Gibraltar Insight™ October 2018

OCTOBER 2018

Take Me

GIBRALTAR INSIGHT THE ROCK’S LONGEST RUNNING MAGAZINE

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O C T O BE R

Contents

ISSUE 29

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READY FOR RITA?

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Business Insight

Features

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BUSINESS NEWS

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READY FOR RITA?

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INVESTMENT MARKETS

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OFFSHORE MATTERS

B2 PROJECTS BRINGS WORKPLACE CONSULTANCY TO GIBRALTAR

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ANDY COUMBE, THOROUGHLY PLEASANT PRESENTER!

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UNIVERSITY OF GIBRALTAR’S 7 - STEP GUIDE TO CLEARING

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MTV GIBRALTAR CALLING: MTV FESTIVAL IS BACK

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TAKING TIME OUT - THE GAP YEAR

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CLUB BEN NEVIS CHALLENGE

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ART DANCE 2018

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GIB POLICE: READY TO SERVE

Are Your Tax Affairs In Order?

Sports Insight 23

PREMIER LEAGUE

Set To Thrill As Never Before

Regulars 6

COMMUNITY INSIGHT

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THATCHED ROOFS IN THE MED

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HOROSCOPES

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PASTEL IS THE NEW BLACK AT RUNWAY 2018

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ON THE SPOT: KATE MCHARDY

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NO TO SINGLE USE PLASTIC!

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HOOK! AN INSPIRATIONAL GIBRALTARIAN

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HEALTH & WELLBEING INSIGHT

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BRUSHING ON SUMMER

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WEDDING INSIGHT

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TAP & ZAP!

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CELLAR CROSSWORD

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LUNAR WALK FOR BREAST CANCER SUPPORT

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

COMMUNITY

INSIGHT

INSIGHT

GIRL BOSS

A BOY FROM RED SANDS We all love a good story well told, and “A Boy From Red Sands” delivers just that and more. The beautiful hardback volume, tastefully designed and illustrated with original photos from Henry’s personal collection and specially commissioned graphics from two prominent local artists, is a cornucopia of tales from Henry’s life, interspersed with snippets of Henry’s poems, quotes and song lyrics.

Hustle

WOMEN’S MENTORSHIP PROGRAMME The Garrison Library was the venue for the official launch of the Ministry of Equality’s Women’s Mentorship Programme.

Minister Sam Sacramento lead the proceedings, pointing out that one of the objectives was to create “a successful strategy in promoting under-represented groups into senior positions of leadership and management”. Among those present included the GFSB, the Gibraltar Chamber of Commerce, Women In Business and Girls in Tech.

Initially a pilot scheme lasting three months, anyone interested is encouraged to register at equality@gibraltar.gov.gi by 5th October 2018.

An autobiographical account of his growing up “en Los Humphrey’s” as a local boy from Red Sands, the book weaves together scenes from Henry’s fascinating life as a local musician, gigging with “The Odds” and then with his brother Denis as “The Valerga Brothers” in Gibraltar, Spain, Tangiers, London and around the world. These colourful accounts offer a glimpse into Gibraltarian society and culture at the time, and, as all these personal accounts do, they offer an insight into Gibraltar’s social history – the history that often doesn’t quite make it into the academic history books but which is just as important.

Grand Battery House at Smith Dorrien Avenue is the venue for the launch of Henry Valerga’s book: A Boy From Red Sands. The launch will be held on Tuesday 23rd October at 8.00pm. It promises to be an evening full of entertainment, nostalgia and the wonderful tradition of exchanges of memories that make up such a powerful part of Gibraltar’s “personality”. This book offers a valuable contribution to Gibraltar’s growing body of literature.

Book launch

National Day brings with it the presentation of cheques from the Self Determination for Gibraltar Group. This year, the Minister for Culture, the Hon Steven Linares presented various groups with an amount totalling £9,300.

THE GROUPS THAT RECEIVED THE MONIES ARE: GIRL GUIDES PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT GROUP LIONS INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S HEALTH GROUP ACTION FOR SCHOOLS

GRAND BATTERY HOUSE 23RD OCTOBER

GIB SAMS MARY’S MEALS

Hearing Survey A life without sound, isn’t always just silent, it can also be lonely. In a new initiative, the Gibraltar Health Authority and the Gibraltar Hearing Impaired and Tinnitus Association (GHITA), are currently attempting to build a voluntary register of people living in the Rock who are affected by hearing loss or impairment.

The register launched on Monday 24th September and will run until the end of October.

Primary Care staff and GHITA volunteers have set up an information desk at the Primary Care Centre reception area (and at St Bernard’s Hospital’s main entrance) where questionnaires are available to collate the data and information.

Current statistics from the UK indicate

41% of over 50 year-olds and 71% of those 70 and above, find it difficult to hear people speak. Of that numapproximately

Commenting on the presentation, Minister Linares noted that, “Her Majesty’s Government is indebted to those charities, as indeed we are to those non-charitable organisations and volunteer groups, because it is thanks to their efforts and their support that Gibraltar is able to enjoy a varied programme of entertainment during our annual festivities”.

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ber, over a third are either unaware of, or feel uncomfortable with seeking professional advice.

“Hearing loss” itself, is a broad term. It includes conditions such as deafness, Tinnitus, Meniere’s disease, Hypercusis and persons that are hard of hearing.Symptoms of Hypercusis include sounds, frequencies or volumes which are painful to hear and can cause temporary hearing loss. Meniere’s dis-

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ease causes dizzy spells, sickness and a sudden reduction in hearing. Research also shows that 1 in 10 people are living with Tinnitus, a condition that causes a ringing, buzzing or other intrusive sound.

Clinical Nurse Specialist for Primary Care, Mrs Suzanne Romero commented: “I would like to thank Mr Triay, the GHITA volunteers and my collegues here at the Primary Care Centre for their efforts in helping organise and carry out this important survey, which will benefit those in our community affected by hearing loss.”

Minister for Health, Care and Justice, the Honourable Neil F. Costa said: “The purpose of the survey is to gather information which will help identify areas within our current services which may be improved to better cater for persons with hearing loss.

Just as significantly, it will help raise awareness on hearing loss and encourage persons in our community, who may be affected by hearing loss, to seek professional advice. I would like to thank Mr Triay, GHITA, and my team at the Primary Care Centre led

by Ms Suzanne Romero for their enthusiasm and hard work in leading this initiative.”

The survey runs until the end of October.

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BUSINESS INSIGHT

No-Deal Brexit Passport Advice

As Gibraltar edges closer to exiting the European Union alongside the United Kingdom, some precautionary advices has been issued by HMGoG regarding passports, if there were to be a “no-deal” Brexit.

This follows the advice issued by the UK Government regarding the use and validity of British passports from 30th March 2019.

If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, the changes to the entry requirements for British passport holders, including those with passports issued by the Crown Dependencies (Guernsey, Isle of Man and Jersey) and Gibraltar, travelling to Schengen area countries will be applicable with effect from 30 March 2019.

British passport holders, including holders of passports issued by Gibraltar, will be considered third country nationals under the Schengen Border Code and will therefore need to complywith different rules to enter and travel around the Schengen area.

According to the Schengen Border Code, third country passports must: •

have been issued within the last 10 years on the date of arrival in a Schengen country, and

•

have at least 3 months validity remaining on the date of intended departure from the last country visited in the Schengen area. Because third country nationals can remain in the Schengen area for 90 days (approximately 3 months), the actual check carried out is that the passport has at least 6 months validity remaining on the date of arrival.

Gibraltar was very much represented at the #SWITCH! blockchain event, recently held in Vilnius, Lithuania. The event featured keynote speeches and discussions on blockchain technology, what makes a successful ICO (initial coin offering), artificial intelligence, cyber security and more. #SWITCH! is the largest non-profit ICT and entrepreneurship event in the Baltic States and attracted over 15,000 participants.

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Adult British passport holders planning to travel to the Schengen area after 29 March 2019 must make sure their passport is no older than 9 years and 6 months and has at least 6 months validity remaining on the date of arrival. For example, if you intend to travel to the Schengen area on 30 March 2019, your passport should have an issue date on or after 1 October 2009 and a validity remaining of at least 6 months.

Under-16s, holders of a 5-year British child passport must check the expiry date and make sure that therewillbeatleast6monthsvalidityremainingonthedateoftravel. For example, a child planning to travel to the Schengen area on 30 March 2019 should have a passport with an expiry date on or after 1 October 2019.

Gibraltar’s Government commented that– along with the United Kingdom Government– both are deeply committed to an orderly exit with all the necessary arrangements in place. For further information, it is advised to contact HMGoG Passport, Civil Status & Registration Office.

(The Schengen area comprises: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.)

Passport holders are reminded to check the entry requirements for other countries that are in the EU but not in the Schengen area.

Albert Isola interviewed

by Cryptonews

Ian Le Breton, Paul Astengo, Blockchain Centre Vilnius CEO Egle Nemeikstyte, Albert Isola, Vikram Nagrani and Marc Ellul

OCTOBER 2018

Albert Isola addresses the #Switch VIP reception at Blockchain Centre Vilnius

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BUSINESS INSIGHT

BORDERING ON

A MAJOR SYMPOSIUM ENTITLED “BORDERING ON BREXIT: GLOBAL BRITAIN AND THE EMBERS OF THE EMPIRE” WAS HELD IN THE HISTORIC VENUE OF THE GARRISON LIBRARY OVER THREE DAYS IN SEPTEMBER. Organised by the Library’s Director, Dr Jennifer Ballantine-Perera, in conjunction with the University of Copenhagen and the Office of the Deputy Chief Minister, leading academics from all over Europe, including Gibraltar, examined the impact of Brexit from a number of different angles. Gibraltar, of course, voted overwhelmingly to remain in the European Union and the event was particularly relevant as it was held during the final straight of the negotiations between the United Kingdom and the European Union.

A press statement released by the Government of Gibraltar prior to the symposium stated:

“All of us have different issues as we prepare to leave the European Union,” he told delegates.

Dr. Garcia also welcomed optimistic comments by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in respect of Gibraltar. “We echo the optimism and the goodwill in those words.” Speaking at an EU summit in the Austrian city of Salzburg, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said his government would be looking for agreements for the transition covering cooperation on police, judicial matters, the environment, taxation, tobacco and citizens’ rights. He also spoke of economic cooperation between Gibraltar and the region. He said there are two dimensions –

“AS THE UNITED KINGDOM NAVIGATES THE SHOALS OF BREXIT AND CASTS ABOUT FOR ALTERNATIVE FUTURES, IT IS WIDELY ASSUMED THAT THE IMPERIAL PAST HAS MUCH TO ANSWER FOR – WITH BREXIT DERIDED VARIOUSLY AS A ‘PINING FOR EMPIRE’; ‘ENGLAND’S LAST GASP OF EMPIRE, AND THE PRELUDE TO ‘EMPIRE 2.0’.”

“This is not just a matter of unrepentant Remainers resorting to easy political put-downs, but also registers in the rhetoric of the Brexiteers themselves. The Conservative Government’s vision of ‘Global Britain’ is one of several instances where Britain’s imperial past has been invoked to inspire confidence in a post-Brexit future, beckoning a divided nation back into the world. This conference seeks a more critical purchase on the persistence of these imperial analogies.”

In his opening address Deputy Chief Minister Dr Garcia mentioned that he was also Minister for Exiting the European Union. “…perhaps that makes my presence here all the more appropriate,” he stated. “The objective is to understand how the past impacts into the present day and to understand how that past can also shape our very future.”

Dr. Garcia went on to say: “The title of this conference introduces the notion of embers. Embers never quite become ashes.

The image is of the waning remnants of a fire that nonetheless continues to glow. Sometimes in a brighter, more florescent manner and at other times flickering in a paler and more subdued light. This is a very powerful and a very relevant image.

The phrase ‘embers of Empire’ conjures up the fourteen remaining United Kingdom Overseas Territories. In a strict, legal sense this is what is left of the Empire,” Dr. Garcia said.

“These are: Anguilla, Ascension, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, British Antarctic Territory, British Indian Ocean Territory, the Cayman Islands, the Falkland Islands, St Helena, the Turks and Caicos, Montserrat, Pitcairn, the sovereign bases in Cyprus, and of course Gibraltar.”

The Chief Minister Fabian Picardo and Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia recently met with the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union Dominic Raab MP together with Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Robin Walker MP in Downing Street for high-level Brexit talks.

the UK/EU relationship – and a second bilateral, dimension between Gibraltar and Spain. Dr Garcia added: “We have pledged throughout this process as a government to leave no stone unturned in the aftermath of the 2016 referendum.”

Speakers from Oxford, Cambridge, Amsterdam, East Anglia, Demos, Queen Mary, Trondheim, Nottingham, Bath, Exeter, Gibraltar and Copenhagen discussed topics including: ‘Indian dreams in Brexit Britain’; ‘English Nationalism and Brexit: Britannia Unchained or Post-Industrial Revolt’; and ‘The contradiction of England, Scotland: Brexit and the persistence of Empire’ There was a strong Gibraltar element with Jamie Trinidad from Cambridge University discussing ‘Brexit and the status of the Gibraltar border’ and Dr Jennifer Ballantine who spoke on ‘(Bre)xit or (Bre)entry into the World: the Spirit of Citizenship and Global Britain against the backdrop of Gibraltar’.

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FEATURE

Anthony Horowitz OBE Insight’s Jo Ward admits to ‘Twitter stalking’ author Anthony Horowitz, so when she saw that he was in Gibraltar undertaking research for the next book in his ‘Alex Rider’ series of teen novels, an early morning meeting was hastily arranged.

It all started with an innocent Tweet to the author of ‘Trigger Mortis’, the James Bond novel commissioned by the estate of Bond’s creator Ian Fleming. “Eight ladies at book club just finished reading Trigger Mortis… shaken and stirred!” To which Anthony Horowitz replied “…sounds like Octopussy.”

This Twitter banter escalated into asking whether Anthony could attend the next Gibraltar Literary Festival, but unfortunately he had commitments elsewhere.

Anthony Horowitz must be the UK’s most prolific writer, a master of mystery and suspense, his writing covers every type of media, from screenwriting for television, film and stage, to writing novels and journalistic articles, often working on several projects at the same time. With credits including TV shows such as ‘Poirot’, ‘Foyle’s War’ and ‘Midsomer Murders’, he was commissioned by the Conan Doyle estate to write the official sequel to Sherlock Holmes, so there is no doubt that you will have come across Anthony’s work in some form or other.

Sitting on the Sunborn Yacht Hotel, “this is such a charming and idiosyncratic hotel, it is one of my favourites and the staff have been fantastic”, Anthony goes on to say that Gibraltar is nothing like he expected. “It is unique in the world, and I have had a wonderful time.” He thinks that the Rock is awe inspiring; “talk about living in history, I have never been anywhere that is so redolent of not one, two or even three centuries apart - from Nelson to the Second World War and through to the present day and Brexit - it is a place with many, many stories to tell.”

“Gibraltar would make a wonderful setting for a murder mystery, or even for a thriller, because of its military, political and strategic importance,” Anthony states. Watch out Gibraltar, because the Rock could well feature in one of his adult novels. “I am writing a series of murder mysteries at the moment - my Hawthorne novels - the first one was The Word is Murder and the second one is The Sentence is Death, coming out in November,” Anthony confirms. “I am going to write at least seven more and I will start moving it out of England; I am going to set one in Greece, because I spend a lot of time there, and one maybe somewhere like Gibraltar.”

Anthony is well known for writing quintessentially British village murder mysteries; he penned the first batch of scripts for Midsomer Murders, and he sees Gibraltar as the perfect setting in the same vein. “It is a locked door mystery because there is one door leading out - of course you have got the sea - but you have only got one land exit and it is all carefully patrolled and very contained with a is a community feel about it - and that’s the first rule of a murder mystery.”

Would Anthony consider coming to the Gibraltar Literary Festival in the future, I ask. “I tend to do fewer literary festivals than quite a lot of writers I know, but that’s because I am so busy that I never really have the time to fit it all in,” he replies, “but I would love to.”

Mentioning that there has been a backlash by some who feel that unfair demands on authors are made by festival organisers and that an industry-wide standard should be introduced, Anthony is of a different opinion. “Writers like me shouldn’t get paid to attend,” he says. “I have always had this idea that literary festivals should have a pot of money for all authors from which you can choose to take or not take

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FEATURE - so if you are a very successful bestselling author you can say ‘no I don’t want the money’ and that then gets passed on to the less well known, non-fiction or more specialist writers.”

“The whole idea of a literary festival is that it is a great equaliser - you can get your mega bestselling authors, for instance Kate Mosse, who might be on an hour before somebody you have never heard of.” Anthony continues: “I don’t appear at literary festivals to sell books; I do them because I think it is part of the responsibility of being a writer.”

Just how does Anthony juggle having so many projects on the go at one time? “I write pretty much everything that it is possible to write, but we all compartmentalise as writers and for me it is a simple rule - which is that I never do two things in one day. I will do a day of Alex Rider or I will do a day of some TV show, but not both on the same day - so every day is different.”

To Anthony, creative writing is not so much a talent; it is more a sort of immersion. “For instance, last night in my hotel room I wrote a chapter of Alex Rider set in Rio de Janeiro, which I am not visiting as it is a little too far to go,” he explains. “I always write in sequence and although the Gibraltar chapters are now very worked out (I have made a lot of notes and taken a lot of photographs), I am only on Chapter 3, so last night I was in the Flamengo Park in Rio de Janeiro - and all I can say is that while I was writing it, I was there, absolutely immersed in the work and nothing else mattered. I didn’t even have dinner; I just forgot everything and worked.” Obviously very driven about writing, Anthony tells me he can’t imagine life without words. First drafts are always written by hand. “I find it very, very satisfying, much more so than tapping on a computer, and the moment I get a pen in my hand and a blank sheet of paper I feel alive. I like the feel of the nib on paper, the flow of ink.”

Many authors are well known for their hideouts, a garden shed or hut, to which they retreat to write. Anthony’s space is his top floor office of the building where he lives in Farringdon, perched high over the city, giving him a panoramic view of London. “It is a long, narrow room looking out over St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Old Bailey, the Shard, and Clerkenwell ,” he states, adding “but I do miss a garden; I miss grass and trees and when I was young I used to work in the Brompton Cemetery because it was quiet and peaceful.”

Asked which of his characters has been his favourite, Anthony clarifies that it is Alex Rider. “I am more proud of Alex Rider, only because of the extraordinary number of teachers and parents who tell me that Alex helped to get their kids reading, boys in particular.”

“I have lost count of the hundreds of people who have said to me ‘my kids didn’t read until they read Alex’ and given the fact that I support reading and the work of the National Literacy Trust, and that over the years I have tried to spread the message about reading, that to me matters .”

“Apart from Alex Rider, I’m very proud of what we achieved with Foyle’s War, the long-running hit ITV series starring Michael Kitchen in the title role as Christopher Foyle, produced by my wife,” Anthony states. “That was sixteen years of my life and I think it was a really strong volume of work that is very well known around the world.” Not one to name drop, Anthony said that he had some amazing meetings with major Hollywood stars who invited him to lunch because they just happened to like the programme. “The Mayor of New York invited me to breakfast because he was a fan,” he laughs The reason why Anthony is in Gibraltar, the twelfth Alex Rider novel, will be called Nightshade.

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“I SAID THAT I WAS GOING TO STOP WRITING ALEX RIDER BOOKS WHEN I GOT HIM TO AGE 15 - HE AGED ONE YEAR IN THE FIRST TEN BOOKS AND I CAME BACK TO HIM LAST YEAR WITH A BOOK CALLED NEVER SAY DIE, SO WHY DID I BREAK MY PROMISE? FOR LOTS OF REASONS BUT MAINLY BECAUSE I JUST REDISCOVERED ALEX AND DECIDED I LIKED HIM AGAIN.” Scorpio Rising, the ninth book in the series, is partly set in Gibraltar. For that, Anthony admits he watched the Living Daylights film to get an idea of what the Rock looked like. “It didn’t help much as it was set entirely inside a prison I had made up - a British Guantanamo Bay in Gibraltar -but for the book I am writing now, there is an escape from the prison and the boy has to come into town and escapes by boat, so therefore it was impossible to write the book without coming out here.”

Anthony thinks that there is a danger in writing children as grown-up. “Even Harry Potter when he grew up somehow made me a little bit sad, I think there is an immortality about children’s heroes, they stay children forever, it is the Peter Pan complex.”

The idea did cross his mind to write an Alex Rider book set in his late twenties. “He was going to be a complete wreck of a human being, with all the adventures that he had as a child having psychologically destroyed him.” Anthony adds that curiously, and perhaps wisely, his publishers were uninterested.

Forever and a Day is the second Bond novel written by Anthony, and I ask him how difficult it was to create a female character that resonates with the #MeToo movement when women and sex have been a large part of the Bond formula.

“One of the things I’m most proud of in that book is Sixtine who, I hope, is a perfect embodiment of a woman who is true to the period (the book is set at the end of the 50s),” Anthony says.

“Nonetheless, she has a very modern perception - she is very strong, very independent, and she certainly gives Bond a run for his money - and when it comes to matters of bed she makes the running.”

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FEATURE

FEATURE

Gibunco Gibraltar InternationaL literary Festival

2018

Nicky Guerrero, Chief Executive of the Gibraltar Tourist Board and Festival Director, talks to Jo Ward about what’s coming up in the sixth edition of the Gibunco Gibraltar International Literary Festival taking place over four days from 15th to the 18th November. The main venues will stay the same as in previous years: the John Mackintosh Hall, The Convent and The Gibraltar Garrison Library, with the addition this year of the University of Gibraltar.

“The festival is so well established now and its reputation has really rocketed,” Nicky says. “We have an even more diverse range of talks with the addition of some not-tobe missed performances and workshops, including a musical event.”

This year’s line-up boasts renowned names from the publishing world, including stars of television, top chefs, historians, academics, adventurers and inspirational speakers.

There are also new exciting partnerships with two top British institutions.

Jazz FM, the UK’s premier radio broadcaster of jazz, blues and soul, will be broadcasting from the Literary Festival every morning during their Breakfast Show, talking to some of the guest speakers.

“This is a great collaboration for both the Literary Festival and for Gibraltar tourism, bringing more exposure in the run up to, and during, the festival to the people listening in the UK,” Nicky explains.

The Oldie Magazine is hosting one of their popular Liter-

ary Lunches to be held at the Rock Hotel on 15th November.

For just £49.50, guests will be able to enjoy a three course meal and listen to three acclaimed speakers. The Oldie Literary Lunches have become a venerable institution on the London literary scene since they were first launched in 1996, so this is a fantastic opportunity to attend

new panellists, and there will also be an opportunity to see ‘An Audience with Sheila Hancock’ presented by journalist and former BBC News reporter Nick Higham.

Nicky comments that the festival promises to be busier than last year, with more events and several speakers who are doubling up on talks.

One o f

“Once again“ we have a fantastic line“up with new speakers and some exciting additions“

one in Gibraltar.

Although there are still a few last minute names to add to the list of speakers, one event that Nicky is always pleased to announce is that ‘Just a Minute’ will be returning for another year. “Nicholas and Annie Parsons are coming back to host, bringing with them four panellists, some of whom have not taken part before,” he states. “We are thrilled to welcome the acclaimed actress and author Sheila Hancock as one of our

these is Gel o n g Thubten, a Buddhist monk, meditation trainer and author who specialises in teaching non-religious mindfulness meditation. He works with major clients such as Google, Accenture and LinkedIn, and collaborated with Ruby Wax on her latest book ‘How to be Human, the Manual’. Thubten will share insights from the book as well as advice on how meditation and mindfulness can help us maintain our humanity and compassion in

an increasingly busy world, particularly with the distractions of the digital age and our increasing levels of stress.

He will also be taking part in a bespoke event for sixthformers about social media.

“We have got to respond to what people want to hear about nowadays, and mental health is one of those subjects which is very prominent at the moment, so we want to start conversations and bring awareness about these issues,” Nicky says.

In that same vein, Sophie Andrews, Chief Executive of The Silver Line Helpline and National Chair of the Samaritans from 2008-11, will be speaking about her own roller coaster ride of a life full of horrific childhood experiences and how she managed to slowly recover but also pay back to the organisations (like Samaritans) who had helped her along the way.

In ‘Using Poetry to Promote Talking and Healing’, Dr. Pooky Knightsmith will relate her own journey through post-traumatic stress disorder, anorexia, self-harm, depression and anxiety, and demonstrate how poetry helped not only herself, but others too.

“We want to stimulate thought and educate, and listening to the experiences of others can enrich our lives,” Nicky states. One thing that he is passionate about is that we should not just choose talks or events by the title or by the name of the speaker; it is often the ones we don’t think will be interesting or the names we don’t recognise

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that are the most enriching and stimulating.

this year. Get inspired to get fit with fitness guru Diana Moran, The Green Goddess and now Editor in Chief of PrimeTimeLife.TV. Diana will provide tips and exercises for older adults in ‘Down with Sofas - Up with Stairs’.

Everyone’s favourite childhood TV presenter, Johnny Ball, will show just how simple our mathematical world

Something that Nicky says will be very different is ‘An Evening with Jane Austen’ to be held in The Convent Ballroom, combining music and readings from Jane Austen novels performed by actors Caroline Langrishe and Adrian Lukis accompanied by vocalists and musicians, including harpist Mary Reid and soprano Rosie Lomas. They will play and sing 18th-century and regency-era music that would have been heard in Austen’s own household in a double length event lasting for two hours that will

include a 30-minute interval, during which drinks will be available from the Convent Dining Hall.

Carrying on with the musical theme, Dame Felicity Lott will talk about her operatic career and discuss her book of reminiscences, ‘Il nous faut de l’amour’ with excerpts from her CDs, and world-renowned Oxford-born conductor Sir Roger Norrington will be in conversation with Nick Higham about ‘A Life in Music’.

“The range of subjects we have is quite varied and interesting and there is also, as always, a great contingent of local authors,” Nicky confirms. “Author M. G. Sanchez is coming back this year discussing the three years he lived in India’s financial and entertainment capital in ‘From Gibraltar to Mumbai: a crash course in culture shock

and intense living’. Giordano Durante will talk about the key themes in his poetry in ‘The Poem I’ll Never Write”, and continuing with the subject of poetry and the local connection, Ruth O’Callaghan will launch her 9th collection of poetry in conversation with award-winning screenwriter Gaby Chiappe, daughter of the late Mary Chiappe who so often appeared at the festival with her own novels. “This year

there will be an opportunity for local authors to sell their books at the Garrison Library even if they are not taking part in the festival,” Nicky notes.

There are a host of recognisable names attending

INSIGHT MAGAZINE IS PROUD TO BE A SPONSOR OF THE GIBUNCO GIBRALTAR INTERNATIONAL LITERARY FESTIVAL 2018.

TICKETS CAN BE BOUGHT ONLINE OR IN PERSON AT THE BOX OFFICE UP TO ONE HOUR BEFORE THE EVENT. GIBRALTARINSIGHT.COM

el, ‘The Killing Rock’. Popular Sky News presenter and broadcaster Stephen Dixon will read from his collection of poems ‘Love is the Beauty of the Soul' and discuss his book and life on TV with James Neish.

This year, the opening dinner on Thursday will be prepared with the team at the Caleta Hotel by Matt Tebbutt, the hugely popular presenter of BBC 1’s Saturday Kitchen. On Saturday, speakers will be hosted to a Moroccan Night

at the Rock Hotel and the closing dinner will this year take place at the University at Europa Point, with the menu prepared by acclaimed food writer Diana Henry, drawn from her latest book, ‘How to Eat a Peach’.

could and should be, if it were explained in his uncluttered and enthusiastic style.

Professional explorer, writer, photographer and Channel 4 documentary presenter Levison Wood will take the audience on ‘A Journey Through The Heart of the Middle East’, and actor and writer Robert Daws is returning with a performed reading of a new play based on the life and writings of P G Wodehouse with musical accompaniment featuring works composed by Jerome Kern, George Gershwin, Cole Porter and Ivor Novello with Wodehouse’s lyrics. Robert will also be talking about his new Gibraltar set crime nov-

Once again, there will be a full schools’ and children’s programme where pupils will benefit from talks by several speakers. These include festival favourite Christopher Lloyd and Spanish football journalist, author and pundit Guillem Balague who will also be talking about his book ‘Brave New World – Inside Pochettino’s Spurs’ at the University.

Nicky enthusiastically says that he is sure this year’s festival will be another fantastic event. “We have a great hardworking team and every year brings new challenges, but I am really looking forward to showcasing Gibraltar and presenting this wonderful destination of ours to the wider world once again.”

ONLINE: WWW.GIBRALTARLITERARYFESTIVAL.COM / WWW.BUYTICKETS.GI VISIT WWW.GIBRALTARLITERARYFESTIVAL.COM FOR THE FULL LINE-UP OF SPEAKERS AND EVENTS.

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BEHIND THE SCENES

GIBRALTAR UNIVERSITY

Established as a university since September 2015, the last three years has seen expansion and growth that has secured its place at the heart of Gibraltar as an accessible centre for students within the community and for those from further afield, both regionally and internationally.

It took just eleven months from the concept to the completion of the building, as mentioned by Minister for Education Gilbert Licudi in his inauguration speech: “What was an idea not so long ago, has become a living, breathing and functioning institution.”

David Revagliatte, Lead for Communication & Marketing, took Insight’s Jo Ward ‘Behind the Scenes’ of the state-ofthe-art building situated at Europa Point that was built to include the cultural heritage of the two military buildings dating back to the 19th century that were located on the site.

The focal point of Gibraltar University is the impressive double height atrium that floods the main hall with natural light.

This central area houses the constantly manned reception desk and leads off to rooms used by administration staff.

“There is the Registry Department where we keep all the student records, and we also have a Student Experience Team who ensure that our students have a rewarding experience and achieve their educational goals when they are here,” David explains. This is also where anyone who has an enquiry about enrolling can come along for advice.

“Although we have a relatively small team of about twenty-five working here, we operate in the same way as any large university in the UK,” David states, “but, of course in a very Gibraltarian way.”

Resources available to the students and academics include full IT services and The Parasol Library where librarian Caroline Moss-Gibbons is on hand to help support them with user

training, assistance with information literacy or the citation of odd sources, such as Podcasts. Unlike a traditional library where shelves are lined with books, it is very much a 21st century space providing flexible access to information resources.

“There were two things that the university opened confidently with,” David says. “Our first intake of students took short courses, accounting (AAT) and law, aimed at working professionals in Gibraltar, and at the other end of the spectrum we started our PhD Research degree.” Next year will see the launch of the university’s own MBA and it is hoped that two new courses will also be added; the PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate in Education) and an MSc in Mediterranean Studies. Then there is the Europa Point language centre which opened earlier this year providing specialist language courses for both general and professional purposes. The core focus is on the English language professional sector, but there are also courses for anyone looking to learn Spanish.

“Our courses are very much guided by industry, and in that respect we have Key Advisory Groups made up of people from across Gibraltar’s business communities who guide a certain subject,” says David.

Walking through the atrium, past the conference centre and the boardroom, something that looks like the Tardis from Doctor Who sits proudly in a corner. This is, in fact, the historical Second Order optic that projected the beacon from the Europa Point Lighthouse, presented to the University by Trinity House after a re-engineering project. What is astounding is to peer inside and see the size of the bulb… it

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FEATURE is tiny! The beacon is a fitting symbol for the university as mentioned by Chief Minister Fabian Picardo at a ceremony to formally install Lord Luce as Chancellor. He said that the university expressed the “spirit of innovation, enterprise and learning. It has chosen the image of a lighthouse as its logo, not just because of its proximity to the nearby Trinity lighthouse, but because a lighthouse is primarily a beacon – an enduring symbol of light and understanding.”

Last year, the university announced the appointment of its inaugural Beacon Professors, Professor David Abulafia and Dr John Cortes. Beacon Professors are unique to the University of Gibraltar, the title being symbolic of their role to spread the light of knowledge, to inspire students and to illuminate their life paths. Professor Abulafia is a professor of Mediterranean history at Cambridge University and is internationally renowned for his seminal work The Great Sea: A Human History of the Mediterranean. Professor John Cortes, awarded an MBE for services to ecology and conservation, gave his inaugural lecture as a Beacon Professor on ‘Fragments of Paradise, Nature and Man in far-flung islands’.

David then takes me into the fully equipped simulation suite currently used by the GHA for their nursing degree students.

Although academic credit is currently awarded by Kingston University and St. Georges, there are future plans for the university to work in conjunction with Kingston University and the GHA to offer its own general nursing degree. The suite has been designed to replicate a real hospital environment and contains two beds, one of which is occupied by a dummy patient. There is even the ubiquitous old fashioned bedside chair for patients or visitors!

“We are still a young university,” explains David. “This means that we are looking at opportunities and adapting to the shifting needs in the services sector for the future.” Going forward, the university is exploring partnerships with UK universities to further develop their portfolio of courses to include hospitality degrees. In readiness for this, at the other end of the atrium, there is a professional kitchen kitted-out with gleaming stainless steel appliances and cutting-edge equipment. This can currently be hired out for cookery courses, food demonstrations or preparation for functions Walking down the stairs to the lower level of the atrium, the juxtaposition of old and new is evident with the contrasting white steel, glass balustrades and marble tiles set against the original brick vaults. The walls of the social areas are dotted with inspirational educational quotes from where a corridor of doors lead off to five seminar rooms, two lecture theatres and resource rooms.

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Concealed behind a secret door hidden in the walls of the atrium is a flight of stairs leading down to a cave. “This was part of the old military fortress that was found when they started to drill down during the construction of the building.”

The final stop on my tour is the science laboratory. “The fully equipped working lab is being used at the moment by one of our PhD research students looking at 3D triangulations,” David says. “As from September we have a new intake of Marine Science Master’s students who will be able to utilise the lab to assess, for example, samples taken from the Bay.” Acting Vice Chancellor Professor Catherine Bachleda confirms that Gibraltar is a new type of university representing accessibility for local and international students. “Ambitious and adaptable, we are building an institution that creates opportunity for our students, graduates and those who work with us” Professor Bachleda goes on to say that there is an emphasis on partnerships and collaboration that is at the heart of the university’s success as an institution. “It is through these re-

lationships that we are able to continually develop and grow – directly benefiting our students, the wider region and the partners we work with.”

“I have worked in a number of universities and we are very fortunate here that the team spirit is phenomenal,” she states. ““I think we all value being part of building something new here in Gibraltar, and the chance to be part of a university from the start is such a great opportunity.” Professor Bachleda continues by saying that most team members are juggling many balls and wearing many hats. “That adds to that sense of collegiality and working towards a common goal produces a really nice atmosphere.”

As we walk out into the inner courtyard, Professor Bachleda shows me the caretaker’s office. “This was the munitions store, where the ammunition was housed, and there are small openings in the wall where they used to stand candles to light the interior, because they couldn’t take a candle inside in case it ignited the ammunition,” she explains.

Of course, there is one thing that the modern campus at Gibraltar University has that won’t be found at many other universities. These are the spectacular panoramic views over the Strait and out towards Africa that give students a truly bespoke learning environment.

Find out more about Gibraltar University here: www.unigib.edu.gi

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YOU SHALL GO TO THE BALL

Gibraltar Cricket Club soldiered on and during those early 1900 years a local cricketer, John Hayward Jnr, began to make a name for himself in local cricket to become what’s been described as probably Gibraltar’s all time, `top cricketer!’ The game progressed through the years with perhaps less competition from the services for obvious reasons with the Gibraltar Cricket Club winning most of the matches they played.

Jumping ahead to the 1930s and cricket was becoming the ‘in’ thing in the world of local sport with many local cricketers coming to the fore with John Hayward leading the way. The Spanish Civil War didn’t affect local cricket which was not the case when WW2 broke out.

The `playing fields’ on the neutral

the Gibraltar Cricket Association was formed bringing together all local teams to face competition from the Combined Services sides. More cricket devotees like Willie Scott, the Perez family, the Valverdes and a few others came to the fore and kept the game alive prominently for locals, and by the end of the decade the GCA (changed to GCB, Board) was elected an Associate Member of the ICC, the International Cricket Conference – now Council.

The 70s saw the GCA compete with teams from abroad but young blood for the local game was attracted towards other sports on the Rock.

It seems the next two or three decades saw highs and lows regarding interest in cricket but a few stalwarts soldiered on to keep the

and hockey for example. Playing at international tournaments is part of their remit as is the case with our local Football and Basketball associations. Our National Team (Senior Squad) has recently competed in the ICC T20 Europe Qualifiers and performed well. “We are doing quite well and could probably do better if we had the facilities at home.”

Prominent GCB committee member, Mark Bacarese informs me, “At the moment we don’t have a playing field as works are ongoing at Europa Point. We have to travel a couple of hours up the coast to get a decent game. On occasions we can use the pitch at Devil’s Tower Camp but that’s MOD land and insurance cover is costly. We have practice nets and a pitch behind Victoria Sta-

game alive and batting! Combined Services opposition dwindled and the Hindu community presented a team as did other clubs like new club Calpe CC. The game wavered with wins and losses and Costa teams of ex-patriots joined in the fun when the Frontier re-opened.

Through the 90s, trips abroad to a number of countries by different GCB teams were undertaken certainly to the end of the century and beyond.

dium at the Bayside Sports Complex and that’s it.” Mark has been working full time for the GCB but now, despite Gibraltar being one of 150 member nations receiving financial support from the ICC, grants have decreased, maybe as a consequence of the works at Europa Point. “The thing is, even when the pitches and playing fields are ready they will be multi-use surfaces to accommodate football, rugby and cricket and the plastic type of surface being installed is not really suitable for playing cricket on. A hybrid surface would be ideal for our game.” Also, Mark tells me all sports are played for about 11 months a year now so booking slots may become tight! So

It’s encouraged in local schools – the Gibraltar Cricket Board (GCB) is recognised and enjoys membership of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the game has been played on the Rock for many, many years, but is it still the `Cinderella’ local sport?

The general view in the past, I think it’s true to say, was that cricket – not unlike rugby - was the domain of white collar, middle class-ish expats and locals playing quietly to the rhythm of slow claps on the Naval Grounds or at Europa Point playing fields. You could say it was almost an exclusive sport.

Today in the UK, it has become the second most played sport and has definitely become much noisier, as can be seen by watching rowdy fans on TV attending test matches at the Oval and other grounds. The game seems to have grabbed the interest of a more diverse group of aficionados across social classes everywhere. It’s now promoted locally in schools and the number of cricket enthusiasts donning the white tops and pants and taking to `batting, bowling and fielding’ has increased substantially. “We now have 12 teams which means well over 150 individuals are playing cricket,” Gibraltar cricket’s Mark Bacarese informs me. “Sports development programmes in schools are encouraged and they all have cricket in their sports periods.” Thanks to those PE teachers and other cricket aficionados, Mark says further interest in the game began to build around the mid 90s when Finance Centre and online gaming employees working here helped to give the game a boost. But cricket has been played for many, many years in Gibraltar even as far back to when the Great Siege was over, matches began to be played on the `Neutral Ground,’ much more familiar to us these days as the airport runway!

Yes, during the early 1800s civilians of the Gibraltar Cricket Club challenged the officers of the garrison and it could be said cricket took a hold as teams were formed. World War 1 disrupted cricket and other field sports no doubt, but the

ground became the airfield and the game practically came to a halt. The Alameda Grand Parade made do for a while until a cricket ground was provided adjacent to the airfield where the Victoria Stadium stands today. There were many names that made the mark during those years: John Hayward, Charles Norton, Nemmie Cortes, John Jones and E Benyunes amongst others. During the 1950s the local Grammar School contributed a number of good players too, the Civil Service also, and whilst the Gibraltar Cricket Club still ruled the roost, young talented fellows were close behind proving worthy competition. The 1960s period brought with it a change when

Over time, competition has continued in World and European Championships for the now named GCB, THE Gibraltar Cricket Board, but I think some may say it always kept a low profile compared to football

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INSIGHT we have to wait and see when it’s ready whether the surface is suitable or not.

Notwithstanding, the game is certainly kept alive and kicking with women increasingly having taken an interest in cricket way back in 2011, and already two young coach awards have been presented to a couple of young ladies by the ICC. Training is of course essential as with every sport and sessions are held at the Bayside Sports Complex. There’s a midweek one which includes a social league for anyone wanting to have a bash, there’s a Junior League, Women’s League, the Weekend League for the more senior players and there’s also indoor cricket to practice which involves

fewer players not unlike futsal. Mark has also been busy preparing a `Strategic Plan’ soon to be presented which is suited to smaller nations explaining how to manage cricket in places like Gibraltar.

By and large cricket is up and running on the Rock but I wonder – even as a distant observer and not being a sports fan, so I may be wrong – why does it only enjoy a low profile. Representations to bodies and departments concerned, Mark is proud to maintain, are dealt with in a cordial and civilised manner, never resorting to social media or other means to grab more attention with a view to highlighting their plight.

UEFA

So does the `Cinderella of local sport’ need to be less of a sport of undeserved neglect and more of an important Gibraltar team-game with a great pedigree on the Rock – deserving of much higher recognition?

A WELCOME REPLACEMENT FOR MEANINGLESS FRIENDLIES

NATIONS LEAGUE HISTORY will ensure that Russia 2018 rightly takes its place at the head of the World Cup roll of honour when, despite all the dire doomsayer pre-tournament predictions, Moscow produced an absolute firecracker of an event that excited and delighted football fans worldwide as France, finally, buried their internal squabbles and gelled together brilliantly to claim victory and lift the Cup in style.

The summer wildfire that swept through the planet’s pubs, clubs and living rooms has subsided but the dying embers still ensure a warm afterglow. Magical memories that will live long; the highlight for me being the emergence onto the world stage of the mesmerising Mbappe, the 19-year-old sensation who, more than any other, was the inspiration that fired Les Bleus to World Cup glory.

Much has been written of England’s performance in reaching the semi-final, the consensus being that the boys did well, but a few critics claiming that it could have been so much better – having outplayed and taken the lead against Croatia, before defensive frailties late on meant the Cup wasn’t ‘coming home’ after all.

The inaugural UEFA Nations League has given England the perfect opportunity to avenge that semi-final defeat, having been grouped in League A with the Croats and Spain. England travel to Rijeka on Friday, October 12, where a win is vital, having lost their opening game 2-1 at home to the Spanish, if they are to retain any hope of qualifying for next summer’s last four shootout. Three days later, Southgate’s soldiers are in Seville for the return game against Spain and it will require a herculean effort in the Benito Villamarin cauldron if England is to put right the Wembley defeat.

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Spain, looking for compensation after their dismal dismissal in the World Cup, could hardly have started better, walloping Croatia 6-0 to add to their England win and now look long oddson to qualify for next June’s finals.

Elsewhere, in League B, Wales will be hopeful of building on their 4-1 home thrashing of Ireland when they travel to Dublin on Tuesday, 16th October for the return fixture. It will be a surprise if the Taffs fail to do the double, especially given the hair-raising accounts of dressing room dust-ups between Ireland’s assistant manager Roy Keane and a couple of the players.

Also in League B, Northern Ireland, having lost their opening fixture at home to Bosnia and Herzegovina, now faces two daunting away games in October; Austria in Vienna and the return Bosnia fixture in Sarajevo.

Scotland, having beaten Albania 2-0 at home in their opening fixture, already have one eye on promotion from League C. The Jocks are away to a poor Israel side on 11th October and must fancy their chances of having a 100 percent record going into November’s vital games.

Gibraltar know that upwards can be the only direction in League D as they are ranked 55th of the 55 competing nations. Unfortunately, 2-0 losses in both their opening fixtures – at home to Macedonia and away to Liechtenstein – highlight how tough this group will be. Away to Armenia on Saturday, 13th October and the return game against Liechtenstein at Victoria Stadium three days later are certainly games that could and should yield points.

Come on Gibraltar

A quick guide UEFA’S 55 nations have been split into four leagues determined by their ranking at the end of World Cup 2018 qualifying, with League A consisting of the top 12 nations, League B the next 12, League C the next 15 and finally, the remaining 16 in League D.

League A

is divided into four groups of three. The teams in each group will play each other on a round robin home and away basis with the four group winners meeting in semi-finals and final next summer. The bottom placed team in each group will be relegated to League B.

League B

is also divided into four groups of three with the winners being promoted to League A and bottom nation of each group relegated to League C.

League C

is divided into three groups of four and one group of three, with the four top teams promoted and the four worst sides relegated.

League D

is divided into four groups of four, with the four best teams promoted to League C. Of the Home Nations, England are in League A and grouped with Spain and Croatia. Wales and Northern Ireland occupy League B with Wales grouped with neighbours Ireland and Denmark, and Northern Ireland crossing swords with Austria and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Scotland are grouped in League C with Albania and Israel.

Last, but certainly not least, Gibraltar are ensconced in League D, and their group opponents are Macedonia, Armenia and Liechtenstein.

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INSIGHT

QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS DAY

THE GOURMET CATERING AND EVENTS TROPHY The 2018-19 Med Golf season got off to a cracking start at the Benalup 5-Star Fairplay Golf and Spa resort on Sunday 2nd September 2018 as members contested the Gourmet Catering and Events Trophy.

PARADISE FOR THE PUNTER! BRITISH Champions Day, the most lucrative day’s racing in English Flat Racing history, takes place at Ascot on Saturday, 20th October when the elite thoroughbred athletes of Europe come under starter’s orders for six glorious races that will establish who are the top dogs of the Sport of Kings. This is the eighth year that this most prestigious event will be run, when the horse racing superstars of Britain, France and Ireland converge to do battle, eyeball to eyeball, to discover who will be crowned QIPCO British Champions of 2018.

Steeped in history, Ascot Racecourse is the hallowed turf upon which this most eagerly awaited season’s finale is played out; when Europe’s equine finest compete not just for top honours but for a share of total prize money of £4,350,000. Good to see that Horse Racing has eschewed the current craze to pay prize money in Uncle Sam dollars and continues to pay winnings in sterling, unlike other sports such as golf, tennis and increasingly football, whose administrators all seem frozen in fear that the imminent birth of Brexit may trigger a catastrophic collapse of the pound.

but should my Second Coming be measured by sporting success in this life, I fear my return to Earth would be much more likely to be as Steptoe and Son’s cart-pulling gelding Hercules, rather than as the legendary stallion!

Another great name from Champions Day is Further Flight who won the Long Distance Cup an astonishing five years in a row, and ensured that the popular grey became a great favourite with the betting public. Alas for Further Flight though, unlike Frankel’s harem of eager and very fit fillies, for him there was no retirement to the delights of stud duty as, having suffered the unkindest cut of all, not a single lady came calling!

Racing’s hierarchy likes to perpetuate the myth that the sport’s integrity is very much intact and that daily, every horse in every race is straining every sinew with a lung-bursting will to win – well, any punter not disabused early of such fanciful fiction will by now be rueing their loss of innocence and eyeing empty bank accounts. So I warmly welcome British Champions Day – an honest test to unveil the best - when the superstars of Europe come together on Ascot’s green fields to go head to head, nose to nose, to establish who will be crowned Kings and Queens of the Turf and earn their owners record prizemoney and mind boggling wealth when the victorious retire to the breeding barns.

NEWS

The champion of the day and winner of the Gourmet Catering and Events Trophy and a 60 Med Golf voucher was Andrew Brown (handicap 27) with 35 Stableford points, beating Nicholas Farr on handicap (handicap 28) also with 35 points. The results gave Andrew back-to-back victories in only his second event as he won the Med Golf Omega Pharmacy Trophy on his debut at La Ca ada in July.

Andrew also won the team prize along with Mark Henderson with a combined score of 69 points.

The best gross score of 79 was posted by Matthew Bruce-Smith who was also the Category 1 winner with

a score of 34 points, and he had the best gross score on the Par 3 holes of level par and won a nearest to the pin prize.

Category 3 (handicap 23 and above): Lee Scares took the runner up prize with 30 points and the winner with 35 points was Nicholas Farr.

John Hunter had the longest drive and won a nearest to the pin prize, whilst the best senior was Mike Cowburn with a score of 32 points.

Nearest the pin winners were: Matthew Bruce-Smith, Russell Eldridge, John Hunter, and Nick Pyle. Anthony Bull was nearest the pin in 2 on a par 4 and Michael Byrne was winner of nearest the pin in 3 on a par 5.

Handicap category prizes won were: Category 1 (handicaps 0 to 12): The runner up with a score of 34 points was Mark Henderson (handicap 11) with a score of 34 points and the winner on handicap, also with 34 points was Matthew Bruce-Smith (handicap 4).

Category 2 (handicaps 13 to 22): Matthew Robinson was runner up with a score of 31 points and the winner was Jason Roberts with 33 points.

The prizes were presented by Med Golf’s Camille Benezrah and Judith Aguilar.

Guests are welcome at all events and although they are not eligible to win the trophy or category prizes, they can win the many mini-competition prizes and even a best guest prize if warranted by numbers and the scorecard draw at the end of the prize presentation.

While there’s nothing of the calibre of Frankel or Further Flight in this year’s extravaganza, there are some potential superstars straining to reach the status of the legendary duo. The opening event, the Long Distance Cup, features one such rising star in Stradivarius, who I expect to make sweet music whilst repelling a strong Irish challenge. Next up is the Sprint Stakes where I will burden that refugee from The Wizard of Oz, The Tin Man, with my tenner and, carrying on the musical theme, I’m hopeful La Ti Dar can hit the highest note in the Fillies & Mares Stakes.

At this stage, it’s difficult to predict the outcomes of the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and Champion Stakes as many of the top horses have entries in both races, but whichever contest is chosen I’m confident that Roaring Lion will be crowned King of the Turf. This warrior steed, unlike Oz’s Cowardly Lion, is all heart and carries my £25 to win the Champion Stakes, with its first prize of £737,230 and to take a giant step on the road that leads to the blissful romance of the stud farm.

Frankel, untroubled winner of all 14 of his races at the highest level and universally acclaimed as the greatest Flat racehorse of all time, was crowned British champion in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes in 2011 and concluded his spectacular career after winning the Champion Stakes at this event the following year. Then it was off to stud in Newmarket for the superstar, where only the most fragrant fillies with impeccable credentials are entertained - over 130 conjugal visits a season at a knee-trembling fee of £175,000 a date. ‘Luvly jubbly’ as my favourite entrepreneur Del Boy is fond of saying.

At the time of writing, my advice is to keep your powder dry and wait until Non Runner No Bet markets become available, usually a week or so pre-race day, before placing a bet.

Good luck all

As a believer in reincarnation, I would relish a return to the pampered lifestyle of the racehorse,

SATURDAY 20TH OCTOBER, 1ST RACE 1.25PM (BST). ALL RACES LIVE ON ITV AND RACING UK

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IT’S STUDY TIME

Once more S

ummer’s certainly over now and schooldays are back in earnest. It’s really not the end of the world and it takes no time to get back into the routine of an early rise, the bathroom run, uniform on (and don’t forget the tie), quick breakfast and away you go. It’s been a few weeks now, you walk back home with a friend and everything’s back to normal!

on to the next grade and wondering who your new form teacher would be. But it passes and all is fine. However, a couple of youngsters I spoke to claimed they don’t think about the school return. They tell me the holiday goes by quite quickly, even for those on higher exams who finished their term early. They said they only start talking about it a couple of days before that actual `getting up for school morning’ appears!

Maybe not exactly like that for some. Yes, it can be a little traumatic. The lead up to `school return’ on the last few holidays can be unhappy ones dreading the arrival of that unwelcomed day! When I was young, summer holidays seemed to go on forever and going back to school was miles away. When the day came it was a little scary moving

Today, youngsters in particular I feel, seem more mature and realise that’s the way it is, there’s some learning to do and GCSEs and `A’ levels are not a figment of their imagination. They’re real, so they have to `get down and get with it’ and do their best... speaking of which, results of those will already have set wheels in motion, having cho-

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BUSINESS INSIGHT Women in Business once again played host to the IWD dinner on Thursday 8th March, at the stunning Bistro Point restaurant located at the University of Gibraltar.

The Key note speaker this year was Dineen Garcia who was the former vice president of diversity at Macy’s Department store in the USA. Dineen was interviewed

by One Media & Events CEO Denise Matthews and the conversational and personal presentation was both inspiring and informative.

WIB Chair Janet Brear, opened the dinner with a welcome speech and in the spirit of this year’s International Women’s Day theme ‘Press for Progress’ announced The dinner was attended by 100 that WIB Gibraltar would be guests, including the Rt Hon Salaunching an equality study to mantha Sacramento MP, represenexamine the equal status of tatives from the Ministry for Equalwomen in local businesses and ity, The Vice Chancellor Daniella professions. Minister for EqualTilbury and representatives from ity, Samantha Sacramento also the University of Gibraltar, Ayelet addressed the guests and took Shay, the Chair from Gibraltar Isthe opportunity to announce her rael Chamber of Commerce, The ministry’s mentoring programme American Chamber of Commerce, to provide positive and inspiring Gibraltar Women’s Association, role models for local women. MenGirls in Tech, Start Up Grind and toring is a vital part in supporting HOST INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY DINNER Her Worship the Mayor, Kaiane Alwomen and we would encourage dorino Lopez. Attendees also inour members to get involved with this project either as mentors cluded The Chronicle, GBC, and a range of finance, legal, insuror mentees. ance and gaming professions, local businesses and charity leads.

sen universities, setting off to them and beginning a new life: the next learning curve on the road to becoming a responsible adult, in other words!

Eyeing up your favourite boy or girl on Catalan Bay during the summer break may have been gratifying but now it’s the real thing, brain in gear and going for it and those `young lovey-dovey moments’ should be put on the back burner, at least for now. You’ve worked hard, fared well when you ripped open the brown envelope and here you are. GCSE youngsters will now be beginning to ponder – judging by the grades they achieved – what to go for and concentrate on over the next two years, and for those who did not do so well, the forlorn expressions of sadness and disappointment and, in some

beginning to discover the start of their future, adult life called...`Welcome to my world’, otherwise known as, ‘Reality’! It’s all part of that never ending learning curve called `life as it is’ which now moves up a notch or 50... which I’m sure returnees and graduates everywhere probably now understand.

Further down the age scale, younger children may have moved on to a new school, moving on from Primary to Middle or from Middle to Secondary (to Westside for girls, Bayside for boys, or Prior Park for both). I think it’s true to say that by now that stress or worrying about not knowing what school life will be like in a new building, new route to get there and back home and all the new children to meet and

WOMEN IN BUSINESS

Following on from last year’s successful dinner, WIB once again encouraged local businesses to sponsor a student to attend the dinner and 8 students in total from West Side school and Gibraltar College were able to attend the evening event. Sponsors included The Mayor of Gibraltar, EY, Deloittes, Addison Global and NetEnt.

The event proved once again to be a great opportunity for professional networking, sharing and exchanging of ideas. Women in Business in Gibraltar seek to provide a networking platform which connects, shares and inspires likeminded women. They hold monthly breakfasts as well as seminars on informative and helpful topics for professional women.

cases the trauma, will have subsided.

There’s a new tomorrow and maybe a chance to have another go at better results next time round. And it all happens in the lead up to the autumn term which is now up and running. Still early into their first few weeks at university, reminiscences about what fun they had during the hols at home and on the beach begin to wane as university life, meeting new people from other countries, the change of lifestyle and location make you realise that yes, this is different! Meanwhile there are those whose degrees are done and dusted and have returned, or not, and having enjoyed their summer too, are beginning to find jobs or have been trying to - as it’s not an automatic `given’ that a job will be waiting for you simply because your studies have ended and you’re armed with a degree. They are

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having to start to build on friendships with kids arriving from other schools or abroad, will have subsided: schoolwork will surely occupy your mind as concentration becomes more serious and intense. All of the thoughts that may create a worrying time just before the early September date are now gone, hopefully, and another phase of school life begins; a happy few years of one’s young life in most cases, from my experience.

What about the teachers, mums and dads, how are they feeling at this time?

As far as parents are concerned, `glad to be rid of them’, I hear voices exclaim - jokingly of course! After all its been six or seven weeks of summer and they’ve been giving mum more work than ever, untidy bedrooms, more washing with extra going out clothes,

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beach ware and towels a-plenty and more pocket money being requested.

Dad too has been expected to ` drive me here and pick me up from there’ on an almost daily basis (and pocket money demanded from him also).

So the `quiet’ in the home was sadly missed during summer time but now they’re back at school and the grind continues for another term, the clock on the wall says they will soon return from school, and it’s all to do with the healthy spirit of family life and our kids going through what we’ve all been through – growing up!’ Yes, it’s another term and things are back to normal.

Teachers are back to work too, lest we forget, and they will have spent the run up to the autumn term preparing for it. We often say, `aren’t teachers lucky with all those holidays throughout the year just like the kids.’ But is it, just like the kids? Just give a thought to those starting out: first term for them too: `instructors of learning,’ taking their first term in a classroom full of noisy children. There will have been slight apprehensions there too but as with the kids now getting on with it, one retired teacher who’s still called in on occasions for his expertise, informed me, “Many don’t realise that when the school day is over we rarely go home when the children leave. There’s marking and preparation of lessons to get on with whilst the classroom is silent and peaceful.” Clearly it’s part of life’s cycle for all of us, and for the children attending school, the start or continuation of that road, leading to adulthood and maturity.

So it’s all good and in a couple of months when the year ends and the new one comes rushing in – don’t forget, time flies, it’s around the corner – the Christmas celebrations will have left us, it’ll be 2019 which I’m sure will be `Brexit Big One’ for the politicians and soon after that, just a few months in, it will be holiday time once more, with Alice Cooper’s less than dulcet tones heralding, `School’s Out (for summer)’ blasting out of a radio somewhere. Then it’ll be beach time once again and our children will no doubt be a little wiser, certainly a little older and hopefully more academically enlightened... and worldly!

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FEATURE

FEATURE

THE Spain, circa 1618, to defend his coast.

The Devil’s Tower was erected on the isthmus between the foot of the Rock and the base of the Sierra Carbonera.

The instability of the sandy soil of the isthmus, flooded periodically by rain, by the rising tides and by the effect of waves, resulted in its builders deciding to erect the watchtower upon a two meter rock which rose close to the north eastern face of the rock. In the nineteenth century the sand reached its base and boats passed close by.

Its position as a watchtower, at the foot of the escarpment, seems strange as it was at sea level disregarding the huge rock which rises behind, with a much larger field of view. However, the frequent cloud which comes with the Levant, covers the top of the Rock, reducing the visibility and does not affect the Tower, from where it was possible to continue the watch under these conditions. The proximity of the coast and the existence from time immemorial of tuna fishing off the coast justified its existence.

TOWER A TRANSLATION FROM

“LA MONTANA INEXPUGNABLE”

By Angel J Saez Rodrigues Instituto de Estudios Campogibraltareño Translated from Spanish

by Freddie Gomez and Paul Baker, with the author’s permission

Some authors have proposed, without any foundation, that this tower originated from Cathaginian or Islamic times.

Its earliest illustration is earlier than the famous drawing of the Bay by Van den Wyngaerde from 1567 in which the Rock is depicted in the middle of that century. The first written records are of “a Tower of the Devils” in which two guards were accommodated. It was repaired around 1627, when it was called “The Naval Tower” or watch tower.

The Minister of War, Bravo de Acuña explained in the seventeenth century, that the Tower’s proximity to the shore provided a watch over any landings on the eastern coast. This area, around the Devil’s Tower, was also especially vulnerable, requiring constant vigilance due to its proximity to North Front (Puerta de Tierra).

Flattened in the second world war, its existence was recorded on two plaques, the first read “This stone marks the site of Devil’s Tower demolished in 1940” whilst the other laid as the result of work by Dorothy Ellicott, read

Its common name has been The Devil’s Tower or Tower of the Devils from at least the sixteenth century, changed by the more religious to Tower of the Angels or Guardian Angel (Angel de la Guarda) during part of the seventeenth century, alluding perhaps to the effectiveness of these towers in detecting enemy vessels. It has also been named Tower of Eastern Beach (Torre del Mar de Levante). The return to its original name came about following the conquest of Gibraltar by the English, who started producing charts which finally restored it as Devil’s Tower. The English never used any other term after learning its original name. From then on it was described as ”a light tower which standith on the isthmus”. The maps in other languages called it Le Tour du Diable, Teufels Thurn or Torra del Diablo.

It remained thus through the eighteenth, nineteenth and until it was destroyed in the twentieth century.

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This nomenclature (Devil or Diablo) is not unusual in Gibraltar nor in food storage towers in Andalucia. On the west coast of Gibraltar existed the Devils Point now covered by urban reclamation and the port, which included the Old Mole. Similar names can be found in the south west of Gibraltar, between Buena Vista and Europa Point such as “The Devil’s Bowling Green” the Spanish name of which is unknown. The Gibraltar Directory of 1917 proposed an explanation which read: “The name comes from the Italian “dividing,” referring to a frontier or boundary which corrupted into Diavolo or Diablo. This is unlikely as the term could not come from an English source as it has been proved that the name was used by the Spanish from as early as the sixteenth century.

“The Devil’s Tower stood on a rocky base nearby until demolished in 1940 to clear a line of fire, possibly constructed by the Moors in the11th century. Its masonry suggests an earlier date than the string of towers built by Philip III of OCTOBER 2018

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Here the error is attributing the construction to Philip III when it is generally considered to be Philip II. Drawings are relatively abundant for a tower that no longer exists, providing us with detailed information of its appearance from the eighteenth century. The military repair and maintenance programme carried out on the tower for the 1727 siege is the most accurate source of information on the appearance of the building, with care to detail provided by the military engineers of the eighteenth century.

Luis Bravo de Lagunas, during his visit to these coasts in 1577, indicated in Town Council meeting on the 8th of March of that same year, “Here is the little tower which is called of the Devil very close to the three rocks” is therefore earlier than the series of Phillip’s signal towers.

Its prominent position in the open expanse of sand made it also a reference point necessary on military maps of this area.

During the Franco Spanish siege of 1704 directed by General Marques de Villadarias, between the work on defences ordered by the Governor of Gibraltar Hesse-darmstadt was work on fortifying the area around the tower with a loop holed defensive wall and double trench and fortified by artillery.

When the siege was raised, with the withdrawal of the Austrian pretenders, and a new Emperor of Austria, following the death in April 1711 of Joseph I, temporary peace returned to the area.

Colonel Congreve, taking the provisions in Article X of the Treaty of Utrecht to the letter, ordered the occupation of the tower where he installed a signal cannon, initiating diplomatic discusGIBRALTARINSIGHT.COM

sions between the countries which have still not been satisfactorily settled. The cease fire covered the city and fortress of Gibraltar as well as the port and the respective fortifications and Devil’s Tower was mentioned

by Gibraltar for the safety of the City. Thus it could be considered as one of its defences. On the other hand, in the spirit of the Treaty, the cease fire should not go any further than the boundaries of the town, fortifications and port.

During the 1727 siege, the English lookout which had been located in the tower had to be abandoned and was occupied by the Spanish. In these times the tower was a hideous gallows from which deserters from the besiegers were hung after being captured trying to reach Gibraltar.

In 1805, when the Spanish troops were billeted in San Roque and the surrounding area waiting, to start a new attack on Gibraltar, with the help of the French, a British patrol was captured near Devil’s Tower, General Castanos the Chief of the Spanish Forces, ordered they be freed immediately, as a sign of the cordial relations he maintained with his supposed enemy, General Dalrymple.

The defensive needs of Gibraltar during the Second World War made it necessary to demolish the Tower in 1940 or 1941, carried out

by British military engineers.

The strange survival of this structure throughout the fighting during the sieges of the eighteenth century and not peppered with shot from the combatants can only be explained by its position at the edge of the main fighting area The drawing was carried out by the military engineers from the Main Barracks of the Spanish Army in San Roque on the 22nd of October 1727, describing the OCTOBER 2018

building in detail. It refers to a cylindrical tower of eight meters height, a diameter of four meters and thin walls. A third of the inside was solid using the rocks on which it was constructed and upon which the foundation was laid. There was no door. Access was through a window whose sill was set five meters above the sand and opened onto a narrow circular floor and a vaulted ceiling. On the opposite wall was a window made into an embrasure. The window could only be reached using a long portable ladder. The old flat roof was converted into a second floor so that it could be used as a defence platform. A trap door was opened in the arched roof and a ladder used to gain access. A new floor was made by increasing the old battement and finished with a parapet slightly raised and roofed to protect its occupants from the weather. The roofing will have raised the height of the building to 11.5 meters above the ground. It had ten wooden loopholes all around the walls which converted it into a veritable fort for musketeers. These were inclined to combat attacks around the walls even enabling covering fire to be given to the rocks on which it was built.

The edifice was similar to the Torre del Puerco (Pig’s Tower) or Tower of Chiclana, coastal watch tower situated on the extreme south of the municipality of Chiclana de la Frontera. This is at least from the sixteenth century and is related to fishing activities in the Dukedom of Medina Sidonia. The Duke of Medina Sidonia also had dealings with the tuna fishing on the eastern coast of Gibraltar which could account for the building of this tower to protect the work of his employees as well as to keep a watch on the tuna as was the habit in those days.

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INSPIRATIONAL GIBRALTARIANS

Nathan Payas When you are ranked 8th fastest ever, out of the 200 Triple Crown swimmers recorded, it means you are in an elite club of very determined and successful athletes who have swum the English Channel, the Catalina Strait in the US and the 20 Bridges New York swim. You have swum for over 26 punishing hours in those three endurance challenges and you are still itching to notch up another win.

How does an accountant, now in senior management, balance all this with family life and training? Success comes at a price and invariably always through hard work and speaking to Nathan Payas, our inspirational Gibraltarian, who was also a successful professional opera singer for many years, the story that unfolds here is itself inspiring.

“I was interested in classical music from a very early age. I played piano throughout my youth and in my teens I joined Rock bands and through imitating singers from bands like Pearl Jam and Stone Temple Pilots, I discovered that I could project my voice in an operatic way. It was a discovery of how to express emotion without screaming in a clear, controlled way. In 1997 I went to university and studied piano. My objective was to become a music teacher, but when I went for my degree I needed a second instrument. I started to sing classical music and my tutor then suggested that I should take voice as my first instrument because it had more potential than my piano playing, although I was an ok pianist.”

‘SWIMMING GIVES ME MENTAL REST AND BALANCE. IT’S A SENSE OF BEING AT ONE WITH NATURE; IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT THE CHALLENGE BUT ABOUT A FIX WHICH I NEED. IT HAS NOW BECOME A WAY OF LIFE’.

Things moved very quickly from that point as Nathan sang at concerts in Hull and started to get noticed.

The year he obtained his degree he did a summer course in New York and then went to study voice in Indiana. At age 21, he debuted as ‘Il Duca’ in Verdi’s Rigoletto, a big operatic achievement, which took place in Bloomington, Indiana. He followed that with performances in Florida, Evansville, Kentucky and other US locations but then decided to move to Austria, the cradle of classical music.

“I lived in Austria for several years and from there travelled to many places including Italy, Germany, Japan, Spain, Turkey and Ireland in singing roles, concerts and recitals. I sang in twenty two fully staged operatic productions including Verdi, Puccini, Mozart, Ravel and Salieri before I decided that there was little stability in that world of auditions and travelling. My first daughter was born in 2007 (Zoe now 10, Alba is 8) and coming from a comfortable and stable Gibraltarian background, I found it difficult to contemplate continuing to bring up a family in that world.”

Nathan made a new career choice. He researched accounting because he reckoned that it would be a stable profession, so he came back here in 2008 and started two years of number crunching, which he didn’t enjoy and which led him to take up teaching voice privately. At one stage he had fourteen pupils under his wing but the singing aspiration had not yet left him so he went back for a last try at music in Vienna. He spent a year there, working as a singer, but the cost of living there was higher than the income and he was unable to bring the family over. A game change was needed and it came in the shape of a timely offer to work for Baker Tilly in a managerial role. Early 2014 he passed all his ACCA exams after intensive study over two years because he felt he had to ‘catch up’ and overtake his younger counterparts to qualify for his new role. He is now working at EY as Senior Manager in Advisory Services and is extremely happy and always feels challenged and fulfilled.

Throughout his singing life, swimming was always in the background as a way of keeping fit and swimming 1.5 kilometers (in pools) two or three times a week was normal. In 2012 he joined the local Bluefin Open Water Swimming Club and he kept challenging himself to swim for longer times in deepest winter (February has the coldest water temperatures here, 11-13 degrees). He was inspired by a number of local swimmers who had swum the Strait of Gibraltar and soon set about swimming

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INSPIRATIONAL GIBRALTARIANS around the Rock various times where he discovered that he could swim for a long time at a steady speed and always kept shaving time off his previous attempts.

He attempted a double swim around the Rock which he completed in 6hrs 33mins. It came after his first single Strait crossing swim and that gave him the confidence to attempt the English Channel which would mean another three hours (over 9 hrs.) of swimming in 16 degree waters. “You can eat a banana or a soft cereal bar and drink during a swim but always treading water. If you hold on to the support boat you are disqualified”.

“I practiced for that during my long swims here. If you drink carbohydrate powder mixed with hot water it can help your resistance to the cold. I was very well prepared for the English Channel swim, I had practiced swimming over six hours in 15 degrees water here, in Gib, and even though I was daunted by the challenge, my intense preparation got me through the swim in good shape. Any swim over five hours is painful, you really have to block out pain. In my experience anything over six hours is extremely painful. In training you also have to train your mind never to be satisfied that you have done enough, that’s where support and encouragement from family comes in.” Ariella his wife and parents John and Christine are his rock. “They know you can do more even when you think you want to get out of the water. That allows you to go further and further, each session.”

When Nathan took on the Catalina Strait challenge in the US earlier this year he knew he would get in the water

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at 11pm and have to swim throughout the night to conquer it. He made landfall in the morning. Swimming in the dark is even more challenging as you swim into obstacles like seaweed, wood, flotsam, loads of plastics and in his case fish ‘nibbling’ at his toes.

He had to overcome fear and push on.

He was also stung by jellyfish along the way. That takes guts and focused determination, which makes him brave and inspirational. It goes without saying that he is also extremely competitive.

He always stresses the point that his full concentration is on the support boat which keeps a more direct route, but the currents, wind and waves always conspire to push the swimmer in other directions.

tery Point, and this time Nathan Payas smashed it by coming in first in 7 hours 21minutes. This has placed him in the long swims database of fastest swimmers, when the combined number of hours notched up in the Channel Swim, the Catalina Strait Swim and the Twenty Bridges Swim are reckoned. He is now ranked in 8th position and a close look at the times of those above him will reveal that he is very competitively placed to climb further.

Nathan swims bilaterally, every stroke using the same energy on each head turn and not wasting energy at all.

The aim is to achieve symmetry which makes you more streamlined and prevents injuries. “If you get distracted from your swimming for two minutes, that alone can add another hour to your swim time so it’s crucial that you follow your pilot as he/she is trying to get you through what are your best options to make headway. I think about every stroke and can’t allow myself any distraction. I am monitoring my body to see if I need more sugar or more warmth by way of feeds and drink and I keep the boat in my sights always. It’s really exhausting when you also have to avoid swallowing fumes from your support boat as that is dangerous and could cut your swim down.”

ing four recognized ocean swims from the Oceans Seven – Molokai, Tsuguru, North Channel and Cook Strait. I am also considering a swim around Jersey”.

In order to achieve Triple Crown status as an elite swimmer there was a still a 46 kilometer swim around the Island of Manhattan in New York, which started at the river’s most difficult start, Bat-

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“With Twenty Bridges I could have been better prepared even though I managed to come first and that makes me think back to the English Channel Swim for which I was in peak condition, so I am now researching the remain-

Why is he looking at the next epic big swim which may see him climb further up the rankings of the elite? Legends always challenge themselves. What he has achieved in life at 39 is already inspirational, but the motivational drive behind one of the nicest and most humble people that I have ever interviewed is a quiet force to be reckoned with and his name as a local sports hero is revered here. However he feels that he needs to be better, because legends aren’t born, they are made through sheer hard work and they are, in any field, always a source of inspiration. Nathan Payas we salute you for your remarkable achievements thus far and look forward with national pride to your future ones

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It was founded in August by Rosalina Oliva - herself a survivor of ‘not a happy childhood’, an abusive relationship, and struggling with depression as a result after she watched the poignant anti-domestic abuse campaign video shot

by Ideal Productions, starring the Mrs. Gibraltar beauty pageant contestants.

focuses primarily on sexual harassment, while Never Alone includes, but doesn’t limit itself to, sexual abuse, and Women In Need offers accommodation to those in difficult circumstances, regardless of whether they’re escaping an abusive relationship (although this is the truth alas in the majority of cases).

“My little sister Carla Sedgwick participated, and she was crowned second princess,” says Rosalina proudly, who at the moment is the ‘face’ of the new group, considering herself personable and approachable anytime by anyone in need of information, advice, or a friend to confide in, under sworn confidentiality.

The group’s main message is that leaving an abusive relationship is indeed hard but it can be done, and it takes a lot of courage, especially when the abuse isn’t as conspicuous as broken bones and bruised eyes, and one may be misunderstood in one’s motivations. In fact, most women find it difficult to be believed, and even if badly injured they seldom attend A&E in fear that the abuse will escalate.

Since its inception, the Facebook private group has already gathered over twenty members. In one respect, this is great, because it shows how victims are taking the first important step of recognising their situation as unhealthy, and are distancing themselves from it, but on the other hand it shows how abuse is widespread even in a place usually regarded as safe, as Gibraltar is painted to be.

“We are not professionals in any way so we cannot offer counseling at the moment, although we are liaising with GibSams, and looking into encouraging any GP who may spot warning signs in their patients to refer them to us,” she says. “If we can help each other, we will, perhaps only as an empathetic ear, or in practical ways to make your transition as smooth as possible when you decide to leave the abusive relationship. This is the hardest decision to make, I know, but you should always have your best interest in mind as soon as you realise you are a victim, even more so if children are involved.”

Never Alone is inviting anyone suspicious about their friends becoming withdrawn, elusive, moody, indecisive or over-critical about themselves to question them about what is going on in their lives and, if in doubt, to report it to the relevant authorities: “Your concern can save lives!

Don’t be indifferent to your gut feeling: if you reckon something is wrong with your friends or neighbours, alert the police.”

What about the risk of gaining a reputation for being a busybody or finding your friend’s abuser on your doorstep ‘sharing his love’ with you too? The first is surely less permanent collateral damage than being an accessory to grievous bodily harm, and for the latter, be aware that anonymous reports are investigated as long as there is consistent evidence to validate them.

The group is looking forward to working together with likeminded charities like No Means No and Women In Need especially in their educational campaigns in schools or when lobbying with the Ministry for Equality for financial and logistical support to the victims. However, Rosalina notes how No Means No

Despite most victims being women, psychological abuse doesn’t spare men either, Rosalina explains: “There’s a thread on social media with the hashtag #SheDoesntHitMeBut that tells how several men are held at emotional ransom with threats like ‘I won’t allow you to see the children ever again!’ or sent guilt-tripping with the clingy cliché ‘I’ll die if you leave me!’… Any serious form of psychological or physical control or manipulation for personal gain, ignoring the victim’s wellbeing, is considered a form of abuse, and we are calling for it to be enshrined in law as a prison punishable crime, like in the UK. Such bill would also work as a deterrent, warning everyone that abuse isn’t socially or legally acceptable behaviour.”

NO EXCUSE

for Abuse Never Alone is a newly formed support group for abuse victims, whether physical or psychological, for any type of personal relationship, targeted mostly, but not exclusively, to women and children.

A further aim is to change society’s perception on abuse: “Society enables it by being in denial about early signs, or worse still, blaming it on the victim. We want to erase the stigma, and alert that it hardly ever is a ‘one-off’, no matter how many times the abusers promise never to do it again. We want to teach children that being controlled is not at all being loved and how to recognise the difference from the onset.”

Rosalina is positive about the importance of educating the next generation in building meaningful relationships: if it is true that western society might make men feel emasculated with the rise of women in top jobs, it also might be a relief for them knowing they can stop attempting to meet unrealistic expectations on being the sole breadwinner of an affluenza family and actually becoming equal partners in sharing responsibility for work outside and at home, as well as child-minding. Men’s purpose in life isn’t career-driven anymore, and women’s purpose is no longer waiting hand and foot on their successful hubby: men and women’s purpose is being happy – and to make each other happy.

Bottom line: nobody should stay in any relationship because they have to, but because they want to.

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The live music spectacular wowed locals and once again brought huge crowds flocking to Gibraltar from along the coast, from the UK and other far flung places for the perfect end of summer festival.

Tom and Andy came out from the UK because they love the festival experience. “Gibraltar is the most amazing place and to listen to fabulous music right under The Rock is out of this world - what more could you want! What you get in Gibraltar is every bit as good as Glastonbury – that feel good factor is here and we love the diversity of the acts from across the musical spectrum.”

It was ‘hot, hot, hot,’ with temperatures reaching 30 degrees on Friday, the first day of the festival, a change from last year’s weekend dates so that people could recover on the Sunday and go to work on Monday with a clear head.

There was a definite ’over-the-pond’ band name theme going on as rockers America performed their signature hit ‘A Horse With No Name’, the perfect singalong song for the crowd who eagerly belted out the lyrics. Celebrating their 48th anniversary this year, the band showcased their rich pop/rock vocal harmonies during ‘Ventura Highway’ and ‘Sandman’ and swiftly gained a new fan base with youngsters who knew the lyrics but hadn’t realised who sang them.

As daylight faded and the moon peeked out from behind the purple lit (in honour of World Alzheimer’s Day) Moorish Castle, rising high in the night sky as if watching what was going on below in Victoria Stadium, the atmosphere was charged by the electrifying music and the pulsating neon beams coming from the main arena.

The audience welcomed back Glaswegian legends Texas, with charismatic lead singer Sharleen Spiteri’s incredibly powerful voice stirring everybody into a frenzy and becoming everybody’s best friend when she thanked Gibraltar for inviting the group back in her strong Scottish accent, peppered with expletives. The band didn’t disappoint, playing their iconic tracks ‘Black Eyed Boy’, ‘Inner Smile’, ‘Say What You Want’ and more. Sharleen, wearing her trademark tailored jacket, trousers and trainers, was finding it hot work up on stage and

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spying a beer being held in the front row went down to quench her thirst before getting back up, with some assistance.

Not surprising, as it turns out she underwent emergency surgery after rupturing three discs in her back in June.

Over at the other stage, legends of pop and rock from the 70s and 80s performed their classic hits to audiences who couldn’t stop their feet moving to the thumping beats. With so many great acts to watch, a difficult decision had to be made about which stage to head for. As soon as Texas finished their set, people dashed over to watch iconic Sister Sledge as they got us ‘Lost in Music’ with their great disco hits from the 70s including ‘He’s The Greatest Dancer’, ‘Everybody Dance’, and the one that most of us were waiting for, ‘We Are Family’.

Saturday was just as hot but a strong breeze helped to cool festival goers as they came to enjoy another day of great music. It was the start of the weekend and as the family-friendly event welcomed children who entered free under the age of 12, if accompanied by a fee paying adult, there was a noticeable mix of younger ones who were able to enjoy loads of entertainment off stage with a Kids Zone, zip wire (for the older ones) and a whole range of food and drink stands.

Seventies glam rock band Sweet took an early spot on the Classic Stage, looking a bit different from the days of metallic jumpsuits and platform shoes, playing hits like ‘Fox On The Run’, ‘Ballroom Blitz’ and ‘Love Is Like Oxygen’, demonstrating some big, booming, soaring vocals. Comprising original Sweet singer and guitarist Andy Scott and drummer Bruce Bisland, they have been joined for many years by Pete Lincoln on lead vocals and bass guitar and Tony O’Hora on keyboards. Gibraltar has gained a new fan in Andy who was thrilled because the weather was doing wonders for his arthritis! “I think I’ll move over here,” he proclaimed.

The exciting and energetic performances from the contemporary artists on the Main Stage were matched by the legends who may not have had such big productions, but knew how to win over the crowd. Suzi Quatro, the original Rock n’ Roll chick, rocked the night away and held the audience in the palm of her hand as she belted out her big

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hits. Maybe the crowd should have told Suzi to change the words from ‘Devil Gate Drive’ to Devil’s Tower Road! In 2014 Suzi celebrated 50 years in Rock and Roll and was hugely proud to tell us that in 2016 she was made an Honorary Doctor of Music by Anglia Ruskin University in recognition for her services to music. Proving that age is no factor when it comes to musical taste, Eve 15, originally from Lithuania and now living in La Linea, came along particularly to see Suzi Quatro, but was really upset to have arrived too late to hear her favourite song ‘Stumblin’ In’, and Debbie from Manchester demonstrated some hard core dance moves. “I’ll be back next year,” she shouted.

The Rock was a majestic backdrop for the epic day-to-night festival and the crowd went mad as they welcomed the distinctive figure of triple BRIT Award winner Rag’N’Bone Man on to the Main Stage with an amazing set featuring his unique voice and chilling powerhouse vocals, but it was his soulful rendition of his chart-smashing song ‘Human’ that drew thunderous applause from the fans. Where else in the world could you be watching major music artists while a plane lands on the runway in the background?

Next up, flanked by a group of perfectly choreographed lithe dancers, was Rita Ora who lit up the stage in a semi-sheer, skin-tight, vibrantly coloured tie-dye bodysuit teamed with hot pink boots as she belted out her hits and treated the audience to a world exclusive first performance of her recently released and hotly-anticipated new single ‘Let You Love Me’.

Jo Ward takes a look back at some of the highlights from MTV Presents Gibraltar Calling 2018

Headliner MC Stormzy was another performer not to be missed. His chart-topping album Gang Signs & Prayer was fully represented with live performances including ‘Cigarettes & Cush’, ‘Blinded

By Your Grace Pt.2’ and ‘Big For Your Boots’. stival o-day fe f the tw o oubt d d n o e n At the ere was th , yed a jo z n n e a extravag ce members had rse o w n ie le d that au e a litt m o s ing o , h s c e e themselv ut the murmur ey th b t a r, th a e s for w rowd wa ee c s e to th forward through y looking g next year. d a e lr a were earin ld be app who wou

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Festival snapshots from two days of music

By Joe Adambery Concerns there might have been, and attendance on Friday was down, but the second MTV Gibraltar Calling hit the right buttons with the artistic line-up.

Albert Hammond Jnr has a new band and new album called ‘Francis Trouble.’

He dressed in our national colours. Singer, writer/guitarist and consummate showman, a craft learned from his ‘Strokes’ legacy. ‘Indie Rock’ at its best and some very well constructed songs. So current that he made many new converts here with his edgy and melodic tunes of which, for me, ‘By the way she looked’ was the best. Cool guy and son of a national treasure.

Topping the ‘classic stage’ bill were soul legends ‘Sister Sledge’, and even before they came on the arena was already bursting at the seams. SS are a ten piece band fronted by two legendary sisters and their family of singers. It was a disco party like no other. A glam-fest with ritzy choreography and harmony vocals singing a chain of world class hits. All band members showcased amazing talents during ‘Lost in Music’ and the partying crowd could not have been happier. It was a fitting end to Friday night on the classic stage.

On day two ‘Glow’- who made their history here years ago - proved that even without two important former members they are still relevant in our Rock circles. Veteran singer Giles Ramirez had the unenviable task of selling us their classic tunes like ‘Radio’, ‘Rain’ and ‘Walk Alone’ to which he more than did justice singing his heart out. Kevin Peach was also added to ‘Glow’ for keyboards. Guitarist Felix Cardenas, drummer Mark Brooks and bassist Cory Alman are due credit for keeping their dream alive. Let no one tell you that ‘Glow’ didn’t shine, they did.

Everyone’s favourite local band ‘Taxi’ started their set on main stage after ‘Scouting for Girls’ had milked the crowd dry. It was a tough hill to climb but they rose to the challenge. Their excellent catalogue is so well known here.

Dylan still whips up the crowds confident that the two Dannys on guitars have always got his back. We all enjoyed them and they never disappoint.

My lingering memory of this year will be Bob Geldof and the ‘Boomtown Rats’. They opened spectacularly with Bob immediately showing his considerable Rock star pedigree. Their pace was frenetic and he was at his most revolutionary form. He played a mean blues harp on ‘She’s gonna do you in’.

With the banter came the politics: “Ireland and Gibraltar had the good sense to vote to stay in” (the rest of the sentence -’colourful’ expletives). He made us all honorary citizens of ‘Boomtown’. Flamboyant in his style, only someone like Sir Mick Jagger might have upstaged him. He is that good. And the band showed why they are still revered. Nothing I saw came close to ‘The Rats’... then came ‘Tell me why I don’t like Mondays’ (1979) which is their anthem and everyone’s too! Two encores after that epic hit song, a ‘classic’ concert was the new memory which will live on for those who saw the king of loudmouthed uncompromising views prove yet again that he will always be ‘the’ legend. We parted as ‘Boomtown’ citizens and friends which crowned it for me. Ye of little faith who stayed away this time, come back to the fold next year...you can still be saved!

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CULTURE INSIGHT

FEVER! GIBRALTARIAN SINGER CLEO TELLS OF HER PLEA TO GENRE REVIVAL Cleopatra Porter – Cleo by stage name – enjoyed a grand homecoming at her midsummer concert held at the Alameda Open Air Theatre, attended by over a hundred fans, supported by singing acts Shanti, Jonathan Fernandez and guitarist Jeremi Fernandez, and punctuated by the dance routines of La Linea’s ‘Academia de Cristian’, which Cleo often performs with.

“This was my very first show of my own concept: I have participated in several events before, like Calentita, and a recent fashion show by my compere Kelvin Hewitt, where I sang Mariah Carey’s ‘Hero’, but this was the very first time I organised everything from scratch, starting from hiring the venue I’d pictured as the ideal setting for it,” Cleo says.

Moreover, Cleo understands that copla is not everyone’s cup of tea in modern Gibraltar, but her powerful voice and heartfelt interpretation is bound to raise renewed acclaim in the future shows she is planning, which she is strictly hush-hush about.

She has been singing all her life since she was a toddler when she delighted audiences of beach-goers at El Quarry, but she has risen to fame only in the past year when she was placed second at the Spanish nationwide

reality TV contest ‘Original Y Copla’, and consequently was offered a series of gigs in Andalusia and beyond.

She was unknowingly signed up for regional auditions by a close friend, so when she got the call-back it took her a couple of seconds to overcome her surprise, with the suspicion it was just an elaborate prank. After that she was left with only a few days to learn her songs and to fix a suitable outfit before travelling to Cadiz where she competed against some four hundred hopefuls. She went through all rounds and made it to the finals.

Proud of her mixed Gibraltarian and Jamaican heritage, Cleo explains that her love for copla stems from ‘the woman who raised her’ Luisa Williams - her adoptive mother’s mother - who was in her late fifties and sixties when they met, and was a fan of the genre, listening to it virtually all day long. Cleo dismisses claims that copla, fandango, rumba, bulería and sevillana are obsolete or alien to Gibraltarian culture, under her slogan ‘el arte no tiene fronteras’.

In hindsight, she appreciates that the limited accessibility of the venue might have prevented some core fans from attending, but her ‘number-one fan’, a 93-year old woman, wasn’t scared off by the thought of negotiating a few uneven steps: she was at the door with one hour to spare, just to make sure she wouldn’t miss one note!

With a vocal range that rises higher than this pint-sized artist who commands an

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GIBRALTAR GUIDE

CULTURE INSIGHT

Aries (Mar 21 – Apr 21) It seems you may be slightly lacking in energy this month, Aries. So take a look at your life balance and nip those bad habits in the bud

Taurus TAKEAWAYS

(Apr 21 – May 21)

VEHICLE REPAIRS

You’re feeling frisky and full of fun this month, Taurus and your confidence is up there. This is a good time to push the boat and go for what you really want!

Gemini (May 22 – June 22) There are many great ideas in your mind right now Gemini, fighting to be out there. Take some time to get them in order and start planning - then you can start to share!

Cancer June 23 – July 22) You might need to step back from a tricky situation Cancer on order to get a new perspective. Then it will be much easier for you to make a decision.

Leo July 23 – Aug 23) All is well with you and yours this month Leo and so you can start to plan ahead. An opportunity you’ve long yearend for comes along... don’t hesitate – just say yes!

Virgo (Aug 24 – Sep 23)

BARS / PUBS

Be very clear on what it is you are really wanting Virgo and then get your vision board updated. The key thing is to be clear so you attract exactly what you want ... and not a lesser version!

Libra Sep 24 – Oct 23) If you’ve been burning the candle at both ends Libra then it’s time to trim the wick!! Just slow things down and get your eat/sleep routine back on track.

Scorpio Oct 24 – Nov 22)

imposing stage presence in hand-sewn frilly frocks and crown-like peinetas, Cleo has also interpreted English-language classics like Mariah Carey or Whitney Houston, but her first love remains Spanish melodic song. She explains: “I feel the music more in Spanish and its stronger emotions agree with my rough past. I need to internalise the song if I want to perform it to its fullest. For instance, when I sang Alejandro Conde’s ‘La Madre’, I sang it for the woman who raised me, and I believe the audience could feel that I was singing straight from the heart.”

to be able to look after themselves and each other should something happen to me, since they had no other family to rely on. And now that my mothering job is done, I can finally dedicate my free time to my talent.”

Cleo describes Gibraltar as ‘a bubble bursting with talent’ and regrets that many have to go abroad to further their artistic careers. Once there, they are faced with the stark reality of being just a face in the crowd, one in the million-long queue of hopefuls auditioning and struggling to make ends meet.

No matter how calm and collected Cleo appears when she steps on stage after a flash meditation session, she admits she suffers with bad nerves: “Before one of my TV appearances I suddenly exploded in fever, over forty degrees, and I was rushed to hospital for an injection to lower my temperature before I went into shock. Yet, I was back on my feet in no time, and ready to participate in the contest – and ace it.”

Away from the spotlight, Cleopatra is an unassuming person with a civil-servant day job and three children she’s almost single-handedly raised to be responsible and independent.

Her son Leeroy Ruiz, 22, is a martial arts champion and represents Gibraltar at international championships, and her elder daughter Zorann Ruiz, 21, was a dancer and is now a nurse training in midwifery. “She gave me a sound system so I could practice at home, which I do at least two hours daily,” Cleo says. Her youngest, teenager Akisha Ferrell is a football player for a local team, and a student with modelling ambitions.

“I am a strict parent, with early curfews and a chore-sharing policy because I wanted to prepare them from a young age

She lived and worked as an Afro-Caribbean hairstylist for four years in her forefathers’ Jamaica, which she describes as a beautiful scenic island where life is hard, with low wages for the locals despite the thriving tourism industry; and nine years in the United Kingdom, where she tried to break in to the music industry while busy juggling being a dinner-lady, a playgroup assistant, taking translator jobs, evening college classes, and her young family. “The UK offers more support to single mothers than Gibraltar, where working parents still rely mostly on relatives.”

An Evangelical Christian, Cleo sings every Sunday with the Living Waters church choir where she jams to guitars and percussion, without showing off the characteristic garganteo that has made her famous.

She has participated in a number of charity events, including an emotional tribute to former copla singer Araceli Puertas at La Linea’s Palacio de Congresos. One of her next projects is writing lyrics to her own song, and she’d really like a Gibraltarian musician to compose the melody to it.

You may be feeling under pressure to come up with an answer Scorpio but don’t do so before you are ready. Follow your instincts on this and you will be vindicated.

Sagittarius Nov 23 – Dec 21) This month is a good one to have a look at your your health programme, Sagittarius. All seems to be well but you need to stay on top as you like to feel full of vim and vigour.

Capricorn (Dec 22 – Jan 20)

INDUSTRIAL

Your finances are healthy at the moment Capricorn. But, to keep ahead of the game, you may want to move a few things around. Take advice on strategies.

Aquarius Jan 21 – Feb 19) Life, as we know, is full of highs and lows Aquarius, and it is so important to respond to these challenges rather than to react. Always take time look for the good and you will find it.

Pisces Feb 20 – Mar 20) You have been rather less than settled recently Pisces and now is the time to make the changes you know you want to put in place. You know you can. So, take a deep breath and just do it.

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CLASSIFIED SERVICES CHARTERED SURVEYOR

HARDWARE

ON THE

INDUSTRIAL

SPOT

JUSTIN BAUTISTA PRESENTER OF MAMA LOTTIES, GBC TV PROGRAMME

Where did you first start your employment?

“I’ve always enjoyed designing, I began freelancing whilst a student and worked in London for several years at a fashion house.”

ESTATE AGENT

How would you describe yourself?

“I’d like to think I’m outgoing. I’m usually the kind of person that’s up for a challenge as long as it’s not life threatening.”

PAINTING & DECORATING

What’s your biggest fear?

“Being old and alone.”

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

“To take more risks in life and not play it so safe.”

What’s your greatest ambition?

“To be able to live every day to the fullest with people I love most. Cheesy but true.”

What makes you laugh?

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

“Friends and family. They are always there when I need them and I can have a laugh no matter what, at the weirdest things.”

“Italy, purely for the food, the history and beauty. I’ve been to other places are great in their own way but I

Which person has been the biggest influence in your life?

“Ideas. You know those moments when you’re about to sleep and something pops into your head so you start overthinking them… yeah, those.”

“Not a huge city, somewhere suburban, with a house with a garden and pool, near the sea and mountains.”

What’s your favorite music track?

“I never have a favourite, I get obsessed, then burn it out by overplaying it and move on. I do love some 90s and early 00s tunes though.”

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What keeps you awake at night?

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

“Well does the entire Harry Potter series count?”

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“My First time on TV. That was scary and embarrassing, especially cooking in front of a camera crew.”

“Living in a huge city like London, launching my very own Mama Lotties cookbook range and having my own TV show. Definitely make the top list.”

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

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Have you had any embarrassing moments?

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

“My family as a whole, each person has influenced me by running their own business or fighting their battles.

But as most people know my granny, Mama Lottie, has been the biggest influence when it comes to the kitchen.”

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love Italian food.”

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

Mainly, certain people’s attitudes toward things and a cleaner Gibraltar would be nice.

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FEATURE

ADOPTING A

Healthier

Adopting a healthier lifestyle need not be a very complicated affair, and the benefits of doing so will definitely be worth the trouble.

According to the NHS, most people in the United Kingdom eat and drink too many calories, and consume too much fat, sugar and salt and not enough fruit, vegetables or fibre, with Gibraltar probably being in a very similar situation.

It’s important that we become more active as this can reduce our risk of developing heart disease and it is recommended that adults undertake at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week. An active lifestyle can also help reduce our levels of stress. One suggestion for achieving a good level of moderate intensity aerobic activity is by doing some 30 minutes of activity 5 days a week such as walking to and from work, for example.

Being overweight is another risk factor for developing heart disease, so adopting a healthier diet low on fat and sugar and high on fresh fruit and vegetables is highly recommended. Most of us need to eat more fibre and have fewer added sugars in our diet, as eating plenty of fibre is associated with a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer. Sources of fibre which should be a regular feature in your healthy diet include wholegrain cereals as well as pulses such as lentils, chickpeas and beans. NHS also recommends that we eat fish at least twice a week, including a portion of oily fish, such as sardines, though pregnant or breastfeeding women should not have more than two portions of oily fish a week. Oily fish are a good source of omega-3 fats, which may help protect against heart disease.

It is also advised not to eat foods that are high in saturated fat as these can raise our cholesterol level in our blood and increase the risk of heart disease. It is also recommended that you consume lower fat dairy products and leaner cuts of meat. You should also be aware of how much alcohol you are consuming (you can visit the www.nhs.uk website for advice on daily alcohol limits), as too much drinking can also pose a serious risk to your health. Smoking is one of the main causes of coronary heart disease, but just one year after you give up smoking, your risk of a heart attack drops to about half that of a smoker.

LIFESTYLE

Avoid using too much salt in order to maintain a healthy blood pressure. It is recommended that adults should eat a total of less than 6 grams (about one teaspoon) of salt a day.

Most of the salt we consume is not just what we add at the table – it has already been added to the ready-made foods that we buy from the supermarket, so check out the food label – if it has more than 1.5 grams of salt (or 0.6 grams of sodium) per 100 grams, it is considered high in salt content.

When you go shopping, why not take a look at the food labels on the packaging to check just how many calories, fat, sugar and salt the food contains, so that you can make healthier choices.

The NHS suggests you eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day as these are a great source of adding fibre, minerals and vitamins to your diet.

There are several vitamins and minerals which are classed as ‘essential’, which means that our bodies don’t make them, and we must get them from the foods we eat. You can easily meet the body’s nutritional needs through diet as long as you have the right information. It’s a good idea to get to know the nutrient density of foods, so you can make good choices. For a food to be classed as ‘nutrient-dense’, it should have a high nutritional content relative to its calorific content. Broccoli, for example, contains vitamin C, folate, vitamins A and K, calcium, fibre, beta-carotene and other antioxidants at only 34 calories per 100g. Other highly nutrient-dense foods include kale, cabbage, peppers, garlic and berries.

It’s a good idea to base your meals around a starchy food such as wholegrain pasta, include some beans, pulses or eggs for protein as well as plenty of fruits and vegetables with every meal. A useful guide to some of the main vitamins and minerals you need to include in your diet each day to stay healthy, most of which can be found in fruits and vegetables, can be found on the Holland & Barrett website (www. hollandandbarrett.com/the-health-hub/getting-essential-vitamins-nutrients-diet).

The guide explains that Vitamin D, which is needed to regulate other minerals, such as calcium, in the body, is found in eggs and fortified foods, but it’s a good idea to take a vitamin D supplement as dietary sources are rare. UK Government guidelines recommend 10mg daily unless you spend a lot of time in the sun, which is not always advisable.

THE ADVICE CONTAINED IN THIS ARTICLE IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY AND SHOULD NOT REPLACE MEDICAL CARE. PLEASE CONSULT A DOCTOR OR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL BEFORE TRYING ANY REMEDIES.

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FEATURE

Mum The ultimate resource for parents living or visiting Gibraltar is back with a new look and revitalised content.

Mum on the Rock is Gibraltar’s first parenting e-zine, written by you, for you. We understand that as a parent time is a precious commodity, so our aim is to make it easier for you to access the relevant information.

Mum on the Rock is the first port of call for anyone seeking parenting advice and is a place to connect with other parents. We offer tips and hints, reassurance and guidance on a

Motherhood...

Does it Define You? What happens to us when we become mothers? For some of us, becoming a mother can trigger an identity crisis.

No matter whether you return to work six weeks after having your baby, or whether you choose to stay at home, first and foremost your role has changed to one of mother, mama, mum or mummy.

Children can consume your life and how you define yourself can have a huge impact on your mental health, leading to the ‘baby blues’ and sometimes resulting in full blown postpartum depression. It can also impact the next twenty years of your life as you concentrate on parenting.

It’s a silent process that can creep up us. Before we know it, we have lost our self-esteem. We don’t care how we look, sometimes being quite happy to slob around the house in PJ’s covered in baby sick. By the way, there’s nothing wrong with that for a couple of weeks after giving birth. In fact, it will reinforce to others that you are a

ON THE

ROCK

host of topics relating to all aspects of parenting, from pre-pregnancy to grand-parenting.

We are hunting down the hottest deals, sharing the latest in kids’ fashion, reviewing child friendly establishments, hosting competitions, and letting you know about all the activities available for babies, toddlers, children, teens and parents, whether Mum or Dad. Our online social media forums are where people can air their worries

new parent and not a ‘Supermum’ as portrayed by certain celebrities in the media.

The myth of the ‘Supermum’ makes parenting look easy, and it isn’t. In fact, it can be dangerous and can make us feel inadequate and unhappy as we strive to follow in the shadow of this image of perfection.

Those first few weeks of becoming a new parent are often a blur of sleepless nights, feeding and anxieties about how your new-born is progressing. Everything is just a phase, and you will get through it. Becoming a mother is a redefining moment, so embrace it.

Taking time out to focus on what you like to do is so important. Ah, you say, time – what’s that? Now that you are a parent, ‘me time’ can be a rare phenomenon.

FRIENDS You will lose some; you will find some new ones. Surround yourself with positive people who make you feel good about the job you are doing. Stick with the ones who just love you for being ‘you’ and who understand

and ask questions, where they can share their experiences or debate newsworthy family issues. We welcome input about local happenings and events, parenting groups and meetups. Want to join the team? Get in touch! We are always looking for contributors to submit content. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive the latest by e-mail. You can also find us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Website: www.mumontherock.com Email us: hello@gibraltarinsight.com

the chaos of being a mother. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from family or friends.

Meet other new mums at the Baby and Toddler groups in your area and join online social media communities to connect with other mothers.

Treat yourself There is nothing wrong with treating yourself. Take time out to have a long soak in the bath or enjoy reading a magazine whilst sipping a coffee. Yes, easier said than done, but important to factor in time just for you. Motherhood can be monotonous, so indulging in the odd treat is fine.

reconnect with yourself It is perfectly possible to be both a mother and the person you once were. You can still have intelligent conversations; they don’t all have to be about the pros and cons of breastfeeding or whether your child is progressing at the same rate as their friends.

Becoming a parent may change you at a fundamental level, but what it hasn’t changed is your loves, likes and dislikes. Remember, you may be a mother, but you are also a woman.

Passions Don’t lost sight of those passions in life. You can still follow your dreams; it may just be a bit harder to juggle motherhood with everything else. Above all, be kind to yourself. Ask yourself what you can do to make you feel happier and don’t feel guilty about carrying it through.

Life will feel normal again.

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HEALTH & WELLBEING

uis

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

PHOTOS Commercial Photographer Finest collection of old photographs on the Rock

Weddings, Communions, Portraits

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HEALTH & WELLBEING INSIGHT

Gibraltar

CARDIAC ASSOCIATION Fresh from their 24-hour relay ‘Walk the Beat’ held last 29th September at the Victoria Stadium to mark World Heart Day, the Gibraltar Cardiac Association is holding its first AGM at the Charles Hunt Room on 11th October, and its first flag day on 16th November. Cardiac patients and their supporters are welcome to join and contribute with a modest membership fee of £5 going towards producing literature to raise awareness about prevention, inviting expert speakers over, organising awareness initiatives in schools, and purchasing of medical equipment.

In its first year, this registered charity has supported (and continues supporting), promoted and helped set up a fully-fledged cardiac rehab unit at St. Bernard’s Hospital, turning it from a mere branch of physiotherapy into an independent unit with a state-ofthe-art gym, dedicated medical staff, machinery, informative literature on infarct, coronary disease, artery calcification, tachycardia, bradicardia, hypercholesterolemia, transient ischemic attack, stroke, hypertension, thrombosis, phlebitis, and other temporary or chronic, severe or lethal ailments that can, in most cases, be prevented or controlled with early screening and regular monitoring.

Chairman Troy Jeffries is proud of the lobbying work the Association is carrying out, through what he describes as a ‘two-pronged attack’ on local authorities, aiming first and foremost at installing defibrillators in more key areas around town, in offices and other public places, and secondly in educating the general public to recognise cardiac arrest and apply CPR. “We find that non-medically trained people have reservations about performing cardiac massage in fear of crushing the patient’s sternum or ribs,” Troy notes.

“This is the almost inevitable side effect of chest compressions, and it happens to the best doctors too, but when the patient regains consciousness and lives, cracked bones are a relatively small price to pay, and they will heal in time.

Passers-by should do whatever it takes when faced with the extreme situation where a life can potentially be in their hands.”

The charity is planning campaigns to educate schoolchildren about how to keep their ticker healthy from an early age. Even if the survival rate has improved exponentially in past decades with the widespread use of blood-thinning medication, pace-makers and stents, heart attack and coronary disease are considered chronic conditions from which you can recover with treatment, but from which you never fully heal, and this can be illustrated with lines from a cheesy pop song: ‘once your heart is torn, the scars will be there forever and a day’!

Patients will have to make significant adjustments to prevent relapses. After a heart attack, radical changes are necessary, particularly for those leading a stressful or sportive lifestyle: they must reduce their physical activities and make sure they are shielded from work-related anxiety. This may unfortunately bring on collateral damage such as reduction or loss in income, and weight gain caused when one reduces training, stops smoking, works less hours and snacks more, but this is an absolute no-no for cardiac patients.

Because heart attacks can hit men at any young age, this may seriously affect intimate relations and consequently knock down self-esteem and spiral into depression, Troy says. He highlights depression as one of the worst side effects for cardiac patients: the foreboding that one has become a shadow of his former self, giving up all simple pleasures in life, dragging an existence under the Damocles’ sword that it will happen again anyway, and that time it will be final.

He claims that women are somehow sheltered from heart attacks – but alas not immune to congenital heart diseases - because of their estrogen production, but the risk spikes in peri- and post-menopausal women, particularly because they tend to underestimate or dismiss the warning signs.

Troy lists decaf and alcohol-free drinks, reduced beach hours and reduced air travel as some of the constrictions that affect the average Gibraltarian lifestyle in cardiac patients. For instance, Christmas wonderland is a red light with its sub-zero temperatures and rich food – of course it is understandable how watching celebrations from the sidelines and always being cautious about having too much fun can indeed cause some strains and rips if not in one’s heart, surely in the fabric of social and family life.

But it isn’t all just heartache, according to resilient committee secretary and former police officer Maurice Ignacio: “After I had my stents, I lost weight, got a different perspective on life, and now I am well and fit to enjoy my retirement at my pace!”

Other committee members are vicechair Suyenne Catania, treasurer Marie-Anne Montegriffo, Isabella Ramognin, Keith Bautista, Louis Casciaro, and Jack Noble.

To join the Association, contact gibraltarcardiac@gmail.com or like their Facebook page, where news is posted regularly. You can also call 20050002 and leave a message.

Just like with a stroke, time is essential in heart attack cases, and your intervention may prove do-or-die crucial in the few minutes it takes for the ambulance to arrive and paramedics to administer defibrillation or medication while the patient is conveyed to hospital.

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Just Married on the Rock Jeremy & Gladys married on 25th July 2018. Photo by Radka Horvath.

Mark & Sam, married on 23rd May 2018. Photo by Radka Horvath.

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Just Married on the Rock

Email: nicholas64@gibtelecom.net

Sian Dean & Joseph Williams, married on 7th September 2018. Photo by Nicky Sanchez.

Lorraine & Richard, married in Gibraltar on 7th July 2018.

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ACROSS

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1. The line along which anything lies, faces,

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moves, etc. (9) 5. _ _ _ _ riya, ancient city in Sri Lanka. (4)

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7. A naval officer of the highest rank. (4)

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11. _ _ _ _olent, evil; harmful; injurious. (5)

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Tel: ............................................

13. To distribute or apportion by measure;

Name:......................................................................................

Last month’s lucky winner was: Terry Penfold

14. Type of aloholic liquor. (3)

8. Used in citations to indicate an author or word that has just been mentioned. (4)

15. Important part of cameras. (4)

10. Traditional toy for girls. (4)

ACROSS: 1. Sacrifice. 5. Noah. 7. Retiree. 9. Ge. 11. Broom.

16. Short for, Let it stand. (4)

11. _ _ _ _um, a large wine bottle having a capacity of two ordinary bottles or 1.5 litres. (4)

12. Spoi. 13. Rene. 14. One. 15. Pong. 16. Stat.

DOWN: 1. Sand. 2. Coar. 3. Increment. 4. Expedient. 6. Herring.

8. Igor. 10. Asap. 11. Boon.

allot; dole. (4)

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Last month’s answers:

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OCTO BE R ISSUE 29

Contents

40

18

Business Insight

50

Features

10

BUSINESS NEWS

15

ANTHONY HOROWITZ OBE

13

BORDERING ON BREXIT

18

GIBUNCO GIBRALTAR INTERNATIONAL LITERARY FESTIVAL 2018

Sports Insight

20 BEHIND THE SCENES: GIBRALTAR UNIVERSITY

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YOU SHALL GO TO THE BALL

30 IT’S STUDY TIME ONCE MORE

27

UEFA NATIONS LEAGUE

34

28

QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS DAY

40 INSPIRATIONAL GIBRALTARIANS: NATHAN PAYAS

29

GOLF NEWS

49 NO EXCUSE FOR ABUSE

Culture Insight

THE DEVIL’S TOWER

Regular Features

50 FESTIVAL FEVER

6 COMMUNITY INSIGHT

53

FESTIVAL SNAPSHOTS FROM TWO DAYS OF MUSIC

56 HOROSCOPES

54

COPLA FEVER

62 HEALTH & WELLBEING INSIGHT

59 ON THE SPOT: JUSTIN BAUTISTA

70 WEDDING INSIGHT 74 THE CELLAR 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

GIRL BOSS

Hustle

WOMEN’S MENTORSHIP PROGRAMME The Garrison Library was the venue for the official launch of the Ministry of Equality’s Women’s Mentorship Programme.

Minister Samantha Sacramento lead the proceedings, pointing out that one of the objectives was to create “a successful strategy in promoting under-represented groups into senior positions of leadership and management”. Among those present included the GFSB, the Gibraltar Chamber of Commerce, Women In Business and Girls in Tech.

Initially a pilot scheme lasting three months, anyone interested is encouraged to register at equality@gibraltar.gov.gi by 5th October 2018.

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A BOY FROM RED SANDS We all love a good story well told, and “A Boy From Red Sands” delivers just that and more. The beautiful hardback volume, tastefully designed and illustrated with original photos from Henry’s personal collection and specially commissioned graphics from two prominent local artists, is a cornucopia of tales from Henry’s life, interspersed with snippets of Henry’s poems, quotes and song lyrics.

An autobiographical account of his growing up “en Los Humphrey’s” as a local boy from Red Sands, the book weaves together scenes from Henry’s fascinating life as a local musician, gigging with “The Odds” and then with his brother Denis as “The Valerga Brothers” in Gibraltar, Spain, Tangiers, London and around the world. These colourful accounts offer a glimpse into Gibraltarian society and culture at the time, and, as all these personal accounts do, they offer an insight into Gibraltar’s social history – the history that often doesn’t quite make it into the academic history books but which is just as important.

Grand Battery House at Smith Dorrien Avenue is the venue for the launch of Henry Valerga’s book: A Boy From Red Sands. The launch will be held on Tuesday 23rd October at 8.00pm. It promises to be an evening full of entertainment, nostalgia and the wonderful tradition of exchanges of memories that make up such a powerful part of Gibraltar’s “personality”. This book offers a valuable contribution to Gibraltar’s growing body of literature.

Book launch

GRAND BATTERY HOUSE 23RD OCTOBER

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COMMUNITY INSIGHT

National Day brings with it the presentation of cheques from the Self Determination for Gibraltar Group. This year, the Minister for Culture, the Hon Steven Linares presented various groups with an amount totalling £9,300.

THE GROUPS THAT RECEIVED THE MONIES ARE: GIRL GUIDES PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT GROUP LIONS INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S HEALTH GROUP ACTION FOR SCHOOLS GIB SAMS MARY’S MEALS

Hearing Survey A life without sound, isn’t always just silent, it can also be lonely. In a new initiative, the Gibraltar Health Authority and the Gibraltar Hearing Impaired and Tinnitus Association (GHITA), are currently attempting to build a voluntary register of people living in the Rock who are affected by hearing loss or impairment.

The register launched on Monday 24th September and will run until the end of October.

Primary Care staff and GHITA volunteers have set up an information desk at the Primary Care Centre reception area (and at St Bernard’s Hospital’s main entrance) where questionnaires are available to collate the data and information.

Current statistics from the UK indicate

41% of over 50 year-olds and 71% of those 70 and above, find it difficult to hear people speak. Of that numapproximately

Commenting on the presentation, Minister Linares noted that, “Her Majesty’s Government is indebted to those charities, as indeed we are to those non-charitable organisations and volunteer groups, because it is thanks to their efforts and their support that Gibraltar is able to enjoy a varied programme of entertainment during our annual festivities”.

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ber, over a third are either unaware of, or feel uncomfortable with seeking professional advice.

“Hearing loss” itself, is a broad term. It includes conditions such as deafness, Tinnitus, Meniere’s disease, Hypercusis and persons that are hard of hearing.Symptoms of Hypercusis include sounds, frequencies or volumes which are painful to hear and can cause temporary hearing loss. Meniere’s dis-

OCTOBER 2018

ease causes dizzy spells, sickness and a sudden reduction in hearing. Research also shows that 1 in 10 people are living with Tinnitus, a condition that causes a ringing, buzzing or other intrusive sound.

Clinical Nurse Specialist for Primary Care, Mrs Suzanne Romero commented: “I would like to thank Mr Triay, the GHITA volunteers and my collegues here at the Primary Care Centre for their efforts in helping organise and carry out this important survey, which will benefit those in our community affected by hearing loss.”

Minister for Health, Care and Justice, the Honourable Neil F. Costa said: “The purpose of the survey is to gather information which will help identify areas within our current services which may be improved to better cater for persons with hearing loss.

Just as significantly, it will help raise awareness on hearing loss and encourage persons in our community, who may be affected by hearing loss, to seek professional advice. I would like to thank Mr Triay, GHITA, and my team at the Primary Care Centre led

by Ms Suzanne Romero for their enthusiasm and hard work in leading this initiative.”

The survey runs until the end of October.

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BUSINESS INSIGHT

No-Deal Brexit Passport Advice

As Gibraltar edges closer to exiting the European Union alongside the United Kingdom, some precautionary advices has been issued by HMGoG regarding passports, if there were to be a “no-deal” Brexit.

This follows the advice issued by the UK Government regarding the use and validity of British passports from 30th March 2019.

If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, the changes to the entry requirements for British passport holders, including those with passports issued by the Crown Dependencies (Guernsey, Isle of Man and Jersey) and Gibraltar, travelling to Schengen area countries will be applicable with effect from 30 March 2019.

British passport holders, including holders of passports issued by Gibraltar, will be considered third country nationals under the Schengen Border Code and will therefore need to complywith different rules to enter and travel around the Schengen area.

According to the Schengen Border Code, third country passports must: •

have been issued within the last 10 years on the date of arrival in a Schengen country, and

•

have at least 3 months validity remaining on the date of intended departure from the last country visited in the Schengen area. Because third country nationals can remain in the Schengen area for 90 days (approximately 3 months), the actual check carried out is that the passport has at least 6 months validity remaining on the date of arrival.

Gibraltar was very much represented at the #SWITCH! blockchain event, recently held in Vilnius, Lithuania. The event featured keynote speeches and discussions on blockchain technology, what makes a successful ICO (initial coin offering), artificial intelligence, cyber security and more. #SWITCH! is the largest non-profit ICT and entrepreneurship event in the Baltic States and attracted over 15,000 participants.

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Adult British passport holders planning to travel to the Schengen area after 29 March 2019 must make sure their passport is no older than 9 years and 6 months and has at least 6 months validity remaining on the date of arrival. For example, if you intend to travel to the Schengen area on 30 March 2019, your passport should have an issue date on or after 1 October 2009 and a validity remaining of at least 6 months.

Under-16s, holders of a 5-year British child passport must check the expiry date and make sure that therewillbeatleast6monthsvalidityremainingonthedateoftravel. For example, a child planning to travel to the Schengen area on 30 March 2019 should have a passport with an expiry date on or after 1 October 2019.

Gibraltar’s Government commented that– along with the United Kingdom Government– both are deeply committed to an orderly exit with all the necessary arrangements in place. For further information, it is advised to contact HMGoG Passport, Civil Status & Registration Office.

(The Schengen area comprises: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.)

Passport holders are reminded to check the entry requirements for other countries that are in the EU but not in the Schengen area.

Albert Isola interviewed

by Cryptonews

Ian Le Breton, Paul Astengo, Blockchain Centre Vilnius CEO Egle Nemeikstyte, Albert Isola, Vikram Nagrani and Marc Ellul

OCTOBER 2018

Albert Isola addresses the #Switch VIP reception at Blockchain Centre Vilnius

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BUSINESS INSIGHT

BORDERING ON

A MAJOR SYMPOSIUM ENTITLED “BORDERING ON BREXIT: GLOBAL BRITAIN AND THE EMBERS OF THE EMPIRE” WAS HELD IN THE HISTORIC VENUE OF THE GARRISON LIBRARY OVER THREE DAYS IN SEPTEMBER. Organised by the Library’s Director, Dr Jennifer Ballantine-Perera, in conjunction with the University of Copenhagen and the Office of the Deputy Chief Minister, leading academics from all over Europe, including Gibraltar, examined the impact of Brexit from a number of different angles. Gibraltar, of course, voted overwhelmingly to remain in the European Union and the event was particularly relevant as it was held during the final straight of the negotiations between the United Kingdom and the European Union.

A press statement released by the Government of Gibraltar prior to the symposium stated:

“All of us have different issues as we prepare to leave the European Union,” he told delegates.

Dr. Garcia also welcomed optimistic comments by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in respect of Gibraltar. “We echo the optimism and the goodwill in those words.” Speaking at an EU summit in the Austrian city of Salzburg, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said his government would be looking for agreements for the transition covering cooperation on police, judicial matters, the environment, taxation, tobacco and citizens’ rights. He also spoke of economic cooperation between Gibraltar and the region. He said there are two dimensions –

“AS THE UNITED KINGDOM NAVIGATES THE SHOALS OF BREXIT AND CASTS ABOUT FOR ALTERNATIVE FUTURES, IT IS WIDELY ASSUMED THAT THE IMPERIAL PAST HAS MUCH TO ANSWER FOR – WITH BREXIT DERIDED VARIOUSLY AS A ‘PINING FOR EMPIRE’; ‘ENGLAND’S LAST GASP OF EMPIRE, AND THE PRELUDE TO ‘EMPIRE 2.0’.”

“This is not just a matter of unrepentant Remainers resorting to easy political put-downs, but also registers in the rhetoric of the Brexiteers themselves. The Conservative Government’s vision of ‘Global Britain’ is one of several instances where Britain’s imperial past has been invoked to inspire confidence in a post-Brexit future, beckoning a divided nation back into the world. This conference seeks a more critical purchase on the persistence of these imperial analogies.”

In his opening address Deputy Chief Minister Dr Garcia mentioned that he was also Minister for Exiting the European Union. “…perhaps that makes my presence here all the more appropriate,” he stated. “The objective is to understand how the past impacts into the present day and to understand how that past can also shape our very future.”

Dr. Garcia went on to say: “The title of this conference introduces the notion of embers. Embers never quite become ashes.

The image is of the waning remnants of a fire that nonetheless continues to glow. Sometimes in a brighter, more florescent manner and at other times flickering in a paler and more subdued light. This is a very powerful and a very relevant image.

The phrase ‘embers of Empire’ conjures up the fourteen remaining United Kingdom Overseas Territories. In a strict, legal sense this is what is left of the Empire,” Dr. Garcia said.

“These are: Anguilla, Ascension, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, British Antarctic Territory, British Indian Ocean Territory, the Cayman Islands, the Falkland Islands, St Helena, the Turks and Caicos, Montserrat, Pitcairn, the sovereign bases in Cyprus, and of course Gibraltar.”

The Chief Minister Fabian Picardo and Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia recently met with the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union Dominic Raab MP together with Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Robin Walker MP in Downing Street for high-level Brexit talks.

the UK/EU relationship – and a second bilateral, dimension between Gibraltar and Spain. Dr Garcia added: “We have pledged throughout this process as a government to leave no stone unturned in the aftermath of the 2016 referendum.”

Speakers from Oxford, Cambridge, Amsterdam, East Anglia, Demos, Queen Mary, Trondheim, Nottingham, Bath, Exeter, Gibraltar and Copenhagen discussed topics including: ‘Indian dreams in Brexit Britain’; ‘English Nationalism and Brexit: Britannia Unchained or Post-Industrial Revolt’; and ‘The contradiction of England, Scotland: Brexit and the persistence of Empire’ There was a strong Gibraltar element with Jamie Trinidad from Cambridge University discussing ‘Brexit and the status of the Gibraltar border’ and Dr Jennifer Ballantine who spoke on ‘(Bre)xit or (Bre)entry into the World: the Spirit of Citizenship and Global Britain against the backdrop of Gibraltar’.

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FEATURE

Anthony Horowitz OBE Insight’s Jo Ward admits to ‘Twitter stalking’ author Anthony Horowitz, so when she saw that he was in Gibraltar undertaking research for the next book in his ‘Alex Rider’ series of teen novels, an early morning meeting was hastily arranged.

It all started with an innocent Tweet to the author of ‘Trigger Mortis’, the James Bond novel commissioned by the estate of Bond’s creator Ian Fleming. “Eight ladies at book club just finished reading Trigger Mortis… shaken and stirred!” To which Anthony Horowitz replied “…sounds like Octopussy.”

This Twitter banter escalated into asking whether Anthony could attend the next Gibraltar Literary Festival, but unfortunately he had commitments elsewhere.

Anthony Horowitz must be the UK’s most prolific writer, a master of mystery and suspense, his writing covers every type of media, from screenwriting for television, film and stage, to writing novels and journalistic articles, often working on several projects at the same time. With credits including TV shows such as ‘Poirot’, ‘Foyle’s War’ and ‘Midsomer Murders’, he was commissioned by the Conan Doyle estate to write the official sequel to Sherlock Holmes, so there is no doubt that you will have come across Anthony’s work in some form or other.

Sitting on the Sunborn Yacht Hotel, “this is such a charming and idiosyncratic hotel, it is one of my favourites and the staff have been fantastic”, Anthony goes on to say that Gibraltar is nothing like he expected. “It is unique in the world, and I have had a wonderful time.” He thinks that the Rock is awe inspiring; “talk about living in history, I have never been anywhere that is so redolent of not one, two or even three centuries apart - from Nelson to the Second World War and through to the present day and Brexit - it is a place with many, many stories to tell.”

“Gibraltar would make a wonderful setting for a murder mystery, or even for a thriller, because of its military, political and strategic importance,” Anthony states. Watch out Gibraltar, because the Rock could well feature in one of his adult novels. “I am writing a series of murder mysteries at the moment - my Hawthorne novels - the first one was The Word is Murder and the second one is The Sentence is Death, coming out in November,” Anthony confirms. “I am going to write at least seven more and I will start moving it out of England; I am going to set one in Greece, because I spend a lot of time there, and one maybe somewhere like Gibraltar.”

Anthony is well known for writing quintessentially British village murder mysteries; he penned the first batch of scripts for Midsomer Murders, and he sees Gibraltar as the perfect setting in the same vein. “It is a locked door mystery because there is one door leading out - of course you have got the sea - but you have only got one land exit and it is all carefully patrolled and very contained with a is a community feel about it - and that’s the first rule of a murder mystery.”

Would Anthony consider coming to the Gibraltar Literary Festival in the future, I ask. “I tend to do fewer literary festivals than quite a lot of writers I know, but that’s because I am so busy that I never really have the time to fit it all in,” he replies, “but I would love to.”

Mentioning that there has been a backlash by some who feel that unfair demands on authors are made by festival organisers and that an industry-wide standard should be introduced, Anthony is of a different opinion. “Writers like me shouldn’t get paid to attend,” he says. “I have always had this idea that literary festivals should have a pot of money for all authors from which you can choose to take or not take

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FEATURE - so if you are a very successful bestselling author you can say ‘no I don’t want the money’ and that then gets passed on to the less well known, non-fiction or more specialist writers.”

“The whole idea of a literary festival is that it is a great equaliser - you can get your mega bestselling authors, for instance Kate Mosse, who might be on an hour before somebody you have never heard of.” Anthony continues: “I don’t appear at literary festivals to sell books; I do them because I think it is part of the responsibility of being a writer.”

Just how does Anthony juggle having so many projects on the go at one time? “I write pretty much everything that it is possible to write, but we all compartmentalise as writers and for me it is a simple rule - which is that I never do two things in one day. I will do a day of Alex Rider or I will do a day of some TV show, but not both on the same day - so every day is different.”

To Anthony, creative writing is not so much a talent; it is more a sort of immersion. “For instance, last night in my hotel room I wrote a chapter of Alex Rider set in Rio de Janeiro, which I am not visiting as it is a little too far to go,” he explains. “I always write in sequence and although the Gibraltar chapters are now very worked out (I have made a lot of notes and taken a lot of photographs), I am only on Chapter 3, so last night I was in the Flamengo Park in Rio de Janeiro - and all I can say is that while I was writing it, I was there, absolutely immersed in the work and nothing else mattered. I didn’t even have dinner; I just forgot everything and worked.” Obviously very driven about writing, Anthony tells me he can’t imagine life without words. First drafts are always written by hand. “I find it very, very satisfying, much more so than tapping on a computer, and the moment I get a pen in my hand and a blank sheet of paper I feel alive. I like the feel of the nib on paper, the flow of ink.”

Many authors are well known for their hideouts, a garden shed or hut, to which they retreat to write. Anthony’s space is his top floor office of the building where he lives in Farringdon, perched high over the city, giving him a panoramic view of London. “It is a long, narrow room looking out over St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Old Bailey, the Shard, and Clerkenwell ,” he states, adding “but I do miss a garden; I miss grass and trees and when I was young I used to work in the Brompton Cemetery because it was quiet and peaceful.”

Asked which of his characters has been his favourite, Anthony clarifies that it is Alex Rider. “I am more proud of Alex Rider, only because of the extraordinary number of teachers and parents who tell me that Alex helped to get their kids reading, boys in particular.”

“I have lost count of the hundreds of people who have said to me ‘my kids didn’t read until they read Alex’ and given the fact that I support reading and the work of the National Literacy Trust, and that over the years I have tried to spread the message about reading, that to me matters .”

“Apart from Alex Rider, I’m very proud of what we achieved with Foyle’s War, the long-running hit ITV series starring Michael Kitchen in the title role as Christopher Foyle, produced by my wife,” Anthony states. “That was sixteen years of my life and I think it was a really strong volume of work that is very well known around the world.” Not one to name drop, Anthony said that he had some amazing meetings with major Hollywood stars who invited him to lunch because they just happened to like the programme. “The Mayor of New York invited me to breakfast because he was a fan,” he laughs The reason why Anthony is in Gibraltar, the twelfth Alex Rider novel, will be called Nightshade.

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“I SAID THAT I WAS GOING TO STOP WRITING ALEX RIDER BOOKS WHEN I GOT HIM TO AGE 15 - HE AGED ONE YEAR IN THE FIRST TEN BOOKS AND I CAME BACK TO HIM LAST YEAR WITH A BOOK CALLED NEVER SAY DIE, SO WHY DID I BREAK MY PROMISE? FOR LOTS OF REASONS BUT MAINLY BECAUSE I JUST REDISCOVERED ALEX AND DECIDED I LIKED HIM AGAIN.” Scorpio Rising, the ninth book in the series, is partly set in Gibraltar. For that, Anthony admits he watched the Living Daylights film to get an idea of what the Rock looked like. “It didn’t help much as it was set entirely inside a prison I had made up - a British Guantanamo Bay in Gibraltar -but for the book I am writing now, there is an escape from the prison and the boy has to come into town and escapes by boat, so therefore it was impossible to write the book without coming out here.”

Anthony thinks that there is a danger in writing children as grown-up. “Even Harry Potter when he grew up somehow made me a little bit sad, I think there is an immortality about children’s heroes, they stay children forever, it is the Peter Pan complex.”

The idea did cross his mind to write an Alex Rider book set in his late twenties. “He was going to be a complete wreck of a human being, with all the adventures that he had as a child having psychologically destroyed him.” Anthony adds that curiously, and perhaps wisely, his publishers were uninterested.

Forever and a Day is the second Bond novel written by Anthony, and I ask him how difficult it was to create a female character that resonates with the #MeToo movement when women and sex have been a large part of the Bond formula.

“One of the things I’m most proud of in that book is Sixtine who, I hope, is a perfect embodiment of a woman who is true to the period (the book is set at the end of the 50s),” Anthony says.

“Nonetheless, she has a very modern perception - she is very strong, very independent, and she certainly gives Bond a run for his money - and when it comes to matters of bed she makes the running.”

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FEATURE

Gibunco Gibraltar InternationaL literary Festival

2018

Nicky Guerrero, Chief Executive of the Gibraltar Tourist Board and Festival Director, talks to Jo Ward about what’s coming up in the sixth edition of the Gibunco Gibraltar International Literary Festival taking place over four days from 15th to the 18th November. The main venues will stay the same as in previous years: the John Mackintosh Hall, The Convent and The Gibraltar Garrison Library, with the addition this year of the University of Gibraltar.

“The festival is so well established now and its reputation has really rocketed,” Nicky says. “We have an even more diverse range of talks with the addition of some not-tobe missed performances and workshops, including a musical event.”

This year’s line-up boasts renowned names from the publishing world, including stars of television, top chefs, historians, academics, adventurers and inspirational speakers.

There are also new exciting partnerships with two top British institutions.

Jazz FM, the UK’s premier radio broadcaster of jazz, blues and soul, will be broadcasting from the Literary Festival every morning during their Breakfast Show, talking to some of the guest speakers.

“This is a great collaboration for both the Literary Festival and for Gibraltar tourism, bringing more exposure in the run up to, and during, the festival to the people listening in the UK,” Nicky explains.

The Oldie Magazine is hosting one of their popular Liter-

ary Lunches to be held at the Rock Hotel on 15th November.

For just £49.50, guests will be able to enjoy a three course meal and listen to three acclaimed speakers. The Oldie Literary Lunches have become a venerable institution on the London literary scene since they were first launched in 1996, so this is a fantastic opportunity to attend

new panellists, and there will also be an opportunity to see ‘An Audience with Sheila Hancock’ presented by journalist and former BBC News reporter Nick Higham.

Nicky comments that the festival promises to be busier than last year, with more events and several speakers who are doubling up on talks.

One o f

“Once again“ we have a fantastic line“up with new speakers and some exciting additions“

one in Gibraltar.

Although there are still a few last minute names to add to the list of speakers, one event that Nicky is always pleased to announce is that ‘Just a Minute’ will be returning for another year. “Nicholas and Annie Parsons are coming back to host, bringing with them four panellists, some of whom have not taken part before,” he states. “We are thrilled to welcome the acclaimed actress and author Sheila Hancock as one of our

these is Gel o n g Thubten, a Buddhist monk, meditation trainer and author who specialises in teaching non-religious mindfulness meditation. He works with major clients such as Google, Accenture and LinkedIn, and collaborated with Ruby Wax on her latest book ‘How to be Human, the Manual’. Thubten will share insights from the book as well as advice on how meditation and mindfulness can help us maintain our humanity and compassion in

an increasingly busy world, particularly with the distractions of the digital age and our increasing levels of stress.

He will also be taking part in a bespoke event for sixthformers about social media.

“We have got to respond to what people want to hear about nowadays, and mental health is one of those subjects which is very prominent at the moment, so we want to start conversations and bring awareness about these issues,” Nicky says.

In that same vein, Sophie Andrews, Chief Executive of The Silver Line Helpline and National Chair of the Samaritans from 2008-11, will be speaking about her own roller coaster ride of a life full of horrific childhood experiences and how she managed to slowly recover but also pay back to the organisations (like Samaritans) who had helped her along the way.

In ‘Using Poetry to Promote Talking and Healing’, Dr. Pooky Knightsmith will relate her own journey through post-traumatic stress disorder, anorexia, self-harm, depression and anxiety, and demonstrate how poetry helped not only herself, but others too.

“We want to stimulate thought and educate, and listening to the experiences of others can enrich our lives,” Nicky states. One thing that he is passionate about is that we should not just choose talks or events by the title or by the name of the speaker; it is often the ones we don’t think will be interesting or the names we don’t recognise

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FEATURE that are the most enriching and stimulating.

this year. Get inspired to get fit with fitness guru Diana Moran, The Green Goddess and now Editor in Chief of PrimeTimeLife.TV. Diana will provide tips and exercises for older adults in ‘Down with Sofas - Up with Stairs’.

Everyone’s favourite childhood TV presenter, Johnny Ball, will show just how simple our mathematical world

Something that Nicky says will be very different is ‘An Evening with Jane Austen’ to be held in The Convent Ballroom, combining music and readings from Jane Austen novels performed by actors Caroline Langrishe and Adrian Lukis accompanied by vocalists and musicians, including harpist Mary Reid and soprano Rosie Lomas. They will play and sing 18th-century and regency-era music that would have been heard in Austen’s own household in a double length event lasting for two hours that will

include a 30-minute interval, during which drinks will be available from the Convent Dining Hall.

Carrying on with the musical theme, Dame Felicity Lott will talk about her operatic career and discuss her book of reminiscences, ‘Il nous faut de l’amour’ with excerpts from her CDs, and world-renowned Oxford-born conductor Sir Roger Norrington will be in conversation with Nick Higham about ‘A Life in Music’.

“The range of subjects we have is quite varied and interesting and there is also, as always, a great contingent of local authors,” Nicky confirms. “Author M. G. Sanchez is coming back this year discussing the three years he lived in India’s financial and entertainment capital in ‘From Gibraltar to Mumbai: a crash course in culture shock

and intense living’. Giordano Durante will talk about the key themes in his poetry in ‘The Poem I’ll Never Write”, and continuing with the subject of poetry and the local connection, Ruth O’Callaghan will launch her 9th collection of poetry in conversation with award-winning screenwriter Gaby Chiappe, daughter of the late Mary Chiappe who so often appeared at the festival with her own novels. “This year

there will be an opportunity for local authors to sell their books at the Garrison Library even if they are not taking part in the festival,” Nicky notes.

There are a host of recognisable names attending

INSIGHT MAGAZINE IS PROUD TO BE A SPONSOR OF THE GIBUNCO GIBRALTAR INTERNATIONAL LITERARY FESTIVAL 2018.

TICKETS CAN BE BOUGHT ONLINE OR IN PERSON AT THE BOX OFFICE UP TO ONE HOUR BEFORE THE EVENT. GIBRALTARINSIGHT.COM

el, ‘The Killing Rock’. Popular Sky News presenter and broadcaster Stephen Dixon will read from his collection of poems ‘Love is the Beauty of the Soul' and discuss his book and life on TV with James Neish.

This year, the opening dinner on Thursday will be prepared with the team at the Caleta Hotel by Matt Tebbutt, the hugely popular presenter of BBC 1’s Saturday Kitchen. On Saturday, speakers will be hosted to a Moroccan Night

at the Rock Hotel and the closing dinner will this year take place at the University at Europa Point, with the menu prepared by acclaimed food writer Diana Henry, drawn from her latest book, ‘How to Eat a Peach’.

could and should be, if it were explained in his uncluttered and enthusiastic style.

Professional explorer, writer, photographer and Channel 4 documentary presenter Levison Wood will take the audience on ‘A Journey Through The Heart of the Middle East’, and actor and writer Robert Daws is returning with a performed reading of a new play based on the life and writings of P G Wodehouse with musical accompaniment featuring works composed by Jerome Kern, George Gershwin, Cole Porter and Ivor Novello with Wodehouse’s lyrics. Robert will also be talking about his new Gibraltar set crime nov-

Once again, there will be a full schools’ and children’s programme where pupils will benefit from talks by several speakers. These include festival favourite Christopher Lloyd and Spanish football journalist, author and pundit Guillem Balague who will also be talking about his book ‘Brave New World – Inside Pochettino’s Spurs’ at the University.

Nicky enthusiastically says that he is sure this year’s festival will be another fantastic event. “We have a great hardworking team and every year brings new challenges, but I am really looking forward to showcasing Gibraltar and presenting this wonderful destination of ours to the wider world once again.”

ONLINE: WWW.GIBRALTARLITERARYFESTIVAL.COM / WWW.BUYTICKETS.GI VISIT WWW.GIBRALTARLITERARYFESTIVAL.COM FOR THE FULL LINE-UP OF SPEAKERS AND EVENTS.

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FEATURE

BEHIND THE SCENES

GIBRALTAR UNIVERSITY

Established as a university since September 2015, the last three years has seen expansion and growth that has secured its place at the heart of Gibraltar as an accessible centre for students within the community and for those from further afield, both regionally and internationally.

It took just eleven months from the concept to the completion of the building, as mentioned by Minister for Education Gilbert Licudi in his inauguration speech: “What was an idea not so long ago, has become a living, breathing and functioning institution.”

David Revagliatte, Lead for Communication & Marketing, took Insight’s Jo Ward ‘Behind the Scenes’ of the state-ofthe-art building situated at Europa Point that was built to include the cultural heritage of the two military buildings dating back to the 19th century that were located on the site.

The focal point of Gibraltar University is the impressive double height atrium that floods the main hall with natural light.

This central area houses the constantly manned reception desk and leads off to rooms used by administration staff.

“There is the Registry Department where we keep all the student records, and we also have a Student Experience Team who ensure that our students have a rewarding experience and achieve their educational goals when they are here,” David explains. This is also where anyone who has an enquiry about enrolling can come along for advice.

“Although we have a relatively small team of about twenty-five working here, we operate in the same way as any large university in the UK,” David states, “but, of course in a very Gibraltarian way.”

Resources available to the students and academics include full IT services and The Parasol Library where librarian Caroline Moss-Gibbons is on hand to help support them with user

training, assistance with information literacy or the citation of odd sources, such as Podcasts. Unlike a traditional library where shelves are lined with books, it is very much a 21st century space providing flexible access to information resources.

“There were two things that the university opened confidently with,” David says. “Our first intake of students took short courses, accounting (AAT) and law, aimed at working professionals in Gibraltar, and at the other end of the spectrum we started our PhD Research degree.” Next year will see the launch of the university’s own MBA and it is hoped that two new courses will also be added; the PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate in Education) and an MSc in Mediterranean Studies. Then there is the Europa Point language centre which opened earlier this year providing specialist language courses for both general and professional purposes. The core focus is on the English language professional sector, but there are also courses for anyone looking to learn Spanish.

“Our courses are very much guided by industry, and in that respect we have Key Advisory Groups made up of people from across Gibraltar’s business communities who guide a certain subject,” says David.

Walking through the atrium, past the conference centre and the boardroom, something that looks like the Tardis from Doctor Who sits proudly in a corner. This is, in fact, the historical Second Order optic that projected the beacon from the Europa Point Lighthouse, presented to the University by Trinity House after a re-engineering project. What is astounding is to peer inside and see the size of the bulb… it

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FEATURE is tiny! The beacon is a fitting symbol for the university as mentioned by Chief Minister Fabian Picardo at a ceremony to formally install Lord Luce as Chancellor. He said that the university expressed the “spirit of innovation, enterprise and learning. It has chosen the image of a lighthouse as its logo, not just because of its proximity to the nearby Trinity lighthouse, but because a lighthouse is primarily a beacon – an enduring symbol of light and understanding.”

Last year, the university announced the appointment of its inaugural Beacon Professors, Professor David Abulafia and Dr John Cortes. Beacon Professors are unique to the University of Gibraltar, the title being symbolic of their role to spread the light of knowledge, to inspire students and to illuminate their life paths. Professor Abulafia is a professor of Mediterranean history at Cambridge University and is internationally renowned for his seminal work The Great Sea: A Human History of the Mediterranean. Professor John Cortes, awarded an MBE for services to ecology and conservation, gave his inaugural lecture as a Beacon Professor on ‘Fragments of Paradise, Nature and Man in far-flung islands’.

David then takes me into the fully equipped simulation suite currently used by the GHA for their nursing degree students.

Although academic credit is currently awarded by Kingston University and St. Georges, there are future plans for the university to work in conjunction with Kingston University and the GHA to offer its own general nursing degree. The suite has been designed to replicate a real hospital environment and contains two beds, one of which is occupied by a dummy patient. There is even the ubiquitous old fashioned bedside chair for patients or visitors!

“We are still a young university,” explains David. “This means that we are looking at opportunities and adapting to the shifting needs in the services sector for the future.” Going forward, the university is exploring partnerships with UK universities to further develop their portfolio of courses to include hospitality degrees. In readiness for this, at the other end of the atrium, there is a professional kitchen kitted-out with gleaming stainless steel appliances and cutting-edge equipment. This can currently be hired out for cookery courses, food demonstrations or preparation for functions Walking down the stairs to the lower level of the atrium, the juxtaposition of old and new is evident with the contrasting white steel, glass balustrades and marble tiles set against the original brick vaults. The walls of the social areas are dotted with inspirational educational quotes from where a corridor of doors lead off to five seminar rooms, two lecture theatres and resource rooms.

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Concealed behind a secret door hidden in the walls of the atrium is a flight of stairs leading down to a cave. “This was part of the old military fortress that was found when they started to drill down during the construction of the building.”

The final stop on my tour is the science laboratory. “The fully equipped working lab is being used at the moment by one of our PhD research students looking at 3D triangulations,” David says. “As from September we have a new intake of Marine Science Master’s students who will be able to utilise the lab to assess, for example, samples taken from the Bay.” Acting Vice Chancellor Professor Catherine Bachleda confirms that Gibraltar is a new type of university representing accessibility for local and international students. “Ambitious and adaptable, we are building an institution that creates opportunity for our students, graduates and those who work with us” Professor Bachleda goes on to say that there is an emphasis on partnerships and collaboration that is at the heart of the university’s success as an institution. “It is through these re-

lationships that we are able to continually develop and grow – directly benefiting our students, the wider region and the partners we work with.”

“I have worked in a number of universities and we are very fortunate here that the team spirit is phenomenal,” she states. ““I think we all value being part of building something new here in Gibraltar, and the chance to be part of a university from the start is such a great opportunity.” Professor Bachleda continues by saying that most team members are juggling many balls and wearing many hats. “That adds to that sense of collegiality and working towards a common goal produces a really nice atmosphere.”

As we walk out into the inner courtyard, Professor Bachleda shows me the caretaker’s office. “This was the munitions store, where the ammunition was housed, and there are small openings in the wall where they used to stand candles to light the interior, because they couldn’t take a candle inside in case it ignited the ammunition,” she explains.

Of course, there is one thing that the modern campus at Gibraltar University has that won’t be found at many other universities. These are the spectacular panoramic views over the Strait and out towards Africa that give students a truly bespoke learning environment.

Find out more about Gibraltar University here: www.unigib.edu.gi

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FEATURE

YOU SHALL GO TO THE BALL It’s encouraged in local schools – the Gibraltar Cricket Board (GCB) is recognised and enjoys membership of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the game has been played on the Rock for many, many years, but is it still the `Cinderella’ local sport?

The general view in the past, I think it’s true to say, was that cricket – not unlike rugby - was the domain of white collar, middle class-ish expats and locals playing quietly to the rhythm of slow claps on the Naval Grounds or at Europa Point playing fields. You could say it was almost an exclusive sport.

Today in the UK, it has become the second most played sport and has definitely become much noisier, as can be seen by watching rowdy fans on TV attending test matches at the Oval and other grounds. The game seems to have grabbed the interest of a more diverse group of aficionados across social classes everywhere. It’s now promoted locally in schools and the number of cricket enthusiasts donning the white tops and pants and taking to `batting, bowling and fielding’ has increased substantially. “We now have 12 teams which means well over 150 individuals are playing cricket,” Gibraltar cricket’s Mark Bacarese informs me. “Sports development programmes in schools are encouraged and they all have cricket in their sports periods.” Thanks to those PE teachers and other cricket aficionados, Mark says further interest in the game began to build around the mid 90s when Finance Centre and online gaming employees working here helped to give the game a boost. But cricket has been played for many, many years in Gibraltar even as far back to when the Great Siege was over, matches began to be played on the `Neutral Ground,’ much more familiar to us these days as the airport runway!

Yes, during the early 1800s civilians of the Gibraltar Cricket Club challenged the officers of the garrison and it could be said cricket took a hold as teams were formed. World War 1 disrupted cricket and other field sports no doubt, but the

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FEATURE Gibraltar Cricket Club soldiered on and during those early 1900 years a local cricketer, John Hayward Jnr, began to make a name for himself in local cricket to become what’s been described as probably Gibraltar’s all time, `top cricketer!’ The game progressed through the years with perhaps less competition from the services for obvious reasons with the Gibraltar Cricket Club winning most of the matches they played.

Jumping ahead to the 1930s and cricket was becoming the ‘in’ thing in the world of local sport with many local cricketers coming to the fore with John Hayward leading the way. The Spanish Civil War didn’t affect local cricket which was not the case when WW2 broke out.

The `playing fields’ on the neutral

ground became the airfield and the game practically came to a halt. The Alameda Grand Parade made do for a while until a cricket ground was provided adjacent to the airfield where the Victoria Stadium stands today. There were many names that made the mark during those years: John Hayward, Charles Norton, Nemmie Cortes, John Jones and E Benyunes amongst others. During the 1950s the local Grammar School contributed a number of good players too, the Civil Service also, and whilst the Gibraltar Cricket Club still ruled the roost, young talented fellows were close behind proving worthy competition. The 1960s period brought with it a change when

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the Gibraltar Cricket Association was formed bringing together all local teams to face competition from the Combined Services sides. More cricket devotees like Willie Scott, the Perez family, the Valverdes and a few others came to the fore and kept the game alive prominently for locals, and by the end of the decade the GCA (changed to GCB, Board) was elected an Associate Member of the ICC, the International Cricket Conference – now Council.

The 70s saw the GCA compete with teams from abroad but young blood for the local game was attracted towards other sports on the Rock.

It seems the next two or three decades saw highs and lows regarding interest in cricket but a few stalwarts soldiered on to keep the

and hockey for example. Playing at international tournaments is part of their remit as is the case with our local Football and Basketball associations. Our National Team (Senior Squad) has recently competed in the ICC T20 Europe Qualifiers and performed well. “We are doing quite well and could probably do better if we had the facilities at home.”

Prominent GCB committee member, Mark Bacarese informs me, “At the moment we don’t have a playing field as works are ongoing at Europa Point. We have to travel a couple of hours up the coast to get a decent game. On occasions we can use the pitch at Devil’s Tower Camp but that’s MOD land and insurance cover is costly. We have practice nets and a pitch behind Victoria Sta-

game alive and batting! Combined Services opposition dwindled and the Hindu community presented a team as did other clubs like new club Calpe CC. The game wavered with wins and losses and Costa teams of ex-patriots joined in the fun when the Frontier re-opened.

Through the 90s, trips abroad to a number of countries by different GCB teams were undertaken certainly to the end of the century and beyond.

dium at the Bayside Sports Complex and that’s it.” Mark has been working full time for the GCB but now, despite Gibraltar being one of 150 member nations receiving financial support from the ICC, grants have decreased, maybe as a consequence of the works at Europa Point. “The thing is, even when the pitches and playing fields are ready they will be multi-use surfaces to accommodate football, rugby and cricket and the plastic type of surface being installed is not really suitable for playing cricket on. A hybrid surface would be ideal for our game.” Also, Mark tells me all sports are played for about 11 months a year now so booking slots may become tight! So

Over time, competition has continued in World and European Championships for the now named GCB, THE Gibraltar Cricket Board, but I think some may say it always kept a low profile compared to football

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FEATURE we have to wait and see when it’s ready whether the surface is suitable or not.

Notwithstanding, the game is certainly kept alive and kicking with women increasingly having taken an interest in cricket way back in 2011, and already two young coach awards have been presented to a couple of young ladies by the ICC. Training is of course essential as with every sport and sessions are held at the Bayside Sports Complex. There’s a midweek one which includes a social league for anyone wanting to have a bash, there’s a Junior League, Women’s League, the Weekend League for the more senior players and there’s also indoor cricket to practice which involves

fewer players not unlike futsal. Mark has also been busy preparing a `Strategic Plan’ soon to be presented which is suited to smaller nations explaining how to manage cricket in places like Gibraltar.

By and large cricket is up and running on the Rock but I wonder – even as a distant observer and not being a sports fan, so I may be wrong – why does it only enjoy a low profile. Representations to bodies and departments concerned, Mark is proud to maintain, are dealt with in a cordial and civilised manner, never resorting to social media or other means to grab more attention with a view to highlighting their plight.

So does the `Cinderella of local sport’ need to be less of a sport of undeserved neglect and more of an important Gibraltar team-game with a great pedigree on the Rock – deserving of much higher recognition?

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SPORTS INSIGHT

UEFA A WELCOME REPLACEMENT FOR MEANINGLESS FRIENDLIES

NATIONS LEAGUE HISTORY will ensure that Russia 2018 rightly takes its place at the head of the World Cup roll of honour when, despite all the dire doomsayer pre-tournament predictions, Moscow produced an absolute firecracker of an event that excited and delighted football fans worldwide as France, finally, buried their internal squabbles and gelled together brilliantly to claim victory and lift the Cup in style.

The summer wildfire that swept through the planet’s pubs, clubs and living rooms has subsided but the dying embers still ensure a warm afterglow. Magical memories that will live long; the highlight for me being the emergence onto the world stage of the mesmerising Mbappe, the 19-year-old sensation who, more than any other, was the inspiration that fired Les Bleus to World Cup glory.

Much has been written of England’s performance in reaching the semi-final, the consensus being that the boys did well, but a few critics claiming that it could have been so much better – having outplayed and taken the lead against Croatia, before defensive frailties late on meant the Cup wasn’t ‘coming home’ after all.

The inaugural UEFA Nations League has given England the perfect opportunity to avenge that semi-final defeat, having been grouped in League A with the Croats and Spain. England travel to Rijeka on Friday, October 12, where a win is vital, having lost their opening game 2-1 at home to the Spanish, if they are to retain any hope of qualifying for next summer’s last four shootout. Three days later, Southgate’s soldiers are in Seville for the return game against Spain and it will require a herculean effort in the Benito Villamarin cauldron if England is to put right the Wembley defeat.

Spain, looking for compensation after their dismal dismissal in the World Cup, could hardly have started better, walloping Croatia 6-0 to add to their England win and now look long oddson to qualify for next June’s finals.

Elsewhere, in League B, Wales will be hopeful of building on their 4-1 home thrashing of Ireland when they travel to Dublin on Tuesday, 16th October for the return fixture. It will be a surprise if the Taffs fail to do the double, especially given the hair-raising accounts of dressing room dust-ups between Ireland’s assistant manager Roy Keane and a couple of the players.

Also in League B, Northern Ireland, having lost their opening fixture at home to Bosnia and Herzegovina, now faces two daunting away games in October; Austria in Vienna and the return Bosnia fixture in Sarajevo.

Scotland, having beaten Albania 2-0 at home in their opening fixture, already have one eye on promotion from League C. The Jocks are away to a poor Israel side on 11th October and must fancy their chances of having a 100 percent record going into November’s vital games.

Gibraltar know that upwards can be the only direction in League D as they are ranked 55th of the 55 competing nations. Unfortunately, 2-0 losses in both their opening fixtures – at home to Macedonia and away to Liechtenstein – highlight how tough this group will be. Away to Armenia on Saturday, 13th October and the return game against Liechtenstein at Victoria Stadium three days later are certainly games that could and should yield points.

Come on Gibraltar

A quick guide UEFA’S 55 nations have been split into four leagues determined by their ranking at the end of World Cup 2018 qualifying, with League A consisting of the top 12 nations, League B the next 12, League C the next 15 and finally, the remaining 16 in League D.

League A

is divided into four groups of three. The teams in each group will play each other on a round robin home and away basis with the four group winners meeting in semi-finals and final next summer. The bottom placed team in each group will be relegated to League B.

League B

is also divided into four groups of three with the winners being promoted to League A and bottom nation of each group relegated to League C.

League C

is divided into three groups of four and one group of three, with the four top teams promoted and the four worst sides relegated.

League D

is divided into four groups of four, with the four best teams promoted to League C. Of the Home Nations, England are in League A and grouped with Spain and Croatia. Wales and Northern Ireland occupy League B with Wales grouped with neighbours Ireland and Denmark, and Northern Ireland crossing swords with Austria and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Scotland are grouped in League C with Albania and Israel.

Last, but certainly not least, Gibraltar are ensconced in League D, and their group opponents are Macedonia, Armenia and Liechtenstein.

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SPORTS INSIGHT

QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS DAY PARADISE FOR THE PUNTER! BRITISH Champions Day, the most lucrative day’s racing in English Flat Racing history, takes place at Ascot on Saturday, 20th October when the elite thoroughbred athletes of Europe come under starter’s orders for six glorious races that will establish who are the top dogs of the Sport of Kings. This is the eighth year that this most prestigious event will be run, when the horse racing superstars of Britain, France and Ireland converge to do battle, eyeball to eyeball, to discover who will be crowned QIPCO British Champions of 2018.

Steeped in history, Ascot Racecourse is the hallowed turf upon which this most eagerly awaited season’s finale is played out; when Europe’s equine finest compete not just for top honours but for a share of total prize money of £4,350,000. Good to see that Horse Racing has eschewed the current craze to pay prize money in Uncle Sam dollars and continues to pay winnings in sterling, unlike other sports such as golf, tennis and increasingly football, whose administrators all seem frozen in fear that the imminent birth of Brexit may trigger a catastrophic collapse of the pound.

but should my Second Coming be measured by sporting success in this life, I fear my return to Earth would be much more likely to be as Steptoe and Son’s cart-pulling gelding Hercules, rather than as the legendary stallion!

Another great name from Champions Day is Further Flight who won the Long Distance Cup an astonishing five years in a row, and ensured that the popular grey became a great favourite with the betting public. Alas for Further Flight though, unlike Frankel’s harem of eager and very fit fillies, for him there was no retirement to the delights of stud duty as, having suffered the unkindest cut of all, not a single lady came calling!

Racing’s hierarchy likes to perpetuate the myth that the sport’s integrity is very much intact and that daily, every horse in every race is straining every sinew with a lung-bursting will to win – well, any punter not disabused early of such fanciful fiction will by now be rueing their loss of innocence and eyeing empty bank accounts. So I warmly welcome British Champions Day – an honest test to unveil the best - when the superstars of Europe come together on Ascot’s green fields to go head to head, nose to nose, to establish who will be crowned Kings and Queens of the Turf and earn their owners record prizemoney and mind boggling wealth when the victorious retire to the breeding barns.

While there’s nothing of the calibre of Frankel or Further Flight in this year’s extravaganza, there are some potential superstars straining to reach the status of the legendary duo. The opening event, the Long Distance Cup, features one such rising star in Stradivarius, who I expect to make sweet music whilst repelling a strong Irish challenge. Next up is the Sprint Stakes where I will burden that refugee from The Wizard of Oz, The Tin Man, with my tenner and, carrying on the musical theme, I’m hopeful La Ti Dar can hit the highest note in the Fillies & Mares Stakes.

At this stage, it’s difficult to predict the outcomes of the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and Champion Stakes as many of the top horses have entries in both races, but whichever contest is chosen I’m confident that Roaring Lion will be crowned King of the Turf. This warrior steed, unlike Oz’s Cowardly Lion, is all heart and carries my £25 to win the Champion Stakes, with its first prize of £737,230 and to take a giant step on the road that leads to the blissful romance of the stud farm.

Frankel, untroubled winner of all 14 of his races at the highest level and universally acclaimed as the greatest Flat racehorse of all time, was crowned British champion in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes in 2011 and concluded his spectacular career after winning the Champion Stakes at this event the following year. Then it was off to stud in Newmarket for the superstar, where only the most fragrant fillies with impeccable credentials are entertained - over 130 conjugal visits a season at a knee-trembling fee of £175,000 a date. ‘Luvly jubbly’ as my favourite entrepreneur Del Boy is fond of saying.

At the time of writing, my advice is to keep your powder dry and wait until Non Runner No Bet markets become available, usually a week or so pre-race day, before placing a bet.

Good luck all

As a believer in reincarnation, I would relish a return to the pampered lifestyle of the racehorse,

SATURDAY 20TH OCTOBER, 1ST RACE 1.25PM (BST). ALL RACES LIVE ON ITV AND RACING UK

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GOLF

NEWS

THE GOURMET CATERING AND EVENTS TROPHY The 2018-19 Med Golf season got off to a cracking start at the Benalup 5-Star Fairplay Golf and Spa resort on Sunday 2nd September 2018 as members contested the Gourmet Catering and Events Trophy.

The champion of the day and winner of the Gourmet Catering and Events Trophy and a 60 Med Golf voucher was Andrew Brown (handicap 27) with 35 Stableford points, beating Nicholas Farr on handicap (handicap 28) also with 35 points. The results gave Andrew back-to-back victories in only his second event as he won the Med Golf Omega Pharmacy Trophy on his debut at La Ca ada in July.

Andrew also won the team prize along with Mark Henderson with a combined score of 69 points.

The best gross score of 79 was posted by Matthew Bruce-Smith who was also the Category 1 winner with

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a score of 34 points, and he had the best gross score on the Par 3 holes of level par and won a nearest to the pin prize.

Category 3 (handicap 23 and above): Lee Scares took the runner up prize with 30 points and the winner with 35 points was Nicholas Farr.

John Hunter had the longest drive and won a nearest to the pin prize, whilst the best senior was Mike Cowburn with a score of 32 points.

Nearest the pin winners were: Matthew Bruce-Smith, Russell Eldridge, John Hunter, and Nick Pyle. Anthony Bull was nearest the pin in 2 on a par 4 and Michael Byrne was winner of nearest the pin in 3 on a par 5.

Handicap category prizes won were: Category 1 (handicaps 0 to 12): The runner up with a score of 34 points was Mark Henderson (handicap 11) with a score of 34 points and the winner on handicap, also with 34 points was Matthew Bruce-Smith (handicap 4).

Category 2 (handicaps 13 to 22): Matthew Robinson was runner up with a score of 31 points and the winner was Jason Roberts with 33 points.

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The prizes were presented by Med Golf’s Camille Benezrah and Judith Aguilar.

Guests are welcome at all events and although they are not eligible to win the trophy or category prizes, they can win the many mini-competition prizes and even a best guest prize if warranted by numbers and the scorecard draw at the end of the prize presentation.

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FEATURE

IT’S STUDY TIME

Once more S

ummer’s certainly over now and schooldays are back in earnest. It’s really not the end of the world and it takes no time to get back into the routine of an early rise, the bathroom run, uniform on (and don’t forget the tie), quick breakfast and away you go. It’s been a few weeks now, you walk back home with a friend and everything’s back to normal!

on to the next grade and wondering who your new form teacher would be. But it passes and all is fine. However, a couple of youngsters I spoke to claimed they don’t think about the school return. They tell me the holiday goes by quite quickly, even for those on higher exams who finished their term early. They said they only start talking about it a couple of days before that actual `getting up for school morning’ appears!

Maybe not exactly like that for some. Yes, it can be a little traumatic. The lead up to `school return’ on the last few holidays can be unhappy ones dreading the arrival of that unwelcomed day! When I was young, summer holidays seemed to go on forever and going back to school was miles away. When the day came it was a little scary moving

Today, youngsters in particular I feel, seem more mature and realise that’s the way it is, there’s some learning to do and GCSEs and `A’ levels are not a figment of their imagination. They’re real, so they have to `get down and get with it’ and do their best... speaking of which, results of those will already have set wheels in motion, having cho-

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BUSINESS INSIGHT Women in Business once again played host to the IWD dinner on Thursday 8th March, at the stunning Bistro Point restaurant located at the University of Gibraltar.

The Key note speaker this year was Dineen Garcia who was the former vice president of diversity at Macy’s Department store in the USA. Dineen was interviewed

by One Media & Events CEO Denise Matthews and the conversational and personal presentation was both inspiring and informative.

WIB Chair Janet Brear, opened the dinner with a welcome speech and in the spirit of this year’s International Women’s Day theme ‘Press for Progress’ announced The dinner was attended by 100 that WIB Gibraltar would be guests, including the Rt Hon Salaunching an equality study to mantha Sacramento MP, represenexamine the equal status of tatives from the Ministry for Equalwomen in local businesses and ity, The Vice Chancellor Daniella professions. Minister for EqualTilbury and representatives from ity, Samantha Sacramento also the University of Gibraltar, Ayelet addressed the guests and took Shay, the Chair from Gibraltar Isthe opportunity to announce her rael Chamber of Commerce, The ministry’s mentoring programme American Chamber of Commerce, to provide positive and inspiring Gibraltar Women’s Association, role models for local women. MenGirls in Tech, Start Up Grind and toring is a vital part in supporting HOST INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY DINNER Her Worship the Mayor, Kaiane Alwomen and we would encourage dorino Lopez. Attendees also inour members to get involved with this project either as mentors cluded The Chronicle, GBC, and a range of finance, legal, insuror mentees. ance and gaming professions, local businesses and charity leads.

WOMEN IN BUSINESS

Following on from last year’s successful dinner, WIB once again encouraged local businesses to sponsor a student to attend the dinner and 8 students in total from West Side school and Gibraltar College were able to attend the evening event. Sponsors included The Mayor of Gibraltar, EY, Deloittes, Addison Global and NetEnt.

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The event proved once again to be a great opportunity for professional networking, sharing and exchanging of ideas. Women in Business in Gibraltar seek to provide a networking platform which connects, shares and inspires likeminded women. They hold monthly breakfasts as well as seminars on informative and helpful topics for professional women.

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sen universities, setting off to them and beginning a new life: the next learning curve on the road to becoming a responsible adult, in other words!

Eyeing up your favourite boy or girl on Catalan Bay during the summer break may have been gratifying but now it’s the real thing, brain in gear and going for it and those `young lovey-dovey moments’ should be put on the back burner, at least for now. You’ve worked hard, fared well when you ripped open the brown envelope and here you are. GCSE youngsters will now be beginning to ponder – judging by the grades they achieved – what to go for and concentrate on over the next two years, and for those who did not do so well, the forlorn expressions of sadness and disappointment and, in some

cases the trauma, will have subsided.

There’s a new tomorrow and maybe a chance to have another go at better results next time round. And it all happens in the lead up to the autumn term which is now up and running. Still early into their first few weeks at university, reminiscences about what fun they had during the hols at home and on the beach begin to wane as university life, meeting new people from other countries, the change of lifestyle and location make you realise that yes, this is different! Meanwhile there are those whose degrees are done and dusted and have returned, or not, and having enjoyed their summer too, are beginning to find jobs or have been trying to - as it’s not an automatic `given’ that a job will be waiting for you simply because your studies have ended and you’re armed with a degree. They are

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beginning to discover the start of their future, adult life called...`Welcome to my world’, otherwise known as, ‘Reality’! It’s all part of that never ending learning curve called `life as it is’ which now moves up a notch or 50... which I’m sure returnees and graduates everywhere probably now understand.

Further down the age scale, younger children may have moved on to a new school, moving on from Primary to Middle or from Middle to Secondary (to Westside for girls, Bayside for boys, or Prior Park for both). I think it’s true to say that by now that stress or worrying about not knowing what school life will be like in a new building, new route to get there and back home and all the new children to meet and

having to start to build on friendships with kids arriving from other schools or abroad, will have subsided: schoolwork will surely occupy your mind as concentration becomes more serious and intense. All of the thoughts that may create a worrying time just before the early September date are now gone, hopefully, and another phase of school life begins; a happy few years of one’s young life in most cases, from my experience.

What about the teachers, mums and dads, how are they feeling at this time?

As far as parents are concerned, `glad to be rid of them’, I hear voices exclaim - jokingly of course! After all its been six or seven weeks of summer and they’ve been giving mum more work than ever, untidy bedrooms, more washing with extra going out clothes,

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beach ware and towels a-plenty and more pocket money being requested.

Dad too has been expected to ` drive me here and pick me up from there’ on an almost daily basis (and pocket money demanded from him also).

So the `quiet’ in the home was sadly missed during summer time but now they’re back at school and the grind continues for another term, the clock on the wall says they will soon return from school, and it’s all to do with the healthy spirit of family life and our kids going through what we’ve all been through – growing up!’ Yes, it’s another term and things are back to normal.

Teachers are back to work too, lest we forget, and they will have spent the run up to the autumn term preparing for it. We often say, `aren’t teachers lucky with all those holidays throughout the year just like the kids.’ But is it, just like the kids? Just give a thought to those starting out: first term for them too: `instructors of learning,’ taking their first term in a classroom full of noisy children. There will have been slight apprehensions there too but as with the kids now getting on with it, one retired teacher who’s still called in on occasions for his expertise, informed me, “Many don’t realise that when the school day is over we rarely go home when the children leave. There’s marking and preparation of lessons to get on with whilst the classroom is silent and peaceful.” Clearly it’s part of life’s cycle for all of us, and for the children attending school, the start or continuation of that road, leading to adulthood and maturity.

So it’s all good and in a couple of months when the year ends and the new one comes rushing in – don’t forget, time flies, it’s around the corner – the Christmas celebrations will have left us, it’ll be 2019 which I’m sure will be `Brexit Big One’ for the politicians and soon after that, just a few months in, it will be holiday time once more, with Alice Cooper’s less than dulcet tones heralding, `School’s Out (for summer)’ blasting out of a radio somewhere. Then it’ll be beach time once again and our children will no doubt be a little wiser, certainly a little older and hopefully more academically enlightened... and worldly!

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FEATURE THE

The Devil’s Tower was erected on the isthmus between the foot of the Rock and the base of the Sierra Carbonera.

The instability of the sandy soil of the isthmus, flooded periodically by rain, by the rising tides and by the effect of waves, resulted in its builders deciding to erect the watchtower upon a two meter rock which rose close to the north eastern face of the rock. In the nineteenth century the sand reached its base and boats passed close by.

Its position as a watchtower, at the foot of the escarpment, seems strange as it was at sea level disregarding the huge rock which rises behind, with a much larger field of view. However, the frequent cloud which comes with the Levant, covers the top of the Rock, reducing the visibility and does not affect the Tower, from where it was possible to continue the watch under these conditions. The proximity of the coast and the existence from time immemorial of tuna fishing off the coast justified its existence.

TOWER A TRANSLATION FROM

“LA MONTANA INEXPUGNABLE”

By Angel J Saez Rodrigues Instituto de Estudios Campogibraltareño Translated from Spanish

by Freddie Gomez and Paul Baker, with the author’s permission

Some authors have proposed, without any foundation, that this tower originated from Cathaginian or Islamic times.

Its earliest illustration is earlier than the famous drawing of the Bay by Van den Wyngaerde from 1567 in which the Rock is depicted in the middle of that century.

The first written records are of “a Tower of the Devils” in which two guards were accommodated. It was repaired around 1627, when it was called “The Naval Tower” or watch tower.

The Minister of War, Bravo de Acuña explained in the seventeenth century, that the Tower’s proximity to the shore provided a watch over any landings on the eastern coast. This area, around the Devil’s Tower, was also especially vulnerable, requiring constant vigilance due to its proximity to North Front (Puerta de Tierra).

Flattened in the second world war, its existence was recorded on two plaques, the first read “This stone marks the site of Devil’s Tower demolished in 1940” whilst the other laid as the result of work by Dorothy Ellicott, read

Its common name has been The Devil’s Tower or Tower of the Devils from at least the sixteenth century, changed by the more religious to Tower of the Angels or Guardian Angel (Angel de la Guarda) during part of the seventeenth century, alluding perhaps to the effectiveness of these towers in detecting enemy vessels. It has also been named Tower of Eastern Beach (Torre del Mar de Levante). The return to its original name came about following the conquest of Gibraltar by the English, who started producing charts which finally restored it as Devil’s Tower. The English never used any other term after learning its original name. From then on it was described as ”a light tower which standith on the isthmus”. The maps in other languages called it Le Tour du Diable, Teufels Thurn or Torra del Diablo.

It remained thus through the eighteenth, nineteenth and until it was destroyed in the twentieth century.

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This nomenclature (Devil or Diablo) is not unusual in Gibraltar nor in food storage towers in Andalucia. On the west coast of Gibraltar existed the Devils Point now covered by urban reclamation and the port, which included the Old Mole.

Similar names can be found in the south west of Gibraltar, between Buena Vista and Europa Point such as “The Devil’s Bowling Green” the Spanish name of which is unknown. The Gibraltar Directory of 1917 proposed an explanation which read: “The name comes from the Italian “dividing,” referring to a frontier or boundary which corrupted into Diavolo or Diablo. This is unlikely as the term could not come from an English source as it has been proved that the name was used by the Spanish from as early as the sixteenth century.

“The Devil’s Tower stood on a rocky base nearby until demolished in 1940 to clear a line of fire, possibly constructed by the Moors in the11th century. Its masonry suggests an earlier date than the string of towers built by Philip III of Spain, circa 1618, to defend his coast.

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FEATURE

Here the error is attributing the construction to Philip III when it is generally considered to be Philip II. Drawings are relatively abundant for a tower that no longer exists, providing us with detailed information of its appearance from the eighteenth century. The military repair and maintenance programme carried out on the tower for the 1727 siege is the most accurate source of information on the appearance of the building, with care to detail provided by the military engineers of the eighteenth century.

Luis Bravo de Lagunas, during his visit to these coasts in 1577, indicated in Town Council meeting on the 8th of March of that same year, “Here is the little tower which is called of the Devil very close to the three rocks” is therefore earlier than the series of Phillip’s signal towers.

Its prominent position in the open expanse of sand made it also a reference point necessary on military maps of this area.

During the Franco Spanish siege of 1704 directed by General Marques de Villadarias, between the work on defences ordered by the Governor of Gibraltar Hesse-darmstadt was work on fortifying the area around the tower with a loop holed defensive wall and double trench and fortified by artillery.

When the siege was raised, with the withdrawal of the Austrian pretenders, and a new Emperor of Austria, following the death in April 1711 of Joseph I, temporary peace returned to the area.

Colonel Congreve, taking the provisions in Article X of the Treaty of Utrecht to the letter, ordered the occupation of the tower where he installed a signal cannon, initiating diplomatic discussions between the countries which have still not been

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satisfactorily settled. The cease fire covered the city and fortress of Gibraltar as well as the port and the respective fortifications and Devil’s Tower was mentioned

by Gibraltar for the safety of the City. Thus it could be considered as one of its defences. On the other hand, in the spirit of the Treaty, the cease fire should not go any further than the boundaries of the town, fortifications and port.

During the 1727 siege, the English lookout which had been located in the tower had to be abandoned and was occupied by the Spanish. In these times the tower was a hideous gallows from which deserters from the besiegers were hung after being captured trying to reach Gibraltar.

In 1805, when the Spanish troops were billeted in San Roque and the surrounding area waiting, to start a new attack on Gibraltar, with the help of the French, a British patrol was captured near Devil’s Tower, General Castanos the Chief of the Spanish Forces, ordered they be freed immediately, as a sign of the cordial relations he maintained with his supposed enemy, General Dalrymple.

The defensive needs of Gibraltar during the Second World War made it necessary to demolish the Tower in 1940 or 1941, carried out

by British military engineers.

The strange survival of this structure throughout the fighting during the sieges of the eighteenth century and not peppered with shot from the combatants can only be explained by its position at the edge of the main fighting area The drawing was carried out by the military engineers from the Main Barracks of the Spanish Army in San Roque on the 22nd of October 1727, describing the building in detail. It refers to a cylindrical tower of eight OCTOBER 2018

meters height, a diameter of four meters and thin walls. A third of the inside was solid using the rocks on which it was constructed and upon which the foundation was laid. There was no door. Access was through a window whose sill was set five meters above the sand and opened onto a narrow circular floor and a vaulted ceiling. On the opposite wall was a window made into an embrasure. The window could only be reached using a long portable ladder. The old flat roof was converted into a second floor so that it could be used as a defence platform. A trap door was opened in the arched roof and a ladder used to gain access. A new floor was made by increasing the old battement and finished with a parapet slightly raised and roofed to protect its occupants from the weather. The roofing will have raised the height of the building to 11.5 meters above the ground. It had ten wooden loopholes all around the walls which converted it into a veritable fort for musketeers. These were inclined to combat attacks around the walls even enabling covering fire to be given to the rocks on which it was built.

The edifice was similar to the Torre del Puerco (Pig’s Tower) or Tower of Chiclana, coastal watch tower situated on the extreme south of the municipality of Chiclana de la Frontera. This is at least from the sixteenth century and is related to fishing activities in the Dukedom of Medina Sidonia. The Duke of Medina Sidonia also had dealings with the tuna fishing on the eastern coast of Gibraltar which could account for the building of this tower to protect the work of his employees as well as to keep a watch on the tuna as was the habit in those days.

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INSPIRATIONAL GIBRALTARIANS

Nathan Payas When you are ranked 8th fastest ever, out of the 200 Triple Crown swimmers recorded, it means you are in an elite club of very determined and successful athletes who have swum the English Channel, the Catalina Strait in the US and the 20 Bridges New York swim. You have swum for over 26 punishing hours in those three endurance challenges and you are still itching to notch up another win.

How does an accountant, now in senior management, balance all this with family life and training? Success comes at a price and invariably always through hard work and speaking to Nathan Payas, our inspirational Gibraltarian, who was also a successful professional opera singer for many years, the story that unfolds here is itself inspiring.

“I was interested in classical music from a very early age. I played piano throughout my youth and in my teens I joined Rock bands and through imitating singers from bands like Pearl Jam and Stone Temple Pilots, I discovered that I could project my voice in an operatic way. It was a discovery of how to express emotion without screaming in a clear, controlled way. In 1997 I went to university and studied piano. My objective was to become a music teacher, but when I went for my degree I needed a second instrument. I started to sing classical music and my tutor then suggested that I should take voice as my first instrument because it had more potential than my piano playing, although I was an ok pianist.”

‘SWIMMING GIVES ME MENTAL REST AND BALANCE. IT’S A SENSE OF BEING AT ONE WITH NATURE; IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT THE CHALLENGE BUT ABOUT A FIX WHICH I NEED. IT HAS NOW BECOME A WAY OF LIFE’.

Things moved very quickly from that point as Nathan sang at concerts in Hull and started to get noticed.

The year he obtained his degree he did a summer course in New York and then went to study voice in Indiana. At age 21, he debuted as ‘Il Duca’ in Verdi’s Rigoletto, a big operatic achievement, which took place in Bloomington, Indiana. He followed that with performances in Florida, Evansville, Kentucky and other US locations but then decided to move to Austria, the cradle of classical music.

“I lived in Austria for several years and from there travelled to many places including Italy, Germany, Japan, Spain, Turkey and Ireland in singing roles, concerts and recitals. I sang in twenty two fully staged operatic productions including Verdi, Puccini, Mozart, Ravel and Salieri before I decided that there was little stability in that world of auditions and travelling. My first daughter was born in 2007 (Zoe now 10, Alba is 8) and coming from a comfortable and stable Gibraltarian background, I found it difficult to contemplate continuing to bring up a family in that world.”

Nathan made a new career choice. He researched accounting because he reckoned that it would be a stable profession, so he came back here in 2008 and started two years of number crunching, which he didn’t enjoy and which led him to take up teaching voice privately. At one stage he had fourteen pupils under his wing but the singing aspiration had not yet left him so he went back for a last try at music in Vienna. He spent a year there, working as a singer, but the cost of living there was higher than the income and he was unable to bring the family over. A game change was needed and it came in the shape of a timely offer to work for Baker Tilly in a managerial role. Early 2014 he passed all his ACCA exams after intensive study over two years because he felt he had to ‘catch up’ and overtake his younger counterparts to qualify for his new role. He is now working at EY as Senior Manager in Advisory Services and is extremely happy and always feels challenged and fulfilled.

Throughout his singing life, swimming was always in the background as a way of keeping fit and swimming 1.5 kilometers (in pools) two or three times a week was normal. In 2012 he joined the local Bluefin Open Water Swimming Club and he kept challenging himself to swim for longer times in deepest winter (February has the coldest water temperatures here, 11-13 degrees). He was inspired by a number of local swimmers who had swum the Strait of Gibraltar and soon set about swimming

WORDS BY JOE ADAMBERY GIBRALTARINSIGHT.COM

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INSPIRATIONAL GIBRALTARIANS around the Rock various times where he discovered that he could swim for a long time at a steady speed and always kept shaving time off his previous attempts.

He attempted a double swim around the Rock which he completed in 6hrs 33mins. It came after his first single Strait crossing swim and that gave him the confidence to attempt the English Channel which would mean another three hours (over 9 hrs.) of swimming in 16 degree waters. “You can eat a banana or a soft cereal bar and drink during a swim but always treading water. If you hold on to the support boat you are disqualified”.

“I practiced for that during my long swims here. If you drink carbohydrate powder mixed with hot water it can help your resistance to the cold. I was very well prepared for the English Channel swim, I had practiced swimming over six hours in 15 degrees water here, in Gib, and even though I was daunted by the challenge, my intense preparation got me through the swim in good shape. Any swim over five hours is painful, you really have to block out pain. In my experience anything over six hours is extremely painful. In training you also have to train your mind never to be satisfied that you have done enough, that’s where support and encouragement from family comes in.” Ariella his wife and parents John and Christine are his rock. “They know you can do more even when you think you want to get out of the water. That allows you to go further and further, each session.”

When Nathan took on the Catalina Strait challenge in the US earlier this year he knew he would get in the water

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at 11pm and have to swim throughout the night to conquer it. He made landfall in the morning. Swimming in the dark is even more challenging as you swim into obstacles like seaweed, wood, flotsam, loads of plastics and in his case fish ‘nibbling’ at his toes.

He had to overcome fear and push on.

He was also stung by jellyfish along the way. That takes guts and focused determination, which makes him brave and inspirational. It goes without saying that he is also extremely competitive.

He always stresses the point that his full concentration is on the support boat which keeps a more direct route, but the currents, wind and waves always conspire to push the swimmer in other directions.

tery Point, and this time Nathan Payas smashed it by coming in first in 7 hours 21minutes. This has placed him in the long swims database of fastest swimmers, when the combined number of hours notched up in the Channel Swim, the Catalina Strait Swim and the Twenty Bridges Swim are reckoned. He is now ranked in 8th position and a close look at the times of those above him will reveal that he is very competitively placed to climb further.

Nathan swims bilaterally, every stroke using the same energy on each head turn and not wasting energy at all.

The aim is to achieve symmetry which makes you more streamlined and prevents injuries. “If you get distracted from your swimming for two minutes, that alone can add another hour to your swim time so it’s crucial that you follow your pilot as he/she is trying to get you through what are your best options to make headway. I think about every stroke and can’t allow myself any distraction. I am monitoring my body to see if I need more sugar or more warmth by way of feeds and drink and I keep the boat in my sights always. It’s really exhausting when you also have to avoid swallowing fumes from your support boat as that is dangerous and could cut your swim down.”

ing four recognized ocean swims from the Oceans Seven – Molokai, Tsuguru, North Channel and Cook Strait. I am also considering a swim around Jersey”.

In order to achieve Triple Crown status as an elite swimmer there was a still a 46 kilometer swim around the Island of Manhattan in New York, which started at the river’s most difficult start, Bat-

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“With Twenty Bridges I could have been better prepared even though I managed to come first and that makes me think back to the English Channel Swim for which I was in peak condition, so I am now researching the remain-

Why is he looking at the next epic big swim which may see him climb further up the rankings of the elite? Legends always challenge themselves. What he has achieved in life at 39 is already inspirational, but the motivational drive behind one of the nicest and most humble people that I have ever interviewed is a quiet force to be reckoned with and his name as a local sports hero is revered here. However he feels that he needs to be better, because legends aren’t born, they are made through sheer hard work and they are, in any field, always a source of inspiration. Nathan Payas we salute you for your remarkable achievements thus far and look forward with national pride to your future ones

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It was founded in August by Rosalina Oliva - herself a survivor of ‘not a happy childhood’, an abusive relationship, and struggling with depression as a result after she watched the poignant anti-domestic abuse campaign video shot

by Ideal Productions, starring the Mrs. Gibraltar beauty pageant contestants.

focuses primarily on sexual harassment, while Never Alone includes, but doesn’t limit itself to, sexual abuse, and Women In Need offers accommodation to those in difficult circumstances, regardless of whether they’re escaping an abusive relationship (although this is the truth alas in the majority of cases).

“My little sister Carla Sedgwick participated, and she was crowned second princess,” says Rosalina proudly, who at the moment is the ‘face’ of the new group, considering herself personable and approachable anytime by anyone in need of information, advice, or a friend to confide in, under sworn confidentiality.

The group’s main message is that leaving an abusive relationship is indeed hard but it can be done, and it takes a lot of courage, especially when the abuse isn’t as conspicuous as broken bones and bruised eyes, and one may be misunderstood in one’s motivations. In fact, most women find it difficult to be believed, and even if badly injured they seldom attend A&E in fear that the abuse will escalate.

Since its inception, the Facebook private group has already gathered over twenty members. In one respect, this is great, because it shows how victims are taking the first important step of recognising their situation as unhealthy, and are distancing themselves from it, but on the other hand it shows how abuse is widespread even in a place usually regarded as safe, as Gibraltar is painted to be.

“We are not professionals in any way so we cannot offer counseling at the moment, although we are liaising with GibSams, and looking into encouraging any GP who may spot warning signs in their patients to refer them to us,” she says. “If we can help each other, we will, perhaps only as an empathetic ear, or in practical ways to make your transition as smooth as possible when you decide to leave the abusive relationship. This is the hardest decision to make, I know, but you should always have your best interest in mind as soon as you realise you are a victim, even more so if children are involved.”

Never Alone is inviting anyone suspicious about their friends becoming withdrawn, elusive, moody, indecisive or over-critical about themselves to question them about what is going on in their lives and, if in doubt, to report it to the relevant authorities: “Your concern can save lives!

Don’t be indifferent to your gut feeling: if you reckon something is wrong with your friends or neighbours, alert the police.”

What about the risk of gaining a reputation for being a busybody or finding your friend’s abuser on your doorstep ‘sharing his love’ with you too? The first is surely less permanent collateral damage than being an accessory to grievous bodily harm, and for the latter, be aware that anonymous reports are investigated as long as there is consistent evidence to validate them.

The group is looking forward to working together with likeminded charities like No Means No and Women In Need especially in their educational campaigns in schools or when lobbying with the Ministry for Equality for financial and logistical support to the victims. However, Rosalina notes how No Means No

Despite most victims being women, psychological abuse doesn’t spare men either, Rosalina explains: “There’s a thread on social media with the hashtag #SheDoesntHitMeBut that tells how several men are held at emotional ransom with threats like ‘I won’t allow you to see the children ever again!’ or sent guilt-tripping with the clingy cliché ‘I’ll die if you leave me!’… Any serious form of psychological or physical control or manipulation for personal gain, ignoring the victim’s wellbeing, is considered a form of abuse, and we are calling for it to be enshrined in law as a prison punishable crime, like in the UK. Such bill would also work as a deterrent, warning everyone that abuse isn’t socially or legally acceptable behaviour.”

NO EXCUSE

for Abuse Never Alone is a newly formed support group for abuse victims, whether physical or psychological, for any type of personal relationship, targeted mostly, but not exclusively, to women and children.

A further aim is to change society’s perception on abuse: “Society enables it by being in denial about early signs, or worse still, blaming it on the victim. We want to erase the stigma, and alert that it hardly ever is a ‘one-off’, no matter how many times the abusers promise never to do it again. We want to teach children that being controlled is not at all being loved and how to recognise the difference from the onset.”

Rosalina is positive about the importance of educating the next generation in building meaningful relationships: if it is true that western society might make men feel emasculated with the rise of women in top jobs, it also might be a relief for them knowing they can stop attempting to meet unrealistic expectations on being the sole breadwinner of an affluenza family and actually becoming equal partners in sharing responsibility for work outside and at home, as well as child-minding. Men’s purpose in life isn’t career-driven anymore, and women’s purpose is no longer waiting hand and foot on their successful hubby: men and women’s purpose is being happy – and to make each other happy.

Bottom line: nobody should stay in any relationship because they have to, but because they want to.

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The live music spectacular wowed locals and once again brought huge crowds flocking to Gibraltar from along the coast, from the UK and other far flung places for the perfect end of summer festival.

Tom and Andy came out from the UK because they love the festival experience. “Gibraltar is the most amazing place and to listen to fabulous music right under The Rock is out of this world - what more could you want! What you get in Gibraltar is every bit as good as Glastonbury – that feel good factor is here and we love the diversity of the acts from across the musical spectrum.”

It was ‘hot, hot, hot,’ with temperatures reaching 30 degrees on Friday, the first day of the festival, a change from last year’s weekend dates so that people could recover on the Sunday and go to work on Monday with a clear head.

There was a definite ’over-the-pond’ band name theme going on as rockers America performed their signature hit ‘A Horse With No Name’, the perfect singalong song for the crowd who eagerly belted out the lyrics. Celebrating their 48th anniversary this year, the band showcased their rich pop/rock vocal harmonies during ‘Ventura Highway’ and ‘Sandman’ and swiftly gained a new fan base with youngsters who knew the lyrics but hadn’t realised who sang them.

As daylight faded and the moon peeked out from behind the purple lit (in honour of World Alzheimer’s Day) Moorish Castle, rising high in the night sky as if watching what was going on below in Victoria Stadium, the atmosphere was charged by the electrifying music and the pulsating neon beams coming from the main arena.

The audience welcomed back Glaswegian legends Texas, with charismatic lead singer Sharleen Spiteri’s incredibly powerful voice stirring everybody into a frenzy and becoming everybody’s best friend when she thanked Gibraltar for inviting the group back in her strong Scottish accent, peppered with expletives. The band didn’t disappoint, playing their iconic tracks ‘Black Eyed Boy’, ‘Inner Smile’, ‘Say What You Want’ and more. Sharleen, wearing her trademark tailored jacket, trousers and trainers, was finding it hot work up on stage and

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spying a beer being held in the front row went down to quench her thirst before getting back up, with some assistance.

Not surprising, as it turns out she underwent emergency surgery after rupturing three discs in her back in June.

Over at the other stage, legends of pop and rock from the 70s and 80s performed their classic hits to audiences who couldn’t stop their feet moving to the thumping beats. With so many great acts to watch, a difficult decision had to be made about which stage to head for. As soon as Texas finished their set, people dashed over to watch iconic Sister Sledge as they got us ‘Lost in Music’ with their great disco hits from the 70s including ‘He’s The Greatest Dancer’, ‘Everybody Dance’, and the one that most of us were waiting for, ‘We Are Family’.

Saturday was just as hot but a strong breeze helped to cool festival goers as they came to enjoy another day of great music. It was the start of the weekend and as the family-friendly event welcomed children who entered free under the age of 12, if accompanied by a fee paying adult, there was a noticeable mix of younger ones who were able to enjoy loads of entertainment off stage with a Kids Zone, zip wire (for the older ones) and a whole range of food and drink stands.

Seventies glam rock band Sweet took an early spot on the Classic Stage, looking a bit different from the days of metallic jumpsuits and platform shoes, playing hits like ‘Fox On The Run’, ‘Ballroom Blitz’ and ‘Love Is Like Oxygen’, demonstrating some big, booming, soaring vocals. Comprising original Sweet singer and guitarist Andy Scott and drummer Bruce Bisland, they have been joined for many years by Pete Lincoln on lead vocals and bass guitar and Tony O’Hora on keyboards. Gibraltar has gained a new fan in Andy who was thrilled because the weather was doing wonders for his arthritis! “I think I’ll move over here,” he proclaimed.

The exciting and energetic performances from the contemporary artists on the Main Stage were matched by the legends who may not have had such big productions, but knew how to win over the crowd. Suzi Quatro, the original Rock n’ Roll chick, rocked the night away and held the audience in the palm of her hand as she belted out her big

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hits. Maybe the crowd should have told Suzi to change the words from ‘Devil Gate Drive’ to Devil’s Tower Road! In 2014 Suzi celebrated 50 years in Rock and Roll and was hugely proud to tell us that in 2016 she was made an Honorary Doctor of Music by Anglia Ruskin University in recognition for her services to music. Proving that age is no factor when it comes to musical taste, Eve 15, originally from Lithuania and now living in La Linea, came along particularly to see Suzi Quatro, but was really upset to have arrived too late to hear her favourite song ‘Stumblin’ In’, and Debbie from Manchester demonstrated some hard core dance moves. “I’ll be back next year,” she shouted.

The Rock was a majestic backdrop for the epic day-to-night festival and the crowd went mad as they welcomed the distinctive figure of triple BRIT Award winner Rag’N’Bone Man on to the Main Stage with an amazing set featuring his unique voice and chilling powerhouse vocals, but it was his soulful rendition of his chart-smashing song ‘Human’ that drew thunderous applause from the fans. Where else in the world could you be watching major music artists while a plane lands on the runway in the background?

Next up, flanked by a group of perfectly choreographed lithe dancers, was Rita Ora who lit up the stage in a semi-sheer, skin-tight, vibrantly coloured tie-dye bodysuit teamed with hot pink boots as she belted out her hits and treated the audience to a world exclusive first performance of her recently released and hotly-anticipated new single ‘Let You Love Me’.

Headliner MC Stormzy was another performer not to be missed. His chart-topping album Gang Signs & Prayer was fully represented with live performances including ‘Cigarettes & Cush’, ‘Blinded

By Your Grace Pt.2’ and ‘Big For Your Boots’. al ay festiv e two-d t th b f u o o d d n was no At the e ed , there y a jo z n n e a g d a a extrav mbers h e ience me le wors that aud e a litt m o s ing o , h s c e e lv r e u thems murm but the at they for wear, e crowd was th to see th rd h a g throu king forw t year. o lo y d a x were alre be appearing ne ld who wou

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Jo Ward takes a look back at some of the highlights from MTV Presents Gibraltar Calling 2018

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Festival snapshots from two days of music

Concerns there might have been, and attendance on Friday was down, but the second MTV Gibraltar Calling hit the right buttons with the artistic line-up.

Albert Hammond Jnr has a new band and new album called ‘Francis Trouble.’

He dressed in our national colours. Singer, writer/guitarist and consummate showman, a craft learned from his ‘Strokes’ legacy. ‘Indie Rock’ at its best and some very well constructed songs. So current that he made many new converts here with his edgy and melodic tunes of which, for me, ‘By the way she looked’ was the best. Cool guy and son of a national treasure.

Topping the ‘classic stage’ bill were soul legends ‘Sister Sledge’, and even before they came on the arena was already bursting at the seams. SS are a ten piece band fronted by two legendary sisters and their family of singers. It was a disco party like no other. A glam-fest with ritzy choreography and harmony vocals singing a chain of world class hits. All band members showcased amazing talents during ‘Lost in Music’ and the partying crowd could not have been happier. It was a fitting end to Friday night on the classic stage.

On day two ‘Glow’- who made their history here years ago - proved that even without two important former members they are still relevant in our Rock circles. Veteran singer Giles Ramirez had the unenviable task of selling us their classic tunes like ‘Radio’, ‘Rain’ and ‘Walk Alone’ to which he more than did justice singing his heart out. Kevin Peach was also added to ‘Glow’ for keyboards. Guitarist Felix Cardenas, drummer Mark Brooks and bassist Cory Alman are due credit for keeping their dream alive. Let no one tell you that ‘Glow’ didn’t shine, they did.

Everyone’s favourite local band ‘Taxi’ started their set on main stage after ‘Scouting for Girls’ had milked the crowd dry. It was a tough hill to climb but they rose to the challenge. Their excellent catalogue is so well known here.

Dylan still whips up the crowds confident that the two Dannys on guitars have always got his back. We all enjoyed them and they never disappoint.

My lingering memory of this year will be Bob Geldof and the ‘Boomtown Rats’. They opened spectacularly with Bob immediately showing his considerable Rock star pedigree. Their pace was frenetic and he was at his most revolutionary form. He played a mean blues harp on ‘She’s gonna do you in’.

With the banter came the politics: “Ireland and Gibraltar had the good sense to vote to stay in” (the rest of the sentence -’colourful’ expletives). He made us all honorary citizens of ‘Boomtown’. Flamboyant in his style, only someone like Sir Mick Jagger might have upstaged him. He is that good. And the band showed why they are still revered. Nothing I saw came close to ‘The Rats’... then came ‘Tell me why I don’t like Mondays’ (1979) which is their anthem and everyone’s too! Two encores after that epic hit song, a ‘classic’ concert was the new memory which will live on for those who saw the king of loudmouthed uncompromising views prove yet again that he will always be ‘the’ legend. We parted as ‘Boomtown’ citizens and friends which crowned it for me. Ye of little faith who stayed away this time, come back to the fold next year...you can still be saved!

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CULTURE INSIGHT

FEVER! GIBRALTARIAN SINGER CLEO TELLS OF HER PLEA TO GENRE REVIVAL Cleopatra Porter – Cleo by stage name – enjoyed a grand homecoming at her midsummer concert held at the Alameda Open Air Theatre, attended by over a hundred fans, supported by singing acts Shanti, Jonathan Fernandez and guitarist Jeremi Fernandez, and punctuated by the dance routines of La Linea’s ‘Academia de Cristian’, which Cleo often performs with.

“This was my very first show of my own concept: I have participated in several events before, like Calentita, and a recent fashion show by my compere Kelvin Hewitt, where I sang Mariah Carey’s ‘Hero’, but this was the very first time I organised everything from scratch, starting from hiring the venue I’d pictured as the ideal setting for it,” Cleo says.

Moreover, Cleo understands that copla is not everyone’s cup of tea in modern Gibraltar, but her powerful voice and heartfelt interpretation is bound to raise renewed acclaim in the future shows she is planning, which she is strictly hush-hush about.

She has been singing all her life since she was a toddler when she delighted audiences of beach-goers at El Quarry, but she has risen to fame only in the past year when she was placed second at the Spanish nationwide

reality TV contest ‘Original Y Copla’, and consequently was offered a series of gigs in Andalusia and beyond.

She was unknowingly signed up for regional auditions by a close friend, so when she got the call-back it took her a couple of seconds to overcome her surprise, with the suspicion it was just an elaborate prank. After that she was left with only a few days to learn her songs and to fix a suitable outfit before travelling to Cadiz where she competed against some four hundred hopefuls. She went through all rounds and made it to the finals.

Proud of her mixed Gibraltarian and Jamaican heritage, Cleo explains that her love for copla stems from ‘the woman who raised her’ Luisa Williams - her adoptive mother’s mother - who was in her late fifties and sixties when they met, and was a fan of the genre, listening to it virtually all day long. Cleo dismisses claims that copla, fandango, rumba, bulería and sevillana are obsolete or alien to Gibraltarian culture, under her slogan ‘el arte no tiene fronteras’.

In hindsight, she appreciates that the limited accessibility of the venue might have prevented some core fans from attending, but her ‘number-one fan’, a 93-year old woman, wasn’t scared off by the thought of negotiating a few uneven steps: she was at the door with one hour to spare, just to make sure she wouldn’t miss one note!

With a vocal range that rises higher than this pint-sized artist who commands an

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GIBRALTAR GUIDE

Aries (Mar 21 – Apr 21) It seems you may be slightly lacking in energy this month, Aries. So take a look at your life balance and nip those bad habits in the bud

Taurus TAKEAWAYS

(Apr 21 – May 21)

VEHICLE REPAIRS

You’re feeling frisky and full of fun this month, Taurus and your confidence is up there. This is a good time to push the boat and go for what you really want!

Gemini (May 22 – June 22) There are many great ideas in your mind right now Gemini, fighting to be out there. Take some time to get them in order and start planning - then you can start to share!

Cancer June 23 – July 22) You might need to step back from a tricky situation Cancer on order to get a new perspective. Then it will be much easier for you to make a decision.

Leo July 23 – Aug 23) All is well with you and yours this month Leo and so you can start to plan ahead. An opportunity you’ve long yearend for comes along... don’t hesitate – just say yes!

Virgo (Aug 24 – Sep 23)

BARS / PUBS

Be very clear on what it is you are really wanting Virgo and then get your vision board updated. The key thing is to be clear so you attract exactly what you want ... and not a lesser version!

Libra Sep 24 – Oct 23) If you’ve been burning the candle at both ends Libra then it’s time to trim the wick!! Just slow things down and get your eat/sleep routine back on track.

Scorpio Oct 24 – Nov 22) You may be feeling under pressure to come up with an answer Scorpio but don’t do so before you are ready. Follow your instincts on this and you will be vindicated.

Sagittarius Nov 23 – Dec 21) This month is a good one to have a look at your your health programme, Sagittarius. All seems to be well but you need to stay on top as you like to feel full of vim and vigour.

Capricorn (Dec 22 – Jan 20)

INDUSTRIAL

Your finances are healthy at the moment Capricorn. But, to keep ahead of the game, you may want to move a few things around. Take advice on strategies.

Aquarius Jan 21 – Feb 19) Life, as we know, is full of highs and lows Aquarius, and it is so important to respond to these challenges rather than to react. Always take time look for the good and you will find it.

Pisces Feb 20 – Mar 20) You have been rather less than settled recently Pisces and now is the time to make the changes you know you want to put in place. You know you can. So, take a deep breath and just do it.

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CULTURE INSIGHT imposing stage presence in hand-sewn frilly frocks and crown-like peinetas, Cleo has also interpreted English-language classics like Mariah Carey or Whitney Houston, but her first love remains Spanish melodic song. She explains: “I feel the music more in Spanish and its stronger emotions agree with my rough past. I need to internalise the song if I want to perform it to its fullest. For instance, when I sang Alejandro Conde’s ‘La Madre’, I sang it for the woman who raised me, and I believe the audience could feel that I was singing straight from the heart.”

to be able to look after themselves and each other should something happen to me, since they had no other family to rely on. And now that my mothering job is done, I can finally dedicate my free time to my talent.”

Cleo describes Gibraltar as ‘a bubble bursting with talent’ and regrets that many have to go abroad to further their artistic careers. Once there, they are faced with the stark reality of being just a face in the crowd, one in the million-long queue of hopefuls auditioning and struggling to make ends meet.

No matter how calm and collected Cleo appears when she steps on stage after a flash meditation session, she admits she suffers with bad nerves: “Before one of my TV appearances I suddenly exploded in fever, over forty degrees, and I was rushed to hospital for an injection to lower my temperature before I went into shock. Yet, I was back on my feet in no time, and ready to participate in the contest – and ace it.”

Away from the spotlight, Cleopatra is an unassuming person with a civil-servant day job and three children she’s almost single-handedly raised to be responsible and independent.

Her son Leeroy Ruiz, 22, is a martial arts champion and represents Gibraltar at international championships, and her elder daughter Zorann Ruiz, 21, was a dancer and is now a nurse training in midwifery. “She gave me a sound system so I could practice at home, which I do at least two hours daily,” Cleo says. Her youngest, teenager Akisha Ferrell is a football player for a local team, and a student with modelling ambitions.

“I am a strict parent, with early curfews and a chore-sharing policy because I wanted to prepare them from a young age

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She lived and worked as an Afro-Caribbean hairstylist for four years in her forefathers’ Jamaica, which she describes as a beautiful scenic island where life is hard, with low wages for the locals despite the thriving tourism industry; and nine years in the United Kingdom, where she tried to break in to the music industry while busy juggling being a dinner-lady, a playgroup assistant, taking translator jobs, evening college classes, and her young family. “The UK offers more support to single mothers than Gibraltar, where working parents still rely mostly on relatives.”

An Evangelical Christian, Cleo sings every Sunday with the Living Waters church choir where she jams to guitars and percussion, without showing off the characteristic garganteo that has made her famous.

She has participated in a number of charity events, including an emotional tribute to former copla singer Araceli Puertas at La Linea’s Palacio de Congresos. One of her next projects is writing lyrics to her own song, and she’d really like a Gibraltarian musician to compose the melody to it.

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ON THE SPOT

JUSTIN BAUTISTA PRESENTER OF MAMA LOTTIES, GBC TV PROGRAMME

Where did you first start your employment?

“I’ve always enjoyed designing, I began freelancing whilst a student and worked in London for several years at a fashion house.”

How would you describe yourself?

“I’d like to think I’m outgoing. I’m usually the kind of person that’s up for a challenge as long as it’s not life threatening.”

What’s your biggest fear?

“Being old and alone.”

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

“To take more risks in life and not play it so safe.”

What’s your greatest ambition?

“To be able to live every day to the fullest with people I love most. Cheesy but true.”

What makes you laugh?

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

“Friends and family. They are always there when I need them and I can have a laugh no matter what, at the weirdest things.”

“Italy, purely for the food, the history and beauty. I’ve been to other places are great in their own way but I

Which person has been the biggest influence in your life?

Have you had any embarrassing moments?

“My First time on TV. That was scary and embarrassing, especially cooking in front of a camera crew.”

What keeps you awake at night?

“Ideas. You know those moments when you’re about to sleep and something pops into your head so you start overthinking them… yeah, those.”

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

“My family as a whole, each person has influenced me by running their own business or fighting their battles.

But as most people know my granny, Mama Lottie, has been the biggest influence when it comes to the kitchen.”

“Living in a huge city like London, launching my very own Mama Lotties cookbook range and having my own TV show. Definitely make the top list.”

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

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

“Well does the entire Harry Potter series count?”

“Not a huge city, somewhere suburban, with a house with a garden and pool, near the sea and mountains.”

What’s your favorite music track?

“I never have a favourite, I get obsessed, then burn it out by overplaying it and move on. I do love some 90s and early 00s tunes though.”

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love Italian food.”

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

Mainly, certain people’s attitudes toward things and a cleaner Gibraltar would be nice.

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FEATURE

ADOPTING A

Healthier

Adopting a healthier lifestyle need not be a very complicated affair, and the benefits of doing so will definitely be worth the trouble.

According to the NHS, most people in the United Kingdom eat and drink too many calories, and consume too much fat, sugar and salt and not enough fruit, vegetables or fibre, with Gibraltar probably being in a very similar situation.

It’s important that we become more active as this can reduce our risk of developing heart disease and it is recommended that adults undertake at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week. An active lifestyle can also help reduce our levels of stress. One suggestion for achieving a good level of moderate intensity aerobic activity is by doing some 30 minutes of activity 5 days a week such as walking to and from work, for example.

Being overweight is another risk factor for developing heart disease, so adopting a healthier diet low on fat and sugar and high on fresh fruit and vegetables is highly recommended. Most of us need to eat more fibre and have fewer added sugars in our diet, as eating plenty of fibre is associated with a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer. Sources of fibre which should be a regular feature in your healthy diet include wholegrain cereals as well as pulses such as lentils, chickpeas and beans. NHS also recommends that we eat fish at least twice a week, including a portion of oily fish, such as sardines, though pregnant or breastfeeding women should not have more than two portions of oily fish a week. Oily fish are a good source of omega-3 fats, which may help protect against heart disease.

It is also advised not to eat foods that are high in saturated fat as these can raise our cholesterol level in our blood and increase the risk of heart disease. It is also recommended that you consume lower fat dairy products and leaner cuts of meat. You should also be aware of how much alcohol you are consuming (you can visit the www.nhs.uk website for advice on daily alcohol limits), as too much drinking can also pose a serious risk to your health. Smoking is one of the main causes of coronary heart disease, but just one year after you give up smoking, your risk of a heart attack drops to about half that of a smoker.

LIFESTYLE

Avoid using too much salt in order to maintain a healthy blood pressure. It is recommended that adults should eat a total of less than 6 grams (about one teaspoon) of salt a day.

Most of the salt we consume is not just what we add at the table – it has already been added to the ready-made foods that we buy from the supermarket, so check out the food label – if it has more than 1.5 grams of salt (or 0.6 grams of sodium) per 100 grams, it is considered high in salt content.

When you go shopping, why not take a look at the food labels on the packaging to check just how many calories, fat, sugar and salt the food contains, so that you can make healthier choices.

The NHS suggests you eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day as these are a great source of adding fibre, minerals and vitamins to your diet.

There are several vitamins and minerals which are classed as ‘essential’, which means that our bodies don’t make them, and we must get them from the foods we eat. You can easily meet the body’s nutritional needs through diet as long as you have the right information. It’s a good idea to get to know the nutrient density of foods, so you can make good choices. For a food to be classed as ‘nutrient-dense’, it should have a high nutritional content relative to its calorific content. Broccoli, for example, contains vitamin C, folate, vitamins A and K, calcium, fibre, beta-carotene and other antioxidants at only 34 calories per 100g. Other highly nutrient-dense foods include kale, cabbage, peppers, garlic and berries.

It’s a good idea to base your meals around a starchy food such as wholegrain pasta, include some beans, pulses or eggs for protein as well as plenty of fruits and vegetables with every meal. A useful guide to some of the main vitamins and minerals you need to include in your diet each day to stay healthy, most of which can be found in fruits and vegetables, can be found on the Holland & Barrett website (www. hollandandbarrett.com/the-health-hub/getting-essential-vitamins-nutrients-diet).

The guide explains that Vitamin D, which is needed to regulate other minerals, such as calcium, in the body, is found in eggs and fortified foods, but it’s a good idea to take a vitamin D supplement as dietary sources are rare. UK Government guidelines recommend 10mg daily unless you spend a lot of time in the sun, which is not always advisable.

THE ADVICE CONTAINED IN THIS ARTICLE IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY AND SHOULD NOT REPLACE MEDICAL CARE. PLEASE CONSULT A DOCTOR OR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL BEFORE TRYING ANY REMEDIES.

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FEATURE

Mum The ultimate resource for parents living or visiting Gibraltar is back with a new look and revitalised content.

Mum on the Rock is Gibraltar’s first parenting e-zine, written by you, for you. We understand that as a parent time is a precious commodity, so our aim is to make it easier for you to access the relevant information.

Mum on the Rock is the first port of call for anyone seeking parenting advice and is a place to connect with other parents. We offer tips and hints, reassurance and guidance on a

Motherhood...

Does it Define You? What happens to us when we become mothers? For some of us, becoming a mother can trigger an identity crisis.

No matter whether you return to work six weeks after having your baby, or whether you choose to stay at home, first and foremost your role has changed to one of mother, mama, mum or mummy.

Children can consume your life and how you define yourself can have a huge impact on your mental health, leading to the ‘baby blues’ and sometimes resulting in full blown postpartum depression. It can also impact the next twenty years of your life as you concentrate on parenting.

It’s a silent process that can creep up us. Before we know it, we have lost our self-esteem. We don’t care how we look, sometimes being quite happy to slob around the house in PJ’s covered in baby sick. By the way, there’s nothing wrong with that for a couple of weeks after giving birth. In fact, it will reinforce to others that you are a

ON THE

ROCK

host of topics relating to all aspects of parenting, from pre-pregnancy to grand-parenting.

We are hunting down the hottest deals, sharing the latest in kids’ fashion, reviewing child friendly establishments, hosting competitions, and letting you know about all the activities available for babies, toddlers, children, teens and parents, whether Mum or Dad. Our online social media forums are where people can air their worries

new parent and not a ‘Supermum’ as portrayed by certain celebrities in the media.

The myth of the ‘Supermum’ makes parenting look easy, and it isn’t. In fact, it can be dangerous and can make us feel inadequate and unhappy as we strive to follow in the shadow of this image of perfection.

Those first few weeks of becoming a new parent are often a blur of sleepless nights, feeding and anxieties about how your new-born is progressing. Everything is just a phase, and you will get through it. Becoming a mother is a redefining moment, so embrace it.

Taking time out to focus on what you like to do is so important. Ah, you say, time – what’s that? Now that you are a parent, ‘me time’ can be a rare phenomenon.

FRIENDS You will lose some; you will find some new ones. Surround yourself with positive people who make you feel good about the job you are doing. Stick with the ones who just love you for being ‘you’ and who understand

and ask questions, where they can share their experiences or debate newsworthy family issues. We welcome input about local happenings and events, parenting groups and meetups. Want to join the team? Get in touch! We are always looking for contributors to submit content. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive the latest by e-mail. You can also find us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Website: www.mumontherock.com Email us: hello@gibraltarinsight.com

the chaos of being a mother. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from family or friends.

Meet other new mums at the Baby and Toddler groups in your area and join online social media communities to connect with other mothers.

Treat yourself There is nothing wrong with treating yourself. Take time out to have a long soak in the bath or enjoy reading a magazine whilst sipping a coffee. Yes, easier said than done, but important to factor in time just for you. Motherhood can be monotonous, so indulging in the odd treat is fine.

reconnect with yourself It is perfectly possible to be both a mother and the person you once were. You can still have intelligent conversations; they don’t all have to be about the pros and cons of breastfeeding or whether your child is progressing at the same rate as their friends.

Becoming a parent may change you at a fundamental level, but what it hasn’t changed is your loves, likes and dislikes. Remember, you may be a mother, but you are also a woman.

Passions Don’t lost sight of those passions in life. You can still follow your dreams; it may just be a bit harder to juggle motherhood with everything else. Above all, be kind to yourself. Ask yourself what you can do to make you feel happier and don’t feel guilty about carrying it through.

Life will feel normal again.

WORDS BY JO WARD GIBRALTARINSIGHT.COM

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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

Weddings, Communions, Portraits

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HEALTH & WELLBEING INSIGHT

Gibraltar

CARDIAC ASSOCIATION Fresh from their 24-hour relay ‘Walk the Beat’ held last 29th September at the Victoria Stadium to mark World Heart Day, the Gibraltar Cardiac Association is holding its first AGM at the Charles Hunt Room on 11th October, and its first flag day on 16th November. Cardiac patients and their supporters are welcome to join and contribute with a modest membership fee of £5 going towards producing literature to raise awareness about prevention, inviting expert speakers over, organising awareness initiatives in schools, and purchasing of medical equipment.

In its first year, this registered charity has supported (and continues supporting), promoted and helped set up a fully-fledged cardiac rehab unit at St. Bernard’s Hospital, turning it from a mere branch of physiotherapy into an independent unit with a state-ofthe-art gym, dedicated medical staff, machinery, informative literature on infarct, coronary disease, artery calcification, tachycardia, bradicardia, hypercholesterolemia, transient ischemic attack, stroke, hypertension, thrombosis, phlebitis, and other temporary or chronic, severe or lethal ailments that can, in most cases, be prevented or controlled with early screening and regular monitoring.

Chairman Troy Jeffries is proud of the lobbying work the Association is carrying out, through what he describes as a ‘two-pronged attack’ on local authorities, aiming first and foremost at installing defibrillators in more key areas around town, in offices and other public places, and secondly in educating the general public to recognise cardiac arrest and apply CPR. “We find that non-medically trained people have reservations about performing cardiac massage in fear of crushing the patient’s sternum or ribs,” Troy notes.

“This is the almost inevitable side effect of chest compressions, and it happens to the best doctors too, but when the patient regains consciousness and lives, cracked bones are a relatively small price to pay, and they will heal in time.

Passers-by should do whatever it takes when faced with the extreme situation where a life can potentially be in their hands.”

The charity is planning campaigns to educate schoolchildren about how to keep their ticker healthy from an early age. Even if the survival rate has improved exponentially in past decades with the widespread use of blood-thinning medication, pace-makers and stents, heart attack and coronary disease are considered chronic conditions from which you can recover with treatment, but from which you never fully heal, and this can be illustrated with lines from a cheesy pop song: ‘once your heart is torn, the scars will be there forever and a day’!

Patients will have to make significant adjustments to prevent relapses. After a heart attack, radical changes are necessary, particularly for those leading a stressful or sportive lifestyle: they must reduce their physical activities and make sure they are shielded from work-related anxiety. This may unfortunately bring on collateral damage such as reduction or loss in income, and weight gain caused when one reduces training, stops smoking, works less hours and snacks more, but this is an absolute no-no for cardiac patients.

Because heart attacks can hit men at any young age, this may seriously affect intimate relations and consequently knock down self-esteem and spiral into depression, Troy says. He highlights depression as one of the worst side effects for cardiac patients: the foreboding that one has become a shadow of his former self, giving up all simple pleasures in life, dragging an existence under the Damocles’ sword that it will happen again anyway, and that time it will be final.

He claims that women are somehow sheltered from heart attacks – but alas not immune to congenital heart diseases - because of their estrogen production, but the risk spikes in peri- and post-menopausal women, particularly because they tend to underestimate or dismiss the warning signs.

Troy lists decaf and alcohol-free drinks, reduced beach hours and reduced air travel as some of the constrictions that affect the average Gibraltarian lifestyle in cardiac patients. For instance, Christmas wonderland is a red light with its sub-zero temperatures and rich food – of course it is understandable how watching celebrations from the sidelines and always being cautious about having too much fun can indeed cause some strains and rips if not in one’s heart, surely in the fabric of social and family life.

But it isn’t all just heartache, according to resilient committee secretary and former police officer Maurice Ignacio: “After I had my stents, I lost weight, got a different perspective on life, and now I am well and fit to enjoy my retirement at my pace!”

Other committee members are vicechair Suyenne Catania, treasurer Marie-Anne Montegriffo, Isabella Ramognin, Keith Bautista, Louis Casciaro, and Jack Noble.

To join the Association, contact gibraltarcardiac@gmail.com or like their Facebook page, where news is posted regularly. You can also call 20050002 and leave a message.

Just like with a stroke, time is essential in heart attack cases, and your intervention may prove do-or-die crucial in the few minutes it takes for the ambulance to arrive and paramedics to administer defibrillation or medication while the patient is conveyed to hospital.

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Just Married on the Rock Jeremy & Gladys married on 25th July 2018. Photo by Radka Horvath.

Mark & Sam, married on 23rd May 2018. Photo by Radka Horvath.

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Just Married on the Rock

Email: nicholas64@gibtelecom.net

Sian Dean & Joseph Williams, married on 7th September 2018. Photo by Nicky Sanchez.

Lorraine & Richard, married in Gibraltar on 7th July 2018.

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4

WIN!!! WIN!!! WIN!!!

A £20 VOUCHER

6

5 7

8 9

10

From

11 13

12 14 15

16

Please collect your voucher from Insight Magazine, 77 Main Street. (Please bring I.D.)

ACROSS 1. The line along which anything lies, faces, moves, etc. (9) 5. _ _ _ _ riya, ancient city in Sri Lanka. (4)

DOWN 1. An article of furniture having a broad, usually level, writing surface. (4)

Fill in the details below and send it, with the completed crossword, to Insight Magazine, First Floor, 77 Main Street, Gibraltar (Tel: 200 40913). Entries to be received before 16th of the month. A winner will be drawn from all correct entries and will receive a £20 voucher to spend at The Cellar.

7. A naval officer of the highest rank. (4)

2. Capital of Latvia. (4)

9. To perform. (2)

3. A shy person. (9)

11. _ _ _ _olent, evil; harmful; injurious. (5)

4. Lazily careless; offhand. (9)

Address:..................................................................................

12. A female given name. (4)

6. _ _ _ _ _ _ _t, a person who is guided more by ideals than practicality. (7)

Tel: ............................................

13. To distribute or apportion by measure;

Name:......................................................................................

Last month’s lucky winner was: Terry Penfold

14. Type of aloholic liquor. (3)

8. Used in citations to indicate an author or word that has just been mentioned. (4)

15. Important part of cameras. (4)

10. Traditional toy for girls. (4)

ACROSS: 1. Sacrifice. 5. Noah. 7. Retiree. 9. Ge. 11. Broom.

16. Short for, Let it stand. (4)

11. _ _ _ _um, a large wine bottle having a capacity of two ordinary bottles or 1.5 litres. (4)

12. Spoi. 13. Rene. 14. One. 15. Pong. 16. Stat.

DOWN: 1. Sand. 2. Coar. 3. Increment. 4. Expedient. 6. Herring.

8. Igor. 10. Asap. 11. Boon.

allot; dole. (4)

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OCTOBER 2018

Last month’s answers:

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OCTOBER 2018

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