Essential Gibraltar September/October 2014

COMPLIMENTARY EDITION

N º10 -SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

essential essential magazine® gibraltar ISSUE 10 • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014

ESSENTIAL FOR LUXURIOUS LIVING

l

GIBRALTAR

On the BALL

GIBRALTAR IN THE EURO

ROCK STAR

Fabian Picardo World

TRADE CENTER

GIBRALTAR

National DAY FUN

ROME VS FLORENCE

Scottish

INDEPENDENCE?

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 10 • September / October 2014

S T A F F PUBLISHER AND DIRECTOR

IAIN BLACKWELL director@essentialmagazine.com

GENERAL MANAGER

ANDREA BÖJTI sales@essentialmagazine.com

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

MARISA CUTILLAS editorial@essentialmagazine.com

GIBRALTAR EDITORIAL PRODUCTION MANAGER ACCOUNTS EXECUTIVE OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR

CREATIVE DIRECTOR DESIGN & LAYOUT STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER GIBRALTAR PHOTOGRAPHY

BELINDA BECKETT belinda@essentialmagazine-gibraltar.com SUSANNE WHITAKER design@essentialmagazine.com MARIANO JEVA cuentas@essentialmagazine.com MONIKA BÖJTI info@essentialmagazine.com

ANDREA BÖJTI INMA AURIOLES MELINDA SZARVAS KEVIN HORN JAYDEN FA

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

IAIN BLACKWELL, ANNA SOFIA BREGSTEIN, ALEX CARUANA, ROCIO CORRALES, MARISA CUTILLAS, RIK FOXX, CARLOS READ, SANDY STEWART, TONY WHITNEY

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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

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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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contents tents g The Trend Cinema 12 Home Viewing 14 Books 16 Music 18 The New Audi R8 CoupĂŠ 20 The Year of Coding 22

The Local The Gibraltar World Trade Center 24 Gibraltar’s National Football Team Prepares for Euro 2016 28 Gibraltar National Day 34 Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo 38 Rising Star, Hollie April 42 Scotland: On the Brink of Independence 44

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The Style Fashion From 21st Century Kilts 50 Beauty: Beautiful Autumn Skin 56 Health: Smoothing the Digestive Process 58

The Pro Local Enterprise 60 Recruitment in Gibraltar 64

The Leisure Rome 66 Florence 70 Ruta del Retinto 72

The Gourmet Casa Brachetto 76 Wine: Sierra de Cantabria 78 Wine: Rueda 80 Restaurant Guide 82

8/27/14 10:56 AM

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WORDS BY IAIN BLACKWELL

publisher’s letter S

ummer may be winding down, but there is much going on here in Gibraltar to look forward to.

On top of the long-awaited Gibraltar Music Festival on 6th of September, Gibraltar’s Football Team will launch their campaign in the Euro 2016 qualifiers against Poland the following day in Faro, Portugal, and three days after that, it’s Gibraltar National Day! In this appealing autumn edition, find out about all the excitement being created by the World Trade Centre Gibraltar, which will change the face of The Rock. With construction officially underway, demand for office space has been unprecedented. Related to this, we take a look at modern day Recruitment in Gibraltar. , we are very Here at pleased to bring you exclusive and revealing interviews with Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo, and upcoming musician, Hollie April, who is performing at the GMF. There is also a Scottish flavour to this issue, with the Referendum on Independence scheduled for 18th September. Eminent Sociologist, Sandy Stewart, eloquently outlines what has brought Scotland to its present juncture. At the same time, check out the contemporary kilts extravaganza holding sway from Howie Nicholsby’s 21st Century Kilts, appropriately based in Thistle Street, Edinburgh, and see if you have read any of the famous Scottish novels appearing on our Books page.

Aside from this, we travel to Rome & Florence and preview the forthcoming Ruta del Retinto. Finally, join us on a visit to highly rated Casa Brachetto and sample our fine wines selections from Rioja and Rueda.

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All you need is GBC

Bringing Music to Your Ears & Gibraltar to your Screen

GBC Television

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GBC Online

available on Gibraltar Freeview and gbc.gi

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

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EURO 2016 Qualifiers Live National Day Live Newswatch Talk About Town The Hub The Ghost Trail The Tribe The Sports Locker Underground Gibraltar Viewpoint Full schedule at gbc.gi

Weekdays: 7am – Ben Lynch 10am – Ros Astengo 1pm – James Neish 2pm – Paul Grant (English) 2pm – Teresa Goncalves (Spanish) 6pm – Claire Hernandez Overnight: Non-Stop Music… through the night

GBC TV Live GBC TV Watch Again Radio Gibraltar Live Radio Gibraltar Listen Again Latest Local News

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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

Enjoy what’s left of the summer with top films, home viewing and classic books penned by Scottish authors. Find out what the buzz is on the music scene, rev your motor with the new Audi R8 Coupé and learn why 2014 is the Year of Coding.

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Cinema

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Home Viewing

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Books

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Music

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The New Audi R8 Coupé

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The Year of Coding

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trend

WORDS MARISA CUTILL

CINEMA

AS

e BLOCKBUSTER » GENRE

Thriller

» DIRECTOR

Anton Corbijn (The American)

» ACTORS

Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rachel McAdams, Willem Dafoe

OF THE MONTH

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» GENRE Musical/ Biopic » DIRECTOR Clint Eastwood (Gran Torino)

» ACTORS Christopher Walken, John

Lloyd Young, Erich Bergen

Jersey Boys

Clint Eastwood brings popular Broadway musical, Jersey Boys, to the big screen. The play focuses on four youths from New Jersey who form the band The Four Seasons, composing and performing songs that marked a generation, including Big Girls Don’t Cry, Sherry, Walk Like a Man and Bye Bye Baby.

» GENRE Science Fiction » DIRECTOR Ari Folman (Waltz with Bashir) » ACTORS Robin Wright, Harvey Keitel, Jon Hamm,

Paul Giamatti

The Congress

In this off-the-wall science fiction flick, Robin Wright plays herself – a successful Hollywood actor, who receives an offer to sell her cinematographic identity to a big studio. She is to be digitally scanned and the studio is to have absolute freedom to use her image in any film they wish, even the most commercial; in return, she is to receive a sizeable amount of money. The contract, which is to last for 20 years, also stipulates that Robin is to remain eternally young onscreen. When the contract runs out, Robin will return and enter directly into the fantasy world of the future.

» GENRE Thriller » DIRECTOR Antoine Fuqua » ACTORS Denzel Washington, Chloë

Grace Moretz, Bill Pullman

The Equalizer

Denzel Washington is McCall, an ex-Special Operations Agent who has faked his own death to live peacefully in Boston. He comes out of retirement to save the live of Teri, a young girl, who has fallen prey to a powerful mafia organisation.

As he begins to take his vengeance, McCall’s confidence in his ability to change the status quo grows and he begins to forge a reputation for himself as a protector of the defenseless.

» GENRE Adventure » DIRECTOR Brett Ratner » ACTORS Dwayne Johnson, Ian McShane,

John Hurt, Joseph Fiennes

Hercules

Hercules, son of Zeus, decides to turn his back on the Gods when he loses his family, preferring to test his mettle on the battlefield. Joined by six other men whose love of war is insatiable, he scours the world in search of enemies to fight, without regard for the value of life.

12 / SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM

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Out of the ordinary

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We think they should.

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trend HOME VIEWING

Marisa Cutillas brings us a few of the season’s top DVD releases. » GENRE Drama » DIRECTOR Felix van Groeningen (Steve + Sky)

» ACTORS Veerle Baetens, Johan Heldenbergh, Nell Cattrysse » IMDB RATING 7.8/10

Alabama Monroe

The Lego Movie

Elise and Didier have been together for seven passion-filled years, and they love to recall how they fell in love at first sight and how their passion for bluegrass music cemented their attraction. The birth of their daughter, Maybelle, brings them great joy, but when she falls ill, husband and wife react differently, for she is a religious realist and he, a romantic atheist. As they fight to save Maybelle’s life, they hope that their love won’t abandon them at the time when they need it most.

The film garnered an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film.

» GENRE Animation » DIRECTORS Phil Lord, Chris Miller » VOICES Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks,

Will Arnett

» IMDB RATING 8/10

ASE OF THE MONTH

D RELE e FEATURED DV » GENRE

Comedy/ Drama

» DIRECTOR

Noah Baumbach (Greenberg) » ACTORS Greta Gerwig, Mickey Sumner, Adam Driver

» IMDB TIN RA G 7.5/10

An ordinary Lego construction worker begins to believe that he is ‘the chosen one’, whose calling is to save the Lego universe from an evil tyrant who is attempting to glue every piece of the Lego Universe together. The film is exciting and comical all at once and has an important message to relay: creativity and self-confidence are the building blocks not only of a Lego creation, but of happiness itself.

is a 27-yearFrances (Greta Gerwig) ing is eth som t old who feels tha lives in She . life r he m fro g missin t friend, is New York with her bes active social an has and l successfu erful need pow life, but she feels a impossible. is ng thi no t to prove tha fable on rn Frances Ha is a mode p, loyalty shi nd frie , ion youth, ambit ortance of imp ing rrid ove the and belief in dreams.

Frances Ha » GENRE Comedy » DIRECTOR Matt Piedmont (The Spoils of Babylon) » ACTORS Will Ferrell, Gael García Bernal, Diego Luna, Génesis Rodríguez

» IMDB RATING 5.5/10

Casa de mi Padre

Will Ferrell has been known to take on some pretty wacky projects and Casa de mi Padre is one of the wackiest of them all. In this little gem, he plays Armando Álvarez, a farmhand who has worked on his father’s ranch all his life. When the ranch encounters financial difficulties, Armando’s brother, Raúl (Diego Luna) arrives in town with his gorgeous girlfriend, Sonia (Génesis Rodríguez). Raúl, a seemingly successful businessman and city slicker, seems to have all the answers needed to save the family’s flailing business, but when Armando and Sonia fall in love and Raúl reveals himself to be shadier than expected, all hell breaks lose and the brothers are forced to take on a dangerous Mexican drug cartel, led by local Mafioso, Onza (Gabriel García Bernal).

» GENRE Drama » DIRECTOR Pawel Pawlikowski (My Summer of Love)

» ACTORS Agata Kulesza, Agata Trzebuchowska, Dawid Ogrodnik

» IMDB RATING 7.6/10

Ida Poland, 1962: Anna is an 18-year-old woman who is ready to become a nun at the convent she has lived in since she was orphaned as a child.

However, she discovers that she has one living relative: Wanda, her mother’s sister, whom she must visit before taking her vows. Niece and aunt embark on a voyage of discovery about each other and their common past. Anna is shocked to discover that her Aunt was a communist lawyer who sentenced priests and other persons to death. She also discovers that she is Jewish and her real name is Ida.

14 / SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM

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Five Ultra

Luxurious Properties

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CM

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INTRODUCING THE SANCTUARY

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a private

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For more details, contact BMI

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knowledge

BMI Group Limited, Unit 7 Portland House, Glacis Road, P.O. Box 469, Gibraltar

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w w w. b m i g r o u p . g i

trend BOOKS

Scottish Inspirations Anna Sofia Bregstein brings us a fascinating list of books by Scottish authors.

Recommended Read of the Month

SCOTLAND THE BRAVE BY IVAR ALASTAIR WATSON

Málaga-based Author, Ivar Alastair Watson, keeps us glued to his new book, Scotland The Brave – a thematically contemporary novel about the running down of the Clyde shipbuilding industry and the question of Scottish independence. Watson’s fictional story is highly relevant to the current situation in Scotland and takes, as its starting point, the murder of Charlie Armstrong in 1950s Inchnadamph. Charlie, the manager of a salmon fishery and local ‘tough guy’, faces an increased threat from poaching and from this true tale of intrigue and murder emerges Watson’s story of the disintegration of Scotland and the current political climate. Would independence for Scotland lead to regeneration? That is the question…

THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE BY MURIEL SPARK

Spark tells the tale of a charismatic and passionate, yet unconventional, young Miss Brodie, who is robbed of a future after her fiancé is killed in the First World War. Instead, she devotes herself to teaching young girls in Edinburgh, encouraging individuality. Although the other teachers don’t approve, she deems the ten-year-olds mature enough to discuss current affairs, such as the war; she prefers avoiding the curriculum, but opts for enlightening the girls by showing them the finer side of life. However, her admiration for Hitler and Mussolini is slightly worrying – what she really wants, is to create clones of herself. This incredibly intricate tale will ensure that you never forget Miss Jean Brodie.

THE WASP FACTORY BY IAIN BANKS

KIDNAPPED BY ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON

This slightly disturbing novel is narrated by 16-year-old Frank Cauldhame, a psychotic boy who appears to live in a different world altogether. We learn of his lonely life on an island off the coast of Scotland, where he lives solely with his father; in the past, he was responsible for the deaths of three family members. A mystery revolves around his father, who is overly protective and always keeps his study locked. The Wasp Factory explores the twisted life of a boy unable to fit into society, with a shocking, yet somehow relatable, tale.

It wraps up with a horrifying, clever and unforeseen conclusion; Banks’ talent shines throughout the book, making it unforgettable.

Despite being renowned for Treasure Island and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, this novel is another of his most notable works. It tells the story of a young man, David Balfour, who sets forth on a journey to his father’s childhood home, after being left an orphan. Here, his odious uncle has him kidnapped, in order to receive the inheritance. This leads to action-packed adventure, with friendship, fear, hardship and just a little bit of luck. Stevenson is one of the world’s most translated authors despite ill health resulting in his untimely death at the age of only 44.

THE SIGN OF FOUR BY SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE “Excellent!” I cried. “Elementary!” said he.

Who hasn’t heard of the whimsical detective, Sherlock Holmes, who along with his faithful Doctor Watson, solves the underlying enigmas throughout Doyle’s stories? The Scottish author set his second novel featuring Sherlock Holmes (The Sign of Four) in 1888. A client, Mary Morstan, reports a most unusual case: the disappearance of her father, a British Indian Army Captain and the appearance of a single pearl in her mail every year since, from an anonymous sender.

The novel unravels into a complex, sensational plot, involving stolen treasure and a secret pact between four convicts.

MACBETH THE KING

BY NIGEL TRANTER Shakespeare’s version of Macbeth, a brutal and ardent king, is contradicted in this novel; instead, Tranter tells us of his struggle to unite Scotland, his devotion to his wife and the horrific battles that they both had to fight. Experience a historically accurate and memorable portrayal of one of Scotland’s most influential leaders through Tranter’s eloquent work.

16 / SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM

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trend MUSIC

¿QUÉ PASA? WORDS RIK FOXX

After a busy summer there’s not much going on along the coast this month except for the Gibraltar Music Festival which takes place on September 6.

This event is growing by the year (how long before it becomes a two-dayer?). Irish indie rockers THE SCRIPT top the show and will be promoting their forthcoming LP No Sound Without Silence (drops Sept. 15). Also on the bill are RITA ORA, ROGER HODGSON (SUPERTRAMP), JOHN NEWMAN, 2012 Y Factor winner JAMES ARTHUR, 90s reggae star MAXI PRIEST and TONY HADLEY (SPANDAU BALLET). More acts could be added; for ticket info and artist update: www.gibraltarmusicfestival.eu Staying with SPANDAU BALLET, the five original members have settled their differences yet again (maybe advice from their bank managers) and will record a new album with the highly respected TREVOR HORN at the helm. Arguments over songwriting royalties were put aside for a comeback tour in 2009, and an album, Once More, which featured reworked versions of their previous hits plus two new songs. Also in October, a TV documentary, Soul Boys Of The Western World, will feature the group.

Another possible reunion on the cards is WHAM; while promoting his recent single, Feeling Good (a cover of the 1965 NINA SIMONE classic), GEORGE MICHAEL said he had been in touch with ANDREW RIDGELY about doing a few gigs. Maybe he needs the cash to buy one of these new driverless cars which will be on the market next year.

1980s/1990s Scottish indie popsters DEACON BLUE have found a new lease of life after playing the closing ceremony at last month’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and they release their seventh album, A New House, on September 8. After their Games fame, their back catalogue has been selling well and they are on the road soon for a sell-out UK tour.

But one 1970s/1980s icon could be calling it a day – DEBBIE HARRY, the now 69-year-old says she’s feeling the strain after the recent BLONDIE European tour and their October 3 gig in Valley Centre, California might be their last.

Still on movies: GARY BARLOW has just finished writing music for the much talked about spy thriller, Kingsman: The Secret Service, which hits silver screens on October 17. And a new TAKE THAT album has been pencilled in for a November release even though their bosses want to put it back to next February to allow more time for the tax scandal that has involved three members of the band to blow over.

SIMON COWELL has warned ONE DIRECTION that if they are not careful, 5 SECONDS OF SUMMER will knock them of their top of the pops perch. The Aussie teen pleasers, who have been the support on the current 1D tour, topped the album charts both sides of the pond recently with their eponymous debut. A new single, Amnesia lands on Sept. 7 and they have already sold out a June 2015 UK tour – ‘wanna see what all the fuss is about? They play Madrid next May, ticket info: www.livenation.es

TOM JONES, one of the many artists who graced the Nagüeles quarry arena over the past two months, is on the short list to sing the theme tune for the next JAMES BOND flick – 50 years after he delivered Thunderball. Another name in the frame is that of the Brits Critics’ Choice Award and BBC Sound Of 2014 winner SAM SMITH. After a charity gig some years ago TOM and the STEREOPHONICS front man KELLY JONES went out ‘for a few’ then ended up at the latter’s place for a nightcap. They were apparently singing rather loudly to some of the legend’s greatest hits during the early hours when a neighbour came round to complain. “Who do you think you are, Tom Jones?” – Kelly then opened the door a bit more saying “No, but he is”.

After a long break, the FOO FIGHTERS are taking off again and will return to the stage at London’s Olympic Park on Sept. 14 headlining the Invictus Games Closing Party with the KAISER CHIEFS, ELLIE GOULDING, THE VAMPS, RIZZLE KICKS, JAMES BLUNT and RYAN ADAMS – the BBC are showing highlights of the show. Also, an eight-part HBO TV series Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways will air towards the end of October and a new LP with the same name will land on November 10.

After their success at Spain’s Benicàssim Festival it looks like THE LIBERTINES reunion could become concrete. CARL BARAT and PETE DOHERTY are getting on again and they have written new material for a possible new album. But they knocked back the promoters at their recent 65,000 attended Hyde Park gig in London when handing in a guest list with 750 names on it. One band insider said, “It seemed like every Tom, Dick and Harry and his dog, plus all their relations were on the list”. e 18 / SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM

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trend MOTORING

O

AUDI R8

COUPÉ (And Roadster) WORDS TONY WHITNEY PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF AUDI

It’s one of Audi’s proud boasts that it’s been a winner in every kind of motorsport it’s contested, from World rally Championship events to Germany’s DTM to what seems to be endless victories at Le Mans. Audi has even won Grand Prix races, albeit back in the 1930s.

bviously, Audi has vast experience with performance cars, but until fairly recent years, it concentrated it’s tuning efforts on an extensive range of luxury saloons. The TT blazed the way, but it was the widely-praised R8 that really showed us what Audi could achieve in the world of out-and-out sports cars.

The R8 was a huge success right from the start and with the roadster version that followed, the range set all kinds of new standards, not the least of which is it’s very reasonable price. You won’t feel at all shy about parking an R8 next to a Ferrari or Lamborghini – it’s that good looking – and it can hold its own with any rival as far as design goes.

The aluminum spaceframe R8 is built at a stateof-the-art factory in Neckarsulm, Germany, close to where the Neckar and Sulm rivers meet. The region has a long history of vehicle-building, originally with NSU, and there’s a wonderful museum celebrating that long-gone nameplate. NSU was absorbed by Audi many years ago and today, the much-enlarged and added-to factory has become a huge producer of many Audi models and is the largest industrial operation in the region.

The R8 was a blockbuster when it was launched almost five years ago, mostly due to its stunning looks, but driving the car brings a whole new sense of excitement. It’s one of those quite rare cars that drives even better than it looks. Low and lithe, the R8 is a treat to the eyes and boasts all kinds of stylistic niceties. One very unusual design cue on the coupé is a wide panel in various hues that runs from top to bottom just aft of the rear edge of the doors. I’ve never met anyone who didn’t like this, but it’s a very bold piece of work by the designers because it might well have been universally disliked.

This panel can be ordered in carbon fibre, which makes it even more interesting. And no. It has no practical use at all, but it sure looks good.

20 / SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM

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ZZ ENGINE 4.2-litre V-8 or 5.2-litre V-10.

ZZ TRANSMISSION 6-speed manual or new 7-speed automatic with steering wheel paddles for manual gear selection.

ZZ ACCELERATION Zero to 100 km/h in around 4.3-secs to 3.6 secs, depending on engine.

ZZ TOP SPEED Estimated at 300 km/h (base V-8).

ZZ I LIKED There’s no more satisfying high-end sports car out there and five years hasn’t aged the R8 one bit. Both engines are outstanding and the new 7-speed automatic is a huge improvement. The car is very rewarding to drive and extremely safe with its Quattro AWD. Great interior treatment and very comfortable to drive with highly supportive seating.

ZZ I DIDN’T LIKE Cars in this configuration are not outstanding load carriers, but that’s not really the point. The options list is long and packed with wonderful add-ons, but the money adds up all too quickly if you get too enthusiastic.

ZZ MARKET ALTERNATIVES Mercedes-Benz SL Class, Jaguar XKR-S, Porsche 911, Aston Martin Vantage/DB9, Maserati Granturismo.

ZZ WHO DRIVES ONE?The R8 is not only a sports car enthusiasts dream, it’s very suitable for a driver who’s buying their first supercarclass model. Fast and agile but easy to drive, the R8 has very wide appeal.

ZZ PRICE AND AVAILABILITY Available now at €138.805.

Two engines are available for both coupé and roadster versions of this Audi, a 4.2-litre V-8 and a 5.2-litre V-10. The V-8 develops 430-horsepower and the V-10, 550. Both are great powerplants and the V-10 is related to one used by Lamborghini, a company that’s part of the VW/Audi group. I would guess that most drivers would be totally thrilled with the V-8 and that the V-10 is sold mainly to buyers who simply must have the top engine in the lineup. Available transmissions include a 6-speed manual and a 7-speed automatic. For various reasons, I never liked the old 6-speed automatic that was once available with this car and preferred the slick-shifting manual box, but the new 7-speed twin-clutch unit introduced this year is a huge improvement.

Much of the fun to be had with the R8 comes from its outstanding handling, which needs a racetrack to fully exploit. The car has a very low centre of gravity, something you don’t need an engineering degree to figure out. One look at the car tells you immediately that it just has to be perfectly balanced, and it is. Any driver will feel track ready with an R8. The car is good enough to turn most of us into ‘experts.’ Handling and

safety is bolstered by the use of Audi’s famed Quattro all-wheel drive system, one of the best in the business. Even in the rain, the car has a great feeling of safety and lots of grip when and where it’s needed. No car with 430/550 horses on tap should come any other way than with allwheel drive.

One of the great things about the R8 is its road manners. When you want to wind it up on a twisty mountain road, it’ll be a delight to drive, but around crowded city streets, it’s very docile and easy to handle. Many cars in this class (and I place it in the ‘supercar’ bracket despite its reasonable price) are very difficult to deal with around town and some of them are an embarrassment. Visibility is better than one might think by just looking at the car.

Like all Audis, the interior is very well executed. It may not be the easiest car around to climb into, but once behind the wheel, it’s like a well-cut Armani suit. Driver and passenger (this is strictly a two-seat car) sit in well designed seats with excellent side and bolster support. The steering wheel is flattened at the bottom to make more thigh and knee room. Everything in the cockpit is within easy reach and it’s one of those rare cars you feel at home in as soon as you get in. The car has all the expected safety benefits and electronic stability aids plus the usual satnav located close by on the central console panel.

In most respects, the controls are quite simple and easy to grasp. Buttons for various functions are located on the steering wheel spokes. Like many cars in this class, interior stowage space is not generous, but it’s manageable and there’s enough cargo space for two to take a trip of several days if they use soft luggage.

The R8 got something of a makeover for 2014, with new LED headlights and taillights, plus a redesigned nose job. The biggest upgrade is the aforementioned 7-speed automatic transmission.

The options list for this car is lengthy and tempting and some of the goodies are very expensive.

Even so, you can buy this car in its most basic form and it’ll still turn heads years from now. e

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trend CODING

Coding Defined Coding is basically the ability to read and write in machine language and the ability to think computationally. As Doug Belshaw, digital media expert elaborates: “Just as some human languages are more difficult to learn than others, some machine languages involve trickier grammar or more complex syntax. The test in both cases is whether the language learner can create something that makes sense to others.” In other words, the litmus test of whether or not a programme is correct, is: can other people understand what we have designed, and will our computer run the way we are commanding it to?

2014

YEAR OF CODE WORDS MARISA CUTILLAS

You may have noticed something different in your child’s IT programme this year: in schools following the UK system, coding (or computer programming) has become a crucial skill to be learned from ages five to 16. It’s all part of the Year of Code, which officially commences in September, 2014, though many schools have already begun incorporating computer programming lessons into standard curriculum subjects.

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n the UK, Chancellor George Osborne and Education Secreatry, Michael Gove, recently announced a £500,000 fund, dedicated to helping teachers learn and teach software coding.

Over £2 million has already been placed into establishing a group of Master Teachers, who will train teachers at UK schools, and £1.1 million has been set aside to train primary school teachers online and through a series of workshops. Mike Warnier, UK Engineering Director at Google, recently told The Telegraph: “The UK has a proud computing history but with more and more industries wanting computer scientists, coding has never been in more demand.” The Year of Coding will centre on teaching children how to programme, how to create their own programmes and how to comprehend the complex workings of a computer.

This is in stark contrast to the former ICT subject, which focussed on computer literacy. Coding will see children take a much more active stance in the sometimes complex world of coding.

Why is Coding so Important?

The Year of Code reflects the UK’s desire to stay at the cutting edge of technology; without coding, it will be impossible to do so. These are a few reasons why you should encourage your children to discover the wonder of coding: Z Coding is the universal language of the global economy. According to research conducted by YouGov, 94 per cent of kids aged five to 16 consider

computer skills to be vital to the current job market.

Z The earlier, the better. Technological companies are beginning to demand that MBA graduates have coding skills. Thus, top business learning institutions, such as the prestigious Stanford University, are inviting students to take up computers; indeed, Stanford recently decided to offer students a joint degree – an MBA and MS in Computer Science – to increase students’ chances of employability. Harvard Business School is also offering an elective computer programming subject.

Z Children learn the vital skill of computational thinking: Computational thinking is all about finding a complex problem and breaking it down into smaller, more manageable steps. It involves the exercise of logic and strategics, which help kids with all types of problems, even those outside the realm of computers.

Z Coding increases confidence: When children find that they can make a figure move from point A to B, or through a complex labyrinth by using computer language to command the figure, their confidence in their own ability to use and design technology is given a tremendous boost.

Z Coding is used in a variety of fields: In case you thought programming was only important for those wishing to dedicate themselves to computers, think again; coding is used in a plethora of subjects, including physics, archeology, music, biology, mechanical engineering and many more.

How Can I Teach My Child to Code?

IF YOU’D LIKE TO GIVE YOUR CHILD A HEADSTART, OR DELVE INTO CODING IN ITS MOST ENJOYABLE SENSE, WE SUGGEST THE FOLLOWING ONLINE RESOURCES AND APPS: Z Kodable by SurfScore: This free iPad game is so much fun, parents and kids alike across the Globe are totally hooked.

The aim is simple: help a fuzzy creature ‘roll’ through a colourful labyrinth. The game starts off simply enough, but then involves quite complex manoeuvres like using the ‘repeat’ function, as ‘Fuzzy’ makes its way through mazes that grow in length and complexity. The game can be played by children as young as five, though adults will also find the higher levels of the game challenging.

Z www.Scratch.mit.edu: Children use animation, music, dance, stories and more to create a series of different projects, all of which require programming skills. Aimed at kids aged eight to 16.

Z Move the Turtle: This is another app made for the iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch, for kids aged 10+. Move a cute turtle through labyrinths, help him make illustrations and complete a series of challenges that vary in complexity! e

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local

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

We focus on local events and people currently making the news: The Gibraltar World Trade Center, Gibraltar’s entry into the Euro 2016 qualifiers and Gibraltar National Day. Don’t miss our exclusive and revealing interviews with Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo, and upcoming musical talent, Hollie April. The Scottish populace will soon be voting on the matter of their independence; enjoy our comprehensive feature on what has led the nation to this juncture.

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The Gibraltar World Trade Center

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Gibraltar’s National Football Team prepares for Euro 2016

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Gibraltar National Day

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Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo

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Rising Star, Hollie April

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Scotland: On the Brink of Independence

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THE FOCUS wtcg

A workspace with wow factor

Thinking big – Greg Butcher and Chief Minister Fabian Picardo with the scale model of WTCG

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f anything could put a smile on your face on a Monday morning, it would be the thought of rolling up for work at World Trade Center Gibraltar.

Computer-generated images showcase the kind of workspace you would more usually associate with capital cities and Hollywood movies: you almost expect to see Hugh Grant and Sandra Bullock whizzing up and down in the high-speed glass elevators.

The polished marble lobby and towering glass atrium sprouting exotic greenery shout five-star hotel rather than nine-to-five workplace. Some of the swanky upper floor offices have terraces with Mediterranean views. VIP underground parking allows high-profile visitors to be transported directly from the airport into the building without getting their feet wet or their photograph snapped by paparazzi.

Location map

There’ll even be an international-brand café on the lobby’s mezzanine floor. Just think – no more rushing out in the rain to get coffee! You might even get out of bed a bit earlier to catch up on weekend gossip with colleagues…

Not so long ago in Gibraltar, when office space was at a premium, you’d have paid top dollar for a broom cupboard and counted yourself lucky. But when World Trade Center Gibraltar (WTCG) opens for business in Spring 2016, the Rock’s largest single corporate building will treble Category A office space in the tiny British Territory at a stroke, and change the commercial landscape forever.

The building’s iconic looks, complete with waveshaped roof, befit one of Europe’s top economies enjoying record 10.3 per cent growth. As well as 15,114m2 of flexible office space, the prestigious seven-storey superstructure will boast state-of-the-

art video conferencing and telecommunications and a healthy working environment, including multiple air-filtration.

Designed to fit 1,700 people – a sizeable chunk of the local workforce – WTCG will be the only office on the Rock connected directly to the new EuropeIndia undersea fibre-optic cable. With 100Mb bandwidth and a 3.8 TB per-second data transfer speed, companies can be trading with the world’s top money markets in nano-seconds. This will be a big attraction for e-commerce and, perhaps, a step closer towards the government’s aspirations to become the Silicon Valley of southern Europe.

And make that 24/7 trading. With a reception desk that never closes, business can be done in every time zone, and even when the rest of Gibraltar is blacked out by a power cut, as the building has its own generator.

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WTC will be a gamechanger for Gibraltar

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF WORLD TRADE CENTER GIBRALTAR

WTCG

Trading on a Name

Half of the Rock’s corporate world has joined in the race for space at World Trade Center Gibraltar – before the foundations have even been laid! Belinda Beckett discovers what it means to become a member of this iconic global business club.

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WTCG will be groundbreaking for the Rock

Five-star lobby Architecture that makes waves

Staff can Zen out in the exotic atrium

More Than Sexy WTCG won’t just be trading on its sexy image.

Tenancy buys entry to a global network of people who know other people who can open doors to new markets, companies, governments and horizons far beyond Gibraltar’s ‘infamous’ border.

Brand WTC has variously been described as a ‘privileged club’, a ‘business shopping mall’ and an ‘international ecosystem of global connections, iconic properties, and integrated trade services’.

It’s run by The World Trade Centre Association, which unites 750,000 companies in 100 countries across the seven continents, including corporate Goliaths like Apple, Shell, Vodafone and MasterCard. Stakeholders have access to the expertise of these global movers and shakers via the customised business match-making services run by the Association’s 15,000 professional support staff. They include a 24-member international Board of Directors and experts on eight permanent committees working on everything from trade fair presence to education, training, tourism and international trade relations.

July’s groundbreaking sealed a deal struck in 2010 when Gibraltar became the 335th WTC licence holder. That new status will make the 2.3 square mile Rock look even more impressive on

the world business map, giving local enterprises enhanced opportunities to promote themselves across the globe.

“World Trade Center is a byword for corporate quality and success, that’s why so many of the world’s biggest companies on every continent choose it as a base,” commented Greg Butcher at the groundbreaking. The visionary landlord of Ocean Village holds the WTC licence and is bankrolling the development. “Gibraltar is now part of a global business community reflecting the ambition for growth within government and local companies and World Trade Center Gibraltar will become the signature address for corporates.”

Space Race However Mr Butcher is preaching to the converted. As Fabian Picardo flicked a symbolic switch to mark the official start of the digging, Sales and Marketing Director Peter Burgess announced that 60 per cent of the office space was already reserved. A 20 per cent discount is being offered on the first 33 per cent of space contracted so it will be a race against time to sign on the dotted line. But interest is unlikely to slow down after that. When the Chief Minister returns for the topping out ceremony in 20 months

time, Burgess is expecting to hang out the No Vacancies sign.

“There was never any doubt that interest would be strong but the response from Gibraltar corporates has exceeded even our own expectations,” he says. “Local demand has been such, we’re not even marketing internationally yet.

We anticipate achieving 100 per cent occupancy by the time the building is completed.”

Keenest interest is being shown by companies in the financial services, insurance and asset management sectors. The final mix is expected to be around 75 per cent existing Gibraltar businesses to 25 per cent newcomers. A 500-space multi-storey car park and an adjacent five-storey apartment block available for short and long-term lets will cater for the population increase.

Incredibly, for turn-key A-class office space in a £45Million ‘smart’ building, price has only been an issue in a positive way. “We’re hearing that the rental charges compare very favourably with rates in Gibraltar generally,” says Burgess. “The service charges may work out even lower, thanks to the intelligent building management system which can literally think for itself to reduce costs and service fees,” says Burgess.

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Scale model

Boardroom with a view

Smart Workplace Offices come ready to move into, reducing fit-out costs. The spec includes suspended ceilings and raised flooring to hide cabling, lighting, sockets and air-conditioning installed to individual requirements and luxurious marble washrooms on every floor. This clever building even caters for staff with different body temperatures, providing hot and cold air simultaneously in different areas of the workspace.

Staff absenteeism costs the UK economy an astonishing £6.5Bn a year but no employee at WTCG will get away with a sick note for a building-related illness. The lighting, ventilation, air filtering and climate control meet stringent environmental health standards. Trees and plants are there to reduce C02 levels as well as to look pretty. Building materials have been vetted for Volatile Organic Compounds, which can cause Sick Building Syndrome, and there are breakout spaces in the public areas where staff

Windows on the World in the world to boast a World Trade Center on its skyline.

The idea of using a building as an instrument for trade expansion was greeted with scepticism at first. New Yorkers were unhappy about the cost and environmental impact of building such a massive complex.

The tallest buildings in the world at the time, the 417-metre towers supported 500 businesses, 50,000 employees and 200,000 visitors.

Hollywood helped to spread their fame, giving them starring roles in the 1976 King Kong remake, the Superman movies and Woody Allen’s Manhattan.

They became landmarks for recordbreaking challenges, with skydivers parachuting from the top, climbers scaling the towers from the ground and acrobats teetering between them on tightropes. Over the years, they secured their place in history as icons of New York.

Britain’s Norman Foster and Spain’s Santiago Calatrava are among the team of world-renowned

architects who have worked on their replacements. Due for total completion in 2020, the new complex will comprise five high rise World Trade Centers, a September 11 Memorial and Museum, a World Trade Center-branded Transportation Hub, 550,000 square feet of retail space and a performing arts centre. At 541 metres tall from base to spire, One World Trade Center is the tallest building in the western hemisphere.

The World Trade Center Association was founded in 1970 by New Jersey entrepreneur Guy F. Tozzoli. After his death in 2013 it was reported that he bought the trademark from New York Port Authority for a mere $10 in 1986.

The news caused controversy because of the WTCA’s non-profit status. The WTCA charges an initial $200,000 for use of the name on a building, plus $10,000 in annual fees. The Association has stated that the trademarks are used ‘for the collective benefit of its members’ in fostering international trade. e

World Trade Center, New York

© Joe Woolhead Courtesy of Silverstein Properties

The score is Spain 11, Britain 4, Germany 9, Gibraltar late kick-off. That’s not a results forecast for the EURO 2016 Football Championships but a country tally of World Trade Centers.

Brand WTC is visible all over the world, sometimes in the least expected places: in Kabul and Kazakhstan, Luanda and Angola, as well as in the world’s major cities. North America, where the story first began, has the most with 67, including the New York complex rising like a Phoenix from the ashes of 9/11.

WTC was no more than a concept, dedicated to ‘world peace through trade’, when the name was first unveiled on an exhibit at New York’s 1939 World Fair. The idea was revived during the 1960s by David Rockefeller, grandson of Standard Oil founder John D. Rockefeller. He secured the backing of New York Port Authority for what became known as the ‘billiondollar plan’ to regenerate downtown Manhattan’s business district. In 1973, New York duly became the first city

can relax. Even that snazzy glass atrium has a dual function, ensuring that even ground floor offices enjoy an element of natural light.

WTCG’s marketing slogan – ‘Because you never get a second chance to make a first impression’ – is apt. There’s kudos in flashing a business card with a WTC address. An office is a physical expression of a company’s brand and the global family of WTC buildings have become the pre-eminent real estate developments in their host cities, as well as symbols of industry and co-operation.

As Pete Burgess says: “There is no doubt in my mind that World Trade Center will become the heartbeat of the Gibraltar business community and the obvious home for any new businesses looking to relocate here. The best businesses will always seek the signature address.” i www.worldtradecenter.gi

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s o m a V THE FOCUS football

MODEL PHOTOGRAPHY: Jayden Fa MODELS L-R: Janella Carlin, Molly McElwee, Yael Williamson.

MAKEUP: Nyree Chipolina HAIR: Danyel Lutwyche CLOTHING ART: Karl Ullger ART DIRECTION: Guy Baglietto NAIL TECHNICIAN: Claudia Fa

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s o GFA! ters suppor to , f f o s n ick ason k ng new reaso e e s l l a b lli th ot compe h sees new fo As the tar FC have a e’. This mont o qualify for t it al of Gibr e red and wh ies’ campaign the Rock th b on ‘follow he UEFA new ’t a resident n t s start of 6, and there i r them.

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INDA BEC

OTO KETT PH

A

year ago, it would have seemed unimaginable that little Gibraltar would be squaring up for battle against the reigning World Cup football champions.

But on November 14 in Nuremburg, UEFA’s 54th and newest member will meet Germany on the pitch at the Euro 2016 qualifiers – one of 10 international matches they face between now and October 2015.

Talk about David versus Goliath! The odds are stacked against the British Territory’s largely amateur side and it will take more than a sling shot and a good aim to make it through the qualifying rounds, to reach the championship finals in France.

They’re not even competing on a level playing field, as their ‘home’ ground is 150 miles away in Faro, Portugal.

Pride at seeing their team competing as a UEFA member for the first time in history will mean more to most football-

loving Gibraltarians than whether they win or lose. But this is a nation famous for punching above its weight and football is no exception.

“I said it before the draw was made – my target is the play-offs – and I’m still sticking to that,” said bullish Gibraltar coach Allen Bula, after Germany beat Argentina in this summer’s World Cup. “I think we’ll give a good run to every single nation we play.”

Those nations include Scotland, the Republic of Ireland, Poland and Georgia, as well as Germany which has qualified for every European Championship since 1972. But if passion for the beautiful game counts for anything, it’s not an impossible dream.

In the words of Chief Minister Fabian Picardo: “There are four important dates in the lives of people in Gibraltar – they remember when Kennedy died, when man landed on the moon, when Kaine Aldorino won Miss World and when the GFA got into UEFA.”

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Red-and-white Revival Since that momentous day – May 23, 2013 – a new wave of optimism has redefined football on the Rock.

“UEFA membership already means a complete change in our game,” says Gibraltar Football Association CEO, Dennis Beiso. “You simply cannot compare it to before. Players of all ages and abilities are coming into the game and people are attending matches again.”

A typical Gibraltarian follows both a British and a Spanish club but now many have started wearing the Gibraltar national shirt. “You never saw that before,” says Beiso, who will be in the front row at every home and away match. “We’ve always been proud to be Gibraltarian but now people can manifest that by supporting their national team. It’s influenced how we see ourselves in the world.”

Beiso can take much of the credit. In the run-up to UEFA’s landmark 2013 vote, the GFA kingpin spearheaded a diplomatic tour of member states to plead Gibraltar’s case, visiting more than 30 of the 53 capitals in person to speak to Football Association Presidents.

“We showed them what Gibraltarian football is all about,” he said, after that sacred mission was accomplished. “We said: ‘This isn’t about politics or personal gain. We’re here because we want to give our players, and the next generation of players, an opportunity to thrive in the sport. This could only be possible

through the chance to play in UEFA competitions.’”

But of course, football is very much intertwined with politics.

The opposition Gibraltar Social Democrats are even using it as a political manifesto. The party has pledged to reverse any decision to build the controversial national stadium at Europa Point if it wins next year’s General Election. The hope is that the 5,000-or-so names on the petition against locating it at the beauty spot will convert into crosses on ballot forms.

Politics kept Gibraltar out of UEFA for nearly 20 years – and, more particularly, objections by Spain, one of UEFA’s most influential members. And politics demanded some nifty rule-bending when Gibraltar was drawn in the same Euro 2016 group as Spain. It was duly shifted to Group D to keep the rivals apart for the qualifiers. But if both sides reached the finals, that would be interesting…

Not that anyone’s really expecting that.

Although Gibraltar’s gutsy national side has shown what it could be made of in ‘friendlies’ – holding Slovakia to a goalless draw in its debut UEFA match last year, and beating Malta 1-0 at home in June – the GFC mantelpiece

Gibraltar Fixtures

isn’t overflowing with international trophies. There’s one for winning the Island Games in 2007, and one for coming second in 1995.

Plus, with a population of just 30,000, Gibraltar has to put together its ‘dream team’ from a tiny pool of talent. Only British passport-holders who were born in Gibraltar, have Gibraltarian parents or grandparents, or have attended school there for at least five years are eligible to play for the national team. Hence, the backbone of the squad are fit local amateurs who hold down day jobs as firemen and policemen.

However coach Bula has noticed “a big change” in his players’ professionalism since the UEFA coup, saying the main difference now, in the players they will meet on the pitch, is “their fat wallets and professional footballers’ lifestyles”.

Where to Buy Tickets Tickets will go on sale approximately one month before each qualifying match. They can be bought in and outside Gibraltar via tickets@gibraltarfa. com and locally from the GFA’s ticket office at John Mackintosh Hall, up until three days before each match. Prices vary for each game. Hospitality packages and season tickets are also available.

Where to Watch AT HOME: On Sky Sports TV. Live coverage of Gibraltar’s home and away qualifiers against Scotland and the Republic of Ireland are confirmed. Other matches are up to Sky’s discretion and scheduling. Sky holds live rights to all of the Euro Qualifiers with the exception of England’s games.

IN TOWN: “We are exploring several options to ensure that all Gibraltarians can watch from home as we are aware of the logistical issues people will face in relation to travelling to both home games in the Algarve and our away games.” Dennis Beiso.

IN SITU: Home matches will be played at the Estadio Algarve at Faro in Portugal.

We’ve scored: celebrating Kyle Casciaro’s winning goal in Malta

Gibraltar goalie Jordan Pérez

2014 Sunday 7th September: Home vs Poland (20:45 Kick Off) Saturday 11th October: Away vs Republic of Ireland (18:00) Tuesday 14th October: Home vs Georgia (20:45) Friday 14th November: Away vs Germany (20:45)

2015 Sunday 29th March: Away vs Scotland (18:00) Saturday 13th June: Home vs Germany (20:45) Friday 4th September: Home vs Republic of Ireland (20:45) Monday 7th September: Away vs Poland (20:45) Thursday 8th October: Away vs Georgia (18:00) Sunday 11th October: Home vs Scotland (20:45) 30 / SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM

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Team Spirit Finding players is a problem, admits Dennis Beiso, but Gibraltar’s size also creates solidarity.

“Many on our national side have developed their game together since the youth leagues and this is reflected in their team spirit. The struggle to get here has made them hungry. When you’re told that you don’t belong, you’ve got something to prove.

“That said, there are some great talents within the team: Roy Chipolina, our team captain;

Lee Casciaro, a great goal-scorer; our national goalkeeper Jordan Pérez – all are extremely influential on and off the pitch. We also selectively bring in players from the English professional leagues who have Gibraltarian heritage. They’ve added experience and given guidance to younger players developing their skills.”

Those players include Wycombe striker Reece Styche, Bala Town

Striker George Cabrera

defender David Artell, Southampton goal-keeper Will Britt, Preston North End defender Scott Wiseman and Bristol Rovers winger Jake Gosling. The team lost its only ‘glamour name’, Danny Higginbotham, when the one-time Manchester United player retired in March. Eligible to play for Gibraltar through his maternal grandmother, he’s also Allen Bula’s nephew. Hopes of him taking up a coaching role on the Rock have come to nothing yet.

Team Captain Roy Chipolina in possession

Lining up for battle against Malta

Blueprints for Gibraltar’s new stadium

Stadium Wars Acceptance into the UEFA fold does more than take Gibraltar football into the big money league. It represents a multi-million euro windfall for the territory as a whole. And although the Euro 2016 qualifiers are the prospect exciting Gibraltar’s soccer fans right now, every sport will reap the benefits.

“Football moves millions of pounds so it’s of extreme importance in taking the entire sporting fraternity of Gibraltar a notch higher in terms of standards of playing, teaching, organisation and development,” says Gibraltar’s Minister for Sport, Steven Linares.

Another benefit will be funding from UEFA to build a new 8,000-seater Category 4 stadium in Gibraltar –

although not everyone on the Rock sees it that way.

Gibraltar currently plays all its home games at Estadio Algarve in Portugal, a 30,000-seater stadium big enough to accommodate the Rock’s entire population. Although fans assuredly want a national football stadium on home soil, the issue of where it should be built – if at all – is a source of controversy.

UEFA supports the plan to build it at Europa Point, Gibraltar’s southernmost promontory looking out across the Strait to Africa. Drawn up by top sports stadium architect Mark Fenwick, who designed Espanyol’s Estadi Cornellà-El Prat and Valencia’s Nou Mestalla arenas, he sees the stadium as being “a fulcrum for the

enhancement of the site with conference and meeting spaces, restaurants, cafés and galleries, as well as sports and leisure facilities”.

More than 5,000 residents have signed a petition against the location on the grounds of its environmental and heritage impact. The Save Europa Point group also highlighted the absence of an environmental impact study or detailed traffic and business plans, now being prepared by the GFA. The Opposition GSD party has also weighed into the dispute, favouring development of the existing Victoria Stadium as a Category 3 venue, which UEFA allows when there is no Category 4 stadium available. “Europa Point is an

iconic location of huge importance to this community from social, cultural, historical and environmental perspectives,” the GSD has stated. “It is simply not the right location for a national stadium.”

“I readily accept that there is a community against it but personally I disagree with that position,” GFA CEO, Dennis Beiso, told the New Statesman in an interview earlier this year. “Europa Point is a sorely underused location and the new stadium will revive a dormant area and have tremendous economic value.”

A ‘major redesign’ of the stadium went plans was underway as to press, although there has been no official announcement.

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Dream team: but will Gibraltar look smart on the pitch?

Rules of Engagement

Although every home and away game will be relished, one of the most anticipated head-toheads will be the matches against Scotland, the first at Hampden Park next March. “Scotland is the team all of Gibraltar wanted to draw,” enthuses Bula. “There is a big Scottish community here. My assistant manager is from Glasgow and used to play for Kilmarnock as a youth. He and my young grandson, who’s half Scottish, are both over the moon. It might be like another home game when Scotland come over to play,” he adds, referring to Gibraltar’s last qualifying match next October.

But, whether Gibraltar gets to the play-offs or not, there will be an element of victory in the fact that any of these matches could take place at all, on such a stage.

“Just to be there is immense for us,” says Dennis Beiso. “Yes, we’re a small country. Yes, we’ll sometimes get beaten. But we’re at the same table.” e Liam Walker also plays for Israeli Premier League club Bnei Yehuda

Defender Jack Sergeant

The battles for Euro 2016 begin now, although the ‘war’ won’t start for another 22 months.

The 15th UEFA European Football Championship will be played out in France from 10 June to 10 July 2016. And, for the first time in European football history, 24 nations will take part.

Finalists will contest a group stage (six groups of four teams), followed by a knockout stage (three rounds and the final).

As the host country, France automatically secures a place in the Championship, which will be played at 10 stadia in nine cities. UEFA’s other 53 national teams, Gibraltar included, will compete for the 23 remaining places in the qualifying competition, running from now until November 2015.

Announcing his squad for the first qualifier against Poland under Captain Roy Chipolina, coach Allen Bula confidently predicted that a draw would be a “realistic result” to hope for.

Fast Facts

Z The UEFA newbies’ home match against Poland opens a new chapter for football in Gibraltar but the history book was being written way before that. The preface was penned in 1895 with the founding of the Gibraltar Civilian Football Association, now the GFA, one of the 10 oldest soccer associations in the world.

Z GFC is over 100 years old, established in 1901 to take on visiting British military teams. The squad became a respected side, even crossing the border to play ‘friendlies’ with Spain, which were exactly what they said on the tin – friendly!

Z The post-WW2 decade was a ‘golden era’ for Gibraltar football, when the Rock welcomed the likes of Atlético Madrid and Real Valladolid to Victoria Stadium and, in 1949, Real Madrid – a match which resulted in a respectable 2-2 draw.

Z The football-crazy Rock has two amateur divisions comprising 17 clubs with names that include the strange (FC Hound Dogs) and the strangely familiar (Manchester 62 F.C.).

Z You can tell GFC has gone up in the world – now they’re making counterfeit national team shirts. The GFA has reported that cheap copies of the Admiral Sportswear kit are being sold locally. The genuine article has official holograms of both the GFA and Admiral Sportswear logos on the bottom of the shirts.

Blueprints for Gibraltar’s new stadium

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THE FOCUS national day

For one day only last year, Spanish-based British journalist Belinda Beckett donned the red and white to see what National Day looks like from a Gibraltarian’s point of view.

National Day Flying the flag: Belinda with former Mayor of Gibraltar, Tony Lombard, and friends

PHOTOGRAPHY DAVID CUSSEN

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Chorus, Gibraltar National Anthem

M

y first concern was that I might get lynched by the Spanish. There I was, on their side of the frontier dressed from head to toe in red and white, like a soldier in uniform caught behind enemy lines.

My second concern was that I might get lynched by the locals for impersonating a Gibraltarian. The Becketts of Ulster have no blood ties to the Rock I know of, yet there I was, brazenly clad in their national colours.

But in Casemates Square where I was sucked into a red-and-white human vortex, I was perfectly camouflaged – no more likely to be singled out for attention than a grain of sand on Eastern Beach.

Some 10,000 citizens packed into Gibraltar’s show plaza that day, and it was red hot verging on white hot – even the weather was celebrating!

There were people in wheelchairs flying national flags, dapper gents in union jack waistcoats, matronly ladies in white shoes carrying red handbags, kids in red and white face paint, dogs in red and white outfits, teenagers in T-shirts printed with political slogans: ‘Wake up and smell the coffee.

Gibraltar will never be Spanish.’

Hardly anyone was drinking coffee, though. Beer, yes. Pints of bitter and bottles of ale and Guinness and Magners cider, yes. National Day’s a public holiday in Gibraltar and the bars open early. No one was drunk, in the ordinary sense. Everyone was high! ‘What are they on?’, I wanted to know, so I could get some. But they’d been drinking from the cup of patriotic fervour and, if you aren’t Gibraltarian, it doesn’t have quite the same effect.

National Day started as a one-off to mark the 25th anniversary of the 1967 sovereignty referendum, when Gibraltarians voted overwhelmingly

Red, White & Proud

Gibraltar, Gibraltar, The Rock on which I stand, May you be forever free, Gibraltar, my own land.

to remain British. (They did it all over again in 2002, with the same result.) The September 10 public holiday was so popular it became an annual fixture. Everyone likes a day off work! But with the Gibraltarians it’s more than that. It’s the chance to dress up, show off and belong.

(For weeks beforehand, school kids practice their dance and acrobatics routines for their 15 minutes of fame on the National Day stage.) It’s a one-day licence to sing their National Anthem to the rooftops and shout their national pride all the way to the Spanish border.

You meet two kinds of Gibraltarians on National Day. The ones who believe it should be tub-thumping and political and the ones who favour a more civic jolly. It’s been one or other, at different times, since 1992. Of late, the tub thumpers are back.

In an innovation in 2012, the Foreign Office in Whitehall, London now flies the Gibraltar flag on National Day. Also that year, the son of the Rev. Ian Paisley (from my own home town of Belfast) was among the visiting politicians seated on the VIP stage. Last year, the Falkland Islands sent a representative to sympathise with Gibraltar’s sovereignty struggles with Spain, along with political leaders from seven other Overseas Territories and dozens of MPs of all political hues. Spanish politicians from Mallorca and Catalunya came too. They also have an axe to grind with Spain over their battle for independence.

National Day Treasure: Patriotic former Gibraltar Mayor, Momy Levy, and family

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They even laid on a British Sign language interpreter – Zane Hema, who’ll be back this year.

He’s not the one who made a mess-up of the Mandela Memorial. He’s the one who got it right for the Queen at London’s 2012 Paralympics.

David Cameron was also in the audience, virtually – a coup for Gibraltar. No British Prime Minister has ever made an address on their National Day before. I was watching from the car park above the ICC Centre – a great vantage point for the opening ceremony – when the face of my own national leader loomed large on the big screen.

When he spoke of the Rock’s relationship with Britain as “solid, sure and enduring” I felt a flicker of patriotic fervour myself, although it passed.

I’m not the patriotic-and-fervent type but the speeches were pretty stirring if you like that kind of thing. Fabian Picardo gave it full throttle. “Hell will freeze over before any flags fly in Gibraltar that are not our flags,” declaimed Gibraltar’s Chief Minister.

“What we’re never going to do is concede one grain of the soil of our land, one drop of our water or one breath of our air. It’s ours.”

At the stroke of one o’clock, the rooftops of Casemates gushed red and white smoke and a barrage of biodegradable balloons rose in a redand-white cloud into the sky – 30,000 of them, one to represent every soul in Gibraltar – blocking out the sun, momentarily, before drifting away beyond grasp like fond memories.

The crowd dispersed too, emptying out of Casemates Square in a red-and-white flood, as if someone had pulled the plug: the Mums and Dads and grandparents and push chairs to lunch in one of the bunting-decked pavement cafes; the youth to strike sultry poses in disco bars or drape themselves languidly on chill-out sofas in Ocean Village; the elderly to their favourite arm chairs and garden swings; the pets to lamp posts to figure out how to cock a leg in their restrictive fancy dress outfits. There was laughter in the air and courtesy everywhere. National Day is a happy pill!

“Come too,” kind Gibraltarian friends entreated me. But it was their day, not mine, and it felt time to leave. Although, with events planned into the wee small hours by The Self Determination for Gibraltar Group and the Ministry of Culture, the party had barely started.

That night I watched National Day reach its crescendo from the rooftop at home in Los Barrios: hundreds of red and white chrysanthemumshaped fireworks exploding over the crest of the rock. It was spectacular and strangely humbling…

I was coming down with another touch of patriotic fervour.

“They’re more British than the British themselves,” joked my Spanish neighbours, who were watching too. But that’s not true. I’m British, they’re British Gibraltarian. Ask any one of them, it’s a different thing entirely! e

National Day 2014 Events Programme

9:30 am Live Music and Performances by various local schools 10:30 am Children’s Fancy - Dress Piazza 12:25 pm Political Rally, Casemates Square 1 pm Balloon Release, Casemates Square 1:30 - 3 pm DJ Music, Casemates Square 1:30 pm - 7 pm Fun for Kids, Naval Ground 1:30 pm - late Fun Activities and Disco, King’s Bastion Leisure Centre 1:30 pm - late Live Music and DJ’s, Bayside Sports Complex 1:30 pm - late Live Music, Rock on the Rock Club, Town Range 2:30 pm - 7 pm Jazz Friends, Governor’s Parade 7 pm Thanksgiving Mass, Shrine of Our Lady of Europe 9:30 pm - 12:30 am Rock Concert, Casemates Square 10:30 pm Fireworks Display, Detached Mole

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ROCK STAR

THE LOCAL people

PHOTOGRAPHY JAYDEN FA GROOMING NYREE CHIPOLINA ART DIRECTION GUY BAGLIETTO

FABIAN PICARDO

T

he Chief Minister is running late. That’s not surprising, given the procession of men in suits coming and going from Number 6 at regular intervals. They’re all here to see the man whose name is inextricably associated with the David and Goliath stand-off between Gibraltar and Spain.

Number 6 is the Rock’s 10 Downing Street equivalent – with one obvious exception. The door is kept open during business hours. Indeed, with its see-through glass security entrance, it could be described as ‘transparent’ government!

The colonial façade, flanked by neoclassical columns and cannons, echoes the Rock’s 350 years of British rule. The interior is unexpected – newlydecorated in gleaming white marble with trendy leather chairs and cool lighting, although there’s still a sense of place: ‘Her Majesty’s Government of Gibraltar’ is picked out in an imposing arc of stainless steel block letters.

Gone are the terracotta walls, chandeliers and chintz curtains of former days; in their place, shrubs in chrome planters and a giant flat-screen TV – nods, perhaps, to Fabian Picardo’s ‘green, e-government’, twin pillars of the manifesto that brought the Gibraltar Socialist Liberal Party to power in 2011.

The Opposition GSD party, never missing a trick, has dubbed the restyled building ‘The Venetian

He promised a ‘gamechanging’ government and Fabian Picardo has been busy delivering it, at home and abroad.

Belinda Beckett meets the Chief Minister whose stoic defence of Gibraltar against Spain has earned the Rock a rock star’s-worth of global media exposure.

Palace’ and has questioned the £4.5 million expenditure but it will treble the office space and deal with the rising damp.

When I’m finally ushered into his office, the CM greets me the Gibraltarian way, with a Spanish kiss on both cheeks and a firm British handshake, and apologises for sounding tired. At eight o’ clock on a Friday night, with evening engagements pressing and a wife and two-year-old son at home also hoping to kiss him goodnight, other Prime Ministers might have deferred an interview with a lifestyle magazine journalist. Not Fabian, as he prefers everyone to call him. ‘Accessible government’ is his watchword.

“Aside from having to make very difficult

decisions for our nation, we sometimes have opportunities to make decisions for individuals or families that can change their lives in a positive way,” he says. “That’s what I most enjoy in this job.

It’s something that’s exclusive to Gibraltar because of our size. The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom doesn’t have that luxury.”

ON THE MONEY Tiny as Gibraltar is on the map, the big-hitting budget delivered by the government this summer might have turned David Cameron, Mariano Rajoy and half the heads of Europe green with envy.

Government figures showed a record £65 million surplus and double-digit economic growth of 10.3% that is “probably the highest in Europe,” says the CM. Gibraltarians will benefit from a swathe of tax cuts.

Fabian describes himself as “CEO of Gibraltar PLC with a duty to achieve real value for the shareholders, namely the taxpayers and electorate.”

He’s well-qualified for the job, a former barrister specialising in commercial law who was a partner in Hassans, the firm set up by Sir Joshua Hassan, Gibraltar’s first Chief Minister.

“We don’t have an environment that lends itself to agriculture or any traditional type of industry but, with only a Rock on which to stand and a neighbour who’s not always friendly, we’ve nonetheless been

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Rock StaR able to pay our way in the world,” says the CM with understated pride. “It is the fruit of everybody’s hard work, the people who have brought outside investment and those who work within Gibraltar who have put out their hand every day to work, rather than to beg.”

Although born and bred in the Med with its reputation for the ‘laid-back’ lifestyle, Fabian subscribes to a more northern European work ethic and often refers to his ‘working class’ background.

His father worked for the Post Office, and then the MOD; his mother baked cakes and was a secretary to Sir Joshua Hassan, instilling his early interest in politics. Despite being the ‘baby’ of the family, with a brother 11 years older and two sisters who had flown the nest by the time he arrived on the scene, he was brought up to be a grafter.

Naturally gifted at school (“except in sport”), he studied for a degree in Jurisprudence at Oriel College, Oxford, where he also acquired the hint of an Oxford English accent. He was among the generation of Gibraltarians first to benefit from generous government university scholarships, introduced in 1988 by Chief Minister Joe Bossano.

“I remember a different Gibraltar where money was not plentiful, where people needed to give thought to how they were going to get through the week on their wage packets, where the prospect of MOD withdrawal from the dockyard was seen as a huge threat to our economy,” he says. “I saw how Joe Bossano revolutionised this economy, demonstrating though his own actions and leadership how hard work could be rewarding. And I saw how people followed his example, starting to deliver the Gibraltar economy we have today which is very prosperous indeed, in comparison to the areas around us.”

Bossano relinquished the GSLP leadership to his protégé just before the last elections but the older statesman remains a guiding light as Minister for Enterprise, Training and Employment.

Modern Leadership Fabian also likes to lead by example. A man of his time, one of his first acts in office was to mothball the Chief Minister’s gas-guzzling Jaguar. An allelectric Tesla – also the car of choice for celebrity environmentalists Matt Damon, George Clooney and Leonardo di Caprio – now bears the distinctive G1 number plate. “As this government is promoting protection of the environment, I could hardly be seen being driven around in a car that cost £8090 to refuel, even at Gibraltar’s VAT-free prices,” he says. “It costs 40 pence to recharge the Tesla’s battery if you plug it into the grid. Hopefully we’ll be using solar energy soon and it won’t even cost that.”

At 42, comparatively young for high office – as most of his Cabinet are comparatively young for government ministers – Fabian radiates energy and optimism, even when tired. Has he also shed a few pounds of late? “That would be thanks to Steve Evans who has introduced me to a high-intensity

fitness routine called Tabata,” he says. “It only takes 12 minutes a day so I can’t say I don’t have time,” he jokes. I’m not so sure, considering he’s no stranger to 19-hour days.

A champion of e-government, which he says “delivers efficiency in the way that traditional government has not”, he has provided his ministers and key staff with iPads and smart phones and regularly posts his own Tweets.

“Twitter is a very interesting tool. I can take from it the opinions of people I respect, see what other people whose opinions I may or may not respect are up to, and tell the world what I’m doing in a way that’s very direct,” he says.

He must read a lot of rubbish too? “Of course, it wouldn’t be fun otherwise!”

Hope and Glory E-commerce could be crucial to Gibraltar’s economy in the future. With bunkering competition from Algeciras, the proposed point of consumption tax on e-gaming and Britain reconsidering its EU membership, could Gibraltar’s glory days be coming to an end?

“Questions like that have been put to successive Chief Ministers over everything from the closure of the frontier to the arrival of tougher financial services regulations but, as our history shows, we have just got sharper and stronger,” says Fabian. “I am confident that will continue, even if we have to suffer fundamental changes to the economic model that Gibraltar has built today. A UK withdrawal from the European Union would be very challenging indeed; but, in the two years since the point of consumption tax was first proposed, the number of people employed in our online gaming industry has grown by 50 per cent, from 2,000 to 3,050; and, despite the challenges that the bunkering industry faces, port receipts are up 21 per cent this year.”

The same can’t be said for tourism, down £37Million on last year. No one wants to get stuck in a border queue. Spain’s hostilities provide the CM with his “greatest challenge in office, although that challenge is really what gets me out of bed in the morning!” Not always one to mince his words

(he has likened Spain’s tactics to those of North Korea and Franco, on occasions) he possesses the barrister’s oratory skills and loves a good debate.

Under his auspices, Parliament now meets ten times a year instead of once in a blue moon and is streamed live on GBC TV. With his opposite number, the GSD’s dogged Daniel Feetham, keeping the government on its toes, Chief Minister’s Question Time is never boring!

But has his forthright stance on Spain alienated some voters?

“When Gibraltar is blackmailed, we draw closer together. I’ve found that most people have been extraordinarily supportive of the way that we have had to defend Gibraltar. The issues we have had to deal with have been clearly difficult and people are proud that we have faced them in a responsible and mature way that is respectful to the rest of the international community, and even to those who are attacking us.”

Spanish Connections In fact, although partly of Genoese descent, Fabian has more than a splash of Spanish blood circulating in his veins, donated by his maternal grandmother.

He’s a huge fan of Spanish wine – Ardanza from the Rioja Alta is his favourite. Vino Picardo added a whimsical note at his wedding, although he’s not sure there’s a family connection. “Spain is one of the most fantastic places to wine and dine in the world and anyone who has had a look at me knows that I like my food!” he laughs. “There’s so much Spain has to offer the world. I just wish that she would offer us a bit of tolerance and the hand of friendship, too.”

Sadly, Spain has become a dangerous place for the Chief Minister. “The level of defamation that there has been of myself and of Gibraltar, lead by the Spanish government using the Spanish media as a weapon, makes it very difficult for me to be in Spain without a lot of protection,” he says. “I am recognised there by people whose attitude, unfortunately, is not of the friendliest, so I’m not going to put my wife and young son at great risk.”

Like most Gibraltarians these days, Fabian, Justine and little Sebastian are opting for a ‘staycation’ this summer. “But that’s no hardship”, he says, spotting an opportunity to launch into a litany of the Rock’s attractions. The considerable list of what the GSLP has done for Gibraltar in less than three years – new festivals, new green spaces, spruced-up beaches, the first five-star hotel (one that floats), the blueprint for the Rock’s first university – reminds me of Monty Python’s famous ‘Romans sketch’!

I spotted the CM and his wife grooving away in the front row at the Gibraltar Music Festival last year, so I shouldn’t be surprised (but I am) by his answer to my last, slightly frivolous, question: “What talent would you most like to have?

“I would love to be a singer,” he replies. Leaning closer he adds, “And if I could be someone else, I’d be Jon Bon Jovi!” e

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A girl and a guitar

THE LOCAL people

S

Hollie April

Among the prodigious line-up of local talent making sweet music on the Rock, Hollie April is a name to watch. The girl with the Kate Bush looks and haunting voice has shared the stage with some of the world’s top recording artists and is already earning royalties from her first single, self-produced in her bedroom!

Belinda Beckett caught up with her as she prepares to follow her heart in London’s music Mecca.

Photography Jayden Fa Grooming Nyree Chipolina Art Direction Guy Baglietto

he’s been hailed as ‘a star in the making’ and her voice is pretty ethereal too but you won’t catch Hollie April floating around on Cloud Nine. She’s back down on planet earth, grafting!

You won’t see her in raunchy outfits performing sexy dance moves either. On stage it’s just Hollie up there, being herself, with her clear, melodic voice, soulful lyrics and beloved Taylor acoustic guitar. A girl with raven-black hair, alabaster skin, scarlet lipstick and a wistful, neo-folk sound who’s as far removed from the Rihannas and Lady Gagas of this world as the Rock of Gibraltar from Gibraltar City, Michigan.

But in her own unostentatious way, Hollie has been strutting her stuff in all the right places.

Her music is showcased on SoundCloud, one of the biggest internet audio platforms in the business, and airs on BBC local radio stations up and down Britain in a weekly series introducing new artists. She’s an online music critic for Sony Soundbed, a sounding board for new talent, and has a song-writing date at a studio in London this autumn.

Last year she worked the UK concert circuit and opened Gibraltar Music Festival, appearing on the same stage as Emeli Sandé, Olly Murs, Texas and Level 42. This summer, she shared the bill with Chase & Status at the Gibraltar Love Festival, and Chambao at the Sunset Festival.

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Strategic Dreams Ever since she decided to go for a career in music her life has become a series of goals. If most young artists are dreamers, Hollie is a dreamer with a strategy. “I’m afraid I’m very organised – the opposite of most musicians,” laughs this single-minded 22-year-old, as if owning up to a personality defect.

She’s ticked a few boxes on her ‘to-do list’ already: an Honours degree in Music Production from Leeds College of Music to widen her skills set; a debut single getting radio play – Together Alone – which she produced on a laptop in her bedroom on a budget of next-to-nothing; and her first royalty cheque in the post for her EP – Marionette – out on CD. “It came to £350 for a week’s worth of plays, not a bad profit,” says Hollie, who managed without an agent or a recording contract and uses Facebook and Twitter to promote her music. “The four-track EP was hard work, what with the printing and the cover design and I never want to burn all those CDs again,” she says. “With the single, it was just a case of putting it out there on the social networks. The response has been mega.”

Now she’s saving up for London, which is how she comes to be working a five-day week at a Gibraltar recruitment agency this summer. She even turned down gigs in the UK “because, with the travelling costs, I can earn more here.”

Hollie has been shortlisted for one of a handful of coveted places at the National Film & TV School, where she hopes to take a Masters in Music Composition this autumn. As with her degree, she’ll benefit from a government grant, which made her student loan-burdened university friends in Leeds “green with envy”. “But either way, I’m going in October,” she says emphatically. ““Gibraltar and Leeds have been great for developing the sound I was looking for. Now I’m ready for the buzz of London. It’s the essential hub for anyone hoping to attract a record label.”

Star Forecast She has a head start, having impressed a number of the industry’s movers and shakers. Steve Chrisanthou, who has produced and written for the likes of Herbie Hancock, Corinne Bailey Rae and Newton Faulkner, has describes her as ‘a star in the making’. SoundCloud flags up her ‘astonishing voice, clear and direct. She hits notes dead on and effortlessly glides across octaves’.

With little spare cash floating around in the music industry to develop raw talent, Hollie has the advantage of being a new face with a sound that’s tried, tested and followed by over 2,000 fans on Facebook alone.

“I would love a recording deal, and my own band but I’m not delusional. I have my parents to thank for that, they can be quite brutal in their critiques!

I’m studying other aspects of the industry too, such as writing music for film and TV,” says Hollie who lists songwriting, production, arrangement, sound design and moving image composition among the strings to her bow. “My lecturers at uni also left me under no illusions. They were all teaching to fund their music and wanted to be sure I knew what I was doing and how hard it can be to succeed.”

Gibraltar is a huge source of inspiration which she refers to in songs like The Sun and the Sea and A Place So Small, penned during her finals year in Leeds when she was feeling homesick for her family and her native Rock.

“That song is probably my most emotional track to date. I tend to bottle up feelings until I explode but I can express them in a controlled way through music and lyrics,” says Hollie. “At first I was excited about spreading my wings- But moving to an entirely new country was a culture shock that hit surprisingly hard. I remember looking out at the Leeds skyline and feeling insignificant, lonely and terrified.”

The lyrics speak volumes: ‘Cus all I’ve ever wanted lately is you/You are my shelter my Rock it’s true/I miss the faces I know them all/I feel so gay in the place so small’, she sings, pronouncing the word ‘miss’ like ‘mace’, an idiosyncratic vocal style that reminds me of an X Factor runner-up whose name escapes me.

“You mean Diana Vickers, I’m often compared to her, as well as Kate Bush, although I didn’t consciously model my style on anyone, it just developed naturally” says Hollie, who enjoys genres with “dark undertones”. The artist Burial is one of her favourites, along with the late Jeff Buckley and indie band Fleet Foxes. She was thrilled to meet Emeli Sandé backstage at last year’s Gibraltar Music Festival, where she struck up a friendship with British indie rock band The Propellers who were also performing there. “It was funny to see these cool guys looking really swag, hanging around to say hi to Olly Murs,” she laughs.

As for her stage image, what you see is what you get. She’s not the kind to strike poses. “I want people to focus on my music, not me.”

‘A’ Student Hollie grew up with an older brother in a creative environment, describing her artist mother as “pretty much my life’s inspiration and my best friend.”

Even as a teenager performing with her band at Westside Comprehensive before an audience of 1,000 parents and teachers, she was the antithesis of a star-struck child prodigy. Although she learned to play every instrument she could lay her hands on at school, from piano and guitar to bass drums and saxophone, and won prizes for her songwriting, she also won prizes in art and science and represented Gibraltar in international swimming and volleyball competitions.

“I was pretty academic as well as artistic and

I grew up thinking that music would just be my hobby, as it was considered a risky career path to follow. But there’s an old Chinese saying, ‘choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life’. I definitely live by that mantra so I’m trying my hardest to turn my passion into a career.”

One of the first steps on that trajectory was adopting her middle name, April, as her stage surname. Her family name, Buhagiar (of Maltese origin), proved impossible for anyone in Britain to pronounce, and she quickly earned the nickname ‘boogalie wooglie’.

London is the next big stepping stone. “I’m really excited,” she says, sounding upbeat, although those bottled-up emotions are probably fluttering in her stomach like butterflies. But whatever life holds in store for her, you get the feeling that Miss Hollie April Buhagiar will do just fine. And she can always write a song about it. e

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THE FOCUS independence

THE SCOTS DECIDE On the Brink of Independence

On the 18th of September the Scottish electorate, expanded to include 16- and 17-year-olds for the first time, will be asked to answer one question: ‘Should Scotland be an independent country?’ with a ‘Yes’ or a ‘No’ vote. This is the third referendum on devolved powers to Scotland. In 1979, a small majority voted in favour of a devolved assembly, but opponents had required that it be approved by 40 per cent of the electorate, a condition which was not met. In 1997, the electorate voted by a margin of three to one for a devolved Parliament. The Parliament has generally been popular with the Scottish population, particularly in the areas where it has deviated from policies of the Westminster Government – e.g. free university education, medical prescriptions and personal care for the elderly.

There is real appetite for further devolution, which would require greater control over finance.

WORDS SANDY STEWART PHOTOGRAPHY SHUTTERSTOCK

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Interior of the Scottish Parliament

T

he single question on independence is not what most people in Scotland would have chosen. They would rather have been given a series of options from the status quo to full independence and there was general agreement that the most likely preference would be for ‘Devo Max’, the greatest amount of devolved powers without full independence. Many people in both the ‘Yes’ and the ‘No’ campaigns would have preferred that option.

It was the Westminster Government that insisted upon the single question, probably maximising the likelihood of rejection without raising the possibility of further devolution. However, this may have been a miscalculation. Early in the campaign, members of the Westminster Government, in particular the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne and Prime Minister, David Cameron, laid great stress on the onerous, unnecessary, costs

separation would entail for Scotland and the loss of economic opportunities and protection. The Conservative Party, with only one Westminster MP from Scotland, have no political reasons to tread warily.

The other major Westminster parties do. Both Labour and Liberal Democrats supported the communitarian policies that divide Scotland from the rest of the United Kingdom and they know that those who voted for their party continue to support these policies. However, each party has compelling reasons to support the ‘No’ campaign. Losing the Scottish constituencies would be a blow to Labour’s hopes of forming a Westminster Government. The Liberal Democrats, as coalition partners of The Conservatives, have supported policies which run counter to the policies they helped create in Scotland and those they were elected to pursue in Westminster. Even if they had wished to return to their previous

commitments, it would have been difficult to do so without encouraging derision. The commitment to saving the union allows them a positive political stance without an address to their recent political history.

This has led both parties to represent the ‘Yes’ campaign as a creature of the SNP (Scottish National Party), the only large social democratic party committed solely to Scottish politics. However, as the debate has developed, they have become more concerned about the negative substance of the arguments for ‘No’ and have tried to leaven their warnings with promises of significant new devolved powers after a ‘No’ vote. As yet, the powers are unspecified, but the more the parties are pressed, the more they stress that this is a genuine offer. With greater or lesser enthusiasm, Labour, Liberal Democrats and Conservatives have joined together to offer something approaching ‘Devo Max’ for voting No.

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The Lion and The Unicorn

If we are to understand the issues behind the movement to devolution we need to look at the history of the union and the way it has developed.

In 1707, when the parliaments were united, the consequences for the general populations were relatively slight. The members of the Scottish Parliament were Lords, Barons and Burgesses and a general charge was that those who voted for union (‘the parcel of rogues’ in the popular song of the time) were following their economic interests. In fact, the uniting of the parliaments had few consequences for the administration of either country. In those days, the strongest organising forces touching the lives of significant numbers of ordinary people were the law and the church. English law was based, primarily, on common law, while Scottish law was closer to the systems that applied in Europe with a basis in Roman law. The legal systems were not unified and over the centuries as criminal law and, in particular, civil law has been elaborated the systems have moved further apart. To this day, no lawyer trained in England can practice law in Scotland and vice-versa. This separation of legal systems has become more and more significant, with the increasing complexity of modern societies. Its effects extend

over the whole area of justice, including policing, and right across the administration of government.

The massive changes in the later nineteenth and twentieth centuries in agriculture, industry, cities, travel, education, medicine and welfare, required a massive growth of government. As regulation expanded into more and more aspects of modern life, parallel systems were developed to administer Scotland and England and Wales. Long before the establishment of the Scottish Parliament, the Scottish Office in Edinburgh administered most of what was covered by the Ministries in London for England and Wales. This happened without major political difficulties; it was an organic growth that took account of differences. Difference, of itself, is not a basis of conflict. In fact, Durkheim, the famous French

Sociologist argues, persuasively, that it a condition of advanced societies. As societies develop, there are continuous divisions of labour giving rise to new skills which are simultaneously, organically, integrated into an expanded system.

The more developed the society, the more differentiated are individual experiences, but the more necessary are the social arrangements for each individual. A sense of individual identity goes along with a more integrated society. To some extent, this can be extended to the relations between regions and countries.

We cannot read opposition directly from difference, though, of course, not all differences are integrative. The development of parallel administrations occurred without major tensions and it took political developments which threatened a Scottish preference for

communitarian politics to bring the differences into the political debate.

The churches were also founded on different principles. The Church of England had been established by the expedient of replacing the Pope as Head of the Church, with the King. It remained an Episcopal establishment with a hierarchy of authority. The Church of Scotland was a consequence of more radical influences. There was no hierarchy and churches were, in principle, democratically controlled. Again, in principle, there was no religious authority above conscience. The church, therefore, did not sit so well with established authority. There was no natural alliance between civil and religious hierarchies, between squire and parson as there was in England.

Democracy as an aspect of everyday life was part of individual experience in Scotland, at least for men, long before general suffrage.

The weakness of hierarchical authority was increased by the decision of the upper classes to be part of a British elite rather than a Scottish elite. London was their capital in political and social terms. Structural differences led to processes by which Scotland in important respects became a middle and working class country with an absent upper class. The

The Scottish Parliament

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The Cloisters, Glasgow University

differences in the educational systems contributed to this. The Scottish upper classes were and are educated in English Public Schools, whether located in England or Scotland. The prime object is entry to Oxbridge and the most important exams are those of the English secondary system. These are taken, typically, at 18 or 19 years of age. Scottish secondary examinations are typically taken a year earlier, at 17 or 18, and are not designed for entry to English universities. English universities give honours degrees after three years; Scottish universities after four. There was always a relatively small, but significant movement from England to Scotland, but movements in the other direction were more limited.

Now, they are even less likely, since Scottish candidates, who do not pay tuition fees in Scotland, would have to pay them in England.

Apart from their absence from Scottish careers, the aristocracy have poor representation in popular history. They are held responsible for the highland clearances, which removed small tenant farmers from their land, causing great hardship and mass migration. The land was required to graze more profitable

sheep. In addition, the land, it is argued, properly belonged to the clans and was expropriated by their leaders. Not only did the clansmen lose ownership of the land, they lost all rights of tenancy. The clearances are a tragic episode in Scottish history. Wherever responsibility lay in the popular consciousness the aristocracy stands condemned.

If the developments of different legal and administrative systems were fairly uncontentious, serious political differences began to develop between the two countries in the post war era. In 1951, more people in Scotland voted for the Conservative party than for Labour in the General Election, yet both parties won 35 seats. In 1955, both parties once again won the same number of seats (36) though on this occasion slightly more Scottish voters voted Labour than Conservative.

Thereafter, Conservative fortunes began to decline. Between 1964 and 1983, they won about half as many seats as Labour; in 1987 and 1992 about one fifth as many seats and between 1997 and 2010, they have never won more than one seat, with no seats in 2007. The decline occurs after the miner’s strike and the early introduction of the poll

tax to Scotland. In terms of UK politics, Scotland is now a desert for the Conservatives. The form of conservatism previously popular was one-nation conservatism, which stressed the common interests of employers and employees. Moreover, most Conservative seats were in rural areas. It was the antithesis of modern neo liberalism with its unrestrained, financial capitalism and distaste for public services.

In Scottish elections, helped partly by the limited proportional representation in the system, the Conservatives still have a presence.

They have been fortunate enough to have had three leaders popular across party lines – each educated substantially in the public sector and at Scottish universities. It is not difficult to see a place for a Scottish form of conservatism in an independent Scotland. It is more difficult to see that Scotland will ever be at ease with the form of English Conservatism that draws its senior members from a small number of schools, a smaller number of universities and narrow forms of political apprenticeship in anticipation of election to parliament.

What of the campaigns? When the Referendum was announced,

there was a considerable lead for those saying they would vote ‘No,’ with large numbers undecided.

Movement since then has not been large, but after a long period of small gains by the ‘Yes’ campaign, there was a period of stagnation.

Recently, the ‘Yes’ campaign has moved forward again. Everyone agrees that the ‘Yes’ campaign is more positive and dynamic, but it will take greater gains than we have seen to date for it to carry the day. The ‘No’ campaign is still saddled with fear and negativity as their chosen weapons. There are few calls to celebrate the union, but no criticism of current partners in racial terms.

The sort of society most Scots would wish is compassionate, socially just, neighbourly and artistically innovative. We just can’t quite agree on how to get there.

g Sandy Stewart was an eminent sociologist. He spent twenty years in the Economics Faculty at the University of Cambridge and held the Chair of Sociology at the University of Edinburgh as well as senior visiting positions in Britain and abroad. He now runs the highly regarded Markinch Wine Gallery in Glenrothes, Fife. sandy@markinchwinegallery.co.uk

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style

INTERIORS / ARCHITECTURE / ART / Fashion

Continuing with our Scottish theme, we offer you the coolest kilt wear by 21st Century Kilts, featuring designs and materials that place a new spin on very traditional apparel. Check out our invaluable tips on how to regenerate your skin following the ravages of summer, and helpful aids to better digestion.

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Fashion From 21st Century Kilts

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Beauty: Beautiful Autumn Skin

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Health: Smoothing the Digestive Process

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THE STYLE fashion

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Like so many other things, the kilt is evolving, as exemplified by Howie Nicholsby's 21st Century Kilts based in Edinburgh. Tartan still holds sway but textiles have come of age and, as well as wool, leather, denim and camouflage bring a contemporary flair to the modernday Highland fling. As for what's worn beneath it - that's traditional!

Mon! PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF 21ST CENTURY KILTS

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i www.21stcenturykilts.com

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THE STYLE beauty

LIFTING AND ENERGISING SKIN TREATMENT: VITALITY FACIAL

ADVICE

WORDS MARISA CUTILLAS PHOTOGRAPHY JAYDEN FA

As an avid spa buff, I know exactly when my face needs a facial – tiredness, puffiness and a sallow look all tell me my skin is in need of a boost. I know that for a really efficacious facial, the place to go is the Valmont Spa, housed within the Specialist Medical Clinic at the International Commercial Centre, Casemates, Gibraltar.

by Valmont

V

almont is a Swiss-made brand which specialises in cellular cosmetics. Founded in 1905 in Geneva, its aim is to help women and men master the visible signs of ageing. Valmont products are made from the purest natural resources in Switzerland and are based on the very latest findings in cellular cosmetic research. In Gibraltar, the Valmont Spa is owned and run by a dynamic team: Susan Rhoda, an Aesthetic Nurse, and her colleague Carole Sharrock (Carole has been carrying out therapeutic massage for many years). Just one year ago, the doors of Valmont opened, promising Gibraltarians and international visitors alike something quite new in the area: a special range of skincare products made with high levels of active molecules and ingredients such as native collagen and epidermal growth factor – which stimulate the production of collagen and elastin, the building blocks of skin.

My most recent visit to the Valmont Spa was all about gaining lost youthfulness with Valmont’s famous Vitality Facial and massage.

The treatment was five-star in every way. Lasting an hour and a half, it worked wonders for my skin, but also my aching feet and body, which were soothed and brought back to life thanks to the soothing power of massage. Later, while my complexion was enjoying the benefits of Valmont’s collagen mask, Carole would work on my arms and hands, leaving me with the wonderful sensation of a full body pampering experience.

The facial began with Carole asking me to lie on my stomach, as she proceeded to massage my legs, putting sore muscles at ease and

almost sending me to sleep with a deep, sedating massage. She asked me to turn over, then cleansed my face, applying a series of products that felt deliciously pure and bore the inimitable fragrance of spring water and natural plants and flowers.

The gentle emulsifying cleanser eliminates impurities and protects the skin’s natural balance. Carole massaged the products into my skin, using the iconic ‘Valmont butterfly’ motion, working from my décolleté area up to my forehead using her hands and forearms. Next came the Vital Falls toner, applied to eliminate any remnants of the cleanser and to stimulate micro-circulation. Witch hazel, calendula and chamomile were some of the extracts used to soften, calm and soothe and, by this stage, my skin felt refreshed and clean.

Carole then applied a gentle exfoliant that removes dead skin cells and impurities. She performed the ‘butterfly’ motions once again, using the tingly yet delicious Prime Renewing Pack, which fights fatigue and soothes tired skin. Carole also applied a cellular complex to my skin.

Next up was the star player of the facial: a collagen mask with an antislackening action, akin to a biological facelift. The mask, which Carole left on my skin for around 30 minutes, is made of pure collagen; it significantly increases the moisture level of skin, reducing wrinkles and fine lines and lifting the entire complexion for a vibrant, youthful effect.

After a 30-minute nap beneath dimmed lights, it was time to remove the mask and once again nourish my skin with Valmont’s cellular complex and collagen booster, and then, a series of different creams for my neck

and eye area. Finally, Carole applied a light moisturiser to my combination/ oily skin. Called Prime Regenera I, the cream boosts oxygenation, plumping skin tissues and promoting elasticity. Prime Regenera I contains powerful ingredients like Triple DNA, RNA (a powerful cellular bioactivator) and peptides, which offer anti-wrinkle action similar to retinoic acid (Vitamin A).

The result of the facial? Radiance.

Youth. A noticeable lift; it was so pleasing to see the immediate effects that pure, biologically active products of the highest calibre can have.

There is more news to watch out for at the Valmont Spa: Carole and Susan are now working with a new mineral make-up line, featuring waterresistant powders, camouflage makeup (great for covering up tattoos or spots) and beautiful eyeshadows in brown and smoky tones. The team are also busy providing Glo Facials, a great choice for those on a beauty budget… and of course, how could we forget Il Profvmo – the Italian perfume line featuring scents in delightful fragrances such as chocolate.

If you haven’t been to Valmont yet, we can assure you that this is one spa that well merits a change from your normal routine. Whether a long luxurious Valmont treatment, a quick Glo Facial or a make-up session is the order of the day, the friendly team and top quality products at Valmont will make you feel rejuvenated, inside and out. g The Valmont Suite, S.M C. First Floor, International Commercial Centre, Grand Casemates Square, Gibraltar. Tel: +350 200 49999. reception@smg.gi www.skincare-gibraltar.com

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THE STYLE health

TOP TIPS ADVICE

to Improve Digestion As the years go by, we tend to increasingly suffer from bloating, gas and irregularity. These conditions can be highly uncomfortable and can really hamper our overall sensation of wellness and vitality. Often, the culprit is none other than the lifestyle choices we make. This month, we focus on making digestion a much smoother, more regular process, by offering the following tips: Z DRINK MORE WATER: Ensuring you are well hydrated helps dissolve soluble fibre and fats, thus enabling them to pass more easily.

Z KEEP IT LEAN: When making your protein choices, stick to lean meat, since fatty foods can interfere with digestion. Don’t eliminate fat altogether from your diet, but limit your intake and consume fibre alongside it, to smoothen the process of elimination.

Z CONSUME PROBIOTICS: Probiotics are ‘healthy bacteria’ that improve intestinal functioning and ease inflammation in the lining of the intestines.

Z QUIT THE STIMULANTS: Coffee, highly acidic foods and alcohol not only interfere with digestion, they can also cause ulcers and heartburn.

Z MOVE IT OR LOSE IT: Regular exercise helps you maintain a healthy weight, as well as increased circulation to organs and stimulates the muscles in your GI tract. According to Health Guru, Dr. Oz, physical activity can even strengthen the walls of your colon!

Aim to perform at least 30 minutes of cardiovascular

exercise a minimum of five times a week.

Z Bust that Stress: Stress can interfere with a number of bodily processes, including digestion.

Chronically high cortisol levels have been linked to everything from generalised anxiety to heart disease and inflammation. One particularly useful activity that has been found to lower cholesterol levels is yoga, which also increases our sense of vitality. Mindful meditation, an important component of many styles of yoga, is an excellent tool for relaxation, since it enables us to stay ‘in the moment’ and banish excessive worrying and negative thoughts.

Z INCREASE YOUR FIBRE INTAKE: Fibre helps keep blood sugar levels constant and softens stools, so that they pass more quickly through your system. A lack of fibre is one of the major causes of gas and constipation.

Z CHEW! CHEW! FOR QUICK TRANSIT: Taking the time to chew each bite around 20 times enables your stomach to digest important nutrients. Since chewing food properly also gives your brain enough time to register a sense of satiety, it can lessen your chances of overeating.

Z SUPPLEMENT YOUR DIET IF NECESSARY: Some of the most useful supplements that aid with digestion are: Bromelain: This supplement, normally taken in tablet form, is a preteolytic (protein digesting) enzyme complex sourced in high concentrations in the stem and fruit of the pineapple. Traditionally used in South America to aid digestion and reduce irritation, it is renowned for its ability to break down large protein molecules into essential amino acids or smaller peptides, which are necessary for building everything from muscle to neurotransmitters.

Super Lactase Enzyme – Milk and Dairy Digestant: This supplement is often used by those who are slightly lactose intolerant, but who wish to enjoy milk products. The supplement contains lactase, a digestive enzyme that helps break down lactose.

Multi-Digestive Enzyme: This supplement comprises a potent blend of enzymes that break down protein, fat and carbohydrate. Ingredients include bromelain (mentioned above) and peppermint oil, two of the most effective digestive supplements around.

Baobab Superfruit Powder: This 100 per cent natural organic fruit powder is obtained from the fruit of the African Baobab tree. It is also high in Vitamin C, Calcium, Potassium and fibre.

Psyllium Husks: This oddly named supplement works in a unique way; as soon as you consume it, it converts into a gel that expands and helps collect waste products as it passes through the intestines.

Psyllium Husks are the perfect example of the many mysterious ways in which Mother Nature can give our health a helping hand.

Oil of Peppermint: Peppermint has been one the most revered and oft used essential oils since ancient Egyptian times. Not only does it bear an inimitably fresh fragrance, it also helps soothe stomach disorders, aids in digestion and calms pain caused by gas and cramping.

Charcoal: This capsule packs a real punch, providing relief for the symptoms of wind, heartburn and indigestion.

Slippery Elm: This supplement works similarly to Psyllium Husks, transforming into a gel and helping the body eliminate waste products.

Milk Thistle: Keen health buffs know that when you have a hangover, the first two things you should reach for, are a glass of water and some milk thistle.

Sluggishness and indigestion are milk thistle’s greatest foes, yet this humble supplement will help ease your discomfort.

Fennel Tea: Fennel, alongside chamomile, peppermint and dill, is one is one of the most soothing herbs about, aiding with indigestion and heartburn in the most natural way possible.

Turmeric: Turmeric is not just a popular spice in Asian cuisine; it is also a popular supplement for the symptoms of indigestion – everything from gas and bloating, to heartburn.

Food supplements must not be used as a substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking any medications or under medical supervision, please consult a doctor or healthcare professional before use.

g All items can be found at Holland & Barrett in Gibraltar. 160 Main Street, Gibraltar. Tel: +350 200 49504. www.hollandandbarrett.com

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Gibraltar

s e s a e l e r e s i c r e c x s E e n o m r o h s t y n p e hap dietary suppleamppier r h u n o e v e and u o y e k a will m

160 Main Street, Gibraltar 路 Tel. +350 200 49504 FIND US ON FACEBOOK TWEET US

www.facebook.com/HollandandBarrettGibraltar @HBGibraltar

Gibraltar

local

Ready for Miss World The new Miss Gibraltar, Shyanne Azzopardi, had a date with the Ministry of Culture to sign the official Miss World 2014 entry form and receive a briefing on her participation at the pageant. The stunning 23-year-old teaching assistant will be jetting off to the finals at London’s Excel Arena on December 14, where 137 national beauty queens will compete for the coveted crown. Shyanne already has her photograph up on the Miss World website, while her Facebook page has garnered over 4,000 ‘Likes’. She is hoping to follow in the footsteps of fellow Gibraltarian Kaiane Aldorino, the Rock’s Deputy Mayor, who won the Miss World title in 2009. g www.facebook.com/MissWorldGibraltar

Award-winning Supermansion A spectacular £10.9 million mansion overlooking Rosia Bay has been confirmed a winner at this October’s annual European Property Awards, and could be up for a prestigious World’s Best garland. It has been named New Aloes, after the old Ministry of Defence property which once occupied this prime site. Proving that size isn’t an issue, even in little Gibraltar, this high-tech home boasts five-storeys, seven bedrooms, a whopping open plan living/dining space and a 12-car garage, with lifts to all floors. The mansion overlooks spacious gardens zoned for relaxation, entertaining and exercise. Highlights include a thatched chill-out bar, a network of streams and heated swimming pools on two levels, with Jacuzzi-effect jets, colour-changing LEDs, mosaic hydro-massage beds and, on the top floor, a glazed viewing observatory and roof terraces. “The super-wealthy often used to work from Gibraltar but live in Sotogrande,” says Sandra Lamplough, Marketing Manager for the developers, the Fairhomes Group. “Now these high-net-worth individuals want phenomenal homes in situ so they can live and work here and, more often than not, berth their superyacht in Ocean Village Marina.” g www.newaloesgibraltar.com

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Cityscape Reshape

Gibraltar’s changing cityscape is set for its next reshape with plans for a new multi-million pound residential and office development at the Old Naval Grounds.

The project will include sleek high-rise towers and green spaces linked to the new Commonwealth Park via King’s Bastion Leisure Centre. Downsized from the original proposals by developers CDI after they were criticised for giving Gibraltar tax payers poor value for money, the more eco-friendly design also provides multi-storey parking for tour buses and taxis, plus 1,000 new public parking spaces.

Upper Rock Revamp

Exciting plans have been unveiled to improve the visitor experience within the Upper Rock Nature Reserve – and it’s great news for walkers and joggers too. An east-side pedestrian trail linking Europa Point with the Reserve, a spectacular new suspension bridge at Royal Anglian Way and a glazed ‘sky walk’ lookout point at Mount Misery will be among the new attractions.

Walking trails will be improved, with new rest and picnic areas, balustrades, seating and lighting; a Nature Reserve interactive app for smart phones will be launched; maps and interpretation centres are also to be re-designed. Even the famous Barbary macaques will benefit from refurbishment of their feeding and foraging areas at the Apes Den. “This revitalisation is a well-overdue project,” said Tourism Minister Neil Costa. “The gravitational pull of such new attractions to attract cruise lines to Gibraltar cannot be underestimated.”

All That Jazz!

A star-studded line-up has been unveiled for next month’s 3rd Gibraltar International Jazz Festival. The musical feast will be headlined by Brazilian jazz pianist, singer and songwriter Eliane Elias, with Grammy Award-winning trumpeter Randy Brecker as her guest star; and Fillet-O-Soul featuring musicians from Jools Holland's Rhythm & Blues and Strictly Come Dancing bands, who will share the limelight with British soul singers Mica Paris and Omar, and Madeline Bell of Blue Mink fame.

The programme of 16 shows

includes street parades, jam sessions and jazz workshops.

The Festival line-up was unveiled by Culture Minister Steven Linares during a free mini jazz concert at Commonwealth Park, with live music from The New Orleans Jump Band. “This Festival has attracted great interest from many in the jazz fraternity around the world and is a wonderful opportunity to highlight that Gibraltar sounds good,” he said.

The main evening events will be held on the following dates at the Queen’s Cinema, unless otherwise stated: October 22: Launch party with Gibraltar’s George Posso Trio and other local musicians, O’Callaghan Elliott Hotel.

October 23: The George Posso Trio followed by Eliane Elias and Randy Brecker. Tickets £35.

October 24: Local jazz talents Levanter Breeze and The Soul Mates. Tickets £25.

October 25: The Massias/Galiardo collective followed by Fillet-O-Soul, with Mica Paris, Omar and Madeline Bell. Tickets £50.

(Tickets for all three shows, £100.)

g Tickets for concerts and jazz workshops are available from the Ministry of Culture at City Hall, by calling +350 200 66819 or emailing mschy.info@gibraltar.gov.gi Further information, www.gibraltarjazz.gi ESSENTIALMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 / 61

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Fun Day at St. Bernadette’s

Sensory art, face painting, games and dancing were all part of the entertainment during a Fun Day at St. Bernadette’s Occupational Therapy Centre. Afterwards, a barbeque was held in the garden for centre users and staff and employees of Aon Insurance Managers, who used the occasion to celebrate their Global Service Day. Commented Aon’s Managing Director, Dermont Finnerty: “It was a fantastic opportunity for Aon to give something back to the community.” g www.aon.com/gibraltar

Dog’s Dinner Animal lovers are invited to don their best bibs and tuckers for the Spanish Stray Dogs 4th annual charity gala dinner at La Canada Golf, Sotogrande, on September 13. With camp cabaret from the coast’s fabulous Lola Boys, a great night is guaranteed. Sponsored

by Jyske Bank Gibraltar, Gold Management Ltd Gibraltar, Heidi Larson and Katie Lee Beauty Therapy, the glittering event includes a cava reception, three-course meal with wine and charity auction. Proceeds go to this deserving registered charity which finds forever homes in Britain for animals rescued from the streets of Spain so that every dog can have its day. g For further information and

Turn it Down!

Gibraltar has launched an awareness campaign highlighting the link between listening to loud music for hours on end, and a condition known as NoiseInduced Hearing Loss (NIHL).

NIHL can be caused by one–time exposure to an intense impulse sound, such as an explosion, or by continuous exposure to loud music on MP3s, or in disco bars. It is the only preventable type of hearing loss. Leaflets and posters giving tips on how to safely listen to music, such as taking 16-hour listening breaks and keeping to 60 per cent volume for a maximum of 60 minutes per day, are being circulated to schools, medical clinics and St. Bernard’s Hospital. Health Minister, Samantha Sacramento, is loud and clear on the subject:“The message to be taken from this campaign is that prevention is key to your hearing health, act now!”

tickets, €55 each, or €500 for a table of 10, contact amee@spanishstraydogs.org.uk www.spanishstraydogs.org.uk

Cardboard Capers

It’s not quite in the same calibre as the Oxford v Cambridge boat race, as most of the competitors sink! But the August Charity Cardboard Boat Race, now in its sixth edition, is nearly as famous since it was filmed for Channel 5’s Gibraltar: Britain in the Sun documentary. Last year, a record-breaking 14 unseaworthy craft took part, along with TV camera crew who filmed the action while up to their waists in water. A splash hit with both visitors and locals, the race inspires many ingenious creations: pirate and Viking ships, dragon boats, space shuttles and versions of the Titanic (including one that proved unsinkable last year)! “Every year a healthy list of entrants take on the 1,000 metre course and attract a large crowd of spectators who like to have a laugh at their soggy expense,” commented Sandra Lamplough on behalf of race hosts Ocean Village Marina. Organised by the William Tilley Lodge, proceeds from the day go to GBC Open Day and the Prostate Cancer Support Group

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WHEELCHAIR VIEWS

Wheelchair users in Gibraltar will get an unobstructed view of National Day proceedings for the first time in the Rock’s history. A new viewing platform in Casemates Square will provide front-row seats at all Gibraltar’s events. As spaces are limited and in great demand, they are available on a first-come first-served basis and each wheelchair must be accompanied by one other person. ‘We are committed to ensuring that people with mobility issues have an equal, inclusive and accessible experience when attending events,” said Equality Minister, Samantha Sacramento.

PIRATES OF THE CORRYVRECKAN Javi Triay is back at his desk having completed a marathon 10 hour, 27-minute quadrathlon in the Scottish Highlands. The Associate at Gibraltar law firm Triay and Triay took part in the Artemis Great Kindrochit Quadrathlon challenge with his old university pal, Archie Cadzow, finishing in sixth place.

Styling themselves ‘Pirates of the Corryvreckan’ after Scotland’s famous whirlpool, the intrepid pair swam, kayaked and cycled around Lock Tay and ran across seven Munros (mountains), covering a total distance of 93.5 kilometres. For a finale, they had to slice a watermelon in two with a sword to stop the clock before enjoying the sweet taste of success.

But it was all in a good cause. The dynamic duo raised £2,310.46 for the Artemis Foundation’s chosen charities: Mercy Corps, which helps people in countries recovering from natural disasters; and Mary’s Meals, which provides school meals to children in deprived areas of the world. g www.triay.com

A BIG HIT BED TO WED

Quickie weddings on the Rock are a thing of the past. Changes to the Marriage Act mean foreign couples will no longer be able to fly in, say their vows and fly out again, as John Lennon and Yoko Ono famously did in 1969. Now they will be required to spend a night on Gibraltar soil, either before the ceremony (although seeing your intended the night before your nuptials is considered unlucky) or after (effectively, the honeymoon night). The same rules apply to couples marrying on Gibraltar-flagged ships.

The ‘bed-to-wed’ law is aimed at boosting tourism and incentivising ship owners to re-register their vessels under Gibraltar colours. Tourism Minister Neil Costa hopes it will bring greater economic benefits to Gibraltar in terms of increased spending at hotels, restaurants and shops, although couples can also choose to spend the night as the guest of a Gibraltar resident, instead of a hotel.

GIBRALTAR’S new National Archives website has logged an incredible 2,000 hits from 10 countries in its first week of operation.

The site allows users to search population registers of Gibraltar from 1777 to 1914 and also includes a list of people who remained in Gibraltar after it was captured in 1704. The most overseas hits have come from the UK, with 346, followed by Spain (131) and the USA (86). “It is very good to see that there has been such interest in the website,” commented Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Joseph Garcia. “The current database holds 174,000 records but this is part of the wider digitisation policy which will see an ever-increasing amount of historical data being stored in electronic form, some of which will be made available online.”

g www.nationalarchives.gi

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THE PRO business

The Recruitment

Revolution

If you’ve been in a cosy job for the last decade you may not realise how much things have moved on in the recruitment industry.

Belinda Beckett reports on the changing face of Gibraltar’s jobs industry.

T

here have been massive changes since the days when job seekers scoured the Sits Vac column in their local newspaper and employment agencies found candidates from a pile of CVs on their desk.

Like most change these days, the transformation is being driven by technology and the internet revolution. Check out Facebook to see how many pages and groups are dedicated to local jobs search in Gibraltar alone.

These days, job candidates can be pre-vetted via social networking sites and interviewed on Skype instead of having to drive or even fly abroad to meet potential employers.

It makes the selection process easier, cheaper and more targeted all round, for employers and recruitment companies as for job seekers.

In the UK, social media use for hiring is at an all-time high. In 2012, 93 percent of companies used platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook to find their ideal candidates and the trend is growing. If you’re a job seeker but don’t have some kind of online presence, forget it. But be careful what you post! That hen night photograph could ruin your chances of landing a dream job!

Some 30 per cent of job seekers also use the internet as their primary job hunting tool, which is good news for the professional recruitment industry, whose primary concern these days is good SEO ranking to get them to the top of Google. However, they have many other tools at their fingertips.

“LinkedIn is a massive shop window for us,” says Ian Hancock, Director of Recruit Gibraltar. “ Now I only have to update my status to post a vacancy and thousands of potential candidates will see it, from which we can cherry-pick the best-qualified.”

As Gibraltar’s longest-established recruitment agency, set up in 2004, Ian has seen sweeping changes in the industry. “A decade ago we would have advertised most of our clients’ vacancies in The Gibraltar Chronicle.

Today, it’s all about proactive resourcing over the internet. We use UK jobs boards like TotalJobs and Monster but, aside from our own

website database, LinkedIn is our most valuable tool, giving us access to a larger and richer pool of candidates than ever before.”

That’s especially important in Gibraltar where, with a population of just 30,000, recruiters often have to look beyond the Rock’s borders to find suitably-qualified candidates.

However, locals with similar qualifications are still preferred to outsiders, largely because they are already settled in Gibraltar. There are no relocation or accommodation issues and there would be no risk of them catching the next plane back home to deal with personal problems.

In Gibraltar, online gaming has been by far the biggest employer oiling the wheels of the recruitment industry and offering jobs across the board (from marketing and IT to admin, payment processing and telesales). However the Point of Consumption tax coming into force in December has taken its toll.

“There has definitely been a drop in e-gaming vacancies here over the last six months, as companies are remaining cautious” says Ian Hancock. “Whereas in the past we

were seeing at least one big e-gaming company setting up in Gibraltar annually, to buoy up the industry, that has not happened this year. We are hopeful that the tax has now been budgeted for and the downsizing will stop.”

But in comparison to Spain, where unemployment is still rampant at 25.6%, Gibraltar’s jobs market is still buoyant.

Insurance, finance, accounting, banking, IT and, increasingly, fund companies, are other major employers. Announcing a massive 10.3% economic growth for Gibraltar in this year’s budget speech, Chief Minister Fabian Picardo reported a jobs increase of 6.5% to 22,907, including those occupied by 8,000 cross-border workers from Spain. Gibraltar’s Employment Minister, Joe Bossano, forecasts that by the end of 2015, unemployment will be back down to 1996 levels of around 330 – under 3 per cent of the resident population.

The low corporate tax rate, Mediterranean climate, English language and British way of life are still magents for job-seekers. The opening of the Rock’s first World Trade Centre at the end of next year will be another huge attraction.

The seven-storey building is expected to bring many diverse new companies into the territory, as well as providing 15,464m2 of much-needed office space. Gibraltar’s MidTown Project will add a further 35,000m2 of office and residential space, while plans for a Marriott Hotel will boost jobs in the services industry.

Curiously, TV has also had an impact on Gibraltar’s jobs industry. Whatever your own view of the programme, the return of Channel Five’s Gibraltar, Britain in the Sun for a third series this year has delighted recruiters. “It had an instantaneous effect,” says Ian Hancock.

“We saw an immediate increase in job enquiries after the series aired last year!” e

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THE LEISURE travel

When in

Rome…

WORDS ALEX CARRUANA

The ancient city of Rome was founded in 27BC by Emperor Augustus and, at the height of the Roman Empire, it’s population was well over a million. Today, it is possible to have an insight into what life was like back then with the many historical sites that are still available to view. At least five days is recommended for a trip to Rome if you would like to see the main sites. For ultimate luxury during your visit, stay at the Gran Meliá Rome Hotel, which boasts fantastic views of the Vatican. The hotel’s two pools, both indoor and out, will also be a great distraction from Rome’s heat, and perfect to sit around after a tiring day of shopping or site seeing. Relax in the spa if you fancy a massage or a pedicure, which will be well deserved after walking around Rome’s cobbled streets.

Romulus and Remus Statue

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…

Panorama of the Colosseum and Arch of Constantine

O

ne of Rome’s main historical sites is the Colosseum, the largest amphitheatre in the world, and one of the most impressive works of the Roman Empire. The Colosseum was used to host shows by Gladiators and animal hunts, including elephants, bears and tigers to name a few. These were all imported from Africa and the Middle East. Today, the Colosseum is open to the public, but beware of the queues which can on average last up to two hours. There are experienced tour guides dotted around the outside of the Colosseum who will offer you a tour, as well as help you cut down on queuing time. These can cost around €40, well worth it for the time you will save in the queues! Make sure, however, that when choosing a guide they are English speaking and work for a reputable company or the government, so you can enjoy your tour safe in the knowledge that you will be well informed.

The Pantheon is another fascinating historical site, as it is one of the bestpreserved Ancient buildings in Rome. The

temple was originally created as a place of worship to all of the Roman Gods. It was rebuilt back in 125AD after it had been destroyed by a fire. The building ability of the Romans back then was way beyond its time, with its intrinsic detailing and fascinatingly elaborate sculptures of the Gods. In 609 AD, it became a Christian Church, dedicating itself as a place of worship for one God. Having stood for nearly 2,000 years, the temple rises to a spectacular dome that can be seen when looking upwards from inside. Often, birds will fly in through the top, and around the dome, causing havoc down below!

One of Rome’s secrets can be found at Aventine Hill, one of seven hills which contains a locked doorway. Look through the keyhole, and you will see one of Rome’s most unique views. Head up here if you fancy a relaxing and tranquil afternoon in the beautiful Orange and Rose Gardens, and enjoy the amazing views of Rome. Aventine Hill also features in the story of Romulus and Remus, one of the famous myths that explains the founding of Rome. Each brother chose a hill, Remus

choosing Aventine Hill and Romulus selecting Palatine Hill, where they would see signs from the Gods. An argument ensued between the brothers and Remus was killed. Romulus went on to found the ancient city, naming it Rome, after himself.

The Trevi Fountain is one of Rome’s most loved sites. Tourists like to make a wish by throwing in a coin, and hope this will not only bring them luck, but will also ensure they return to Rome in the future. Legend has it that this can be guaranteed if you stand with your back to the fountain and toss the coin over your left shoulder. Your wish will also contribute towards a worthy cause, as the coins are donated to Caritas, a Catholic charity. Caritas works on an international scale to ‘end poverty, promote justice and restore dignity.’ This tagline reflects the core values of the Catholic Church. Since 2006, city workers have been collecting the coins from the fountain for one hour during each day for the charity. The Trevi Fountain is currently being renovated, with works being sponsored

by Fendi fashion house. Having begun the

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View of Rome from Castel Sant’Angelo

works in July 2014, the renovation is expected to take up to 18 months to complete. The fountain has currently been drained and all coins removed.

A bridge has been erected to create a new vantage point for tourists, but the area is very different now the renovation works have begun, with scaffolding affecting the otherwise magical experience that the Trevi Fountain previously conveyed.

There are several Catacombs which can be visited while in Rome. Although there are many of them, the location of the San Callisto Catacombs is perfect if you fancy getting away from the centre of Rome and experiencing its beautiful countryside surroundings. First you will learn that the Catacombs were a burial ground for Christians and were developed due to a shortage of space. People would pay a great deal of money to be buried next to priests and martyrs, as they believed it would place them in good stead in the afterlife. In the San Callisto Catacombs, you will see The Crypt of Popes, where those most holy were buried. The closer a person was to these priests, the safer they thought they would be. These were obviously the most expensive burial plots. After a short introductory talk, you will be shown the Catacombs themselves, and how they were built and designed. Rich families were able to decorate their plots extravagantly and include features such as marble and gold. Over time, these were stolen, but small pieces of marble paving can still be seen in the Catacombs today. Remember to dress appropriately for the Catacombs, as it can be quite chilly in comparison to Rome’s high temperatures.

Another must-see is the Vatican, which can be seen from the hotel. The Vatican is located in Vatican City, a separate state from Rome with its own laws. Here, you can find St. Peter’s Basilica, a breathtakingly beautiful church, which is regarded as the largest and most holy in the world. It is the famous burial place of St. Peter, originally designed by Michelangelo and Bernini, and was

Trevi Fountain

The Castel Sant’Angelo

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Angel of the bridge Sant’Angelo in Rome

experience. Alfredo alla Scrofa is a nearby restaurant, opened by the owner Alfredo in 1907. Alfredo had a passion for pasta, and enjoyed experimenting with different recipes. It was during this time that his experiment became a culinary masterpiece, and the famous Alfredo dish was born. It was a favourite of Alfredo’s pregnant wife at the time, who craved the comforting taste the pasta has. You can pick up some tips from the cooking school that the restaurant provides, and learn some of Alfredo’s famous recipes that you can recreate at home.

If you are missing the food back home and want Mediterranean cuisine with a Roman twist, head to the rooftop restaurant Aroma at the Palazzo Manfredi hotel.

The seven-course tasting menu is highly recommended, giving you plenty to sample. This coupled with the fabulous views of the nearby Colosseum make for a fantastic evening of fine dining in a magical, romantic setting.

Should you wish to see more of Italy after your stay in Rome, it is worth venturing North to Florence for a couple of days. It is easy to catch a train from station Roma Termini. The train itself takes an hour and a half, and is relatively straightforward to arrange even if you do not speak Italian. Be sure to book ahead

Vatican

restored back in 1626. Its iconic dome can be seen from most places in Rome. St. Peter’s Basilica leads on to St. Peter’s Square, which features many sculptures to admire, as well as towering columns that surround the square. The Sistine Chapel can also be found at the Vatican, which is known for being the site where the priests gather during Conclave, the process by which a new pope is elected. As with St. Peter’s Basilica, the detail in the architecture is outstanding. Within the Vatican, there are also museums to visit which feature great works of art collected throughout the ages in Rome. Remember when visiting the Vatican that there is a strict dress code. It is important that you cover your shoulders and knees, so ladies, take a cardigan or shawl in your bag with you to cover up once inside.

Another great reason to visit Rome is to experience Italy’s culinary delights. It’s not hard to find a tasty pizza or pasta dish, but venture further from the historical sites in order to find authentic Italian cuisine. The tourist sites will overcharge and the food will not be as delicious as in the little local restaurants that can be found down the side streets. Just look for the Italians! The Spanish Steps area is a great place to head for an evening out if you fancy an informal place to eat. Enjoy the ambience with a gelato on the steps afterwards for a real Italian

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View at Tiber and St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome

Palazzo Vecchio in Florence

online, however, as tickets sell out fast on the day! If travelling with a large suitcase, it is recommended to reserve First or Business Class, as the overhead storage is more spacious there.

The capital of Tuscany, Florence, also known as ‘Firenze’ in Italian, is a wonderful old city with lots of history. When staying in Florence, the Hotel Grand Cavour is highly recommended. The view of Florence Cathedral from the rooftop bar in the evenings is captivating, especially with a glass of wine to enjoy your surroundings. The staff are helpful and friendly, which adds to the wonderful feel of the hotel. The rooms themselves are nicely decorated and comfortable. The hotel is also very central, being a short taxi ride from the train station. The pace of life is more tranquil here, and relaxation will be very much needed

after your city break in Rome. Two or three days is enough to see most of the sites in Florence.

The Florence Cathedral is named Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, literally translated as Basilica of Saint Mary of the flower. Being right around the corner from the hotel, it is easy to visit a couple of times during your stay. Remember that the same rules apply as with the churches in Rome, and that you will need to cover your shoulders and knees. The architecture of this spectacular ‘Duomo’ (Cathedral) is very different from the Cathedrals that can be seen in Rome, with its pink and green features on the external walls, and its terracotta dome. Incredibly, it took only 21 years to build, especially considering it was completed back in 1378.

Near the Cathedral, it is possible to take a

Inside St. Peter’s Basilica

Photography Alex Carruana

tour of the Old Town by horse drawn carriage. This will include a drive past the Ponte Vecchio, one of Italy’s most famous bridges over the Arno River, well known for its hustle and bustle. After, you will be taken to the Palazzo Vecchio, which looks more like a fortress than Florence’s town hall. This overlooks the Piazza della Signora, which is a lovely place to visit in the evenings and attracts many of the locals. People gather here to dine at the outdoor restaurants and watch the carousel in the centre of the Piazza. The tour also features the house of Leonardo Da Vinci, Florence’s first University, as well as many other interesting hotspots.

If you enjoy art, the Uffizi Gallery is a must during your time in Florence. Most of the artwork displayed there dates back from the Renaissance period, and it contains some of the most wellknown works of art by Michelangelo, Botticelli

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Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral in Tuscany

and Leonardo Da Vinci to name but a few.

The Accademia Gallery is home to the original Statue of David, one of the world’s most famous sculptures. The pose shows David in mid swing, prior to his battle with Goliath. The statue itself underwent a €400.000 renovation back in 2003 to restore David back to his gleaming self. Many have attempted to replicate the statue, but none as successfully as Michelangelo. There is a plaster replica at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. It was here that his nudity shocked Queen Victoria during her visit, and encouraged staff to cover his modesty with a plastic fig leaf during royal visits, a practise which is still carried out today. It is worth a trip to the Accademia Gallery to see him in all his glory!

Florence is a foodie’s paradise. Here you can enjoy authentic local cuisine, which can be found on every street corner. Florentine cuisine differs from that in Rome, as it tends to specialise more in meat, with boar and rabbit featuring on most menus. Favourites from home such as steak, beef, lamb and Parma ham can also be found in most restaurants. I’Mangiarino serves delicious hams and cheeses if you are partial to some tapas. Their Bruschetta, a typical Italian starter, is different from most other restaurants, as the fresh herbs that accompany the dishes give it that extra flavour. It is this little extra detail and

the lovely homely feel that the owner provides that makes it typically Italian, making you feel like a guest in her home!

If you are well into the Italian lifestyle however, and just cannot get enough spaghetti, Osteria del Gatto e la Volpe is a favourite, known for its mouth-watering pasta dishes and is reasonably priced. If you enjoy wine tasting, Vivanda is the place to visit; a little gem where you can sample some of Italy’s finest organic wines and enjoy relaxing jazz music. In addition to this, Florence’s famous gelateria, Grom, is a must try, as it keeps it’s flavours fresh and up to the minute, changing its menu once a month. Not only do they have delicious ice cream flavours, they also have interesting shakes and specials that put a spin on Italy’s traditional ice-cream parlours.

After a couple of days of delicious food, good wine, and an extensive experience of Italian art and culture, you’ll be ready to venture back home more relaxed than if you had visited Rome alone. This holiday is a perfect combination of site seeing, relaxing and enjoying the amazing food that Italy has to offer! e

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THE LEISURE retinto

Ar t o

nap

late Ret

in t o

lolli

pop

PHOTOGRAPHY DAVID CUSSEN AND COURTESY OF CADIZ TURISMO

Route of the

Retinto a pub crawl with (cow) bells on!

Retinto with wasabi, voted Most Original Tapa

Beach horseracing © Gran Premio Atlanterra

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Waterfront polo © Gran Premio Atlanterra

str of es tw ith be lls on

I

f it can be turned into a fiesta, the Spanish know how but the tradesfolk of Zahara de los Atunes really milk it with their culinary homage to a humble brown cow: Although perhaps not so humble. The retinto, a hardy little bovine from the Sierra de Retín in Cádiz Province, is the latest gastronomic discovery exciting the world’s top chefs. They thrive in the toughest climatic conditions on an organic diet of grass, shrubs and acorns. Their tender, lean meat has a distinctive nutty flavour and is super-low in saturated fats.

This year’s V Ruta del Retinto, held in tribute to this champion breed from September 24-28, is beefing up local tourism by stretching the traditional holiday season to the end of September.

A ‘carnival’ in its truest sense (carne is Spanish for meat), it follows the same recipe as the town’s tuna festival, whose 6th edition this May netted €800.000. Zahara gets its ‘de los atunes’ suffix from its famous bluefin tuna, which have been caught off the Cádiz coast in almadraba trap nets since Phoenician times. But, with their success in

Ga

International foodies will descend on the petite seaside pueblo of Zahara de los Atunes this month for a five-day gastro-fest in homage to Cadiz’s signature retinto beef cattle. Gourmet tapas, beach horseracing, polo and the region’s world-famous sherry are all on the menu, as Belinda Beckett reports. promoting the region’s little-known cattle, the Zahareños should rename their town Zahara de los Retintos for half of the year!

The festival is a shining example of crisis management, conceived to help traders survive the economic recession. It attracts hundreds of international visitors and thousands of euros in sponsorship from the likes of Cruzcampo, Lustau and Barbadillo wineries, Rives gin and Coca Cola Spain – so you won’t go short of refreshment!

Some 20,000 international visitors descended like a swarm of ravenous locusts on the tiny village of 12,000 inhabitants last year, consuming 50,000 portions of tapas. These avant garde culinary creations are served up at 30 different restaurants whose talented chefs outdo each other to win the prize for best dish.

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Beach bovine © Ignacio Soto, www.naturetarifa.com

Spoiled Cows Retinto indulgence

Pleasures of the Flesh It’s a great day out if you like socialising while you scoff. Last year I tried retinto ravioli, retinto mille feulle, retinto fried, fricasséed, flambéed and even flaunted atop a scoop of savoury sorbet!

“Have you tried the one that looks like a Walls Feast lollipop?” I asked a couple from Toledo as we sat down to a miniature beef burger, served in a scarlet bun with a ‘false egg’ on the side, made of mustard and mayonnaise.

“We can recommend the Sorpresa Esferica”, interjected a group of tourists from Frankfurt.

Happily, this ‘spherical surprise’ was not what it sounds like! (The meat comes from cows, not bulls). It turned out to be a Scotch Quail’s Egg. For €3 a throw, including a schooner of sherry, tubo of beer, glass of wine or soft drink, you can’t go wrong on this pub crawl with (cow) bells on!

Dishes are judged ‘blind’ by a panel of expert foodies. You can cast your own

vote, too, and enter a prize raffle. A Nintendo Wii, a tablet computer and a weekend for two at the Hotel Melia Zahara were up for grabs last year. All you need is a route map and a healthy appetite to join in this great gourmet gig.

As a sideshow, at the weekend there’s beach horseracing in the surf and polo, played out on a miniature arena within the old castle walls. You can get close enough to the polo players to see the whites of their ponies eyes as they flash past the flimsy fence, waiving their mallets like machetes.

Spherical surprise

Cows on the beach? You’ll think your eyes are deceiving you! But next time you drive along the Cádiz coast, look out for russet-red cattle with bison-shaped horns, chilling out on the sands. These are the famous retinto herds.

They live at liberty in the coastal pasturelands of La Janda and the Campo de Gibraltar, and are free to roam the beaches, too.

One of three pure breeds of cattle native to Spain, they were originally beasts of burden. By royal appointment, in the 15th century they became the official road haulage transport.

Cadiz is the prime producer of these short, stocky cattle which can adapt to the most arid conditions. The salty Atlantic winter winds and scorching summers are no problem for these hardy beasts which also thrive in the dust bowls of Extramadura.

Cadiz Province boasts some 70,000 pure-breds and thousands more mixed-breed varieties, reared by over 100 specialist ranchers. So it’s surprising that retinto beef is rarely seen on menus 100 kilometres east on the Costa del Sol. However, chefs like Rodrigo Lago and Oscar Hernández of Zahara’s Restaurante Pradillo say: “If you want to eat the best meat in Cadiz, it’s got to be retinto”.

Celebrated Spanish-American chef José Andrés is also a fan. The Asturias-born culinary genius credited with taking tapas transatlantic with his own restaurant empire in America is a familiar face in Zahara at this time of year.

“I love to vacation there, especially in September for the retinto festival,” he writes on Fodors Travel Guide website. “It’s a type of beef that is very traditional in Zahara. The meat is basically raised by the sea so there is a certain level if saltiness to it, and it is to die for.”

The meat derives its exquisite flavour from the cattle’s diet and free-range lifestyle. Retintos feed on the land’s natural resources throughout the year, supplemented by cereals – never harmful, processed additives – an ecological tradition that’s respectful of the environment as well as the breed’s genetic heritage.

The most-sought after meat comes from yearlings (añojo retinto). The meat is tender and juicy, leaner, lighter in colour and subtler in flavour than traditional beef with an intense pink tone. Because of it’s low fat content, it’s healthier too.

In 1993, Carne de Retinto was recognised as the D.O. of cattle-rearing. The registering and labelling of animals, carcasses and cuts is a guarantee of authenticity.

Beefing up tourism

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Beach horseracing © Gran premio atlanterra

Smooth Operator From the colour-coded map and stunning food photographs that guide you around, to the helpful waiters resplendent in colour-coded polo shirts to match, the Ruta del Retinto is one slick operation, masterminded by a chap who’s a one-man tourist board in Zahara: Gaspar Castro, President of local trade association, ACOZA. And, wow, has he put this pretty seaside pueblo on the map! The Tuna Festival is another of his ‘babies’ and, for his next trick, he’s talking pork to the neighbouring province of Huelva in a bid to launch a Ruta del Cerdo Ibérico.

“Our local produce deserves to be celebrated.

It’s my ambition to make Zahara the Marbella of Cádiz province,” states this amiable entrepreneur, owner of Restaurant Gaspar. Although that wasn’t the prime motivation for the festivals.

“I really did it for my children, we were in crisis and it was a question of survival,” he says simply. Those ‘children’ include the tradespeople of Zahara who have all benefited from the town’s success. Although retinto isn’t cheap, (fillet steak costs €30-40 per kilo) 50,000 tapitas x €3 is a nice little earner, especially compared to the empty tills of past years.

Zahara has experienced a total turnaround from 2008, when traders were facing a bleak future. With fewer incoming visitors that summer, and a tiny local population who can’t afford to eat out regularly, many of the family-run restaurants were talking of closure. Today the town is thriving, with new establishments opening and others undergoing trendy revamps. The visitors and money that have poured in have surprised Gaspar himself.

“Our aim was to extend the holiday season but we have attracted new visitors from all over the world, most of whom had never heard of Zahara de los Atunes before, so I think we have overachieved! Last year we sold 16,000 more tapas than the previous year, and so it will hopefully continue until we can’t fit any more in!”

Gaspar’s sister Rafaela is the culinary genius behind his eponymous restaurant. Her recipe for Roman-style Retinto – smoked beef topped with

a swirl of piquant wasabi – won last year’s prize for Most Original Tapa. She regularly surprises customers with her avant garde creations: her retinto teriyaki, marinaded and served with Chinese noodles, has to be tried. “Being lean, retinto lends itself especially well to Asian fusion recipes,” she says.

Could there be any downside to this meaty fiesta? Unless you’re vegetarian, just one.

On the drive down to Zahara, where you’ll see retinto herds chewing the cud by the roadside, I studiously avoided the calves because they’re just too cute. Alas, to no avail. After a day of feasting, my worst fears were realised when I locked eyes with the living versions of what I’d so recently eaten…

There was a corral of them on show – adorable retinto calves with liquid-brown eyes, long-lashes and soft russet fur, stumbling about on stilt legs, suckling from their mums – and I felt a sharp pang that wasn’t caused by indigestion…

But hey, I’m just a soppy old animal-loving guiri.

A hypocrite too, because this year I’ll be back for second helpings!

Chukkas Away!

The high adrenalin sport of polo will add drama to the festival weekend with riders from five countries competing for the Gran Premio Atlanterra 2014 over September 27 and 28.

Thrilling beach horse races in the wash of the ocean, similar to the famous annual event in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, will be another highlight of the festivities.

Luxury German auto company BMW will be fielding one of the competing polo teams, along with Jerez bodega Lustau, sherry brand La Ina and Atlanterra Real Estate, whose exclusive residential resort occupies the next bay along from Zahara. Professional riders from Spain will be joined by competitors flying in from England, Scotland and as far afield as Uruguay, Argentina and New Zealand.

Now in its third year, the polo tournament will be played with a ‘pop-up’ arena within the walls of Zahara’s Medina Palace. Last year’s event attracted crowds of 5,000 spectators over the sporting weekend. i www.granpremioatlanterra.com

i www.rutadelretinto.com

Class in a glass

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THE GOURMET restaurant

WORDS Belinda Beckett Photography Jayden Fa

Casa Brachetto:

An Authentic Italian Job!

You’ll be blown away by the cuisine at Casa Brachetto – and not because Gibraltar’s newest Italian restaurant is housed in an old armoury!

Y

ou can still see the gun emplacements in the walls at Chatham Counterguard, once part of Gibraltar’s defence system, now redeveloped with trendy tapas bars and restaurants to provide fortification of a gastronomic nature.

Casa Brachetto opened with all guns blazing at the end of 2012 and is fast becoming Gibraltar’s favourite little Italian place – with good reason.

Owners Lino and Gillian Brydges ensure that every dish is made from the finest Italian ingredients.

Even their chef, Loris de Luca, has genuine Italian pedigree.

Owning an Italian restaurant has been Lino’s dream ever since he worked in one as a student, years ago in London’s Soho. Both he and Gillian have day jobs so the restaurant is their hobby.

Clearly, it’s also their passion.

Talk about going the extra mile… they flew all the way to Gragnano, a Gibraltar-sized town near the Amalfi coast, to bring their customers an authentic taste of southern Italy. Gragnano was the first town in the country to win an EU quality endorsement for its artisan pasta. When you’ve tried it, you’ll know why.

Tourists have yet to discover this cute street of restaurants, where awnings and terraces with shrubs in tubs evoke a Covent Garden atmosphere.

Casa Brachetto is charming, with a vaulted ceiling and the original 18th century stone floors which keep it cool in summer, cosy in winter, like a cave.

Painted wall panels emulate typical Italian village street scenes, complete with ornamental lamp posts! There are 32 covers inside with no space left for loos. The businesses share a communal washroom at the end of the strip, which has a vault all to itself.

The menu is equally bijou, ensuring freshness: just three dishes under the meat and fish section, augmented by daily specials and some interesting twists among the antipastos, pastas, pizzas, risottos and salads. There are gluten-free dishes, too. And Lino is justifiably proud of his extensive selection of Italian and Spanish wines, among them an Italian-

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style red from movie mogul Francis Ford Coppola’s vineyard.

To start the evening off with a fizz, we chose a bottle of Castello Banfi’s Rosa Regale sparkling rosé, which is exclusive to the restaurant. Sweet, fruity and fun, it goes down a treat with cheesy dishes.

Our party of four shared an aubergine Parmigiana, smothered in melted Buffalo mozzarella from Campania, where they make the best in the world; and a giant Frisbee-sized foccacia, topped with Parma ham, rocket and Parmesan shavings. The base was crisp, puffy, wafer-thin – a star turn. Every pizza came out of the kitchen similarly puffed up with pride, which is what you get when you use the finest ‘00’ flour to make the dough.

The pasta exceeded our expectations. We tried vegetable lasagne, penne mari e monti (a surf and turf combo of tiger prawns and mushrooms) and one of the daily specials, a mountain of spaghetti tossed with olive oil, garlic and prawns – simple but delicious. The pasta was al dente as it should be, with a nutty flavour and plenty of bite.

Gragnano pasta is made with spring water and whole wheat, sun-dried in the fresh mountain air and extruded through bronze plates to give it texture. Parmesan sticks to the rough surface like Velcro, sauces love up to it, coating every strand and spiral. It has quite spoiled me for the shopbought variety but am I bothered? I discovered you can buy it from the restaurant by the packet!

“The pasta alone costs nearly five times more than the usual restaurant varieties so we make less profit but we think there’s no comparison,” says Lino. “We want our customers to enjoy the specialities we have discovered in Italy on our exploratory holidays.”

No one can make ice cream like the Italians and the gelato at Casa Brachetto is the real deal. It’s supplied by the owner of the Dolce Vita gelateria in Main Street, who learned her trade in Italy, naturally!

Enjoy it with one of the scrumptious desserts created by Gillian and her sister (tiramisu, panna cotta, chocolate brownie); or go for broke with the

Gelato Speciale. It took all four of us to demolish this spectacular finale of fruits-of-the-forest ice cream and crunchy meringue.

It’s easy to see why this quirky, armoury-based trattoria is going down a bomb with the locals. The owners have put their passion before their profit margin to bring the best produce of Italy to the Rock, at affordable prices.

I live in Spain so I might not get to eat at Casa Brachetto as often as I’d like. But, from now on, there will always be a packet of Gragnano pasta in my larder so I can enjoy it any day of the week!

g 9, Chatham Counterguard, Gibraltar. For reservations, Tel: +350 200 48200 or book directly via the website, www.casabrachetto.com 8/26/14 3:39 PM

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THE GOURMET wine

T

he winery, located in San Vicente de la Sonsierra, was founded in 1957 by Guillermo Eguren, who always had an eye for location and selecting well-sited vineyards with the best conditions for grape cultivation.

His sons Marcos and Miguel, in charge of Oenology and General Management respectively, have enabled this venture to develop into the internationally famous Eguren Group of wineries offering a singular range of top quality wines, all expressing their own character and personality influenced by the particular terroir (Viñedos Sierra Cantabria, Viñedos de Páganos and Señorío de San Vicente in Rioja, and Teso La Monja in Toro).

We had the opportunity to enjoy a lovely dinner at the Cancha II restaurant in Sotogrande, accompanied by premium wines from the winery. Around the table were representatives from Anglo Hispano, Anglo Wines and Miguel Eguren from Sierra Cantabria. We were delighted to be able to taste various magnum bottles of San Vicente and also of Amancio. Other highly recommened wines from the Group are Finca El Bosque, El Puntido and La Nieta, and from the Toro region, Teso La Monja, Alabaster and Victorino. They are available at the Anglo Hispano Shop in Gibraltar and at Anglo Wines in Pueblo Nuevo de Guadiaro. Prices range from

Sierra Cantabria Crianza at £8.75, to El Puntido at £32.95, Victorino at £34.25, La Nieta at £76.85, and the Rolls Royce from the Toro region, Alabaster at £121.50.

Sierra Cantabria has come to the forefront of Spanish wine making in the last 15 years. This is as a result of the extreme care that the Eguren family dedicate to their vineyards, which are located in the best terrain of Rioja, as well as the savoir-faire of Marcos Eguren, and his price-conscious policies. The vineyards are located in San Vicente de la Sonsierra, one of the most famous towns in Rioja, known for the quality of its grapes. They are sourced from 267 acres (108 ha), from around 500m above sea level, spread among the towns of San Vicente de la Sonsierra, Labastida, and Laguardia.

The proportion of grape varieties is 91% Tempranillo, 3% Malvasia, and 6% Viura. Around 75% of the production comes from their own vineyards with the rest bought from local growers. They have followed ecologically conscious agricultural practices in their own vineyards for the past 12 years. The soil is composed of Clay-lime, the best soil of Rioja, and the climate is Continental, with the influence of winds from the Atlantic, but protected from more severe weather by the Sierra Cantabria Mountains.

EMPIRE THE SIERRA CANTABRIA FIVE GENERATIONS OF GRAPE GROWERS…

Sierra Cantabria wines are considered to be one of the best Riojas Spain has to offer. Sierra Cantabria is the name given to the range of wines (Sierra Cantabria Crianza, Seleccion, Reserva, Gran Reserva, etc.) as well as to the winery which belongs to the Eguren family (brothers Marcos and Miguel).

WORDS ROCIO CORRALES, ANGLO HISPANO PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF VIÑEDOS Y BODEGAS SIERRA CANTABRIA

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g Available at Anglo Hispano, 5/7 Main Street, Gibraltar. Tel: +350 200 77210, www.anglo.gi, www.sierracantabria.com 8/27/14 11:30 AM

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THE GOURMET wine

Rueda Words Carlos Read Photography Courtesy of menade

The town of Rueda lies on a plateau at between 500 and 800 metres above sea level just 90 minutes drive north west of Madrid and is a favourite day out for urbanites who often zoom up for a cracking weekend lunch – often of lechazo – and to fill up the car boot with plentiful supplies of the region’s excellent white wines, charcuterie and cheeses not to mention the fabulous local bread. Indeed the first thing one sees on arrival is La Cuba, an enormous very recently built modern wine store and deli, with the most excellent and more intimate Casa Lola also just a couple of hundred metres further down on the left.

T

his is very much a one horse town, with less than 1,500 inhabitants, one very long main street and no hotels (so aim for rather more picturesque Tordesillas if in search of accommodation, avoid the Parador, and while there be sure to visit both the leather shop in Calle San Antolín, where the owner will make you a belt on the spot under the strict supervision of his fabulous upside down inclined parrot – as well as wonderfully imaginative ceramic specialist Luis Rivero, whose shop is on the major hill to the left once you’ve crossed the splendid bridge that spans the Duero and beneath which, during the summer, there’s a chiringuito where you can order a modestly priced bucket of gin and tonic and watch the river flow by).

Rueda, meantime (remember Rueda?), together with the nearby villages of Serrada and La Seca, comprises a DO of some 12,000 hectares founded in 1980 which is currently perhaps the best region in Spain for fresh, well-priced modern whites.

It was not always like this,

for until the late 1970s, a lot of Palomino was grown here and typical Rueda wines were often golden brown in colour, purposely oxidised, and more akin to rather aged sherries – a style often called dorado.

Locals, though immensely friendly, hospitable and exceedingly amiable, are basically quite shy; so it was prestigious outsiders Marqués de Riscal who created initial excitement about the region’s potential when, in 1974, with the advice of the legendary Émile Peynaud, they decided to start making modern white wines here and introduced Sauvignon Blanc from Loire cuttings, given that this windswept region with its alluvial soils containing elements of clay, gravel and a high incidence of pebbles – not to mention its altitude, low rainfall, warm summer days but cool nights, and yet glacial winters – is ideal for the cultivation of white grapes and quality wines.

The true power of the area, however, is and was the Sanz family who had been making wines in La Seca since the 1800s and of which there are

multifarious offshoots given a history of family fallings-out; and it was fifth generation Antonio Sanz who not only made the family’s Palacio de Bornos wines a household name in Spain as of the late 1970s but, simultaneously, especially during the 1990s, provided wines that triumphed abroad and brought increasing recognition of the area bearing, however, the labels of eminent non locals such as Marqués de Griñón, the Lurton brothers, and Telmo Rodríguez.

And the bandwagon still rolls, as, with the region’s fame now firmly cemented, everyone wants white wine from Rueda – with the number of producers jumping from perhaps 17 to some 58 (and more coming) in the last ten years or so.

Today, therefore, arguably but unsurprisingly, the most interesting winery in the DO is Menade, run by the dynamic sixth generation of the Sanz family – siblings Richard (the winemaker), Marco (the vineyards) and Alejandra (the sales) – who produce a series of wines not just from their own 180 hectares of vineyards but also from father Antonio’s 60.

Their top five wines are: Menade Verdejo (fresh, aromatic, and mouth-watering with zesty lemony acidity and attractive grassy notes); Menade Sauvignon Blanc (elegant and intense with good structure and the same exuberance as its sister in style but with perhaps a tad more attitude); Antonio Sanz Verdejo and AS Sauvignon Blanc (made from 40 year old vines and with approximately 30% barrel-fermentation, so deeper, more structured and with a more pronounced minerality); and star of the show (eat your heart out Burgundy): the pricey but awesome Verdejo V3 (made from 18 plots of pre-phylloxera vines, whole cluster pressed, fermented with wild yeasts and aged in 500-litre French oak barrels of different ages. It sounds complex and it is. It’s also seamless, perfectly integrated and with great depth). e

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restaurants All’s Well Bar & Restaurant

Gallo Nero

Mamma Mia

solo express

Unit 4, Casemates Square, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 72987

56/58 Irish Town, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 77832

Unit C, Boyd Street, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 64444

Casemates Square, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 62828

BEAN & gone cafe

Gatsby’s

Mons calpe suite

Taps Bar

20 Engineers Lane, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 65334

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

Top of The Rock, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 79478

5 Ocean Village Promenade, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 67575

Mumbai curry house

Gibraltar Arms

Ground floor, Block 1 Eurotowers, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 73711

Theatre Royal Bar & Restaurant

Bianca’s 6/7 Admiral’s Walk, Marina Bay, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 73379

Bistro Madeleine 256 Main Street, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 65696

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

184 Main Street, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 72133

Jumpers Wheel Restaurant 20 Rosia Road, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 40052

Jury’s Cafe & Wine Bar 275 Main Street, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 67898

Khan’s 7/8 Watergardens, Waterport, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 50015

Nunos

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

The Caleta Hotel, Catalan Bay, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 76501

The Chargrill Restaurant at Gala Casino

O’Reilly’s

Gala Casino, Ocean Village, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 76666

Leisure Island, Ocean Village, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 67888

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

Pizza Express

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

The Cuban

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

21B The Promenade, Ocean Village, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 67889

Pizzaghetti

the island

Sir Herbert Miles Road, Catalan Bay, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 72373

1008 Eurotowers, Europort Avenue, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 63868

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

Latino’s Diner

Restaurante Nunos Italiano

Casa Brachetto

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

13a Ocean Village, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 68222

9 Chatham Counterguard, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 48200

Latinos Music Bar and Restaurant

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

Casa Pepe

9 Casemates Square, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 47755

Rooftop Bistro, O’Callaghan Eliott Hotel

15 Ragged Staff Wharf, Queensway Quay, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 66100

Governor’s Parade, Gibraltar +350 200 70500

The Rock Hotel Restaurant

54 Irish Town, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 51738

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

Cannon Bar 27 Cannon Lane, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 77288

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

Champion’s Planet Bar & Grill 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 Patio Unit 11, Casemates Square, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 40713

Kowloon Restaurant 20 Watergardens III, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 42771

La Mamela

La Parrilla 17/18 Watergardens, Block 6, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 66555

Laziz Sail 2.2, Ocean Village Marina, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 40971

Le Bateau 14 Ragged Staff Wharf, Queensway Quay, Gibraltar. Tel: +350 200 66420

Lek Bangkok Unit 50 1/3, Block 5, Eurotowers, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 48881

El Pulpero

Little Rock Restaurant & Bar

Unit 12A Watergardens, Waterport, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 44786

Casemates Square, Gibraltar Tel +350 200 51977

4 Stagioni

Maharaja Indian Restaurant

16/18 Saluting Battery, Rosia Road, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 79153

5 Tuckey’s Lane, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 50733

Roy’s Cod Place 2/2 Watergate House, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 76662

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

Seawave Bar 60 Catalan Bay Village, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 78739

sky restaurant & Bar Sunborn Gibraltar, Ocean Village.

Tel: +350 200 16000

Solo Bar & Grill Unit 15, 4 Eurotowers, Europort Avenue, Gibraltar.

Tel: +350 200 62828

the ivy sports bar & grill The Landings Restaurant

Europa Road, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 73000 The Royal Calpe, 176 Main Street.

Tel: +350 200 75890

The Trafalgar Bar 1a Rosia Road, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 45370

The Waterfront 4/5 Ragged Staff Wharf, Queensway Quay, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 45666

Tunnel Bar Restaurant Casemates Square, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 44878

Verdi Verdi Unit G10, International Commercial Centre, Main Street, Gibraltar Tel: +350 200 60733

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