Gibraltar Insight™ June 2019

JUNE 2019

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JUNE ISSUE 37

Contents

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Business Insight 10 12

Features

BUSINESS NEWS

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PROPERTY OUTLOOK

IN WITH THE CROWD

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FILM REVIEWS

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PROFILE– JAMIE CARUANA

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MH BLAND WELCOMES MV DRAGONFISH TO FLEET

Sports Insight 26

GARETH’S PRIDE OF YOUNG LIONS SCENT NATIONS LEAGUE GLORY

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30 MENORCA – A MEDITERRANEAN ISLAND IDYLL 32

THE ‘PING!’ AND ‘ZING!’ OF CONTEMPORARY ART

A NEANDERTHAL LOOK AT THE WOMEN’S WORLD CUP

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LOOKING FOR A JOB?

GOLF NEWS

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Culture Insight

40 IN-DEPTH WITH THE HARE KRISHNAS VET COLUMN – GASTRIC TORSION / DILATION IN DOGS

Regular Features

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AN ALBUM OF ‘QUIVERING POETS’

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MAKING IT IN THE STATES, AND COMING HOME SOON

59 ON THE SPOT: CATHERINE CRUMP

ENJOYING CULTURE WITH A VIEW

62 HEALTH & WELLBEING INSIGHT

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History Insight 44 THE DEVELOPMENT OF HUMPHRIES BUILDINGS

61 MUM ON THE ROCK – THE RISE OF SURROGACY

68 HOROSCOPES 69 MAMA LOTTIES RECIPE 70 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 GHA NEW MENTAL HEALTH LIAISON The Gibraltar Health Authority has introduced a new nurse-led liaison service in order to strengthen the Rock’s mental health provision.

It will operate from 8am-8pm, seven days a week.

Based at Ocean Views, it will provide assessments, support and reassurance to both service users and their dependents in times of need. It is hoped that A&E at St Bernard’s should see a drop in attendance for mental health issues in all but emergency cases.

The liaison nurse will also provide advice and support to clinical staff based at St Bernard’s Hospital who refer individuals to the appropriate mental health teams, if they require psychiatric or psychological support.

HEBREW PRIMARY SCHOOL PUS HE S B OUND ARIES Hebrew Primary School held an end of term learning celebration to showcase the use of digital technologies by its students.

In groups, children chose how they wished to communicate the information they had collected to an audience. They were encouraged to use various platforms, as well as digital applications on iPads to create media clips, that could be shared online by scanning a QR Code.

Parents were then invited to a series of school open mornings, where this new direction in education was well received. The parents were impressed by their children’s achievement, and gained a valuable understanding into the way education is evolving to enhance and develop essential 21st Century Skills.

Minister for Health, Care and Justice, the Honourable Neil F. Costa said, “I wish to sincerely thank my excellent Mental Health teams for their diligent efforts and dedication, as well as their excellent teams, whose contributions and expertise have enabled the successful implementation of these reforms. We continue to work on further improvements, and I very much look forward to make announcements in due course.”

THE LATEST PHASE OF SOLAR PHOTO-VOLTAIC (PV) ENERGY CREATION WAS UNVEILED BY THE GOVERNMENT AT NEW HARBOURS. It forms part of a plan to produce over 3 megawatts of clean electricity. Overall, it’s hoped to generate around 10% of Gibraltar’s average power consumption.

Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, John Cortes said, “I am extremely pleased to be able to announce this just days after Parliament unanimously declared a Climate Emergency.

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While the amount is still low, it is a huge step forward considering that the past administration had no intention whatsoever of moving to renewable energy in any way. We can now say that already the equivalent of nearly 350 houses daily are powered by renewable energy in Gibraltar, and we are avoiding emission of up to 3,300kg of Carbon dioxide per day. It shows that the target of 20% renewable

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by 2020 is achievable, and we will aim for more. Coupled with the opening of the new LNG plant this Monday, just 3 days after the Parliament declaration, it shows the Government’s commitment that the fight against Climate Change will be very much more than just words.”

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ARMED COMMUNITY FORCES Air Cadets Wing INSIGHT INSIGHT

Field Weekend

Eight young Gibraltar-based RAF Cadets recently traded the Rock for West Tofts Camp - home of the Norfolk and Suffolk Wing annual event. The camp included archery, clay target shooting, fieldcraft, orienteering, leadership, first aid, team building and a minibus pulling competition.

are not only designed for cadets to enjoy the activities and give an element of adventure, but to also ensure that the experiences gained contribute towards giving the cadets learning opportunities, life skills and over a period of time instill in them the confidence to take them forward into future adulthood”.

The grand finale took place at RAF Wittering where the cadets undertook an air experience exercise flying the Grob Tutor elementary fixed-wing trainer aircraft.

Civilian instructor accompanying the group Mr. Robert Dickson added “To top off what had been a fantastic trip we were invited by the Captain of our homebound Gibraltar flight to view the cockpit of the British Airways A320.

The Captain himself a former RAF Air Cadet and the co-pilot a former pilot at a cadet AEF Sqn” Gibraltar Sqn Commanding Officer Flt. Lt. Ivan Caward heading up the group said “Our weekend camps, exercises and activities both locally or in the UK

Aide de Camp hands over the

Aiguillette

Cadet nights are Mondays and Thursdays from 7-9pm. Find out more by searching on Facebook or email oc.2os@aircadets.org.

The Air Training Corps is a voluntary youth organisation supported by the Royal Air Force for young adults aged 12-17 years.

Captain Matthew Lewis has finished his tenure as Aide de Camp and Executive Assistant to His Excellency the Governor. He now hands over the Aiguillette to Captain Douglas Hayton-Williams.

RG Troops Keeping The Peace Captain Kenny Alvarez, Second-in-Command of B Coy RG has recently returned from his third deployment to the Republic of Chile where he had instructed at El Centro de Operaciones de Paz Chile (CECOPAC). This formed part of The Royal Gibraltar Regiment’s commitment to continue to support the United Nations deployment of peace keeping troops from South America.

During his deployment Capt Alvarez was hosted in Santiago for three weeks. He provided instruction on basic media handling and principles of military law to a cadre of Military Observers who were due

to embark on a number of on-going operations. He also instructed on the pre-deployment package to a cohort of Chilean Army, Carabineros (paramilitary police), Policia De Investigaciones and a number of prison officers who were deploying to Cyprus and Bosnia. Capt Alvarez, a member of the RG Reserves and employed by HM Customs, used his language skills to good effect, having to teach English voice procedure to a Spanish speaking audience. As a former bomb disposal operator he was also able to impart knowledge regarding the mines awareness aspect of the pre-deployment package.

Unconquered CHEQUE PRESENTATIONS A total of £26,500 was raised by the Unconquered music concerts in March, in which the Bands of RG and the Irish Guards performed in St Michael’s Cave with the operatic tenor, Wynne Evans.

His Excellency the Governor, Lieutenant General Edward Davis CB CBE KStJ, has awarded a Commander-in-Chief’s Commendation to WO1 Richard Burton for services to the Royal Gibraltar Regiment.

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RG Bandmaster Warrant Officer Richard Burton presented Darren Grech, Trustee for Pathway Through Pain, with a cheque for £16,000. Drum Major Sergeant Brian Baglietto presented Regimental Secretary Mr Freddie Pitto, RG Benevolent Fund with a cheque for £5,250.

A further cheque for £5,250 will be presented to the Irish Guards shortly.

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BUSINESS INSIGHT GIBRALTAR CONTINUES BLOCKCHAIN PUSH

Gibraltar Finance made a compelling case for the Rock as a cryptocurrency and Blockchain hub at Consensus 2019, the annual gathering of the great and the good in the distributed ledger technology (DLT) world.

It provided another platform for Gibraltar to set out exactly why the Rock is leading the way in this brave new world of finance to an audience that consisted of both traditional Wall Street movers and shakers, and the new breed of cryptographers and developers who specialise in DLT. Minister Isola engaged with an array of firms and professionals in the sector as well as professional associations and attended a number of media engagements.

Minister Isola delivered a keynote called “Build It and They Will Come: Global Blockchain Hubs Deep Dive” which showcased the jurisdictional DLT developments in Gibraltar.

Albert Isola commented, “This is my second visit to Consensus, the leading conference for this sector. I was delighted to, once again, be invited to speak to the international audience that the event attracts and showcase the extent of our journey over the last 12 months. Since our last visit, the first DLT Providers licences have been awarded together with several in principle decisions, a major step forward over that period. We have a pipeline of excellent new applications and I hope to be able to announce these shortly.”

HM Queen VISITS BA HQ

Her Majesty The Queen visited British Airways’ HQ at Heathrow as part of the airline’s centenary celebrations.

During her visit some BA staff wore heritage uniforms, and Her Majesty was also shown artefacts and memorabilia relating to her many historic journeys with the airline throughout her reign.

Alex Cruz, British Airways’ Chairman and CEO, commented, “We are so honoured that Her Majesty The Queen has chosen to visit us on this very special occasion to help to mark our centenary – a landmark in aviation.

David Mercer CEO of LMAX Digital, recently in receipt of a DLT license, also spoke in the session on the merits of the Gibraltar legal framework.

Representatives from law firms Hassans, Isolas, PRT and Gibro Group were also at the Conference as were most of Gibraltar’s licensed DLT firms.

GARCIA IN DC

The Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia, reinforced the right of the people of Gibraltar to self-determination during a recent trip to Washington DC. He also used the occasion to emphasise the possibility of Spain opportunistically attempting to use Brexit as a false flag to attempt to ad-

“It was such a pleasure to show Her Majesty The Queen the artefacts and memorabilia we have kept and curated over the years, and to introduce her to our passionate teams from all across British Airways who’ve gone above and beyond for customers, to those who make British Airways the inclusive place it is to work, and those who help raise millions for young people in need.”

“This is the absolute highlight of our centenary year celebrations and something we will all remember for many years to come.”

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vance its obsolete sovereignty claim.

Dr Garcia was invited to brief a group of staffers on the Foreign Relations Committee of the Senate of the United States on the latest developments in relation to Gibraltar.

He stressed that Gibraltar, like Bermuda, was a British Overseas Territory and a Non Self Governing Territory in international law, and that the latter was a misnomer. Gibraltar is largely self-governing already, with only defence, external relations and internal security being the exceptions.

The people of Gibraltar have lived on the Rock for over three hundred years. That is longer than the United States, Germany or Italy have existed as nation states. In international law, the principle of self-determination is paramount, he added.

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FEATURE

IN WITH THE INTRO CROWD Jo Ward gets in with the Intro Crowd by asking entrepreneur Greg Baker, founder and CEO of the strategic land specialists, how he came up with the idea for the crowdfunding platform and why he is relocating the company into Gibraltar.

There is no doubt that Greg Baker is a successful entrepreneur with a variety of experience over the past twenty years, having started out working for a large financial institution as a stockbroker then moving to the American global IT company Sun Microsystems who were subsequently bought by Oracle. “Much of the early part of my career was working for well-established multi-nationals with lots of employees,” he tells me. Moving into property refurbishment with his wife, to a point where he could sustain his young family and lifestyle, Greg then started Hermex FX, a foreign exchange business in 2008, selling his shares a couple of years ago. “So I started a business, grew it and exited it,” he states.

“I would definitely call myself an entrepreneur, because I love starting, creating, and being involved in all aspects of business, and now the focus is very much back to property and trying to fix the UK’s broken housing market,” Greg explains.

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FEATURE Intro Crowd came about from an idea that Greg had about five years ago when he identified there was a housing crisis that wasn’t being addressed by the UK Government. “There was a huge backlog of houses that hadn’t been built,” he says. “I don’t think that the Government has hit their targets once since postWorld War II, hence the reason why they are saying we need three million new homes in the next few years.”

Offering his personal opinion, Greg says he can’t see that happening because even if planning consent was given for those three million new homes, he doubts that the UK is equipped with the skills or the materials to deliver that volume of houses.

“So Intro Crowd is looking to be part of the solution to building new homes in the UK,” he states, continuing, “as well as a technology investment platform that allows investors to become part of a community that gets access to projects that they wouldn’t normally get access to.”

Crowdfunding platforms have opened up the opportunity to invest in exciting early stage businesses and as pioneers in strategic land investment, Intro Crowd are providing unique opportunities for private investors through their secure, online crowdfunding platform.

Greg explains that strategic land is the name for greenfield sites adjacent to existing settlements in areas that have experienced a high growth in population. “We give investors an opportunity to invest in strategic land and share in the profits when it is sold for housing development,” he tells me. “We only target and accept high net worth and sophisticated investors,” Greg explains. “Once they have gone through an accreditation process, investors have access to our platform which has drone fly through footage of all our available sites, with independent reports from surveyors and forecast valuations on what the site might be worth once we have added value to the asset.” The idea is to create a community of investors that can come and look at projects, and can then decide if they want to invest in those projects or not.

Greg says that the first two years after the launch of Intro Crowd was focused on getting a foothold in the market, but since then they have funded three projects. “That was very much part of the business plan to begin with, and then in the last year we have started to hit the exponential growth curve in terms of the opportunities that we are looking at.” One site, in Cam, near Dursley in Gloucestershire, is fully funded and Greg is optimistic that they will get through the planning permission process with the aim of selling the land on to a housebuilder at a profit.

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There are also some exciting developments with joint venture partners in the form of modular house builders. “This is something that I am also very passionate about because it is about building houses very quickly, efficiently and cost effectively,” he comments.

One of the main challenges is finding greenfield sites with the very best prospects and in this respect Greg says that he is fortunate to have the expertise of Christopher Merriman as his Partner and Intro Crowd’s land planning director. “Christopher’s strengths lie in finding, appraising and securing freehold land opportunities with short to medium term residential redevelopment potential. Over the last ten years he has had experience of dealing with local planning authorities and has worked on over forty successful applications that have resulted in the creation of 3,000 new homes being delivered to the marketplace,” Greg states, “so with Christopher we have got someone with a very credible, robust track record.”

Intro Crowd is authorised and regulated by the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority).

“From a business perspective there is all sorts of corporate governance and risk management in place,” Greg says. “Every project that we ask investors to invest in is its own limited company and has its own segregated bank account, so from a financial risk perspective the investors have peace of mind that they have shares in a company that own the asset and the SPV (special purpose vehicle) has its own segregated bank account.”

Going forward, apart from making sure that Intro Crowd gives their investors excellent service and a return on capital invested, the vision for Greg is to have a significant and lasting social impact with a sustainable platform that helps to facilitate the building of residential homes in the UK. By putting forward strategic sites such as these, the UK housing shortage could be reduced, giving more people the opportunity to get a foot on the housing ladder.

Greg explains that they are in the process of relocating the company to Gibraltar. “We are looking at projects in Gibraltar because it has the same fundamental supply versus demand issues as the UK,” he states, going on to say that they are doing due diligence at the moment with the hope that there could be a project on the platform in Gibraltar by the end of this year.

Based in Belgravia, London, since they set up and now with a small footprint in Gibraltar, Greg says that they are also looking at some other international locations. His predication for the future of Intro Crowd is to ‘watch this space’!

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FEATURE

PRO PE R TY OUTLOOK Founder and Managing Director of the BMI Group, one of Gibraltar’s leading estate agents, Louis Montegriffo says that he is ‘cautiously optimistic’ about the property market in Gibraltar, regardless of the Brexit outcome.

Born and bred in Gibraltar, Louis Montegriffo returned home in 1996 after completing his education in the UK and started working in the real estate industry which, he says, was relatively small in those days. Two years later, in 1998, he set up BMI with various partners and the company has grown substantially in terms of the type of business undertaken. “Our focus has always been to work on what we know best, so we tend not to be a business that promises to be all things to all people.”

“Initially we were just a real estate company and estate agents selling properties which then developed into creating a portfolio of properties for landlords and buy to let investors,” he explains.

Throughout that period BMI has been involved as consultants for a substantial number of developments in Gibraltar - mainly middle to high end developers - such as Europlaza, Sunset Close, Atlantic Suites, Kings Wharf, and 27, 29, and 31 Midtown. “I think we have represented approximately 50% of all new developments in Gibraltar over the past two decades, but we are generally quite low key in our approach to business and how we do our business, which is mostly done by referrals; and we have a good stock of high value local and international clients.”

The expectation leading up to 23rd June 2016 was that we would stay in Europe and Louis states that from his personal perspective he would tell people that we needed to be aware of the fact that we might not stay. “We all came back to work on the 24th pretty scared in terms of what we were to expect - the belief generally was that we were done for, primarily because most politicians and business people in Gibraltar were saying this would be the end of Gibraltar as we know it, game over!”

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FEATURE

Louis says that at that time, in the unlikely event that the UK was to leave, they should have some language that wouldn’t frighten people. “We had clients calling asking what they should do, so it was a very difficult period, but it really only lasted, at most, 2 months. We saw some inactivity - the last time I saw that was probably October 2008 when it pretty much went dead for a little while, but Gibraltar didn’t really suffer economically from that - it was more shell shock as to what happened worldwide in terms of the credit crunch,” he states. This time it was different and by September/October numbers had come back up again and there was an unprecedented growth in sales in 2017.

create new ideas was also there,” he comments. Over those two and a half years the market has grown in the region of around 12-15%, more and less in different areas.

He goes on to explain how BMI has always looked at Gibraltar in various segments. “Historically in the past ten years we have seen a three tier market - low, middle and high - about twenty years ago it was a two tier market, low and middle today and up until 2016 we have seen what we consider to be a four tier market, which is quite a mature market for any economy around the world.”

With new developments constantly being announced in Gibraltar, what advice does BMI give to its developers? “The norm seems to be that they will sell out and that is great news, but I think the key thing, and this folds back into the consultancy that we do and the advice that we give to our developers, is that we prefer to seek markets that are driven primarily by owner occupiers, and as long as these new developments are underpinned by a good percentage of owner occupiers then we are comfortable.”

One thing that Louis cites the government as doing is addressing the Brexit issue very early on. “They don’t know what is going to happen and it is pretty much out of our control, but oddly enough in just two years we have ended up with a tax treaty with Spain that from my perspective in general terms is good for Gibraltar and which I think is akin to the anti-money laundering act of 1996,” he comments. “At the time people thought that it could be the end of Gibraltar and actually what it ended up being was a great thing because it regulated Gibraltar even more.”

“So Brexit is still a cloud over our head but it has been business as usual and one thing we did see over that period was more people renting,” Louis says. “This is mainly driven by the fact that the gaming companies are still here, as well as the financial services sector, the Crypto industry, and the DLT space.” This translates into people eventually purchasing and it is evident that the last ten months have resulted in a good volume of sales across all segments in the market.

“If you are building something that is purely studios or one bedrooms I think you are exposing yourself a little bit more to speculators, and where you have got so many of them we take far more caution in that sector than we would do in another sector.”

“That’s the great thing about Gibraltar - the fact that we are able to talk about the market in many different aspects and in many different segments,” he says.

“Understandably the higher end “fourth tier” has slowed down - basically because of the fact that anyone looking to spend over £1.5m to 2 million pounds was probably going to think about it a bit more carefully given the uncertainties of Brexit,” Louis says.

“I don’t think that anyone is not taking Brexit seriously, but I do think that there is a feeling and a belief that whatever happens it is not going to affect us in real terms - politics will be politics and it will have to be played out in some shape or form.”

“I think post September/October 2016 there was a feeling of nervousness and an element of insecurity, but what happened post June 16 was that the worry was there but the impetus and energy and the desire to carry on doing well and

Ultimately, Louis views the future of the property market in Gibraltar as a safe bet. ‘I am cautiously optimistic,” he exclaims, continuing “From my perspective I do believe that we could be at the cusp of something very good.”

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FEATURE PAUL ANDERSON 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.

AVENGERS ENDGAME: 12A

AMAZING GRACE: U

22 films since 2007 and 21 billion dollars taken at the global box office.

And it all comes down to this. It is not necessary to see all the previous MCU movies, but some knowledge will help especially with the time travelling sequences, which frankly will need a second viewing to get your head around.

But it’s worth it. The movie manages to get practically every MCU character in this one which is a feat. It is long at just over 3 hours but there is a lot to explain. Thanos and his infinity stones are at the centre of it all with a beer bellied Thor traumatised by the events in Infinity War leading the good fight with Iron Man and Captain America. This is a brilliant comic turn from Chris Hemsworth.

AntMan and Captain Marvel are pivotal too. It is very emotional accentuated by the sublime Alan Silvestri score. Be prepared for tears and decent battle scenes. There is an excellent Me Too/ Girl Power moment too.

Aretha Franklin was the best female singer of hers and many generations.

This is a concert documentary filmed in a Baptist Church in 1972. The film is all music and no narration, so this is all Gospel and church music, at which Aretha excelled and indeed that was her roots as her father was a Preacher. The Director was Sydney Pollack and it’s release has been long delayed. The album of the concert was one of her biggest selling and became the biggest selling Gospel album of all time. A thrill from beginning to end. .

JOHN WICK: 15 The full title includes the word Parabellum which is a gun, just so you know.

This edition of the John Wick action franchise is another deliriously entertaining action romp; but man, it is ridiculous. Picking up where Chapter 2 left off, we meet up with un-retired assassin John (Keanu Reeves) moments before a $14 million bounty on his head takes effect. He seeks help to shift it from an old friend in Halle Berry and mixes it with Anjelica Houston too. Keanu does all his own fight scenes so props for that with this version being a more contemporary, violent and brutal affair, if less classy, than previously..

Later this month:

SUMMER BLOCKBUSTers

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FEATURE SLOWLY BUT SURELY WE’RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. YOU MUST’VE NOTICED HOW MANY OF OUR YOUNGSTERS ARE GETTING IT TOGETHER, KNOW WHERE THEY’RE GOING AND ACHIEVING GOALS IN WHATEVER CAREER THEY CHOOSE. WISDOM AND MATURITY ARE CLEARLY EVIDENT... AND THEY ARE EVEN CHARMED BY POLITICS!

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aving an interest in politics at age 14 for a start, is already not the norm. No doubt influences in the home, subconsciously or otherwise, will have had a bearing on a child who was even much younger when his dad, Sir Peter Caruana was, so to speak, in the `thick of it’ as Gibraltar’s Chief Minister. Jamie was just about a decade old when dad was beginning to wind down his political career after having been almost 16 years at the helm of Gibraltar’s political and municipal affairs as head of our government as well as serving a couple of terms in opposition. However and perhaps surprisingly, Jamie didn’t follow his dad’s and other family members’ calling to the Bar, the `herd behaviour’, in other words, to become `another’ lawyer. “That’s right. I chose an Accountancy and Finance degree and not Law. I feel I can go further with what I’ve chosen to study because it’s pretty much the same the world over, whereas as a lawyer there’s a need to study and qualify in whichever country you decide to move to.”

Head screwed on, some may say. Working in banking and financial services in London, New York and any number of centres around the world clearly tickles Jamie’s fancy! However, moving onto that subject, `politics,’ our Brexit Remainer argues the importance of the City of London remaining in the EU as a key reason for arguing in favour of remaining. “It’s not just because it favours us on the Rock to remain for a number of reasons that I want us to remain, I would vote to stay in the EU if I lived in the UK also, so I would vote for a second referendum.”

Speaking of voting leads me to the not unrelated subject of debating issues of the political and social kind, and that has always been on Jamie’s radar and right up his street! “Yes, I’ve enjoyed debating sessions in school and discussions in the GSD executive which I attend when I’m in Gib. I joined the Young GSD when I was 14 or 15 and find the interaction of political debating stimulating and for obvious reasons, debating politics with the family at home invariably crops up.” But 18 year old Jamie is very interested in the social issues that affect our community and not so much the political – at least at present. There is an interest in those issues, Jamie tells me, which are prevalent in our community. “There are many youngsters that smoke cannabis here for example - more than you might think - and when caught by the police they end up at Police Headquarters at New Mole House. You go to jail for what? In the UK the matter is dealt with differently by not necessarily arresting you on the spot, instead dealing with it through dialogue. Here, I think there is a need to modernise our drugs policy.” Young Jamie feels it’s also wrong alcohol and tobacco are allowed to be consumed and used freely when they are drugs and should be regulated too.

“Mental Health is another subject young people are affected by through stress, not knowing what’s in store for them in the future regarding jobs etc. Heavy stress impairs brain development and I don’t think enough attention is given to these matters.”

Meanwhile, as we digress, prompted by yours truly, Jamie asserts accountancy - for which he will also be studying for a Masters - is not boring. I jokingly point out many tend to as-

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sume that, but he maintains it’s not just about numbers. “It’s the mechanism that makes the world go round and in Gib, although it’s slowly improving, there’s always been a shortage of local accountants. We’ve tended to go for Law or teaching in the main, so why not go for accountancy.” Jamie tells me perhaps he’s a sucker for punishment reading the Financial Times every morning and checking the financial markets, tuning into Bloomberg TV from time to time!

But back onto a subject pretty much a recurring ingredient on the Rock for many, especially during the run up to elections, and not least because we are a small, close-knit community.

There are some young people who don’t want to be seen being associated with a political party and therefore won’t turn up to meetings and eventually fall away. Jamie agrees, “Yes, which is a pity, because we are the future. Maybe they’re tired like me of politicians’ knee jerk reactions, not wanting to damage their image and not tackling what really needs to be done simply because `it’s always been that way’ so it wouldn’t be right to change it. Added to that, the never ending Brexit fatigue that everyone is fed up with. Us proud Gibraltarians need to galvanise and demand more, like the issue of transparency. There needs to be, as in other Western democracies, independent regulatory bodies to scrutinise and investigate checks and balances, even back benchers in parliament would make some difference and deliver some form of scrutiny.”

And that’s why Jamie Caruana feels he would have a problem obeying and following the party whip. “Oh yes, I would have to be an Independent or know that I would eventually lead whatever party I was in.” No doubt these are issues Jamie pushes for, as he debates as an executive member of the Gibraltar Social Democrats (GSD) when he’s on the Rock.

It’s clear that politics being the cruel beast it can often be and having experienced it first hand at home and in the street, Jamie accepts that for his dad, Sir Peter, losing out on a fifth term can’t have been easy, regardless of how successfully you’ve served during your tenure. As Sir Peter once said, `not being picked up by your driver first thing in the morning in G1 was an obvious sign of having lost the election.’ That was something of a harsh, early morning `reality check’ at the start of the day, I would imagine. But that being the case, Jamie Caruana says he’s not deterred and doesn’t rule out going on that unforgiving, ruthless, political journey sometime in the future, perhaps in his late 30s or early 40s whilst not forgetting his dad’s advice - ‘in politics people want honest values and a vision to take Gibraltar forward and the rest will come’ - and Jamie tells me he’s of the same mindset.

For the present though his vision is set on the world’s financial markets... Degree, Masters and then, if he becomes a top accountant, a choice of London, New York, Hong Kong, somewhere else or even Gibraltar. But clearly and importantly for Jamie Caruana and for the foreseeable future, it’s on with the `number crunching’ - for us the uninitiated - whilst enjoying a good dose of `techno,’ blasting away on his headphones!

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GARETH’S PRIDE OF YOUNG LIONS SCENT NATIONS LEAGUE GLORY England embark on a voyage of discovery this month when they contest the finals of the inaugural UEFA Nations League - the tournament created to replace meaningless friendlies and which the qualification series has proved to be a huge hit with the football public. The semi finals and final will be played in Portugal over five days, 5th-9th June, and afford a perfect opportunity to assess whether the unexpected and very welcome progress shown by England in reaching the last four of Russia 2018 has been maintained or, like the promise shown by so many Three Lions sides since the World Cup victory of 1966, proves to be another false dawn.

It is 53 years since that epic England triumph, an extraordinary barren hiatus given the stellar cast of stars that have graced the shirt over the decades since then, goalkeepers Peter Shilton and Ray Clemence, net custodians without equal, defensive lions Tony Adams and Terry Butcher; midfield maestros Kevin Keegan, Glenn Hoddle and Paul Gascoigne; and up front the explosive scoring power of Alan Shearer coupled with prolific goal-poaching duo Gary Lineker and Ian Wright fantastic individual talents, but still the trophy cabinet remains bare, save for that solitary Jules Rimet prize of 1966.

England’s much respected coach, dapper dresser Gareth Southgate who singlehandedly has been responsible for the re-emergence of the waistcoat, has also succeeded in rebuilding team spirit and pride in wearing the shirt that had been damaged by decades of disappointing failure - no individual superstars or massive egos in this squad, just two world class players in captain Harry Kane and dazzling Raheem Sterling, surrounded by a group of talented youngsters who have bonded brilliantly under Southgate’s shrewd stewardship.

Gareth has got his cubs purring happily, unburdened by unrealistic public expectation, playing without fear no matter what the opposition, all anxious to please the gaffer and cement a first-choice place, united in the steadfast belief that this young team is on the verge of achieving greatness, no dissent in this squad, no booze-fueled dentist’s chair ‘Gazza’ antics of yesteryear, the coach’s authority unquestioned by players who like and respect him, the boss who has guided many of them from international under-age duty to the senior side. Talent spotter Southgate showed that he keeps his eye on the ball by poaching two of Ireland’s U20 starlets, Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish and, more recently, West Ham’s Declan Rice, the latter larceny prompting one outraged Irish observer to loudly lament, “England took our potatoes and now they’ve stolen our Rice.”

In qualifying for the semi-final of the Nations League, England emerged victorious from a tough group that contained Spain and World Cup runners-up Croatia,

the highlight of that successful campaign being the victory over the Spanish in Seville, an unforgettable encounter in which the Three Lions had built up an astonishing 3-0 halftime lead that proved too much for the home side to overcome, eventually losing 3-2 in front of a shell shocked full house in the bear pit that is Estadio Benito Villamarin.

The reward for Gareth’s boys is a last four contest in Guimaraes on Thursday, 6th June, with The Netherlands, dangerous opponents who are more than a tad miffed at not qualifying for Russia 2018, especially with near neighbours France winning the World Cup and Belgium finishing third. Coached by the great Dutch master Ronald Koeman, Holland, ranked 16th in the world, 12 places behind England, will nevertheless be a tough nut to crack - captained by Europe’s top defender Virgil van Dijk, the Men in Orange sensationally qualified for the semi final from a group that contained Germany and newly-crowned world champions France.

Two goals down away to the Germans in the final group match and with just five minutes remaining, the Dutch snatched a dramatic draw and the point that sent them roaring to the finals with strikes from Quincy Promes and a 90th-minute bullet from Captain Fantastic van Dijk. Holland and England have met 21 times, with honours absolutely even - six wins and six losses each, with nine games finishing level. England beware - peeling this orange giant could prove to be a real banana skin!

The other semi final, a day earlier in Porto, sees Portugal, ranked seventh in the world taken on by eighthranked Switzerland in a tie that home advantage is expected to swing Portugal’s way. Switzerland are an efficient but hardly an exciting side, Arsenal duo Granit Xhaka and Stephan Lichtsteiner are their defensive strongmen while Liverpool’s flying winger Xherdan Shaqiri is a proven goalscorer with club and country.

Gibraltar will soon have an opportunity to get close up and personal with the Helvetians when Julio’s boys fly to canton land for a Euro qualifier in Sion this September.

Reigning European champions Portugal, who qualified for the semis from a group that included Italy, are a treasure trove of talent, inspired by Ronaldo and Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva, two of the world’s deadliest strikers. Whatever your opinion of the monster ego that is Ronaldo, there can be no doubting his passion when playing for his beloved Portugal - 156 caps scoring 85 goals bear glowing testament to that. I expect home advantage and superior skill and flair to see Portugal overcome the Swiss and set up a final, hopefully a thriller against England on Sunday 9th June, Captain Ronaldo against a fit-again Golden Boot winner Captain Kane - now that should be a showdown to savour!

It’s way past time to end the trophy famine and Southgate’s soldiers are primed and ready for the battle. Fifty-three years is a long long time - let the Three Lions’ roar reverberate round the continent once more!

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A NEANDERTHAL LOOK AT THE WOMEN'S WORLD CUP

FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019 kicks off on 7th June when the fair sex of 24 nations, including England and Scotland, take to the field at nine beautiful locations in La Belle France to contest the eighth edition of the tournament first held in China in 1991. Women’s football has come a long way since FIFA lifted the ban in 1971 on ladies being allowed to play the beautiful game, the key to this progress being the success of the United States who have won the Cup three times and are current champions. America loves a winner as Donald keeps trumpeting and success in sport means sponsors come queuing and barrel loads of dollars come rolling in.

As an honours graduate of the Fred Flintstone Academy of Neanderthal Studies, I have always championed the role of women in sport - what more uplifting welcome could there be after completing an exhausting bogey-laden round of golf, with not a birdie in sight, than to be greeted at the 19th Hole by a smiling pretty barmaid, primed with TLC, eager to ease the pain and soothe your furrowed brow. Memories of the wonderful Lancashire hotpot, Jackie, my favourite serving wench of all time, provided, gratis, at the Red Cow after Sunday footy on Hackney Marshes, still ignite a warm glow many decades later.

Women are wonderful warm creatures, God’s gift to Man, but I have to confess to having some misgivings when it comes to the playing side of sport, with the honourable exception of beach volleyball of which I’m a huge fan, surely those lovely legs should not be asked to traverse a fullsized football pitch for 90 minutes, those beautiful heads, a lot of them blonde and already no doubt grappling with the complexities of the offside rules, should never be required to head the ball, why not be content with the cheerleading role at men’s matches where the little darlings add so much to the colour and spectacle of the event.

England vs Scotland, always a fixture guaranteed to get the tribal drums beating, takes place on June 9th and the Jockettes will be desperate to get something from the game if they are to advance to the KO stage, while the Red Roses under the guiding hand of Phil Neville looked destined for the semi-finals at least.

The starting date is almost here must give Barney Rubble a ring and arrange to hit the Rock Tavern and watch the girlies go for glory.

The USA,, Germany and England top the tournament betting as Paris readies itself for another Yankee invasion after last autumn’s Ryder Cup spectacular, ticket sales are booming - I was astonished to learn the record attendance for a women’s World Cup game was the final of 1999 in Pasadena, California, which America beat China on penalties in front of a jaw-dropping attendance of 90,185 a lot of them men, surely they can’t all have been doting dads!

Yabba dabba doo!

But enough of the negativity, the month-long extravaganza in which the 24 nations are divided into six groups of four with the top two in each along with the four top thirdplaced sides qualifying for the knockout last 16 stage, all the little women striving to reach the final in Lyon on July 7th. England, ranked third in the world, have been drawn in the same section as ‘auld enemy’ Scotland, ranked 20th, with Japan and Argentina completing the group.

WOMEN’S WORLD CUP STARTS: 7TH JUNE FINAL: 7TH JULY TV COVERAGE: BBC 28

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GOLF

NEWS

THE ACQUARIUS TRUST TROPHY The Med Golf Acquarius Trust Trophy was contested at La Cańada on Sunday 12th May 2019 in an individual Stableford format

Category 2 (handicaps 13 to 22): Alistair Knight was runner up with a score of 35 points and the winner was David Murphy with 36 points.

At 9am, the players set out in the usual reverse shot gun start to face a very brisk south-easterly breeze. While not causing too many problems on the more open front nine holes, the breeze became something of a challenge on the back nine where the trees are closer to the fairways, and sometimes on them. The greens were not easy to putt on and, together with the wind, helped to keep the scores down, but not in every case - read on!

Category 3 (handicap 23 and above): Category 3 runner up at the last event and taking the winners slot this time was Damian White with a score of 38 points. Gavin Grimes was the runner up with 32 points.

Nearest the pin winners were: David Murphy, Paul Nash, Nick Pyle, Sam Broderick and Mark Henderson. Richard Atkinson was nearest the pin in 2 on a par 4 having scored an Eagle (2 under par) with his second shot. Paul Nash was winner of nearest the pin in 3 on a par 5.

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.

Paul Miles of The Acquarius Trust was thanked for sponsoring the event and asked to present the prizes. The scorecard draw results were as follows: 1 litre bottle of Johnnie Walker red label whisky (courtesy of Saccone and Speed) was won by Joe Sanchez Green fee vouchers for two at La Cańada were won by Martyn Brown and Gavin Grimes.

The Champion of the day, winner of the Acquarius Trust Trophy and a 60€ Med Golf voucher was Peter Yeoman with a very fine score of 43 Stableford points off a handicap of 29. Category 3 Winner at the last event, Peter’s score this time was 5 shots better than his nearest rival and also won him the best senior prize The best gross score winner was Matthew Bruce-Smith with a score of 77. There were four best gross scores on the par 3s of 1 over par but the prize was won by Graeme Powrie by virtue of his higher handicap The longest drive was won by Edward Packard and the best pair was Damian White and Jasper Nielson with a combined score of 69 Stableford points.

OUR HANDICAP CATEGORY PRIZES WERE WON AS FOLLOWS: Category 1 (handicaps 0 to 12): The runner up was Chris Warren beating Kevin Jones on handicap both with a score of 35 points. The winner with 38 points was Robbie Jones.

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Menorca

A Mediterranean Island Idyll Jo Ward visited Menorca on a short break and was charmed by the small Balearic Island with links to Gibraltar.

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FEATURE earing a name relating to a comparison in size with its larger sister, Mallorca, ‘Insula Minor’ or Menorca as it translates from the Latin, is a gem in the Mediterranean that at the time of my visit, early April, was a tranquil haven that deserves to be kept secret.

Apart from the Catalan dialect that it shares with Mallorca and Ibiza, it is delightfully distinct in many other ways. The population of the island is around 95,000 people, a number which shrinks about two thirds in the low season, and with an area of 700 km , rounded by a coastline of 216 km, a distance from north to south of 47 km and from east to west of 17 km, it is renowned for its beautiful beaches.

There’s something about the pretty island that makes it feel as if it is from a time gone by, with its numerous dry stone walls encasing areas of lush green land as if in a tapestry, and its magnificent coastline featuring idyllic coves and bays with soft, white sand.

This was the Menorca of my youth, the place that I came to on holiday in the mid-60s and early 70s with my parents.

It’s not often that you visit somewhere after fifty years to find certain pockets that have remained unchanged and, more importantly, unspoilt by development, but walking through the pine forest to be greeted by the sight of the white sandy beach and the crystal clear aquamarine waters of the protected bay at Binibeca was a breathtaking experience.

A trip to the village of Es Castell, or Villacarlos as I knew it, was another walk down memory lane, especially when we meandered down towards the small harbour area of Cala Fonts where the old fishing warehouses are now bars and restaurants offering superb views out towards the bay.

In 1993 Menorca was declared a Unesco Biosphere Reserve. The central zone of this reserve is the island’s S’Albufera des Grau Natural Park, home to many species of birds, including five islands off the coast. Protected from development and a great source of national pride, it offers everything from turtles to wild olive trees and a selection of walking trails.

The British presence in Menorca, which lasted for nearly all of the eighteenth century in three consecutive phases lasting from 1708 to 1802, the year in which it was returned to the Spanish crown, left a lasting influence that can be found in many forms.

the sash windows that populate the facades of the town houses, a feature that can also be found in period houses in Gibraltar. Another distinctive feature are the green painted shutters that abound everywhere, so much so that we thought it must be law that they can only be painted in the dark verdant colour, but we couldn’t find anything to substantiate this.

At the western end of the island is the old town of Ciutadella. We stayed in one of the many burgeoning boutique hotels and wandered the narrow cobbled streets, stopping for coffee in plazas and taking in the Mediterranean-style architecture. The impressive Santa Maria Cathedral, built in the 13th century on the site of an old mosque, is a must-see.

Menorca has 12 Talayotic villages containing numerous megalithic monuments that I can only liken to Stonehenge, but a site well worth visiting from the more recent past is Lithica, the centuries old quarry on the outskirts of Ciutadella. Stopping at a viewpoint we gazed down onto a spectacular maze built at the bottom of the sandstone walls. The quarry workers turned part of the land into botanical gardens, and we were pleasantly surprised to find hidden areas, small pools and a beautiful herbal garden with walled protection from the elements, as well as an enchanting medieval garden.

The Harbour of Mahon is reputed to be the second largest natural harbour in the world and it is also attributed to being the place where mayonnaise originated, and although we didn’t try any mayonnaise, we did sample some of the local cheese.

Apparently the extensive use of dairy products such as butter and cheese in Menorcan cuisine owes much to the British occupation.

In his book, ‘Els ‘minorkeens’ de Gibraltar’, Catalan historian and journalist Marti Crespo traces western Mediterranean history during the 18th and 19th centuries and relates how hundreds of people from Menorca fled to Gibraltar and accounted for 6% of Gibraltar’s population during this time.

Menorca has a rich cultural heritage in terms of art and literature and a thriving community of ex-pats, mostly British, who enjoy the friendliness and tranquillity of the island. Talking to Alison who has lived on the island for twenty years, she explains why Menorca seems to have missed the trend in the 1970s for building eyesore tourist developments, unlike Mallorca and Ibiza. “Some believe t h a t it was because General Franco didn’t invest in the island as puni s h ment for supporting the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War,” she tells me.

Whatever the reason, Menorca has managed to retain the essence of yesteryear, avoiding the problems of overdevelopment and conserving its nature and identity whilst all around it have succumbed to investment in infrastructure that led to a boom in huge resorts and large hotels.

This understated island offers a combination of wild natural beauty, a rich environment with over one hundred beaches and a fascinating cultural heritage to explore. Don’t tell anyone!

Mahon (Maó) was established by the British as the capital of the island instead of Ciutadella. The aromatic gin of Mahon, a favourite tipple of the British sailors during the 18th century, is still produced in the traditional way. The legacy of colonial rule can be seen in

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THE ‘PING!’ AND ‘ZING!’ OF CONTEMPORARY ART VISUAL ARTS EXPRESS SOCIETY’S MAL DE VIVRE BETWEEN TECHNOLOGY AND POLLUTION OVERLOAD An aura of malaise and social activism permeated the Visual Arts Competitive Exhibition recently held at the Gustavo Bacarisa’s Gallery, turned into a platform for artists to exploit striking aesthetics to express their concerns on the idiosyncrasies of modern life.

In fact the overall winning entry, an installation by Oliver Canessa, highlighted the stillicide of electronic sounds that accompany our daily life and mar our subconscious, featured in the unsettling looped audio that amplified the ‘ambiguous and familiar at once’, and undoubtedly intrusive, soundtrack going on in our electronic devices.

Titled ‘Untitled’, the artwork is described as an ‘articulation of the semiotic power of brief high-pitched tones, their temporality, […] the muddle of guilt, alienation, […] and the power to erase others that the digital world offers’.

Oliver bagged a grand total of £4,000: the overall prize, plus £500 for best installation and an unrelated £500 for best sculpture for his ‘Study for Okay Better’, a gilded paper carrier bag with the wording ‘I am not well anymore’ in black-marker caps across the eye slit cut-outs on the front, and a list of prescription drugs on the back.

As usual, sculptures were entered sparingly, but those present were good quality in concept and technical realisation, with a triumph of wooden religiosity alongside plastic outcries in the name of the environment.

With the exception of a few exquisite photographs, the bulk of entries unsurprisingly were in the canvas painting medium: traditional landscapes, thought-provoking conceptuals or inyour-face abstracts – and anything in between.

No surprise in the winner either: Leslie Gaduzo did it again with his savvy blend of architectural background and shapely portraiture, as if it was seen through a rain-stained lens in his ‘Tirta Empul’, an ode to youthful grace and multi-perspective clean lines.

Shane Dalmedo scooped second prize with a composition in her characteristic quirky surreal style of a doll-like couple at a party: cone hats, finger food and the piano in the background cannot expunge the feeling of creepy loneliness this artwork exudes.

Michele Stagnetto won the best Gibraltar theme Alwani Foundation award with ‘Living in a construction site’, a reprise of her successful Summer Exhibition 2018 stunt, managing to raise expectations as much as eyebrows, with paintings that marry traditional drawing skills with col-

lage and contemporary layered textures.

Here, she captures the moment when a fierce-looking excavator rumbles by a typical Victorian arched portal and startles the young couple walking in.

Worked on a layer of old telephone directory snippets, the painting is small in size but mighty in message, with its sketched quality that reduces the characters in the play to blurs of colours, and makes old and quaint contrast with – and stand up to – the aggressive progress harbinger.

More on climate change and inconsiderate urbanisation came from Katrina Graffione’s ‘Modern Jungle’, an advert-like poster-styled painting in block colours to raise awareness on breathability on the Rock, while at the other end of the scale, Aaron Soleci waxed lyrical about bucolic life with his ‘Harvest Time’, a modern take on impressionistic subject matters.

Aaron was also highly commended for his ‘Candy Month’, a mosaic of characters patiently pieced together like a pastel-and-fluo version of a ‘Where’s Wally?’ cartoon.

The Photography Award went to Rina Devine for her ghostly ‘Descending’, an impression of a staircase, making the most of monochrome drama.

The Video Award went to Reuben Avellano for ‘At the Top of Fifteen Steps’ that surely attracted a lot of interest on opening night.

Julian Osborne was selected as best young artist and scooped the £1000 Sovereign Art Foundation Award with ‘Movements 2’.

Highly commended certificates went to Paul Cosquieri for ‘Walking the Ceiling’, a double whammy for Vera Francis with ‘Smiley’ and ‘Further down the Spiral’, Zoe Bishop for ‘Danced’, Sarah Linares for ‘Red’, Alan Perez for ‘The Past is Present’, and Mark Montovio for ‘Apostle VII’.

The exhibition attracted 120 entries, dwindling from previous editions, accomplice perhaps the £10 fee levied on each piece submitted, and it was adjudicated by Venezuelan artist Gabriela Fernandez, a well-known paintbrush on the local scene for her magical landscapes produced with an abundance of bright and jewel colours rippled and pooled over large canvases, glossed over and lacquered in resin. She uses driftwood for her sculpture, because it bears in it the many transformations of nature, as it has been fashioned by wind, water, brine and sand before being manipulated by the artist.

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LOOKING FOR A

JOB?

I CLEARLY RECALL THE 50S AND 60S ON THE ROCK WHEN ALL THE CAFES, BARS AND OTHER DRINKING ESTABLISHMENTS WERE STAFFED BY SPANISH MEN FROM LA LINEA AND FURTHER AFIELD. THESE DAYS EUROPEANS FROM EAST TO WEST ARE IN THE MAJORITY MANNING THE PUMPS AND COFFEE MACHINES! There’s no shortage of eateries and drinking establishments these days compared to those early days when hotels, pretty much, were the only places you could get a meal. So today, jobs are a-plenty in that particular hospitality industry... if you want one, that is! Amongst those hard working employees from all over the continent pouring your favourite drink and waiting on tables, how many are Gibraltarian? You would probably have a problem counting them on one hand... five, six, with difficulty, seven or eight maybe? Not easy to find yes, but apparently there are some. “I think I can count

a few, but I agree there aren’t many,” one such rare individual declares. David Clarke has been serving customers – locals and from abroad very happily, in a number of bars and restaurants on the Rock and yes, he is one of that rare species of locals working in the service or hospitality trade. The issue with David is, that he’s not just biding his time until something better or, as some might say, a `proper job’ comes along, no, he’s in it because he enjoys it, takes it seriously and has no plans to move onto something else. “For a start, it IS a `proper job,’ nothing to be embarrassed about. It’s not degrad-

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ing, as some may think, it can be very enjoyable, meeting people from all over the world.” David stresses how important it is to serve with a friendly smile, be chatty, whilst not overdoing it. “Of course, all of that breaks the ice,” David says, “always with genuine, pleasant interaction to follow between you and the clients, whilst at the same time helping to improve your understanding of people from so many different countries.” I would also think it can’t do any harm when receiving tips, if the customer’s experience has been enhanced by the pleasant ambience whilst they’re enjoying their drink or meal.

David, now working at Jury’s in Main Street, has worked in a number of restaurants and cafeterias on the Rock so he’s no newcomer to the trade. First job was at Bianca’s (on a learning curve and not very good at it), Charlie’s Restaurant, Cable Car Restaurant, Costa Coffee - as a trainee manager whilst on the job – and now Jury’s. He also did a stint in the Leisure Centre’s Kids’ Club, again interacting with people, which is what he’s good at. “I think a very important aspect of the job is being comfortable with your colleagues at work and having a good rapport,” David highlights, “in other places I’ve worked in, fellow employees have been a bit rude and not had a

good enough command of English, which is very frustrating and giving a bad impression of British Gibraltar!”

Outside the catering business, David Clarke’s dad has a bicycle shop in town and whilst helping out for a while he decided it wasn’t for him, neither was he attracted to the idea of sitting behind a desk in an office and so he went for the hospitality trade instead. 30 year old Dave has other interests besides serving and chatting to the many cruise passengers and cross frontier tourists visiting the Rock, as well as the many locals who make good use of Jury’s and other water holes and eateries here. Whilst working at Bianca’s he made friends with some like minded folk who were into snow and skate boarding as he was, so an adventure coaching those sports was offered. “Yes and where better than Austria to spend six years instructing enthusiasts snowboarding, and getting paid for it too!”

So snowboarding, skateboarding, watching the Disney

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Channel learning German and becoming fluent at it, is how he filled that period in his life! “That’s right, German is a difficult language to learn but somehow watching the kids’ programmes made it easier to pick up and now it’s put to good use at work with the many German visitors we have at Jury’s, and I engage with another staff member, Mergan, who also speaks German.” But there’s more!

We also have, `David the bass player of a Reggae and Ska group’ and he’s also dabbled in TV presenting. Whatever he’s doing, at work or at play, David considers himself to be, a `people person’ wanting to please and make you happy ensuring you experience a good time, especially at work. He could’ve chosen the IT or Art route as a career which is what he studied at college, but the `people thing’ is where he’s ended up and where he would like to continue: first to management maybe and ultimately he’d like to start his own catering business selling, `fast food of the healthy kind’ he tells me.

In summary, it can be understandable I suppose why not many of us have been keen to work in bars and restaurants or even take on hotel work. It’s true there have been a few. I can think of three local chefs and a handful of individuals as servers in jobs now, or in the past. Taking on a job in the service industry for locals is not unlike working in shops. There are more locals choosing to take on work as shop assistants but not that many either, especially these days. As far as youngsters are concerned it doesn’t suit them, in the main, to take on jobs that are not, `9 to 5 Monday to Friday with no weekends.’ I’ve often said it’s in our psyche, mindset, even our sub-conscious, label it whichever way you like. In the past it was the Civil Service or clerical in the MOD, Barclays Bank, Blands or similar for white collars and the Dockyard and City Council for the blue collar workers. That was it, and I think that’s permeated down through the generations making the service industry as in bar work and waiting on tables - except for some university students for a while, to boost their pocket money - a No No! Not forgetting also, because we live in a very close knit community, it boils down to, “Que veruenza, it’s demeaning and embarrassing,” however unjustifiable and groundless those perceptions are.

Well bars, restaurants and hotels are on the up on the Rock so let’s continue to welcome staff from Eastern and Western Europe as well as those from other countries, whilst not forgetting our ever faithful Spanish friends from the hinterland, who `way back when’ got the ball rolling... serving us all!

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IN-DEPTH WITH THE

HARE KRISHNAS You will have seen them over the years, in cities all over the world and also in Gibraltar, dancing, singing and chanting in their saffron coloured robes, preaching, asking for donations and selling their books.

Jo Ward gains an insight into the spiritual organisation and finds out more behind the scenes at the B.L.I.S.S. (The Bhaktivedanta Lives in Sound Society) Temple in Fuengirola.

Makhancora Dasa is originally from Slovakia, his birth name was Milosh but he explains to me that when he took initiation and surrendered to the spiritual master His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, his name was changed to a spiritual name. “Dasa means servant and the name is either one of Krishna’s names or the name of one of Krishna’s exceptional servants - so we always identify ourselves as servants of Krishna and his devotees,” Makhancora Dasa says.

to Slovak whilst still working at the hospital, but he was already practising Krishna consciousness. “I would dress normally, and although I shaved my head I didn’t keep the Sikha, the tuft of hair at the back of the head,” he says. “That is the profoundness of this Krishna consciousness - or of spiritual life in general - that you don’t have to give up what you are doing. You can still have your job and family, but the consciousness has to change, and it made me work with a purpose.”

With its roots in millennia-old Vedic tradition, the Hare Krishna movement worships Krishna as the Supreme Deity and teaches that we are part of a universal consciousness. Devotees of Krishna believe in reincarnation and that salvation comes through Krishna consciousness.

Sitting in the clam and peaceful environment of the main room of the Temple, a villa high up in the hills above the bustle of Fuengirola town, surrounded by picture of Deities and with the sweet smell of incense, Makhancora Dasa explains how he first read some of the Bhagavad-gita, the 700-verse Sanskrit scripture that is part of the Vedic epic Mahabharata, when he was 14, but he says that it wasn’t until after he left university and went to work as a Psychologist in the Psychiatry Department of a hospital that he started to read the scriptures again. “I was 25 at the time,” he tells me, “and I was looking for something else in my life and it suddenly made sense and I found a new direction.”

Interested to know whether it should be called a faith or religion, Makhancora Dasa comments that it is a spiritual culture.

“Our spiritual master explains it very nicely. There is a word in Sanskrit - the Dharma - that is translated into English as religion which is explained in the dictionary as a kind of faith - but Prabhupada says this is wrong, because your faith may change.”

He continues to state that regardless of the rituals and the apparel, Dharma, which means occupation or essence, is something that can’t be separated from the object. “Sugar is sweet but you can’t separate sweetness from sugar, so to be sweet is the Dharma of sugar.” Makhancora tells me that devotees of Krishna also say that regardless of one´s religious path, may it be Christian, Muslim or anything else; one should ultimately come to the platform of love of God, which is the Dharma of every living entity.

Makhancora goes on to say that he began translating the books

One of the core Hare Krishna beliefs is that we are not bodies

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but eternal spirit souls. “The afterlife and reincarnation are both facts,” Makhancora Dasa says. “When your body is finished in this life, then you enter into another body, just as you have done millions of times already.” This is according to the Bhagavad-gita, which says that whatever a person thinks about at the time of death determines what sort of body he or she will take in the next life.

We are joined by Purujit, the Ritvik (Head Priest) of the B.L.I.S.S. “I give the names to the devotees on behalf of our spiritual master,” he says.

“We throw different sesame seeds into a fire at the fire sacrifice. Just like the Christians have baptism this is the same thing - they do it with water but we do it with fire - you make a form of commitment with the representative of God.” Purujit, formerly known as Michael, was also originally from Slovakia but grew up in Canada where he was a musician and a student of film. When his father, a philosopher, gave him the Bhagavad-gita to read “it immediately made complete sense, and I could see that the level of complexity and transcendence was much higher compared to other philosophies, but my path towards Krishna consciousness was not some kind of instant enlightenment, it was a process and it is still a process of testing the philosophy.”

Purujit is clear that it was not a question of choice on his part, just a question of natural progress that from the very beginning he wanted to share by preaching to people. “If you experience something nice, just like going to a nice restaurant, you want to share it, but it is natural that people are afraid of the unknown, so we present them with something that we have experienced as a wonderful lifestyle in such a way that they don’t feel intimidated.”

Often leading the classes on the scriptures, Purujit reads from the Sanskrit and then translates it with the group, word by word, into English.

He imparts his knowledge to us: “Krishna is the reservoir of all pleasure - the word Krishna means the source of pleasure – so people think God is the punisher, the judge, the creator, and he is that, but he is also the enjoyer and that has not been revealed in the western world.”

Continuing, Purujit says that Srila Prabhupada, the last spiritual master of the ‘Krsna’ conscious disciplic succession, has brought this Vedic knowledge to us. “If we participate in Krishna´s enjoyment, we also enjoy, because we are eternally His tiny part and parcels and this is the sum and substance of our movement.”

Devotees engage in transcendental devotional activities because they desire elevation to spiritual consciousness. “We take information from the scripture, given by Krishna, and the premise is that God is perfect so then his word is also perfect. That is the real science and so if we accept perfect information from a perfect authority there is no question of mistake.” Purujit adds: “Krishna says according to your desire you take your next birth, meaning that whatever desire you develop in this life is the sort of body you will have in your next life.”

It is made very clear to me that unlike some religions or sects that encourage people to join the spiritual consciousness, a person has to develop the desire of their own free will. “You can help someone to develop his desire, but that desire has to be there already, and then we can facilitate that willingness to come to God.” There is a small community of nine devotees living in the Fuengirola B.L.I.S.S. temple, two couples, one about to get married and another with a young child. The daily rituals start very early in the morning, at a time that is said to be the most auspicious time of day for spiritual practices. “We rise before 4 am and then take a shower,” Makhancora Dasa states, “and then at 5 am we start with worship and meditation in the Temple room - chanting the Hare Krishna mantra softly to ourselves on the beads, this is called japa.” He tells us that the devotees chant at least sixteen rounds and this takes around 2 hours, and then they worship the spiritual master before having a class on the scripture leading up to a light breakfast around 10 am.

The other devotees arrive in the Temple room and Purujit blows a conch shell to sound the start of a ceremony. As the altar curtain is opened we are invited to join in with some chanting and dancing. Firstly, they fall to their knees, prostrating themselves on the floor in front of the three Deities as an offering to their spiritual master. On rising Makhancora Dasa takes the microphone and begins to sing, whilst others play instruments, beat the tempo out on a hand drum and chime small hand cymbals together.

chanting and movement. It is a form of mindfulness where the worries of the world are lessened and happiness prevails through the sound of the voices in unison.

There are plans to move the Temple to Malaga, to find somewhere with more space. “The supreme vision is to have a Temple in a big city where devotees can develop a devotional lifestyle. There could be a restaurant where devotees who are householders, who are married and have

kids, can work to earn money to support their family.”

Ideally they would like to have a farm with vegetable and fruit orchards, so those devotees who are not into studying and learning and preaching, could till the ground or milk the cows.

Hare Krishna is sometimes called the kitchen religion and devotees of Krishna are automatically vegetarian. Makhancora Dasa explains: “Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita ‘whoever offers me with love and devotion, fruit, leaf, flower or water I shall accept’, so because Krishna wants nice vegetables and fruits we offer that. It is Ayurvedic cuisine where we cook simple vegetarian food.” Interestingly, devotees don’t eat onions or garlic as they are considered to drag the consciousness down. Traditionally, the most important part of any village in India is the protection of cows because the cow is considered one of our mothers, as she gives us her milk and nurtures our health and wellbeing.

“It would be good if we had a cow so that we can make milk and cheese, but unfortunately we don’t so we have to buy it.”

Interested to know how they exist without working, and whether they get by just from donations, the answer I am given is that ultimately Krishna supplies His devotees. “Money was basically gold, before it changed to paper money, and gold is not manufactured by people, it is manufactured by God,” Purujit explains. “We work with money that has been stolen from Krishna in the beginning - so we just utilise that money for the glorification of Krishna and in this way we are taking it back and reclaiming it.”

Festivals and feasts are an integral part of the Temple and Sunday is when people are invited along to participate in the ritual; chanting, dancing and sharing food. “When there is a festival we really put a big effort in and sometimes we have up to thirty people coming along to join us.” Hare Krishnas believe they are cooking for the pleasure of God and never sample the food they are cooking, since it must be offered to Krishna first.

As we take our leave from the B.L.I.S.S. Temple, we are given a gift of sweets and sent on our way with a Namaste farewell, the devotees bowing their heads slightly with the palms of their hands pressed together. Look out for Makhancora Dasa and his fellow Hare Krishnas “Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, wandering along Main Street when you are in town. Always smiling, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.” with a gentle disposition, he is pleased to talk to people. “I distribute We move from foot to foot, swaying and chanting the maha-mantra in books so that people can read them and understand what it is we are front of Lord Jagannath - the Lord of the Universe – a rather peculiar preaching,” he says. “Ultimately, if someone is ready the books will form of Krishna with a round black smiling face and big eyes. There resonate with them and they will contact us. There is no pressure at is a definite feel good element to immersing ourselves into this ritual GIBRALTARINSIGHT.COM JUNE all,” 2019he says.

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FEATURE

THE DEVELOPMENT OF

HUMPHRIES BUILDINGS As we are all too well aware, all the women, children and elderly inhabitants of Gibraltar, were evacuated at the beginning of the Second World War to make room for the troops. Children left Gibraltar, some fourteen or fifteen years old and returned four or five years later married men and women with children of their own.

Many of the houses on the Rock had been left abandoned or made uninhabitable by troops that were billeted in them. Consequently there was a chronic shortage of housing. To make matters worse, many Gibraltarians that were evacuated, had lived in Spain but were prevented returning there by the Spanish Authorities. The Colonial Government refused to repatriate anyone who did not have accommodation. This caused an uproar among those left in camps in Northern Ireland.

In 1947, the Government looked around to see where they could build high density blocks of flats to alleviate the situation. Many sites were surveyed and preliminary drawings made but discounted due to their steepness, difficulty of construction and cost. It should be remembered that the technology in use today did not exist. Finally it was decided to build three blocks of flats in the upper Alameda Gardens but strong public anger made the authorities rethink their plans. Ultimately it was decided to build four hundred and seventy three flats in seven blocks, along Kingsway, which was a promenade parallel with Rosia Road, which, prior to the war had a band stand in which the military bands used to play on a summer afternoon and during the war was used as the parking area for the Sherman tanks.

The buildings would also extend beyond the North and South Victoria Battery and across Governor’s Meadow / Red Sands, the area used by successive Governors to keep their cattle. This latter area was one of the few places on the Rock where grass grew and was the result of a layer of clay having been laid below the surface to act as a catchment for rain water.

The building site posed some serious problems as water from the upper rock passed beneath the sand bed which had been the reason the site had not been developed before. In order to combat this problem, expensive foundations had to be designed.

The Grand Parade however was an ideal site to store all the material and office accommodation required for the construction. There were three types of buildings planned, designated A1 to A5, M and L. The “A” blocks were identical in as far as was possi-

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Kingsway before the war

Governor’s Meadow

ble, with sixty flats in each. Blocks L and M had no internal patio and the flats were slightly larger in area. All the blocks would be connected along the seaward side by a terrace under which would be a water tank with a capacity of 200,000 gallons of rain water which would be collected from the roofs. It was estimated that 2,500 people could be accommodated by the blocks. Provision was also made for a few shops.

The contract was given to Humphries Ltd of Knightsbridge at the end of 1946. Seven prefabricated bungalows were also constructed for the families of the senior executives. The site was handed over to the contractors on December 1st 1946.

A 2 inch carpet of weak binding was laid followed by a 9” layer of concrete across the whole of Governor’s Meadow in order to get a firm foundation for the buildings.

Unfortunately, the seventy five year old Victoria Battery, which once boasted one of the two 100 ton Guns, was in the way and it was not until July 1947 that they managed to clear this tough emplacement.

with the English foremen as to the method of laying the roof tiles but in the long run the Gibraltarian method was accepted.

Difficulties arose with Alameda House as there was a depth of good firm soil so the foundations had to be redesigned which caused a delay.

To ensure that the fittings of each room would be as designed, the contractors arranged for a prototype flat to be built in the UK so that everything could be tested out before the building was ready as most of the fittings were prefabricated.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT We have been fortunate to have been donated a collection of photographs and articles on the building of this estate from the clearing of the site to its completion. This collection will be kept in our archives and is available to anyone wishing to research the subject.

The Society takes this opportunity of thanking John Harmer for his generosity.

Work was slow as the complicated placing of steel reinforcing bars in the foundations was new to the Spanish work force. Further delays to the steel framing were caused by the very cold weather in the UK in 1947, the fuel crisis and shipping problems.

The steel framework of the first block was not begun until mid September. Once the workers got the hang of the steelwork, it only took two months to erect the frame of each block.

It was thought that craftsmen could be brought in from as far away as Madrid but the Spanish Authorities refused to allow this as they were worried that there was already a shortage of housing in La Linea and it could not take the influx of more people with their families, so it meant that the unskilled workers in La Linea had to be trained.

Masons and bricklayers were brought from England and accommodated on site. There was also 26 plasterers, and 26 masons from Italy, the latter were found to be better tilers than plasterers. Sand was obtained from a recent landslide on the East Side as well as from Spain where a great deal of the other material was also sourced, including floor tiles, terra cotta partition blocks and roofing tiles. Some timbers and doors came from Sweden and all electrical equipment from Troughton and Young in the UK. Some difference of opinion arose

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Article supplied by History Society Gibraltar.

Email: historysocietygibraltar@hotmail.com

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Construction site

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AN ALBUM OF

’Quivering Poets’ Local poet Gabriel Moreno has a bunch of newly written songs and his band ‘The Quivering Poets’ now have fifteen to choose from. “We shall probably keep and record a dozen, from that only ten will make the final cut. We’ve been playing several of these new songs over the last year, songs like ‘Silly Old Dreams,’ ‘Lena Kalinka’ (their new single from the EP- a current Video worth checking out) ‘Overstay your welcome’ and ‘Jack Gilbert’ will also be included in the album, so our idea is to arrange and produce six more.” The new album (their third), will be funded

by Amber Records and released in vinyl, a first for ‘The Quivering Poets’.

The band have been touring extensively and gigging the London poetry circuit where they hone their live shows to a growing fan base. “Gigging is the engine for our musical output. The songs have taken on new lives through the performances and we have consolidated our sound and direction. Money-wise we earn enough to survive and keep performing all over Europe.”

I wondered whether this charismatic and consummate Poet and showman has taken stock of where he and the QPs are in the London pecking order, which translates into how high up the food chain in public awareness.

“I feel I have consolidated an audience in the underground music and poetry scene in London. I have regular supporters and new audiences. In terms of the music business and the literary world, I feel I am still in the shadows and just starting to emerge, but with the knowledge and confidence of knowing who I am and what I want, which will obviously change and mutate, but which gives me confidence and hope in reaching even more challenging heights. I believe that an artist cannot be judged by his impact on the

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mainstream, if he is to have any form of artistic credibility, it must come from his work. In this aspect I feel that slowly but surely we’re getting the validation I dreamt of.”

The poet is a family man and the breadwinner for his wife and young son which begs the question of how much unconditional support can Gabriel tap into when the going gets tough. “Bex is the most supportive being in the planet. She has always given me confidence and freedom and has actually participated with her vocals in the last two recordings. She is confident that ‘The Quivering Poets’, in whatever format, shall endure in the years to come. I am so lucky to have her join me, together with our son Angelo, in this upstream journey of our artistic survival.”

Gabriel Moreno has already published more than ten books, five in Spanish, one bilingual and the rest in English, which makes him a fairly prolific author at least, so are there any new books in the pipeline we wondered?

“I’m writing a book of anti-self-help poems! An alternative to the style of Paolo Coelho new age self-help cheap literature. I have more than twenty finished and intend to publish them in a book to be called either ‘The Book of Derail,’ or ‘Poems against self-help.’ I’m not sure yet. But already I’ve had one of the poems published in ‘ACUMEN’, one of the longest-running literary journals in the UK.” Moreno’s thoughts are never very far from his Mediterranean roots and regularly over the last few years he has managed visits and gigs here which are always a treat and come highly recommended from me, so I offered him the prompt.

“We really hope to have the opportunity to return with ‘The Quivering Poets’ and quiver a little in this wonderful place. I will definitely be back for my granny’s 100th birthday in August and hopefully also in September for National Day.” Hoping to extract some deep philosophical assessment of his career so far, my book of quotes ready to record, we set about winding up our extended chat and sure enough the words came soon and eruditely of course. “I’m thrilled to have been able to stamp my vision of the world on the canvas of music and poetry during the last twenty years. I am incredibly proud of the publications in Spain

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and the UK and also the two albums and EP which we have recorded with Amber Records. Most of all I am grateful to have been able to share poetry and music with artists and audience members who have given me the strength and the necessary validation to continue in this journey”.

I persist on the quest for words so I pulled the trigger on; will you ultimately achieve your dream of survival through Art? “Of course, I feel this is only the beginning and I want to reach more like-minded people with sensitive souls; however it feels like it’s always the beginning and always the end. There is always more to learn and develop and there’s always the chance of transmitting emotions and ideas which is the END of art itself: communication, resonance, transference and transcending everyday reality.

I think this project that we call ‘The Quivering Poets’ is more about a lifestyle and ideas than about music itself, so I would not be surprised if the music industry ignored us for the rest of our lives. Saying that, I would equally expect us to find a niche of people, venues and avenues that want and need what we have on offer. We are already applying to some beautiful summer festivals and I think we will get many more important opportunities in the future.

We already have management in Spain and a UK producer who is helping us achieve our immediate aims of playing bigger and better venues. Bigger audiences and better equipment all add to better reactions and atmosphere. I will qualify that we can’t expect anything more than what we have had so far because it has been truly magical.”

“The Quivering Poets are open to everything but we’re also aware that in the smaller and intimate nights, our artistic expectations have been satisfied and we have found our cup of plenitude. We always want more of it but remain respectful of our journey and its limitations. Whatever happens we’re really enjoying the ride. We are also changing as a band, we have new collaborators on cello, trumpet and electric bass but the essence of the band remains the same - quality songs and playing them with the insides of our guts.”

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MAKING IT IN THE STATES and coming home soon Simon Dumas is the talented local heartthrob and former lead singer of sibling band ‘Frontiers.’ He had a dream that he wanted to take his music career further afield than the usual UK musical aspirations that are nurtured here. Last year he went to America to chase his dream and got to join ‘King Calaway’ a new red hot six piece Country band that are ‘destined’ for big things.

In a typically fast moving musical career world I wondered just how much time the KC guys have given themselves to achieve their musical objectives. What is their game plan? “We want to perform as much as possible and keep promoting and pushing our first single ‘World for Two.’ We would love for that song to move further up the Country charts where so far it has peaked at 43.” That’s no mean feat for a new band.

His journey so far is firmly rooted in this new band who are determined in making their mark as the ‘privileged new kids on the block’ who are rightly winning over their own piece of turf proving that they can cut it in the studio, on the live stage and also unplugged on the Radio stations.

Gigging and conquering new audiences generally has been good for them but having played at the ‘Grand Ole Opry’ the hallowed ground of Country music, with another gig there promised soon, I wanted to know how they were gearing up for the second bite at the big Country apple. “We just work diligently and really love what we do. Perhaps in that order! We want to go out and please crowds but also ourselves. We really get excited for any of our performances but the ‘Opry’ is definitely a special show because of the history surrounding it.”

“We came together through mutual connections. All six of us dreamed of moving to Nashville and fortunately the stars aligned for us and we made it there. After meeting and getting to know each other’s strengths the ‘King Calaway’ sound really came together so organically. We just got everyone singing, threw in electric guitars, acoustic guitars, real drums, real voices and uplifting songs into a big mixing pot and this is what we came out with.” From their first EP, their single ‘World for Two’ has had over 1.6 million hits on Spotify and rising. It’s also climbed higher than 50 in the US Country Charts.

“Up to now most people love what we do and we hope that will continue into the future. Recording the EP was an incredible experience. We recorded everything ‘live’ and our policy was that if we can’t perform it ‘live’ it wasn’t going on the EP! We wanted to break away from the way modern music often requires backing tracks and laptops on stage. We have also recorded a full album which will be released later in the year, probably some time after summer.”

Recently King Calaway supported Country legend Garth Brooks in a major concert so I asked them how did he relate to KC in the Minneapolis show and also who else have they got on board rooting for their continued progress up the success ladder, adding that it’s alright to be ‘chosen’ but you have to prove yourselves all the time right?

“It was really important for us to go out and show that audience (who paid to see the legend Garth Brooks) that ‘King Calaway’ were deserving of our opening slot and we didn’t waste the opportunity. The crowd loved us and I’m sure that’s in part down to the fact that Garth himself introduced us on stage. It was the first time he has ever done that for an opening act, and that huge endorsement has gone a long way for us already!”

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That to me seems like a very modest reply because in his intro, which I have heard online, Garth Brooks said that ‘he had watched these guys rehearse for four days’ whether that was the case or not, a legend doesn’t stick his neck out to endorse an opening act unless he likes them a lot. With that priceless introduction alone Brooks was telling everyone that he was backing the six right horses in ‘King Calaway’ when he commended them to his audience. The boys rose to the occasion and won them over. Follow them on Facebook and see.

Nowadays not only do you have to be consummate musicians but also write your own material to stand any chance of making real headway and even that is not always a given, good fortune and the right push also helps but original songs are key.

The dream of playing at home came true for Simon Dumas as on the 13th May the band were confirmed to be playing on the ‘Gibraltar Calling’ music festival. We got Simon’s reaction immediately “Yep, We’re absolutely over the moon with the Gibraltar show announcement. It’ll be a special homecoming for me after so many months away from home, but I know I can count on all my friends to come out and support us, I hope to make them proud with ‘King Calaway’s’ debut Gibraltar show.

Insight magazine will be there to tell our readers all about it of course.

“Songwriting continues to be at the heart of everything that I do. I’m finding myself in the same room with incredible writers in Nashville and along with my band mates we all really look forward to performing these new songs soon”.

I would call that living the dream and definitely trying to ‘make it in the States’.

If the band were to break the US Country market in a big way would Europe be a realistic target with a ‘Country’ label tagged on them? I wondered whether ultimately there would be a realistic chance of seeing Simon’s band here on our shores.

Wouldn’t that be something?

“Europe is certainly a target - especially for me as I’m dying for an excuse to spend some time in not so foreign lands! A Gibraltar gig would really be a dream come true for me.” I asked Simon to rope in some of his band mates and get them to give their views for their prospects in the months ahead... gelling musically and personally with a bunch of talented and aspiring achievers is never going to be easy but the magic that can happen has to be worth it.

Guitarist Caleb Miller: “We’re really excited to see where this will be in a year’s time. For now I’m just enjoying myself and hoping to get better at it every single day.”

Drummer Chris Deatton: “It’s so cool being in this band, all of us have such interesting backgrounds and so many stories to tell that when we put all that into a song or into a performance on stage it’s really special.”

If further confirmation were needed, that last statement tells me that the band chemistry is ‘happening’ and that is the biggest indicator that these guys are going to go places. We all eagerly await the next accomplishment from this bunch of ‘Kings’ who from what I have seen and heard so far should be crowned with the success they have dreamt about for years, sooner rather than later. We send them our best wishes from the Rock.

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This Month’s Featured Dog:

ROGER Our cute little Roger is only 8 months old and is a Podenco Maneto mix. He was abandoned at the shelter as a young puppy.

He has such a sweet, loving nature and he just loves cuddles and attention! He is great with other dogs and cats too.

To adopt Roger or one of the many dogs awaiting their forever home: https://www.ainf.gi Facebook: Animals In Need Foundation (Adopt a Rescue Dog Gibraltar) If you would like to make a donation to our society, please see info below:

FUN IN THE SUN The Med Steps Family Fun Day, organized by Image Graphics and MBS, was held on Sunday 19th of May at Jews Gate in aid of the Cancer Relief Centre. There were stalls, food and music and a passport for the families that chose to do the Med Steps.

Each child had to get a stamp from several points and they were surprised by some super heroes hiding on the way.

This family day was an excellent complement to the already successful Med Steps 5 Challenge which is held every year. Now there is a chance for families to take part and help raise money for a good cause. The amount that was raised over the weekend will be announced in June as donations are still coming in.

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GASTRIC TORSION/DILATATION IN DOGS;

A REAL EMERGENCY Article by Mark Pizarro

Gastric dilation/torsion in dogs is a fatal condition resulting in relatively rapid death if not recognised , diagnosed and treated aggressively. Today I will go through the cause, treatment and symptoms of this potentially life threatening illness, if one person reads this article and it saves one dog’s life then it will be worth it.

G

astric torsion/volvulus and dilatation is seen primarily in large deep chested breeds, e.g setters, retrievers, German Shepherds. Most commonly it occurs when such a breed exercises after eating, the stomach in deep chested breeds ‘hangs’ in the abdomen, so sometimes when weighed down with food there is a pendulum effect, enough to turn the stomach and therefore blocking the entry(oesophagus) and exit(pylorus). When this happens the problem escalates rapidly, the digestion process occurring in the stomach leads to a rapid built up of gas, this in turn causes pressure on the major blood vessels with a decrease in blood pressure and decreased perfusion of the liver, often circulation to the spleen is cut off too.

Although seen mostly in larger deep chested breeds it is not exclusive to this size range, personally I have seen it afflict a large variety of breeds over the years, from as small as a Chihuahua. In other breeds the cause is often a dilatation as opposed to torsion, this is caused by a rapid built up of gas, often as a result of gut motility disorders with the same end result of blocking the entrance and exit to the stomach.

In summary the dog gets sick and very quickly, if the condition is not treated promptly death ensues quite rapidly. It is not one of those cases that you leave until the morning to see if the problem resolves.

Treatment involves aggressive fluid therapy and gastric decompression. Gastric decompression can sometimes be done with sedation and with a gastric tube; however surgery is essential in GIBRALTARINSIGHT.COM

the majority of cases. The stomach is emptied, lavaged and accessed in case there are any areas of necrosis, after this the stomach wall is sutured to the abdominal wall to prevent any further rotation and recurrence of the condition. In some cases a splenectomy is required due to irreversible damage to the spleen as a result of its blood supply having been cut off. The successful treatment of this condition depends very much on how soon the condition is diagnosed and the experience and skill of the veterinary surgeon.

I will now go over the main presenting signs of a classical torsion/ dilatation: 1. Acute discomfort after eating, pacing, restless, agitated 2. Abdominal distension, generally seen more prevalently over left hand side of abdomen.

3. Retching and trying to vomit, bringing up white frothy saliva 4. Excess salivation, typically the dog is foaming at the mouth, dripping saliva.

5. An inability to drink, regurgitates any fluid taken immediately, all frothy as mixed with saliva.

In summary, if you have a large deep chested dog then the risk is greater, so try and avoid postprandial exercise, but most of all if you are worried that your dog is suffering from this condition then contact your veterinary surgeon. It is always better to get your pet checked if you suspect your pet has a torsion, even if turns out to be a false alarm, I have known clients to have found their dogs dead in the morning.

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ENJOYING CULTURE WITH A VIEW For a city our size, we’re not short of art galleries around town...but none with refreshingly, breathtaking views of two continents which arouse the artistic soul!

Situated on the Rock’s southernmost tip, Bistro Point is the latest venue tempting creative minds to be greatly inspired! Exhibiting your original ideas to an audience of restaurant patrons - whether eating or drinking or those visiting - the latest `arts gallery’ in a bright and spacious venue is a truly impressive experience. Surrounded by clear glass walls offering those `portrait views’ of the bay and beyond is a spectacle worth checking out.

Events’ Organiser, Michele Miliacco, who has worked with Gibraltar Productions, came together with Bistro Point Manager, Federico Giorgi to set up the project and invited the `new arts gallery’ first artist, Mario Cesar, who’s from Cadiz. Mario’s colourful exhibits are well displayed around the venue which he describes as works as, `figurative humour’ as per his painting of `Perro Bodeguero’ and the diving fishing bird whose feeling lazy and decided to catch his dinner by casting a line dangling from his beak...! Mario says, “I think I would describe myself as, Artista Plastico.” Meaning, he feels expressive, descriptive and comfortable being creative tackling a wide range of concepts which he calls, `plastic arts...’ “I’m constantly looking for inspiration and as Picasso would say, `inspiration is working.’ I’m very into sculpting and have exhibited in many places like Soto Grande, Seville, Madrid, Brussels, France and other places.” Mario showed me some of his sculptured work which was very impressive, one was a statuette, being presented by Spanish actor Antonio Banderas at an award ceremony. A pity we didn’t have a, `Mario the Sculptor’ exhibit here at Bistro Point...

This was a first for the makings of a great new, `Bistro Point Art Gallery.’ Works to get the Stadium ready next door, for the impending Small Island Games perhaps don’t encourage visitors to the area with all the noise, dust and general disruption, but all of the works should be over in a few weeks time ready for the next art exhibition at this fabulous location... Organiser Michele says the plan for now is to keep the exhibition on for a month exhibiting just one artist at a time, but there are about 40 or 45 artists to choose from willing to exhibit at Bistro Point... “Yes, we’re open to culture from everywhere, including Gibraltarian artists also, of course.” Keeping to the `world theme’ promoted by Gibraltar Productions, Events’ Organiser Michele, has been involved in the World Music and Street Party productions, working on the Rock for the past seven years... “I really feel this is a perfect place for artists to show their work, it’s inspiring.

The views raise your spirits and being a restaurant, I think it’s a great idea to merge the creative talents of a chef producing dishes customers will enjoy whilst enjoying the works on show, coupled with incredible views.

The new venue’s first exhibition was a start, to get the ball rolling. Now, Gibraltar Cultural Services (GCS) needs to come on board and help with a little promotion perhaps... Summer is here, artists are everywhere and Bistro Point is a great place to exhibit your creative inspirations!

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ON THE SPOT

CATHERINE CRUMP CHIROPRACTIC CLINIC GIBRALTAR Where did you first start your employment?

“My first work after graduating from a Hotel management and Tourism degree was at Charles de Gaulle Paris airport as a customer service agent for Delta Airlines. I have worked 6 years for the airline industry at the time I met my husband. It was great. we did a lot of travelling as I benefited from free air tickets allowance.“ How would you describe yourself?

“Loyal, reliable and helpful.”

Which person has been the biggest influence in your life?

“Tony Robbins. Keep me strong.”

with his family in August and we can t wait to see him. “

What’s your greatest ambition?

“Seeing my kids going to uni.

We put the hours and hard work as every parent in Gibraltar. A special thanks to Clare Bensadon for Maths, Margaret Frost for Spanish, Lindsey, Renu and her team. We are very happy with Bayside comprehensive school. Benjamin has done so wel and sending him to the AECC chiropractic college in September. Elise is at Westside and doing her GCSEs. We are very proud.”

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

“Mauritius. My mum treated all the family to go to Mauritius island 2 years ago. My sister in law survived cancer in the ear 3 years ago. And we all went to celebrate her recovery.”

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

“Better vision. I have been wearing glasses since age of 5.”

What keeps you awake at night?

“Mosquito only. I sleep like a log.”

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

“Ghandi.”

What is your favourite hobby or interest?

“Horse riding. I come from Fontainebleau in France and I have been horse riding since young. I go to Secadero at Finca Pacheco for the last 6 years. I enjoy the dressage and the hacks around the river and the orange grove on a Saturday morning. It is my me time. No make up, no fuss!”

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

“We need a dog park.”

What has been your most embarrassing momemt?

We are celebrating 20 years opening of our clinic in Gibraltar this month and there has been many embarrassing moments especially when you work with patients. One of my jobs at the clinic is to help out with the therapies. I ask the patient on a daily basis to remove their tops in order to do ultrasound or laser treatment.

I get different reactions when I ask patient to disrobe into a gown.

What’s the best book you’ve ever read?

“Life without fear by Fred H Barge.”

What’s your biggest fear?

“Travelling on airplane to Antigua and going through an hurricane. The oxygen masks were down in the cabin and we did an emergency landing in Guadeloupe. I thought I was going to die.”

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

“Get a dog, we love our Milou.

It has been the best. He travels on a airplane back and forth to France at Christmas time in the cabin.”

What’s your favourite music track?

“Salsa music.”

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

“Being with my mum in Paris, eating a Crème Brule in a café .

She has been my best supporter and always there for me.”

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

“That we did not need a parking space when we bought our flat in Gibraltar. OMG. We travelled by scooter in Gibraltar and walk everywhere. Keep us fit though!!!”

Which word or phrases do you most overuse?

“You are welcome.”

What makes you laugh?

“My brother. He should have been a comedian. He comes

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MUM ON THE ROCK

THE RISE OF

SU RROGACY IT’S NOT ALWAYS AN EASY PATH TO BECOMING A PARENT. IF YOU ARE LONGING FOR A BIOLOGICAL BABY BUT CAN’T CARRY A PREGNANCY YOURSELF YOU MAY CONSIDER HAVING SOMEONE CARRY YOUR BABY FOR YOU, OR MAYBE YOU ARE A POTENTIAL SURROGATE MOTHER WHO WOULD LIKE TO HELP PEOPLE WHO CAN’T HAVE THEIR OWN BABY. According to HFEA, the UK’s Fertility Watchdog, more people in Britain are opting for fertility treatment, with the fastest growth among same-sex couples, single women and surrogates.

fact, been around for thousands of years. In 1978, Louise Brown, the first in vitro fertilization (IVF) baby was born in Oldham, England. Five years later, in 1982, the first baby from an egg donation was born.

Modern families are becoming more diverse and it is noticeable that there has been a rise in celebrities turning to surrogate parenthood to satisfy their desire for a baby, whether their first or whether to welcome another child into their family. Sir Elton John and his husband, David Furnish used a surrogate to have their two boys. Robbie Williams and his wife Ayda Field welcomed their new daughter in September last year and more recently Kim Kardashian and Kanye West introduced a sibling to their three children. The new baby is the second of their four children to be born with a surrogate.

The combination of these two innovative technologies resulted in the emergence of gestational surrogacy. So in traditional surrogacy, the surrogate carrying the child is artificially inseminated with the intended father’s sperm or possibly donor sperm.

She is the genetic mother of the child, but will not retain custody of the child after it is born. In gestational surrogacy, the surrogate has no biological relation to the child and essentially rents her womb to the intended parents for the purpose of gestating the child. In this instance, the parenting couple donates an embryo created by in vitro fertilization (IVF) with either their DNA or DNA from an egg and/or sperm donor.

These positive images of surrogacy have inspired many couples and individuals who may not have considered starting a family of their own to go down the same route and use a surrogate parent. For many people surrogacy has been a lifeline that has brought happiness and fulfilment where there had previously been despair for those who are unable to have children naturally and had once never thought it would be possible to raise their own child.

However, the soaring popularity for surrogacy has sometimes come at a human cost and there have been several horror stories that have hit the headlines in recent years when things have gone inexplicably wrong.

There have been instances of the surrogate changing their mind about handing over the baby. In one such case in the UK in 2011, a judge ended up ruling in the surrogate’s favour having decided that the baby and its

Traditional surrogacy is more common than you may think and has, in

birth mother had bonded and that it was in the best interests of the child to stay with her.

There are of course more complex ethical issues surrounding surrogacy, including payment and inequality. Whilst surrogacy can provide the joy of a longed-for child, it can at the same time exploit the vulnerable, and as the demand for surrogacy rises it is evident that it needs to be governed by clear rules.

In some European countries, surrogacy is illegal. American laws vary from state to state, ranging from complete bans to granting parental rights to the intended parents, rather than the woman who carries the baby. In most of the rest of the world, until recently, surrogacy has been unregulated, leaving all concerned in a legal vacuum.

SURROGACY IN GIBRALTAR Recognising that surrogacy is already a reality in Gibraltar, the Government published a Command Paper on a draft Surrogacy Bill 2019 last month on the 6th May that mirrors the approach taken in the UK. The draft Bill provides the basis for those unable to conceive to engage in a non-commercial, altruistic surrogacy arrangement and seek legal parentage of the children by applying for a Parental Order. Such an application will be subject to the legal safeguards in place for the gestational mother.

The underlying regime of the draft Bill is in three parts. Firstly, the Bill establishes a prohibition on commercial surrogacy arrangements, which will become a criminal offence. Secondly, the Bill sets out the position of all the parties involved in a non-commercial arrangement. The default position in law will be that the child born is the child of the surrogate mother. Thirdly, the Bill details the procedure to transfer full legal parentage to the commissioning parents.

The draft legislation further incorporates the very recent changes to the law in the UK, which now permits a single individual to apply for a Parental Order, whereas, previously, this was limited to two joint intended parents only.

For someone entering into the surrogacy process, it can be a highly emotional and stressful time. These proposed changes to surrogacy regulations are a step forward in the right direction to safeguard prospective parents, surrogates and the child.

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FEATURE& HEALTH WELLBEING

LOOKING TRIMMER & HEALTHIER

THIS SUMMER Are you looking forward to the summer but worried about how you’ll look on the beach? If so, it appears you’re not alone – one survey found that 82% of respondents feel the pressure to shape up before baring it all on the beach. t’s not just a question of aesthetics either, we should also be concerned about how healthy we look and feel. According to the GHA’s Healthy Gibraltar site, living an active lifestyle can help you to feel more energetic and feel better about yourself.

Medical research shows that sufficient physical activity can lower your risk of certain diseases by up to 83%, and there are several key aspects of health that can be improved: Integrating exercise into your daily routine can improve your lifestyle with regards to inactivity and obesity. It will also improve mood, relaxation, help you to sleep better, and be able to deal with everyday stresses more effectively. Some research indicates that regular aerobic exercise decreases depression and improves confidence and self-esteem. Certain hormones called ‘endorphins’ released into the body from the brain while exercising are deemed responsible for the mental health benefits.

Exercising the major muscles enhances muscle strength through to old age, keeping limbs strong and bodies flexible. This dramatically reduces the risk of falls, hip fractures and improves overall bone health.

Vigorous exercise increases deep breathing, and a good respiratory function is essential for sound health.

Impaired glucose tolerance and other aspects of diabetes often result in the individual being overweight and inactive, and having high blood pressure and lipids (fats). Exercise, as part of a lifestyle change, has been shown to reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

in vain if you’re eating the wrong foods. A healthy diet, supplemented with whey protein and strength-training exercises – such as body pump and kettlebells – will build muscle mass, which is helpful for losing weight, as the more muscle mass you have, the more calories you’ll burn.

Most people could benefit from starting to increase their level of physical activity immediately. However, if you are worried about becoming more active consult your GP first. Gentle and sustained exercises such as walking and cycling are good for the heart and stimulate good blood circulation. This changes the proportions of high and low-density lipoproteins in the bloodstream and helps to reduce atherosclerosis, coronary thrombosis and blood pressure. In addition, levels of stress which induce coronary heart disease (CHD), the single most-common cause of death, can be reduced.

Not only is chewing more slowly and thoroughly better for your digestion, it also takes roughly 20 minutes for your body to realise it’s full. So taking your time means you won’t be raiding the fridge immediately after you’ve polished off that roast dinner.

There are a number of biological benefits in the body following physical activity, a number of which are believed to be responsible for reduced cancer rates. Lowering the levels of certain hormones (including insulin and oestrogen) and growth factors are believed to impact both colon and breast cancer development. The generalised improvement of the immune system and reduction of inflammatory responses are also believed to play a role.

Here are a few more tips, courtesy of Holland & Barrett, to help you slim down for life.

Instead of diving into a punishing exercise regime, start off with workouts you enjoy a few times a week, such as walking the dog or a dance class, for a more sustainable approach to reaching your ideal weight. As gym buffs are fond of saying: “You can’t outtrain a bad diet”. So even if you’re pounding the treadmill several times a week, all that effort will be

Eating next to nothing, not only leaves you feeling zapped of energy, grouchy and obsessing over food (which can trigger binge eating), but causes your body to enter “starvation mode” meaning it will start burning muscle and storing fat. Other health risks include having your periods stop, as well as hair loss and osteoporosis.

A better approach to losing weight is to eat smarter – not less. Cutting out junk is the obvious one, while prioritising fibre-rich foods such as wholegrains and vegetables will help maintain energy levels so you’ll be less prone to hunger-induced grazing.

Rather than eliminating your most-loved treats completely, there are ways to compromise so you don’t feel like you’re missing out and blow the diet completely. For example, instead of having a glass of wine, swap it for a vodka and diet tonic. Or rather than snacking on chips, try making sweet potato wedges.

Pasta-fiend? Switch to healthier wholegrain spaghetti. And when it comes to dessert, frozen yoghurt or sorbet are less likely to pile on the pounds than ice cream and cake.

Advice is for information only and should not replace medical care. Please check with your GP before trying any remedies.

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HEALTH & WELLBEING

PROSOPAGNOSIA Imagine being lost in a crowd of faceless strangers during the Christmas rush. Well. no big deal. you.ll just keep on navigating through the sea of faces towards the nearest exit.

Now imagine being a small child in that situation, unable to pick mummy’s face out of that crowd, because you have no facial recognition program wired in your brain!

You’ll need to tell her apart from the rest of the women from the sound of her voice, but what if the place is too noisy? Or from her hairstyle, but what if she’s wearing a beret and you cannot remember its colour? Or from her perfume, but what if she’s just tested a new fragrance you aren’t familiar with?

Face blindness, the common description for prosopagnosia, is a neuropsychological condition that may affect up to one in fifty people. It causes the inability to recognise faces, certain or all facial expressions, judge age or gender and even following the interlocutor’s gaze. It may also extend to objects or places, impeding orientation skills, and it makes it impossible to understand a movie plot because characters are undistinguishable.

to you, if they stray too far; if children always wait for you to call them up at the school gates, or approach somebody else’s parent who was waving in their general direction and looked loosely like you for height, build and hairstyle; if toddlers don’t acknowledge adult habitués of their social life, until they’re spoken to; if they are introvert with their fellows in school, while being confident and outgoing at home with siblings, who offer comforting familiar faces; if they consistently describe their loved ones by hair shape, what they wear, tone of voice, stride… rather than the more common eye colour, nose shape, smile etc.;

Prosopagnosia can be difficult to diagnose in childhood, and its behavioural symptoms may be mistaken for unrelated disorders of the autism spectrum.

if they show little interest in popular cartoons or they fail to recognise their characters on merchandise; if you have to repeatedly prompt them to say hello; if they don’t recognise themselves in the mirror or in photos; if one or more close relatives struggle with face recognition too.

There are safety concerns associated with prosopagnosia in children, since an affected child is more prone to trust and follow strangers if their voice sounds alike someone else’s they know.

Later in life, they may develop social anxiety, agoraphobia and depression as consequences of their inability to keep up with their relationships, and even see their professional career affected, so early diagnosis and coping strategies provision is important.

Although parents are reluctant to disclose their child’s condition to teachers in fear this will hinder their academic career, it is actually thanks to teachers that most cases are spotted and referred to clinicians, as well as dealt with in practical and educational terms: all pupils may be required to stick to a sitting plan and wear name badges in class and in the playground, to benefit everyone’s social skills.

It typically has neurological causes, when the parts of the brain deputed to recognise faces fail to develop, and it is congenital and perhaps hereditary, but it can also appear later in life as a consequence of a head injury after trauma or a seizure.

In this case, it is easy to diagnose because the patients themselves are usually aware that something is wrong with their sudden struggling to recognise their relatives or the doctor. Furthermore, these patients eventually recover through ‘mind games’ acting like physiotherapy for limbs affected by the stroke. The patient will be asked to concentrate on one facial feature at the time, memorise it and later piece them up as a puzzle to create a unique face, in a process akin to police identikits.

In popular culture, thrillers help raise awareness on prosopagnosia. Most police and court drama TV series have sooner or later included a star witness with this condition and analysed its legal ramifications.

The opposite does exist too, dubbed super-recon. It is a gift highly sought after in policing and security jobs.

Bournemouth University carries out research on all facets of face processing. Volunteer for experiments by registering on Prosopagnosiaresearch. org.

For congenital prosopagnosia, there are some telltale signs you should be concerned about and thence discuss with your GP: if children are irrationally clingy in public places, especially playgrounds: it may mean they are afraid not to find you again, or the path that leads back

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if they confuse your angry from your happy expressions when you reprimand or praise them;

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This article is aimed at being informative only with no medical pretences. Consult your GP for a neurological referral if you’ve suffered a head injury for trauma or stroke, or if you suspect your child suffers from the condition described.

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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) Things may not move quite as fast as you’d like them to this month, Aries.

However, it will give you the opportunity to revise your goals a little. And you’ll be very glad you did.

Taurus TAKEAWAYS

(Apr 21 – May 21)

VEHICLE REPAIRS

There’s so much going on in your social life at the moment, Taurus, that you may struggle to keep up. Its OK to be choosy .. in fact, it is good to be choosy … but choose wisely. And enjoy!

Gemini (May 22 – June 22) You are so desperate to get cracking aren’t you Gemini? Good on you but a word of caution - follow your heart but allow your head to make the plans.

Trust me, it’s best that way.

Cancer June 23 – July 22) So, June is bursting out all over for you, Cancer, and you are loving it! Allow your creative juices to flow this month and be inspired by the abundance of colours all around you.

Leo July 23 – Aug 23) You have overdone it again, Leo, haven’t you?? The truth is that you will never learn …… and we wouldn’t want you to. So just take some time out to recharge those batteries and all will be well.

Virgo (Aug 24 – Sep 23)

BARS / PUBS

June is a wonderful month for you to make new connections, Virgo. Be open to opportunities and even unexpected visitors as they will light up your life in unexpected ways.

Libra Sep 24 – Oct 23) Allow yourself the freedom of a splash out this month, Libra. You can be a bit concerned sometimes about your self - worth and so deny yourself.

Not no more. Treat yourself - you deserve it!

Scorpio Oct 24 – Nov 22) If you have found yourself being a tad thoughtful and inward looking recently, Scorpio, then now is the time to put your revelations into practice.

Yep, the only way is forward.

Sagittarius Nov 23 – Dec 21) You’ve been dreaming big recently, Sag, but then procrastinating. Now is the time to act. So, make a dream board and get meditating and allow them to carry you forward.

Capricorn (Dec 22 – Jan 20)

INDUSTRIAL

Life is always teaching us lessons, Capricorn, and this month you are being taught to listen with your heart. Allow to feel what is right and try not to over think.

Aquarius Jan 21 – Feb 19) June is the perfect month for you to bite the bullet and look deep into your emotional baggage, Aquarius. There really is nothing to be afraid of and a whole lot to be free of. You can do it!

Pisces Feb 20 – Mar 20) This is a great month for you to be enjoying a reminisce or two, Pisces.

“Tellin old stories and singin songs” as the song goes and that’ll help you get clear on your feelings about certain things.

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Email: katemch@gmail.com Facebook Group: Horoscopes Gibraltar

I’ve always seen so many different ramens around when I’ve been travelling or sat at a restaurant and tasted to many I wanted to try the challenge of making it for myself.

It may not be the authentic way, but it definitely is tasty.

Ingredients • • • •

6 or 7 Mushrooms • 4 Pork Loin Fillet Slices Red Thai Curry Paste • 1 Onion • Rice Noodles 1ltr Vegetable Broth • Soy Sauce • Sesame Seeds Sesame Seed Oil • Fresh Coriander • Fresh Ginger

Method 1, Cut your mushrooms into chunks and marinade them with a generous pouring of soy sauce, sesame seed oil and sesame seeds. Toss everything around in the bowl to make sure that the mushrooms have been completely coated and leave in the fridge for now.

2, Thinly slice your onion and fresh ginger and fry in a large pot, once they are softer add 2 tsp of the thai curry paste and stir together vigorously. Cut the pork fillets into smaller chunks and add to the pot too, to seal.

3, Once the pork has had a quick seal and looks whiter on the outside, pour in your broth to cover everything. Leave this to bubble and simmer.

4, Next, grab your mushrooms from the fridge and heat up a frying pan. Add them to the frying pan on a medium to high heat to cook with all the marinade ingredients.

5, The broth should now be simmering away, so add in a few noodle nests and leave to cook and soften. Once everything is cooked, using a ladle scoop out the ingredients from the broth into several serving bowls, top up with broth liquid if needed.

With some tongs twist in some noddles to one side and share out the mushrooms. Finish off with a sprinkle of fresh coriander.

For more delicious Mama Lotties recipes visit: GIBRALTARINSIGHT.COM

www.mamalotties.com

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MARINA D’OR

FUN FOR ALL THE FAMILY! “Marina D’or, Ciudad de vacaciones”, does it sound familiar to you?

Recently, our travel agent Inma, enjoyed a wonderful holiday with her family at Marina D’or.

The Marina d'Or Holiday Resort is home to Europe's largest scientific seawater spa.

“The spa was our favourite and most relaxing aspect of the trip for me and my husband”, says Inma, from Elite Travel.

Here, you can take advantage of the properties of seawater as a source of beauty, health and well being. Moreover, this area is only for adults, so you can be totally relaxed.

But don’t worry if you are travelling with kids, like Inma; they have their own Spa Zone on the upper floors, soundproofed and independent, with a spectacular themed decoration and special attractions.

Apart of that, Marina D’or has many more attractions for children. One of the favourites for Inma’s son was the Karts, a circuit almost 800 metres long with state of the art go-karts. Designed for those who like extreme emotions, the circuit is equipped with all required safety measures. He also liked very much “the rapids”, which is a giant inflated boat that goes with the flow while you bounce off the sides.

On the other hand, Inma’s daughter says that for her, the highlight of the trip was “The Enchanted Garden”.

She loved the fountains, waterfalls, flowers...

It doesn’t surprise us, because it offers a world where everything is fantasy and magic, trees that move and talk, animated figures, actors that interact with the audience and also, spectacular shows!!

Inma and her family stayed at The Gran Duque 4* Hotel, which is the newest and most modern hotel in the Holiday Resort, and also is specialized for families. The swimming pool of Hotel Gran Duque has a movable cover in which always you to enjoy the heated pool all year round.

You can choose between hotels of 3, 4 and 5 stars or apartments, if you prefer.

Inma assures us that there′s a world of services at your fingertips in the Marina d′Or Holiday Resort: shopping, restaurants, shows, even

a beauty centre with a wide range of treatments and programmes, as facial and body treatments, massages to relax mind and body, hydro-thermal treatments, etc.

Inma and her family, took this opportunity to visit the “Oceanografic”, in Valencia, that is only a few kms distance and is one of the best aquariums in the world.

All in all, Marina D’or is a perfect place to spend a wonderful family holiday!!

14 Parliament Lane, Gibraltar. Tel: 200 49401 www.elitetravelltd.com

Just Married on the Rock Andrea & Grant, married on 20th March 2019.

Photo by Radka Horvath.

Dirk & Evelyn married on 15th April 2019.

Photo by Radka Horvath.

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Juliana & Gurpreet Baratch, married on 4th April 2019. Photo by Nicky Sanchez.

Natalie Prescott & Alexander Miller, married on 24th May 2019.

Photo by Nicky Sanchez.

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