Shutterstock.com Madonna: JStone / Sting: Jaguar PS / Jamie Oliver: Mr Pics / Paul McCartney: Everett Collection
Doing her bit for the environment at the 2007 Live Earth benefit concert backfired on Madonna when the press discovered that her Ray of Light Foundation had invested millions of dollars in some of the world’s largest corporate polluters (BP was one). The Material Girl was labelled a ‘climate change catastrophe’ for her fleet of cars, private jet, carbon emissions from nine houses and $10,000-a-month bottled water habit! Madge isn’t the only celeb who has been accused of ‘greenwash’ – aka hypocritical environmental ‘hype’. Veggie Paul McCartney was vilified for taking delivery of a very worthy Lexus hybrid car in a less-than-worthy way – by plane, all the way from Japan! Rainforest saviour Sting lost a lot of ‘green currency’ when wife, Trudie Styler flew her entire entourage (hairdresser included) by private jet from New York to Washington for a party. Even Mr Climate Change himself, Al Gore, was forced to own up to the ‘inconvenient truth’ that his energy-guzzling 20-room Tennessee home ran up a $30,000-a-year fuel bill, 20 times the national average. Other celebrities are savvier about covering all angles. Dame Vivienne Westwood was certainly taking no chances when she launched her new Trillion Fund
ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 / 45
G11 FeA2 Celebrities.indd 45
10/28/14 12:37 PM
There’s no doubt that the environment has become a cause célèbre among the showbiz fraternity. From Rachel McAdams’ Green is Sexy website and Cate Blanchett’s ecological Sydney theatre company, to Colin Firth’s Eco Age ethical retail organisation, Johnny Depp’s private solarpowered island and Incredible Hulk Edward Norton’s other ‘green’ mandate as UN Goodwill Ambassador for Biodiversity, it would be easier to focus on celebrities who are not conspicuous conservationists. One of those is George Clooney who prefers to major on humanitarian causes and political activism. The savvy celeb hit the nail right on the head recently, when he explained why he doesn’t do much public planet hugging: “You don’t want to be a spokesperson unless you are absolutely committed to a cause, because you can hurt it. I’ve been asked to help represent environmental groups. I’m a big proponent of cleaning up the environment. I have two electric cars. But I also have a big weak spot because I’ve flown on private jets. You can’t just talk the talk. You gotta walk the walk.” But in Hollywood, why walk when you can ride? Practically everyone who’s anyone has jumped on the Prius bandwagon since Cameron Diaz and Tim Robbins both made grand entrances at the 2003 Academy Awards in Toyota’s energy-saving car.
Altruism or Astroturf? Of course, environmentalism is all very well for high-paid celebs who can afford hybrid supercars and organic Champagne but is it out of genuine concern for the earth or pure Astroturfing – aka ‘faking it’? Maybe it doesn’t matter. The value of having a global name linked to a cause is “inestimable”, according to Naomi Segal of Global Cool, a 10-year campaign to reduce people’s personal CO2 emissions by one tonne that is supported by Sienna Miller, Orlando Bloom, Steven Fry and our Leo (diCaprio), among others. “Our celebrities have enabled us to reach a far wider audience more deeply than we could have ever managed without their help. The results of our campaigns have been fantastic in reaching and influencing those members of the public who are hard to convince.” Celebrities are clearly better at attracting public attention than lesser mortals. And although some may merely be lip synching to PR spiel, there are genuine green showbiz credentials out there. Hailed for her role as the menacing Elle Driver in Kill Bill, Daryll Hannah has proved she can be just as ferocious in real life, getting arrested no fewer than three times in the name of the environment: for a 23-day tree sit-in in 2006; for protesting against mountaintop mining in 2009; and for chaining herself to the gates of the White House while demonstrating against the Keystone oil pipeline in 2013. She walks her talk by solar-powering her Colorado and Malibu homes, eating from their organic gardens, running her vehicles on biofuel pumped from her own home-processing plant, producing a weekly video blog on green lifestyles called DH Love Life and selling eco-friendly products online.
“
The reality is, the water in our toilets is cleaner than the water that most people are drinking.” Matt Damon
© Shutterstock.com Cameron Diaz, Rachel McAdams & Orlando Bloom: Featureflash / Daryll Hannah: Cinemafestival
46 / NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM
G11 FeA2 Celebrities.indd 46
10/28/14 2:52 PM
TALK ING
With a missus like Angelina Jolie up to her eyes in global humanitarianism, Brad Pitt needed his own pet project and Hurricane Katrina presented that opportunity. The Hollywood heavyweight’s Make It Right foundation, into which he has sunk $5 million of his own money, is on track to finish 150 new eco homes for hurricane victims in New Orleans, built to withstand future flood devastation. The project has been lauded ‘largest, greenest single family community in the world’ by America’s Green Building Council. Brad and Angelina are also big environmental givers through their Maddox Jolie-Pitt Foundation. However they slipped up last year when they were accused of damaging the California coastline by letting their kids ride quad bikes on their local beach. One actor with an eco-lifestyle off-screen as well as on it is St. Elsewhere star Ed Begley Jr. who makes a habit of turning up at red carpet events on his push-bike. The über-green celeb Astroturfed his lawn to save on water, his white picket fence is made of recycled plastic milk
HO W S E US NAM FAMO OT ARE FOR N TO P G U EEN’ N I LIV IR ‘GR ALS I THEEDENT CR
cartons, he composts his garbage, cooks in an outdoor solar oven, grows his own produce, has a sprinkler system that checks the weather and shuts down if rain is forecast and shares his green living tips on his TV reality show, Living with Ed. Of course, there are some celebs who take the commitment one step too far and end up with (organic) egg on their faces: like actress Natalie Portman and her failed line of ‘vegan shoes’; Clueless actress Alicia Silverstone, who posted a video of herself pre-chewing food ‘the natural way’ for her young son; and singer Sheryl Crow, who had the bright idea that people should only use one square of toilet paper per bathroom session… But, bless them, at least their hearts are in the right place! e
“
If I were reincarnated, I would wish to be returned to Earth as a killer virus to lower population levels.” Prince Phillip
LKING A W T O N PRINCE CHARLES
Undertook a 7,000-mile transatlantic round-trip flight to receive an environmental award.
JENNIFER ANISTON
Brushes her teeth in the shower, not realising that extra shower-time uses more water than a normal tap-wash would.
WOODY HARRELSON
Adopted veganism, scaled the Golden Gate Bridge to save redwood trees, drove across America in a hemp-oil bus… then flew his favourite vegan belt and shoes by jet from California to France for the Cannes Film Festival.
HARRISON FORD Mr Indiana Jones’s last crusade was campaigning about the danger of fossil fuels. This is despite owning several aircraft and telling the world that he loves to “fly up the coast for a cheeseburger”.
JAMES CAMERON
The Avatar director advocates the less-is-more philosophy while owning a JetRanger helicopter, three Harleys a Corvette, a Ducati, a Ford GT, a collection of dirt bikes, a yacht, a Humvee firetruck and a fleet of submarines.
ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 / 47
G11 FeA2 Celebrities.indd 47
10/28/14 12:37 PM
style
INTERIORS / ARCHITECTURE / ART / Fashion
Discover what makes interior design firm, Patricia Darch, such a renowned name in the dĂŠcor sector; style up your wrists with high-end watches, and discover the wonders of eyelash extensions at Janice Hair and Beauty.
G11 GIntros.indd 1
Beauty / Health
49
Patricia Darch: New Natuzzi Showroom
56
Watches-To-Die-For
60
Beauty: Janice Hair and Beauty
62
Health: Boost Your Immunity for the Winter
10/31/14 1:05 PM
G11 Patricia Darch.indd 1
10/29/14 4:19 PM
THE STYLE decor
Relaxed Scandinavian look – ideal for holiday living
I
’m stretched out in the middle of Patricia Darch’s new Essence of Natuzzi gallery, floating on air, imagining I’m in the embrace of some hunky superhero. The Re-Vive is the world’s first responsive performance recliner and that’s what it feels like! Upholstered in buttery-smooth white kid leather (or any colour you like), it’s won more awards for its ergonomic design than you can shake a TV remote at. With dynamic arms that cradle you and a spine that moulds itself suggestively to your body – intuitively, without levers – it can give a girl naughty thoughts… Guys will love it too, for less romantic
Husk sofa by B&B Italia
notions, like kicking back with a beer in front of the football. I was worried about marking the footrest but Patricia likes every customer to experience her amazing collections. Try one for size next time you’re in Blue Sotogrande Shopping Centre. Go on – it isn’t your look-don’t-touch kind of gallery.
Tactile Temptations Sotogrande’s style guru has been wowing customers with her tactile temptations for 23 seasons. All the best-dressed homes here wear something from her annual collections, hot from Milan. Smooth suede,
glossy lacquer, silky perspex or gritty Swarovski crystal, they all cry out to be touched. And if you do, no one will jump on your case or pressure you into buying. You can browse in complete freedom. Although if you do ask for help it will be instantly forthcoming – with a smile! The gallery is Patricia’s third opening in twoand-a-half years – not bad in an economic crisis! Launched in August with pink Champagne and Italian tapas, Natuzzi’s Commercial Manager for Spain and Portugal was more than impressed. “There are Natuzzi showrooms throughout the peninsula but he told us he had never seen the brand presented to such stunning effect,” says Patricia with pride. The space is laid out in a variety of inspirational room sets accessorised with pieces from Patricia’s new autumn/winter collection. You can buy Natuzzi here under the same favourable terms and conditions as you can in less artistic settings. Patricia simply has to pop next door to her design studios for a stunning new piece to freshen up her eye-catching displays. She’s a one-stop shop for more than 350 exclusive brands – think Fendi and Foscarini, Max Alto, Manutti and Moooi; you’d have to go to Seville or Madrid to beat that! But the gallery is not only about Italian leather and the latest interior design toys. Natuzzi makes furniture that looks the bee’s knees at affordable mid-range prices so, if you hanker after the sleek Italianesque PD look, now you can get it for less. Not for a song but certainly for an aria!
50 / NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM
G11 DeF.indd 50
10/28/14 1:39 PM
Designs for Today
Patricia Darch Interiors
The pink Champagne opening of her elegant Essence of Natuzzi gallery at Sotogrande Port this summer ushers in a new era for interior design queen Patricia Darch. Belinda Beckett went along to ‘experience’ her new autumn/winter collections and find out how to get her exclusive look for less! PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF PATRICIA DARCH INTERIORS
Stunning details add panache to a home
ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 / 51
G11 DeF.indd 51
10/28/14 1:39 PM
Prêt-à-Porter Solutions ‘Package’ is not a word you tend to associate with the ‘Queen of bespoke’. Patricia built her reputation on her exclusive home furnishings and haute couture interior design service, as more than a few celebrities and a great many of Sotogrande’s well-heeled summer residents can testify. It’s true that, for some of her coveted brands, you’ll need one of those pens actress Penelope Keith used to advertise – the ones where ‘the noughts just roll off’. She doesn’t do traditional ‘sales’ either, although she’s had some fabulous special offers over the years, including a Fendi sofa discounted by 50 per cent! But, savvy businesswoman that she is, she can adapt like a chameleon to the market’s changing demands. And, as property sales pick up, she’s unveiling a raft of affordable prêt-à-porter solutions. ‘Something for everyone’ is her new mantra and, for whatever reason you’re buying a property – for holidays, forever or for rental income – now you can have a Patricia Darch makeover for an all-inclusive price! “If you’re standing still in business you’re going backwards,” says Patricia, showing me one of her new design boards – an economic scheme for rental properties and a more razzmatazzy version based on her Natuzzi collection. Prepared with the same expertise and attention to detail that goes into her bespoke projects, customers receive a complete design concept for the hall, lounge/ dining room, master and second bedroom, with stunning furniture, lighting, rugs, bedding and suggestions for fabrics and wallpapers. “No one else on the coast offers this service and the big saving’s in our time, with no sacrifice to quality,” explains Patricia. “One, five, 10 apartments, we can take on multiple projects without a waiting list. And with a huge choice of colour schemes, you can achieve a different look every time.”
A stylish ambience by PRESOTTO
Tobi-ishi by B&B Italia
52 / NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM
G11 DeF.indd 52
10/28/14 1:39 PM
The new Natuzzi Gallery in Sotogrande
Home and Away Clients don’t even need to be on site – perfect for investors who live on the other side of the world. Everything can be delivered and set up ready for occupancy, complete with those special finishing touches – beds made up, bowls of fresh flowers, Champagne on ice – that set Patricia Darch apart from the hoi polloi. There’s good news for sellers too, who can look forward to taking their For Sale signs down a lot sooner with Patricia’s new home-staging service. Her team of ‘house doctors’ will carry out a thorough analysis and present a suitable diagnosis, decluttering and refreshing to ensure no property malingers on the market for too long.
Mirrors with LED frames
She’s also developed the retail side of her operation, a change in business direction pioneered at her Gibraltar showroom with great success. “We want to welcome many more people to come in, look around our gift selection and get ideas for later when they’re ready to decorate,” says Patricia. There’s no pressure, even then. “We can work to a budget or take on a project in stages, whatever works best for the client.” To tempt customers over the threshold, she’s stocked up with a range of exquisite decorative items that will give you change from €50: her own heaven-scented collection
of Patricia Darch home perfumes and sprays; Lampe Berger fragrance lamps from Paris; aluminium and brass key fobs and bottle openers by Benahavís artist David Marshall; cushions in fab fabrics chosen from a rail of hundreds, made up in-house. If you’re looking for presents, you can have them gift-wrapped and delivered. Next year you’ll be able to shop for them online too. Not sure what to buy? The problem’s solved with gift vouchers in four denominations, from €50 to €500, presented in beautiful Patricia Darch boxes tied with ribbon. Getting married? Patricia will organise your wedding list.
Italian/Scandinavian look for winter
ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 / 53
G11 DeF.indd 53
10/28/14 1:40 PM
The Extra Mile
Stunning detail by Presotto
Glasitalia: A new look for Murano glass mirrors
Haute Couture Heaven The only problem is what to choose in this decadent design emporium for consenting adults. Patricia’s perfectionist styling ensures that even material objects can have sex appeal: twinkly Baccarat candelabra lamps flirt with statement Glas mirrors; Malerba tables schmooze gleaming Villeroy & Boch tableware; B&B Italia armchairs get it on with soft alpaca throws and silk rugs. A girl’s head can be turned in this haute couture heaven for homes, spread over two dove grey wood floors illuminated with killer lighting – one of Patricia’s Ten Design Commandments is that nothing works until you get the lighting right. Wander through a wonderland of wall fabrics by Hermès and Roberto Cavalli, textiles by Missoni Home and Jean Paul Gaultier, furniture by Fendi Casa and Cattelan Italia, Bluemarine bedding, Manutti garden furniture… not forgetting Baxter Italia’s sumptuous sofas. The leathers and suedes come from animals that are gently massaged throughout their life cycle, like kobe beef, to ensure there are no stress marks in the hide! Patricia consults the ‘oracle’ – the Milan Furniture Fair – annually, to hand-pick special
Black glass wave mirror
pieces. This season, Alivar’s contemporary saddle-stitch sofas take centre stage next to Gervasoni’s Scandinavian look – one of Patricia’s hot tips for summer 2015. “We love the minimalist, unstructured look which is ideal for the informal Costa del Sol lifestyle,” she says. Trending tones include turquoise and lime, silver, black, anthracite and taupe. The sales staff will help you pick out what’s right for you. The customer service here is legendary. One of Patricia’s team aptly described it as “bubblewrapping” the customer. Clients’ every wish and whim is listened to and heeded – a much-loved old chair can be re-upholstered, a décor scheme planned around a favourite artwork… Immense care is taken during renovations – shoes off at the door, plastic sheeting everywhere, caps under drills to catch dust and a good vacuum at the end of every day.
A measure of the extra distance she goes, she had a call from one regular client whose tenant had broken the blinds she installed eight years ago. “We fixed them without charge,” she says. “It’s second nature to work closely with clients in order to interpret their brief. In turn they take us into their confidence and place huge trust in us. Many become great friends.” As do her staff. Although Patricia is always on the side of the client –“I’m a perfectionist, very demanding and not easy to please” – some members of her team have been with her from the outset: her CAD-qualified designers, artists, architects and craftsmen, supported by a loyal network of electricians, carpenters, plumbers, upholsterers and seamstresses, including a curtain-maker who has been with the firm for over 30 years. She rarely outsources to ‘strangers’, often rolling up her own sleeves to help on site. After our interview, she was off to stop the traffic in London’s Mayfair for a client who’s onto his third Patricia Darch project. “His apartment is on the fifth floor with no lift in the middle of a busy thoroughfare so everything has to be winched up from street level,” says Patricia. Nothing fazes this décor dynamo although sometimes there are surprises… such as the owner arriving to inspect his finished project who turned up with an armoured security van containing “the most extensive collection of artworks, so famous and recognisable, they wouldn’t have looked out of place in the Tate gallery,” she says. Today, for many of Sotogrande’s international residents, only Patricia Darch will do. She is regularly commissioned to weave her magic in their principal family homes and winter retreats elsewhere, and her client portfolio stretches from The Bahamas to Bahrain. She recently completed an opulent manor house in York, her fifth project for that particular client.
Catellani & Smith lighting
54 / NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM
G11 DeF.indd 54
10/28/14 1:40 PM
MOOOI Lighting
Glass wall shelves
Stunning lighting features exude elegance
g The Essence of Natuzzi Gallery and Patricia Darch Interiors showroom are open Monday to Friday, 10am-7pm, Saturdays 10am-4pm and Sunday market days from 11am-2pm. www.patriciadarch.com
Italian Flair Although Italian designs predominate in her collections – Milan being the interior design capital of the world – Patricia wouldn’t live anywhere but Sotogrande. “I adore the tranquillity, the wide leafy avenues, the stunning views to Africa, the special light you only find here, the polo! People often ask me why I don’t have a showroom in Marbella. Ask me that again next year and I may have some exciting news,” she says, with a twinkle in her eyes With its Little Venice charm, Sotogrande Port is the perfect place to hang out her sign. Her showroom and gallery front the elegant waterside esplanade lined with bobbing yachts, bijou boutiques and trattoria-style cafés, where the Sotogrande set sip skinny lattes under white umbrellas. Patricia’s stunning window displays ramp up the Italian Riviera feel. On Saturday mornings, you can watch her talented step-daughter, Jessica Darch, at work in
the studio. Jessica’s bold murals and trompe l’oeils grace many high-end homes and she paints on a variety of unusual mediums, including abstracts on curved perspex panels – her stunning Waves, Shapes and Stripes collection, on show at the Natuzzi gallery. Ask her for a free quotation for a one-off to complement your own décor scheme. Both spaces are open on Sundays too, in fine weather, when the boho chic hippy market sets up its stalls under candy-striped awnings. The perfect time to try out that racy Natuzzi recliner. I haven’t even mentioned the Brio sofa, with motion sensors that tip you back into a state of relaxed abandon; the Sound armchair, which has a mini-jack for your iPod/mp3 player and hidden speakers in the head cushion; the mirror that turns into a TV… But perhaps I’d better not or Patricia will need to introduce another new service: crowd control! e
Foscarini lighting
ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 / 55
G11 DeF.indd 55
10/28/14 1:40 PM
THE STYLE watches
From top to bottom, all CARTIER watches: Medium Ballon Bleu. All stainless steel with pink dial. Gents Tank Solo. All stainless steel. X-large Ballon-Bleu. Steel and Gold.
56 / NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM
G11 FaF.indd 56
10/31/14 2:32 PM
n Ta kF ra nc a is el ad y 's ste el dia mo nd dia l
Ba
llo
le nB
ul
ad
s y 's
ta
inl
es
te ss
el
dia
n mo
dd
ia l
ep
Tim g
OT OG
p
RA
PH
YC OU
RT
ES
YO
AR
TI
ER
,C
HO
PA R
D, JA YD
EN
FA
ea
th
er
EL
FC
Ta n
kS
olo
sta
Ta n
inl
kF
es
ra
ss
nc
te
a is
el
el
an
ad
dl
y 's
TIM
ste
el
an
dg
old
dia
mo
nd
dia
l
ES
S
ct
r
PH
es iec
n Ta
kS
ol
8 o1
ol
n da
ea dl
e th
a str
Available at: Cohen & Massias, 143, 52 and ICC Main Street, Gibarltar. Tel: (+350) 200 74269. www.cohenandmassias.com
ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 / 57
G11 FaF.indd 57
10/31/14 2:32 PM
Earrings: Chopard Happy Spirit Collection Floating Diamonds, 18kt White Gold Pendant: Chopard Happy Sun collection Floating Diamonds, 18kt White gold Watch: Happy Sport, New Edition Floating Diamonds, automatic movement, stainless steel
58 / NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM
G11 FaF.indd 58
10/31/14 2:32 PM
Chopard Mille Miglia GTXL Automatic movement, power reserve, stainless steel with scented rubber strap.
Chopard Luc Complication Luc manufacture movement, orbital moon phase, 18kt rose gold.
Chopard Happy Sport Floating Diamonds, 18kt rose gold and stainless steel.
Chopard Happy Sport Chrono Floating Diamonds, 18kt rose gold and ceramic. Available at: Radhika, 60 Main Street, Gibraltar. Tel: (350) 200 63360. www.essardasgroup.com
ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 / 59
G11 FaF.indd 59
10/31/14 2:33 PM
THE STYLE beauty
Belinda Beckett eyes up the latest glamour trends, with lashings of help from Janice Hair & Beauty. Photography Jayden Fa
ADVICE
The Eyes Have It! I
was booked in for 160 lashes and it sounded painful! But it’s no punishment at Janice Hair & Beauty where pampering’s the name of the game, whether you’re having the latest Aveda facial, Gelish manicure or semi-permanent eyelash extensions, the treat I had in store. I had no idea you could get anything as fiddly as your eyelashes extended but salon owner Janice Cruz has been offering them to her clients for the last seven years. And make that the ultimate in eyelash extensions. It’s all in the glue, apparently, and whatever magic formula they use here, (and they’re not telling) these lashes stick around for four-to-six weeks, “the longest-lasting you can get,” promises Janice. And you can go back later for a top-up! This petite blonde entrepreneurial powerhouse is hip to all the buzziest beauty trends. She makes a point of attending the latest out-of-town technical courses, flying as far afield as London and Milan to ensure that the ladies of Gibraltar are as wellgroomed and up-to-the-minute as their counterparts in Paris and New York. She recently returned from a course at London’s Art of Hair, world leaders in artistic and bridal hair up-dos, where’s she’s been picking up fresh ideas for the festive season. (Ask about her Christmas Gift Vouchers, available at all prices on a complete range of treatments). The only hair and beauty salon in Ocean Village, clients travel from as far afield as Tarifa and Marbella for a treatment chez Janice’s chic emporium and you’ll probably need to book two weeks in advance, as it’s always busy.
60 / NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM
G11 BeF.indd 60
The silver-upholstered armchair-sized seats in which customers recline to have their hair washed wouldn’t look out of place on the Starship Enterprise – a fitting theme, considering Janice likes all her customers to feel like superstars. Of course, some of them are. Janice did Rita Oro’s hair for her recent gig at the Gibraltar Music Festival, and X Factor Katie Waissel’s. She’s also styled contestants for many of the annual Miss Gibraltar beauty pageants. Last year’s winner, Maroua Karbouch, is a walking advertisement for Janice’s hair extensions. Janice was one of the first to introduce luxurious lock extensions to the Rock – now her speciality. “We use the same method Victoria Beckham advocates, where extensions are applied strand by strand in equal proportion to the amount of hair, to prevent breakage,” she says. If you want a damned good cut, Janice is your girl. She became an apprentice hairdresser at 15, and at 19 was one of the youngest Gibraltarians to have her own business. She ran the salon at the Caleta Hotel for eight years and trains all her cutting crew. And she’s savvy to many other tricks of the trade such as Smooth Infusion, a revolutionary permanent straightening and retexturising treatment that’s kind on hair. With her long-lasting Gelish manicures you won’t have to get out the nail polish for a whole three weeks. She also stocks an air-based foundation and airbrush application technique that makes tired and middle-aged skin look peach-fresh. If you want to lose weight with minimum effort, you can shed up to six inches in two hours with her Universal Contour Wraps. If you yearn to look and feel drop-dead gorgeous, Janice is the exclusive
agent and sole Gibraltar distributor for Aveda, the Rolls Royce of ecological, organic hair and beauty products, only stocked by the world’s most exclusive salons (and there’s a men’s range too). Janice is the go-to gal for bespoke bridal packages. Blushing brides, bridesmaids and the whole entourage can enjoy the top-to-toe works. She also stocks stylish wigs and scarves to cover up post-chemotherapy follicle fallout. With massage, waxing and acrylic nail extensions on the menu too, any woman can feel and look like a million dollars. “That’s my philosophy – better image, greater wellbeing,” says Janice. “We want all our clients to feel the benefits of a relaxing experience, as well as just having the treatment.” My own eyelash extension experience took place while prone, eyes shut, on a massage bed. That’s 80 lashes per upper eye, each tiny filament individually attached by the steady-handed Eva who must have a degree in patience as well as a diploma in beauty therapy. It didn’t hurt or feel in any way intrusive, it took under an hour and Eva’s light butterfly touches were positively hypnotic. That’s the well-being taken care of. What about the image? I looked into the mirror to see a set of very natural-looking but most definitely flirtatious lashes batting back at me, giving new meaning to ‘having a flutter’ in Ocean Village! I felt like a born-again Bambi and couldn’t wait to try them out at home on my partner! With careful management and oil-free make-up remover (oil dissolves the glue) I shall be a femme fatale throughout the party season. That’s a very good feeling!
g Further information: Janice Hair & Beauty, 32 Ocean Village, Gibraltar, Tel +350 200 78800. 10/29/14 1:13 PM
Exclusive salon stocking the full range of products. • Bridal Packages Available • Specialists in Hair Extensions 32 Ocean Village, Gibraltar.
Tel: +350 200 78800
FOR ALL YOUR HAIR & BEAUTY
G11 janiceOk.indd 106
NEEDS...
Marua Carabouch is wearing 100% natural hair extensions, nails and Airbase airbrush makeup. Available exclusively from ‘Janice Hair and Beauty’.
Janice Hair & Beauty
10/28/14 3:04 PM
THE STYLE health
SLEEP RIGHT: INCREASING EVIDENCE POINTS TO THE LINK BETWEEN Sleep deprivation and a compromised immune response yet, over the past few decades, there has been a significant reduction in the quantity and quality of sleep in the population. Aim to get at least eight hours of sleep each night and ensure that any little ones in the family are getting even more hours of vital zzz’s.
Boost Your Immunity
FROM INSIDE OUT ADVICE
As the cold and flu season begins to rear its ugly head, the subject of immunity becomes more pertinent than ever. Battling viruses and bacteria which compromise our health and wellbeing must be addressed from a multi-pronged perspective, if our strategy is to be truly effective and long-lasting. Marisa Cutillas presents the crucial pillars of a truly resistant, well-balanced immune system: Z PAY HEED TO THE VITAL LINK BETWEEN NUTRITION, METABOLISM AND IMMUNITY: Two recent studies supported by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council in the US have found that dietary intervention effectively enhances our immunity to disease. The study, published in the journal, Nature Immunology, found that low nutrient levels activate a particular molecule, which hampers proper cellular function. By blocking this molecule through a high-nutrient diet, we improve the functioning of the mitochondria (the energy ‘powerhouses’ of cells). Z AIM TO CONSUME ORGANIC FRUITS AND VEGETABLES: Recent studies have also shown that organic produce has higher percentages of antioxidants than conventionally grown fruits and vegetables. The latter also contain high levels of cadmium, a toxic metal that builds up in the liver and kidneys when we consume pesticide-ridden foods. Z POWER UP WITH ADAPTOGENS: Adaptogens are powerful agents that enhance the body’s ability to react to all types of stress and help normalise the biochemical effects caused by stress. The long lists of adaptogens includes Valerian, St. John’s Wort and Passion Flower. Z DO SOME YOGA: The millenary practice that is yoga has been attracting much attention from the scientific world and the media of late, owing to its positive effect on a host of conditions, including anxiety, heart disease, atherosclerosis and lower back pain. A recent study carried out at the University of Oslo shows that yoga also has an almost immediate impact on gene expression in immune cells. Z CONSIDER SUPPLEMENTATION: Despite the popularity of ‘the new Food Pyramid’, with its emphasis on healthy grains, fruits and vegetables and healthy Omega-3 fats, most of us don’t manage to make the grade on a regular
62 / NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM
G11 HeF.indd 62
basis. Some of the most powerful immunity boosting supplements include: Z MANUKA HONEY: Manuka is the ultimate honey for health lovers; obtained from the manuka bush in New Zealand, it is used in many homes to heal skin problems and wounds, but also to fight off infections and antibioticresistant bacteria. Z ECHINACEA: This powerful member of the daisy family is used to ward off colds and other infections, owing to its antibiotic and antiviral effects. Echinacea comes in drops, tablet and lozenge form. It should not be taken by children under the age of 12
HOLLAND & BARRETT TIMED RELEASE BUSY B COMPLEX WITH VITAMIN C CAPLETS: This high-strength B Complex helps reduce tiredness and fatigue, while the addition of Vitamin C supports the immune system. This supplement is ideal for hard-working professionals and students facing tough exams.
Z PROPOLIS: Bees use propolis to keep infection far away from their hives and it is no wonder; several studies have been carried out into the immune boosting effect of this very natural product, which is rich in potent flavonoids. Z ASHWAGANDHA: This powerful herb has been utilised for centuries in Ayurvedic healing. Ashwagandha is an adaptogen that is often used to ease symptoms of bronchitis, insomnia, asthma and menstrual problems. Z SAMBUCOL: This uniquely named extract is obtained from the black elderberry. Not only does it taste delicious (which is always a bonus when it comes to supplements); it also gives your immune system much-needed support when it is under stress. Holland & Barrett stocks many kinds of Sambucol: For Kids, Extra Defence, Original, etc. We recommend Immuno Forte (with Vitamin C) for the winter season. Z MULTI-VITAMINS: One of the wisest steps you can take to ward off possible infections is ensuring you are consuming the right blend of vitamins. You can’t go wrong with a good multi-vitamin supplement. We recommend Holland & Barrett’s Ultra Man (specifically addressing men’s needs, it contains everything from Calcium and Vitamin D to Copper, B vitamins, Selenium and Zinc). For women, Ultra Woman contains a synergetic blend of vitamins that addresses common issues and deficiencies (Ultra Woman contains Vitamins C, D and E, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, B Vitamins, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin K and Calcium). Food supplements must not be used as a substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking any medications or under medical supervision, please consult a doctor or healthcare professional before use.
g All items can be found at Holland & Barrett in Gibraltar. 160 Main Street, Gibraltar. Tel: +350 200 49504. www.hollandandbarrett.com 10/29/14 1:28 PM
Gibraltar
Club Card
n i o J E E FR ! y a d o t
With our Club Card, every time you give you get something back You’ll collect an introductory 4 points for every £1 you spend You’ll receive exclusive promotions including bonus point events and offers
They say the best things in life are free... that’s why it’s free to join, plus you’ll collect points every time you shop Sign up in-store or on FaceBook and start enjoying all the benefits your Club Card has to offer!
Zip a dee do dah!
Mr. r. H M Ho ollllaan nd d& &B Baarrrreett tt * terms & conditions apply
160 Main Street, Gibraltar · Tel. +350 200 49504
www.facebook.com/HollandandBarrettGibraltar
@HBGibraltar
local NATUZZI COMES TO PATRICIA DARCH
Christmas is coming early for home owners in Gibraltar, courtesy of Patricia Darch Interiors. Now you can get a haute couture home for an off-the-peg price with her budget-stretching new home furnishings package – ideal for first-time buyers. Patricia will turn your blank canvas into a sleek living space furnished with the option of choice pieces by Natuzzi, the top name in Italian leather furniture, for an all-inclusive price. Customers receive a complete concept for the hall, lounge/dining room, master and second bedroom, with stunning pieces of designer furniture, lighting, rugs, bedding and suggestions for fabrics and wallpapers. Door-to-door delivery and installation are included. “Every scheme is prepared with the same expertise and attention to detail that goes into our bespoke projects,” says Patricia. You’ll get the exclusive Patricia Darch look for less and a home you’ll love showing off to your friends. g www.patriciadarchinteriors.gi
Rivièra Maison Arrives For stunning home furnishings that combine Long Island style with French Provençe chic, pop into Rivièra Maison, recently opened at 280 Main Street. The lifestyle brand is world-famous for its casual look and comfortable feel and 80 per cent of its collection of 3,000 exclusive, in-house designs, ranging from seating to tableware, are wholly or partially handmade. The new Gibraltar store radiates sophistication, elegance and warmth. “Exclusivity, ambience and service are our key values,” says owner Katrina Bossino. “We hope people will come in and view the fantastic Christmas collections as there’s something for everyone. We stock beautiful accessories like candles and napkins, as well as sofas and dining tables.” g The
shop opens Monday to Saturday, 9.30am-7 pm, or view the collection online at www.rivieramaison.com
CEO for Isolas Marcus Killick (pictured right) has joined Isolas as its first Chief Executive Officer, after nearly 11 years as CEO of Gibraltar’s Financial Services Commission. As well as taking on an active management role, he will assist practitioners in the leading international law firm’s financial services teams. An English Barrister and member of the New York State Bar, Killick is also Chairman of the Gibraltar Stock Exchange, Director of the new Gibraltar International Bank and Director of Callaghan Insurance Brokers. Awarded the OBE in the 2014 New Year’s Honours List, he brings over 20 years of financial services expertise to Isolas. Senior Partner Peter Isola (pictured left) is “delighted to have been able to secure Marcus’ services for the firm. His knowledge and experience will be a boon to Isolas in so many ways.” g www.gibraltarlawyers.com
64 / NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM
G11 En.indd 64
10/31/14 12:30 PM
School Chess
Aerial Double-Act
Gibraltar is in the running to produce more of the next generation’s chess Grandmasters, thanks to an initiative by Tradewise Insurance and Lombard Odier Darier Hentsch, sponsors of Gibraltar’s annual Tradewise Chess Festival. This year, and for the next two, every child who enters Middle School in Gibraltar will receive a free chess set and manual to take home. Education Minister Gilbert Licudi took delivery of 1,000 chess sets and books on chess during a presentation at the Caleta Hotel, which has hosted the tournament since 2003. Founder Brian Callaghan and Community Chess Professional Stuart Conquest spoke about the educational benefits derived by children who play chess. Recently voted Best Open Tournament in the World for the third year running by the Association of Chess Professionals, the 12th edition runs from January 26 to February 5.
g www.gibraltarchesscongress.com
When the world’s oldest wingwalker, Tom Lackey, wowed the crowds on top of a vintage biplane, Miss Gibraltar wasn’t far behind him! The 94-year-old British grandfather was first to loop Gibraltar – twice – while strapped to the wings of the bright yellow Boeing Stearman. Once he returned to earth, Shyanne Azzopardi completed her own circuit to boost her profile for next month’s Miss World competition. Tom holds Guinness World Records for being the oldest man to loop the loop and wingwalk from Dover to Calais and across the Irish Sea. The old daredevil has raised over £1m for charity since he took up the scary sport after the death of his wife, who served in the RAF. Shyanne is no stranger to high flying herself, having completed a sky dive in aid of Gibraltar’s Alzheimer's and Dementia Society, her chosen charity for Miss World.
g Check out what else she’s been up to on www.facebook.com/MissWorldGibraltar.
Hammond Homecoming
Thinking Green Gibraltar’s Thinking Green website now boasts a Kids Zone. Launched by the Department of the Environment, it aims to provide the younger generation with a comprehensive selection of articles and trending topics, on all aspects of the local environment. The website also showcases a new interactive computer game for all the family that’s not only fun but also teaches players how to use the differentcoloured recycling bins provided in Gibraltar. The game can be played on the website directly from your computer but is not yet available for mobile devices. g www.thinkinggreen.gov.gi
Albert Hammond is returning to his native Rock for the final leg of his Songbook Tour 2014. The veteran singer/ songwriter will headline two concerts at the Queen’s Cinema on November 7 and 8. “I’m coming home to the people I love and to the streets where I belong,” he said from South Africa, where he’s in the middle of an eightnation, 60-gig tour that will continue into 2015. Albert has been writing songs for over 50 years, with hits every decade since Little Arrows charted in 1964 for Leapy Lee. As well as his own repertoire – It Never Rains in Southern California is one of his best-known – he has penned more than 30 chart-toppers for a Who’s Who of recording artists. The Gibraltar concert is being sponsored by the Government and promoted by Stage One and GibMedia. g Tickets, priced £25, £30 and £35, are
available from atrapalo.com
ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 / 65
G11 En.indd 65
10/29/14 12:34 PM
Monkeys get the Bird
Fun of the Fair The Convent Christmas Fair at the Governor’s Residence is set to be bigger and better than ever, with over 40 stalls selling handcrafts, jewellery, home-made culinary delights and brilliant gift ideas. Mark off November 27 in your diary to see Santa in his grotto (from 2pm), sample mince pies and mulled wine provided by the Red Cross, and hear a carol concert by children from St Bernard's First School at 6pm. There’s also a Christmas raffle for a Honda Vision Motorcycle, courtesy of Bassadone Motors, with tickets on sale in the Piazza on November 20, from 9.30am4.30pm. Proceeds from this year’s Fair go to the Gibraltar Alzheimer’s and Dementia Support Group for a Snoezelen therapy room at the new Day Care Centre, designed to stimulate the senses of dementia patients.
It’s hello to Barbary partridges and goodbye to Barbary macaques. As the Rock took delivery of 300 rare birds from Morocco, and a batch of their eggs, 30 of its most troublesome monkeys were being relocated to Blair Drummond Safari Park near Stirling in Scotland. While Gibraltar is the last refuge in Europe for wild Barbary partridges whose numbers have declined due to loss of habitat, the reverse is true of Europe's only wild monkey population. An explosion of macaques has lead to some roaming into town, looting bins, foraging for food and scaring locals. The worst offenders – 11 male and 19 females – were identified through their GPS collars. Commented Environment Minister, John Cortes: "It is sad to see them go, but they will be going to an excellent home and it is so much better than culling them."
g The Fair is open from 12 noon-7pm, entrance £2 or free for under-12s. Follow the Fair on Facebook (ConventChristmasFair), Twitter (@convent_gib) and at www.convent.gi
Hyperion Hiring Hyperion Wealth Management has appointed Jean-Jacques Duhot as Senior Investment Advisor. JJ is tasked with enhancing the services offered to Institutional Clients and Ultra High-NetWorth Individuals. Since joining Societe Generale Investment Bank in 1991, JJ has gained experience in financial services and fund management in London and Canada, including posts with CIBC where he managed the Strategic Risk Division with teams in Toronto and New York, and Millennium Capital Partners, a $17billion Multi Strategy Hedge Fund. He has completed Investment Banking programmes at Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management and the Geopolitical Studies Program at the ILERI in Paris. His expertise opens up exciting opportunities for the Financial Centre in terms of network, systems and education. On November 27, he will present a seminar on Equities at the O'Callaghan Eliott Hotel on behalf of the Gibraltar Funds and Investments Association. g www.hyperion.gi
Souvenir Stamp Many globetrotters are disappointed that some countries no longer stamp passports, leaving them with no official memento of their travels. However, now the Gibraltar Tourist Board is offering a souvenir stamp at £2 a time. Developed from an idea by local accountant Eran Shay, the stamp is available from the Tourist Office in Casemates Square. It has a promotional advantage for Gibraltar, too, as it includes the GTB website address and logo, and the message: ‘Thank you for visiting the Rock of Gibraltar.’ Welcoming the initiative, Tourism Minister Neil Costa said: “We are always looking at new ways to promote our tourist product abroad and this passport stamp does precisely that.” g www.visitgibraltar.gi
66 / NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM
G11 En.indd 66
10/29/14 12:34 PM
Festive Magic Masters of Illusion are back in town for their sixth spectacular Christmas magic show, now a firm family favourite on The Rock. The all-star cast is headlined this year by Las Vegas hit show Charlie Frye & Company, making their debut in Gibraltar. Renowned throughout the world for their juggling, sleight of hand and slapstick, they are supported by a team of award-winning conjurors, comedy magicians, escapologists and illusionists. A must for young and old, with all profits going to GBC Open Day, the show runs from December 4 to 7 at Ince's Hall Theatre, with evening performances at 7pm and matinees on December 6 and 7 at 2.30pm. g Tickets, £12, are on sale from Chique Boutique,
Ocean Village. www.facebook.com/magicgibraltar
UK Legal Advice
Weather Portal Want to know what the weather’s doing in Gibraltar? Find out on the government’s new meteorological web portal. You can also view data on wind speed and direction, temperature, rainfall, solar intensity and barometric pressure via the new online one-stop shop. Introduced as part of the wider Gibraltar Climate Change Programme, the portal showcases data collected from six weather stations. The dashboard styling provides a clear layout, with headline information on the front page and a dedicated download page with a data analysis section. You can also check the weekly weather forecast to plan ahead. g www.gibmetportal.gi
Commercial and Real Estate law specialist Fiorina Fortunato has launched her new website, targeted at clients investing in or owning business or property in the UK. Working with a team of specialists and acting as the client’s main point of contact, she can offer personal, expert advice on a wide range of legal areas, such as the swathe of new legislation coming into force next year, including: • Consumer Protection Law changes, which extend to apps and company websites • Changes to taxation on residential properties held by corporate entities • Capital Gains Tax changes for properties held by non-residents • The new 15 per cent Stamp Duty Land Tax • The annual tax on Enveloped Dwellings “Individuals who may be affected should consider planning before April 15 to avoid these new charges,” says Fiorina. “We tailor our services and support to clients’ individual requirements, level of transaction and budget.” g www.fiorinafortunato.com
Ebola Precautions
Gibraltar is ready for Ebola, should the deadly virus cross the Strait from Africa. A new isolation wing has been set up and Gibraltar’s Health Authority has provided training for 100 health care workers and a further 100 staff at the port, border and in other government departments. Protocols for dealing with hospital patient waste have also been provided, along with protective clothing for medical staff, isolated air flow and an independent entrance for suspected cases. Commented a GHA spokesperson: “While an Ebola case is still very unlikely, all the necessary steps have been taken to ensure that Gibraltar is ready to deal with it.”
g www.gha.gi ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 / 67
G11 En.indd 67
10/31/14 12:33 PM
THE PRO business
Morrisons Gibraltar
20 Years and Rockin’
T
he festive season arrived earlier than usual at Morrisons Gibraltar this year. The superstore took delivery of its first consignment of Christmas cards, wrapping paper and family-sized tins of chocolates during the first week of September, when most locals were still basking on the beach! That’s par for the course in the idiosyncratic world of Morrisons ‘lone star’ Mediterranean supermarket, where deliveries conform to British seasons and trading patterns, making the logistics of supply and demand a little more complex. Gibraltarians may not feel Christmassy quite as early as shoppers in chilly Britain but they might want a new barbecue for their December 25 celebrations, and maybe a new tube of sun lotion to go with it! “As we only get seasonal deliveries of these items, we stockpile to ensure a year-round supply,” explains store manager Gary Chant. Keeping the customer satisfied is all in a day’s work for Gary and 50 of his original team who have been with the store since it opened as Safeways 20 years ago – a milestone marked with a party aboard Sunborn Gibraltar this summer. Under Gary’s captainship, the 30,000 square foot superstore built on reclaimed land where cruise liners and warships once floated at anchor has consistently been among the top 10 highestperformers, out of 500 outlets, for Britain’s fourth biggest supermarket chain.
With so many British expats yearning for a taste of home, it has become a tourist attraction in its own right, and as much of a must-visit for passing cruise ship passengers as the Barbary macaques den! Indeed, it’s the only Morrisons with a licensed bar, catering to the Mediterranean predilection for drinking brandy with morning coffee! It’s also not unusual for a single customer to denude the shelves of a particular product in one fell swoop. “We get a lot of bulk buying from yacht owners passing through, and expats travelling from as far afield as Portugal and Nerja who shop in multiple trolley-loads,” says Gary. (It’s worth noting that if you do have designs on 100 packs of Kellogs Cornflakes, you can call or email in advance and the store will set it aside for you.) It’s a three-day journey to deliver goods from the UK to Morrisons’ only continental superstore, an operation that costs £4m a year to keep 18 trucks on the road at any one time. The slightest hitch can upset the delicately-balanced applecart. But, thanks to the special relationship Gary has built up with Gibraltar suppliers, the store has successfully side-stepped border delays, lorry drivers’ strikes, food scares and even government intervention, such as the British beef ban. “We support the Gibraltar economy whenever we can, buying all our range of Spanish products from local suppliers and even big British brands, where it
makes commercial sense,” says Gary. Although British stalwarts like Heinz baked beans and Marmite are perennial favourites, the Gibraltar store’s best seller is its bakery rolls, with 4,000 flying off the shelves every week. “We also sell more long-life milk than fresh, and more preserved goods than fresh, chilled and frozen varieties, probably a hangover from the days when expats had a long hot drive on poor roads to get home with their shopping,” adds Gary. Customers have a treat in store next spring when the supermarket will be sprouting a new fresh foods department, with a wider range of produce and an expanded herbs section, kept as fresh and pungent as the day they were harvested with misting machines. It’s all in aid of spicing up the weekly shop to counter the growing trend for shopping online. “There’s no doubt that the internet is the future for grocery retailing so if we want people to continue coming into our store we have to make it a more exciting experience,” says Gary. Excitement will certainly be on the cards this Christmas when the store is excelling itself with a feast of festive goodies, including whole hams topped with zesty orange and cranberry, lobster tails, chocolate chip panettone, stollen loaf and the ultimate Christmas 2014 showstopper, the British Turkey Bombe. Wrapped in bacon with a stuffing centre, it’s guaranteed to make any festive feast go with a bang!
Festive fare in store at Morrisons
There aren’t many supermarkets that can claim to be a tourist attraction but Morrisons Gibraltar has achieved that status over the last 20 years, as Belinda Beckett reports. Photography Courtesy of Morrisons Gibraltar
Gibraltarians knock spots off the British in charity giving, raising £150,000 over three years for Morrisons’ nationwide Save the Children campaign. And the 2p they pay for plastic bags (free in British branches) has added up to £55,000 for Cancer Relief Gibraltar and other local charities. The 370-strong team will be donning their traditional Santa hats as usual this season. But the spirit of goodwill abounds all year round and it doesn’t take the Ghost of Christmas Future to forecast another successful 20 years of trading in store for Morrisons Gibraltar. g Morrisons, Westside Road, Tel: + 350 200
41114, is open from 8am-10pm Monday to Saturday and 8am-8pm on Sundays. www.your.morrisons.com
68 / NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM
G11 BP.indd 68
10/29/14 12:25 PM
G10 GPAGINAS SUELTAS.indd 3
10/28/14 3:26 PM
THE VIBE
A New Look for Jyske Bank Prestigious private banking firm, Jyske Bank, recently held a Grand Opening party to reveal their newly refurbished premises to clients, friends and members of the media. Attendees enjoyed a lively cocktail and marvelled at the stylish new offices, which match Jyske Bank’s professionalism and passion for perfection, to a tee.
“Trust is built with consistency” – Lincoln Chafee
70 / NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM
G11 Vibe.indd 70
PHOTOGRAPHY Jayden fa 10/29/14 12:24 PM
Out of the ordinary
Most people don’t expect much from a visit to a bank. We think they should. At Jyske Bank, your own relationship manager will offer you tailor-made, hassle-free solutions… and a certain something that’s hard to describe – something out of the ordinary. Follow us on facebook: Jyskebankgibraltar
Jyske Bank (Gibraltar) Ltd. • Tel. +350 200 59205 • www.jyskebank.gi Jyske Bank (Gibraltar) Ltd. is licensed by the Financial Services Commission, Licence No. FSC 001 00B. Services and products are not available to everybody, for instance not to residents of the US.
230x300_Ess_Gibraltar_Out_of_the_ordinary.indd 1
26-02-2014 10:25:35
THE LEISURE travel
BURMA
Call it Burma or call it Myanmar, it’s a beautiful country that people fall in love with. WORDS DAVID WISHART PHOTOGRAPHY GENEVIEVE BALTHAZARD AND SHUTTERSTOCK
The plain of Bagan © Shutterstock
72 / NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM
G11 TrI.indd 72
10/28/14 1:21 PM
N
one more so than Paul Strachan, who went there as a student in Scotland back in the eighties, and went on to be a publisher of academic and art books on Burma. But there were few tourists about, so he chartered a boat on the Irrawaddy River and used his mailing list to get the word out. One old colonial told Strachan he was mad, others were politely incredulous. There were veterans of the 14th Army, people born in Burma but forced to flee by the Japanese, and others kicked out by Ne Win in the sixties. But the phone never stopped ringing. One 10-day charter was not enough and six departures ran that first season. Before he knew it, Strachan was running a business, naming it after a fine old Scots firm, the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company. Two years later, Strachan found the wreck of the Pandaw at Mandalay, recognisable by its black and red funnel, one of the original riverboats built on the River Clyde for the IFC. Its condition was terrible, but as Strachan said, “it was love at first sight.” Pandaw was restored, and since then a fleet of replica vessels has been built to make Strachan’s company the major force in river cruising in Burma, and with another flotilla on the Mekong, in southeast Asia.
They range from five to 34 cabins, shallow draft, with open decks, teak and shiny brass, just like the Old Flotilla as immortalised by Kipling. “Downriver – Great bales of cotton, bags of rice, blocks of jade, lacquerware from Pagan, silk, tamarind, elephants sometimes…oilcake, tobacco, timber. Upbound – motor cars, corrugated iron, condensed milk, matches… sewing machines, soap, cigarettes, cement and whisky.” (Irrawaddy Flotilla Co. handbook, 1936) The Old Flotilla was a naval task force of four paddle steamers and three flats (barges) sent from India to carry British and Indian troops up the Irrawaddy in the second Anglo-Burmese war of 1852. A treaty (probably of the version “sign here or be shot”) resulted and the new British governor privatised the flotilla, selling it to Todd, Findlay and Co. of Glasgow. As it turned out, the vessels were poorly built, so the merchants teamed up with Paddy Henderson (Glasgow shippers already established in Rangoon, a port of call on its run to New Zealand), and Denny’s of Dumbarton, which designed new steamers shipped out in pieces and reconstructed in Rangoon. Deck crews and engineers were Scots, hired at the St Vincent Street head office, and the sailors from Bengal.
ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 / 73
G11 TrI.indd 73
10/28/14 1:21 PM
Burma trade grew quickly, and because there were few roads, the Irrawaddy became the “road to Mandalay.” The vessels got bigger, such as the splendid Siam class, 326 ft long and capable of carrying 4,000 passengers, so Denny’s boarded them up and sailed them through Suez. Some were paddle-wheelers, others stern-driven, such as on the shallow Chindwin River, where the boiler was in the bow. The IFC based 200 Scots in Burma and had a local staff of 11,000. It must have been a good life for the expat Scots, what with the club and little interference from Glasgow. In fact only one telegram a month would be sent from Rangoon to St Vincent Street, and that was one line only – the takings! It grew to have more than 600 vessels and was the largest privately-owned riverboat
company in the world when the Second World War started. Then, in 1942, as the Japanese Army approached, the company’s own officers gunned holes in the great ships’ hulls rather than let them fall into enemy hands. For the IFC it was all over. But times change, governments mellow, the light of democracy makes a hesitant sunrise, and I find myself in the steamy city of Yangon, formerly Rangoon. It is bursting with tourists and, presumably, happy hoteliers, some of whom have quadrupled their rates. A visit to the magnificent Shwedagon Pagoda, with its gold and diamond encrusted giant bell, is an enlightening experience, although as I sit in the shade of a gleaming temple, the idle mind reflects on the pasttimes of the British back in the 1850s, when
elephant racing featured a tusker called Shuffling Jimmy. Then off to Prome to join the Orient Pandaw, whose dock is a muddy riverbank. Three blasts of the whistle and we are off. Our vessel has two decks of cabins and a canopied Sun Deck with teak loungers whose cushions are decorated with the IFC peacock logo. Forward is a bar/library and beyond that the bridge. Cabins are air-conditioned, very comfortable and each has wicker chairs and a table outside. This is a wonderful place to sit and watch Burma go by. We meet the crew, all smiling, genial Burmese men. None more so than San and Harry, our guides, who wear the longyi, or sarong, with enviable style, and never despair as we return from local markets with longyis and struggle to get them to stay up.
The Shwedagon Pagoda © Shutterstock
74 / NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM
G11 TrI.indd 74
10/28/14 1:21 PM
The Schwedagon san daw Pagoda in Prone © Shutterstock
Our journey is upstream to Mandalay and we will get an exhilarating picture of this faraway land, such as the next day when Orient Pandaw nudges a muddy riverbank littered with goats. Village women are washing clothes, then themselves, at the edge, while others fill yellow containers with water and carry it on their heads to their homes. A ploughman with two oxen prepares soil for sugar-cane planting, and when the work is done he will lead his oxen into the river for a cool wash. We go ashore twice a day, sometimes to visit a market, or a school, and nearly always a pagoda. The riverbank presents a string of golden stupas in a wondrous passing parade. One can only sit on the deck and marvel at it all, and order another gin and tonic. Bagan with its 2,000 pagodas is a place like no other, and we climb a few not without difficulty because the steps are narrow and steep. Otherwise our getting around is easy and fun, on horse-carts, rickshaws, and one time in a convoy of jeeps. Golfers are astonished at the good condition of the course at Thayet, built in 1887, presumably for a Scottish regiment, and here we have a putting contest.
Pandaw passengers are entertained by an elephant dance spectacle
IF YOU GO — Don’t miss Inle Lake, an inexpensive short flight from either Mandalay or Yangon. This is a large freshwater lake where fishermen live on bamboo houses on stilts, and they get about on skiffs with a unique rowing style, with one leg wrapped around the oar. Two days are enough here, with one on a long-tailed boat to cruise the lake, visiting temples and floating villages where silk weavers and cigar makers will be glad to see you. There are also many floating restaurants. Booking a hotel is advised as Inle Lake is very popular, particularly with young travellers on the Thorn Tree Cafe trail. At Min Hla, forts built on both sides of the river by Italian engineers for the Burmese kings were supposed to stop the British advance, and I climbed the ramparts of one which had been captured by an attack from the rear. You would have thought the British might have thought of that at Singapore. The river became busier as we sailed north, with many vessels going the other way with cargoes of rice and teak logs. Villages grew in size as well, and on one riverbank there was a medical clinic with a doctor funded by a Pandaw charity.
ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 / 75
G11 TrI.indd 75
10/28/14 1:21 PM
Z Pandaw has three new cruises starting next year including the first to offer a riverboat into Laos. In an expedition also taking in Vietnam and Burma, this takes in the old French capital of Vientiane and fast-flowing gorges. Z The beautiful Halong Bay and Red River feature in another programme. Z And India is featured with what
should be a spectacular cruise along the Brahmaputra River in the shadow of the Himalayas, exploring by boat, elephant and jeep in areas teeming with wildlife including rhinos and tigers. * Check Pandaw’s handsome new website www.pandaw.com, which lists new cruises in both Burma and Vietnam.
Pagodas became more lavish as well, such as at Magwe, where we took rickshaws along the riverbank and through a village where boys used heads and feet to thrash a wicker ball in a furious version of volleyball. At the temple it was shoes off, walk around clockwise then a relaxing rickshaw ride at sunset. It was here we found a junk beached beside Orient Pandaw and the crew unloading a cargo of gravel. They were joined by a group of women who carried baskets of gravel on their heads and dumped it on the riverbank. At dusk a team rigged up a bamboo shelter, Robinson Crusoestyle, for the workers to spend the night, and first thing in the morning they were at it again, ferrying endless baskets of gravel. And yet there was progress. At one village where we visited potters at work, I walked past a house with a large solar panel outside. It was connected to a car battery, which at day’s end would be reconnected to the household grid to provide power for lighting and the TV. A villager in a Manchester United T-shirt assured me they never missed a match. One morning the rasping engine of our accompanying long-tailed boat woke me early, suggesting shallow water ahead. The Irrawaddy is littered with sandbanks and it takes guile and endless sounding to forge a passage. The long-tailed boat was taking soundings, as were two crew at the bows of Orient Pandaw. To overcome this, Pandaw is building smaller vessels with very shallow draughts which enable them to go way beyond Mandalay, to Bamo (where George Orwell was in the police) and through gorges once thought impassable. On deck there was always something to see, with villagers using the arable sandbanks to plant crops such as peanuts, asparagus, sesame and corn, and sometimes other Pandaw vessels and passengers to exchange a little banter. Such as the chap who asked what brought me to Burma. I ventured it was a traveller’s delight, and it also got me out of northern latitudes in the winter. “Same for me, old boy,” he said. “I’m only here because there’s nothing to shoot at home.” He might have been on the Old Flotilla. e
Tayok-Pye temple in Bagan
76 / NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM
G11 TrI.indd 76
10/28/14 1:21 PM
Untitled-6 1
12/10/13 1:21 PM
THE GOURMET restaurant
Yuletide Yeehaw!
Belinda Beckett and photographer Jayden Fa tuck into a festive feast at Gauchos Restaurant.
I
f you’re not feeling the festive glow yet, a table at Gauchos will get you right into the spirit – and not only because their Argentinean Malbec red wine tastes as fruity as Christmas pudding. As it’s the season of goodwill, they’re offering a three-course Christmas menu for the all-inclusive price of £32.95, and everything’s from the à la carte menu! Santa himself would feel totally at home in this cosy grotto, tucked snugly inside the 200-yearold fortress walls surrounding Casemates Square. Aglow with firelight, candlelight and brazier lamps flickering from stone-block walls, the cave-like ambience and delicious aroma of prime beefsteak sizzling on the indoor barbecue is a reminder of how our Stone Age ancestors might have dined. The meat quality would have Fred Flintstone yelling “yabba dabba doo!” Talking of Fred and Wilma, leave your animal skins and furs at home if you want ringside seats on the chef at his work, as it’s warm in front of the grill. Or reserve a table in the cooler next-door bar/dining room, where cowhide-covered stools which pull out from the bar on hinges are an interesting gaucho feature. I was tempted to ask the bartender to slide me a beer down the counter like they do in the cowboy movies, yeehaw! Gauchos is renowned for its beef and no wonder. Owner James Noguera knows a thing or two about food. He supplies much of Gibraltar with its victuals through his distribution company, Bonmilk, which started out delivering milk from door to door. He gets his Argentinean beef from Madrid through a company that supplies El Corte Inglés nationwide. His Rumanian chef Cotzo, who has been behind the grill at Gauchos for 10 years, pops over to Spain to quality-check every consignment before it makes its final journey over the border. The menu lists nine varieties – everything from chuleton to churrasco – and explains its provenance (from Aberdeen Angus
78 / NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM
G11 ReR.indd 78
cross steers which have feasted on the lush grass of the Pampas). The meat is aged for four-to-six weeks and sealed to lock in the flavour before it reaches your plate. You can also get New Zealand steak, a surprise to us all and more particularly to my partner Dave, who’s a Kiwi. He didn’t know that the beef from his homeland is as succulent as the lamb until he tried it here. Cotzo will cook your steak to your liking, but lava stones heated to 440°C add a fun element, allowing you to finish it off at the table. The chateaubriand (for 2 people) passed the ‘spoon test’ (so tender, you can cut it with one) yet still packed a big flavour punch. The quality of the fillet and sirloin we also tried spoke for itself: “moo-gnificent”! With great steak you need good wine and you’ll be spoiled for choice at Gauchos, which devotes four pages of the menu to crianzas, reservas and gran reservas from Spain and Argentina. For special celebrations, there are Taittinger and Laurent Perrier Champagnes, cavas and dessert wines. The waiting staff are very helpful, as they need to be – the menu, like the portions, is massive! They’ll tell you about weights, flavours and textures and suggest compatible sides and sauces. These cost extra, and there’s a cover charge of £1 per person but it’s worth it for the fruity bread rolls and salty butter you get. The Patata La Pampa has be tried – a poshed-up patatas a lo pobre with tomatos and vegetables, served gratinéed. You can also get sautéed, baked and creamed potatoes as well as hand-cut chips and all kinds of vegetables. I joked to manageress Ioana Olaru, also from Rumania, that they couldn’t get many vegetarians but she tells me they do! There are four veggie choices and nine different salads (Greek, Seafood, Caesar’s, Niçoise, Waldorf… ) as well as an extensive fish menu. Nor are you restricted to
beef; there’s also lamb, chicken and pork. For starters (another bewildering choice) we opted for empanadas – crisp and golden miniature pasties with a choice of fillings – and prawns in spinach cheese sauce, served bubbling from the oven. Purely in the interests of research (as we already had steak doggy bags to take away with us) we also tried a decadent white chocolate cheesecake, a fruity pavlova, a tangy lemon meringue pie and Movenpick ice cream in a medley of flavours (the maple walnut and the Swiss chocolate with flakes get my vote). Gauchos has a beautiful outdoor terrace and specialises in all-you-can eat al fresco barbecues in summer. In cooler months you can still pop out for a breather. The restaurant seats 250 diners inside and out and it’s always busy (indoor tables were all taken on a Tuesday night in October). If you’ll excuse the puns, our visit to Gauchos was a rare treat, so well done!
g Reservations: Tel: + 350 200 59700, or email gauchos@gibtelecom.net 10/30/14 10:36 AM
G09 Waterfront FINAL.indd 1
6/30/14 2:33 PM
THE GOURMET
Simmered in a cauldron of sieges and sea battles and baked under cannon fire, Gibraltar’s singular gastronomy is out on its own and out on the shelves in a great new cookbook, as Belinda Beckett reports.
W
hen Justin Bautista grows homesick for Gibraltar he rustles up one of his grandmama Lottie’s favourite recipes to chase away the blues. Since his student days at Middlesex University, far from loved ones, the flavour-packed taste of home has never failed to feed his soul. Even today, working as a graphic designer at Gibraltar House in London, the aroma of rosto bubbling on the stove or torta de acelga crisping in the oven takes him back to simple childhood pleasures, when helping ‘Mama
Lottie’ in her cosy kitchen was a treasured pastime. Now Justin no longer has to skype his grandma to check methods and measurements (she’s only in her Sixties and pretty tech savvy). It’s all there in the cookbook he has written, self-published and dedicated to Mama Lottie and Gibraltar’s singular gastronomy, with contributions from other local families. Packed with 160 pages of colourful illustrations and a cute graphic of his gran on the front, Justin was encouraged to write it after massive local response to his website, mamalotties.com which received a record 5,000 hits last Easter. Today he has over 1,000 followers and nearly 2,000 members of his Facebook Page and Group, who have all contributed to his rare repertoire of recipes. The book was, quite literally, a labour of love. It took him two years to cook and photograph all 76 dishes, working his way through centuriesold recipes handed down by word of mouth, and translating ‘handfuls’ of flour and ‘pinches’ of pepper into more meaningful measures. A flavourful fusion of dishes introduced by Maltese and Genoese merchants, north African and Portuguese immigrants and British garrison troops, they reflect the Rock’s human cultural melting pot and are mainstays on the Gibraltarian dining table to this day. Justin’s housemates appreciated his efforts. “They were my official tasters and although they found even the British-influenced dishes unusual, they liked everything except the stuffed squid,” laughs the 24-year-old author who has no aspirations to become a chef himself. “I just want to safeguard the recipes that all Gibraltarians hold dear and share them with others in the hope that they will enjoy them as much as we do.” Today’s celebrity chefs might turn up their noses at the stodgy, fried and calorific dishes Gibraltarians love to eat: rosto, a stick-to-the-ribs stew made with penne pasta; torta de acelga (chard or spinach pie); menestra de verduras, a thick vegetable and spaghetti potage – not forgetting Mama’s volcano cakes, a sugary taste explosion! Served in hearty portions and never mind the presentation, it’s hardly fine dining. But Gibraltarian gastronomy was born of deprivation and austerity – ‘comfort food’ that helped the population survive 14 sieges and 16 years of border closure, when money
was tight and ingredients scarce.
Cannon Fodder Gibraltar’s national dish, calentita – a take on Italian farinata pancakes – gets its ‘llanito’ name from the days when it was ‘poor food’ sold in the streets by vendors shouting: “Get it while it’s hot”. Made from a simple dough of seasoned chickpea flour and oil, baked in a hot oven, it can be traced back to the Great Siege (1779-1783), when wheat flour was in short supply. In those dark days, bread was given only to children and the sick. Adults were rationed to a handful of rice per day and, with no fresh locallygrown produce, outbreaks of scurvy were common. Huge ingenuity was required by grandmothers, the traditional heads of the household, in sourcing the few crops that thrive on the barren Rock such as wild asparagus, pine nuts, figs and even prickly pears! Seafood was in more plentiful supply. Clams in a nutty tomato and almond sauce is a particular Gibraltarian speciality. The cover shot of Justin’s book portrays a table laid with a simple gingham cloth and water glasses for a typical Friday evening meal, when only fish was served according to Mama Lottie’s Sicilian Roman Catholic heritage. “Sometimes there were 20 or 30 of us for dinner, aunts, uncles, cousins… Mama Lottie cooked for us all and what a feast it was! There’d be stuffed boquerones, fried calamares and rosada, prawn-stuffed squid, cuttlefish stew… ”Justin reminisces, his voice filled with hunger and longing. “I chose the most traditional dishes across a mix of cultures but tried to include healthier ingredients and a modern twist, which is how every country’s cuisine evolved. Gibraltarian dishes deserve no less a place on the global gastronomic table.” Gibraltar is one of the few nations of the world without a Michelin-starred chef and not one sitdown local restaurant specialises in Gibraltarian gastronomy. But if ever a cookbook could spark a national food revival, it’s this rare recipe collection. And if it does, there will be no prouder Gibraltarian than Justin’s Mama Lottie! g 76 Mama Lotties Gibraltarian Inspired Recipes, £18, is
available at Gibraltar bookshops and online from Amazon.co.uk and www.mamalotties.com
Mama LottieS Cookbook Recipes that Rock! Photography Courtesy of Mama Lottie’s
Volcano cakes
80 / NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM
G11 FoN.indd 80
10/31/14 12:35 PM
G11 GPAGINAS SUELTAS.indd 4
10/29/14 2:07 PM
restaurants All’s Well Bar & Restaurant
Gallo Nero
Mamma Mia
solo express
Unit 4, Casemates Square, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 72987
56/58 Irish Town, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 77832
Unit C, Boyd Street, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 64444
Casemates Square, Gibraltar. Tel: +350 200 62828
BEAN & gone cafe
Gatsby’s
Mons calpe suite
Taps Bar
20 Engineers Lane, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 65334
1 /3 Watergardens 1, Waterport Ave, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 76291
Top of The Rock, Gibraltar. Tel: +350 200 79478
5 Ocean Village Promenade, Gibraltar. Tel: +350 200 67575
Mumbai curry house
Gibraltar Arms
Ground floor, Block 1 Eurotowers, Gibraltar. Tel: +350 200 73711
Theatre Royal Bar & Restaurant
Bianca’s 6/7 Admiral’s Walk, Marina Bay, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 73379
Bridge Bar & Grill Leisure Island, Ocean Village, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 66446
Bruno’s Unit 3, Trade Winds, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 68444
Cafe Rojo 54 Irish Town, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 51738
Cafe Solo
184 Main Street, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 72133
Jumpers Wheel Restaurant 20 Rosia Road, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 40052
Jury’s Cafe & Wine Bar 275 Main Street, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 67898
Khan’s 7/8 Watergardens, Waterport, Gibraltar. Tel: +350 200 50015
Nunos
60 Governor’s Street, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 51614
The Caleta Hotel, Catalan Bay, Gibraltar. Tel: +350 200 76501
The Chargrill Restaurant at Gala Casino
O’Reilly’s
Gala Casino, Ocean Village, Gibraltar. Tel: +350 200 76666
Leisure Island, Ocean Village, Gibraltar. Tel: +350 200 67888
Piccadilly Garden Bar 3B Rosia Rd, Gibraltar Tel. +350 200 75758
Pizza Express
The Clipper 78 Irish Town, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 79791
The Cuban
Unit 17, Ocean Village, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 50050
21B The Promenade, Ocean Village, Gibraltar. Tel: +350 200 67889
Pizzaghetti
the island
Sir Herbert Miles Road, Catalan Bay, Gibraltar. Tel: +350 200 72373
1008 Eurotowers, Europort Avenue, Gibraltar. Tel: +350 200 63868
27 Leisure Island, Ocean Village, Gibraltar. Tel: +350 200 66666
Latino’s Diner
Restaurante Nunos Italiano
Casa Pepe
194/196 Main Street, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 46660
13a Ocean Village, Gibraltar. Tel: +350 200 68222
Unit 18, Queensway Quay Marina, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 46967
Latinos Music Bar and Restaurant
Caleta Hotel, Sir Herbert Miles Road, Catalan Bay, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 76501
Champion’s Planet Bar & Grill
9 Casemates Square, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 47755
Rooftop Bistro, O’Callaghan Eliott Hotel
15 Ragged Staff Wharf, Queensway Quay, Gibraltar. Tel: +350 200 66100
Governor’s Parade, Gibraltar +350 200 70500
The Rock Hotel Restaurant
Grand Casemates Square 3, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 44449
Cannon Bar 27 Cannon Lane, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 77288
Casa Brachetto 9 Chatham Counterguard, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 48200
Unit 2B, The Tower, Marina Bay, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 46668
Charlie’s Steakhouse & Grill 4/5 Britannia House, Marina Bay, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 69993
Corks Wine Bar 79 Irish Town, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 75566
El faro Marina Bay, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 79241
El Patio Unit 11, Casemates Square, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 40713
Kowloon Restaurant 20 Watergardens III, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 42771
La Mamela
La Parrilla 17/18 Watergardens, Block 6, Gibraltar. Tel: +350 200 66555
Laziz Sail 2.2, Ocean Village Marina, Gibraltar. Tel: +350 200 40971
Le Bateau 14 Ragged Staff Wharf, Queensway Quay, Gibraltar. Tel: +350 200 66420
Lek Bangkok Unit 50 1/3, Block 5, Eurotowers, Gibraltar. Tel: +350 200 48881
El Pulpero
Little Rock Restaurant & Bar
Unit 12A Watergardens, Waterport, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 44786
Casemates Square, Gibraltar Tel +350 200 51977
4 Stagioni
Maharaja Indian Restaurant
16/18 Saluting Battery, Rosia Road, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 79153
5 Tuckey’s Lane, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 50733
Roy’s Cod Place 2/2 Watergate House, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 76662
Sacarello’s Cafe-Restaurant 57 Irish Town, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 70625
Seawave Bar 60 Catalan Bay Village, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 78739
sky restaurant & Bar Sunborn Gibraltar, Ocean Village. Tel: +350 200 16000
Solo Bar & Grill Unit 15, 4 Eurotowers, Europort Avenue, Gibraltar. Tel: +350 200 62828
the ivy sports bar & grill The Landings Restaurant
Europa Road, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 73000 The Royal Calpe, 176 Main Street. Tel: +350 200 75890
The Trafalgar Bar 1a Rosia Road, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 45370
The Waterfront 4/5 Ragged Staff Wharf, Queensway Quay, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 45666
Tunnel Bar Restaurant Casemates Square, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 44878
Verdi Verdi Unit G10, International Commercial Centre, Main Street, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 60733
82 / NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM
G11 GLi.indd 82
10/29/14 4:25 PM
G11 Sunborn.indd 1
10/30/14 10:29 AM
AF ESSENTIAL 230X300+3 GIBRALTAR 116618LN.indd 1
13/10/14 17:16