Gibraltar Insight™ May 2019

MAY 2019

Take Me

THE ROCK’S LONGEST RUNNING MAGAZINE

I’M YOURS

GIBRALTAR INSIGHT FREE COPY

JASON MANFORD

Muddle Man on the Rock GIBRALTARINSIGHT.COM

@GBZInsight

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Contents

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27

Business Insight 10

BUSINESS NEWS

Sports Insight 26

ENGLAND FAVOURITES TO FINALLY WIN FIRST CRICKET WORLD CUP

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EURO QUALIFIERS PROMISE MUCH MORE FUN TO COME

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FA CUP FINAL – CITY CLASS TO COUNTER HORNET’S STING

Culture Insight 52

EUROVISION COMEBACK FOR MADONNA

History Insight 44 RAF ANTI SUBMARINE OPERATIONS AROUND GIBRALTAR

Features 15

GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCES AMBITIOUS LAND RECLAMATION SCHEME

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ONCE A POLITICIAN...

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MAN ON A MISSION – KAMLESH KHUBCHAND

30 THE GIBRALTAR PROMS – MAKING CLASSICAL MUSIC ACCESSIBLE 32

EYES SET ON HEAVEN

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COMEDIAN JASON MANFORD TALKS TO GIBRALTAR INSIGHT

40 MONOCHROME IS TRENDING IN ART 48

THE ‘I’ IN THE EYE – DOCUMENTING THE PEOPLE – DOCUMENTING THE WORLD

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SUPREME MARINE MODEL MAKING

Regular Features 6

COMMUNITY INSIGHT

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ARMED FORCES INSIGHT

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MOVIE REVIEWS

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VET COLUMN

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ON THE SPOT – SEB DESOISA

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MUM ON THE ROCK – CHILDHOOD MELTDOWNS

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HEALTH & WELLBEING INSIGHT

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CROSSWORD

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MAMA LOTTIES RECIPE

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WEDDING INSIGHT

74 SM SERUYA CROSSWORD

Gibraltar Insight Magazine July 2018. Editor: R Ford. Printed & published by GBZ Media Limited, Suite 1, 77 Main Street, Gibraltar GX11 1AA. +350 200 40913. hello@gibraltarinsight.com Copyright 2018. All rights reserved. The names Gibraltar Insight, Bermuda Insight & GBZ Media are marks of GBZ Media Limited. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher.

Gibraltar Insight places great importance on the accuracy of the information contained within this publication, but cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions. Views expressed by contributors and correspondents do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher. Gibraltar Insight or GBZ Media Limited are not responsible for any claims made, or material used in advertisements. Deposito Legal CA-955/07

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COMMUNITY INSIGHT Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen have confirmed their places at this year’s Gibraltar Calling festival. The weekend of Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th September promises to be a monumental music festival at the state-of-the-art Europa Point Leisure Complex.

Take That formed in Manchester in 1990 and have had 28 Top 40 singles and 17 Top 5 singles in the UK, 12 of which have reached number one, as well as having 8 number one albums. Internationally, the band have had 56 number one singles and 39 number one albums. They have received 8 Brit Awards - winning awards for Best British Group and Best British Live Act. This concert will form part of their 30th anniversary celebrations and will feature all the greatest hits.

TAKE THAT! TAKE THAT CONFIRMED FOR GIBRALTAR CALLING 2019

Among the many acts supporting the band will be this year’s Brit Award winner Tom Walker, a Glaswegian singer-songwriter who rose to fame with his single “Leave a Light On”.

Minister of Culture Hon Steven Linares said, “I am delighted at the fact that this year’s Gibraltar Calling will be staged at the Europa Point Leisure Complex. This will the first of many. The headliners are one of the best ever with Take That playing for us on Sunday. And the Saturday headliner is yet to be announced but will be one which will please many. MTV will act as the media partner for this year’s event. I therefore urge people to get their tickets early since we envisage a sell out his year.”

This year’s event will be the biggest music festival ever staged in Gibraltar with the show’s executive producer Richard Coram predicting that when the full talent line up is announced the event will sell out in advance.

Keep checking gibraltarcalling.com for more talent announcements and general info.

Two-day general admission early bird tickets are priced at £89 and one-day general admission early tickets are £75 per day.

ADVANTAGE INSURANCE

CHARITY QUIZ

Advantage Insurance’s themed charity quiz night was such a success, that the three nominated beneficiaries each received cheques for £700.

Gibraltar Dialysis Patients and Friends Association, Parent And Child Society, and the Gibraltar Dyslexia Support Group were represented by Joanna Hill, Sunil Chandiramani and Chloe Weir respectfully, received the raised funds from Advantage COO Steve Mumford.

Handing over the cheques, he added, “We at Advantage are very keen on supporting the community and consider it one of our 4 pillars of how the company is run. Over the last year we have supported some larger charities with fund raising and staff involvement but through some recent engagement we have been made aware how many small charities there are in Gib that go under the radar and as a result find it difficult to raise money. We therefore decided to create an event that supported exactly those sorts of organisations who all do vital work in our local community.”

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COMMUNITY INSIGHT

THIS YEAR’S CONVENT OPEN DAY IS ON SATURDAY 11TH MAY. DOORS WILL BE OPEN FROM 11AM TO 3PM. Admission costs £1 with proceeds supporting: Charitable Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, Gibraltar The Gibraltar Dyslexia Support Group Women’s Corona Society A Pathway Through Pain

THE CONVENT

OPEN DAY In the Garden The Convent Marmalade

Tickets are available in advance from The Convent rear guard post or on the day itself.

EVENTS AND STALLS • Cakes and refreshments, including scones with clotted cream, food stall with hot dogs, burgers, and Vijay’s Paella.

• Variety of stalls including: The Red Cross, Heritage Trust, Friends of Mount Alvernia and Williams Centre; Plants; and Convent Marmalade.

Gladiator Stand Arts and Crafts Awareness Stalls Tea, Cake and Scones Bouncy Castle Glitter & Gems Face Painting Food Stalls, including Vijay’s Paella! GDP Dog Display

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• The Gibraltar Defence Police dogs.

• Children’s activities including: Glitter and gems face painting, bouncy castle, and a gladiator stand.

• Plus the beautiful gardens and fine rooms to enjoy.

11:00 AM — 3:00 PM

Disabled access to the Convent reception areas and most of the garden is available. Anyone requiring assistance is encouraged to contact the Convent in advance.

Entrance £1

CHESTERTONS RENEW GIBRALTAR LIVE MUSIC SOCIETY SPONSORSHIP Leading Gibraltar estate agents, Chestertons, has renewed its sponsorship of the Gibraltar Live Music Society.

A spokesperson for the GLMS said, “Thanks to their kind sponsorship we have been able to achieve many things but most notably it was thanks to their kind sponsorship that we were able to be present at The 100 Club back in November 2017 as well as obtain the relevant equipment to boost our media coverage.”

Chestertons CEO Mike Nicholls added, “We are proud to sponsor The Gibraltar Live Music Society. They work hard to promote the Gibraltar music scene and actively assist local talent with broadcasts, publicity and events.

We all live in the community, we earn from the community and it is a pleasure to be able to give back to the community. We wish the GLMS continued success.”

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BUSINESS INSIGHT

MORE CLEAN ENERGY FOR GIB HM Government of Gibraltar and the Gibraltar Electricity Authority have announced the next phase of a solar (photo voltaic, or PV) power tender. It forms part of a commitment to increase renewable energy provision and production on the Rock, with the knock-on effect of further reducing carbon emissions, and increasing self-sufficiency.

Three companies were successful in their bids and now form part of the Government solar framework agreement, as part of the Government’s phased roll out of rooftop PV systems under power purchase agreements (PPAs).

Among the sites earmarked for the first part of the process are the Cruise Liner Terminal, the University of Gibraltar, Ocean Views and Hillside, Grand Casemates Block and Mount Alvernia. These areas will be tested for the design, installation, operation and maintenance by the Framework Contractors.

It is hoped that, if projections prove correct, these test sites could produce around 10% of Gibraltar’s current energy needs.

IN ITS BIGGEST TRADE INITIATIVE IN A DECADE, THE GIBRALTAR TOURIST BOARD HAS LAUNCHED “GIBRALTAR 2020”.

destination is appealing to a younger, more youthful generation driven by our great range of events. Vibrant new products are capturing the imagination of the Instagram generation and this is something we hope to further educate the trade about, in addition to Gibraltar’s very important unique selling points to the UK markets, such as its sterling currency in times of currency volatility and its warm British welcome in the heart of the Mediterranean.”

Working with the UK and partner tour operators and airlines, as well as local hoteliers, ground agents and tourist attractions, the GTB aims to bring around 200 tourism professionals to the Rock over the next two years to help familiarise agents with everything Gibraltar has to offer, first-hand.

It will be supported by a marketing campaign to drive awareness of Gibraltar and highlight key selling points to the domestic UK market, especially in the light of Brexit.

Chief Executive Nicky Guerrero expanded by saying, “The British public have long held an affection with Gibraltar often through its historic legacy to the armed forces. Today the 10

Minister for Tourism Gilbert Licudi QC added, “The tourism industry is facing many challenges in the short to medium term and this initiative will be vital in keeping the tour operators and travel agents in our main source market up-to-date on the product. This is one of a series of initiatives that we are taking to ensure that we keep the tourism leisure industry interested in Gibraltar. I know that our partners in the UK and in Gibraltar welcome this proactive approach and we look forward to working with them to continue to drive business to Gibraltar.”

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ARMED FORCES INSIGHT

COMMANDING OFFICER’S SILVER BUGLE COMPETITION Seven soldiers from the Royal Gibraltar Regiment (RG) took part in the prestigious annual Commanding Officer’s Silver Bugle Competition at Devil’s Tower Camp last month.

ard Burton). The standard of bugling was incredibly high and made deliberations particularly intense.

The winner was announced by the Commanding Officer as Drum Major Baglietto.

The seven competitors were firstly inspected on their turnout and deportment by the Regimental Quarter Master Sergeant, Warrant Officer Class 2 Leigh Thorne.

Following the inspection, each bugler was instructed to perform two bugle calls as selected by the adjudication panel consisting of the Commanding Officer (Lieutenant Colonel David King), the Regimental Second In Command (Major Simon Dyson), the Adjutant (Captain Jose Garcia-White) and assisted by the Bandmaster (WO1 Rich-

Lieutenant Colonel King commented, “In giving a bugle call in public you carry the reputation of the Regiment in a way a few other soldiers can. The Regiment would be proud and honoured for any of you to represent it”.

Lieutenant Colonel King then presented Drum Major Baglietto with the presentation bugle and the coveted silver bugle which he will have the honour of wearing on parade for the next year.

Lieutenant Colonel David King with Drum Major (Sergeant) Brien Baglietto

NEW RECRUITS Gibraltar will soon have another three topnotch top-dog recruits for the Gibraltar Defence Police (GDP).

Two officers from the GDP travelled to the Defence Animal Training Regiment (DATR) in Melton Mowbray last month to scout for new additions to the dog section. PC 68 Mario Johnson and PC 92 Christian Jeffries visited the largest Ministry of Defence (MOD) dog training facility in the UK to meet the potential recruits - three Belgium Shepherd working dogs. The DATR delivers animal handling training for more than 400 personnel and role specific training for hundreds of Military Working Animals per year. The military working dogs (MWD) are deployed around the world in such places as Cyprus, Brunei, Germany and Afghanistan.

In the end, MWD Rayco, Juno and Robin demonstrated their skill and tenacity throughout all training scenarios, which included article and building searches, together with “use of force” situations. PC Johnson and PC Jeffries also had the opportunity to work and inter-

act with the dogs on a social level to assess their approachability. Police dogs require being approachable but suspicious at all times.

Rayco is a Belgium Shepherd male from the Netherlands and trained at the DATR. He arrived in Gibraltar on 23 March and is currently carrying out environmental training; this will get him accustomed to the new kennel environment, weather conditions and topography.

Juno and Robin will arrive in Gibraltar later this month. Juno is a gifted dog and has been trained at the DATR since she was a puppy.

Robin was trained by the West Midlands Dog Training School and later handed over to the DATR to complete her training before deployment.

Welcome to

Gibraltar!

GDP IN CYPRUS Cyprus’ Sovereign Base Area was visited recently by two officers of the Gibraltar Defence Police.

GDP Kennel Manager PC23 Melvyn Brier and GDP Force Dog Officer PC68 Mario Johnson went to assist their colleagues achieve their annual licensing standards.

The Dog Section of the MOD Police in SBA Cyprus consists of five general purpose police dogs, and two drugs detection dogs. The police dogs are required to be elite trained and PC68 Johnson was impressed with Cyprus’ new handler Tarik Ozberkman.

Tarik has just completed a 12-week course and demonstrated a great level of discipline and tenacity when carrying out operational scenario assessments. All dog handlers were also successful in their respective licensing assessments.

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PC23 Brier conducted a site survey to identify what areas of Cyprus’ kennel infrastructure could be replicated and used in Gibraltar to upgrade the GDP dog kennels. Although Cyprus also suffers from high temperatures and humidity in summer, their kennels have been established for over 15 years. The GDP hope to apply some of the practices observed to improve the overall infrastructure back in Gibraltar.

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FEATURE

HM Government of Gibraltar has announced an ambitious land reclamation scheme in the Harbour area, dubbed Victoria Keys. The £300m project aims to create up to around 60,000 square metres of new land, comprising residential, leisure, community, retail and commercial space.

The area, next to Coaling Island in the harbour basin, will be overseen entirely by local developers and enterprises.

Speaking about the creation of the Rock’s newest district, the Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo, said, “This deal represents yet another great vote of confidence in our tiger-like economy, and the timing could not be any better.

“It is with a huge sense of pride that we are able to announce yet another multi-million pound project at this important juncture.”

Although yet to begin the process of planning application, the concept CGI renders of the development deliberately highlight the green aspirations of the scheme, with sympathetic views across the bay as well as cycle ways and a pedestrianised promenade, free from vehicles, flanked by tree-lined avenues. Access for cars has been envisaged as being below street level.

The Gibraltar Chamber of Commerce welcomed the scheme. A spokesperson commented, “This is the largest single development project in Gibraltar in the last 20 years and clearly demonstrates the continued confidence by investors in the future of Gibraltar’s thriving economy. This is even more so when one considers the ongoing uncertainty which Brexit presents.

This bold initiative is just what Gibraltar needs at this time to ensure that Gibraltar continues to grow whilst ensuring that the city centre and other landmark points are not ruined by overdevelopment.”

The Victoria Keys Project Management Team is working towards submitting an outline planning process by the end of 2019.

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FEATURE

ONCE A POLITICIAN...

Another way of describing such an individual is probably the more preferable...`I consider myself to be a political animal.’ And that’s the way it is for someone who became embroiled in the subject in one way or another many years ago. And the proof of the pudding is there for all to see, as he continues to be involved in the oft conflict-ridden subject... albeit from the sidelines!

Gibraltar has only had a handful of political parties serving it in government during its political history and the Integration with Britain Party (IWBP) was one of them which governed for just under three years. During that term, still in his early 30s, Joe Caruana served as Minister for Health Services and Minister for Public Works during which a number of projects are credited to his endeavours such as the Varyl Begg Estate, the Primary Care Centre and the Sponsored Patients Scheme, amongst other developments.

Businessman Joe set off to the other side of the Atlantic on completion of his time in government and opposition, occupying his time in the diamond tool industry which he tackled successfully. Not wasting much time, the `political penchant’ soon re-awoke

without much effort and Joe joined local politics as a member of the Liberal Party headed

by Canada’s Prime Minister of the day, Philippe Trudeau.

Yes, Canada was the country he made his home for a number of years, but little Gibraltar was still there, at the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea, and Joe eventually headed back home. “Apart from continuing my interest in politics I’d learned much about how individuals addicted to drug and alcohol abuse were helped to rehabilitate and return to normal life in their communities, so when I returned I began to set up something similar on the Rock.” Joe’s political leanings lay dormant for a number of years whilst he established Camp Emmanuelle in the hinterland to help those mainly Gibraltarian individuals who had fallen to

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FEATURE drug and alcohol addiction, later moving to Nazareth House back on the Rock and helping other social cases too... but the political itch began prodding away!

But the idea of integration with the UK really struck a chord with Joe from those early days in the IWBP and so he began pushing ahead with the initiative. Representation in Westminster is the way the Integration with Britain Movement (IWBM) sees Gibraltar being best represented in the British Parliament and a petition was delivered to the House of Commons and to Prime Minister Teresa May at No. 10 Downing Street. “We’ve delivered the petition with most signatures ever from Gibraltar, numbering over 14,000! The petition asks the British Government to allow us the opportunity to elect our own representative in the House of Commons to defend our corner.” The Representation in Westminster Movement feels that although we have many MP friends in the capital, a member actually assigned to speak up and take responsibility for Gibraltar - whilst keeping his or her other mainland constituency - would be very pos-

itive for Gibraltar. “The Rock already has a great degree of self-government as do Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, but yet those countries have representation in the House of Commons. They retain all their existing devolved powers as we do except Foreign Affairs, Defence and Security, so all economic and domestic issues would continue as they are under our control.” However when issues concerning those Foreign Affairs (as we all know creep up every so often), and matters dealing with defence or security are debated in the Commons we, ideally, would have our own representative to fight our corner. Joe says there are already a number of MPs who are agreeable to the idea and it has to be presented by our Government for it to be taken up, “We’ve been to No 6 a number of times. Chief Minister Fabian Picardo and his Deputy, Joseph Garcia, have been approached by us and we’ve asked them to present the petition to the Gibraltar Parliament. Our South West of England connection will be coming to an end if and when Brexit happens, so now is a good time to take this on board. ” Perhaps there are many of us who aren’t aware there are a number of territories who have these arrangements with their European mother countries: The islands of Guadalupe, Martinique, Reunion and New Caledonia

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have representation in the French parliament, as do Antilles and Aruba in the Dutch (or the Netherlands).

Greenland and the Faroe Islands have representatives in the Danish legislative bodies, The Azores and Madeira in the Portuguese and closer to home, Ceuta and Melilla in Madrid! Joe reminds us also that Gibraltar, under UN resolutions, has the right to decide its political options of, Independence, Free Association and Integration, but the Treaty of Utrecht disallows us the first two so Devolved Integration could be an option for us to become another autonomous region of the UK like those on the British mainland. You see, everything remains as is, retaining self government and fiscal autonomy and once being part of the UK in that sense, Spain cannot interfere. Any hostility towards us would be a hostile act against Britain.”

The road to achieving the Movement’s aim lies ahead and time will tell if they complete the journey successfully. Joe says, “The idea could also be enhanced if before the next General election in the UK we knocked on

as many doors to try and get as many political parties as possible, contesting the election, to include our integration issue in their manifestos. That would be great and worth a try!” Joe tells me the idea, in principle, seems to have been well received and taken on board and, as with so many things, it all takes time. “Just think - Gibraltar is the only European Overseas Territory that has no vote in their Mother Country. If we succeed we will have a free vote and a say on any issue concerning Gibraltar but will not vote in any UK domestic issue. Likewise, they would not vote on our domestic matters and very importantly, Gibraltarians won’t lose their identity!”

It all really sounds very cosy and warm and great if achieved, but as we all know, `the wolf is always at the door!’ So will Spain be happy? We know Spain doesn’t like anything that improves our status and would probably be upset with Britain (to put it mildly) if the idea was developed and came to fruition. So what about the UK, would it want to upset their European trade and NATO partner?

WE HAVE TO GIVE IT TIME... BECAUSE TIME WILL TELL!

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FEATURE IN A NEW FEATURE, PAUL ANDERSON WILL BE TAKING A LOOK AT THE MONTH’S BIG RELEASES IN CINEMA. PAUL IS AN ARTS BROADCASTER, RADIO PRESENTER, PRODUCER AND JOURNALIST. HE IS KNOWN FOR WORK ON BBC 6 MUSIC, XFM, CAPITAL AS WELL AS HOSTING HIS OWN ONE-HOUR FILM SHOW ‘AT THE MOVIES’ ON SMOOTH RADIO. PAUL IS ALSO A MEMBER OF THE LONDON FILM CRITIC’S CIRCLE.

HELLBOY: 12A

WILD ROSE: 15

SHAZAM: 15

As with many reboots before they happen the question is why? It would seem strange to try and outperform the best of the best in Guillermo del Toro’s original films. And strange it is as this is a confused jumble from Director Neil Marshall. There are moments of gore with a view to being taken seriously as a horror film, but the plot is somewhat convoluted. After a flashback and cameos by King Arthur and Merlin, we’re introduced to a grumpier Hellboy (David Harbour), a half-human demon with red skin, pointed tail, massive right arm and filed-down horns. He gets into trouble then goes home to his ‘Dad’ Trevor (Ian McShane). Then it’s all about ugly giants and an annoyed blood queen played by Milla Jovovich.

Over the top and a bit of a mess

Wild Rose is the story of Rose-Lynn Harlan (Jessie Buckley) who is desperate to hit the big time as a country singer in Nashville, but she lives in Scotland. She has no money, and a drug-addiction past that put her in jail, won’t be of any help either. Her mum (Julie Walters) wants her home looking after her kids but Rose has dreams. We meet wealthy Susannah (Sophie Okenedo) who hires Rose as a cleaner, hears her sing and, well, you know the rest. Jessie Buckley carries the film and her vocal performances are superb and, despite the often-clunky dialogue, in many ways this is a feelgood film which may have your feet tapping and perhaps believe dreams can come true.

The movie has its detractors, but all the boxes are ticked for a kid’s holiday film.

When we first meet street-wise teenager Billy Batson (Asher Angel), he is in a foster home. One of Billy’s new siblings is Freddy (Jack Dylan Grazer), the disabled orphan, desperate to be noticed.

Whenever Billy shouts Shazam he is transformed into a grown-up superhero and a winning performance from Zachary Levi in the central role. Wearing a ridiculous red spandex costume with gold belt and shoes and a white cape, Levi totally delivers. It is funny, cool and has a decent script. Stealing every scene, however, is the ever reliable, go-to villain, Mark Strong as the Dr Thaddeus Sivana. We even get Djimon Hounsou as a wizard. So, relationships, family, superhero powers and Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now. What’s not to like.

Shazam is not in any way po faced and is a welcome addition to the DC Universe.

Check listings at

.com

leisurecinemas

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FEATURE

MAN ON A MISSION

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FEATURE

Perhaps he would’ve become the first Gibraltarian Hindu CO of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment had he moved up the ranks from being a lieutenant in the Territorial Army (TA)... but it was not to be, the family business came a-calling and in time the ‘affairs of state’ have somehow drawn him into the political fray!

It’s not a subject you would take on lightly... stressful, taxing and certainly demanding on a day to day if elected to Parliament. `Madness,’ could easily be a word that comes to mind when thinking of those who decide to join politics, especially in a small place. Gibraltar fits the bill, it’s small and we live the `everyone knows everyone’ syndrome day in, day out, so in a nutshell, a politician’s life in our small community is tough and challenging, to say the least!

Well, Kamlesh Khubchand - second generation Gibraltarian - has decided he wants to go for it or ‘take the plunge’ as I once put it to him when I asked if he would ever want to serve, and after some years he’s thrown caution to the wind and feels he does indeed want to serve the people and work at it with hand on heart in a concerted effort to make that important difference all politicians aspire to achieve. “I spent some time in the Gibraltar Federation of Small Businesses (GFSB) and perhaps it was there - subconsciously or otherwise - that I was slowly becoming interested in the possibility of entering politics. It took a while and I spent quite a few sleepless nights before finally deciding to go for it, having resigned my commission some years ago,” Kamlesh recalls. It’s that phrase, `Time for Change’ that rises to the fore when aspiring politicians decide to come together, form a movement, which in this case has become a party ready to make the move, and have their names splashed all over town telling us, `vote for me!’

“Yes I’ve joined the `Together Gibraltar’ group-

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ing and hope I will be chosen to appear on the slate for the next election whenever that may be.” Kamlesh feels it really is time for a complete change of tack. He’d come to the realisation that there’s never a good time to enter politics but felt it was a challenge that would benefit many by joining this new group’s creative ideas. “I feel the two-party system is tired and we need to bring in a fresh perspective to Gibraltar politics and I believe our party is different. Thinking back, in 1996, when the GSD came into power, we seemed to overcome the stresses of the previous administration and things were on an even keel if you like. I believe we always have to be more careful about who comes in.”

Line Wall School, Prior Park in the UK and a degree in Business Administration - not ending up as another lawyer as half expected, but in the family business - has been Kamlesh’s education and work trajectory over his lifetime so far, not forgetting a four year stint in the UK working for `Home’ store Habitat and embarking on running his own business in – yes, you’ve guessed it – electronics. And I suppose the rest is obvious as he returns to the fold on the Rock and gets stuck into the family business at Khubchands in Main Street. Dad Krishna had already been running the business for many years, served in the Chamber of Commerce, was President of the Hindu Merchant Association and also served as a Justice of the Peace (JP), so I guess it was time for the recently qualified `business Administrator’ to take over!

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FEATURE

Hence it should come as no surprise that Kamlesh’s portfolio of choice, should he be elected to the Gibraltar Parliament one day, would be dealings with the economy and tourism. “At present I feel everything has to go through Government which perhaps has too much influence. There appears to be a need for a more responsive and engaging government which I feel is lacking.” Kamlesh believes there’s a real need to have a serious look at the Civil Service: how it serves the community and Gibraltar plc in general. “What we want to do is different, make important changes with a need to work hard at credible policies and have long term vision.”

Mr Khubchand wants to think back when he’s 70 and say, `Well, the people of Gibraltar had a choice, a chance for change’ and not think, ‘what on earth happened!’

each other of engaging in. “It’s simply down to being honest with the community by focusing on the positive, with no sound bites and empty rhetoric. I feel it’s lazy, just taking up positions on issues. I want to go further and offer future possibilities by studying those concerns. Learn and take on board what would make a real difference.”

Lots of ideas and enthusiasm to make things right is I suppose the norm, when deciding to take on such a big and serious challenge which involves offering yourself to stand for election and being flung into the political arena, and budding lawmaker Kamlesh seems to have made up his mind to do that in earnest, only months ago. “I’ve learnt a tremendous amount about the current political situation in Gibraltar in the last few months. I’ve spoken to hundreds of constituents and noticed some very interesting patterns about our current state of affairs.”

Our aspiring politician is keen to talk further with members of our community to reflect on the situation and see what can honestly be done without playing the political posturing and point scoring games our politicians constantly accuse

climb onto the political stage do so with hand on heart, wishing to make that all important `difference’ with a view to put things right.

However, once atop that very demanding platform and faced with banana skins, brick walls, well meant promises when on the `other side’ that later can’t be delivered and a myriad of other difficult encounters when in Government, commonly encapsulated in the phrase, `wear and tear,’ things may seem more than just a little different to say the least. Not an easy one to take on. Nevertheless to all those brave souls I would say, ` Very commendable of you to take it on, you’re very brave and I wish you all the luck that may be lurking around in the universe!’

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Father to Krishaan and Kareina and husband to an `incredibly supportive wife,’ Rita, Kamlesh is clearly set on going down the political route of hoping to `make a difference’ by adding his little grain of sand to what is already - from the start, just thinking about it - a tough and arduous task attempting to put the world’s `so called ills’ - or perhaps even more onerous, Gibraltar’s – on the right track by truly trying his best! I’ve always felt most, if not all those individuals wanting to

All the best Kamlesh!

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SPORTS INSIGHT

ENGLAND FAVOURITES TO FINALLY WIN FIRST CRICKET WORLD CUP CRICKET is set to bask in the global sporting spotlight this month with the start of the eagerly anticipated 2019 ICC World Cup - the One Day International tournament held every four years, featuring the eight top-rated playing nations, plus two qualifiers, in the 50over event scheduled to take place at various venues throughout England and Wales, with the final set for Lord’s, the hallowed home of cricket, six weeks later.

This will be the 12th World Cup, the inaugural competition hosted by England in 1975 was won by the West Indies who defeated Australia in the final.

The ten countries involved in the tournament are hosts England, defending champions Australia, New Zealand, warring neighbours India and Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and West Indies, plus fairytale qualifier Afghanistan. In an interesting round-robin group format, all countries will meet each other once, meaning every team will play a minimum nine games, with the top four countries going through to the knockout phase - the semi-finals and final.

The tournament sparks into life at The Oval on 30th May with the opening match featuring hosts England against South Africa, a tie the Three Lions will be confident will get their campaign off to a winning start, the Proteas being a team they have have enjoyed considerable success against in recent times. A total of 45 group games will be contested through the summer before the semi-final lineups are revealed, with the final scheduled for Lord’s on 14th July.

At this stage, past tournament performance, recent form and betting odds would seem to suggest that the four most likely to make the semi-finals are hosts England, who top the ODI ratings, India, plus Antipodean neighbours Australia and New Zealand. Defending champions Australia, who have won the tournament five times, caused a bit of a surprise by naming ‘sandgate’ conspiracy couple David Warner and Steve Smith in their squad - quite why skulduggery on the cricket pitch and an Aussie caught cheating caused so much controversy is mysterious, after all it’s not that long ago that entry to the Land Down Under was restricted to convicted felons from the British Isles! The Aussies have been steadily rebuilding over the last year and it would be rash to dismiss their chances of a sixth title.

India, ranked No.2 in the world behind England, are capable of beating any nation on a good day, but recent defeats to both Australia and the Three Lions suggest they may have gone off the boil, while New Zealand have a habit of upsetting the odds when least expected.

Astonishingly, despite hosting the event four times, England have never won the World Cup, being beaten finalists three times, losing to the Windies in 1979, Australia in 1987 and Pakistan in 1992. The present team, captained by Dublin man Eoin Morgan, have hit a decent run of consistent winning form and are the choice of many pundits to finally ditch their maiden tag and, with home advantage, become champions for the first time.

However, underestimate at your peril England’s repeated ability to dredge dismal defeat from the gaping jaws of victory as bitter experience and my financial scars testify, but, nevertheless, I shall be entrusting Morgan’s Men with my ‘pony’ (£25), to lift the World Cup at Lord’s on Sunday, 14th July.

SUGGESTED BET:

ENGLAND TO WIN WORLD CUP @ ODDS OF 5/2

TV COVERAGE:

SKY SPORTS

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SPORTS INSIGHT

EURO QUALIFIERS promise much more fun to come!

A FUN-FILLED football weekend saw Gibraltar welcome Ireland to Victoria Stadium last month for the first round of the Rock’s qualification quest for a place in the finals of Euro 2020. In a hard-fought dour encounter played before an enthusiastic, expectant, capacity crowd, Ireland eventually triumphed 1-0, but in a game somewhat spoilt by a strong swirling wind, a draw would not have flattered the home side and parity was denied to Julio Ribas’s men only by a superhuman save by ‘keeper Randolph from Gibraltar skipper Roy Chipolina’s point-blank header - a rescue act reminiscent of the ‘Save of the Century’ by the late great Gordon Banks to foil Brazil’s Pele in the World Cup of 1970 A relieved Irish boss Mick McCarthy nominated his goalkeeper as man of the match, an admission that highlights Gibraltar’s continued progression under Ribas’s reign - at no stage did Julio’s boys look out of their depth against a team rated 160 places above them in FIFA world rankings, the narrowest possible defeat further proof that the Rock’s previously porous defence has been shored up and the days of second-half collapse have, hopefully, been consigned to history.

The action on the pitch may have failed to rouse the fans, but boy, the off-field fare was an entirely different affair - the craic was mighty!

Ocean Village came alive like I’ve never seen it before, haunting Celtic music filled the air from the live band outside O’Reilly’s Irish Bar, hundreds of green and red shirted supporters singing and dancing, toasting each other - two sets of fans joyously celebrating together with not a hint of hostility, a rare phenomenon in these dark days of ever increasing nationalism and xenophobia.

On the Friday night pre the game, I was swept into the thronged Hendrix Pub, my feet barely touched the floor as I attempted to place my order, danced with more than a dozen dazzling colleens on the way to the bar, a joyously chaotic scene, strangers yes, but not for long, as the Blarney Army was determined to make merry, not just for themselves but to make sure locals and tourists were included in the intoxicating mix of wild song and dance. And amid all this mayhem, I suddenly became aware of the apparition that was Alicia, the barmaid, serene, smiling sweetly, seemingly oblivious to the madness that swirled round her, totally unfazed, arms full, dispensing drinks and collecting pint pots, never once a drop spilled, not one second’s respite for the young lady, yet I swear I did not see a single bead of perspiration on this miracle worker, her only flicker of alarm being when three jolly green giants were dancing on the bar counter, the foot-stamping so enthusiastic, the entire structure seemed close to collapse. I don’t know when the party ended but my creaking bones and drooping eyelids cried enough long after midnight-pumpkin time, and as I headed for the exit, I could see that Alicia, the Angel of The Hendrix, was still smiling!

Round 2 of the qualifiers takes place over the weekend of 7th-10th June when Gibraltar face two tough away fixtures - a must-win clash against bottom-of-the table Georgia on Friday 7th June and then, three days later, it’s off to The Aviva in Dublin’s fair city for the return game against the Irish. In the first

fixture, Georgia like Gibraltar, fell 1-0 to table-topping Ireland and, having lost both opening matches, the home side will be pumped to breathe life back into their qualification campaign and Julio’s boys will need balls of steel to survive the frenzy of Tblisi.

At the time of writing, there is some talk in Dublin of fans boycotting the return Gibraltar game due to disquiet over financial irregularities involving members of the ruling football authority, the Football Association of Ireland. I fervently hope that this does not come to pass as it would be a pity if anything obstructs Ireland reciprocating the wonderful warm welcome the Blarney Army received on the Rock.

All the travelling Irish fans I spoke to, without exception, were enchanted by their brief visit to Gibraltar.

The enduring memory of that magical weekend was a holiday postcard scene that found its way not just onto sport reports but world TV news bulletins as well - an image that captured the very essence of Gibraltar, at one end of the ground, stark in the backdrop, stood the great ghostly shape of the Rock, like a giant ship that has run aground, while at the other end, as play raged on field, an easyjet Airbus roared skywards to the delight and bemusement of visiting fans not used to having the main road, which also forms part of the airport runway, closed to enable supersonic jets to take off and land!

Success on the playing field would, of course, always be a welcome bonus, but whatever the match results, Gibraltar is and will continue to be a marketing dream, a storybook destination for football fans who have heard of The Rock but until now a venue very few have visited - that is all about to change, big-time football has come to Gibraltar and is here to stay. As well as Euro 2020, there is the UEFA Nations League and World Cup qualifiers, international tournaments that will herald a multitude of annual home and away trips to and from exotic, exciting destinations,Tblisi and Dublin this June, later wonderful, wonderful Copenhagen in the summer and an autumn Sound of Music sojourn to beautiful Basel. The Blarney Army have been and gone home with very happy memories of their visit, the Georgians, Danes and Swiss are on the way and, in football circles, The Rock is being showcased as never before.

LET THE FOOTBALL FUN TIMES CONTINUE TO ROCK ‘N ROLL!

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SPORTS INSIGHT

FA CUP FINAL City class to counter hornets! sting FOOTBALL unveils one of the sport’s ‘crown jewels’ this month when the FA Cup Final, that iconic event so loved by the British public, sees the lofty artisans of Manchester City assailed by the lowly workmen of Watford, in the tournament that adds thrilling chapters to the drama that unfolds year after year at Wembley’s Theatre of Dreams. As a young lad growing up, I always cherished the third Saturday in May, glued to the TV set for the early morning previews, interviews with the players and the managers, TV clips from previous finals, the team coaches arriving at the stadium, and the kickoff at 3pm in olden times, on a day when the sun always seemed to have its hat on.

Oh what happy memories come flooding back from finals past the 20-yard extra-time stunner from charismatic Charlie George against Liverpool in the 1971 final, that saw Arsenal complete the league and cup double, Tottenham’s Ricky Villa’s mesmerising 40-yard run and goal, beating four Man City defenders in the replay of the 1981 final and ‘Captain Fantastic’ Steven Gerrard’s sensational 35-yard injury-time equaliser for Liverpool against West Ham in 2006.

Wonderful warm memories of one of the oldest and greatest club competitions in the world, alas, sentiment and affection not appreciated nor understood by club owners, greedy money men who know the price of everything but the value of nothing and devalue this special tournament by fielding weakened teams in the early rounds, in frenzied pursuit of a top four Premier League finish and a ticket to gorge on the obese cash cow that is the Champions League.

City whose dream of a quadruple title harvest withered with defeat to Spurs in an epic Champions League quarter final and the much less glamorous but very gritty Watford, whose will to win and never-say-die attitude have been burning white hot this season, in both league and cup competitions.

In a pulsating semi-final, Watford produced an almighty sting in the tail by overturning a two-goal deficit against Wolverhampton Wanderers, the first Hornets’ reply, an exquisite effort from supersub Gerard Deulofue, and then the last-gasp equaliser, a 94th minute injury-time spot-kick by ‘Captain Fantastic’ Troy Deeney,

That said however, this year’s final features two teams from football’s top tier, classy Manchester

forcing the game into extra time, where weary Wolves finally succumbed to another Deulofeu special, a priceless score that took the North Londoners to just their second FA Cup Final in their 138year history.

In the final, Watford will be massive underdogs when they face what many believe to be the team of the season, the magnificent Manchester City who, on the way to the decider, have racked up 20 goals, conceding just three, and with the Carabao League Cup safely in the bag and, at the time of writing, thrillingly engaged in a titanic tussle with Liverpool for Premier League honours, City look to have one hand on the Cup already. The Hornets will need God on their side if they are to prevail, but when it comes to divine intervention, it’s advantage City - they’ve got Jesus sitting on the subs bench! Sadly, it’s going to be more tears from Elton John, Watford’s life president, as the Rocketman’s dream of lifting the trophy will be blowing like a candle in the wind and, on Cup Final day, City will be brewing up a storm!

FA CUP FINAL MANCHESTER CITY V WATFORD SATURDAY 18TH MAY (KO 5PM BST) TV COVERAGE: BBC1

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GOLF

NEWS

THE GOURMET CATERING AND EVENTS TROPHY The Med Golf Gourmet Catering and Events Trophy was played on the San Roque Club New Course on Sunday 7th April 2019 in an individual Stableford format.

The recent mix of showers, heavy rain and high winds combined with contradictory forecasts for the day caused some concern about how the weather would affect the event. Thankfully, the New Course was in excellent condition, in spite of significant overnight rain, and the greens were receptive and not unduly fast. Fortified by a welcome breakfast of hot coffee and bacon rolls, 54 players ventured out to face just one light shower and a developing wind; neither of which spoiled the day but did help to keep the scores down as shown below.

The Champion of the day, winner of the Gourmet Catering and Events Trophy and a 60 Med Golf voucher was Alex Ashmore with 36 points. Alex is no stranger to the podium and also won the best pair prize with his playing partner James Barr with a combined score of 62 points.

OUR HANDICAP CATEGORY PRIZES WERE WON AS FOLLOWS: Category 1 (handicaps 0 to 12): The runner up with a score of 32 points was Matthew Bruce-Smith and the winner with 34 points was Javi Hunter making a cameo appearance on a welcome break from university in the UK. Category 2 (handicaps 13 to 22): David Murphy was runner up with a score of 30 points and the winner was Jason Roberts with 31 points.

Category 3 (handicap 23 and above): Pete Yeoman took the winners prize with 29 points and the runner up was Damian White 28 points.

Nearest the pin winners were: Duncan Hamilton, Ben Helme, Patrick Holmes and Nicky Sanchez, Chris Anwyl was nearest the pin in 2 on a par 4 and Matthew Bruce-Bruce Smith was winner of nearest the pin in 3 on a par 5.

The best gross score winner was Matthew Bruce-Smith with a score of 78. Matthew was also the Category 1 runner up and won the prize for nearest to the pin in 3 on a par 5.

The best gross score on the par 3s was won by Nicky Sanchez with a score of level par. The best senior was Mike Cowburn with a score of 30 points and the longest drive was won by Richard Atkinson.

Gourmet Catering and Events were thanked for sponsoring the event.

The prizes were presented on behalf of the Hunter Group by Med Golf’s Judith Benezrah and all the players were thanked for their support. The scorecard draw for a 1 litre bottle of Johnnie Walker red label whisky (courtesy of Saconne and Speed) was won by Ben Helme. draw for a one litre bottle of Johnnie Walker red label whisky, courtesy of Saccone and Speed was won by Roger Griffiths.

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FEATURE

THE GIBRALTAR MAKING CLASSICAL MUSIC ACCESSIBLE The Gibraltar Philharmonic Society has always been committed to bringing top level classical musicians to Gibraltar, but as Chairman James Lasry states, in celebration of its 20th season the society wanted to do something different. “We want to bring music that will be accessible to the people of Gibraltar,” he says, “and to ensure that we have an audience in the next twenty years, we want to attract people who don’t normally come to our concerts. If you rest on your laurels then you lose vitality, so we are always looking for ways to reinvent ourselves and to make sure that we are more appealing to an audience that is greater than the one we have now.”

The Gibraltar Philharmonic Society was co-founded in 1998 by businessman Ian Angus and Karel Mark Chichon OBE, who is now the Artistic Director. Born in London, but with family hailing from and still living in Gibraltar, Karel Mark Chichon has conducted leading orchestras around the world and was awarded the OBE for services to music and culture in Gibraltar. His illustrious musical career has led

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to his election as a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music and he was appointed Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria in 2017.

James Lasry credits Karel Mark Chichon as being ‘”the life of the society”, in the sense that he is the one that has access to fantastic musicians through his musical contacts. “The quality of which you would find in New York, Paris and London - and because of that we are way above anything in the region and we are very lucky for that.” Due to the Society’s very good relationship with the Berlin Philharmonic, James states that they regularly welcome section leaders and soloists from the orchestra. “We had the outgoing concert master who did a full concert, the incoming concert master who did a recital, as did the lead cellist and the oboist - we had about six of them in two years - it was amazing.”

It is thanks to Karel Mark Chichon that last month, on the 18th April, Steven Isserlis, one of the world’s leading cellists and an iconic musical figure came to perform here. “It’s like saying that Renaldo came

WORDS BY JO WARD MAY 2019

to Gibraltar,” James Lasry comments.

It is the role of the Chairman, amongst other things, to raise funds for the Society and James Lasry devotes his spare time to this when he is not working in his role as Partner and Head of Funds for Hassans International Law Firm. “Although the Government does a lot to help in that respect, as well as our sponsors, it is very expensive to fly musicians in and to host them, so although I am very grateful for their help which has increased during my tenure, we still need more financial assistance to be able to continue bringing world class performers to Gibraltar.”

As a musician himself (a violinist), James Lasry knows the thrill of playing with an orchestra and also understands that watching a live performance is something that will stay with you for the rest of your life. “We have done a number of things to make concerts more accessible, one of which is that students can come along for free, and we want as many of them as possible to do so,” he states. To encourage children, the Gibraltar Philharmonic restarted a tradition that had stopped quite a few years ago. “This is the New Year’s Concert for children, which is a lovely event, and which is manGIBRALTARINSIGHT.COM

FEATURE

people. “We will have twenty musicians from all around the world, mostly based in Seville - but there is an American violist from Julliard, a fantastic Russian cellist and a Ukrainian violinist,” James comments.

With limited resources, James wants to thank the generosity of their main sponsor, Turicum Private Bank, without whom it would not be taking place.

aged very well by our event coordinator, Linda Molnarova,” James explains. “We give the children toy instruments and we let them conduct and play with the orchestra. It can be very loud,” he laughs as he says this.

“Of course the major perk of office is that when we have orchestral concerts, which occur about three times a year, I get to play with the orchestra,” James exclaims proudly. “I am at the end of the second violins and I am delighted to be there.

People don’t understand why I get so excited about it, but the only analogy I can give is that it is like playing with Manchester United!”

Classical music is undergoing a revolution, and this is in some part due to the digital era of listening which has made it easier with the streaming of performances online. James Lasry is very aware that everyone is finding it difficult to get concert goers. “It depends very much where you are,” he says. “For instance, in Vienna every concert is sold out, but in the UK they created the Proms for this reason.”

Growing up in New York, James and his family used to take a picnic and spend the day in Central Park in the summer listening to the New York Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Opera. “We wanted to do something very special for our 20th Anniversary, so we knew that we didn’t need to reinvent the wheel and comGIBRALTARINSIGHT.COM

bined those two ideas that have culminated in the open air Proms Concert we are holding in the Alameda Gardens on the 23rd May.” From film scores to television commercials and the opening of major sporting events, classical music provides the soundscape to our modern lives, and the music that will be played at the Proms will be something that most people will have heard somewhere. “Take Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons – people will recognise this even if it is only from a commercial or even from a ringtone – so we are playing that,” James states, “and then we are going to play something absolutely outrageous - which is Beatles’ music, arranged for Chamber Orchestra by Peter Breiner - it is going to be fun!”

The orchestra for the Proms will be larger than the regular Chamber Orchestra which usually consists of about fifteen MAY 2019

“I would love the Proms to become an annual event, and I am hopeful that our sponsors agree with that,” James says.

There is no doubt that the Proms will offer something totally unique to Gibraltar and will bring the community together to enjoy some great music performed by world class musicians.

The Gibraltar Philharmonic Society will be holding the Gibraltar Proms on the 23rd May at the Alameda Open Air Theatre.

KIDS FREE TICKETS: Young people age 18 and under attend ALL Gibraltar Philharmonic concerts free of charge, making it easy for families to go to concerts together. Throughout the year, KIDS FREE tickets may be obtained in person at the Gibraltar Philharmonic Society Office, via email tgpsociety@gmail.com or by phone at +350 20072134 www.philharmonic.gi 31

FEATURE

EYES SET ON HEAVEN A B IS H O P ’ S STO RY T H AT N EE D E D TO B E TOL D ‘Eyes set on Heaven’ is the title of a new book by Joe Caruana that was recently launched at the Calpe Rowing Club in a warm gathering of friends, family, clergy and local personalities. Joe Caruana is the brother of the late Bishop and felt his story ‘needed to be told’. He was very much encouraged by Adolfo Canepa, Mr. Speaker, close friend of Father Caruana for over fifty years and collaborator with him in the ‘Cursillo Movement’.

“It is a biography of my brother, the late Father Caruana, as he was dearly called by almost everyone in Gibraltar, even after he was ordained Bishop.” The launch date deadline had kept Joe anxious about the book deliveries but the batch finally arrived on launch day. Adolfo Canepa in his presentation speech pointed out that Bishop Caruana had such faith that he would have never doubted their close call arrival!

“He was one of the closest persons in my life,” said Joe, “but even then, I doubt I can do justice to his person.” Joe was publicly grateful to Anselmo Torres for production of the book and to Johnny Bugeja for countless photographs that he had supplied from his own archives. “Turning memories into writing is not an easy task as Father Caruana was larger than life, full of energy and enthusiasm, and one of the most charismatic priests Gibraltar has ever had. I can assure readers that the many words of praise in the book are not mine, they come from the numerous people I have interviewed and quoted, people who knew him intimately,” Joe Caruana said.

Mr. Speaker was warm and eloquent in his introduction of the book, speaking about the many virtues of Bishop Caruana

and highlighting that he had no doubt that he was a living saint. A packed room murmured in agreement as the anecdotes flowed, framed by a video montage screen backdrop of various photographs of Father Caruana’s very active life.

“It’s a story that needs to be told, particularly his exemplary priestly life as witnessed by so many of us.”

It was Adolfo Canepa who two or three years ago after thinking about how the late Bishop’s life could be best remembered, spurred his brother Joe Caruana into writing ‘this beautiful book set out passionately’. “Joe Caruana has four previous books to his name and was thus ideally placed, with his sister Conchita, to be the best sources and the closest to Bishop Caruana who died nine years ago.”

Mr. Caruana also said in his intro that he thoroughly enjoyed writing the book and reliving memories of his brother. “Writing the book was highly enriching but also very difficult, there were so many emotive parts where I had to stop and regain my composure.” Telling a great story is never easy but family ties complicate the process even further, however Father Caruana’s story is nothing if not compelling and his brother Joe rose to the challenge.

“As I delved into my brother’s life I began to realize something that had escaped me over the years,” Mr. Caruana said.

“I knew he was a hard worker and great achiever, but I also saw that he was a prolific creator of new things, an inventor of events, all for the benefit of his people. He simply could not help it, and when he set his mind to it, he revealed a creative mind. He was in tune with the times and in step with

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FEATURE his people. He was full of compassion, as everything he personally received he gave away, even when he was hard-pressed. Many have described him as a man of great benevolence.”

Adolfo Canepa was credited by Joe as having proof read three quarters of the book, as the author had secretly added to it, so Joe Caruana warned that if any mistakes were to be found in the text they belonged to him and not to ‘Mr. Speaker’, who was visibly proud to have launched the publication of the story of one of the Rock’s best loved characters of whom he himself said in his introduction: “We have a living saint in heaven ready to listen to us even if he isn’t canonised by the church in our lifetime.” This is something that was said with great conviction.

Warm words indeed and they would suggest that no one that you are likely to meet, who had any contact or association with Bishop Caruana, would disagree that his story needed to be told. All his many achievements from the funding and building of the Catholic Community Centre to the Gibraltar International Song Festival are listed, along with many contributions from his parishioners, friends and words from the late Bishop himself.

“Many parts in the book are narratives written by Fr. Caruana. I could never do justice to his life. He did so many things for his people that his life-experience was impossible to keep up with.

Many testimonies about him reveal that he was a man born to be a priest.” Before his untimely death in 2010 Bishop Caruana had said: “If it is felt I still have more to contribute I will do so. It has been beautiful to serve this community. I would not change it for the world and I would do it all over again. People are so good, wonderful and inspiring. But even if I do retire, my work as a priest will continue. I will continue to serve the people of the Diocese for as long as I can.” Although he never got to realise those noble sentiments, so many of us whose lives were touched by him have no doubt that he is busy interceding for us in spirit.

A piece of our history and a biography, the book is available from The Catholic Bookshop, The Gibraltar Museum, The Heritage Trust and the Airport bookshop or direct from the author: joecaruana37@gmail.com

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Q&A

COMEDIAN JASON MANFORD TALKS TO GIBRALTAR INSIGHT

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Q&A

Muddle Class – name of your new tour – but you are hardly muddling through life at the moment.

Would you say that you have reached a time in your career where you can pick and choose what you do?

“Sort of, although because I do a job I love there isn’t many things I don’t want to do! I get to tell funny stories to people who fancy a laugh, I love the thought of making someone’s day!”

You’re coming to Gibraltar as part of your tour – have you been to the Rock before?

“I have not been over at all. I do lots of gigs around the world but this is the first time in Gibraltar. I know very little about it and I’m excited by that, it means I can look at some of the things you might take for granted there with fresh eyes and have a laugh with the differences.”

You love singing. Can we look forward to any songs in Muddle Class?

“There aren’t any songs in my Muddle Class tour unless someone requests it! But if there’s a decent karaoke place in town, it’s more than likely I’ll end up there.”

How hard is it being on tour and do you get downtime or is it constant, travelling from one place to another before returning home exhausted?

“Relatively speaking, yeah, it’s been a knackeringly long tour, but my mum’s a nurse and my brother is a plumber so I don’t get much sympathy from my family. It’s been a fun tour though and I’ve worked hard to make it the funniest and best one I’ve done since I started stand up twenty years ago.”

How would you describe yourself? Comedian, singer, TV show host, or all round entertainer?

“Always comedian. But I do often think of myself as an entertainer. I’m a bit old school like that, I don’t think what I do is cool, I come from the ‘I’ll do anything for

a laugh’ school of comedy. If I say something interesting or you learn something about yourself along the way, then great, but it’s funny first for me.”

What has been your favourite stage role so far?

“I’d say playing Leo Bloom in The Producers was a highlight in as much as you get to say Mel Brooks’ jokes every night, which was a treat. But playing Nathan Detroit at the Royal Albert Hall was pretty amazing. I’ve been lucky to have worked on some great shows with some great people. I’m always nice and hardworking and on time and I think people remember that because I get to work with those people again and again.”

Were you funny as a kid and do your own children think you are funny?

“I was always trying to make my pals laugh but I only had two mates so I didn’t have to try that hard. I reckon most people in my school would have been surprised that I turned out to be funny! As for my own children, yeah we laugh a lot in our house. I remember growing up surrounded by laughter and my children are the same, they make me laugh and I love making them laugh, they’re my favourite humans!”

Are northerners officially funnier than southerners? Does coming from a working-class background in the north of England make a difference? You don’t hear about the ‘southern comic Jimmy Carr’ but you are often referred to as the ‘northern comic’!

“I just think funny is funny to be honest. I don’t think there’s a huge difference between northern comics and southern comics, or audiences for that matter. People want a laugh no matter where they’re from. I don’t worry about being described as a ‘Northern comic’, I take it as a compliment and I’m proud of the rich comedic heritage the North of England has given the world.”

Which comedians influenced you and who do you rate nowadays?

“That is such a tough question because it changes. I love the comics I grew up watching, my parents’ favourites, Tommy Cooper, Les Dawson, Dave Allen, Billy Connolly, Jo Brand, Lenny Henry, Ben Elton. But then I saw Peter Kay and just thought he was the best thing I’d ever seen in my life, I hurt from laughing and just wanted to be him! These days I love Kevin Bridges, Bill Burr, Tommy Tiernan, Sarah Millican. Sara Pascoe, I think Nathan Caton and Tez Ilyas are brilliant. I also enjoy watching the stand ups in other languages on Netflix, it’s really opened my eyes to a totally different form of comedy, it’s fascinating and hilarious.”

Where and how did you get your break and when was the first time that you realised that you were on your way to becoming one of the UK’s most popular comedians?

“I don’t ever think of it like that to be honest. I just keep gigging and hoping people keep coming and keep laughing. One day it’ll all be over, so I’m just enjoying it. I appreciate every single person who comes to my show, how much effort and money and logistics it takes to even think about coming to see me, so I just think about giving people the best show I can.”

What’s next?

“I’m currently filming a comedy for BBC1 called ‘Scarborough’, which will be on later in the year. My ITV show, ‘What Would Your Kid Do?’ ss going great guns and well worth a watch and I’ve another couple of things bubbling so you won’t be getting rid of me that easy!”

MUDDLE CLASS ST MICHAEL’S CAVE 20 & 21 JUNE WWW.BUYTICKETS.GI

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FEATURE Setting the trends for the forthcoming Spring Art Exhibition, the annual rendezvous with the younger fringe of local fine arts took place in early March with an exhibition that displayed teenage creativity in eighty fine artworks, where colour was the buzzword.

Very similar in construction and concept was Stella Stych’s ‘Emotions’, in which architecture is almost completely deconstructed and the chiaroscuro is determined by the bright centrepiece which tries to irradiate the figures lurking in the shadows to more or less successfully save them from oblivion.

And so was black and white.

Literally monochrome, or perhaps ‘panchrome’, if one abides the law of physics explaining white as the artful blend of the entire rainbow, was Jules Tavares-Yeats’s ‘The Head of Joel’, a classic bust with the twist of having its face tapered almost to a triangle, pointy nose and gelled pompadour hairdo being the added bonus.

In fact, a number of entries chose the monochrome style and the result was undoubtedly an attention grasper.

Starting with ‘Mental Disorders’, by Amanda Gingell Martin, winner of the Kishin Alwani Foundation for years 12-13, an intense portrait of an anguished person that in its dynamism expresses the strife of a mental illness prisoner.

Amanda is one to watch out for, as she satisfactorily demonstrates her artistic maturity in her highly-commended haunting triptych ‘The Case of Lesley Anne Downey’ that mixed chalk-onblackboard writing with expressionistic portraiture.

Monochrome realism is explored in the larger-than-life and innovatively pointillist ‘Fingerprints’ in which artist Asadullah Shuja reproduces the likeness of a bearded solemn man by finger-smudged technique, a proof of authentication more effec-

Like in any fine arts exhibition worthy of this name, colour was the protagonist after all, and sculpture and installation made a small but significant appearance.

‘Modern Identity’ by Stephanie Yeo won the Ministry of Culture Award with a mixed-media work in which geometry and theatre converged, and natural materials like yarn and wood were used.

One may see in this decorative polyhedron the dilemma of Millennials caged in a cobweb of wireless communication.

Few artists paid tribute to Gibraltar landscape in a purely figurative way. When they did, they transformed familiar land-

MONOCHROME

is trending in art

tive than any signature, that also emotionally connects the artist to the sitter. Asadullah was also highly commended for ‘Leon Wellstead’.

Zulaika Vallance was highly commended for her ‘Dead Street, Dead Locals’, a gloomy vision of a perhaps dystopic future or just a dark-night present, dramatically illuminated by sharp contrasts, the pensive profile of a girl in the foreground, and the geometrical meddle of oblique lines.

Strict monochrome rules are politely broken in Eliana Medici’s philosophically titled ‘I, who have never heard a sound, tell you there is no silence – Helen Keller’, a large and oddly shaped painting that could be yours for a mere grand. This breaks the mould of rectangular canvas space and follows the coiling outline of film tape, to frame the portrait of an elderly woman in sky-blue blouse and two of the most recognisable of Charlie Chaplin’s characters. One of the many messages may as well be that no matter if it is delivered in black and white, laughter will always free the colours in you.

Eliana also exploited the shapes offered by nature in her ‘Still Child’ a chunk of tree trunk frescoed with the daunting reflection of the viewer’s ghost of child past.

Tiana Zammit’s ‘Urban Blindness’ is tinted with definite Escher’s influence in the architectural and polygonal approach to proportions, with curiosity for exploring the triangular form, and the play of light and shadow in the seamless blend of outdoor and indoor settings, a nod to Picasso’s Guernica, so that the viewers cannot tell whether they’re pacing a busy street, mingling with neighbours in the estate patio, strolling in a commercial centre or browsing around the artist’s school.

marks into a state of mind to communicate strong emotions.

For example, Yolanda Cortes in her ‘Uncertain Times’ (for sale at £200) painted the sky over the Strait red, while the Lighthouse bellows out a spiralling signal.

A few explored the theme of women, from suffragettes to women’s lib, domestic abuse and… beauty, with the delightful installation by Macarena Yagüe titled ‘Divided Soul’, where a shocking pink bob hairdo is paired with an aloof glittery butterfly fascinator: is she a social butterfly? Or has she got butterflies in her stomach? Or is she flying away to faraway shores? Whichever way you may want to interpret, remember that a woman’s soul can soar, if she just puts her mind to it.

Tender humour was featured too: Sasha Alexdottir’s highly commended collage of plush toys titled ‘Farewell Childhood!’ taught us to both cherish our childhood memories while letting go on their encumbering tokens.

Oliver Canessa, Joel Fernandes, Julian Gerada, Matthew Guy, Julia Prudzienica and Mouetaz Ziani were also highly commended for their work on diverse subject matters connected to school work – Joel was actually commended twice for ‘Godmother’ and ‘Mother’.

The Sculpture Award went to Nathan Parody for his ‘Octopus’, a masterpiece of pottery that marries realism with environmentalism.

Ethan Segovia won the AquaGib Prize with ‘Sour Taste’, and Yakira Gross the Kishin Alwani Foundation Award for Years 9-11 with ‘Lady at the Door’.

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ELECTRICAL SAFETY Article by Nathan Green, The Light and Power Shop.

It’s good to see the regulations regarding electrical installations being more rigorously enforced by the local authority. This might, at times, seem like an inconvenience because you just want to “get the job done” or you really do want a socket in your bathroom, but ultimately these rules are there to protect you and your family.

Sadly; recently, a young girl in France was electrocuted when using an extension lead in a bathroom, her father was also electrocuted while trying to save her. While it’s commonplace to have an electrical outlet in a bathroom in France and Spain it is not permitted in the UK and as Gibraltar follows the same regulations it is not permitted here either.

Most people think that if they use a waterproof socket everything will be fine, that’s not the case! It’s the appliance that gets plugged in to the socket that will kill you and not necessarily the socket.

Imagine if one of your kids decides to use an extension lead with a USB socket in the bathroom because their phone or iPad was running low on battery or your daughter just had to use her hair straighteners in the bathroom, both circumstances could have a fatal outcome.

And don’t think the circuit breaker (MCB) will protect you either - the average person may suffer ventricular fibrillation (heart attack) with an AC current as little as 30 milliamps and your circuit breaker wont cutout until the current flowing through it (and your body) reaches 32 amps, that’s over 1000 times your lethal dose!

Luckily, and for some time now, it’s been necessary to protect most circuits with an RCD (residualcurrent device), these are devices that measure the balance between the supply and return conductors and if there is a current leakage (through you) they will cutout. The can detect a current difference as low as 5 milliamps and they’re fast too, they will disconnect the supply in less than 40 milliseconds. To ensure these devices are doing what they need to do you must check them frequently, they usually have a test button and should be tested monthly.

Remember; even with an RCD fitted it is still not permitted to have a socket in your bathroom.

It’s important to ensure your protection devices, RCDs and MCBs etc, are working properly and that no faults haven’t developed in your wiring system over the years. Faults can lead to a fire (loose terminals can get very hot), increase the risk of electric shock and can start to cause problems to appliances connected to the circuits by inducing surges or spikes in the voltage which can easily damage sensitive electronic equipment.

Having your electrical installation inspected and getting an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) completed, will identify any short comings and highlight any dangerous conditions that require attention. Remember; if you’re planning to sell your house you will most likely be asked for a current EICR so it’s better to get this in hand and have peace of mind that your electrical installation is in a healthy and safe condition for you and your family.

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E N I R A M B U S I T N A F RA OPERATIONS AROUND GIBRALTAR

RAF CATALINA APPROACHES EUROPA POINT AFTER ANTI-SUBMARINE PATROL

D

uring the Second World War, supplies to Europe from the United States and Canada, and to a great extent the Empire, was essential.

In Gibraltar, the construction of an airfield had been discussed as early as 1920, when the Governors of both Algeciras and Gibraltar put forward a proposal which was rejected by both the British and Spanish governments.

In order to combat the U Boat menace, the Admiralty implemented a convoy system, which provided better protection to ships crossing the Atlantic.

During the First World War, a few RAF aircraft used the race course and in 1931, a scheduled Gibraltar – Tangier flight was attempted but only lasted six weeks because of maintenance problems.

Following the invasion of North Africa, the convoy system was employed to supply the allies and during the siege of Malta, to resupply this courageous island.

On February 15th1932 the Governor, General Godley, in consultation with the Heads of Staff, submitted a plan for a landing strip on the race course.

The Strait of Gibraltar formed a bottle neck for allied ships passing through into the Mediterranean which was not lost on the Kriegsmarine and the Italian Navy. Submarines were stationed in this area to attack shipping passing through the Strait. To combat this, the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force were set up to provide escort to the convoys. The role of the Navy was covered by Michael Sanchez in our Chronicle V3 No.4 of December 2012.

Here the role of the RAF/ RAAF will be told.

In 1936, Italy fought to regained control of Ethiopia after nearly a century. During this crisis, the RAF sent 210 Squadron to Gibraltar, arriving on September 28th 1935, with Rangoon flying boats. They stayed until 7th August 1936.

As clouds loomed over Europe, the need for a proper runway in Gibraltar was realised and in late 1939, work began to consolidate the grass strip. In 1941 extension to the runway was commenced by reclamation at the western end of the isthmus. At the end of that year, work commenced on the RAF New Camp, which was built land reclaimed by the Navy, that now forms part of Europort. This was

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FEATURE mainly for seaplane/ flying boat maintenance and air-sea rescue operations.

On September 9th 1939, 202 Squadron left for Gibraltar equipped with Saro London II flying boats. The purpose of these aircraft was to patrol the Strait and its approaches and to monitor German merchant ships in neutral Spanish and Portuguese ports. The Glucksburg was sighted leaving Cadiz on December 26th and was ordered to stop by HMS Wishart, she made a run for it and ran aground on the Spanish coast.

During October 1939, three Allied merchant ships were sunk in the Strait area by U boats. An example of what they were up against was the Norwegian cargo ship SS Hellen, sunk by torpedoes from U573 on 22nd December 1941 4 miles off Cabo Negro. All 41of the crew were rescued by the Arctic Ranger and brought to Gibraltar.

The sinking was revenged on May 1st 1942 when the U573 was put out of action by the RAF operation from Gibraltar. By the end of that year 202 Squadron had carried out 95 anti-submarine patrols.

However, the maintenance of these aircraft was a nagging problem which was temporarily resolved by the arrival of the RAF Depot Ship Dumana. She would be later replaced when RAF New Camp and other works in the dockyard, were completed such as the conversion of the boat shed.

Soon after the arrival of 202 Squadron, the 200 Coastal Group was formed. The Headquarters was the Bristol Hotel and on August 12th 1940 both 200 and 202 Squadron were put under Coastal Command and reformed as AHQ Gibraltar with the HQ in Cathedral Square. By 1942 a combined HQ was instituted in the Dockyard Tower. There is little information in RAF Gibraltar about the activity of 179 Squadron. They arrived in Gibraltar on September 1st 1942 with Wellington Bombers, fitted with Leigh Lights. The Turret type were fitted to Wellington aircraft and consisted of a 24 inch searchlight mounted in a retractable under-turret controlled by a hydraulic motor and ram. The maximum beam intensity was 50 million candles without the spreading lens and about 20 million candelas with the lens. Total weight was 1,100 lbs.

These bombers were used mainly on night patrols where the Leigh Light gave them the opportunity of catching submarines on the surface charging their batteries. One of the tricks used by the U Boats was to enter the Strait, with their engines off, from the Atlantic in the easterly cold lower current and return in the warm upper westerly current, this way they could avoid the ship’s hydrophones picking up the engine noise.

There are a number of detailed accounts of attacks on submarines by aircraft from Gibraltar:-

U573 1st May 1942 (other reports state 29th April) the submarine was hunting south of Cartagena when she was badly damaged by two 250lb bombs which landed on the starboard side of the conning tower. The submarine dived but later resurface bow first. They managed to level the craft and the crew came on deck and surrendered, however Sergeant Brent who was at the controls of the attacking Hudson of 233 Squadron was unable to remain on site. The U Boat managed to limp into Cartagena.

She was too badly damaged to be economically repaired at the time, but after the war the work was completed and she entered the Spanish navy as G7 in 1947 and in 1958 took part in a film as U47.

U74 The submarine was sent to intercept allied shipping in the western Mediterranean. This was her eighth patrol. The U47 and U 375 had been ordered to go to the assistance of U573 (see above). U74 was attacked by Hudson T9387 of 233 Squadron piloted by Pilot Officer Camacho RCAF, on May 1st 1942, but the U Boat was not sunk.

Torpedoes were fired at her that same evening off the southwest coast of Spain by the British submarine HMS Unbroken but she survived. On May 2nd Catalina AJ162 piloted by Flight Lieutenant Powell sighted U 375 east of Cartagena and bombed her and also reported the sighting. HMS Wishart and Wrestler were promptly on the scene attacking sonar contacts with hedghogs and depth charges. The U375 escaped but U74, which was in the same area, was sunk. Ft/Lt Powell later received the DFC GIBRALTARINSIGHT.COM

R.M.VENIERO On June 7th 1942, this Italian submarine was patrolling close to the Baleares, probably in consort with Zaffiro when she was spotted by a Catalina of 202 Squadron and another of 240 squadron. The record of the attack has not been found but after this date all contact with the Veniero was lost.

R.M. ZAFFIRO On June 9th 1942, Flight Lieutenant Hawkins DFC, flying a Catalina of 240 squadron, attached to 202 Squadron, on patrol around the Baleares, came across the Italian Submarine Zaffiro on the surface.

As he approached, the submarine turned and began to fire at the approaching aircraft. Flying over the vessel, the Catalina dropped a 450lb bomb. The Zaffiro dived, but minutes later resurfaced, badly damaged. The crew came on deck to surrender. Hawkins attempted to land in order to rescue the crew, but after two attempts and a split hull from the rough sea, he returned to base. All the crew perished. He was awarded a bar to his DFC. (see U74)

R.M. ALABASTRO On 14th September 1942, a Sunderland, W6002 of 202 Squadron, piloted by Flight Lieutenant Walshe of the RAAF, sighted the Italian submarine Alabastro on the surface north west of Algiers. The Sunderland approached from the stern dropping depth charges. The submarine stopped dead in the water and sunk after half an hour. The crew were seen to jump into the sea. There were no survivors

R.M.GALILEO FERRARIS On October 25th 1942, a Catalina flown by Squadron Leader Eagleton DFC of 202 Squadron, sighted the Italian submarine which was shadowing Convoy HG75. He went in for the attack dropping two depth charges which he thought had failed to explode. Fearing that she would get away he contacted HMS Lammerton who opened fire as soon as the submarine came into range. It would appear that the Catalina had damaged the submarine as it was unable to dive, and it was scuttled by its captain who surrendered to the Lammerton.

U411 Sunk by a Hudson of 500 squadron on 13th of November 1942 south west of Gibraltar with the loss of 46 crew.

U595 On November 14th 1942, this submarine was located on the surface north of Oran by Wing Commander Spotwood of 500 Squadron in a Hudson. He came in low over the submarine and dropped his bombs.

The explosion damaged his plane that force him to retire from the attack, however four other aircraft pressed home the attack during which two further aircraft, piloted by Flying Officer Green and Flying Officer Lord, suffered damage. Squadron Leader Ensor continued his harassment of the U Boat, driving it onto the North African shore near Ténès, with considerable depth charge damage. (one report mentions 608 squadron involved) Wing Commander Spotwood was officer commanding 500 Squadron and later became Air Chief Marshal and then Chief of Air Staff

U605 Sunk on November 14th 1942 by a Hudson of 233 Squadron north west of Oran with the loss of 46 crew.

U259 On November 15th 1942, Squadron Leader Ensor of 500 squadron, attacked and sunk U259. As the submarine exploded, it damaged both wing tips, both rudder and elevators damaged, the Hudson only managed to remain airborne for fifteen minutes. They all bailed out but two of the crew were killed. They were picked up by HMS Ernie and Leith. The Squadron Leader was awarded the DSO for his airmanship.

U98 Sunk west of Gibraltar by depth charges from HMS Wrestler on November 15th 1942. She was thought to have been sunk by a Hudson from 608 squadron on 19th of November but it was the U413 that they had attacked. (see below).

U331 On November 17th 1942 a Hudson of 500 Squadron, bombed the submarine damaging her forward hatch which prevented her from diving. She surrendered by showing a

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FEATURE white flag. HMS Wilton was sent to capture the vessel but in the meantime, a flight of Albacores from HMS Formidable, unaware that they had surrendered, attacked and sank her with a torpedo. 32 were killed and 17 survived

U413 This U Boat was attacked on November 19th 1942 by a Hudson of 608 Squadron, south west of Cape St. Vincent. Five bombs were dropped which severely damaged her and she was forced to return to Brest for repair

UNKNNOWN U BOAT At 04.00, 20th November 1942, a Wellington of 179 Squadron attacked a German U-Boat 300 miles to the west of Gibraltar. The U-Boat was straddled by the explosions may have been lethal. There is the usual difficulty of seeing results at night and obtaining the satisfactions of knowing that the U-Boat is seriously damaged or destroyed.

UA332 On December 2nd 1942, a Catalina of 202 Squadron, flown by Flight Lieutenant Ganell, caught the U Boat on the surface. As he approached, she began to dive. Some of the depth charges failed to release but two entered the sea some one hundred meters ahead of the swirl created by the submarine as it dived. Some bubbles and oil came to the surface later but the U332 was only damaged and was able to return to port for repairs.

UNKNOWN ITALIAN SUBMARINE At 22.00 hours on 10th December 1942, off the Spanish Mediterranean coast. The Wellington of 179 Squadron, attacked an Italian submarine which opened fire with its anti-aircraft gun, hitting the aircraft’s port engine, wing and petrol tanks.

UNKNOWN ITALIAN SUBMARINE At 0200 hours on 14th December 1942, to the west of Gibraltar an Italian submarine of the “Gomma” Class was attacked by a Wellington of 179 Squadron. Depth charges were released at 80 feet. The Italian put up heavy anti-aircraft fire from two guns. The aircraft returned, flying over just forward of the conning tower and the evidence of the splashes established that the depth charges straddle the submarine just abaft of the conning tower. As it was dark, the result was inconclusive.

UNKNOWN U BOAT On December 18th 1942 a similar attack was made by a Wellington of 179 Squadron at 22.00 hours on a U-Boat off Oran. The U-Boat appears to have expected the attack the depth charges could not be released before it dived. A night attack makes the placing of a stick very difficult when only the swirl remains as an aiming mark and the explosions were probably out of the lethal range astern of the U-Boat.

U442 On February 12th 1943 a Hudson of 48 squadron sighted the submarine off Cape St Vincent. The attack was made with depth charges sinking the U Boat with the loss of 48 crew.

U77

ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE

March 28th 1943, a Hudsons MkVI of 48 Squadron with Squadron Leader Harrop and another of 233 Squadron off Calpe, near Alicante encountered U77 on the surface. As they approached, she dived leaving only the swirl where she had been. Using this as a guide, the bombers dropped their depth charges just ahead of the disturbance. A large bubble burst to the surface followed by oil soon followed by the U77. Harrop called for assistance and the other Hudson came in finding the submarine some 30km from the original attack site. Dropping four depth charges finished off the U77 with the loss of 38 crew, the 9 survivors were picked up by a Spanish fishing trawler

U167 This submarine was scuttled off the Canary Islands following an attack by a Hudson AM931 (ZSW) of 233 Squadron on April 5th 1943, all 53 of the crew were picked up by the Spanish Coast Guard vessel Xauen. The submarine was raised in 1951.

U447 Sunk on May 7th 1943, by two Hudsons of 233 Squadron using depth charges in the Atlantic west of Gibraltar. 48 crew died.

U755 Attacked by a Hudson of 500 Squadron, piloted by Squadron Leader Holmes DFC, 13 miles north of Alboran Island, with three depth charges during the first attack. Despite receiving flak in the port engine, continued the attack dropping a further two and then one anti-submarine bomb, but survived.

She was sunk two days later, on the 28th May 1943, north-west of Mallorca by a Hudson of 608 squadron using two rockets. Only nine crewmen survived having been picked up by the Spanish destroyer Velasco.

U617 Damaged by depth charges from a Wellington of 179 Squadron, she was beached by her crew near Cape Tres Forcas close to Melilla. Subsequently bombed by Hudsons of 48 and 233 Squadrons and two Swordfish of 833 and 886 Squadrons Catalinas from the US Navy and HMS Anthony and Wishart. The U761 was scuttled by her crew on February 14th 1944 resulting on nine dead and forty eight Survivors

In June 1942, “Operation Harpoon” was set up to take a convoy of six ships and aircraft from aircraft carriers, to Malta. As part of the preparation, No10 Squadron RAAF, with Sunderland Flying Boats, was stationed in Gibraltar to intercept reconnaissance aircraft getting near the convoy. During one of these flights, Flight Lieutenant Marks picked up a radar blip showing a submarine on the surface. It turned out to be Italian. As the Sunderland dived in for the attack, the submarine put up a heavy barrage of anti-aircraft fire. Having dropped the depth charges which fell some thirty yards on each beam, he pull out the dive but the starboard outer engine was hit by flak. A lively gun battle ensued but the damaged engine caused excessive vibration which made Marks turn away and head for Gibraltar.

Later that day Flying Officer Corrie of 202 Squadron, found the submarine some sixty miles further east. The Catalina went in for the a kill but the depth charges did not release, so he turned and went in again, this time the charges dropped just as the submarine submerged. He circled around and saw bubbles and oil coming to the surface, a sure sign that the Italian had been badly damaged and would never to surface again. The pilot flew the aircraft to Ansiola in order that Sgt Lee, who had been wounded, could receive medical treatment. He returned to the scene but only found more oil. He was awarded the DFC On 13th June 1942, Squadron Leader Burrage, temporarily with 202 Squadron, in a Sunderland off the coast of Sardinia, attacked another Italian submarine, the Otaria who put up a fierce defence, but was badly damaged by a drop of seven depth charges.

She was seen to heel over but recovered and dived with smoke coming from the conning tower. She survived the attack and returned to Cagliari and then on to Taranto for repairs.

The Otaria surrendered to the allies on September 8th 1943 and ordered to Malta. She was later used for training.

It is possible that one or more of the reports above on Italian submarines are those related here.

U761 This U Boat was attacked and badly damaged by a combination of naval and aerial attacks. The U761 was spotted just north of Tangier and attacked with depth charges from a Catalina from 202 Squadron, a Ventura and two aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm. She was finally destroyed by gunfire from HMS Hyacinth and HMAS Wollongong. All 48 crew survived. This is the last successful attack on a submarine in the Strait area in the war.

A HUDSON OF 48 SQUADRON

U620 This submarine was sunk by a Catalina of 202 Squadron north west of Lisbon on February 13th 1943 with a loss of 47 crew.

NEWCAMP SHOWING THE SEAPLANE

RAMP BEHIND THE

MASTS

U83 Article supplied by History Society Gibraltar.

Email: historysocietygibraltar@hotmail.com

Sunk by a Hudson of 500 Squadron on March 3rd 1943 south east of Cartagena

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The ’I’ in the eye Documenting the people, documenting the world

“When I meet a stranger I’d like to take a picture of, I tell him or her what I saw that was so special in them to make me want that photograph, and I ask them to tell me their story,” explains award-winning people’s photographer Stephen Hermida about how he selects the subjects for his National Geographic style shots, some of which are currently exhibited at Space 92 in Irish Town in the collection Focus On Distant Lands.

Striking portraits from Ethiopia, Romania, India, Japan, Myanmar and Cuba are on display and on sale, with all proceeds pledged to the Alzheimer’s & Dementia Society.

President of the Gibraltar Photography Society and twice Photographer of the Year, Stephen Hermida follows a simple philosophy: “A relatively new art form, photography was invented for sharing, and in this era of over-sharing, this still rings true for a few images that speak to us and remain embedded in our imagination. Successful shots must engage the viewer; spark their reaction, any reaction, as long as they don’t remain indifferent to it. Taking your time to appreciate a photograph makes you understand what was in the photographer’s mind when he or she took the photo, and what the story behind it really is.”

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He continues: “I don’t take candid shots. I follow the mantra that if your picture is not good enough, you are not close enough to your subject, so I don’t use zoom lenses. I show my potential subjects genuine interest, and they usually agree to ‘sit’ for me, although I don’t usually go for head-and-shoulder portraits, but I prefer to snap them while they are going about their daily life.”

The subjects’ reaction varies according to culture: “I found that in Muslim countries it is difficult, but not impossible, to photograph people, while Cubans were quite casual about it. In Africa they are usually happy to pose in exchange for a monetary reward, because they assume that photography is my livelihood, so they expect their cut. New Yorkers are wary of photographers, because they are concerned about their image ending up plastered all over social media.”

Tibetan monks, especially younger ones, love to have their picture taken in the mystical surroundings of their monasteries. In India, streets are so overcrowded that people just don’t stick out, and: “When I pick them out of the multitude, it seems like I just made their day! Once I photographed a man, his head leaning out of the antiquated train window, his empty stare drilling right through me with

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no acknowledgement whatsoever that I was taking his picture.”

If the background is important for the setting of the subject, an excessively busy one is no friend of the good photographer’s, as Stephen teaches his students. One often has to give up the shot because of the interfering background that would be impossible to edit out.

In fact, digital editing must be kept to a minimum, and Stephen’s shots are as true as possible to the real scene that first grabbed his attention: “You must first and foremost enjoy the real view, before seeing it just through the lens or the digital screen.

Sometimes I enhance some detail, I play with saturation or contrast, and clone or blur a foreign object, but I never do composites, by snapping different people at different times and them collating them in one picture, perhaps superimposed on another background,” he says. “Sometimes the light does it all, and I need to wait for the right time of the day, so that the background colours can best complement the subject.”

And practice makes perfect, so he takes many shots before finding the right one, which usually is the very last. One shot from the river fisherman series ‘Li River in Guilin’ made the final cut of the National Geographic online, but has never been exhibited in Gibraltar. It was at La Linea’s Cruz Herrera last summer, where Stephen was invited to display part of his work as 50

the first photographer ever to grace the whitewashed walls of this museum: “It was supposed to be on for the month of August only, but its success extended it to three months, with over 6,000 visitors,” Stephen proudly notes.

and sunset times, and when the light is ideal for highlighting the features – and what strikes you the most about it. “My challenge in Nepal was that I had only one camera and one lens with me, whereas I usually travel with some 13kg of gear.”

His commitment to photography is relatively recent: “I’ve always been interested in it since a young age, but before the advent of digital, it was an expensive hobby to pursue, and I wasn’t good in the dark room. In 2004, on the last day of my Canada trip, I bought my first digital camera, and upon my return I joined the Society for its beginners’ course.”

An early retiree with the luxury of time and the means for extensive travelling accompanied by local guides, away from the trodden paths and standard tourist accommodation, Stephen has been half way around the world, with the other half in the pipeline: currently in Australia and New Zealand to trek and photograph down under, he is already planning his autumn journey across Namibia and Botswana, escorted by a resident fellow photographer.

Later he travelled to Morocco, where he realised he was more of a people’s than places’ photographer, and realised he wanted to seek out the ‘human condition’ through his lens: “This is something difficult to explain; some say it is the aura around the subject, but for me it is that very image I see once and that remains in my eyes for ever.”

Often, landscapes are so breath-taking that he just can’t help it: “My journey in Nepal was about its nature as much as its people and their castes. The problem with landscapes is finding the unusual angle, the one you haven’t seen umpteen times on Google - or it would be just easier to buy a postcard!”

The perfect landscape shot requires planning and research to be aware of sunrise MAY 2019

Last year, he trekked the Himalayas with Mark Randall, whom he met during the 2018 GibTalks where they were both speakers, and after Mark’s dramatic accident which caused his trip to be cut short, Stephen went on to the Tibetan ‘lost kingdom’ of Mustang, where he was one of the only eighty foreigners allowed within its borders.

Needless to say, an exhibition documenting this journey is being planned for the autumn. Watch this space.

Visit HermidaPhotography.com to purchase your certified limited-edition print, with all proceeds pledged to local charities.

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EUROVISION COMEBACK FOR

MADONNA EUROVISION 2019 WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR TWO REASONS ISRAEL AND MADONNA.

be born from a Eurovision. The big ballads are few and far between nowadays but they still surface in this song competition which is always overshadowed by too many odd stage routines that detract from the music and condemn our expectations to nightmares about singing grannies playing huge drums inside our heads. That’s a pity because the technical excellence of the production as a whole raises the bar each year and 2019 in Israel will not be an exception.

The eccentricities of the mega song contest will pale into insignificance when the superstar takes to the stage at the interval and makes a live comeback launching a new album and a world tour.

Israel is duty bound to pull out all the stops to make this 64th Eurovision song contest truly memorable, as it won the right to host it this year with the winning song ‘Toy’ performed by Netta last year in Lisbon.

It has been quite a coup to secure Madonna for the ‘Dare to Dream’ song contest in Tel Aviv. The $300 seats at the final won’t pay for the nearly $28.5 million budget that has been rolled out for the event. Madonna thankfully comes sponsored to the tune of $1 million (£750,000) with a retinue of around 200 and a song choice that has given a few grey hairs to the producers initially, but as we go to press all happily ironed out.

Roger Waters of ‘Pink Floyd’ fame, a vocal supporter of a movement that wants to tarnish the Tel Aviv ‘gloss’ around the competition, has probably forgotten that if he wants to continue touring he might want to remember not to cross swords with ‘moguls’ who may be in a position to help him finance his ‘Floydian’ endeavours in the future.

Love it or loathe it the reputation of this larger than life TV institution that is the biggest song contest in the world is not going to diminish in any way by playing out to dissenting voices.

This year it’s going to be a huge show and Israel, as past winners, will give us a night to remember, notwithstanding the stature of the mega star who sings in the interval.

You read it here first!

Controversy and Israel using the biggest TV shop window in the world to sell itself globally is a given. Add to that the world’s most revered gay icon on stage and the audience’s flag waving frenzy will lift the roof of the Expo Tel Aviv convention centre at the very least.

Write down 18th May on your TV ‘must watch’ list now. The forty two songs and the predictable block voting will be forgotten soon enough but the whirlwind of publicity that Eurovision creates will linger on for a bit and I hope that it will be for the right reasons.

Until next time, breathe music it’s oxygen for the soul.

I live in the hope that the next ‘Abba’ will

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This Month’s Featured Dog:

RADAR Sweet Radar is approximately 6 years old and has been waiting for so long for his chance at a loving home.

He was rescued 24 hours before he was scheduled to be killed, but since then he has been safe in private kennels, thanks to his generous sponsors, where he is also being professionally trained.

Radar is so loving and grateful, and he adores children! He has a very gentle nature and is friendly with female dogs, although he would be best as a sole dog.

To adopt Radar or one of the many dogs awaiting their forever home: https://www.ainf.gi Facebook: Animals In Need Foundation (Adopt a Rescue Dog Gibraltar)

FUN DAY ON

SUNDAY! Image Graphics and MBS are organising a Med Steps Family Day on Sunday 19th May, 2019 from 10 – 2.

In addition to the normal competitive day for the Med Steps there is a new event up the Med Steps for children. There will be a fete at Jews Gate – with Tombola, Splat the Rat, Lollipop Tree, Disc Drop and more.

Then there is a passport that will be given to children and when they go up the steps there will be stamps that they can get when they achieve certain points. Once the have all the stamps they will receive a medal.

The event should prove a great way for all to get some fresh air and exercise.

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TIME TO GET YOUR PETS PROTECTED AGAINST

ECTOPARASITES AND THE DISEASES THAT THEY CAN CAUSE Article by Mark Pizarro

As the weather warms the risk to your pet from insects rises exponentially. Insects multiply faster in warmer climates, some that have been dormant over the winter months now start to become active again, parasites that have laid low over less favorable periods make their appearance again, never become complacent, they are always out there waiting for your guard to fall.

F

leas are by far the most prevalent problem in our community, this is because we live in a warm urban community, as the winter months become milder as a result of global warming the problems that result as a consequence of this insect become more manifest and now stretch over a longer period.

The principal clinical sign that fleas present with is intense pruritus (itchiness) especially over the tail base and the dorsal skin region in that vicinity, particularly with dogs, cats can present with a more generalised dermatitis especially around the neck region.

So if your pet is chewing around its tail base or in that vicinity, do not bother looking for fleas, just assume your pet has them and treat it accordingly. If you treat your pet for fleas and it is still itchy then bring it to us, there is very probably a secondary complication that needs to be addresses, for example if your animal suddenly becomes smellier then there is a high probability that it has a secondary skin dermatitis and possibly a yeast infection.

Fleas in cats can carry a blood parasite that can cause serious illness in cats, Mycoplasma haemofelis, this parasite can cause acute illness with the feline presenting with fever, lethargy and general malaise, blood results tend to show a regenerative anaemia. At this stage the bacteria can be treated very successfully with a protracted course of antibiotics. However

in some cases there is no acute episode that is picked up by the owner, in these cases the disease becomes chronic and potentially life threatening. What happens is that the bacteria keeps destroying red blood cells and the bone marrow keeps regenerating new corpuscles, therefore the cat is clinically normal yet internally the bone marrow is working in overdrive. If this persists over a long period the bone marrow becomes exhausted and loses its ability to regenerate new red blood cells. At this point the cat starts to look unwell, pale, often exhibiting weight loss, lethargic, mild dehydration, symptoms of chronic illness. Unfortunately in these cases the prognosis is guarded and treatment is often unsuccessful.

Phlebotomus (biting fly) is an important insect vector that become active in the warmer months, ambient night temperature has to be over 14/15 degrees centigrade for the larva to develop , my rule of thumb is that if you start wearing tee-shirts and shorts in the evenings then it is important that your pet has protection. From a previous article this is the fly that transmits the protozoa that causes leishmania, a potentially fatal disease if left untreated and once acquired it is an illness for life in the majority of cases.

Mosquitos also become active in these warmer months, the principal illness that they could carry in our community is heartworm as mentioned in my last article. There is no current information as to the prevalence of this disease in our area and we are currently undergoing a study, so if you want your dog or cat tested for this parasite we are still doing this pro bono at the Gibraltar Veterinary Clinic.

The other main groups of insect vectors are the ticks, there are different types of ticks and diseases that can be transmitted by these arachnids (adults have 8 legs as opposed to 6 of insects). I have gone through these at length in a previous article, but to summarise these parasites carry loads of infections that can cause chronic life threatening disease so prevention is crucial for your pet’s health.

The gold standard in protecting your pet against all these vectors is a combination of a systemic ectoparasitic medication with an external product. This gives a double safe protection, it will protect your pet against potential serious illness if applied properly and will prevent you going through heartache.

For more information about this or any other concerns about your pet, contact, Mark Pizarro on Tel: 200 77334 or 200 50427, email: info@gibvet.com

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FEATURE

Supre me Ma rine Model Makin g

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FEATURE

This is a story of grit and determination and we’re not talking about explorers or mountaineers. Today we introduce a man who in quite another way has had to exercise a lot of the above attitudes just to get to the finish line, and he’s not an athlete either. He’s a marine model maker inspired by his late grandfather, who has distinguished himself by constructing scale models of a tall sailing ship (galleon) ‘Soleil Royale’, the notorious world war two German battleship ‘Bismarck’ and now the last model off his production line, a 1960s period British ocean going tug called ‘Ulises’. The latter two ships are radio controlled models, yet to be launched, but more of that later.

Throughout his life Charlie Reyes has been successfully involved in Martial Arts, violin playing and teaching violin and the classical guitar, so nowadays to harness all those acquired disciplines and refocus energy he sets himself tall tasks in marine model making. I call it supreme model making because I have been to his home and workshop and seen him at work on seemingly impossible tasks with really tiny parts and head scratching build plans which would baffle architects.

You see sometimes he has to fabricate tiny and complex parts which may have been short shipped or broken when assembling - that’s where true grit and determination come in - however he always sees it through and when you look at his work at close quarters you are simply blown away. Mere photographs do not do justice to the models - they have to be seen - and they have won prizes here and attracted offers from overseas. He can’t put a price on them obviously but he knows their worth. He put the new tug at a modest £500 on my insistence only, but none of the models are for sale.

“This tug the ‘Ulises’ has taken me six months to complete.

The building sessions can last many hours depending on the parts being assembled. I don’t know a lot about its history yet except that it called at Gibraltar once and that it was an ocean tug which assisted many ships in the high seas. I know of local model makers who build planes and then go to Spain to fly them. I can’t do that with my models. We don’t have lakes here and large swimming pools, with the chemicals in the water, would ruin the exposed parts. One day I would like to launch one of my models in Commonwealth Park pond but obviously there are fish there and contamination might be a problem.”

Charlie can dream but it’s not going to happen for various reasons. Apart from opening the floodgates and creating

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a huge problem with many who have radio controlled toy boats here, the pond is the jewel in the only real park that we have. Charlie’s model boats are definitely not toys. The ‘Bismarck’ is well over a metre long and the tug ‘Ulises’ is nearly 800 centimetres.

The tug has a hull made up of 30 x 5 x2 centimetres staggered planks which had to be joined up around the ribs and then filled in with epoxy resin, sanded, waterproofed and painted just like a real wooden boat hull. He took off the superstructure and showed me the innards which are very impressive with a battery compartment, engine (electric motor) and propeller shaft. Below decks, the ‘Bismarck’ is twice as impressive as it has twin screws and rudders which are also battery powered. The batteries in both models are rechargeable and they are both wired for radio control.

Although the ‘Bismarck’ (which was awarded ‘best in show’ at last year’s model makers’ exhibition) and the tall ‘Soleil Royale’ (galleon) both live in bespoke Perspex display cabinets at home, Charlie is always more than happy to oblige and show his creations off to anyone seriously interested

in marine model making. “In the tug I veered off from the plans and added to the lifeboats and played with the colour scheme too. The instructions tell you the colours to use but sometimes, as with parts supplied, you don’t like them so you make your own.”

Charlie had previously told me that after ‘Bismarck’ he would take a long break from such intense model making, but in September last year he embarked on this tug project. “It’s a bit of an addiction now; I even built clear plastic windows and window frames for this build which weren’t supplied in the kit. The wheelhouse interior is lit and that’s also a variation which I made to make the model more interesting to look at. I still have the rudder to connect to the electrics, but it’s as good as complete now.”

For his next modelling project Charlie has already chosen a Mississippi paddle boat steamer which will be strictly an ornamental piece, and not too large, otherwise he may well end up having to convert his home into a marine modelling museum! The next time a model makers’ exhibition is put on at the Casemates gallery make sure you get to see it and then you will be able to appreciate at close quarters just how much passion, grit and determination goes into this hobby, to say nothing of the cost of kits and the specialised tooling required to fabricate your own parts like Charlie Reyes often does.

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ON THE SPOT

SEB DESOISA LOCAL JUNIOR GOLFER What’s interesting about your favourite subject at school?

“At the moment it’s English, because my English teacher is fun, and makes classes interesting.”

How would you describe yourself?

“Determined, sporty and stubborn.”

What makes you laugh?

“My granny Sheila as she has a contagious laugh and laughs a lot.”

What’s the best country you’ve ever visited and why?

“Canada, I enjoyed all the outdoor activities we did, especially Orca watching.”

What’s your greatest ambition?

at the school chapel whilst there was silence.”

“To become the number one golfer in the world.”

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Which word or phrases do you most overuse?

“No wars, peace for everyone to live together happily.”

“‘Golpazo!”.

Do you have any regrets?

Have you had any embarrassing moments?

“Yes, not having revised enough for an important exam.”

“Yes, getting the giggles

What keeps you awake at night?

Which person has been the biggest influence in your life?

“My braces!.”

“It has to be Tiger Woods.”

What’s the best experience you’ve had in life so far?

If you hadn’t taken up golf, which sport would you have chosen and why?

“Winning the US. Kid’s European Championships in Scotland.”

“Hockey is my second favourite sport.”

If you didn’t live where you are currently located where would you like to Live (Money no object)?

What’s your favourite music genre?

“Pop music.”

What’s your biggest fear?

“Anywhere next to a golf course.”

“School (laughs!). Seriously, I’m not keen on the dark.”

What person historic or living would you most like to meet?

If you could change something about yourself, what would it be?

“Tiger Woods again, I’ve always been inspired by him, especially now after his recent comeback, and we also happen to share the same birthday.”

“To be more patient.”

Have you ever been given advice that you wished you had acted on?

“Yes, advice from my golf coach on my golf swing.”

If you could change one thing about Gibraltar what would it be?

What’s the worst advice you’ve ever been given?

“To have more space.”

What is your favourite hobby or interest?

“All advice I’ve had so far has been good advice I think.”

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“Golf obviously.”

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MUM ON THE ROCK

CHILDHOOD

Meltdowns Toddler Tantrums We’ve all been there! You’re in the supermarket and your little one decides to scream loudly, roll around on the floor and refuses to get up. You’ve tried bribery – grabbing a piece of fruit or a stick of French bread and offering them up to the writhing alien child.

You’ve tried being nice… and then you lose it! “I’ve had enough,” you say through gritted teeth as you pull the yelling toddler up and march out of the shop, leaving your trolley full of shopping in the middle of the aisle.

Whether that has happened to us or not, we have all probably witnessed some full blown tantrums where we totally empathise with the poor parent trying to salvage some semblance of dignity, worrying that she or he is being judged for their parenting skills by disapproving strangers.

Don’t worry; you are not an unfit, terrible parent. Every toddler has a tantrum at some time and every parent feels embarrassed and overwhelmed by those situations at some point in their lives. It doesn’t take much to set off a meltdown and it is often something really small and irrelevant that can blow up into something much bigger.

Remember… parenting is hard work and we need to remind ourselves that we are doing a great job in raising future generations. For those of us who have been there and come out the other side, there is an element of mutual understanding for other parents.

Unlike my fellow passengers on a flight where a screaming baby led to tuts of displeasure and grimaces spread across the faces of people who looked at each other as if in some secret society of child haters, I feel sorry for the parents who are trying their best to placate their offspring in a confined space. How about flying the flag of human kindness and offering to help? Sometimes just a word or a gesture that shows you understand what the parent is going through can soothe a difficult situation.

It’s a bit different when it comes to toddlers, with temper tantrums starting from around 18 months usually born out of frustration.

Imagine wanting to make yourself heard but finding it hard to express yourself. That’s when toddlers resort to tantrums and as they get older, usually by the age of 4, they can express themselves through talking, so tantrums tend to become less frequent.

How to Deal with Tantrums Not always as easy as it sounds, but try and find out why the tantrum is happening. Is your baby or toddler tired or hungry? Do they just need a little bit of attention and time? Try and understand their problem and look for a distraction to take their mind off

it. Try really hard not to lose your temper and concentrate on keeping calm. Ignore the critical looks of people around you and focus on your child. As they get older, make an effort to praise good behaviour and make sure that you recognise their feelings of anger. Sometimes, of course, you just have to weather the storm until your child calms down, but always let them know that you are there for them and that you love them unconditionally.

to listen to you, repeating the words ‘I love you’ in a calm and collected manner will reinforce this.

‘Time Out’

Instead of telling your child to stop complaining angrily about an issue, place the responsibility back on them by asking them to brainstorm solutions. Remind them that there are no wrong answers and work together to find a resolution to the problem.

This is an option that is not always just for the children. It can sometimes work if you take time out for yourself and walk away from the situation, making sure that your child is somewhere that it can’t hurt itself.

Putting them somewhere safe, such as the bottom of the stairs for a couple of minutes, and telling them not to move until they have calmed down, can work.

‘I SEE THAT YOU ARE UPSET’ Saying this phrase lets your child know that you recognise their anger and helps them to become self-aware.

‘CAN YOU COME UP WITH A SOLUTION?’

When children are in the middle of anger or panic attack, their bodies can experience a stress response which makes them feel unsafe, so always reassure them that they are safe.

The best way to deal with tantrums is to avoid them. Teach your children that the way to get what they want is through good behaviour rather than having a meltdown. If they are seeking attention through misbehaving, try and ignore their behaviour and continue with what you are doing.

The good news is that as your little ones mature and grow older, the tantrums will lessen and they will be able to regulate their emotions.

The journey from being an infant to becoming an adult is full of obstacles, so mistakes will be made and boundaries will be pushed, but it will also be an amazing adventure. Enjoy it because as we know it goes too quickly.

Phrases to Calm an Angry Child ‘I LOVE YOU’ As they get older, talking to your child and reminding them that you love them is incredibly important. Make sure that they know no matter what they say to you and no matter how angry they get, that you love them unconditionally. If you can get them

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FEATURE& HEALTH WELLBEING

MAKE SURE IT’S THE RIGHT STUFF Mary Poppins sang ‘A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down’, and whilst many of us may have a sweet tooth, we should aim to reduce how much refined sugar we consume in our daily diet if we want to stay healthy.

Sugar, in all forms, is a simple carbohydrate found in our food and drink, that your body converts into glucose (also referred to as blood sugar), and uses as the main source of energy for all the cells in your body and which your major organs and muscles need to function properly. Your brain, which uses 20% of your energy, needs a constant supply of glucose - around 130g each day - from your bloodstream to function properly.

However, the effect on the body and our overall health depends on the type of sugar we’re consuming – whether it’s either natural or refined. Our bodies metabolize the natural sugar differently to how it does the refined sugar. The body breaks down refined sugar rapidly, causing insulin and blood sugar levels to skyrocket. Because refined sugar is digested quickly, you don’t feel full after you’re done eating, no matter how many calories you consumed. The fibre in fruit slows down metabolism, as fruit in the gut expands to make you feel full. However, once the sugar passes through the stomach and reaches the small intestine, it doesn’t matter if it came from an apple or a soft drink. How much sugar is already in your blood will determine how the body uses the sugar. If you already have a lot of sugar in your system, then what you just digested will form either fat or glycogen, the storage form of glucose that’s used for quick energy. It doesn’t matter if it’s natural or refined.

The most common kinds of sugars are: Sucrose (often referred to as table or refined sugar), which is produced naturally in plants, from which table sugar is processed and refined; Fructose and Glucose (found in fruits, vegetables and honey); Lactose (commonly called milk sugar because it is found in milk and dairy products) and Maltose (also known as malt sugar), found in malted drinks and beer.

Refined sugar which comes from processed sugar cane or sugar beets, is used by manufacturers in prepared foods such as cakes and biscuits and used by people as a sweetener for foods (in toast and cereals for example) and tea and coffee.

Low-fat foods can sometimes be the worst offenders, as manufacturers use refined sugar to add flavour.

We consume more refined sugar today than our parents and grandparents did 30

years ago, and this has lead to increasing rates of obesity among adults and children.

Obesity increases the risk of health conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers.

Sugar is also one of the main causes of tooth decay. Your mouth is full of bacteria that form a film over the teeth, called dental plaque. When you consume food and drink high in carbohydrates – especially ‘free sugars’ which are found in processed

TIPS TO LOWER

YOUR SUGAR INTAKE • Switch to lower-sugar cereals or those with no added sugar, adding some chopped dried apricots or sliced banana instead. If you prefer toast for breakfast, try wholemeal or granary bread, which is higher in fibre than white bread, and use lower-fat spreads instead.

• Opt for water, lower-fat milks, or sugar-free, diet and no added sugar drinks instead of sugary fizzy drinks or sugary squash. If you enjoy fizzy drinks, try diluting fruit juice with sparkling water.

• If you take sugar in hot drinks, gradually reduce the amount until you can cut it out altogether.

• Eat whole foods such as fruit and vegetables, or minimally processed, such as whole grains.

• Aim to keep your combined total of drinks from fruit juice, vegetable juice and ‘smoothies’ to not be more than 150ml a day (a small glass).

• Try halving the sugar you use in your recipes when possible.

foods and drinks, and sugars found naturally in honey, syrups, and unsweetened fruit and vegetable juices, smoothies and purées – the bacteria in plaque turn the carbohydrates into energy they need, producing acid at the same time. If the plaque is allowed to build up, the acid can begin to break down the surface of your tooth, causing holes known as cavities, commencing the process of tooth decay.

• Check food labels - read the nutritional information to see how much sugar the food contains to help you pick the foods with less added sugar, or go for the lower-sugar version.

Most of us consume too much processed foods which are high in calories and free sugars with little nutritional value. Health experts recommend that free sugars should not exceed 5% of our total dietary energy intake for all age groups from two years upwards. For children aged four to six - no more than 19g a day of free sugars; for seven to ten-year-olds - no more than 24g a day, and for children from age 11 and adults - no more than 30g a day.

• Reduce your consumption of readymade meals, soups, condiments and sauces, which contain large amounts of sugar. There is now an increasing range of low sugar or sugar free sauces, condiments, etc on the market.

• Opt for healthier snack options without added sugar, such as fresh fruit, tinned fruit in juice rather than syrup, unsalted nuts, unsalted rice cakes, oatcakes, or plain popcorn.

If you have any health concerns always consult your GP.

We should aim at being a healthy weight and making healthy food choices - it’s all about eating a diet with whole foods, lean proteins and complex carbohydrates rather than white bread, and non-starchy vegetables and focus on making good food choices every day on a consistent basis for a healthier lifestyle for you and your family.

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FEATURE& HEALTH WELLBEING

THE LONG WALK FOR DIABETES

and pedometers are supplied

Diabetes Gibraltar has just launched a health awareness initiative aimed at senior citizens who suffer from type 2 diabetes, but open to everyone else: the Walk’n’Talk With Us is a leisurely stroll in the park, to walk away from damaging blood sugar levels.

“We’re meeting every Wednesday morning at 11am at Commonwealth Park, where we are loaning pedometers to participants, so that they can count their steps, keep record and monitor their progress week after week,” the charity vice-chairperson Isabella Sheppard-Capurro says.

Designed with the social aspect in mind, this is a way to meet likeminded people, share concerns and exchange advice, while motivating each other to becoming more active in pleasant surroundings.

Diabetes Gibraltar is promoting walking as prevention and treatment of Type 2 diabetes within all age groups, including schoolchildren.

“So far we have donated 100 pedometers to C.H.A.M.P, the GHA campaign to prevent paediatric obesity and promote healthy living, 200 to the GHA ‘Walk Away from Diabetes’ initiative, and loaned 450 to Bishop Fitzgerald’s School for their 30-day step challenge started on their Wellness Day.” Step by step, the charity has come a long way since it was rebranded as Diabetes Gibraltar – it was formerly known as the Gibraltar Diabetics Association and catered mostly for elderly people unable to test their blood sugars at home.

This service is still available at their clinic, but now the charity also provides a voice for all those living with diabetes and it has engaged with successive governments to lobby for access to up-to-date treatments and services.

“Through our consultations with the GHA, we’ve succeeded in raising the standards of diabetic care within the GHA with increases in staff and training, obtaining the right insulin pumps for type 1 and achieving the availability on prescription of the Freestyle Libre, the arm-fitted sugar-monitoring device that replaces the finger-prick test type 1 diabetics needed to undertake 4-6 times a day.”

But there is always more to be done, according to the charity, which is calling for more diabetic nurses to deal with the 2,500-something type 2 patients and 180 type 1. They are also calling for generalised screening of type 2, exemption prescriptions for type 1’s and for driving licence medicals to be carried out by the GHA and not private practice, as it is presently the case.

Type 2 diabetes can creep on you and you may go on undiagnosed for years, and when it is found, usually because you’ve consulted the doctor for other ailments, the damage is already done, while a blanket screening would prompt early diagnosis.

A radical change in lifestyle can indeed stop the disease from progressing, and if not reverse it, at least set it in remission, which in some cases can even allow someone to come off medication, provided that the healthy lifestyle is upheld.

It is unfortunate that both types carry the same name, Isabella muses, because this causes confusion for the general public.

In fact, while type 2 can be preventable as mostly caused by lifestyle choices, type 1 is, as far as current research has found, unpreventable, incurable, unpredictable and sudden.

Type I is a non-hereditary, lifelong, autoimmune disease whose causes are unknown, and usually diagnosed in childhood and young adulthood. It is often diagnosed with dramatic and life-threatening symptoms that, if not swiftly recognised and treated, can be fatal. It is believed to be caused by a genetic predisposition for an autoimmune attack on the insulin-producing cells, triggered by various possible factors. Unfortunately, by the time the condition manifests, an estimated 70-80% of the pancreatic beta cells have been destroyed and patients will need to inject insulin for the rest of their lives.

When Isabella’s son was diagnosed with type I twenty years ago, she felt there was not enough support for young patients and their parents, so she started a Parents of Type 1 Children Support Group that eventually merged with the existing Diabetics Association.

“We have a wonderful committee of volunteers chaired by Dr Rene Beguelin. Volunteers are parents, patients or carers, and without them the charity wouldn’t be able to achieve its aims. We also run an active Facebook group that is kept current with information about initiatives, management, care, treatment and research, and where members can share their experiences and concerns,” Isabella says.

The charity is proud to have sponsored local type 1 children to attend a specialist camp in the UK. “This usually is the first opportunity for these youngsters to spend time away from home, surrounded by others like them, and it is a first step in their diabetes independence journey. We are now in the process of organising similar weekends in Gibraltar, where parents can leave their kids in safe hands and enjoy some respite.”

Isabella shares her experience: “I was badly affected when my son was diagnosed, but I wasn’t given any other choice than to confront it head on, and educating myself about the most current research and treatment.

I promised my son I would do anything in my power to keep him safe, and this is the reason for my passion in serving Diabetes Gibraltar.”

World Diabetes Day is on November 14th, and in recent years the Moorish Castle has been lit in royal blue on this occasion.

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uis

329c Main Street Gibraltar Tel: 200 50710 luisphoto@gibtelecom.net

PHOTOS Commercial Photographer Finest collection of old photographs on the Rock

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Aries (Mar 21 – Apr 21) This is a good month for you to follow your heart instead of your head, Aries. Not always easy for you but sometimes you just have to go for it.

You won’t regret it!

Taurus TAKEAWAYS

(Apr 21 – May 21)

VEHICLE REPAIRS

So, this month, Taurus, you really can allow those dreams of yours the opportunity to come true. However, first of all you need to get clearer on exactly how you want them to manifest. Then they will.

Gemini (May 22 – June 22) A trip or two down memory lane may just be what you need this month, Gemini. If you are feeling a tad stale on the creative side then dig back for old ideas and dreams. Exciting!

Cancer June 23 – July 22) You need to take a long look at your emotional stuff this month, Cancer.

Just some stuff that needs to be acknowledged and cleared out. It’s held you back long enough and its safe to let go now.

Leo July 23 – Aug 23) You’ve had a period of time to be introspective of late, Leo, and that has been very beneficial. Now move on before it becomes dramatic …. As it will if you don’t take steps in the right direction.

Virgo (Aug 24 – Sep 23)

BARS / PUBS

May is indeed an excellent month for Virgo! But you must take the initiative.

Overcome your innate need for guaranteed outcomes …. And take the chance. You’ll be glad you did.

Libra Sep 24 – Oct 23) You’ll need to give yourself a fairly strict talking to this month, Libra. You may need to spell things out in words of one syllable … so do it. It will take confidence but you have it. Trust yourself!

Scorpio Oct 24 – Nov 22) You may feel like you’ve lost your touch in certain areas, Scorpio, but don’t give in to that. It’s only your mind playing tricks. Push that boat out and tell it like it is. Trust me, they’ll listen!

Sagittarius Nov 23 – Dec 21) Your social life promises to be pretty hectic this month, Sagittarius. So, let your hair down and enjoy it. You will make so many new and exciting contacts if you just give yourself permission.

Capricorn (Dec 22 – Jan 20)

INDUSTRIAL

May could be seen as a go-slow month for you, Capricorn. Go slow and be easy on yourself. You can stress yourself out over nothing and there really is no need.

Aquarius Jan 21 – Feb 19) May is a good month for you to explore your creative side, Aquarius. You tend to shy away from it and lack believe in this aspect of yourself. Now is the time ……

Pisces Feb 20 – Mar 20) May is not the best time for you to give into the more impulsive side of your nature, Pisces. Your heart is strong and true but, at this time, your best policy is to take one step at a time.

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Ingredients • Linguini • 3 Garlic Cloves • Fresh Clams • 1 Glass Rose Wine • Sundried Tomato Paste • Red Pepper Paste • Olive Oil • Fresh Parsley Leaves Method 1, Finely chop your garlic cloves and fry them in a pan with a generous drizzle of olive oil.

2, Prepare a large pot with boiling water and season with salt, then place your linguini inside and leave to cook.

3, Now get your clams, make sure they are all good ones and open, if you want you can use precooked frozen ones as a little cheat, and add them to the pan with the garlic and oil. Cover these with a table spoon or two of each of the pastes, stir the ingredients together and leave, covered, for a few minutes to steam.

4, After a few minutes, check on the clams, give it a good stir and if they are all opened and cooked, ie, they are not seethrough, then drain your pasta and add this to the pan. OR, drain the pasta, serve on plates and then using a ladle pour the clams and sauce over the pasta.

5, Finish off with a sprinkling of fresh parsley on top.

For more delicious Mama Lotties recipes visit: GIBRALTARINSIGHT.COM

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GRAN CANARIA HERE WE GO!!!!!!

Recently our last trip was done by Laura from Elite Travel. She spent 6 days roaming all the 4 and 5 star hotels round the island, flying directly from Malaga to Gran Canaria. They checked out all the good restaurants and pastimes to be enjoyed.

“What an adventure! I never thought there was so much to do in Gran Canaria” says Laura from Elite Travel.

The beautiful beaches and villas where also a luxury point at Gran Canaria, and the amenities in all beaches where excellent.

Laura also wanted to highlight the exquisite cuisine in all restaurants around the area.

Cirque du Soleil will be in Gran Canaria from the month of July, and Laura wanted to draw attention to this as apparently it is going to be quite spectacular.

“I have to talk about Guayadeque please!!!!” Says Laura, and indeed she has, listen to this very useful advice on this small village.

Laura went to this village in which the inhabitants, lived in caves, but at the same time were quite westernised , it was a spectacular sight, all neighbours and friends living in these really curious cave houses. Not only where the actual private houses caves but, the restaurants in the village where also actual set within caves.

secrets to ourselves, which we will let you know about face to face when you visit our office... But please note Gran Canaria is a place for a lovely holiday at excellent prices.

We thank Laura, and hope we can give you a new destination idea soon from the actual experiences of our team.

Las Dunas de Maspalomas, which is another town, has beautiful beach scenery in which the colour of the water was magnificent.

A delightful time could be enjoyed at the typical restaurants, and later you could carry on having fun in the town.

We could list so many activities to do in Gran Canaria, but Laura wanted to highlight the typical evening party dinner on board one of the finest catamaran companies. We are keeping a few 70

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Just Married on the Rock Alexa & Mike, married on 12th February 2019.

Photo by Radka Horvath.

Joanne & Fergus married on 13th February 2019.

Photo by Radka Horvath.

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Sherry & Lars, married on 26th March 2019.

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Jessica & William, married on 18th April 2019. Photo by Nicky Sanchez.

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