Essential Gibraltar July/August 2015

COMPLIMENTARY EDITION

N º14 - JULY/AUGUST 2015

essential essential magazine® gibraltar I S S U E 1 4 • J U LY / A U G U S T 2 0 1 5

ESSENTIAL FOR LUXURIOUS LIVING

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GIBRALTAR

Jetstream

ROCKS

STARLITE

LIGHTS UP!

SEA CLOUD DREAM VOYAGE

PORSCHE

PANAMERA S E-HYBRID

Sotogrande

EXPANSION

SWIMWEAR

Special LIFE’S A

BEACH

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

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Issue 14 • July / August 2015

S T A F F PUBLISHER AND DIRECTOR

YEARS

GENERAL MANAGER

ANDREA BÖJTI sales@essentialmagazine.com

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

MARISA CUTILLAS editorial@essentialmagazine.com

GIBRALTAR EDITORIAL

U ANNIVERSARY U

IAIN BLACKWELL director@essentialmagazine.com

PRODUCTION MANAGER ACCOUNTS EXECUTIVE OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR

CREATIVE DIRECTOR DESIGN & LAYOUT STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER GIBRALTAR PHOTOGRAPHY CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

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ANDREA BÖJTI INMA AURIOLES KEVIN HORN JAYDEN FA IAIN BLACKWELL, ROCIO CORRALES, MICHEL CRUZ, MARISA CUTILLAS, RIK FOXX, ALI PARANDEH, DAVID WISHART, TONY WHITNEY JAYDEN FA ANNA ROSEN LIZA MAYNE GUY BAGLIETTO ANDREA KAROLIINA JIMÉNEZ GODOY A. GRÁFICAS, MURCIA D.L. MA-512-99

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contents The Trend Cinema 12 Home Viewing 14 Music 16 Books 18 The New Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid 20 Smart Cars 22

The Local Sotogrande 24 Beach Life 32 Casino Sunborn 38 Jet Stream 40 The Jolly Boys 44 Brian Gomila 46 The Gibraltar Music Festival 48 The Starlite Festival 50 New Look Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 52

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The Style 54 Fashion Feature: Swimwear 60 Beauty: Safe Summer Tanning 62 Health: Coconut Oil

The Pro 64 Enterprise 69 Eastside Success Story 70 The Importance of Property Management

The Leisure 72 Travel: All Aboard the Sea Cloud

The Gourmet 79 The Lounge Gastro Bar 80 Wine: JosĂŠ Pariente Verdejo 82 Restaurant Guide

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AA’s highest rated hotel in Gibraltar

Two AA Rosettes for Culinary Excellence

www.caletahotel.com - reservations@caletahotel.gi

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WORDS BY IAIN BLACKWELL

publisher’s letter C

oinciding with the searing temperatures, we bring you a sizzling summer edition of Gibraltar, hot off the press.

Sotogrande is a place where a lot of people working in Gibraltar have homes. In this issue, you can read all about major development plans for Santa María Polo Club and elsewhere and review our round-up of recommended eateries.

As summer is, above all, a time to go to the beach, we suggest some good venues worth visiting locally and within reasonable driving distance.

Check out, too, our Summer Swimwear Fashion feature, all available to buy in Gibraltar.

Don’t miss our insightful interview with Jetstream, a fun trip with the Jolly Boys and find out why Brian Gomila’s Barbary Macaque Experience Tours are so popular.

There are many cool concerts coming our way and we present what is scheduled for Starlite, the Gibraltar Music Festival and other venues through the summer.

Finally, come with us on a dream voyage aboard the super luxurious Sea Cloud and try your luck at the new Casino Sunborn.

Enjoy!

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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

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There is Something for Everyone...

Bringing Music to Your Ears & Gibraltar to your Screen

GBC Television available on Gibraltar Freeview and gbc.gi Summer Karaoke Live Summer Fair Live Gib Talks Business Heritage Health Works Profiles The Sports Locker The Hub The Powder Room Viewpoint Full schedule at gbc.gi

Radio Gibraltar

GBC Online

91.3, 92.6 & 100.5FM, 1458AM, DAB+, gbc.gi and Gibraltar Freeview

available 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 Player Radio Gibraltar Live Radio Gibraltar On Demand Latest Local News

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© 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

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trend READING / MUSIC / FILMS / GADGETS / MOTORING / TRENDS

Summer is upon us and we light up your days and nights with great cinema releases and news on live concerts. You can still make the most of home life by enjoying top home viewing options and sunbathing by the pool with a best-selling book. Those who like to live life in the fast lane, meanwhile, will revere our review of the new Porsche Panamera Plug-In Hybrid.

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Cinema

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Home Viewing

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Music

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Books

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Cars: The Porsche Panamera Plug-in Hybrid

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Smart Cars

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THE TREND cinema

WORDS MARISA CUTIL

LAS

e BLOCKBUSTER » GENRE

Fantasy

» DIRECTOR

Joe Wright (Atonement)

» ACTORS

Hugh Jackman, Garrett Hedlund, Rooney Mara

» GENRE Animation » DIRECTOR Pete Docter

(Monsters, Inc.) » VOICES Mindy Kaling, Bill Hader, Amy Poehler

Inside out

Growing up can be a journey full of ups and downs, as it is for Riley, a young girl who is forced to move from her peaceful home in the Mid-west to San Francisco when her father lands an interesting job in the city of lights. Riley struggles to adapt and often gives in to the many voices inside her head. Joy, Disgust and Rage are just a few of the conflicting emotions in the ‘control centre’ in her brain. All these emotions have one aim: to help Riley learn to love her new life.

OF THE MONTH

his all to play Hugh Jackman gives t version of es lat Blackbeard in the gins when be ry sto e Th n.

Peter Pa orphanage, an in young Peter, stuck mother telling finds a letter from his and encouraging ial him that he is spec self in another him to find his true be called upon to world where he will very. bra t os show his utm

Pan

» GENRE Comedy » DIRECTOR Ethan Cohen (My Wife is Retarded)

» ACTORS Will Ferrell,

Kevin Hart, Jay Pharaoh

Get Hard

Will Ferrell pays a wealthy banker who is falsely accused of a crime and is sent to a maximum security prison. He hires the services of the tough guy (Kevin Hart), who trains him to ‘get hard’ before commencing his prison tenure.

» GENRE Drama » DIRECTOR Jonathan Demme

(Silence of the Lambs) » ACTORS Meryl Streep, Sebastian Stan, Mamie Gummer

Ricki and the Flash

Meryl Streep gives life to Ricki, a mother who abandoned her family to pursue her dream of becoming a rock star. One day, she receives a call from her ex-husband, Pete, who asks her to come home to Chicago to visit Julie, their daughter, who is in the process of a difficult divorce and who needs support from her mother.

» GENRE Animation » DIRECTOR Kyle Balda (The Lorax), Pierre Coffin (Despicable Me)

» VOICES Sandra Bullock, Steve Carell, Jon Hamm

Minions

Cartoon lovers would agree that a film focussed solely and exclusively on the best characters of the film, Gru (the Minions) was long overdue and without a doubt, this will be a big hit with kids this summer. The story delves into the history of the Minions, who began as unicellular organisms that evolved through time, eventually serving a series of despicable masters, including a vicious T-Rex and Napoleon Bonaparte. When their last master dies, the Minions become depressed, until the smartest of all of them (Kevin) hatches a plan to find a new malevolent master…

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GIBRALTAR

Buena Vista Park Villas

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LUXURY LIVING IN A EUROPEAN LOCATION WITH OVER 300 DAYS OF SUNSHINE PER YEAR

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GIBRALTAR BUENA VISTA PARK VILLAS is a luxury private gated development in the South district of Gibraltar.

Phase three includes 3 exclusive townhouses and 8 unique villas, with extensive customisation options, in terms of internal layouts and finishes.

All properties will have amazing sea views across the bay of Gibraltar towards Spain and across the Straits of Gibraltar to North Africa. One of the few places in the world that offers views of two continents.

Due for completion in 2017.

Townhouses from £1,850,000 Villas from £2,900,000

For more information contact

Robert Martin Sales Manager BV Homes Ltd

Tel: +350 200 65825 Email: Robert@BVhomes.gi

www.buenavistaparkvillas.com

THE TREND home viewing

Marisa Cutillas brings us a few of the season’s top DVD releases. »» Genre Biopic »» Director Tim Burton (Edward Scissorhands) »» actors Amy Adams, Christoph Waltz, Danny Huston »» IMDB Rating 7/10 »» Rotten Tomatoes Rating 72 per cent »» Rating 6.5/10

Mr. Turner »» Genre Biopic »» Director Mike Leigh (Secrets & Lies) »» ACTORS Timothy Spall, Paul Jesson, Dorothy Atkinson

Big Eyes

»» IMDB Rating 6.9/10 »» Rotten Tomatoes Rating 98 per cent »» Rating 8.5/10

Big Eyes is a biographical drama about the life of Margaret Keane (Amy Adams), a talented painter whose work was fraudulently claimed by her husband Walter (played by Christopher Waltz). Adams does a great job as the weak, insecure painter, though Waltz steals the show with his over-the-top portrayal of an ambitious yet talentless artist with no scruples at all.

ONTH D RELEASE OF THE M

e FEATURED DV »» Genre Drama/

Comedy

»» Director

Alejandro González Iñárritu (Pan’s Labyrinth) Michael rs to »» ac Keaton, Zach Galifianakis, Edward Norton, Andrea Riseborough, Emma Stone

»» IMDB Rating

7.9/10

»» Rotten Tomatoes Rating

Best r’s Academy Award for The winner of this yea ded tud r-s sta a h wit , the hype Picture lives up to all a of e rol ael Keaton in the cast powered by Mich ical life to Riggan, a theatr es giv n lifetime. Keato as one of the n tio uta rep his st actor struggling again attempt tors of all time, in an biggest superhero ac ous’ is lici ‘De e. atr the the for to be true to his love d’s eye bir the ibe think to descr the only way we can ge and sta ck ba life of ed afford view the audience is ibes erising’ perfectly descr onstage, while ‘mesm ael ch Mi d an n rto No Edward the performances of ge’). sta ‘on en both actors are Keaton (especially wh but ive sit sen n’s ga ines as Rig Emma Stone also sh ubted do un r struggles against he jaded daughter who r. he fat nd -ki f-a zy yet one-o adoration for her cra

93 per cent

»» Rating 9.5/10

Birdman

»» Genre Animation »» Director Don Hall, Chris Williams (The

Emperor’s New Groove) »» VOICES Maya Rudoph, Damon Wayans Jr, Stan Lee »» IMDB Rating 7.9/10 »» Rotten Tomatoes Rating 89 per cent »» Rating 8.5/10

Big Hero 6

Big Heroes 6 is an animated adventure which tells the story of Hiro Hamada, a young robotic genius who learns to make the most of his amazing abilities thanks to his older borther, Tadashi. When a series of devastating events catapults Hiro into a dangerous plot which takes place in the streets of San Fransokyo, Hiro enlists the help of a robot called Baymax, and transforms Tadashi’s friends into high-tech heroes who will help him solve a mystery and a murder.

This film explores the last quarter century of the great if eccentric British painter J.M.W. Turner (1775-1851). Profoundly affected by the death of his father, loved by a housekeeper he takes for granted and occasionally exploits sexually, he forms a close relationship with a landlady with whom he eventually lives incognito in Chelsea, where he dies.

Throughout this, he travels, paints, stays with the country aristocracy, visits brothels, is a popular if anarchic member of the Royal Academy of Arts, has himself strapped to the mast of a ship so that he can paint a snowstorm, and is both celebrated and reviled by the public and by royalty.

The Seventh Son »» Genre Adventure »» Director Sergey Bodrov »» actors Jeff Bridges, Ben Barnes,

Julianne Moore

»» IMDB Rating 5.5/10 »» Rotten Tomatoes Rating 13 per cent »» Rating 5/10

Oscar award-winning Actor, Jeff Bridges, plays the last warrior from a mystical order, who scours the earth in search of a powerful hero: The Seventh Son (Ben Barnes), destined to save the world from an evil fate. The young hero is brusquely taken from his bucolic existence in the countryside and trained by his mentor to battle against the dark queen (Julianne Moore) and her army of supernatural assassins.

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THE TREND music

¿QUÉ PASA? Words Rik foxx

Elton John This month the coast is alive with the sound of music. In the east we have the Weekend Beach Festival featuring DAMIAN MARLEY (son of BOB) in Torre del Mar (ticket info: www.weekendbeach.es) from July 8 – 11. Go west and ELTON JOHN is in Málaga, plus the Starlite Festival at La Cantera de Nagueles near Marbella starts on the 18th (see their site for the line-up and ticket info). All information on this page was correct at the time of writing.

ELTON JOHN, who will be tinkling the ivory keys at Málaga’s Palacio de Deportes José María Martín Carpena on July 15 (ticket info: www.elcorteingles.es/entradas or www. livenation.es), wants to make Billy Elliot The Musical into a film. The stage show itself was based on the acclaimed 2000 British movie so what’s his point?

Regarding the Málaga gig, this scribe is not really a fan of this artist but has seen him three times in concert and he’s worth watching!

A reminder: the legendary BOB DYLAN will be strumming his six-string at the Palacio Municipal de Deportes in Granada on July 8.

Ticket info: www.ticketmaster.es DAVID GUETTA, who will be spinning the wheels of steel at the Estadio Municipal de San Pedro de Alcántara on August 1 (ticket info: www.ticketbell.com/musica), is to write the official song for Euro 2016 football tournament and will perform at the opening ceremony at the Stade de France in Paris next June.

Spain’s biggest festival, Benicàssim, near Valencia, runs from July 16 -19 with its usual all star line-up headlined by BLUR, NOEL GALLAGHER, THE PRODIGY, MARK RONSON, KAISER CHIEFS and recent UK album chart toppers FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE. You can try for tickets (if there are any left) at www.fiberfib.com MTV Spain will no doubt be showing some of the action from there – check their site’s TV guide for details.

LIAM GALLAGHER

The Gibraltar Music Festival, which is getting bigger by the year, announced an impressive line-up for the weekend of September 5 & 6. This fourth edition, which takes place at the Victoria Stadium (on the right just after the airport runway) has the KINGS OF LEON and DURAN DURAN headlining. For the full line-up and ticket info: www.gibraltarmusicfestival.com

Meanwhile little brother LIAM is part of a super group featuring ROGER DALTREY (THE WHO), IAN BROUDIE (LIGHTNING SEEDS and of Three Lions fame) and ZAK STARKEY (son of RINGO STARR) that performed on the UK TV Channel 4 TFI Friday special on June 12. Don’t be surprised if they turn up as unlisted special guests at a festival or three this summer.

In 1995 BLUR and OASIS took part in the much hyped Britpop 'Battle of the Bands' and members on both sides of the fence didn’t have a lot to say to each other and what was said was not good.

Turn the clock forward 20 years and the group leaders DAMON ALBARN and NOEL GALLAGHER are now the best of friends and are considering teaming up together in the studio. The latter said he was “definitely on board” once he has finished his current project and when asked about the PAUL McCARTNEY statement that OASIS should reform he joked “I’ll think about it if he writes me some songs for it.”

david guetta

Adele The world’s best-selling soprano, SARAH BRIGHTMAN, who in 1978 sang about losing her heart to a starship trooper, has postponed a planned trip to the International Space Station on September 1 to become the first famous woman to sing in space with a newly-written song by her former partner ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER. After passing all of the training and medical tests her £30 million trip will not get lift off due to “personal family reasons” – what – has he said he won’t pay for her fare?

ADELE new album update: don’t hold your breath as the singer has scrapped all recordings and started again from scratch after telling her record bosses “it wasn’t good enough”. Apparently it has cost her an extra £170,000 of her own cash in studio time alone. The original takes had been put to bed and ready for release in February but she was not happy with them. A spokesperson said a late summer release has been pencilled in – yeah but which year?

Rumours of a FACES reunion continue to persist but ROD STEWART will not commit. RONNIE WOOD, currently on tour with the ROLLING STONES, reckons his old mucker STEVE WINWOOD could fill in; the 60s legend has pedigree from the SPENCER DAVIS GROUP and TRAFFIC plus a solo career of his own.

Right time to put your thinking caps on – can you answer this question without using Google? If you didn’t know ERROL BROWN, lead singer of HOT CHOCOLATE, died in May and during the 1970s the band had a UK hit single every year. Can you name the other two acts to do it? (clue: male and female solo artists and both are American).

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THE TREND books

‘It’ Titles for the Summer Marisa Cutillas brings you the books that everyone will be talking about at this year’s best pool parties. Bring a few good books to the table and soak in many great reads while you’re lounging poolside this month.

THE LIAR BY NORA ROBERTS

Shelby has just lost her husband yet it isn’t until she opens his safety deposit box, that she finds out the real extent of her grief. Shelby finds multiple IDs and realises that her husband has never, in fact, existed. She takes her three-year-old daughter to her hometown in the south, where she meets a new love interest: Griff Lott, a successful entrepreneur. She soon discovers, however, that she isn’t quite as free to rebuild her life as she thought, for her husband has secrets she has yet to discover and the lives of her new lover and her child, may be at risk.

THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN BY PAULA HAWKINS

This Hitchcockian mystery novel centres on Rachel, a woman who takes the same train in London every morning, passing through a lazy stretch of suburban homes, and stopping at the signal that enables her to watch the same couple enjoying a romantic breakfast on their terrace. Seeing them every day, she feels like she knows them and she even gives them names: ‘Jess and Jason’, One day, however, as her train stops at the same spot, she witnesses a terrible scene, only for a second, that shatters her conception of the couple. She turns to the police, becoming inextricably involved in a mystery that is as dangerous as it is exciting.

DOUBLE DARE

BY R. L. MATHEWSON

Darrin and Marybeth first meet at the age of seven and although Marybeth generally can’t stand boys, she builds a friendship with Darrin that spans an impressive 20 years. Little does she know, however, that Darrin has always harboured a secret crush for her and, this year, he plans on making his move. Can the young couple move past the secrets and lies which have kept their relationship Platonic, and find a much richer and more meaningful way to be together?

GATHERING PREY

BY JOHN SANDFORD

New York Times best-selling Author and Pulitzer Prize winner, John Sandford, brings us the latest Lucas Davenport thriller.

This time, Lucas sets out to help the Travelers: a group of nomads who move from city to city, begging on the streets but doing no harm. Lucas comes across this fascinating group through his daughter, Letty, who gets a phone call from a Traveler she has befriended. The caller thinks somebody has kidnapped her partner, since many of her friends have mysteriously disappeared in recent weeks. Lucas and Letty embark on a journey into a dangerous underworld, discovering things that could change their concept of life forever.

THE MISTAKE

BY ELLE KENNEDY

University Lothario, John Logan, is a popular hockey player who falls for young freshman, Grace, only to drive her away because of one big mistake.

During his last year at University, he hopes to win her back, only to find that Grace has changed considerably over the summer and that he will have to play by her rules for the first time in his life.

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It’s a stampede!

World Trade Center Gibraltar has experienced huge demand over the last few months to the point where our challenge is housing all the companies that want to move in.

As a result, there are no longer any discounts on purchases available.

However, there are stll discounts possible on rentals, so if you are interested please contact us as soon as possible on: Tel: +350 200 74724 or email: enquiries@worldtradecenter.gi www.worldtradecenter.gi

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THE TREND motoring

PORSCHE PANAMERA S E-HYBRID

The first Porsche sports car, the 356, was developed by Ferry Porsche, son of VW Beetle designer Ferdinand Porsche, who also penned some interesting tanks during WW2. According to legend, Ferry set about designing the 356 because he couldn’t find an existing sports model that he considered interesting enough for him to buy. Clearly, he was a man of considerable innovation and creativity, but not in his wildest dreams could he have imagined that one day, his Porsche company would build anything remotely like the Panamera S E-Hybrid.

WORDS TONY WHITNEY PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF PORSCHE

I

n some ways, the E-Hybrid goes against everything the originators of Porsche held dear. It has four doors for starters and rather than offer customers simply another high-performance, nimble handling, sports car, it uses an advanced hybrid engine that offers at least a nod towards ‘saving the planet’. To be sure, it is reasonably thrifty on fuel, but it’s still extremely fast and the torque all hybrids get from their electric motors is a useful performance feature, as proven by wide use of similar drivetrains on the world’s racetracks.

I’ve looked at other versions of the car before in , but it’s worth noting that the Panamera was launched following years of speculation and rumours surrounding a four-door Porsche of some kind. Porsche purists, which means most fans of the marque, were horrified at the idea, just as they were when the company launched its Cayenne SUV. In its defence, the Panamera not only has four doors, but it really does have room for two full-sized

people in the back and they’re not just crammed in there either. I’m 187 cm or so and can sit quite happily in the back of a Panamera, even when there are tall people up front and the front seats are slid back a little. The rear doors are quite wide too, so access to the cabin is not a challenge either.

The car looks very low and sleek with a slightly bulbous rear roofline – a design feature that allows the rear passengers to sit with their heads held high and not scrunched on their chests like they are in rival ‘fourdoor coupes’ like the Mercedes-Benz CLS range. Frankly, it’s a more successful design effort by Porsche than that of their rivals over at Ferrari, whose FF 4-seater (with only two doors) looks decidedly awkward in the styling department with its ‘humped’ roofline. The unkindest comment that’s been made about the Panamera is that it resembles an oversized 911, but the car has sold well and is contributing strongly to Porsche’s record sales in many parts of the world. And surely nobody will mind their 4-seat sports car looking like a 911.

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Z ENGINE: Supercharged 3.0-litre

The S E-Hybrid variant is a new take on the older Panamera hybrid, which was not quite as technically intriguing. The S E-Hybrid falls into the plug-in category, which means the batteries can be charged from a household power outlet as well as by the hybrid system in the vehicle. Basically, it uses an Audibased 3.0-litre V-6 petrol engine and a beefy 95-hp electric motor for an impressive combined power rating of 416-horsepower.

This gives the car some serious thrust and places it well beyond the bounds of conventional economy hybrid cars and SUVs. The car is capable of being driven on battery power alone, but only for short trips. Fuel savings are significant and Porsche claims that this model consumes 56 per cent less fuel than its predecessor.

In the cabin, the vehicle is very much a Porsche and people who know the cars will find no

surprises there. Naturally, the S E-Hybrid has all the electronic conveniences we’ve come to expect on premium-priced cars nowadays. It’s very snug and comfortable up front and once you’re under way, you’ll forget you’re driving the ‘big’ Porsche and think you’re piloting a 911.

Interior stowage space isn’t that good, but there are a few nooks and crannies that’ll take oddments needed on a road trip.

You’re reminded what you’re driving thanks to the big Porsche badge in the centre of the steering wheel. Interestingly, the design of the now famous badge was ‘borrowed’ from the Weimarperiod arms of the State of Württemberg-Hohenzollern and the coat of arms of the city of Stuttgart. A combination of the

two created what we now see as a benchmark brand in the sports car business.

The Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid is a pleasure to drive and the torque from the electric motor is often in evidence. The electrical boost is near silent, so sensing the extra power without hearing any roaring noises is a pretty enjoyable experience. Like all Porsches, the car handles very nimbly, though it’s no lightweight by any standards.

While many producers of premium hybrids talk about sports variants, few have come to fruition yet and of course, none of them will have Porsche’s iconic badge on the bonnet.

V-6 plus 95-horsepower electric motor. Combined horsepower 416.

Z TRANSMISSION: Eight-speed automatic with manual mode.

Z ACCELERATION: Zero to 100 km/h in 5.5-seconds.

Z TOP SPEED: 270 km/h.

Z I LIKED: Great combination of four doors and four seats in a sports car with exceptional performance. Beautifully built with luxurious appointments.

Excellent handling in all weather conditions thanks to optimal weight distribution.

Z I DIDN’T LIKE: While the styling is very satisfying, no manufacturer has really ‘nailed’ a true combination of sports car and sedan.

Z MARKET ALTERNATIVES: Audi RS7, Mercedes-Benz CLS AMG, Maserati Quattroporte, Bentley Mulsanne, BMW M5, Jaguar XFR-S (none of these are hybrids).

Z WHO DRIVES ONE? Any Porsche lover who likes the idea of some extra torque, not to mention fewer trips to the local petrol station. People who would like to buy a hybrid but can’t face the idea of driving a Toyota Prius or similar small car around. Wealthy environmentalists!

Z PRICE AND AVAILABILITY: Available now €110.270.

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THE TREND technology

You might actually think that the electric car craze is a new concept, but you’d be wrong. The first electric car was exhibited at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893; William Morrison’s batterypowered carriage had a four horsepower motor with a speed of 22km/hr that could run for up to 13 hours needing only a 10 hour charging period.

WORDS ALI PARANDEH

Porsche 918 Spyder

Smart Cars II

THE SILENCE OF THE CARS A

las it never went into production and the horses remained in power for a bit longer until Henry Ford, in 1908, made the fossil-fuel powered car a dream everyone could afford.

Fast forward to 1996; GM manufactured 1,117 units of the EV1 battery-powered car. The production came to an abrupt end with the destruction of all the cars by 2002. The program cost $1BN and was marred by accusations and questions about its cancellation and the destruction of the cars which were only provided through leases and never actually sold.

Never mind. Now in 2015 we have Elon Musk making a name for himself in the electric car industry.

Tesla’s first models were definitely trendy in Silicon Valley to begin with and this has now reached further afield with the most recent models making their way to London and China. You may still not think much of it, but when I tell you the Tesla Model S can go from nought to 100 km/hr in just 3.1 noiseless seconds... that’s faster than your McLaren MP4-

12C and the Porsche 911S. Pretty impressive.

It is not just Tesla that’s gone electric and silent. The New Porsche 918 Spyder is armed with a 6.8 kilowatt-hour, liquid-cooled, lithiumion battery pack. This futuristic arachnid can not only outrun the mighty Turbo, it can also slide around town silently without a single chug of petrol. Equally, Ferrari, McLaren and Lamborghini have all introduced a plug-in hybrid concept car at this year’s Paris Motor Show.

You may ask yourself, how this is possible? How can a battery powered car outperform beasts like the Porsche 911 or McLaren MP4?

The answer relies on the availability of the torque power. While a traditional gasoline engine needs to build up revolutions per minute to create torque, an electric motor gives 100 per cent torque on demand. The full power is available the moment you drop your right foot onto the accelerator.

The electric or hybrid craze is not just confined to fast cars and the Toyota Prius. Almost all

manufacturers have started a hybrid or fully electric range.

Currently, the biggest problem for all electric (battery powered) cars is still the length of time they require for charging and the lack of charging points away from home. Even when you are at home, most plugs are hidden by the architects on walls that are covered by sofas or furniture.

There are, however, advantages to going green and electric. In London, your electric car has limitless access to the pay-as-you-enter congestion zones and, on top of this, you get access to government subsidies of up to £5,000. Meanwhile, in Paris, the Bolloré Autolib car-sharing scheme has almost 4,000 electric vehicles registered which are serviced by 871 charging stations.

Couple this with today’s software power, compared to the flower power of the 1960s, and cars not only become smart in terms of fuel efficiency but also in terms of functionality. Read last month’s article on the trends and changes that are coming to automobiles.

The Tesla S model is already

taking advantage of this technology and downloading upgrades to its software. If you already own one, then don’t forget to download the self-parking and lane-keeping updates that should, hopefully, be available by the time you read this article.

While writing this, I am still contemplating the purchase of a new car and am considering all these electric options. I really want out. I want my freedom. But I don’t think I will get it this time round. Hopefully the next four to five years should bring about enough changes that our current Dinosaur-style cars will meet with Dinosaur fuel in the same place and rest in peace.

g Ali Parandeh, is the Founder of PC Doctor & Urbytus. He has written five books in the fields of Internet and Biotechnology. He is currently an independent mentor at the Founder Institute and helps entrepreneurs with getting their ideas and work off the ground. parandeh@urbytus.com

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local

CULTURE / HISTORY / FEATURES / FAMOUS PEOPLE / INTERVIEWS / HUMOUR

Discover how Sotogrande is becoming an it place to live, work and enjoy life, soak in the bounties of Beach Life, embark on the Sunborn for an evening of play at the new Casino, rock on with Gibraltar band, Jetstream, sail out to sea with the Jolly Boys, and find out why Brian Gomila’s Barbary Macaque Experience Tours are so popular.

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Sotogrande

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Beach Life

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The Sunborn Casino

40

Jet Stream

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The Jolly Boys

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Brian Gomila

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The Gibraltar Music Festival

50

The Starlite Festival

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THE LOCAL sotogrande

For polo in August it’s cooler than the mint with the hole! Now Santa María Polo Club is upping the ante by €500m to turn the Sotogrande area of San Roque into the year-round Florida of Europe, as Belinda Beckett reports.

PHOTOGRAPHY DAVID CUSSEN AND COURTESY OF SANTA MARÍA POLO CLUB

Santa María Polo Club, now planning a game changer for the Sotogrande area

“A

s announcements go in Sotogrande, nothing compares to the wind,” writes Joaquín Santaella in his 2014 book, Cartas de Sotogrande. “The wind here tells you everything. Daily activities, their outcome and even what to wear are all closely related to the wind.”

Published by the former ABC Madrid journalist to mark the 50th anniversary of the San Roque resort he has called home for two decades, his words turn out to be more than prophetic.

A wind of change equivalent to Hurricane Force 12 on the Beaufort Scale is blowing through Sotogrande right now.

It will be game-changing for Santaella’s “very strange environment, neither country, village, town... nor the cliché that you see on Spanish TV in August.”

That ‘cliché’ is the prensa rosa’s perennial fixation with Sotogrande’s world class polo – or rather, the royals, aristocrats and Who’s Who of TV personalities, movie stars and politicians who descend on Santa María Polo Club in August to enjoy their private boxes and VIP terraces, or to mingle in the white-tented pop-up shopping village and hobnob at the Grey Goose vodka bar, pursued by paparazzi.

The big attraction is the International

Land Rover Summer Tournament, now in its 44th year (July 28-August 29). For one month only, Sotogrande becomes a photo opportunity for TV chat channels and revistas del corazón like ¡Hola! magazine. That’s the problem. The social glitterati vanish like May flies after the presentation of the Bronze, Silver and Gold Cups, even though Santa María hosts more than 25 tournaments throughout the year, including a major medium-handicap event in June and July which attracts top players from Europe.

More than a one-month stand!

SOTOGRANDE

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Polo plays to a packed house in August

Polo world number one, Adolfo Cambiaso of team Valiente who will be back to defend their Gold Cup title this summer

However this year, when the summer season ends on September 15, construction gangs will move in to kick-start an ambitious €200m project aimed at turning the Sotogrande area into a year-round tourism destination.

Santa María Polo Club’s ground-breaking plans include a 200-room, five-star hotel with polo pitch views, a club house, riverside park, business centre, spa and health club, shops, restaurants, offices, green areas and a 290,000m2 development of apartments and premium villas – all with new access from the A-7.

That’s just the first phase, approved by the Junta this year, although plans have been on the back burner for over a decade. The other half of this macro project – so vast, it requires a change to the General Plan of San Roque – envisages the creation of a €300m Equine District for horsey sports, and an extension to Sotogrande Marina to add swanky apartments with yacht moorings, converting the resort into the ‘Florida of Europe’.

In its entirety, the project will see the transformation of an area the size of 70 football pitches (500,000m2) between the marina and the village of Guadiaro, focused on Los Pinos polo grounds.

The job has been awarded

to the Florida-based architectural giant EDSA, the designers of the Dubai Opera House and PepsiCo’s World HQ in New York.

It’s extraordinarily good timing for Sotogrande LuxCo, an alliance of two private equity firms who bought the resort from NH Hotel Group for €225m last November.

Sotogrande S.A. has struggled to turn a profit in years past so the Santa María Polo Club project should see a dramatic change in the resort’s fortunes. Although the ‘old guard’ still talk fondly of the early days, when the resort was the best-kept secret of the privileged few (like the Domecq sherry and Ford car families), it’s exciting news for those whose livelihoods depend on tourism. What will Sotogrande become? It’s the talk of the port, the gossip at Café Ke and the whisper passed between stall holders under candy-striped awnings at the marina’s hippy-chic Sunday market.

They scent money – and they’re not wrong. After the Cepsa petrochemical refinery, leafy green Sotogrande is San Roque’s principal economic driver.

According to Mayor Juan Carlos Ruiz Boix, it generates “two or three jobs per household” in one of the most depressed areas of Spain: the Campo de Gibraltar, where 35 per cent unemployment is the average. “We want to reconcile both worlds with affluent tourism but not mass tourism,” says the Mayor.

A comarca (county) of seven Spanish towns running from Tarifa

to the Cádiz/Málaga provincial border, the Campo de Gibraltar was recently voted second Best Golf Destination in Europe in an Avios Airmiles Value Tracker poll, behind Palma de Mallorca – largely thanks to Sotogrande which boasts five of southern Spain’s top golf courses, including Valderrama of Ryder Cup and Volvo Masters fame. Now it will gain a lot more kudos.

“We are going to turn polo into a great experience with quality content, and we have the unanimous support of the Town Councils of San Roque, Jimena and Casares, among others,” announced Santa María Polo Club’s new Director General, Óscar Nieto, this spring. “We want to create a sustainable model centered on horses but that goes beyond polo and turns the Sotogrande area into something similar to a European version of the district of Wellington, Palm Beach.”

Wellington, south Florida, was a swampy backwater famous only for being the world’s largest strawberry field until it was transformed into an international jetset playground in the 1990s.

Today it hosts a major Winter Equestrian Festival and more than 40 weeks of horse-based competitions throughout the year. Celebrities with the clout of Bill Gates, Madonna and Bruce Springsteen own pads there, as well as hunky Argentinean polo player and Ralph Lauren model, Nacho Figueras.

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Arial view of the polo shopping village

“The planning approval is great news for us and for all of the Guadiaro region,” says Nieto, a marketing whizz headhunted from El Corte Inglés to get the project underway. He believes that what horses did for a Florida swamp they can do in cavalry-strength for an already well-known equine destination where sultans, Spanish royals and Princes Charles, Andrew, William and Harry have thrashed a mallet around on horseback. As well as 16 polo fields, the area has a top-rated equestrian centre which hosts champion show jumping, dressage, gymkhanas and teaching clinics held by Olympic riders.

“One of the problems with polo has been the seasonal nature of tourism in this area,” Nieto explains. “Almost all the activities take place in August which I find a little surprising. June, and especially July, are months where a lot of ideas could be put into practice and at the moment there is a very small amount of activity over that period.

We aim to change that gradually.

“We have already taken some steps to show off all of our fantastic resources, for example winter training for European football teams. However the Equine District is the big project. We are working

so that the area doesn’t only have tourism linked to golf or the beach. It is also possible to create a focal point for wealth, employment and development around equine activities.”

More than half a century ago, Sotogrande’s founders had the same idea. The multi-millionaire American businessman Joseph McMicking and his nephews Jaime and Enrique had the Florida model in mind in 1962 when they bought five fincas to create the ultimate family sports resort, with polo at its heart. Although McMicking hoped the resort would “mature like a good Camembert”, over time, the plans now afoot will certainly speed up the fermentation process!

It’s hard to believe that, until the 1997 Ryder Cup, the resort wasn’t even on the map. There was no dual carriageway to Sotogrande, nor any road signs pointing to it, and residents had to draw diagrams for visiting friends! That’s because it’s an urbanisation, although it’s the largest and most exclusive privately-owned residential development in the Cádiz Province.

Wedged between Gibraltar and the foothills of the Sierra Almenara and sliced into two halves

(Alto and Costa) by the A-7, it lies within the municipality of San Roque, and in many ways it’s much better appointed, with classy hotels and its own International School.

Well-considered planning has created an urban area of startling natural beauty, surrounded by cork forests, a nature reserve and 350 holes of golf. Along avenues dual carriageway-wide, their central reservations blooming with pink and yellow oleander, magnificent mansions peep from between lush conifers and sprinklers swish seductively over manicured lawns.

Other attractions include a Raquets Centre for paddle, pelota and tennis where a hallowed Wimbledon atmosphere prevails; two swanky beach clubs – the Octógano and the Trocadero (formerly El Cucurucho, opened by Frank Sinatra, with a 7,000-metre sunbathing lawn running down to the ocean); a sailing club for die hards who prefer wind power to turning a key in a polished walnut dashboard; not forgetting the multi-coloured marina, its trendy boutiques and bars pulling in what sometimes seems to be the only signs of human life during the quieter months.

Chic Puerto Sotogrande

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Direct access It’s is important to us that our clients have direct access to their relationship managers. Therefore we have no call centers. Instead, each of our clients has their own personal relationship manager who they can contact anytime - to quickly make good decisions.

There are no obstacles or barriers between us.

Welcome to a bank out of the ordinary.

Jyske Bank (Gibraltar) Ltd. Tel. +350 200 72782 Follow us on facebook jyskebankgibraltar 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.

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Sotogrande boasts five of Spain’s top golf courses

From the last week in July to the end of August, the population soars. Last year’s 43rd International Land Rover Polo Tournament brought 32 teams of riders from 20 countries to do battle in 152 matches over 36 competition days, watched by 77,000 spectators. Over 400 media representatives gave the event 1,055 minutes of TV time and millions of press cuttings.

Europe’s third most important polo fixture, worth even more points on the World Tour this year, is an open invitation to watch the world’s top equestrian gladiators displaying their Apocalyptic skills in four-horsemen teams on fields triple the size of a soccer pitch: cool Germanic blondes, red-hot Argentineans, smooth, snake-hipped Frenchmen – take your pick, most of them under 40, 100 per cent fit and drawn from polo’s elite, such as world number one Adolfo Cambiaso who will return this summer.

The high-adrenalin contest is a gripping spectacle. As Nacho Figueras describes it, “It’s like playing golf in a hurricane.” Yet, although everyone you know owns a polo shirt or six, many locals have yet to see a live chukka, even though it’s free to watch on all but Bronze, Silver and Gold Cup finals days. Even then, the €10 entry ticket (payable as you go in) goes to a good cause, providing riding therapy for the disabled at Santa María Polo

Tony Blair, ex-Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson or the ex-husband of the King of Spain’s sister, Jaime de Marichalar, you weren’t wrong. The megayacht moored off the coast last summer (the one bristling with more antennae than a Royal Naval frigate), belonged to James Packer, polo sponsor, casino magnate and son of the late Aussie media mogul, Kerry.

This year there will be many more attractions, including a much-enlarged Kids Zone and a Gourmet Food Truck Experience – a new trend in Spain – with 16 trucks offering different foods to try from 6pm until 1am daily.

“In our new Zone A, between pitches II and III, we want to promote the ‘casual dinner’ approach with ideas that turn the After Polo area into a mid-afternoon meeting point, during and after matches and to attract people on days when there are no matches at Los Pinos,” explains Óscar Nieto. “Zone B will have the restaurant, VIP Corporate Lounge, the Pavilion shops with exhibition space for Land Rover and Bvlgari, art exhibitions and our

beauty styling salon, which was one of the major successes last year. There will be a lot of changes and we are excited about surprising visitors this year.”

Across the A-7, another surprise is the reopening of the San Roque casino, closed since 2010. Europe’s largest gaming group, Novomatic, is additionally wagering €5 million on adding a leisure centre, cinema, nightclub, spa and 50-room hotel. The group recently opened a casino at Ocean Village, Gibraltar.

With so much going on this summer and beyond, Sotogrande will soon be unrecognisable from Joaquín Santaella’s “strange colony” where there’s “nothing else to do all year except play golf or bridge”. It looks like he’ll have to write a sequel! g For further information, see the Agenda pages at www.santamariapoloclub.com where you can download a handy app with details of fixtures and results, shopping village events, restaurants, children’s activities, parties, etc.

Foundation’s Hippotherapy Center.

Even if you’re not a sports sort, there’s always the après polo – boutique shopping, cocktail bars, fine and casual dining and top DJs spinning cool sounds at parties where the mojitos flow into la madrugada.

Providing you can focus after all that indulgence, it’s fun to play spot the celebrity. If you thought you recognised ex-British premier Valiente, winners of 2014’s high-goal Bulgari Gold Cup

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Cherry nice gazpacho at La Terraza de Teo

GOURMET SOTOGRANDE

The Molino del Condé has a mouth-watering menu

Where big beefy Argentinean polo players go, Argentinean steak restaurants are sure to follow but the dining scene’s about more than char-grilled rib eye, writes Belinda Beckett.

T

he British may have invented the bar crawl but the Spanish perfected it with their rutas de tapas. And appropriately, in polo’s most southerly European home, you’ll be exhausted before you run out of gastrobars to wine and dine on the hoof.

Tiptoeing through the tapicerías is the new sport for gastronomes and Sotogrande and its neighbouring villages are great places to try out the trend, although you’ll need wheels to do them all.

Most people head straight for the port, with its array of elegant waterfront restaurants, so if you blink you might miss Torreguadiaro, the village you drive through on the old road to the marina from Marbella. But at weekends, you can’t fail to notice the large crowd gathered on the pavement on your driving side, queuing up for tables at Puratapa and Inboca.

These two hip gastro bars sit cheek by jowl on the kerbside so you don’t need to take more than a step to try both, and it’s worth that small effort. They’re both state-of-the-tapas-art!

Puratapa is distinguished by its sleek white terrace furniture and multitude of mouth-watering options chalked up in rainbow colours on blackboards inside.

Their deep-fried filo pastry cheese parcels are divine and their tuna ceviche won an award in 2012. Inboca (pine tables, retro stools) presents you with a typed menu at the table. The ajo blanco soup and trufflefilled ravioli are very worthy of mention and don’t leave without sampling the gooey chocolate brownie, served in what looks fishily like a sardine tin but it’s a taste sensation! You can find both these gastro bars on Facebook.

Beyond the port towards San Roque, cross the bridge over the river and turn off into Pueblo Nuevo, Guadiaro village’s modern extension, fronting the A-7. The new Iceland supermarket, packed with British goodies, has put the village on the map. At the English butcher’s next door you can find British cuts, including pork chops with the rind still on, as well as plump home-made sausages and spicy burgers. But there’s more…

Heading to the back of Pueblo Nuevo into Guadiaro, follow the river along a shady tree-lined avenue to the Molino del Condé for another gastro adventure. The menu offers entrée-sized portions as well as tapas treats. Rice dishes (prepared 30 different ways) and seafood are house specialities. But do try the white chocolate pyramid filled with fruits of the forest!

For al fresco diners there are terraces front and back.

Sister restaurant La Cabaña de Sotogrande (behind the NH Hotel)

occupies the charming old Cortijo Valderrama, where Sotogrande’s founder Joe McMicking lived when he was planning the resort. He would be proud to see that the farmhouse and stunning gardens are a favourite summer evening dining haunt today. La Cabaña is number two on Trip Advisor, where it gets high praise for its roast meat and game, including the Iberian sucking pig and wild boar. i www.grupomolinodelconde.es Leaving Guadiaro on the back road towards San Roque, you’ll chance upon another tapas treasure, La Terraza de Teo, spacious and Spanish in style with a tiny terrace outside. Half the tables are laid with cloths for three-course menu service, the rest are dressed more casually for tapas. The Parmesansprinkled cherry gazpacho and the mi-cuit duck liver with caramelised fruits leave me speechless with ecstasy every time! i http://www.laterrazadeteo.com

Deep-fried divinity at Puratapa

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Beach club dining at Trocadero Sotogrande

Polo Etiquette

Tio Pepe served with a flourish

TripAdvisor lists 42 restaurants in Sotogrande and its two closest neighbouring villages (San Roque has eight in all). At the top of that list is Cancha II in San Enrique de Guadiaro, overlooking Ayala polo grounds. With its pitched beamed roof and polished woodwork, the restaurant is cosy in winter and cool in summer when the glass curtains are drawn back.

This is where you’ll find those beefy polo players, tucking into Argentinean T-bones and rib-eyes. It’s a place to dress up and be seen in summer, though you probably won’t get a look-in in August, unless you book. i www.asadorcancha2.com Jockeying for pole position at number three on TripAdvsior’s Sotogrande selection, Si Siam in Guadiaro introduces a breath of oriental fresh air to the dining scene. Behind its unprepossessing walled exterior is a relaxing secret garden, overlooked by a contemplative Buddha statue – the perfect setting to sample the fragrant Thai cuisine.

For an alternative take on Thai, La Finca (just off the entrance to Alcaidesa Resort & Golf Club, the only links course in southern Spain) amazes with its funky decor and woodland setting. Thai fusion is the speciality and it also caters for groups and events. i www.lafinca.com San Roque has been a gastro paradise since the Romans started manufacturing garum, a relish made from fermented fish that was all the rage in Rome. They produced it in Carteia, one of Spain’s

most important archaeological sites – a surreal juxtaposition of doric columns and petrochemical chimneys since General Franco built the Cepsa refinery next door...

Net-caught (almadraba) tuna was another big export from Carteia, the first colony outside Italy to be given Roman Empire status, and most of the area’s tapas bars feature it in inventive ways. Or go Japanese – they buy it from our waters anyway – at the San Roque Club’s Kamakura. Opened in 1997 to capitalise on the Ryder Cup, you can try the full range – sushi, maki, sashimi and teppanyaki – at a traditional table, or in the Tatami Room, sitting on floor cushions (the cheat is, there’s a well underneath the table for your legs to make it more cushy for Westerners). i www.sanroqueclub.com I’m also hearing good reports of Pueblo Nuevo’s Japanese restaurant Tengoku (see Facebook or TripAdvisor).

No Sotogrande restaurant review would be complete without mentioning the resort’s very first beach club (formerly El Cucurucho) taken over by Marbella’s respected Trocadero Group last summer. Trocadero Sotogrande has a wonderful ambience, day or night, and you can get almadraba tuna here too, along with fresh local meats and fish. The lighter daytime menu offers refreshing appetisers, salads and rice dishes. Dine under thatched pergolas poolside, fronting lawns running down to the ocean, or in the African colonial indoor restaurant. You won’t want to leave, and you don’t have to, as restaurant guests can enjoy the beach club’s amenities all day. i www.grupotrocadero.com

There’s an art to not making a horse’s a** of yourself – and not only the ability to tell one end of a polo pony from the other after a pitcher of Pimms…

The Sotogrande set can put it away. Getting ‘Tiddly-poo’ is acceptable but ‘legless’, neigh, neigh and thrice neigh. Having to be carried out comatose? Social suicide!

A chukka is a period of play in a match, not what you do after too many mojitos. There’s a three-minute break between each chukka, for players to change ponies and spectators to recharge glasses.

Polite clapping between chukkas is encouraged. Chanting and screaming is not.

When in Sotogrande, speak sotto voce: a simple ‘bravo’ at normal decibel level works best.

The dress code is boho chic. You want to create the impression you’ve come straight from the beach, although it takes hours of meticulous grooming to achieve this studied casual look.

For ladies, anything goes so long as it’s classy, accessorised with aviator shades and gladiator sandals/wedges. Killer heels are a no-no on the hallowed turf. Anyway, in stilettos you’d be rooted to the spot like a pegged tent.

For men, what else but a polo shirt! Well, trousers of course. Chinos in raspberry tones are very ‘in’ this season. Or shorts, if you’ve the legs for them, worn with loafers (but never socks).

For both sexes, a Panama hat is de rigeur, worn at a rakish angle à la Johnny Depp. You can buy the real thing at the polo shopping village.

Complete your look with a cute dog. Yes, you can bring Fido (providing he’s on a leash), the horsey set love animals. e

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THE FOCUS beach life

Beaches that Rock

Tarifa’s beaches are made for sunset strolls © cadizturismo.com

There aren’t many resorts in the world where you can watch aircraft taking off, elegant cruise ships weighing anchor and container ships the size of Manhattan street blocks crossing your horizon, all without budging from your sun lounger. It’s all part and parcel of a day at the beach in Gibraltar.

Most visitors are surprised to learn that the postage stamp-sized territory has six. And, as a day at the seaside is a cherished tradition among this closeknit community, everyone (including the Chief Minister and his family) comes sociably together on the beach.

And with Imax cinema views, no wonder! There’s always action out in the Strait, one of the world’s busiest shipping corridors plied by 70,000

vessels a year, including more than 200 visiting cruise liners and shoals of disporting dolphins, whales and blue fin tuna, which you can see at closer quarters on boat trips from the marinas.

There are James Bond-style thrills too, when police give chase to tobacco smugglers in their high-speed launches, while 30 submerged wrecks adopted by corals and marine species have created an underwater wonderland for scuba divers.

Since the infamous Summer of 2013, when frontier queues kept Gibraltarians closer to home, one beach has been reclaimed and others freshened up with new showers and changing rooms, booms to keep jelly fish at bay and a raft of aids for the

less agile, including amphibious chairs, mobile hoists and non-slip walkways.

You’ll have to rise earlier than the Germans to bag your patch of sand on two of the three eastside beaches, which fall under the shadow of the Rock in the late afternoon. But not at Eastern Beach, which gets all-day sunshine and is double-sized with two of everything, one at each end (services, beach restaurants, inflatable offshore water parks in high season) and covered parking in the middle, so it’s not far to lug the picnic. As the sand extends to the airport runway, plane spotting is an added attraction!

Early Genoese settlers gave neighbouring Catalan Bay its Italian flavour and it still has that Riviera

touch. You almost expect to see Audrey Hepburn driving past in her chauffeured limousine, nibbling Galaxy!

The bijou bay curves around a backdrop of Neapolitan ice cream-coloured houses tumbling down the cliff; stray cats recline in the sun; washing flaps on lines strung from balconies – you could be in the back streets of Naples!

Play beach volleyball, touch Titty Rock for luck (a giant boob-shaped boulder that fell from the cliffs), feast on fishy delights at La Mamela restaurant or enjoy a gastronomic world tour at neighbouring Caleta Hotel’s Bay View Bistro, which serves up classic dishes from 16 countries. You might even snap a visiting Barbary macaque – there are no end to this beach’s delights!

BEACH LIFE

Whether you’re a sun worshipper, a surf dude or a barefoot beachcomber, there’s an ocean of choice in this corner of the world, where you can head for the Med, strike out for the Atlantic wild west or ‘staycation’ around the Rock’s territorial waters. Belinda Beckett checks out Gibraltar’s beaches and some of her favourites beyond the border.

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Inflatable offshore water park © Jayden Fa

Big Eastern Beach is a double delight © Jayden Fa

Sandy Bay, also on the east side, was a misnomer until last summer as the beach had been washed away. The new pink sand is of exotic provenance, coming from Morocco’s western Sahara! Future breaks for freedom have been foiled by two new groynes and a submerged breakwater which make it calm for swimming. A quieter beach on the doorstep of Both Worlds residential community, the regular shuttle bus service from Europa Point car park is a big plus.

Approached through two rock tunnels, Camp Bay and Little Bay are lidos – family-friendly beach clubs perched on the edge of a pebble cove. Not the Premier League footballer-kind of beach club although strapping frogmen are a frequent sight, as the clear waters are home to the infamous

artificial reef that triggered 2013’s border queues, now teeming with marine life. Created to compensate for the lack of sand on the Rock’s Atlantic side, there are adult and children’s pools and an all-day restaurant linked by a series of terraces set up with permanent tables for slotting in your sun shade and chilling on your lounger.

A union jack fluttering from Parson’s Lodge battery on the cliffs reinforces the British seaside feel.

Western Beach, between the airport runway and the frontier, will only be open to the public this summer if and when the water quality allows. Spain has admitted causing sewage pollution but has been in no rush to rectify the situation. The Gibraltar Government continues to press for the pollution source to be removed.

That Riviera touch © David Cussen

Sandy Bay once more, thanks to a top-up from the Sahara © Jayden Fa

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The Atlantic Wild West

Terrific Tarifa

The virgin beaches of the Costa de la Luz are as good as any you’ll find in the Caribbean. Ask Halle Berry, who arose from the sea in a striking orange bikini on Barossa Beach in Chiclana, which doubled for Cuba in the James Bond movie, Die Another Day. Developers haven’t taken the same liberties here, as much of the coast is hemmed in by protected nature reserve. Giant dunes, marshland and dense pines resembling forests of broccoli sweep down to virgin beaches stretching to infinity. Many of these playas play it so hard to get to, they’re a pristine secret to all but itinerant herds of retinto cattle grazing on the dune grass.

It’s also the Coast of Wind, buffeted by powerful Atlantic breezes – good news for surfers but murder for contact lens wearers and anyone who doesn’t enjoy sand in their sandwiches. (Check the wind speed before you go.) Sunshades are de rigeur, as is a high factor sun lotion – it can feel deceptively cool in a Force 7 gale – but ditch the hat before a gust does it for you.

You’ll find both secluded rocky coves sheltering below sheer cliffs, and wide open sandy beaches that shelve so gently, you’ll have trouble getting more than your knees wet, although, as the Atlantic can be chilly outside high summer, that’s not a bad thing! The more popular beaches roll out sun beds from June onwards but stash a few folding recliners in the car boot in case you discover somewhere really isolated and idyllic.

With so many peachy beaches (13 in Conil alone), those featured are all within 90 minutes drive of Gibraltar. However it’s worth going the extra distance for Sanlúcar’s famous beach horse races which celebrate their 170th anniversary in August.

The shell-encrusted river beach on the Guadalquivir estuary is mobbed with spectators as jockeys clad in racing silks pound their thoroughbreds across the sand at low tide. Hedge your bets and stay the night!

Tarifa’s 35-kilometre beach strip has a ringside seat on the surfing action, although with sails flapping on every available centimetre of sand, it doesn’t make for peaceful sunbathing.

For the best vantage points to watch the aerobatics, head west of town to Valdevaqueros or Playa de Los Lances which will host the Tarifa World Kite Surf Championships from July 11-19. Fashion catwalks for the Hawaii 5.0.set, you’ll be surrounded by a hip, young crowd sporting toned, tanned bodies and Rip Curl board shorts.

If you prefer to spectate from a more sheltered distance, try the bar at one of the camp sites or art deco hotels along the strip, such as the aptly-named Hurricane Hotel!

To sunbathe without a sand-blasting, Playa Chica back in the hippy Moorish town is more sheltered and has great views of Africa, lounging in a purple haze on the horizon.

Where there are surf dudes there’s a vibrant social scene with cool juice bars, internet cafes and late-night disco tents pounding out funky beats all summer long. For tranquillity and stunning views, head for the terrace of the ivyclad restaurant El Mirlo, west of Valdevaqueros at Punta Paloma. The road slices through a towering dune and the reflected light from the white sand gives the impression of driving through a snowscape!

Cabo Trafalgar beach is the pageant princess in this beauty parade of tousled blonde playas. Next to it, what looks like an adobe mud hut given a makeover by Fred Flintstone is Cafe-Bar las Dunas, with its cool stone interior, gorgeous garden and unexpected sign above the doorway: ‘It is prohibited to use illegal drugs on these premises’ is the English translation. Whether for fun or for real, it’s a Facebook photo opportunity!

Punta Paloma’s giant dune © David Cussen

Tarifa is Spain’s Costa del Surf © cadizturismo.com

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Baelo Claudia, standing since Roman times © cadizturismo.com

Beautiful Bolonia Voted 10th best in Europe in TripAdvisor’s Travellers Choice Awards, Bolonia beach has two unexpected claims to fame – a 30-metre sand dune neighbouring the ruins of one of the most complete Roman towns in Spain.

A 10-minute detour off the Tarifa-to-Vejer road past farm fields brings you to a stunning crescent of white powder sand rimmed by 50 shades of blue water. There’s wow factor in spades, buckets of sangria too, served at casual chiringuitos where you

Bolonia beach, wow factor in spades © David Cussen

can dine barefoot on fried fish and colourful salads.

Work off the calories with a walk through scented pine forests or a race to the top of the dune.

Taking the time-travel tour around Baelo Claudia Visitor’s Centre is a must, and free to EU citizens with ID. Stroll between Doric columns on roads trodden by Romans and play with interactive screens to discover the origins of this ancient town, made wealthy from Empire-wide exports of garum, the BC equivalent of anchovy essence.

Beautiful Bolonia © cadizturismo.com

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© David Cussen

Quirky Los Caños de Meca

Caños de Meca © Shutterstock

This understated beach village is a throw-back to the 1960s with its laid-back hippy vibe and artisan shops selling colourful china geckos, the local mascot. Bucking the trend of other Costa resorts, there’s no paseo and the fab sand beach remains in hiding under the cliffs until you stumble upon it down steps between the houses on the road through the village (which is one way; you have to return through the pine forest along a bumpy dirt-track).

Caños is named for its freshwater springs trickling from the cliffs, discovered by the Moors who added the reference to Mecca, and rediscovered by hippies who started the trend for smearing a springwater-and-sand paste over their bodies for the ultimate exfoliation treatment! It’s

something to try at neighbouring Los Castillejos nudist beach if you manage to get down the precipitous cliff path.

It’s unsophisticated charms attract an alternative crowd and it’s mobbed throughout summer when owners of vacant plots make a killing in car parking fees, charged at a flat rate of €3-€5, so it’s worth lingering for a mojito at a rooftop bar or lunch at one of the funky little restaurants.

The building resembling a Moroccan tent pitched on the cliff – the Jaima Meccarola – has the best terrace views to Trafalgar lighthouse on the cape. The historic landmark where Nelson defeated Napoleon is a short drive along the stunning windswept beaches of Zahora and El Palmar, with their bleached wooden boardwalks.

It’s a precipitous path down to Los Castillejos nudist beach © David Cussen

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Amazing Alcaidesa

Trocadero Sotogrande’s peachy beach club © David Cussen

Mediterranean Hedonism The Spanish coastline east of the Rock makes a softer statement. The wind drops, the waves calm down and the scenery whispers of the Costa del Sol movida as the first beach clubs appear on the horizon.

Swanky Sotogrande is the gateway, with silver-grey sand beaches on either side of its bijou marina, including one fringed by protected nature reserve. There’s a big focus on sailing but beach life revolves around its two swish oceanfront clubs, which hog all the best amenities. At Trocadero Sotogrande, reached through the resort’s chichi, mansion-lined avenues, expansive grass lawns run down to the water’s edge and thatched Zulu-style sunshades add an African vibe. El Octógono, accessed via the port, has more green lawns, blue pools and a dedicated children’s zone. Both clubs’ restaurants offer elegant light summer dining.

From here to Estepona’s stylish seafront with its palm-fringed wooden chiringuitos, there are countless rocky coves and sandy bays to park your towel. For beaches with sunbeds, pull in at Duquesa Port or Sabinillas, popular expat resorts with restaurants serving every style of cuisine on the planet.

The closer you get to Marbella’s chic beaches with their ‘elephant’s trunk’ showers, the more sophisticated it gets. Trendy clubs like Puro Beach, Nikki Beach and Ocean Club have transformed the traditional day at the seaside into something way more decadent, where you can spy on celebs from white-curtained day beds, chill to the latest Ibiza sounds and order up a magnum of Cristal Champagne on ice.

Before you reach these pleasure domes, one beach often slips under the radar…

A best-kept secret fringing the only links golf course in southern Spain, as you have to drive through Alcaidesa Golf & Country Club urbanisation to reach it. But if you’ve always wanted to photograph the iconic east face of the Rock, this is where to set up your tripod. From here you can walk all the way to Gibraltar’s border with La Linea, circa 12km. Some people do it on horseback.

Turn off the A-7 between Sotogrande and San Roque to Alcaidesa and keep driving until you can see the ocean peeping between the houses beyond the small commercial centre. Chiringuito DBlanco, right on the beach, is open year-round, offering casual indoor and outdoor dining and a raft of activities for kids and adults.

Whatever brand of beach floats your boat, some things never change. You’ll still find fishermen setting up their sand-filled rowing boats to roast traditional espetos – sardines skewered on upright spits, cooked next to the fire and plonked without ceremony on a paper plate. For many, this authentic, no-frills fare is the true taste of beach life in the most southerly corner of Europe. e

Iconic views of the Rock from Alcaidesa

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THE LOCAL sunborn

Casino Sunborn

Ship-shape for a flutter afloat!

Sunborn Gibraltar has been making waves since she sailed into Ocean Village, 16 months ago and the winning streak continues with Casino Sunborn – a stylish first in super yacht gaming that’s turning the tables on the entertainment scene. WORDS BELINDA BECKETT

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n 1987, Agent 007 parachuted onto the Rock in The Living Daylights and, after dispensing with a would-be assassin, sailed off for more exotic climes. In those days, Gibraltar was not the kind of place to leave James Bond shaken or stirred.

It would have been a different story today, when Timothy Dalton’s Bond would have been in his element at swanky Casino Sunborn, in the company of Lady Luck and one of his trademark Martinis!

The world’s first super yacht casino is yet another landmark

in Gibraltar’s miraculous transformation from a grey military garrison into a glitzy Mediterranean destination that can give the Spanish Costas a run for their money.

Marbella’s movida is already rubbing off on the Rock, Premier League-style, with footballers David Bentley and Stephen Carr among the first to try a flutter afloat at Casino Sunborn’s glamorous opening night. With last month’s White and Gold launch party for Sunborn La Sala, whose sister restaurants in Marbs and London

are favourites with soccer supremos and TOWIE stars, a high-kicking celebrity summer is on the cards.

Casino Sunborn is a joint venture between Sunborn’s Finnish owners and Finnish casino operator Paf, which has won awards for its ‘socially responsible gambling’ approach and secure and professional gaming environments.

“We aim to bring the glamour back to a night out at the casino,” says Casino Manager Dominick Stenson who has worked at some glitzy gaming establishments himself, during more than 30 years

in the industry, in London, The Bahamas and at Budapest’s Várkert Casino, a listed building and part of the Royal Palace.

“We’re reviving the intimate ‘Club’ atmosphere that’s so often overlooked in the generic corporate venues now seen throughout Europe. We hope the casino will add star quality to Gibraltar’s entertainment attractions.

Gibraltarians are telling us it’s like a return to the heyday of the old casino up by the Rock Hotel, which was the place to dress up and be seen.”

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Of course, you don’t have to tux up like James Bond. Shorts can be worn until 7pm and a jacket and tie are optional; but with the possibility of stylish WAGS on board, most girls will want to look their best as they walk up Sunborn’s redcarpeted gangway to the casino, just off reception (turn right, under the chandelier studded with 66,000 Swarovski crystals).

After you’ve registered (bring ID), the first thing you’ll notice is the custom-made deep-pile carpet, a pastiche of exotic corals and anemones recreating the ocean floor. Glass vitrines display the glittering prizes you can win as a member, by accumulating points in the Loyalty programme – fabulous watches and jewellery, vouchers for the Sunborn Spa, dinner at the top-deck Sky Lounge restaurant,

even overnight stays. Membership includes entry to regular prize draws (a Harley Davidson was up for grabs in the first).

The coinless slot machines are a far cry from the one-armed bandits of old, offering multiple games on a variety of themes such as the 3D Sphynx – get your King Tuts in a row to compete for three levels of accumulating jackpot prizes, costing as little as 1p per spin!

A circle of six croupier-manned tables covered in burgundy baize takes centre stage where you can play American Roulette, Blackjack, Punto Banco and Sunborn Stud Poker from 4pm to 4am. There’s a tableside cocktail and drinks service, or watch the action from a stool at the stunning bar, hung with tinkling glass shards and flanked by twinkling Swarovski crystal

columns. With a menu of tempting snacks – mezze, foi gras, wraps, Iberian ham, Spanish cheeses and club sandwiches – it all adds up to a winning night out.

Another trump card likely to be played by celebs is the VIP Private Gaming Suite, with its exclusive bar, Jacuzzi and 70m2 terrace. The suite can accommodate up to 15 for Blackjack and American Roulette, with personal croupiers, dedicated waitress service and luxury food and beverage packages. Companies can hire the suite for corporate bashes and table limits can be set so that everyone can enjoy spin-ofthe-wheel thrills.

The casino is the latest in a long list of attractions Sunborn Gibraltar has brought to the Rock, along with high class dining, an exclusive spa and pool, a modern conference

centre and 189 five-star guest rooms.

“It has been an incredible year really! In my past experience of opening six hotels, this was probably the most complex project but also the most rewarding,” says General Manager Olivier Six. “On average it takes a new hotel three years to see high levels of occupancy. In the case of Sunborn Gibraltar we have broken records and it’s now a regular feature for the hotel to be full week on week, proving our critics wrong by exceeding all expectations in year one and two. This is a success story and I shall work towards ensuring that the legacy of this fantastic hotel lives on for many years.” i Further information

www.casinosunborn.com

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THE LOCAL people

One-track minds Jetstream are blazing a trail across the airwaves on both sides of the Gibraltar frontier with their pop rock party sound, and striking a chord with some of London’s top record producers too. They mightn’t be professional musicians – yet – but they’re musical ‘professionals’ in more ways than one, as Belinda Beckett discovers...

I

’m sitting in a cafe with three quarters of Jetstream. We’ve got an hour for an interview before they have to get back to their desks.

All these guys have high-flying day jobs! Bass guitarist Justin Pou has been detained at the office. He’s a full-time tax compliance officer.

If you thought rock musicians hung around all day drinking, dreaming and jamming, this 21st century ‘fab four’ will change your mind. I can’t even tempt them with a beer – they’re on water! They’re well-dressed, well-spoken and well-committed to everything they do. If professionalism counts for anything, it could tip the scales for this ambitious and most disciplined of bands.

In seven years together they’ve garnered 5,800 Facebook fans and 2,000 Twitter followers with their contemporary commercial sound.

It’s catchy, feisty and guaranteed to get the fiesta started across the 18 to 40+ age range... or, in my case, way beyond!

Music is pretty much all they breathe and sleep these days, after office hours of course! All winter they’ve been working on new material for a debut album.

All summer they’ll be gigging. All year round they rehearse, up to four evenings a week.

With the money they’ve made from concerts and their first EP, they’ve doubled up on equipment – one set kept at their Town Range

rehearsal room, one stowed in their new Citroen space wagon for gigs over the border, so they’re always ready to go. Being fashionably late isn’t part of this band’s repertoire!

An upbeat, party sound is. Think Coldplay meets The Killers with nods to The Script, Kings of Leon and Maroon 5 – originally bands they covered, now merely influences for their own edgy compositions.

They’ve been hitting the right note beyond Gibraltar too, with their high-quality demo tapes and pop videos. F5, arguably the best track on their EP, is getting a lot of play on YouTube, and not only because of the added allure of Miss Gibraltar 2014, Shyanne Azzopardi, looking sultry in a low-cut white dress...

“We don’t do things by halves,” says lead guitarist Stu Whitwell.

True story! Some of the lions of London’s music industry have been involved in making the crowds roar for Jetstream.

Their first two singles, LALA (now almost an anthem in Gib) and Stand Up were mixed and mastered

by Stereophonics producer Jim Lowe. Their EP, Piece of the Puzzle, recorded at London’s iconic Livingstone Studios, has similar pedigree. It was produced by Matt Lawrence who has worked with everyone from Adele and Beyoncé to Lady Gaga and Eric Clapton, and won a GRAMMY for Mumford & Sons Babel, the fastest-selling record of 2012.

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Alman is a ‘techie’ in more ways than one; when he’s not laying down the band’s backing tracks and setting up the sound system at gigs, he’s a police detective with Gibraltar’s counter-terrorism unit!

Music brought this seemingly disparate bunch together in 2008.

They’ve all had previous experience with other local bands – Darrell since he was an eight-year-old Scout Band stalwart! “I played every instrument going – the bugle, the bagpipes, even a bell lyre,” he laughs.

There have been some changes of line-up; Taxi’s Dylan Ferro was their first drummer, and at one time they were five, counting their exkeyboard player. It’s like he never left, thanks to Darrell’s skill at mixing in rich, computer-generated keyboard sounds.

As the band’s ‘elder statesman’

– although still only 38 – Stu keeps everyone grounded with his pragmatic take on the ‘stardom’ thing. “Natural talent is only part of it, persistence and commitment is key,” he says seriously. “So many bands with potential don’t last six months because of clashes of personality or different work ethics. We don’t debate about who does what, we plough everything we make back into the band and we’ve always earned everything we ever got through hard work. I think people see that and give us opportunities.”

Opportunity has knocked in the shape of the now colossal Gibraltar Music Festival.

Jetstream opened the very first, alongside UB40’s Ali Campbell and Jessie

J, returning last year to support a glittering line-up that included The Script, Supertramp’s Roger Hodgson, Newton Faulkner and Tony Hadley of Spandau Ballet.

© Figgy Photography

“We go to recordings with some pretty decent demos because we wouldn’t even get a look-in at a top London studio if they didn’t consider us worthy,” says Stu. “We’ve been told by several respected sources that our production quality is the best they’ve heard from an unsigned band.”

Everyone has a role, according to their skills. As head of the Creative Department at Gala Coral, Stu is ideally qualified to market the brand, channelling his artistic talents into planning Jetstream’s stunning posters, photography and pop videos. Lead vocalist Nolan Frendo books the gigs and negotiates the fees, putting his persuasive charms as Senior Bookmaking Operator at BWIN online gaming to good use!

Justin Pou, the only married ‘Jet’, drives the van. Drummer Darrell

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doesn’t make them middle of the road. The band’s high-octane stage performance wins them bookings everywhere they play – from favourite Gibraltar haunts like the Lord Nelson, Dusk and Rock on the Rock to La Sala in Puerto Banús and the Tennessee Club in Málaga. Always entertaining, at one gig ‘Naughty Nolan’ offered a free T-shirt to the first person to throw a bra onto stage... in winter... and actually got a result!

Turning pro is the goal but these guys aren’t content to rest on their Fender Stratocasters. “It’s hard for an unsigned band to get radio airplay in Spain or the UK,” says Stu, bringing it back down to earth. “Of course you hope a top DJ or A&R man hears 30 seconds of your track and is hooked but it’s a difficult dream to chase. That’s why we’re working on the album, the pop videos and gigs outside Gibraltar, and as far afield as

the UK. The more we put ourselves about, the greater the chance of creating that lucky break.”

They’ve done that once already.

From playing at a 40th birthday bash on Sunborn last year they were invited to the Cape Verde Island to share a stage with Tinie Tempah and Artful Dodger at the opening of the Meliá Dunas, Africa’s largest holiday resort.

Talking of which, what do they do in their downtime? Silence! Music is their relaxation as well as their motivation, it seems. These guys have one-track minds!

“The band has eaten into our social life but in many ways it has replaced it,” says Stu, finally. “We’re not just Jetstream. We’ve become a group of friends.” i Further information www.jetstreamofficial.com

Gig-a-bites

Where to hear Jetstream this summer ZZ Saturday, July 4: The Miss Gibraltar Pageant, Alameda Theatre, Gibraltar ZZ Sunday, July 26: Molly Blooms, La Linea, Spain ZZ Saturday, August 15: Summer Nights, Casemates Square, Gibraltar ZZ Thursday, September 10: National Day Concerts at Casemates Square and Dusk, Gibraltar ZZ Friday, September 11 & 25: Lord Nelson Bar, Gibraltar

© Jayden Fa

They make their own opportunities too, dishing out complimentary EPs to every star they meet for valuable feedback, and hiring their own cameramen to record their live stage performances. They used this year’s May Day concert with X Factor 2013 winner Sam Bailey to showcase their new songs and shoot footage for future pop videos.

Hugely popular on the Rock, Radio Gibraltar spins their sounds daily, GBC TV has used their tracks for programmes and Fabian Picardo’s government has also come to rely on ‘The Jets’ to help events like the annual Beer Festival and this year’s Miss Gibraltar pageant go with a swing.

“We get a lot of work because Gibraltar doesn’t have many pop rock bands – they’re mostly indie, alternative or new metal. Our sound has wider appeal,” says Nolan. That

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THE LOCAL people

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Belinda Beckett finds herself all at sea with Gibraltar’s very own Jolly Boys of Channel 5 fame – two guys who just love messing about in boats.

PHOTOGRAPHY BELINDA BECKETT AND COURTESY OF DOLPHIN ADVENTURE

AN OUTING WITH

I

THE JOLLY BOYS

was worried I was going to get more than a ‘splash’ headline when I agreed to venture out in a boat with Tony Watkins and Shane Athey.

If you’ve seen their eccentric exploits on Channel 5’s Gibraltar: Britain in the Sun series, you’ll know that nothing is plain sailing with this knockabout comedy double-act.

That said, they managed to come third in Ocean Village’s Cardboard Boat race before a rival team capsized them, Tony reminds me, as we push off from the quayside in Dolphin Adventure’s rubberduck yellow catamaran. Compared to Sunborn Yacht Hotel in the neighbouring berth, she looks like a bathtub toy!

What viewers didn’t know when they watched episode three of series two was that 3,000 quids-worth of brand new mobile phone, (Tony’s), camera (Shane’s) and radio mike

(Channel 5’s) went down with their cardboard ship, which didn’t endear them to the producer until he saw the clip and the funny side.

“Coming up?” shouts Tony from the top deck as he hauls me and my own camera up the precipitous steel ladder to meet Captain Shane, looking cool as a sea cucumber at the wheel.

Known to millions of British TV viewers as The Jolly Boys, aka The Jelly Boys, Little and Large and Fatman and Robin in affectionate reference to the size disparity (Shane’s on the skinny side, Tone’s a tad tubbier), who can forget their wild Heath Robinson inventions, designed to promote their Marina Bay dolphin, whale-watching and diving business? There was torpedo cam, kite cam and whale cam – GoPro cameras specially adapted (i.e. duct-taped) to water pipes and any flotsam they could find to take

aerial and underwater photos of marine life. Most of them sunk and one nearly took the back of the boat out.

“The show has been brilliant for business,” says Tony as we skim past the bow of a massive oil tanker. His fleet of two dolphin boats and one RIB, soon to be joined by a second dive boat, handles up to 1,000 customers per 12-hour day in peak season. Brilliant for Shane’s love life too – he’s on a promise from a Facebook fan who’s flying out to meet him. “Her hobbies are stalking and bunny boiling,” jokes Tony.

No doubt Shane’s Mum Queenie, another star of the programme, will be keeping a beady eye on him!

Tony is kept in line by his equally good-humoured Missus, Angie (aka ‘she who must be obeyed’), who runs a tight ship, handling the admin from an office around the corner from the boys’ Dive Charters shop. It’s more

peaceful and she’s heard all the jokes!

But don’t let their Laurel and Hardy antics deceive you. These guys practically have webbed feet, having dived since childhood. They’re qualified instructors with the British Sub Aqua Club and have American PADI accreditation. They know every barnacle-encrusted inch of Gibraltar’s 30 wrecks and quite a few of the residents too – conger and moray eels, loggerhead turtles, swordfish, octopus, seahorses, three kinds of dolphin, visiting orca, minke and sperm whales and, as Tony delightfully puts it, “Enough moules marinières to keep a Frenchman happy for a year.”

It’s a far cry from his days as a computer software salesman in Streatham. “I was stuck in traffic on the M25 one wet April Monday in 1991 and I said to myself, ‘there must be more to life than this.’”

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Angie Watkins runs a tight ship

Loving the boatnick lifestyle

That summer he packed up for Ibiza but red tape dashed his dreams of setting up a dive business there and steered him into Gibraltar’s more welcoming waters. “It was so much easier to set up here and everyone made me feel instantly at home.”

The team has grown over the years to include a marine biologist and a lawyer who crews part-time, preferring the freedom of sailing to a fat salary. Shane, from Southampton, came onboard in 2007. “He was working at Battersea Dog’s Home when I saw his big soulful eyes staring up at me,” says Tony in a serious voice, to fool me.

Shane lives on his 50-foot steel ketch in the marina. He packed up his construction business with plans to sail the world but fate had other ideas when he had to haul up in Gibraltar for repairs. Tony offered him a more permanent anchorage – a job.

A ‘dream job’, chorus these like-minded likely lads. “We’re doing what we love and not taking life too seriously, that’s the secret,” says Shane, who island hops around the Caribbean every other winter. Tony and Angie join him for holidays... how the other half live! When they’re not having fun at work, they’re off skiing in the Sierra Nevada or gunning their motorbikes around sharp bends on the Ronda road, so watch out folks!

Shane cuts the engines to keep a safe distance from a pod of striped dolphins leaping joyfully across our bows, to the “oohs” and “aahs” of passengers. These guys know exactly where to find them but they let the dolphins decide how close they want to get.

“We’ve noticed that when we stop, the dolphins often swim away,” says Shane. “We think they’ve picked up on the fact that stationary boats mean fishermen are casting tuna lures. Quite a number of dolphins have been injured by the hooks.”

“Fancy joining them? We’ll have you in a mask and flippers yet,” quips Tony, who runs the only scuba act in town. Dive Charters’ ‘try dives’ – 20 minutes submerged in the shallows off Rosia Bay – are popular with beginners, an appetite-whetter (or wetter) for the full PADI and BSAC courses. Transport is included – an old school bus they drove over from England, painted yellow to match the boats.

“Everyone’s nervous until they get below the surface and find they have 360 degrees of vision, and visibility of 20 to 30 metres on calm days, six times better than in Britain,” enthuses Tony, who raves about wreck diving at night. “In torchlight the colours are amazing.

Then there’s the human element and the history, when you look at a wreck like the 1916 steamer, SS Rosslyn, and see rivets that were

all put in by hand.”

Have they found any treasure trove? “Do we look as if we have,” says Shane, pointing out a hole in Tony’s T-shirt. Yet two jollier boys would be hard to find, and they count all of their blessings.

To understand more about dolphin and whale behaviour, the team is working on prototype 6 of ‘whale cam’, an ROV which can be controlled electronically. Their findings are of huge interest to universities running marine biology courses – their own resident expert, Rocio, has captured amazing underwater footage of a dolphin giving birth. They’ve also carried out a number of sea rescues, including a drowning vulture that had been attacked by gulls. A striped dolphin with a plastic bottle ring stuck on its

mouth is a current cause for concern. If they don’t get to it soon, it will die.

Happily, there are no SOS calls on our trip: number of dolphins sighted – scores; number of scary incidents – nil; although my eyebrows shoot up when Tony mentions another of their interesting sidelines: burials at sea!

“A lot of ex-divers and boat people want their ashes scattered at sea,” he enlightens me.

In fact, having experienced this jolly safe pair hands, I’m seriously considering taking my own mother off the sideboard at home for a final fling on Dolphin Adventure!

g To book you own Jolly Boys Outing contact www.dolphin.gi www.divegib.gi

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THE LOCAL people Belinda Beckett takes a sunset hike to the top of the Rock Nature Reserve to delve into the fascinating world of primates with Brian Gomila of Monkey Talk – a man who shares Sir Winston Churchill’s passion for safeguarding Gibraltar’s Barbary macaques.

Chilling with monkeys – Gibraltar’s Barbary macaques are Brian Gomila’s passion

Photography Photography Brian Gomila and David Cussen

‘Talking’ with

Monkeys “R

ight now, I am looking at seven primates,” announces Brian Gomila. We’re all puzzled. We can only see one young Barbary macaque sitting on the path in front of us.

“Seven’s right,” smiles Brian, pointing to all six of us taking his Macaque Experience tour: me, the photographer and four teachers from Governor’s Meadow Infant School. “You are all primates, and the monkey makes seven.”

“I want you to identify with the macaques because we come from the same family,” he continues.

“So today we are not going to see macaques. We are going to spend time with them. One ‘sees’ the doctor but ‘spends time’ with ‘family.’”

We had never thought of it that way before and as we gaze across the Strait, bathed in glorious evening sunshine, we know this is going to be a perspective-changing outing.

“We’re similar physiologically, behaviourally, anatomically too – we both have opposable

Just like human primates, a monkey baby is a big event

thumbs which make us dexterous,” continues Brian as, right on cue, the juvenile monkey leaps onto a car and starts twanging the windscreen wipers (they can whip off the rubber in seconds).

Macaques were introduced as ‘game’ to the Rock in the 18th century, and the legend arose that Gibraltar would cease to be British if they left. Sir Winston Churchill took it so seriously, when Gibraltar’s monkey population dwindled during WW2, he ordered more to boost the morale of the garrison’s troops.

Brian doesn’t want Gibraltar to lose its number one tourist attraction either. But the monkeys have been coming into town and raiding rubbish bins, which has earned them a bad reputation, and led to culls and translocations.

“Human behaviour has habituated the monkeys to behave in unnatural ways,” explains Brian. “Only by understanding and respecting them as wild animals can this co-existence flourish for the next 300 years.”

We follow the monkey’s ‘highway’ up the steep cliff to a ledge off Royal Anglian Way footpath (RAW), where Brian hopes they’ll gather before settling for the night. “Away from the roadside you can see these magnificent animals for what they are,” he enthuses, the only one not out of breath.

You’d never believe this fit 37-yearold has a full-time desk job as a commercial property surveyor with Land Property Services!

He also has a Masters Degree in Primatology and Gibraltar’s

macaques are his passion. He dedicates much of his spare time in changing public attitudes with his group outings, held throughout the year during the last two hours of daylight. He admits they’re “pretty unorthodox but also sustainable and non-intrusive – a chance to observe macaques in their natural habitat without disturbing them, like a safari.”

And what a delight it is to see them leaping about in the trees, feasting on berries and seeds – their natural food – and sipping nectar from trumpet-shaped Bear’s Breech flowers. We even tried some ourselves! Unfortunately, monkeyfeeding by tourists has upset their natural order and caused them to ‘learn’ other behaviours, like leaping onto shoulders, unzipping backpacks and snatching food.

“How scared are you of monkeys on a scale of one-to-10?” he asks us. “I’m a three, I have a healthy respect for them.” Most of us are a five or a six and one of us is a nine!

The mischievous juvenile on the path seems to know it and looks poised to spring.

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“Juveniles, like human children, haven’t learned the rules yet but it’s a lack of respect if we allow them to jump on us – the monkey is literally walking all over you,” says Brian, coughing loudly as we walk up the hill towards a larger monkey sitting on a wall.

“Meet Basil,” says Brian, introducing us to a low-ranking female. “I cough to announce our presence, in the way that we might clear our throats to say ‘excuse me’.”

Currently there are some 200 macaques living in seven territorial groups around the Rock. It’s a matriarchal society. Rank is passed down from mother to daughter and females remain in the same group.

Low-rankers like poor Basil keep to themselves as, when they try to integrate, they’re bullied. Males establish rank through fitness and may change groups to find a mate.

The dominant male here is a monkey called Smartie but Alice, the alpha female, is the ‘big cheese’. Brian needs to find her, as she decides where the group will spend the night. Being a typical female, she’s undecided and fashionably late.

Another monkey moves towards Basil and begins grunting softly.

“That’s a contact call telling the rest of the group it’s time to move,” says Brian. Basil chatters her teeth. “That can be a greeting but in Basil’s case, it could mean ‘don’t hurt me’ as the second female is of higher rank.

“Would you like to touch them?

You shouldn’t. How would you feel if a total stranger came up and touched you? Monkeys groom

each other to keep their fur in condition and to reinforce social and family bonds so if you stroke a monkey you’re committing two errors,” elaborates Brian. “You’re not grooming and you’re not a familiar.

Monkeys tolerate being stroked if they think there’s something to be gained, like a food treat. Like us, they have ulterior motives.”

We all stop dead in our tracks as a mother bounds onto the wall with a tiny black monkey baby clinging to her undercarriage, so young the umbilical cord is still attached. It’s the perfect opportunity for Brian to explain how monkey Mums use their kids to boost their group status.

“Just about every monkey you’ll see today is celebrating its birthday this month,” he tells us. “They give birth in late spring/early summer, each group synchronising births to within two weeks or so. Like humans, new-borns have natal hair and it’s black, unlike the mother’s, to stand out. My sister just had a baby and the first time she took the pram down Main Street, everyone came up to greet her. She was the toast of the town! It’s the same with monkeys.”

As if to prove the point, another monkey approaches and starts tugging at the baby for a closer look.

The mother makes a round-mouth gesture – go away, in ‘monkey talk’ – but she’s too low-ranking to make it count.

Danger is averted as Smartie comes swaggering down the wall we’re sitting on, allowing Mum to make her escape. Most of us jump up too. He’s a big boy! “Sit your

“I want you to identify with the macaques because we come from the same family” ground; all things being equal, we do not change our position for monkeys,” instructs Brian, as Smartie nonchalantly brushes past us.

But where the heck is Alice? The sun is setting and the matriarch is nowhere to be seen. Just then, an adult female with a large tuft on her forehead comes loping down the path. Alice at last, and she’s heading for RAW. “The tuft is from an injury she sustained in 2003 when I first started studying the macaques,” says Brian.

“Her forehead was ripped apart and you could see her scalp. We don’t know what occurred but it was probably the result of a fight.”

Unusually, Alice deposed her own mother, Dot, when she became too old and weak. The provisioning of monkeys has extended their lifespan longer than nature intended.

“Monkeys use food to assert their dominance and in order to conduct these tours I need to assert my own”, Brian tells us as we all sit on the ground for the final lesson of the night. Hand-feeding is perceived by the macaques as a sign of weakness as they do not share food amongst each other. “I use food to assert dominance over the macaques passively. By bringing out food in my own time, I remove the element of surprise. By repeating this process over many years I have developed a

relationship at an individual level with these macaques that works for me, based on mutual respect”.

To demonstrate, Brian peels a banana and begins to eat it. A monkey approaches cautiously.

Brian calmly makes the ‘go away’ round-mouth gesture and the monkey backs off. A more dominant monkey approaches. Brian repeats the gesture, leaning forward slightly to press the point home. The monkey retreats.

No other monkey makes a move, not even big Smartie. “He’s seen it all before and doesn’t want the humiliation of being bossed around by me in front of the group,” explains Brian. In time, all of the monkeys will learn to leave Brian in peace to eat his food.

We learned many fascinating facts from Brian that evening, and a lot about our own behaviour.

His tours are not only a wonderful experience; by understanding the Barbary macaques as wild animals you’ll learn how we can better coexist alongside Gibraltar’s other primate!

g To book a group outing, contact

Brian Gomila on www.facebook.com/ MonkeyTalkGibraltar or email monkeytalkgibraltar@gmail.com or travel@blandstravel.com

Adolescent male

Grooming has a social function

Brian Gomila’s sunset Macaque Experience tours are attitude-changing

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THE LOCAL events

GIBRALTAR MUSIC FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES TOP ACTS FOR 2015

KINGS OF LEON & DURAN DURAN TO HEADLINE!

Kings of Leon

her trademark brand of retro soul and jazz.

Two-tone ska band, Madness, will be on hand to provide a set sure to get the crowd on their feet.

Kaiser Chiefs are one of the UK’s biggest and best live bands. Expect nothing short of brilliance from the Leeds legends.

Ahead of launching their new album, superstar Barcelona duo Estopa will be headlining the Radio Gibraltar Stage for their only show of the summer.

Most Gibraltarians are also extremely excited that British singer-songwriter James Bay has also been confirmed. Having won this year’s BRIT Awards Critics Choice Award, his talent is utterly undeniable and not least showcased on this year’s breakthrough album Chaos And The Calm.

Since gracing the nation’s TV screens on the X Factor back in

2012 Ella Henderson has proven herself to be a true superstar. With both her debut single Ghost and debut album Chapter One charting at number one; she is undoubtedly one of the UK’s finest pop exports.

Joining the headliners is a supporting cast of some of the world’s best talent including: awardwinning piano balladeer Tom Odell; breakthrough singer-songwriter Rae Morris; power-pop superstars The Feeling; pop-rock chart smashers Lawson; reggae veterans Third World; Irish folk duo Hudson Taylor, and; exuberant dub funk band Dub Colossus.

Many of Gibraltar’s best musicians will also play. Reach, Kristian Vinales (DJ Set), Guy Valarino, This Side Up, Headwires, Paddy Taylor, and Jeremy Perez & Tom Stott have all been announced, in addition to Strange Brew, Tim Garcia ft Afterhours, Dead City Radio and Karma 13.

Kaiser Chiefs

B

ringing some of the world’s top live acts to Gibraltar each year, GMF is back in 2015 with its biggest line-up to date in the picturesque surroundings of Victoria Stadium on the Rock of Gibraltar.

Headlining proceedings this year are none other than Nashville rock heroes Kings Of Leon who come to GMF as a UK/ British exclusive performance.

Since bursting into the public consciousness back in 2003, they have spent over a decade positioning themselves as one of the greatest bands of a generation.

Also headlining will be pop icons Duran Duran. Having sold over 100 million records worldwide and with a new album set for release in mid-September this year, the band are as vital and festival ready as ever.

Eccentric pop starlet Paloma Faith will be gracing the stage with

Duran Duran

September 5 and 6, 2015: PALOMA FAITH, MADNESS, KAISER CHIEFS, ESTOPA, TOM ODELL, RAE MORRIS, THE FEELING, LAWSON, AND MANY, MANY MORE WILL PERFORM ACROSS THE WEEKEND. TICKETS ON SALE NOW – VIP TICKETS SOLD OUT

Madness

TWO AMAZING DAYS! Unbelievably, many more artists are still to be announced; an impressive total of 50 will play across the weekend! GMF is a family-friendly festival, this year promising two amazing days! i Tickets on sale now.

www.gibraltarmusicfestival.com

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Enrique Iglesias, Andrea Bocelli, Alejandro Sanz, Plácido Domingo and Lionel Richie are just some of the stars who will be turning Marbella into a Mecca of music and magic this summer at the Starlite Festival.

The event starts on July 18 and lasts until August 22; Marisa Cutillas brings us a few highlights from this magnificent event.

I

t is hard to believe that Starlite is just four editions old this year; just the mention of this star-studded event conjures up images of unforgettable nights beneath the stars at the stunning Cantera de Nagüeles, watching some of our favourite musicians of all time: everyone from classic crooner, Julio Iglesias, to his funkier, more danceoriented son, Enrique. The list of artists who have heeded the call of the Mediterranean include Tony Bennett, the Pet Shop Boys, Tom Jones, Bryan Adams and of course, Paco de Lucía, one of Spain’s best loved and most talented artists. The demise of de Lucía last year reminds us that we are very lucky to catch live performances by artists of such renown, ‘living the moment’ as if it – and they – could last forever.

The event lingers in many performers’ minds, as noted by leading Grammyaward-winning singer and composer, Alejandro Sanz: “Starlite is almost a vice.

Once you perform, you have to come back. The atmosphere is fantastic, the acoustics are extraordinary, you’re near the public when you perform and the scenery is amazing.” Sanz, accustomed to filling stadiums and arenas seating up to 50,000 people, is easily seduced by the idea of performing before just 2,400 spectators, seated just a few metres away from the artist. The stage is dreamlike indeed, flanked by two 60-metre cliffs that shelter the audience beneath the starry night’s sky.

Miguel Bosé echoes Sanz’s sentiment: “I don’t think there’s a single person in showbusiness who doesn’t love the idea of Starlite.”

Starlite is also inexorably linked to the man who is arguably the world’s most famous Spaniard (after Picasso, of course): Tony award-winning Actor, Antonio Banderas, who hasn’t missed a single edition of the Starlite gala, wowing film fanatics in a tux at the most elegant soirée of the year. Of course, the Starlite gala is much more than an excuse for socialites to don their most elegant garb; it is an event with plenty of heart, where monies raised go to important children’s charities, including Niños en Alegría (founded by Sandra García-Sanjuán) and Lágrimas y Favores (dreamchild of Antonio Banderas himself).

Two of the biggest stars set to perform at this year’s Starlite Festival are Plácido Domingo and Julio Iglesias. The world’s most lauded tenor will be giving his second concert at the Cantera since he first helped inaugurate it over 30 years ago; Iglesias will be performing for the fourth year in a row. This year’s event will also feature plenty of rock ‘n roll, thanks to artists like Lenny Kravitz, Anastacia, Melendi and Roger Hodgson. The sound of the flamenco guitar will also ring throughout the Cantera, as singers India Martínez and Pitingo, and dancer Sara Baras, show the world the beauty of this rich Spanish tradition.

Starlite will also feature dance (the Vivancos are a cool rhythmic dance act), tribute music (the symphonic rhapsody of Queen), pop music (Laura Pausini), ballads (Julieta Venegas) and much more. We can really see the party crowd queueing up for the Village People concert, or recalling the glory days at Noche Movida, featuring an

array of top bands like Tam Tam Go, Nacha Pop and La Unión). The powerful beauty of Andrea Bocelli’s voice, meanwhile, is something that should not be missed by those who appreciate pure artistry.

Finally, adults and children alike can barely contain their excitement as they await the performance of Mago Pop, an amazing illusionist who performs tricks that are out of this world. Even those feeling nostalgic will find their perfect match at Starlite, at the Ana Belén and Victor Manuel concert, or Sinatra & Friends, an elegant tribute to the revered Rat Pack. Not all the action will be taking place on the Main Stage; there will also be cinema showings, fashion shows, art exhibitions and gastronomic events at the Starlite Lounge, and Starlite Disco parties, DJ shows, musicals and soirées.

To do your share for the children, help the five-week festivities by joining a bevy of stars at the Starlite Gala, which will be taking place on August 9 at 8pm.

Laura Pausini

Marbella’s Most Hotly Awaited Event

Alejandro Sanz

Starlite 2015

Lenny Kravitz

THE LOCAL events

g To keep up-to-date

with venues, precise times and dates of all events, visit www.starlitemarbella.com

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THE LOCAL rolex

Which colour appeals?

New Look for the

Oyster Perpetual Day-Date Rolex is introducing the new generation of its most prestigious model, the oyster perpetual Day-Date, featuring a modernised design with a 40mm case as well as a new mechanical movement, calibre 3255, which sets a new standard for chronometric performance. The new Day-Date redefines the status of this superlative chronometer, established by Rolex in the late 1950s, with criteria for accuracy on the wrist that are twice as exacting as those for an officially certified chronometer.

A

esthetically, the new Day-Date inherits the evolutions that have marked the history of this very charismatic watch: refined lugs and middle case, a broad and clear dial, as well as an exclusive return to the President bracelet that was created specially for the Day-Date in 1956 – now redesigned to be even more closely integrated into the Oyster case. The new Day-Date is presented in 950 platinum or 18ct yellow, white or Everose gold versions, with a variety of elaborate new dials, veritable signatures of its renewal.

THE PRESIDENTS’ WATCH A symbol of excellence and prestige, exclusively in gold or in platinum, the Day-Date has always represented the summit

of the Rolex art of watchmaking. It was launched in 1956 and built on the three pillars of Rolex. The Day-Date was the first waterproof and self-winding chronometer wristwatch to offer a modern calendar with an instantaneous day display, spelt out in full in a window on the dial in addition to the date. The exceptional precision, reliability, legibility and presence of this prestigious model have made it the ultimate status watch. The Rolex Day-Date has been worn by more Presidents, leaders and visionaries than any other watch. It is highly distinctive, in particular thanks to its emblematic President bracelet with an evocative name that, together with the eminent figures who have worn it, ensured the Day-Date became known as ‘the Presidents’ watch’.

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CALIBRE 3255, A SUPERLATIVE CHRONOMETER

The new Day-Date is equipped with a new-generation movement, calibre 3255, entirely developed and manufactured by Rolex for a superlative level of performance. Certified as a Swiss chronometer by COSC (Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute), it is tested a second time by Rolex after being cased to ensure that, in everyday use, it satisfies Rolex’s criteria for precision, which are twice as exacting as those for an officially certified chronometer. This control of the final precision of the assembled watch is carried out using a methodology and high-technology equipment specially developed by Rolex.

This self-winding mechanical movement is at the forefront of the art of watchmaking. A consummate demonstration of Rolex technology, with 14 patents, it offers fundamental gains in terms of precision, power reserve, resistance to shocks and magnetism, ease of use, and reliability.

It incorporates the new Chronergy escapement patented by Rolex, which combines high energy efficiency with great dependability. Made of nickel-phosphorus, it is also insensitive to magnetic interference.

The oscillator, the true heart of the watch, has an optimised blue Parachrom hairspring. Patented and manufactured by Rolex in an exclusive paramagnetic alloy, it is also up to 10 times more precise than a traditional hairspring in case of shocks.

Thanks to a new barrel architecture and the escapement’s superior efficiency, the power reserve of calibre 3255 extends to 70 hours.

EMBLEMATIC NEW DIALS In its new form, the Day-Date stands out with a range of elaborate new dials, a singular combination of high-technology and traditional know-how. Thin, laser-etched motifs are applied to a traditional sunray finish for a particularly sophisticated effect. New faceted and deconstructed Roman numeral hour markers, with individually hand-positioned elements, underscore the masculinity of this charismatic model.

Demonstrating Rolex’s unique expertise in the art of dial making, these new watch faces are exclusive to the new Day-Date.

The new Day-Date

The caliber 3255

PRESTIGIOUS PRESIDENT BRACELET Designed specially for the Day-Date at its launch in 1956, the elegant and imposing President bracelet is inherent to the standing of the model.

Immediately recognisable on a wrist, this solid gold or platinum bracelet with three semi-circular links provides complete reliability and comfort. It is now equipped with ceramic inserts inside the links, enhancing its suppleness and durability. A new concealed attachment beneath the bezel ensures seamless visual continuity between the bracelet and case. The new-generation concealed Crownclasp, opened with a hinged Rolex crown, adds a final aesthetic and functional touch to this sumptuous bracelet.

The Day-Date in white gold

ROLEX DISTRIBUTOR MARBELLA Joyería Ideal, Local M-28. Muelle Ribera, Puerto Banús. Tel: 952 907 010.

ROLEX DISTRIBUTOR GIBRALTAR The Red House, 68 Main Street, Gibraltar. Tel: +350 200 44504. i www.rolex.com

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THE STYLE fashion

SOLEIL D’OR

The Summer sun is blazing and a bevy of beauties are heading for the beach for the perfect tan. Check out the top looks for the Summer, featuring swimwear by H&M, MLE Swimwear (www.mleswimwear.com) and Priscilla Sacramento Designs, as well as gorgeous accessories by ASOS, H&M and Topshop.

PHOTOGRAPHY JAYDEN FA (www.facebook.com/jaydenfaphotography) MODEL ANNA ROSEN HAIR AND MAKEUP LIZA MAYNE ART DIRECTION GUY BAGLIETTO STYLING ANDREA KAROLIINA

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bikini MLE Swimwear Bangles asos

Swimsuit Priscilla Sacramento Designs Choker Topshop

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Bikini MLE Swimwear Rings H&M

bikini H&M Bangles asos

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THE SPA beauty

WORDS MARISA CUTILLAS

ADVICE

Tips for a beautiful, smooth fake tan include:

TIPS FOR A SAFE AND BEAUTIFUL

SUMMER TAN

I

n case you thought that you could avoid the dangerous, burning rays of the sun yet still obtain a dark bronzed glow by foregoing the beach for a tanning booth, think again; there is no such thing as a safe, real tan – unless, of course, it is built up very gradually through limited sun exposure, and the avoidance of peak hours of sunlight (12pm to 4pm are the most dangerous hours of the day). UV radiation, whether from the sun or a tanning booth, causes photo ageing; alongside chemical pollution, cigarette smoke, alcohol and drugs, excessive exposure causes the formation of free radicals, which damage collagen (the skin’s building blocks) and cause it to cross-link, resulting in wrinkles, sagging and age spots.

The sun isn’t entirely to blame, of course; as beauty guru, Leslie Kenton notes, our ancestors adapted pretty well to the sun for millions of years; the human body is theoretically well equipped to deal with the sun’s rays. There are two main culprits when it comes to photoageing: chemical aggression (caused by many

commercial skincare products, insecticides and pesticides and other dangerous chemicals) and electromagnetic pollution. These factors increase our skin’s sensitivity to UV rays, causing cancer and premature ageing.

So what’s a girl or guy to do these days if a decent tan is desirable? UV sunbeds are no help because they may filter out UVB rays, but they still absorb UVA rays. Chemical sunscreens should also be avoided in favour of physical sunblocks, which are made from titanium dioxide or zinc oxide – these compounds do not absorb UV rays or react chemically with skin. If you wear make-up, go mineral; it looks natural yet reflects UV rays away, so it is the ideal choice for the sunnier months.

Ultimately, fake tans are your best bet. The depth of the tan you can obtain from self-apply products depends on your how your skin reacts to their browning chemicals; you may need to try more than one product until you find the one that gives you the deepest, longest-lasting tan.

Z Exfoliate skin: Before applying your product, ensure that skin is properly exfoliated. If you have dead skin cells in some areas, they will not absorb the cream or gel and your skin will look blotchy.

Z Moisturise: Target the usual dry areas like the elbows, knees and ankles; this will ensure the same tone throughout your body. Before you apply your tanning product, ensure you have dried off any excess moisturiser.

Z Apply petroleum jelly to your hairline and eyebrows; this will protect these areas from the tanning product.

Z Use various layers of your tanning product.

Take the time to apply various fine layers; apply more layers to areas you wish to look darker, such as the thighs or upper arms and apply less to the hands and feet.

Z When it comes to your face, apply a very light layer at first, becoming more adventurous once you are sure that the tan is subtle and even.

Z Use a buffer to smoothen any areas with a build-up of your tanning product.

Z Wash your hands immediately after you apply the product or your palms will quickly stain.

Better yet, use fine latex gloves. Otherwise, no matter how careful you are, you could find that the product becomes lodged under your nails for days. After applying to all the desired parts of your body, use cotton wool or an unwanted towel to dab a little onto the back of your hands.

Z Allow the product to dry for around 45 minutes or your clothing may become stained; to be safe, use dark clothing on the day you apply the product.

Z Wait a couple of hours before swimming, showering or bathing.

Z Apply the product consistently to ensure your tan remains in perfect shape all summer long.

Ensure you continue to exfoliate and moisturise skin regularly.

Z Use a self-tanning product remover if necessary: Don’t be afraid to remove an uneven tan and start over again. There are excellent fake tan removers which work as quickly as acetone does with nail polish but which won’t dry skin.

Z Do not be afraid to enjoy a bit of sunlight even if you have a fake tan; just make sure to avoid the sun in peak hours to ensure optimal skin health.

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THE SPA beauty

GOING APE OVER

COCONUT OIL

Move over extra virgin olive oil; there’s a ‘new’ kid on the block and its applications range from hair and skin care right through to cooking and use in raw food desserts… it’s called coconut oil and, without a doubt, it is poised as one of the healthiest fats for the new millennium.

WORDS MARISA CUTILLAS

UPDATE

The Problem with Trans Fat

Trans fats are present in many of the commercial vegetable oils we buy. They are made by adding hydrogen to vegetable oil to augment the shelf life, a process which causes them to become solid at room temperature. Modern man has been heavily reliant on this type of fat (present in baked items, many crisps and snacks, fried foods, margarine and some nondairy creamers) for the past few decades, as a result of the belief that refined vegetable oils are ‘healthier’ than saturated fats.

In fact, despite using margarine and oils like sunflower or corn oil as originally recommended, the human population has grown more obese and suffered from a significantly higher rate of cardiovascular problems over the past 30 years. Nowdays, nutritionists, doctors and researchers are suggesting that

we turn to healthier fats like olive oil and coconut oil, which avoid many of the health issues caused by trans fats.

What Makes Coconut Oil So Special?

Coconut oil may be more saturated than other vegetable oils, but it is rich in MediumChain Triglycerides, which, according to a study by K Mumme et al, published this year in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, can potentially induce modest reductions in body weight. What makes MediumChain Triglycerides so important is that they are converted into energy by the liver. Coconut oil is also rich in lauric acid, which is converted into monolaurin – a monoglyceride which, when consumed or rubbed into skin, can help battle bacteria, and viruses which are covered in a lipid coating.

How Should I Use Coconut Oil?

Coconut oil can be used in so many ways; it is an important component of most raw food desserts (because it provides mousses, puddings and the like with a creamy texture), and it can be used daily in cooking.

It can be heated to very high temperatures, making it an ideal choice for frying and baking. For a quick energy boost, just add a teaspoon of this oil to your morning cup of coffee or tea.

Try to consume it alongside fatsoluble Vitamins like Vitamin A, E or D3, since it increments your body’s ability to assimilate these vitamins.

What Type of Coconut Oil Should I Use? The boom in the popularity of coconut oil means that there are many new brands popping up in stores. Make sure you only opt for 100 per cent natural raw virgin oil (Holland & Barrett’s Perfectly Pure Coconut Oil is an ideal choice for salads, cooking, or as a body or hair moisturiser). H&B also stocks

Tiana Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, one of the very best on the market, since it is cold-pressed and 100 per cent raw, organic and pure. The absence of heat when cold-pressed oil is extracted means that the oil never simmers or boils, so none of its natural goodness is lost.

Bioglan is another ideal brand, producing cold-pressed, organic virgin coconut oil, comprising 62 per cent Medium-Chain Triglycerides. Marvellous is another excellent brand that is proving very popular among health food buffs and raw food fanatics alike.

The Plentiful Benefits of Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is an excellent way to pursue a leaner, trimmer body and hydrated skin and hair.

It can also boost your energy levels, which is great news for those who need to keep on their feet all day long. The humble coconut has long been hailed as one of the most nutritious, delicious fruits that Nature has to offer, but coconut oil takes it to a whole new level! * 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.

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HOLLAND AND BARRET GIBRALTAR 160 Main St, Gibraltar. Tel: +350 2 00 49504. www.facebook.com/hollandandbarrettgibraltar

6/26/15 5:12 PM

Gibraltar l a r u t a n % 0 0 1 s l i o Our t u n o c o c n i g r i , v d e w r u ra o v a fl y l e t a c i l e d . . . e e t ar s a t s u o i c i l e d a h t i w

& , s e y ... oh ! o o t k c in sto 160 Main Street, Gibraltar 路 Tel. +350 200 49504 facebook.com/HollandandBarrettGibraltar @HBGibraltar

Gibraltar

local

SUPER-YACHTS AHOY

JOLLY SAILORS

Dubbed one of the most sociable regattas in the world, the 15th edition of the annual Gibraltar-Morocco Smir Yacht Rally is growing in reputation and popularity year on year. Held over the mid-June Bank Holiday weekend, the colourful charity celebration of wind and motor power is the traditional kick-start to the summer sailing calendar. Organised by Ocean Village and Boat Shed Gibraltar, what began as a traditional yacht regatta has diversified to include power boats of all sizes. The event, which raised £2,000 for Gibraltar Red Cross in 2014, began with a Skipper’s Briefing at Dusk Champagne Bar and continued when the boats reached Marina Smir on Friday evening. A wine and cheese party, souk shopping, excursions to M'Diq and Tetouan and a fancy dress prize-giving on the Saturday night were also on the packed weekend agenda.

Visit Boatshed Gibraltar’s Facebook page to see how they got on.

© MeteoGib

The world’s wealthiest super-yacht owners could soon be splashing their cash in Gibraltar. Outline planning permission has been granted for 10 new superyacht berths and 102 short-stay and rental apartments in Marina Bay, neighbouring Ocean Village. “Our Marina sees super-yachts on a regular basis, but usually just for short periods of time or for fuel stops,” commented a delighted Ocean Village Director, Neil Crawford. “Only recently, a super-yacht refuelled in Gibraltar but continued up the coast to Puerto Banús, where the owners spent €300.000 in one shop. Main Street retailers and other Gibraltar businesses will relish being on the receiving end of this kind of investment.” Plans include a modern Pier Office with executive crew lounges, sophisticated data networks, pump-out facilities, improved electricity supplies, Spa-style facilities and a public ‘mirador’, while CCTV will ensure peace of mind for owners, guests and crew. The apartments will have rooftop pools and leisure areas with waterways flowing between, like a mini-Venice. i www.superyachtsandshortstayapts.com

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GMF Megagig

An electric line-up of pop and rock legends for this year’s Gibraltar Music Festival will see summer out with a bang. Now in its fourth year, the two-day gig is the most star-studded yet. Eccentric retro singer Paloma Faith, ska supremos Madness and the cosmic Kaiser Chiefs will join Nashville rock heroes Kings of Leon and Eighties icons Duran Duran on stage at Victoria Stadium on September 5 and 6.

Irish folk duo Hudson Taylor, exuberant dub funk band Dub Colossus, Kristian Vinales (DJ Set), Jeremy Perez & Tom Stott, Headwires and Guy Valarino have also been announced.

Ahead of launching their new album, superstar Spanish duo Estopa will headline the Radio Gibraltar Stage for their only show of the summer. GMF is a family-friendly, affordable and easily-accessible music festival in the sunshine, rolling a holiday and some of the world’s biggest acts into one incredible weekend. i www.gibraltarmusicfestival.com

Lawson

Bang a Gong

Local businessman John Bassadone has been awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours. The CEO of the Gibunco Group, heads a list of 10 Gibraltarians recognised in 2015’s list for their contribution across many areas of Gibraltarian society. Gibunco was a fledgling hull-cleaning business started by his father when John Bassadone joined the team in 1965.

Over the years, he has developed it into a major international conglomerate spanning sectors as diverse as oil and energy, shipping, maritime engineering and real estate. The business is a major employer, economic contributor and sponsor of events like the Literary Festival.

MBEs have been awarded to Michael Gil, who was Gibraltar’s first Chief Technical Officer and Dilip Tirathdas, who was Accountant General for 12 years and Financial Secretary for seven.

Overseas Territory Medals (OTM) were awarded to four members of the Gibraltar Police Force and three individuals were listed for Gibraltar Awards.

Electronic ID

The switch-over to the new e-ID Card begins this month, validating travel for Gibraltarians throughout the Eurozone. With its many enhanced security features, it will eliminate problems previously experienced by holders of existing cards at certain points of entry within the EU. It will also form the backbone of the e-Gov initiative, giving holders online access to many government services in the future, such as when making tax returns. The new e-ID Cards will be issued without cost for a limited period but there may be a charge at a later date, to encourage a timely transition.

The old laminated ID cards will be phased out over the rest of this year. Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said the card would be something “our people will be proud to show-off as a state of the art product with the latest and most avant-garde security features. The problems experienced by travellers using their ID cards should, as a result, be a thing of the past!”

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High Adventure

Gorge-walking and a suspended obstacle course were on the adrenalin-packed agenda for a group of 12-to-14-year-olds during a five-day residential trip to Zahara de La Sierra. The annual Luce Foundation outing is designed to provide youngsters with opportunities and experiences that are limited in Gibraltar. The programme has encouraged a multiagency approach and is supported by Gibraltar Youth Service, the Department of Education and the Royal Gibraltar Police. Combining outdoor educational activities with tests of resilience and endurance, this year’s course included horse riding, cycling, archery, night hikes and camaraderie in the campo.

Summer Nights

Gibraltar is celebrating the arrival of summer with an action-packed programme of concerts, dance displays and family fun in Casemate’s Square. The Summer Nights programme swings into action every Thursday and Saturday from July 11 – August 15, from 8.30pm to 1.30am. Bouncy castles, face painting, and magic acts are also on this year’s bill, put together and staged by Gibmedia and Fresh Entertainment. i Further details to be published soon at www.visitgibraltar.gi

Courting Change

Hazel Cumbo has become the first female Chief Executive of the Gibraltar Courts Service. Acting in the role since 2013, she works closely with the Chief Justice to agree policies, procedures and service standards that meet the needs of the court and court users. Hazel first joined the Civil Service as an Administrative Assistant in 1985 and has progressed through the ranks, via the Public Works Department, the Ministry of Employment, the Legislation Support Unit and the Justice Ministry. In 2010 she was promoted to Senior Executive Officer at the newlycreated Gibraltar Courts Service, a role crucial in the modernisation of the courts system. “I look forward to continuing working with my team to support the Judiciary and the legal profession in providing a solid administrative structure through which the public can have access to the justice system,” she said.

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MONKEY TALK

© Charles Perez

Gibraltar hosted its first Barbary Macaque Awareness Day in June, organised by primatologist Brian Gomila of Monkey Talk to share information about the Rock’s furry tourist attractions with visitors and locals. As a core part of the event, attendees were invited to take part in an Attitude Survey to assess what people really think of Gibraltar’s world-famous primates. Among the questions, they were asked whether a macaque had ever entered their home or garden, whether they had ever been intimidated by the monkeys and how important they believe them to be to Gibraltar. To find out more about how our fellow primates live, read our fascinating report on Brian’s Barbary Macaque Experience Tour, earlier in this issue.

SWIFT ACTION

Swifts can safely nest again in Gibraltar, thanks to a drive by the Department of the Environment and Climate Change to replace nesting boxes removed during building works, a long-standing condition in the planning process not always adhered to. The Government has been leading by example and installing boxes in public buildings while the birds were wintering in Africa. In return, the swifts will help keep down the numbers of mosquitoes during the hot summer nights. Two species of swift nest in urban areas of the Rock – the common swift, characterised by its charcoal colour, and the paler brown pallid swift (pictured).These fastmoving, sickle-shaped birds signal the start of the spring and their screaming and wheeling parties are a characteristic feature of the summer skies.

WEATHER REPORT

TV and radio weather forecasts will now be in the hands of hotshot meteorologist Stephanie Ball, who has landed two contracts within a month of launching her private Gibraltar-based weather consultancy, MeteoGib. With a 28-year Met Office career under her belt, and 18 years delivering marine forecasts for two of the world’s busiest shipping lanes – the English Channel and the Strait of Gibraltar – she’ll be working with GBC TV and Radio Gibraltar to keep everyone informed, from shipping lines and yacht delivery companies to leisure boaters, event organisers, skiers, mountaineers, beach goers and the general public. A keen sailor, Stephanie has routed yachtsmen through the Med and provided forecasts for cross-channel ferries and Cowes Week.

Before moving to Gibraltar, she worked at the BBC Weather Centre in London, preparing forecast briefings for on-screen weather presenters and radio shows. i www.meteogib.com

HEALTHCARE BOOST

Patients in Gibraltar will have access to an unparalleled range of new clinical services contracted between the Gibraltar Health Authority (GHA) and St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.The agreement will provide visiting consultant services and in-patient access to all of St George’s specialist services, including neurology and neurosurgery, cardiology and cardiac surgery and endoscopy services in support of Gibraltar’s colon cancer screening programme. St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest healthcare providers in the UK. Its main site, St George’s Hospital – one of the country’s principal teaching hospitals – is shared with St George's, University of London, which trains medical students and carries out advanced medical research.

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WEBSITE WAVE

SPORTY LOOK

Gibraltar Sports and Leisure Authority is revamping its image and a new logo is part of the update. Designed by staff to convey a sporty feel, and featuring the iconic outline of the Rock, it is the first phase of a re-branding programme for the GSLA and will be used on staff uniforms, letterheads and at all sports and leisure facilities. The Authority is currently working on a new one-stop website providing real-time information on sporting events and results, with Facebook and Twitter feeds. i www.gsla.gi

A wave of new government websites have launched this summer to help locals and visitors navigate their way around Gibraltar’s attractions and services. These are some of the latest.

Stay updated on border queues, flight and cruise ship arrivals via the new Borders and Coastguard Agency (BCA) website. Live Twitter and frontier webcam feeds (Gibraltar-side only), are a click away on the same site. An interactive Visa and Entry section is designed to help visitors to find out what documents they need, or whether they qualify for a Visa Waiver. i www.gibraltarborder.gi Gibraltar’s cultural events calendar is showcased on the new Ministry of Culture site. News, afterevent photographs and a list of venues and cultural organisations are other features, while an Art Heritage section provides biographies and sample artworks by renowned local artists. i www.culture.gi For events outside the cultural umbrella, there’s a live link to the tourism site. i www.visitgibraltar.gi For weather and tide information including a new 5-day forecast, visit Gibraltar Port Authority’s new, improved website, now optimised for mobiles and tablets, with large quick-link icons to news articles, notices to mariners and weather warnings. i www.gibraltarport.com Just the business for traders, the new site launched by the Ministry for Business and Employment contains information on the Business Support Unit, the Industrial Tribunal, Royal Gibraltar Post Office and Department of Social Security, with links to the new Office of Fair Trading and Department of Employment websites. i http://ministryofbusiness.gov.gi

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Eastside Success Story Gibraltar is sailing into an exciting future with the deal sealed on the £1.1 billion Eastside Project, giving the green light to a swanky marina-based resort that will transform the east side of the Rock beyond recognition over the next five years.

Blue Water Gibraltar, as the resort has been christened, will be a new reference point in Mediterranean leisure, giving the Rock another five-star hotel, a gallery of shops and restaurants and both luxury and affordable housing, grouped around a marina for super yachts.

The contract has been awarded to a UK-based company newly incorporated in Gibraltar, Cameron Holdings Ltd., and represents the largest outside investment ever for the British Territory.

To take shape on reclaimed land between Eastern Beach and Catalan Bay, it will be a major driver of economic growth, boosting jobs and attracting many High Net Worth Individuals to the Rock.

Plans include: uu A marina exclusively for super yachts and a five-star hotel

uu 450+ high end apartments & suites and 1,000+ affordable homes under the government’s co-ownership scheme uu Commercial units for shops, cafes and restaurants uu A promenade linking Eastern Beach to Catalan Bay uu Re-routing of traffic along the eastern side. uu A multi-storey car park for Catalan Bay beach users Cameron will also undertake certain works for the government at its own expense, including the development of an outer sea wall to prevent land erosion, a public swimming pool next to Eastern beach and a law enforcement marine base to assist Gibraltar in its ongoing battle against smuggling.

The news lays to rest more than a decade of speculation over the future of the massive 100,000m2 site, entirely reclaimed from landfill and originally in private hands. Various projects were mooted but none got further than the design concept. Finally, the government bought back the land for £28million (£4m less than the

developer paid) and, after putting it back out to private tender last year, was hit by an avalanche of proposals from 17 different sources.

Cameron’s winning bid will provide the government with an £83 million cash premium and represents a total investment in Gibraltar of £1.1 billion.

“This is a hugely important day for the whole of Gibraltar; a huge step forward for us economically; a huge opportunity for Gibraltar businesses; a £1.1billion vote of confidence in our economy,” enthused Gibraltar’s Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo. “We paid £28m for the return of a plot which we are now about to sell for £83m in cash, and with additional works to be delivered at no cost to the taxpayer.”

The government is now in final negotiations with the developers and “if all goes according to plan, we expect that applications to vary the current planning permission will be filed in the next eight weeks and that work on preparing the plot will start at about the same time and begin in earnest before the end of the year,” said Mr Picardo.

“I am very happy with the final

proposed development. We are bringing down the heights of some of the buildings from that allowed under the previous proposed scheme. We are making more of the amenities for the community as a whole. We are moving away from an area exclusively for the rich and are combining the development with some exquisite affordable housing which will be available on the 50/50 scheme.”

The project will be a low-energy development, emphasising the government’s commitment to the environment and sustainable growth.

Valuations, required for securing finance by the developers, were carried out by surveyors from outside Gibraltar who reached very positive conclusions about Gibraltar’s economic prospects.

“We are very excited by this opportunity, after many months of hard work, as we plan to construct a development which will make Gibraltar and all of the rest of us very proud indeed,” commented Leslie Allen-Vercoe, Chairman of Cameron Holdings Ltd. “It will no doubt become a landmark in Gibraltar and, indeed, in the whole of the Mediterranean.”

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THE PRO business

The Importance of Management in the Value of Property The residential property market is divided into two main categories: owner occupied and rental. These categories are in turn classified as open market or rent/price controlled. Since the latter is either controlled by legislation (Housing Act) or restrictive covenants in the underleases, which will clearly affect the property value in a restrictive manner, this article will deal solely with open market properties both for owner occupation and rental purposes.

I

n valuation terms, the following factors have a significant impact on the open market value:

Location, Construction Standards/ Finishes, Amenities and Size.

Each of these factors will vary according to the individual characteristics of a particular development and whether the product is aimed at the high, medium or low end of the market. The Valuer will therefore study recent sales within each development and make comparisons for each specific factor within each category. This is called the Comparison Method of Valuation and as there are invariably no two identical properties, the Valuer will need to make skilful adjustments to reflect the accurate Market value in each case.

In the case of rental properties, the rental income and the outgoings (rates, service charges, repairs) are the two most important factors which will

determine the Market Value. The Valuer will apply a Capitalisation Yield to the Net Rental Income (Rent received less outgoings) to arrive at the ‘Capital’ or Market Value. This type of valuation is known as the Investment Method of Valuation and requires considerable in-depth local knowledge, not just of the property market but of the wider socio-political and economic picture. In short, the applicable yield adopted by the Valuer will need to reflect all of these factors. For example, if there is political instability or a weak economy, the applicable yield tends to be higher as there is more risk involved. By the same token a property investment within a stable political environment with strong economic conditions will attract a lower yield reflecting the lower risk and higher security of income.

In practical terms whether rented or not, a prudent Valuer will often use both Valuation methodologies to verify the accuracy of each other.

In addition to the individual characteristics of each property, a prudent Valuer should also consider the standard and condition of the communal areas and amenities and how these may impact on the Market Value – for example an apartment may be built to the highest standards but if the communal areas such as the entrance lobbies, lifts, access areas and communal amenities are neglected, this will also have a very negative impact on the Market Value of the property.

BFA Valuers, BFA Management and BFA Estate Agents are in the enviable position that, although each Section has a specialist knowledge within their respective fields, they are able to share complementary information with regards to the latest transactions as well as the financial health or otherwise of the Service Charges Account.

This would ensure that the value of an individual asset would not be adversely affected by the mismanagement and/or neglect of the communal areas and amenities.

So, regardless of whether a residential property falls within the low, medium or high end of the market, an effective management structure is crucial to protect the Market Value of the property in its respective category. Property valuation should therefore take into account not just the physical attributes of each property but also the management systems in place for the proper maintenance and financial control for the upkeep of all the communal areas and amenities to the highest possible standards.

In short, strong and effective management will definitely enhance the value of property in general. g J. B. Francis FRICS

Managing Director BFA Group www.bfagib.com

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THE LEISURE travel

Years ago I met a bloke on a river boat in India. He had made a fortune in Calcutta and was cruising the world in style, and he had no doubt which was his favourite ship. “Sea Cloud,” and putting down his gin and tonic, he looked me in the eye, adding emphatically, “no doubt about it.”

WORDS David Wishart Photography courtesy of Sea Cloud

The Sea Cloud by Night

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On deck at the Sea Cloud Dining in luxury A Captain’s view

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It’s the small details that mark true luxury

S

Good vibrations aboard the Sea Cloud

o it happened this winter that a bus dropped me on a grubby little dock in Puerto Limón, Costa Rica, and there she was – a big four-masted barque with towering masts and looking absolutely like nothing else in the world.

My companions and I on the bus would fill Sea Cloud, because her capacity is just 65, slightly under the 6,000 on cruise ships of a different kind.

Sea Cloud was launched 84 years ago at a time of elegant liners, just months before the greatest of them all, La Normandie, when the richest men competed to build the biggest yachts with gimmicks to amuse prohibition-era guests, like bars that glided from behind library walls at the touch of a button.

Sea Cloud, however, was no gin palace, and belonged to a woman, American cereals heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post, who simply went for the best.

The yard was Krupps at Kiel, the hull was steel (total length 96m), the decks mahogany and teak, and the masts the height of a 20-story building. Sea Cloud was an ocean-going sailing ship capable of voyages of 20,000 miles, with provisions for six months.

Nevertheless, she was fitted out with an elegant interior with classical French furniture, marble fireplaces and bathrooms, antiques, oriental carpets and oil paintings – all of it assembled beforehand for the owner’s approval in a rented warehouse in Brooklyn.

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Opulence and splendour on a sailing ship

Life is sweet aboard the Sea Cloud

Her four masts carried 30 sails and 3,000 sqm of canvas, some of it made in Aberdeen, and when the wind could not deliver, Sea Cloud had the world’s first high-performance diesel-electric power plant good for 14 knots.

Sea Cloud carried Hollywood stars and top politicians, served in the coastguard during World War 2, and, bizarrely, was later swapped for a Vickers Viscount aircraft, the new owner being Rafael Trujillo, the dictator of the Dominican Republic. Sea Cloud then spent time in Los Angeles, where Trujillo’s playboy son used her to party with Kim Novak, Zsa Zsa Gabor and Joan Collins.

It was downhill from there, with Sea Cloud laid up in Panama, but she was then rescued by a group of German businessmen in 1978. A huge refurbishment followed, with additional cabins cleverly added to make a cruise operation viable, and off she sailed to amaze the world again.

Sea Cloud now cruises the Mediterranean in the summer and the Caribbean in the winter, her voyages much sought after by well-travelled, affluent (you have to be to afford it) lovers of the sea and ships.

It is a world rarely unsullied by grubby travel writers, so when the opportunity arose, I crossed an ocean to be there.

Our voyage was 12 days, calling at Nicaragua, Honduras, Belize, Cozumel and Cuba. The first couple of days we had headwinds and the sails stayed furled.

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Young admirers of the Sea Cloud

When the sails were set it was a thing of beauty. Passengers stood on deck in wonder as the young sailors swarmed up the rigging. This was an experience of times long gone, of sleek clippers racing around Cape Horn like unstoppable express trains, when a man overboard was not uncommon but immediately given up for lost.

Sea Cloud has had its moments, such as one trans-Atlantic crossing when nine sails blew out in 30 minutes.

The wheelhouse was open most of the time, and we even had a visit to the engine room, the former only

possible on the best ships, and the latter off limits other than on the paddle-steamer Waverley and a few other classics.

Dining was in the gorgeous, woodpanelled salon and the meals and service as good as you’ll find anywhere at sea. I also liked meals on the Lido deck, where the buffet could be lobster or delicious roast lamb. Wine and beer came with every meal, but not spirits – something German cruise lines cannot get there head around. On the other hand there was no charge to see the doctor on board.

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A meal fit for a King

A luxury suite on the Sea Cloud

As a rule, German ships such as Sea Cloud and Hapag-Lloyd vessels have terrific staff, often from good European hotels, who know how to serve a table and do it with a smile. As for the hotel manager, he was a star turn.

Once on every cruise, passengers in the original cabins are asked to leaves their doors open, which most do, so others can stroll, wideeyed, through the gilded doors and see such as the owner’s suite, which has swan-shaped gold faucets – chosen because gold is easier to clean than brass.

Ports of call were generally relaxing, with plenty of excursion options as well as beach time, with the highlight being the entrance to our arrival port, Havana. Sails were furled for the narrow passage past the towering fort, and a poignant moment it was, for the superb voyage was almost over, bar a night stop in Havana.

And so we left with a thought from John Masefield: I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky, And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by…”

Everyone on board would agree. This was the real thing, and after more than 200 voyages on the world’s most sought-after ships, this was the best. i www.seacloud.com

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restaurant THE GOURMET

The Lounge Gastro Bar

We’re going to hear a lot more about Gibraltar’s Matt Birtwistle, the culinary conjurer cooking up a storm of surprises at the luscious Lounge Gastro Bar, writes Belinda Beckett. Photography jayden fa

A magic act!

P

urple sauces, beetroot crisps, gin-cured salmon, a dessert made with flowers… they’re all part of the theatre at The Lounge Gastro Bar, where every dish is a precision-plated artwork of funky colours and extraordinary flavours.

Alchemist chef Matt Birtwistle transforms everyday ingredients into gold-standard dining with his book of culinary spells and a nod to molecular gastronomy, à la Heston Blumenthal. From washing up dishes he went on to win two AA rosettes for The Plough Pub in Wigglesworth, Yorkshire, before setting foot on The Rock. He’s since cooked for Gibraltar’s Chief Minister, judged for GBC TV’s Rock Chef and hosted his own cookery programme, and he’s only 25.

Geordie sisters Sonia and Michelle Stafford have created the perfect stage for Matt’s magic show at classy Queensway Quay. You can see the moon across the water from the terrace, a silvery stairway to foodie heaven! Dine under white pergolas beside a parade of sleek super yachts; or inside, on cheetahprint chairs beneath Moroccan chandeliers.

The story began six years ago when Michelle and Sonia opened the Lounge, a cosy chill bar next door where people could come to unwind. Their expanding clientele

loved it so much they soon outgrew the little bar. So, when the adjoining restaurant became available, both girls grabbed the opportunity and the Gastro Bar opened in 2013.

By a stroke of fate, Matt had been to Gibraltar on holiday and was hoping to make his stay more permanent. The sisters were introduced to him and, after hearing of his passion and skill, they snapped him up. After carefully recruiting strong, professional service staff, the restaurant has since zoomed to the top of Trip Advisor.

“Fresh food, great service and reasonable prices were priorities,” says Michelle. “The tuna is still twitching when we buy it from the quayside!”

“We wanted to create somewhere new, exciting and relaxing, where families, couples and girls on a night out would all feel comfortable,” adds Sonia. “We try to send our team on any training courses available to maintain standards. We’re fortunate that they’re all very motivated and career-minded.”

Sipping strawberry-flavoured gins floating with fruit (chosen from a drinks and wine list longer than I’ve been a fan of the juniper berry) we put our waiter, Marek, through a mini Spanish Inquisition about soy gel, brûléed yolk and the mystery ingredient in our pork fillet and

parsnip cream appetiser: aniseed, a taste sensation! The staff wear name badges and are very well informed.

Marek trained at the Caleta Hotel.

With a bottle of fruity Arrogrant Frog rosé chilling in an ice bucket, it was showtime! Act I held us in suspense as we broke into the soft yolk of an intriguingly-named gypsy egg to discover gooey cheddar, provolone and chorizo. The pil-pil prawns hid a secret layer of hummus, a clever trick to soak up the delicious chilli juices. The sushi looked like a tray of jewels.

Then, abracadabra, up popped a palate-cleanser – glass cylinders of zesty pineapple, watermelon, tarragon and a hint of mint.

For Act II we enjoyed ribs sticky with barbecue glaze, juicy steak with rich peppercorn gravy, a delicatelyflavoured Scottish salmon fillet garnished with caramel fennel, and belly pork braised in apple cider for 16 hours to melt-in-the-mouth tenderness, topped with a shard of crackling that snapped like spun sugar.

Unusual sides and sauces complete each dish and even the humble spud gets a makeover as garlicky dauphinoise, crunchy fondant potatoes or triple-cooked fries, served in a miniature chip basket. Matt needs his five chefs and three kitchen porters to keep the

food flying out, and it does!

Hours of prep also shine through in the shareable dessert board: a cornucopia of pineapple carpaccio, chocolate and orange terrine, mini macaroons in pastel shades, Eton mess with a tarragon twist, trifle with spray-on sherry and mango mousse with a chew to it, like soft toffee. If you’re counting calories, take note of the quotation on the wall (one of many): ‘Seize the moment.

Remember all those women on the Titanic who waved off the dessert cart’.

“I like to reinvent classic dishes and keep diners guessing but there are some amazing natural products you can buy which transform oil into powder and liquids into gums and gels to create special effects and textures,” is all Matt will reveal, when we finally prise him away from the kitchen to pry into his trade secrets.

If there’s a Magic Circle for chefs, Matt must be a secret member but if you want to see how he does it, you’ll have to go along yourself!

g The Lounge Gastro Bar is open from 10am-late seven days a week, also serving Sunday lunch followed by an evening barbecue and a pub quiz at The Lounge. To book, call Tel: +350 200 61118 or see their Facebook page.

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THE GOURMET wine

J

JOSÉ PARIENTE VERDEJO

osé Pariente, the vineyard and winery, is located in the most concentrated winemaking region of the Rueda D.O. region, some 40 kilometres south of the city of Valladolid.

In the 1960s, Mr. José Pariente, began producing hand crafted white wines using a raw material of exceptional quality: Verdejo grapes from his vineyard in Rueda.

He worked meticulously, putting his faith in the soil, enamoured by the idea of making wine. His desire to produce great white wines is the raison d’être of the present-day winery, which his daughter, Victoria Pariente established in 1998. The energy and passion of José Pariente (1924-1997) continues to inspire the business today. The winery is now lead by the third generation of the family, to be specific, by Martina Prieto Pariente, the daughter of Victoria and Ignacio Prieto.

The earliest manuscripts to mention wine production in the area date back to the 11th century. The industry of the monastic orders and the proximity of major towns and cities of medieval Castile has favoured the cultivation of vines.

This development culminated around 1600, at the height of Spain’s Golden Age, when the ‘golden wines’ of Rueda enjoyed great prestige.

Later, in the 18th century, the vineyards extended over even more land, and seeking ever higher quality, occupied the terroirs closest

to the Duero River in what is now the centre of the D.O Rueda, which was officially established in 1980.

Native to and predominant in Rueda, the Verdejo grape expresses and affirms the character of the landscape. The first historical references to it are as old as the first mention of vines in the region.

The physical characteristics of the variety, which grows in little clusters of small grapes with a thick golden skin, are its natural defence against the harsh climate. At the same time, these characteristics are the key to its extraordinary aromatic balance of fruity and herbaceous tones.

The harvesting starts with the Sauvignon Blanc, which has a shorter growing season and an earlier maturation. A few days later the Verdejo is picked, mostly by night, when the low temperatures preserve the aromatic intensity of the grape. For the oldest vines, which are head pruned, they still pick the fruit by hand in the traditional way, which allows for a first selection of the grapes to be carried out in the vineyard itself.

To prevent bruising from too much weight, the grapes are laid in 20kg boxes.

In 2008 the winery opened a functional new building between Rueda and La Seca, which

commands spectacular views over the vineyards and far beyond.

The facility is equipped with the latest technology to ensure careful production which brings out the distinctive features of each wine.

The must coolers, macerators and stabilisation chamber, among other resources, enable the cooling and temperature stabilisation of the grapes, must and wine during the process, which is vitally important when making white wine. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks, French oak barrels or oval concrete vats, an innovative technique.

José Pariente Verdejo is the Company’s flagship wine. It is intense, with a strong aroma of fresh white fruits, citrus and passion fruit. Structured and persistent, it also has aromas of fennel and a balsamic back note of anise, expressing the elegant crispiness of the Verdejo variety.

The combination of rigorous work in the vineyards and careful elaboration distinguishes and characterises this young 100 per cent Verdejo.

Visit our retail shop Vinopolis (at the beginning of Main Street) and try both José Pariente Verdejo and the Sauvignon Blanc, both for the great price of £6.75! They are lovely white wines that go very well in our climate as well as having a very elegant and distinctive label.

Important to serve chilled at 6-8°C.

A FRESH AND ELEGANT WINE FROM RUEDA WORDS ROCIO CORRALES, SALES & MARKETING MANAGER, ANGLO HISPANO PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF BODEGAS JOSÉ PARIENTE

Z VINEYARD

The soil of the vineyard, characterised by a platform of loose stones, is poor in organic matter and has limestone outcrops on the higher levels.

The local climate, continental with an Atlantic influence, forces the vines to reach deep into the subsoil in search of water.

Z ELABORATION

The first stage is a cold maceration for eight to 12 hours.

After a pneumatic pressing, the fermentation is at low temperature in stainless steel vats, and the wine is left to mature on its lees until clarification.

Subsequently it is subjected to cold treatment and filtration.

Z TASTING

In the visual phase, the wine shows a brilliant straw yellow with greenish reflections.

The aroma, of great intensity, is elegant, fresh and complex. It has a markedly fruity tone that spans the range of white fruits (pear, peach), citrus and passion fruit.

In the mouth the notes of fresh fruit appear again. Unctuous, sweet and elegant with a slight touch of bitterness in the finish and characteristic of the Verdejo variety. It has a big structure that favours its persistence.

Z FOOD PAIRING

This is an excellent wine for accompanying appetizers and fish dishes, seafood, pasta, rice and white meat. It goes well with smoked meats, soft cheeses and Serrano ham. g Available at VINOPOLIS,

5/7 Main Street, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 77210. www.vinopolis.gi facebook: vinopolisgib twitter: @vinopolisgib www.josepariente.com

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restaurants All’s Well Bar & Restaurant

Gallo Nero

Mamma Mia

Taps Bar

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

5 Ocean Village Promenade, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 67575

bay view bistro

Gatsby’s

Mons calpe suite

The Caleta Hotel, Catalan Bay, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 76501

1 /3 Watergardens 1, Waterport Ave, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 76291

Top of The Rock, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 79478

Theatre Royal Bar & Restaurant

Mumbai curry house

60 Governor’s Street, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 51614

gauchos

Ground floor, Block 1 Eurotowers, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 73711

The Chargrill Restaurant at Gala Casino

Nunos

Gala Casino, Ocean Village, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 76666

BEAN & gone cafe 20 Engineers Lane, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 65334

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 Grand Casemates Square 3, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 44449

Fishmarket Street, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 59700

Gibraltar Arms 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

Kowloon Restaurant

The Caleta Hotel, Catalan Bay, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 76501

O’Reilly’s Leisure Island, Ocean Village, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 67888

Piccadilly Garden Bar

The Clipper 78 Irish Town, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 79791

The Cuban

3B Rosia Rd, Gibraltar Tel. +350 200 75758

21B The Promenade, Ocean Village, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 67889

Pizza Express

the island

Unit 17, Ocean Village, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 50050

27 Leisure Island, Ocean Village, Gibraltar. Tel: +350 200 66666

Pizzaghetti

the ivy sports bar & grill

20 Watergardens III, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 42771

1008 Eurotowers, Europort Avenue, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 63868

La Mamela

Restaurante Nunos Italiano

The Landings Restaurant

Sir Herbert Miles Road, Catalan Bay, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 72373

15 Ragged Staff Wharf, Queensway Quay, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 66100

Latino’s Diner

Caleta Hotel, Sir Herbert Miles Road, Catalan Bay, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 76501

Casa Pepe

194/196 Main Street, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 46660

Rooftop Bistro, O’Callaghan Eliott Hotel

17 Ragged Staff Wharf, Queensway Quay, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 61118

Unit 18, Queensway Quay Marina, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 46967

Latinos Music Bar and Restaurant

Governor’s Parade, Gibraltar +350 200 70500

the ocean

Champion’s Planet Bar & Grill

9 Casemates Square, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 47755

Roy’s Cod Place

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

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

2/2 Watergate House, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 76662

Sacarello’s Cafe-Restaurant 57 Irish Town, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 70625

saffron 15a Parliament Lane, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 63009

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

solo express Casemates Square, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 62828

13a Ocean Village, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 68222

the lounge gastro bar

6 West Place of Arms, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 40651

The Rock Hotel 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

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16 years 1999-2015

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