Gibraltar Insight™ November 2022

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NOVE MB E R ISSUE 78

Contents

14

28

Business Insight 7

GIBRALTAR DAY IN LONDON

Forces Insight 12

BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR CEREMONY

Community Insight 48

CULTURAL AWARDS 2022

Police Insight 44

THE CONTROL ROOM

is coming

41

Regular Features 16

HISTORY: EAGLES ON THE ROCK

18

MOTORING INSIGHT: PEUGEOT 308

23

ACE ART

24

WAVE FC

27

GFA: SAFEGUARDING POLICY

34

GIANA SPITERI: WINTER WARDROBE STAPLES

48

HEALTH: SEASONAL CHANGES

50

HEALTH: LONELINESS

52

HEALTH: OSTEOPOROSIS

54

HEALTH: BOOST YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM

57

PACS: A GROUP TO SUIT EVERY NEED

60

MARRIED ON THE ROCK

62

ADOPT DON’T SHOP: DOGS

31

SHOP EARLY FOR CHRISTMAS

63

VET'S INSIGHT: FISHING HOOKS

36

TECH GUIDE

64

ADOPT DON’T SHOP: CATS

38

CHRISTMAS FOOD TRADITIONS

65

HOROSCOPES

40

TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS CRIBS

41

CHRISTMAS COMPETITIONS, WITH NEWTON STORE & SUNBORN GIBRALTAR

42

OFT SHOPPING TIPS

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Features 14

CHRISTIAN HOOK

20

JAMIE REID

28

GIBRALTAR RUGBY IN BERMUDA

30

DOWNTOWN GIBRALTAR

46

DEPENDING ON SELF

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Gibraltar Insight Deputy Editor: Jean King

Gibraltar Insight - the Rock’s longest running magazine.

Accounts & Administration: Rosemary Salah-El-Din

Published by GBZ Media Ltd, The WorkLab, WestOne, Europort Road, Gibraltar, GX11 1AA.

Creative Director: Ben Lewis Executive Editor: Ross Ford

Printed by Roca Graphics Limited, 21 Tuckey’s Lane, Gibraltar GX11 1AA

General queries, contact: +350 22251308 Advertising & Sales, contact: jeaninsight@gibtelecom.net +350 54023304 Email:

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Copyright (c) 2022. All rights reserved.

The names Gibraltar Insight, Bermuda Insight, Mum On The Rock, SYOG, Superyacht Owners’ Guide & GBZ Media are marks of GBZ Media (Overseas) Limited, used under exclusive licence. 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/or correspondents do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher. Neither Gibraltar Insight nor GBZ Media Limited is responsible for any claims made, or material(s) used, in advertisements.

For permission to copy cuttings for internal or client use, contact NLA - nlamediaaccess.com or +441892 525273.

Photo: Elliott Howe

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BUSINESS INSIGHT

GIBRALTAR DAY MADE A RETURN TO LONDON AFTER THE DISRUPTION OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. IT FORMED A SERIES OF EVENTS, DESIGNED TO PROMOTE THE ROCK ACROSS VARIOUS FINANCIAL SERVICES SECTORS. The Chief Minister, the Hon Fabian Picardo KC MP, said, "This is the first Gibraltar Day in London since the pandemic began and I am absolutely delighted to have hosted the Financial Services lunch ... which brought together all those industry leaders who are so fundamentally important to Gibraltar’s economy. It was also particularly poignant to mark Gibraltar Day in London this year for the first time since the passing of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

"I would like to thank the Sir Phillip Barton for attending the lunch and addressing those present and for reenforcing the United Kingdom’s commitment to Gibraltar and to securing a safe and beneficial deal in the UK/EU negotiations on Gibraltar’s future relationship with the EU. Sir Phillip is a great friend of Gibraltar and a former Deputy Governor and so it was a real pleasure to have him with us for today’s lunch."

GIBRALTAR RUGBY HAS INKED A NEW LONG TERM PARTNERSHIP WITH TRUSTED NOVUS BANK IN SUPPORT OF GIBRALTAR RUGBY’S YOUTH RUGBY DEVELOPMENT FESTIVALS. Chad Thomson, Gibraltar Rugby CEO said, "The project has been a strategic priority for the Union & is one of our key pillars to the 2021-2024 strategic plan. The focus is very much on small sided games, under tag rugby rules for our juniors, introducing them to the FUNdementals of Rugby”.

The key takeaway from these festivals is child development within a fun and engaging environment. The partnership stems from our shared core values with the bank, for Gibraltar Rugby these revolve around Respect, Inclusion, Discipline and Enjoyment.

Christian Bjørløw, CEO Trusted Novus Bank added, "We are very pleased that we can support Gibraltar Rugby, whose values are as strong as ours.

"Together we can hopefully inspire the next generation of young rugby players in Gibraltar."

The DLT Seminar MINISTER ALBERT ISOLA MP HOSTED THE DLT SEMINAR AT THE START OF NOVEMBER IN CANARY WHARF.

The DLT Seminar, one of Gibraltar Finance’s annual events in London, was attended by over 160 industry, regulatory and governmental representatives.

Minister Isola opened the event, extended a warm welcome to guests and provided an update on Gibraltar’s ongoing development. He highlighted that the venue was the birthplace of Gibraltar’s DLT journey some 6 years ago with our first ever event being hosted in that same fintech facility.

William Gracia, Head of DLT at the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission then provided a regulatory update.

Two panel sessions followed, the first covering the Government’s initiative

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in piloting a process in which it will integrate blockchain technology into its legacy systems to streamline government services. This was moderated

by Anthony Provasoli, co-chair of the Gibraltar Association of New Technologies (GANT) and panellists included Christopher Woolnough, IOV Labs, Alfonso Monroy, Bitso and Pablo Mosquera, Extrimian.

The second panel discussed the importance of the 10th Regulatory Principle to the DLT Regulatory Framework, establishing standards of market integrity in the digital asset space. Contributing to the discussion, led by GANT co-chair Joey Garcia, were leading industry experts Lee Schneider - Ava Labs and Joshua Ashley Klayman - Linklaters LLP who had both travelled from the US to join the event and industry participants Jonathan Parnell - Eqonex,

Jenna Wright - LMAX Digital and Vitalli Kedya - Currency.com.

Minister Isola stated, “The DLT sector in Gibraltar continues to go from strength to strength as we continue to develop our regulatory framework and support those firms that make Gibraltar their regulatory home. Our stated aim is to ensure that quality firms who wish to develop a longterm sustainable relationship with us continue to enjoy our full support. I am delighted to be in London to highlight the benefits we offer firms seeking the regulatory certainty we offer.”

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WEALTH MANAGEMENT | VENTURE CAPITAL | PHILANTHROPY ESTABLISHED 2004

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THE ROCK’S LONGEST RUNNING MAGAZINE

Gibraltar Insight is The Rock’s longest running magazine. For over 25 years we have been distributing this high quality print and online magazine to a wide and loyal audience, catering to Gibraltar’s unique lifestyle, business, lifestyle, sports and culture.

THE ROCK’S

Distribution:

free, monthly magazine distributed via hotels, banks, airports, restaurants, sports clubs etc

Platforms:

print, online, social media and Issuu app

Quality:

our writers, editors and design teams ensure that Gibraltar Insight competes with high end magazines on all levels, making it a sought out publication from a loyal readership.

We are passionate about our Rock, the people who live here, the stories we tell, and our valued partners.

IN 12 MONTHS GIBRALTAR INSIGHT HAD ONLINE REACH OF OVER 490,000 IMPRESSIONS PRINT, ONLINE AND SOCIAL MEDIA THE MOST CONSISTENT REACH OF ANY PUBLICATION ON THE ROCK

OCT PRINT ONLINE & ED INTEGRAT G IN ADVERTIS PACKAGES AVAILABLE

16,900 UNIQUE VISITORS / READERS

9,051

GIBRALTAR UK SPAIN UNITED STATES IRELAND TOP 5 READER LOCATIONS

UNIQUE READS VIA ISSUU

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ARMED FORCES INSIGHT

PASSING OUT PARADE

THE ROYAL GIBRALTAR REGIMENT IS DELIGHTED TO ANNOUNCE THAT FIVE NEW RECRUITS HAVE PASSED OUT FROM INFANTRY TRAINING CENTRE CATTERICK.

THE GIBRALTAR DEFENCE POLICE IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE ANOTHER OFFICER HAS RECENTLY QUALIFIED AS AN EMERGENCY RESPONSE DRIVING INSTRUCTOR. PC McOuat is only the second Gibraltar Defence Police officer to undertake the course which trains the driver to drive under response conditions with the blue lights and sirens on during an emergency.

PC McOuat took part in the Emergency Response Driver Training (ERDT) course at the HM Customs Training Wing. After successfully completing the training, he decided to undertake the instructor’s course.

Family and friends gathered to watch Private Elder, Private Rowarth, Private Paredes Almonte, Private Maxwell and Private Posso march out in their passing out parade after spending six months in ITC Catterick.

BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR CEREMONY MEMBERS OF BRITISH FORCES GIBRALTAR GATHERED IN THE TRAFALGAR CEMETERY TO COMMEMORATE THE BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR TODAY, FRIDAY 21 OCTOBER 2022.

The service was attended by Commander British Forces, Commodore Tom Guy, His Excellency the Governor, Vice Admiral Sir David Steel, and the Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo, who each laid a wreath at the Admiral Lord Nelson Statue before the service commenced.

FOUR GIBRALTAR DEFENCE POLICE OFFICERS WERE INVITED TO AN AWARD PRESENTATION HELD BY GIBRALTAR HEARING ISSUES AND TINNITUS ASSOCIATION (GHITA) AND THE HON SAMANTHA SACRAMENTO MP. The officers took part in a British Sign Language (BSL) Course which started at the beginning of the year and ended in June. The online course, taught by a UK based instructor and assisted by a local instructor, was held via Zoom every Monday and Wednesday over a five month period.

Gibraltar Defence Police Chief Rob Allen said, “Carrying out our duties as police officers, communication is a key skill. For those members of the community with speech or hearing impairment, sign language is vitally important.

“The officers involved in this learning gave up their own free time to take part in this course to improve their ability to communicate, demonstrating their willingness to go above and beyond their usual duties for the benefit of the police service and wider community.”

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Admiralty Company Formation, Management & Structuring Financial Services Litigation Matrimonial Property & Conveyancing Ship & Yacht Registration Spanish Property & Law

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FEATURE

AS AN ARTIST WHEN YOU HAVE ACHIEVED THE CONSIDERABLE COMMERCIAL SUCCESS AND WIDE ACCLAIM THAT ALLOWS YOU TO STAY UNDER THE PUBLIC RADAR WHILE EVER BUSY WORKING ON NEW PROJECTS AND PUSHING ARTISTIC BOUNDARIES,

Christian Hook Playing For Real

IT MUST SEEM SURREAL, CHALLENGING AND PERHAPS FRIGHTENING TO LOOK DOWN FROM YOUR IVORY TOWER AND STAY FOCUSSED ON THE WORK IN HAND. CHRISTIAN HOOK HANDLES FAME EASILY BECAUSE HE IS TOO BUSY IGNORING IT, FIERCELY GUARDING HIS PRIVACY WHILST HE PLOUGHS AHEAD LOOKING FOR THE IMPOSSIBLE.

WORDS BY JOE ADAMBERRY 14

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FEATURE “If it can be done I am not interested. What challenges me and excites me is to find ways of doing things that are impossible. I think that in the last year I have done less work than what I used to do because I have been focussing on threads and opportunities where I can better reflect who I am. I’ve only been taking on projects when I can immerse myself completely without having to think galleries, money, clients and any of that. Really it’s to make my art more pure. I haven’t moved away from painting but I have been drawn to music because of its cross culture with fashion and jewellery like in video clips. In painting that doesn’t happen so I took inspiration from Japanese kimono culture and used gold leaf and gold chains to give that collection a more musical feel”.

Christian Hook is not looking for the next big thing because he feels that approach is flawed and enslaves artists, compromising their inspiration and weighing them down.

“It’s like looking for happiness. It’s a fleeting moment. You can try but the attempt will make you miserable. It’s the result of something else, it’s not up to you and it’s not the point anyway. You just do your best and the better you get at doing something, the better the feedback you get from the results. That excitement then makes you want to do more and that is the maximum prize. Really I’m very private compared to other artists and I’ve done a lot in the last two years but nothing of it is published yet because these things take a long time to come to fruition.”

“The real artists in history were always super sensitive and private people. I researched this because I was super sensitive as a child.

Only one in ten people are super sensitive and that is how nature works. We live inside creative art. Everything around us has been conceived and created by another person before us and we all live in their creative minds. That is art all around us and nature provides those people who conceive and create new things so that we can evolve. Those people find everything in life very difficult and painful. They cannot be unfaithful to themselves because their first love is their art. They don’t understand each other and even when they are with other people they are always alone in their heads.”

“Real artists are very shy of fame because they can lose themselves in it. I’ve seen it a million times-those artists lose track of themselves. You have to be completely selfish. If you consider others in your work then it becomes collaboration. You cannot water yourself down. You have to surrender totally to your inspiration. You can’t consider the public’s approval because then the work is not real.”

Hook has just been invited to be included in the Victoria and Albert Museum collection. He was still reeling from the shock of the news that a prestigious British museum has honoured him. It seems that English and Scottish art lovers have embraced him in a big way as his paintings hang in many of their institutions, galleries and homes across the UK. It gets better nearer home too - the people behind the successful TV series Money Heist (La Casa de Papel) have engaged him as the artist for their next project and also commissioned him to write the music for it. All negotiations have been now been completed and Christian has been to Madrid to see them. He is very excited about this and that drives his current music.

I’ve known Hook for a very long time and have never been able to separate Christian from his music. He is a musical and poetic force and although he has found considerable success in painting he still pines for success in music creation and uses his thorough work formula and contacts to push the envelope in that direction.

His eyes light up as I give him feedback on some of the new music which he shares with me during our interview. My eyes also light up as my ears immerse in the haunting music which will grace the silver screen. I feel privileged.

“I still like to be involved with scientists and I love the science of the mind as there are other dimensions that we don’t yet understand.

I have new concepts for digital art which have never been done before. I love new exploring new ideas and although my volume of work seems to be less, for me the results are more spiritual in a sense. I like to play around this area because the marriage of art and science excites me. It is what I am passionate about. I’m working with a scientist at the moment and we are exploring water as in the sea.”

“Although it’s said that water hasn’t got a memory the ice ages tell us that every time life reappears after an ice age there has been evolution. Water can live in many stages and it’s an essential part of our make-up. I can see myself working in projects about the sea as an element and our emotions’ impact on the sea. We are the sea and we have to work together to understand how we can continue to evolve together.”

music informs our emotions and that we can manipulate music in many ways. It’s not about a new instrument or genre. It’s about layering it and then stripping it back to find what still resonates with us that we want to keep.” This is the process that Christian uses in his painting. He will try and capture movement by a process of stripping back layers and adding dimension and colour to create movement. He creates a language with the canvas that will inform him when the subject has been fully explored to his inspiration’s criteria.

His eyes light up again and this time he tells me about a dog that he recently painted as a commission. Hook does not take commissions any more. He doesn’t need to. He will however fully immerse himself in one if the idea excites him. In a gallery encounter with a married couple, the conversation came up about the metaphysical and the science and auras, which fascinates Christian of course and this couple have an old dog which they love to bits and they asked after a while if Christian would attempt to paint a portrait their dog’s aura. Impossible right? Impossible is nothing as Nike say in their logo.

This impossibility is exactly what sprung Hook into action. He contacted an expert (synergist) he knew and had previously worked with. He sent her videos of the dog to work with and she also suggested another source. So there were three people involved in the discussion. He then researched the colours in the aura spectrum and finally came up with a painting of the dog in two dimensions at once! I saw the painting on his Ipad and it floored me - so captivating and multidimensional that I could almost acquaint myself with it - being a dog lover myself. It’s a large format painting he tells me.

“It has to be something impossible like that because I don’t know how to do it. That excites me because I have to find a way to incorporate everything I know about the dog. Its age, name, video and the pictures that I took of it and also what my sources said about the aura. When I started to paint, it was no longer the portrait of a dog. To me it was much more. To me the challenge was to add everything that I had uncovered and got excited about into the painting. It was difficult and challenging but that is what always produces the best results. I don’t think about it while I’m doing, it I just have to do it. Thinking comes only after I finish a work. It’s then that I might add a line or something else. The thinking comes later if not you spoil the work. The playfulness in the work is important.”

Christian Hook has no pompous ideas about who he is or what he has achieved. Instead he worries that his name becomes a brand.

It brings with it an expectation from over seventy galleries in London who are eagerly waiting for his next offering. That translates into pressure and the fame which he retreats from. He says that he has to stop thinking about everything and play with his art for real. He must play without thinking about anyone and he must stay away from other artists although he loves to see other artists’ work.

He says that he has to be away from everything and working. Always working, as purely as possible and without deferring to the pressures and demands that being ‘HoooK’ (his artistic signature) brings.

“Let people think what they want. It doesn’t really matter. This is not theatre. I‘m always working really hard on different stuff but it doesn’t appear that way. Even if my projects didn’t get anywhere, the people that I work with know the value of the conceptual thinking that I bring to the table so even if the projects don’t materialise and they move on to something else, nothing has gone to waste.”

I submit to him that he has ‘fertilized’ them, so to speak. “Exactly!

That is what I do all the time anyway. My concepts can exist by themselves, they don’t need validation from others but it’s always great to be recognized of course.”

At this point I wanted to steer the conversation towards a final thought that might reveal another clue as to what drives this restless genius that is Christian Hook to push boundaries that seek to marry art and science. Does this quest for the impossible ever make him make him unhappy?

“Happiness is a fleeting emotion. It is the result of something else and cannot be chased because it cannot be found in things. Although pain is not pleasant, when it comes it’s full of realizations, wisdom, changes etc. Just like one cannot chase happiness, one cannot be concerned with the end result of a creation. It is the process itself that one needs to fall in love with in order to progress. In that process there is a measure of suffering and ultimately suffering is what makes us great and what we learn from it is what makes us stronger. When I involve myself with scientists I forget who I am.

I just want to create and I need to get on with it. That might even sound childish but I need to play for real in order to be real.”

“Sound also fascinates me. Everything around us is sound and every sound has a vibration and a frequency. I am not trying to force music and art together. I question what is music for, what do we do with it and how does it continue to make sense now. I know that

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FEATURE

EAGLES

ON THE ROCK

THE GENESIS OF UNITED STATES NAVY ACTIVITY AT GIBRALTAR. One of post-modern history’s closest and strategically relevant alliances is the Special Relationship that has existed between the United Kingdom and the United States of America primarily since the Second World War. It is thus unsurprising that the zenith of United States naval activity in Gibraltar covers a period from the beginning of the First World War until 2009 when the last United States Navy surface warship visited us in the form of USS De Wert on the 27th of September 2009.

Right from the outset, it can be argued that it was events occurring very close to our shores that served as one of the main deciding factors for the newly nascent United States to establish a professional navy. As early as 1784 the activity of Barbary pirates in the Strait of Gibraltar was threatening American merchant trade. That year the brig Betsy was captured off Morocco and a long tradition by Barbary states of capturing western merchant vessels and enslaving their crew with a view to extorting a ransom from the flag carriers was exDuring these golden years, we tended to the United States. This have seen vessels from battleserved in part to ignite a debate ships such as USS Iowa, open which culminated in a bill dated to visitors with much success in 27th March 1794 to construct 6 July 1989, to nuclear powered frigates, this marked the birth not aircraft carriers (USS Nimitz in only of the United States Navy as October 1976) visit the naval we know it today but of the conbase. Vessels with names such struction of their most famous as USS Bainbridge, Farragut, warship, the 44-gun sailing frigDecatur, Oliver Hazard Perry and ate USS Constitution ‘Old IronUSS NIMITZ IN GIBRALTAR Preble were very common visisides’ which was destined to have tors. It was whilst asking the question “who were the men a long association with Gibraltar during her service at sea, who gave their names to these ships?” that I uncovered a visiting us on several occasions over several decades and locally seldom noticed but hugely relevant segment of our can still be visited today at Boston, Massachusetts. (and by extension United States) naval history.

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FEATURE

USS CONSTITUTION

It did not therefore take long for the United States Navy to begin to appear at Gibraltar, the piracy issue has worsened by 1800 and on the 15th May 1801 a squadron was despatched to the Mediterranean to attempt to deal with the threat. A small plaque situated adjacent to the American War Memorial commemorates the arrival of this fleet on the 1st July 1801 marking the first visit of the United States Navy to Gibraltar.

Some notable names formed part of this unit which was commanded by Commodore Richard Dale and was made up of the frigates USS President, Capt, J. Barron, USS Philadelphia, Capt.

S. Barron, USS Essex, Capt. W. Bainbridge with the soon to be famous Stephen Decatur as 1st Lieutenant and the brig USS Enterprise, Lt. A. Stewart.

USS PRESIDENT

Interestingly, despite having been at war with the United Kingdom a few decades before, the fleet was welcomed in Gibraltar.

This fleet left for home waters in the Spring of 1802 but was replaced by a squadron led by Commodore Edward Preble which included the frigates This squadron arrived in Gibraltar on 12th September 1803, the same day that the future naval hero of the War of 1812 Commodore John Rodgers arrived whilst transiting home aboard USS New York.

Unfortunately USS Philadelphia ran aground and was captured off Tripoli on the 31st October of that year. She was burned by US Naval forces on the 16th February 1804 in a very daring raid by a small fleet led by Lieutenant Stephen Decatur. This raid made Decatur a national hero overnight with Nelson himself describing the action as ‘the most bold and daring act of the age’.

Naturally, the War of 1812 between the United States and Great Britain caused an end to their activity in Gibraltar until

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1815 but soon after the end of hostilities, visits began as normal. Sadly for Decatur though, with fame came envy from among his peers. This was to boil over in a scandal which very nearly brought an early end to the United States Navy, the incident in question occurred off Europa Point on the 7th October 1815. On that day the prickly (now Commodore) William Bainbridge had hauled up his anchor aboard the 90-gun ship of the line USS Independence and was preparing to leave the harbour and transit home, at the same time Stephen Decatur was sighted rounding Europa Point aboard the frigate USS Guerriere. Decatur duly made his signal to Bainbridge and saluted the senior officer. This salute was returned

by USS Independence. All was well until Decatur lowered a ship’s boat and intended to pay a visit to Bainbridge.

The latter, smarting at the success of the junior officer and his own inability to bring about any similar success himself, maintained course and speed, ignoring the boat. Finally Decatur managed to catch up and secure alongside the chains of USS Independence. He was met with a formal albeit icy reception in her captain’s cabin. History unfortunately does not record what was said but the incident caused significant shockwaves in United States naval and political circles.

The two decades of conflict with the Barbary States was often the proving ground for young officers who would later become famous commanders on both sides during the American Civil War which began in 1861. Examples include the hero of the battles of New Orleans and Mobile Bay, Admiral David Farragut who was commissioned as an Acting Lieutenant aboard USS Shark whilst at anchor in Gibraltar. Similarly the Confederates were no strangers to the Rock prior to the rebellion with the commanding officer of the ironclad CSS Virginia which fought USS Monitor at the battle of Hampton Roads, Franklin Buchanan visiting as a midshipman aboard USS Java in early 1816 under the command of the hero of the battle Lake Erie during the War of 1812, Oliver Hazard Perry.

Not all the incidents which unite our city’s history with the United States Navy involve heroes and battles, the story is marred with disaster when the sidewheel steam frigate USS Missouri caught fire and sank on the 26th August 1843 whilst at anchor in the harbour. Gladly as well as HMS Malabar assisting, the governor at the time, Sir Robert Thomas Wilson opened up the gates of the city and naval base to the survivors, a spontaneous act of kindness which was rewarded by a resolution of appreciation by the United States Congress.

Lastly our city became the focus of a tense engagement during the Civil War when in April 1862 the Confederate warship CSS Sumter was forced to call

at Gibraltar in need of coal and repairs where she was monitored by a Union fleet. Tied up by commercial interests with the Confederacy but unwilling to incur the displeasure of the Union, Britain eventually reluctantly declined to offer Sumter any assistance as a warship and she was eventually sold and renamed SS Gibraltar. The vessel then continued blockade running for the Confederacy under British colours.

Her captain was the famous Confederate officer Raphael Semmes. Sumter’s logbook details his time at Gibraltar exhaustively during which he mentions the city and attending bullfights at San Roque. (See also HSG June 2011) Later into the 19th century George Dewey the hero of the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American war in which the United States Navy decisively defeated a Spanish fleet on the 1st May 1898 called at Gibraltar during his post-war round the world tour.

This was followed by the arrival of the Great White Fleet from 31st January to 6th February 1909 on their famous round the world cruise. This significant visit is seen as the first step towards the United States Navy emerging from a relatively small coastal fleet to the truly ocean going superpower that we know it to be today. It set the stage for its scale of operations during both world wars, the Cold War and beyond.

(See also HSG Sept. 2011)

Whilst the sheer scale of United States Navy involvement in Gibraltar from the First World War onwards is far too large for this scope of this article, what can clearly be seen is that right from its earliest days the United States Navy has been a frequent visitor to our city. It has been the proving ground for a great many, if not virtually all of its early naval heroes. There is hardly a biography of any of them which doesn’t mention Gibraltar.

The lasting legacy of the effect of these visits on the local population can be illustrated by the visit of the oiler USNS Leroy Grumman earlier this year, among local shipping enthusiasts a visit by the ‘haze grey’ as US naval vessels are known is a highlight of the ship spotting calendar. It will always stir hearts when the Eagle comes to the Rock.

Article supplied by History Society Gibraltar.

Email: historysocietygibraltar@hotmail.com

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MOTORING INSIGHT

WORDS BY MARTIN WARD 18

NOVEMBER 2022

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MOTORING INSIGHT

THE FIRST PEUGEOT 308 WAS LAUNCHED IN JUNE 2007, REPLACING THE 307, AND WAS AVAILABLE AS A HATCHBACK, ESTATE AND A COUPÉ-CABRIOLET. IT REGULARLY SOLD OVER 250,000 UNITS PER YEAR GLOBALLY. But the 308, like many other French cars suffered from reliability problems, a legacy that lives on in many people’s minds today.

The car was painted in Olivine Green, a colour that certainly grew on me during the time I had it, and was a real eye-catcher wherever I parked it.

PSA the owner of Peugeot, Citroen, DS, have over the past few years worked overtime to overcome the problems they once

The all-new 308 has certainly grown up to be a handsome looking car, the styling is superb from every angle.

had, and now being part of the Stellantis Group (Fiat, Jeep, Alfa Romeo, Vauxhall, Opel etc) they certainly have made massive improvements in every department.

It now wears the new Peugeot badges, which ooze modernity and are a big step away from the cumbersome chrome badges we'd grown accustomed to. The Peugeot logo dates back to 1847, which makes it the oldest car emblem. The lion, as the brands symbol, was designed when the steel business of the Peugeot family needed a logo. It was a heraldic symbol of the commune the Peugeot family came from, and serves as a reminder to this day.

The car I had on test recently was a 308 Allure Premium, powered by a 1199cc 3-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine that produces 130hp. This is coupled to a very smooth 8-speed efficient automatic gearbox, and goes from 0-100kph in 9.7 seconds. Not bad for a 1.2 litre car.

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The interior of the new 308 shimmers with quality, it’s more like an expensive German car, than a French hatchback.

The 308 is jammed packed full of goodies and above "standard" specification, so at UK OTR £28,020 it does look good value.

During the week I had the 308 I enjoyed every minute of driving it, and on average 55mpg (4.27 litres/100km) which I thought wasn’t a bad result.

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Prices in the UK start from £28,020 OTR.

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FEATURE

Jamie Reid INSIGHT TALKS TO AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR JAMIE REID, A LIFELONG PUNTER AND RACING ENTHUSIAST, AHEAD OF HIS VISIT TO THE ROCK AS PART OF THE GIBRALTAR LITERATURE WEEK. HE IS ALSO A JOURNALIST HAVING WRITTEN FOR THE GUARDIAN AND BEFORE THAT THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY, AND FOR TEN YEARS HE WAS A REGULAR COLUMNIST FOR THE FINANCIAL TIMES MAGAZINE HOW TO SPEND IT, WHERE HE WROTE THE SMART MONEY COLUMN AS WELL AS FEATURE ARTICLES WHICH HE CONTINUES TO WRITE TO THIS DAY. WORDS BY JO WARD 20

NOVEMBER 2022

GIBRALTARINSIGHT.COM

FEATURE Born in 1954 in Kent, Jamie Reid’s passion for horse racing and gambling was instilled in him by his grandmother. “She was a gambler and owned shares in some racehorses in the 1920s and 30s and she used to take me racing when I was growing up,” he says. “I loved the atmosphere of racecourses like Brighton, Lingfield and the Epsom Downs (home of the Derby), and the raffish combination of the toffs and the spivs, and because they were some of the few places in England where you could encounter that in that era there was always a sense of illicit pleasure about it.”

After school, Jamie went to read English Literature at University College Oxford and then went on to Stanford University in California. “I decided that I didn't want an academic life,” he tells me. “I was always passionate about the theatre and I had done a lot of student writing and acting when I was at university, going on to do some acting professionally as well as writing for The Stage.”

It was whilst he was working as a resident writer at The Young Vic Theatre in the late seventies that Jamie met some independent publishers from Scotland who were fascinated by the whole world of horse racing and gambling. “They were looking to try and do a novel about horse racing and gambling that wasn't just a straight Dick Francis take on it, and I wrote a book called Easy Money that came out in 1985 which turned out to be the beginning of my writing career and that led to me getting employed as a journalist writing about racing, and I have been doing that on and off ever since,” he explains.

liked being mentioned in a book and loved sharing their tales, giving me their first-hand accounts, and fortunately the non-fiction book, which read more like a novel, went down very well and won the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award in 2013.”

would have Tic-tac men relaying the odds, people would sometimes run up to each other at the last minute and say “so-and-so's backing this horse” indicating that they had been given the nod from the trainer and ‘you can put your life on it’!

One of these gentlemen was a professional gambler back in the day who had worked for a bookmaker. “When I went to see him in his London flat he wasn't living in the most glamorous circumstances by any means, but he had dressed up very smartly in his tailor made suit and tie and looked very dapper,” Jamie states.

Victor Chandler is known as the most recognised face in bookmaking. Jamie says that if you had been a racing lover and enthusiast in the last twenty or thirty years, although he may not have been equally recognisable to the public at large, you would immediately know who Victor was if you saw his face. For many people, Victor Chandler is indelibly linked to the BetVictor TV commercials which Jamie thinks were some of the worst and unfunniest TV commercials ever seen. “I don’t think that VC would disagree with that,” Jamie laughs.

Another helpful source of information was the bookmaker Victor Chandler, someone else who is known for his sartorial style, who Jamie got to know when he was working as a journalist in the 1990s. “Victor was great fun and very good company and he put me in touch with people who had known not only his father, who was also called Victor Chandler, but also his legendary grandfather Bill Chandler who died in 1946 who was a big-time player in the 30s and quite a rogue.”

“Victor is just a fund of very amusing anecdotes about his misspent youth, which I identified with, because he got chucked out of school at one point and I nearly got thrown out of my school for being caught in a betting shop in school uniform, and we both had that shared sense of the fact that a day at the races thirty years ago was somehow breaking the rules in a very enjoyable way - and that permeated all his conversations about his life.”

Agreeing that he is drawn to the darker side of life, both his novels and non-fiction books cover the seedier side of racing. “I have always loved stories about people who are neither wholly good nor wholly bad and there were a lot of characters like that in the racing and gambling world that captivated me,” he comments. “There was always a feeling that some of the scams, cons and attempts to pull off betting coups at the expense of bookmakers was something that you instinctively wanted to cheer on rather than disapprove of.”

Around 2011 Jamie was fascinated about the true stories of racing chicanery and corruption that seemed far more interesting than anything you could make up. “I was lucky enough to strike up a partnership with a very splendid publisher called James de Wesselow - the driving force behind Racing Post Books and I put to him this story called Doped which was the account of one of the biggest doping scandals in British racing history in 1962 featuring bookie Bill Roper, a married man with a Swiss mistress, who needed extra funds to juggle two lives. “The story threw a light not just on the racing of that period but on the whole social scene in Britain when the sport of racing was still governed by the Jockey Club who were predominantly elderly white gentlemen with little knowledge of the underworld or betting,” Jamie explains. “For many years Bill Roper and his accomplices ran rings round the Jockey Club and it was only when they tried to dope a horse belonging to the Queen Mother that the enquiries became much more serious and the Jockey Club realised that they needed the assistance of Scotland Yard to catch the murderous London gangsters.”

Apart from assiduous research, Jamie says that he was lucky enough to meet elderly gentlemen who had been alive at the time who remembered the protagonists. “They rather

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The fact that Put Your Life On It is an authorised biography meant that Jamie was able to talk to members of VC’s family and to people who worked for him. “At the end of this book we leave the possibility that there will be a sequel where we might go into aspects of his story which we haven't told which are more personal,” he remarks.

Jamie Reid’s fascination with the shadier side of life can be witnessed in his book, yet another true story, entitled Monsieur X: The incredible story of the most audacious gambler in history, which features the story of a handsome, charming and well-educated French professional gambler from an aristocratic family called Patrice des Moutis who took on the French state in the 60s and 70s. “He kept winning so much money they changed the rules to try and outwit him but ended up driving him into the arms of the French Mafia.”

Jamie has constant hopes that the book might be turned into a film.

The idea for Put Your Life On It, the authorised biography of Victor Chandler, was mooted around the end of the Nineties when Jamie went to interview VC (as everybody called him) at the RAC Club in London after the announcement that he was moving his business to Gibraltar. “He regaled me with stories about his family history and at the end of our meeting I asked him if he had ever thought of doing a book about this,” Jamie says. VC responded that he really should do it sooner rather than later because otherwise some of the old characters who had known his father and grandfather wouldn't be alive any more.

“It took us another twenty years or so to actually accomplish this and the book, chronicling the social history of a betting business family for over 100 years, was finally published in 2021.”

For those of us who don’t know the term ‘put your life on it’, Jamie explains that it’s a race track expression. “In the great days before the internet when race courses, particularly at the weekend, had big crowds of spectators, most of them gamblers, and there was a lot of animation, noise and activity, where bookies

“My latest book is called Bandit Country and will be published next June,” he states. It is about the boom in one armed bandit gambling slot machines in the early 60s and about two Londoners who went up to the north east of England where they made a fortune selling slot machines to the Working Men's Clubs.

“These machines had actually come from the Mafia in America who had a surplus and who were very happy to supply people in the UK, and these guys made so much money out of it - a lot of it very dodgy but there was no law against it at the time - that they were able to open nightclubs in Newcastle, briefly known as the Las Vegas of the north.”

“Then it all went terribly wrong when one of their collectors was found shot dead in his Jaguar on a winter's morning in a small Durham mining village in 1967 - and that became known as the one arm- bandit murder and the story is all about that and the effect that had on their empire,” Jamie explains.

For more fascinating stories you can see Jamie Reid on Saturday 12th November at 10 am at the John Mackintosh Hall Theatre.

Tickets are available from www.buytickets.gi

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WORDS BY KATHLEEN NORTH 22

NOVEMBER 2022

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FEATURE

Welcome back! It’s been a busy month for Ace Art and our artists, so we have a lot to tell you about. We can start by congratulating two of our favourite artists Karl Ullger and Jana Nicole for their recent successes Local artist Karl Ullger’s painting ‘Castle Step Patio’ was selected for the Royal West of England Academy (RWA) exhibition. The RWA, founded in 1844, prides itself on being the South West’s leading centre for exhibitions, featuring works from leading contemporary artists and academics.

Karl’s painting was one of 500 selected for the exhibition from 10,000 entries; Karl said that he was “over the moon with this opportunity”.

Our featured artist Jana Nicole was this years recipient of the prestigious Prix Puvis de Chavannes 2022, which celebrated its 160th anniversary. This is a grand prize awarded by the Societe Nationale des Beaux Arts founded in 1928. An internal jury awards this distinction to an artist who has had a revealing career or who is a talented emerging artist. Her 3x2m botanical installation can be seen at the Luxembourg Gardens, Paris. She followed this extraordinary achievement with a participation in this year’s Defaced! Money, Conflict, Protest exhibition at The Fitzwilliam Museum (UK) which looked to explore a 250 year history of protest using currency as a canvas and a vehicle for rebellion. Her work was exhibited alongside Bansky, Deface and more ‘A’ listed contemporary artists.

As for Ace Art we’ve recently added the work of prolific contemporary artist Heath Kane to our artist portfolio. Heath is

an Australian artist, based in the UK who is enjoying a lot of success with ‘His Rich enough to be Batman’ series. This series portrays the image of the late Queen Elizabeth and his series is influenced by individuals who have more wealth than some entire countries.

You can explore the collection on our website www.aceart.gi

WIN THE COVER WITH ACE ART

Finally we have the new WineArt Club, a collaboration with The Wine Shop, which was launched last month.

These events combine wine tasting, with ham and cheese of course, followed by an art showcase. Last month we featured the works of award winning artists Jana Nicole and Wine Art Club members enjoyed exclusive art deals on the night.

At our next event on Thursday 10th November AceArt will be releasing a limited edition print by local artist Monica Popham and showcasing the works of some of our artists such as Ramon Maiden. Monica Popham has recently returned from exhibiting in Bermondsey, London and was awarded the Ministry of Culture prize at ‘Our Gibraltar’ exhibition. Ramon Maiden who describes himself as ‘a Delinquent Dandy’ is a self taught contemporary artist who transforms his subjects into tattooed characters. Tickets for the WineArt Club are £15 and available on our store www.aceart.gi along with more information about the artists. Follow our socials and stay informed @aceart.gi

WIN A FABULOUS PRINT

BY DELIA BALAGUER Simply Answer this question: In what year was Prince Edwards Gate Built?

Entries Close 24th November, 2022.

Send your entry with your answer, name and contact details to jeaninsight@gibtelecom.net or post to ACE ART Competition Insight Magazine, GBZ Media Ltd, Worklab, WestOne, Europort Road, GX11 1AA.

WORDS BY JP BAUTISTA GIBRALTARINSIGHT.COM

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FEATURE

Wave FC The growth of football from the very beginning has been brought about by role models, Heros of the game which journalists and the press have pushed from day one to entice and grow fanbase and the love of the king of sports. Now, it`s also the queen of sports.

Who is the Christiano Ronaldo and Leo Messi in women`s football? Most football fans, including women can mention 100 men players but very few can even mention the last 4 The Best FIFA Women`s Players.

in the 2012-13 seasons.

2 - Arsenal FC

The most successful English women team belongs to Arsenal. The Arsenal WFC has won 49 trophies in England including 12 Women’s Premier League titles. They have also won the Women’s Champions League in 2006-07. The team plays

Who has heard and follow Marta Vieira da Silva of Brazil, Melanie Behringer of Germany, Lieke Elisabeth Petronella Martens of Netherlands, Deyna Cristina Castellanos Naujenis of Venezuela, Dzsenifer Marozsán born in Hungary representing Germany, Ada Martine Stolsmo Hegerberg of Norway, Megan Anna Rapinoe of the USA who may be the one who received more press mention as women`s football is stronger in the US than men`s, Alex Morgan who co-captained the United States women's national soccer team with Carli Lloyd and Megan Rapinoe from

Barcelona Femeni also won the Super Copa de Espana and Copa de Reina to clinch a domestic treble.

However, they failed to defend their Champions League crown, which they won in 2021.

Barcelona made it to the final of the continental competition but lost 3-1 to Lyon.

Another milestone Barcelona Femeni achieved in 2021-22 was breaking the record attendance for a women's football game twice at the Camp Nou. The first was in March 2022 versus Real Madrid (91,553), and the second in April 2022 against Wolfsburg (91, 648).

Women's football is at a juncture. The traditional powerhouse leagues in the US and Australia are warily watching as the sleeping giants of women's football in Europe finally awaken.

I don`t think it will take long for our GFA to “impose” that all clubs have a women`s team or become an affiliate of one but not just for their licenses but conviction that women have and need the same rights and facilities, and maybe even more than

WOMENS FOOTBALL NEEDS MORE POWER OF ROLE MODELS WE HAVE KICKED OFF SEASON 2022/2023 AND HAPPY OUR APP IS HELP DEVELOP WOMEN`S FOOTBALL IN GIBRALTAR. 2018 to 2020, Lucy Bronze of England, Pernille Harder of Denmark, Wendie Renard of France, Sam Kerr of Australia, Jennifer Hermoso of Spain all these players have been the Top 3 in the last few years of The Best FIFA Women Players nominations. If you have heard about them, how many fans know the clubs they play for or have played for?

Alexia Putellas of Barcelona is now starting to come to light. The first women player in world history to win two consecutive The Best FIFA Women Player Of The Year.

Now, the only people who have the “power” to create the much needed role models in women`s football are the football writers and all those in sports media.

As for Team Role Models,

1 - FC Wolfsburg

One of the most accomplished women teams in the world FC Wolfsburg has reached the final of the UEFA Women’s Champions League four times in 6 seasons! They won the title twice in 2013 and 2014. The team was founded as VfR Eintracht Wolfsburg in 1973 and joined VfL Wolfsburg in 2003. It has performed remarkably well, winning the treble

3 - Olympique Lyon

men. Brands will also soon realise that over 75% of all consumption on earth is Done or Decided by women. We all have mothers and grand mothers and most have wives and daughters too!!

4 - Barcelona Femeni

Another sport that we at Gibraltar Wave FC want to help develop in Gibraltar is Beach Soccer. To this end, along with our friends at Victoria Beach Soccer we have patented the #3eachSoccer modality which is made even more spectacular making airborne goals, but not headers amid continued investigations and studies into the potential health risks associated with regularly heading a ball, which could include dementia, count a Two goals.

most of their matches at the Meadow Park in England. Sometimes, the female Gunners also use the Emirates stadium.

Probably the greatest women French team of all time, Olympique Lyonnais Féminin won their respective league 14 times! They are the reigning champions as well. Lyon is relentless in their league winning it 12 consecutive times. They have also been very successful in Europe, having won the Champions League five times and thrice in a row from 2015 to 2017. Lyon’s women team is probably the best women’s team in the entire world.

The outstanding performances of Barcelona Femeni in recent seasons have not dropped one bit. Each season, they only get better and better. The recently concluded season was one filled with new milestones for the Catalans.

Baulgranes retained their league title by recording a perfect season (30 wins in 30 matches). They scored 156 goals and conceded just 11 as they achieved a 100 percent record.

In our opinion, #3eachSoccer is a mana for broadcasting entertainment and caters for the millions of football players and billions of football fans worldwide.

Two halves of 10 minutes make #3eachSoccer taylor made for Gen Z and mobile watching, a whole match of Highlights!

WORDS WORDSWORDS BY BYSTEVEN JOHN BYGONTIER XXX GONZALES 24

LATE NOVEMBER SUMMER 2022 2022

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FEATURE

WORDS BY STEVEN GONZALEZ GFA 26

NOVEMBER 2022

GIBRALTARINSIGHT.COM

FEATURE

NEW SAFEGUARDING POLICY IMPLEMENTED ACROSS ALL OF GIBRALTAR FOOTBALL This safeguarding policy is a sign of the Association’s commitment to ensuring that football is both fun and safe for all children to participate in, irrespective of their age, ability, or level of involvement.

our working practices. Safeguarding has featured heavily, and we are pleased to announce our new safeguarding policy together with all the accompanying annexes to help our membership in this very important field”.

Centred around five goals, or areas for action the policy will underpinthe Association’s work to prevent any risk of harm to children in football and to appropriately respond to any issues or concerns. These five goals are: • Laying the foundations for safeguarding • Ensuring organisational preparedness and prevention • Raising awareness • Working with others and reporting concerns • Measuring success in safeguarding The new policy deals in depth with areas such as a code of conduct for adults and parents. Another key focus are guidelines and documents to refer to on the supervision of children and minors when playing away from home and travel that includes overnight stays. Privacy and the correct and appropriate use of dressing rooms and changing facilities is also covered.

A crucial part of the Association’s new safeguarding policy, is that anyone involved in football in Gibraltar wherever youngsters are playing, is required to complete UEFA’s online safeguarding courses and submit the relevant certificates of completion to the Association’s Safeguarding Officer. Failure to do so will mean that relevant coach or club official will not be allowed onto a pitch or pitch side to carry out their duties.

GIBRALTARINSIGHT.COM

THE GIBRALTAR FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE ENGLISH FA, HAS RELEASED ITS ALL-NEW SAFEGUARDING POLICY WHICH INCLUDED A SERIES OF DOCUMENTS TO ASSIST ALL OF GIBRALTAR’S FOOTBALLING STAKEHOLDERS IN PRODUCING SAFEGUARDING POLICIES, SENDING THE CLEAR MESSAGE THAT SAFEGUARDING IS EVERYONE’S RESPONSIBILITY!

Gibraltar FA General Secretary Ivan Robbais delighted that the safeguarding policy has been rolled out stating: “ As a parent of young children myself, safeguarding has always been at the forefront of my thoughts when discussing youth football. In consultation with the GSLA, we have embarked on a new venture with UEFA, to provide our members an online platform to qualify in safeguarding. This by no means is the end of the instructional phase, as I am conscious of the benefits of face-to-face interaction. Therefore, we will continue providing personal development to our members by bringing out safeguarding guest speakers to carry out seminars on a biannual basis”

For a more in depth read, please visit the dedicated safeguarding page on the Gibraltar FA website: https://www.gibraltarfa.com/ safeguardingwhere each of the goals is broken down and explained in detail.

Speaking bout the new policy, Gibraltar FA Safeguarding officer Julian Valverde stated: “It has been a very busy summer for the association as we have revamped a lot of

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27

RUGBY TOUR

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Gibraltar Rugby travelled to Bermuda in October to fulfil the delayed return match against Bermuda Rugby.

Although the teams were evenly pitched, a few break-out scoring opportunities meant that the hosts ran out 35-16.

The 80 minutes formed the centre-piece of the famous World Rugby Classic, held in Hamilton.

This means the series is now tied 1-1.

We await the glamour series decider!

NOVEMBER 2022

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RUGBY TOUR

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FEATURE

The Downtown Gibraltar Business Improvement District (BID) has been a project for over three years in the making.

Initially spearheaded by the GFSB, it all began after a review study of our town centre highlighted a number of areas we could improve on to become more prosperous, and made the case to explore appetite for a BID. A BID is a tried and tested place management mechanism, with over 300 in the UK alone, that aims to generate improvements for businesses in an area, including reducing business costs, increasing business revenue, attracting public realm improvements and creating a thriving, prosperous business area.

The Main Street & Surrounds BID project (now Downtown Gibraltar) was launched to deliver on projects set out in a 5-year business plan (available at downtown.gi/faqs).

There are a wide range of projects planned, based on ideas contributed by hundreds of Downtown businesses, to benefit those same businesses from all sectors, all corners of the area and of all sizes.

EQUAL REPRESENTATION ACROSS ALL SECTORS IN THE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT

Measuring Results Downtown members will be able to track relevant data such as their total cost savings through initiatives including the Preferred Supplier Programme – small to medium businesses may find that their BID levy is covered by these savings alone.

Levy payers will be kept up to date on all the projects implemented over the 5-year term – via annual meetings, group liaison forums and briefings, and direct communications including e-bulletins, newsletters and face-to-face meetings – demonstrating that it is delivering against its objectives.

A set of key performance indicators (KPIs) and criteria upon which to measure the performance of the place will include measurables like footfall figures, visitor numbers, rental levels, car parking usage, new business activity, annual surveys, regular business and consumer feedback, media coverage, and website/social media interactions.

Year 1 Projects Downtown Gibraltar is in its fledgling stages, but there has already been a significant amount of headway made on projects including: the Preferred Supplier Programme, the Downtown Gift Card, Fire and Lights Season, and working towards making the area more accessible for those with disabilities. For a more exhaustive list read our October newsletter at linktr.ee/downtowngibbiz. In addition, the new Downtown website will soon be launching, allowing members to create business listings, promote offers and events, and access information on current and upcoming projects.

Get in Touch The Downtown BID project is run by businesses, for businesses. If you own a business within the BID area, YOU have a say in what happens Downtown.

Service Sector The advantages for retail may seem more obvious to some, but the service sector will also enjoy many benefits such as: reduced business costs and improved return through initiatives such as the Preferred Supplier Programme; opportunities to have

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your business marketed to both consumers and other businesses (depending on your target audience); additional networking meetings and events aimed specifically at professional and service businesses within the town centre; a strong and influential community voice representing your views and speaking up for you on the strategic issues, alongside those of the wider business community; greater coordination and interaction with government bodies and other stakeholder groups; up-to-date data and business support information, as well as emerging and urgent issues Downtown; influencing a better-quality, more prestigious and vibrant environment for your business, clients and staff both during the day and into the evening; and more.

Register now by visiting www.downtown.gi.

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is coming SHOP EARLY

FOR CHRISTMAS So that fabulous season of Christmas is on our horizon. Only a quarter of us have finished all of our Christmas shopping by the start of December. More than a third say they leave Christmas shopping to the last minute. If you are part of the 33%, and wait until the last minute to start your Christmas shopping, you are also aware of all the craziness and rush you may face, not to mention having to navigate a significant number of people who are all doing exactly the same.

With that in mind, why not destress the situation and start early instead?

Another significant factor is the worsening cost-of-living crisis, increasing prices for petrol, energy, and other household bills. They have all had major impacts on the country’s economy. In fact, people have been warned that they face a very challenging winter ahead, with some facing a choice between food and heating when the cold weather sets in.

Here are good reasons to start your holiday shopping early this year:

Avoid Shipping Delays During the best of times, postal services and shipping companies are always overwhelmed around the festive season. This is the one time of year that people send gifts to friends and family all over the globe. Unfortunately, added to the overwhelming number of gifts that are getting shipped, there are all those shipments to be expected any

time of the year. Remember that there are still issues with the supply chain, so deliveries are slower than normal.

Avoid the Christmas Shopping Rush Starting your shopping early will help you avoid the holiday rush.

Stores will be less crowded, and you won’t have to worry about fighting for parking or waiting in line. You’ll also be able to take your time and look for the perfect gifts without feeling rushed.

Also, starting early also gives you more time to shop around. If you start late, you may not have time to look at all your options.

This can lead to overspending or buying gifts that your loved ones don’t want. By starting early, you can avoid these problems and make sure you get the best gifts possible.

Get Better Deals Another benefit of starting your Christmas shopping early is that you’re more likely to get better

deals. Many retailers offer sales and discounts on items that have been sitting on the shelves for a while in the weeks leading up to Christmas, so you can take advantage of these if you shop early.

In addition, some items may sell out closer to Christmas, so it’s best to buy them early. This is especially true for popular items like toys and electronics. By starting your shopping early, you can make sure you get the items you want before they’re all gone.

Avoid the Crowds Crowds can be a big turnoff during the Christmas season.

Not only do you have to deal with other people getting in your way, but it can make it difficult for you to find what it is you want to buy.

By starting your shopping early, you can avoid the crowds and enjoy a more peaceful, enjoyable and productive shopping experience.

What’s more, when you start early, you can avoid the stress of last-minute shopping and enjoy all the other activities that come with the holidays. From baking cookies to watching holiday movies, you’ll be able to relax and enjoy the season without having to worry.

advantage of all the holiday activities. You can go to Christmas parties, bake cookies, or watch holiday movies. If you wait until the last minute to shop, you may miss out on these.

Complete it quickly Let’s face it. Christmas shopping can be a chore. This is especially true if you have to buy a bunch of gifts for so many people, and this problem can get worse if you do everything at the last minute! Not only must you hope that the things you want to buy are still in stock, but you’ll also have to rush everything to get packaged properly to look great.

By getting it out of the way early, you can avoid the stress and enjoy the rest of the holiday season. This ensures you can give gifts without looking like you’ve just been to a battle zone for it.

Time to Visit The Early Christmas Fair Christmas fairs are a great way to get into the Christmas spirit.

They are a fun way to buy gifts for your loved ones, and you can find some great deals there as well. And when you start your Christmas shopping early, you have time to visit fabulous fairs.

More Time to Enjoy the Holidays

You can find everything from handmade jewellery to ornaments at these fairs. In addition, you can often find deals on items like clothing and toys.

Starting your Christmas shopping early can also help you avoid the Christmas shopping blues. This is the feeling you get when you’re overwhelmed by all the shopping you have to do. It can be stressful and make the holidays seem less enjoyable.

By starting early, you avoid shopping anxiety and ensure your holiday experience is a smooth and enjoyable one - not one tainted with stress and worry as you fight your way through the crowd looking for gifts for loved ones.

If you have all of your Christmas shopping done early, you’ll be able to relax and enjoy time with your family and friends. In addition, you’ll be able to take

So if you want to enjoy all the fun and excitement of the festive season, start your Christmas shopping early and have a fabulous season.

WORDS BY KATHLEEN NORTH 32

NOVEMBER 2022

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is coming October time is usually when we say goodbye to all our sun dresses and t-shirts and say hello to hoodies and jeans. This year I feel like that keeps getting prolonged because the warm weather doesn’t seem to be leaving us just yet! Living in Gibraltar means that we don’t get such a drastic change in our wardrobes from one month to the next as people in the United Kingdom. Meaning that layering clothes is usually the first transition for us before we commit to sweaters and polo necks. That being said, I have purchased a number of items for the season that I know I will be making a lot of use of over the next few months. Here are some of the staple items that you should have in your wardrobe this winter.

Cargos These have come full circle from the early 2000s and have come back into fashion the last couple of years, and it’s easy to see why! They’re comfy and are perfect for a casual weekend brunch or to go shopping in Main Street.

I’ve had a black pair for a few years and this year have added to my collection with a beige pair from Zara.

Gilet Growing up I never saw much use for these as I always thought to myself, wouldn’t your arms get cold? However in Gibraltar, these kind of make a lot of sense. They’re perfect for when it’s too cold to wear a denim jacket, but not cold enough to wear a puffer coat. Neutral colours are best for these as well to make sure they go with most of your outfits.

White staple trainers I remember when I lived in London and would see people on the tube wearing trainers with anything just to get to work and then they would switch into their heels before getting to the office. Now these have become more athleisure wear than just to wear to the gym. Not only are they comfy, but they can sometimes be the statement piece if you’re wearing a simple outfit. Some of my favourite trainers at the moment are the ‘Nike Air Force 1 Shadow trainers in soft pink and pastel mix’ and the ‘Nike Zoom Air Fire trainers in pearl white and lilac’

Leather flares Flares of any material have been part of my wardrobe for years now, so it was only a matter of time before I added some leather ones into the

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mix. Low rise leather flares have been on trend this season, but if that’s not for you there are more high waisted options you can find in stores like ASOS. They’re perfect to wear for a night out with a crop top and some chunky boots with a leather jacket.

Chunky ankle boots I learnt my lesson last winter that suede boots weren’t as ideal to wear to work when there are high chances of rain.

Some leather chunky ankle boots are perfect to dress up any outfit when you don’t want to wear heels or have your toes out on a night out.

Suit trousers

my winter wardrobe staples

These are perfect for when you need to go straight to after work drinks from the office and don’t fancy changing. When I think of suit trousers the first thing that would come to mind would be grey striped office trousers that you would see in the movies at corporate of•Oversized Blazers These can be perfectly paired with your suit trousers or for a more casual look, with your denim jeans. If you want to be a bit more daring, then choosing a bold block colour like blue or green will add more boldness to your outfit (as long as you keep the rest of the look relatively neutral!)

Everyone has their own personal style and some of these items might not necessarily be up your street, I definitely won’t be buying crocs or ankle uggs this winter even though they are making a comeback. That’s the great thing about fashion, you get to choose your own style and how to express yourself!

NOVEMBER 2022

Giana Spiteri is a local writer, specialising in lifestyle, beauty & travel. instagram.com/ teawithgi

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is coming

TECH GUIDE: 5 Gift Ideas for 2022 Apple Watch Ultra The Apple Watch Ultra has everything you love about the original series, but is built to serve those who are harder on their equipment. Great for athletes, first responders, or others who work extended shift times, the Ultra model has a battery lasting up to 36 hours, or up to 60 hours on low-power mode. Additionally, the corrosion-resistant watch face is made with a titanium casing and features more accessible buttons, plus it offers up to 100 meters worth of water resistance.

Several apps have been upgraded as well, including the GPS, compass, and workout app, which now features “advanced metrics” like Heart Rate Zones and Running Form. Every single model has the option to add on cellular service, too. Anyone for a run through the woods?

LARQ Self-Cleaning Water better than an aesthetically pleasing water bottle to cover Bottle What’s in all of your favorite stickers? One that also sanitizes itself, for starters. This self-cleaning bottle uses ultraviolet (UV) light to sanitize the water inside and neutralize bacteria on the inner walls—all you have to do is tap the button to start the process, but it activates itself every couple of hours, too. Batteries should last you up to a month, but they’re easily rechargeable with the included MicroUSB cord.

The stainless steel bottle comes in six different colors and two different sizes, but each combination is double-walled and insulated to keep your water cold for an entire day (or hot for up to 12 hours, if you’re into that kind of thing).

For the outdoorsy types in your life, this beanie is a thoughtful choice. It comes with Bluetooth headphones inside of it, making it a great accessory to have on hand for chilly winter hikes or early morning runs. And the headphones are removable, making the hat easily washable. Another reason to appreciate it? The batteries are good for up to 20 hours of use.

Bluetooth Beanie

Rocketbook Fusion Smart Reusable Notebook

For the students or other furious notetakers in your life, this sustainable notebook comes in 14 different cover colours with reusable sheets. Using the specialized pen and companion app, you can upload your notes to any cloud service of your choosing, and then wipe the pages clean to start fresh again.

With 42 pages total across seven different layouts (including a task list, planner, calendar pages, lined sheets, and more), you’ll be able to track whatever you need easily, without wasting trees to do so.

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NOVEMBER 2022

The Original Rubik’s Connected This Bluetooth-equipped Rubik’s Cube pairs with an app to help your giftee finally learn how to solve the seemingly never-ending puzzle. The app will show them the orientation of the cube in real-time and tracks their stats as they progress.

It also comes with mini-games, going above and beyond the old fashioned Rubik’s experience.

Once your gift recipient has upped their game, they can also opt to connect with other players around the world and compete against them to see who can finish first.

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Hand Painted Christmas Gifts from Kim Morris ARE YOU LOOKING FOR THAT UNIQUE CHRISTMAS GIFT THIS YEAR, MAYBE SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT TO THE NORMAL PRESENTS FOUND IN THE HIGH STREET? Kim Morris is a talented artist and crafts person who can help you add some personality to your gifts that kids and adults alike will love.

After attending Southport College of Art, Kim went on to do a graphic design and photography course.

She then went on to work for various makeup companies, including Estée Lauder, before undertaking a beauty therapy course. Her makeup talents saw her competing in body painting competitions at the Blackpool Winter Gardens and other venues around England.

Tenerife beckoned in the 1990s where Kim ran fashions shows in some of the top hotels on the island and she also taught guests how to hand-paint swimwear and leisure clothing at some of the hotel holiday clubs.

Kim sold her handcrafted items, including children’s hand-painted shoes and denim clothing, at Los Christianos and the old Torviscas market. She also made a name for her hand designed wedding shoes for brides and bridesmaids as well as silk garments, so get in touch if you would like to order some exclusive custom-painted pieces.

If you give a custom handmade gift to a child, friend or loved one, you will be giving them a personalized gift that they'll always cherish.

Place your orders for Xmas now to make sure you get the size and design you want. Kim can be found at the Ocean Village Market here in Gibraltar every Sunday.

Fast forward to today and Kim can customise kid’s canvas shoes or sneakers with a one-of-a-kind personalised design. How about their favourite cartoon character or superhero? Either you provide the shoe or she can.

Kim can also make-to-order cushions with an original design of your choice.

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is coming CHRISTMAS FOOD TRADITIONS Whatever your choice, it’s always interesting to find out the surprising festive and specific seasonal foods that are eaten around the globe during Christmas.

Let’s start in the antipodes.

Australia Whether you’ve been to Australia or not, we’ve all heard of the ‘barbie on the beach’ tradition where a feast including meat and seafood is cooked up for family and friends.

It’s not surprising that with so many of Australia's immigrants having come from England and Ireland that they have brought their own Christmas customs with them.

Christmas pudding and mince pies are popular but Aussies have their own dessert tradition called White Christmas, especially enjoyed by children, which is an easy no bake slice made using ‘krispie’ breakfast cereal, coconut and dried fruit.

Philippines Christmas in the Philippines is the longest Christmas celebration in the world, starting as early as September and ending in January. Lechon, taken from leche the Spanish word for milk, is slow roasted pig often stuffed with ingredients such as a bouquet of herbs and seasonings like leeks, garlic, salt, and lemongrass and served with a dipping sauce.

Bibingka cakes are another Christmas treat in many parts of the Philippines. These moist rice cakes are made from glutinous rice, coconut, sugar, and margarine, and are often sold by street vendors.

Guatemala When it comes food eaten during the festive period in Guatemala, Tamales top the list as the most popular throughout the country, with over 250 regional varieties.

The main ingredient for Guatemalan tamales is a dough (masa) made with corn flour mixed with water, wrapped around a variety of fillings, including chicken, pork, beef, cheese, and vegetables then typically

What do you think of when you’re planning your Christmas meal?

Many of us will be thinking of roast turkey with all the trimmings, a delicious vegetarian nut roast or maybe a baked side of salmon. steamed in a banana leaf wrapper, but they can also be boiled or baked.

Norway

Guatemalan tamales are often served with a side of salsa or guacamole and there are several different types eaten including colarados (red) stuffed with a thick, flavourful tomato sauce, roasted red bell pepper strips, capers, green olives, and chicken, beef or pork, and negros which are darker and sweeter than their red counterparts due to the added chocolate, raisins, prunes and almonds.

South Africa

Italy One of the things that Italians love most is to talk about food. Christmas food traditions vary throughout Italy from the north to the south. The Feast of the Seven Fishes (where families eat seven types of fish) is held on La Vigilia di Natale (Christmas Eve) and is a popular custom for Italian Americans and parts of Southern Italy, but isn’t generally practiced throughout the entire country, Historically Natale (Christmas Day) was one of the few days of the year where people would eat expensive dishes made with meat. Nowadays, tradition hasn’t changed much and most Italians indulge in a feast of abundance, often several courses lasting for hours (sometimes all day). The meal begins with a classic antipasto spread featuring dry cured meats, salami, cheeses, olives, artichokes and more. The first course is pasta that varies by region. In Southern and Central Italy, they enjoy baked pasta, in Northern Italy, Lasagne Bolognese and filled pasta like ravioli is the preferred choice, followed by the main course of roasted veal, baked chicken, sausages or braised beef.

Panettone (literally meaning ‘big bread’) is the classic sweet bread made with candied peel, sultanas, raisins, and dried fruits now enjoyed the world over, but especially in Italy where there won’t be a Christmas table that this dessert cake isn’t found.

The most popular Christmas Eve dinner is ribbe (pork ribs or pork belly, bone in), typically served with sauerkraut, red cabbage and/or sprouts. Lutefisk (cod cured in a food-grade alkaline solution known as lye), is rarely served other than during the festive season, as is Rakfisk, a Norwegian speciality which is trout that has been salted and fermented for up to a year.

The southern hemisphere Christmas meal is either turkey, duck, roast beef or suckling pig with yellow rice, raisins and vegetables, followed by Christmas pudding or a traditional South African dessert called Malva, which is just like a steamed sponge reminiscent of sticky toffee pudding, best served with custard.

France Known for their culinary expertise, the French have historically had their festive spread on Christmas Eve, known as Le Réveillon de Noël. For some of the wealthier French a decadent seafood platter laden with lobster, oysters and scallops and garnished with fresh truffles and caviar was a necessary custom. Other classic holiday dishes include game meat such as doe, wild boar, venison or pheasant and for dessert bûche de Noël, or chocolate Yule log cake.

Japan Finally, we go to Japan where unbelievably the must-have for Christmas is fried chicken from fast food chain KFC! Ever since the 1970s when KFC ran a successful Christmas marketing campaign it has been the food of choice for the Japanese and it is rumoured that families reserve their festive ‘Party Barrel’ meal up to two months in advance.

What will be on the menu for your Christmas meal this year? Whatever it is, although the food is important it is more about the joy of sharing food and spending time with friends and family.

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is coming The Traditional Christmas Cribs The Christian tradition of creating a nativity scene (also called a crib or manger) representing the birth of Jesus has been alive for many years and exists in many cultures as an art form.

This artistic licence gives free rein to imagination and so nowadays there is a thriving industry around the religious figurines and crib decorations in many Christmas markets. I have been to crib shops in Madrid that sell three quarter life-size statues of the Holy family and farm animals like cows, sheep and donkeys to decorate church nativity scenes. The open air Christmas market in Madrid’s Plaza Mayor which I also visit every year has a great range of cribs and decorations in all sizes and price ranges to suit all budgets. At the upper end of the price range one can come across truly beautiful figurines and all the paraphernalia needed to make a spectacular crib surrounded by crushed paper mountains and peopled villages.

In Gibraltar today churches display both a nativity scene and a Christmas tree that keeps both traditions alive and some homes follow that tradition too, although the large scale cribs of seventy years ago when I was a child are a dying art. There is still a local crib competition held annually and in my parish of St Paul’s at Varyl Begg estate, the semi-large scale nativity scene is put up by Ernest Mesilio who also puts up the huge Christmas tree and a bigger format manger in front of the main altar. A few years back we heard how the church was not too happy about the long held artistic representation in manger settings where a bull and a donkey closed ranks to breathe warm air onto the shivering baby Jesus. A clear case of where the age-old artistic embellishments have become even more colourful than the real story of Christ’s birth. The jury is still out on that one and no nativity scene worth its salt would pass on having a bull and donkey inches away from the infant’s head.

My late mother was a dab hand at putting up cribs at our home, which the neighbours and their children would come to see.

She had been brought up here by nuns at Gavino’s orphanage and the tradition and methods had been drilled into her. In November she would ask my father to start bringing home brown paper (I also remember charcoal grey paper) so that she would crush them in her hands and fashion them into mountains which would later

be capped with sprinklings of flour for realistic snow capped peaks.

In the sawdust covered valley floor below the mountains (the plateau sat on a sideboard 1.5 metres long) a little mirror would become the water over which a cork bridge would span across. Little figurines collected and added to over the years would populate the valley.

A few shepherds and their flocks would converge on the manger and their daily progress would be timed (as children we were allowed to handle the figurines) so that by Christmas Eve the manger area was crowded. It would have an overhead angel and a star of Bethlehem and importantly, the crib was the main focus for our singing old Spanish villancicos (traditional religious Christmas carols). There are a number of ‘abstract’ cribs made by such firms as LLadro, Swarovski and others and although their artistic elegance is not disputed, the popular choice of Nativity tableaux remains the humble manger setting with the infant Jesus, Mary and Joseph and two farm animals.

An overhead star of Bethlehem usually crowns these tableaux and they will always be displayed indoors in the main lounge on a sideboard. Gone are the days that carols are sung in front of cribs.

Today’s more commercialised Christmas celebrations are centred on colourful wrapped presents displayed under Christmas trees and lots of food, enough to feed a regiment, also displayed and heartily consumed in our family settings. The religious sentiment of the season has been modified into a sort of food festival where you get a present for turning up and you also give presents for the privilege of being invited. Christmas on the Rock is still happily very family-centred and we wouldn’t have it any other way now. That is not to say that the Christmases of old still tick all the boxes for the grandparents of today’s younger generations. Have a great holiday and I hope that father Christmas is generous with you all and we will see you on the other side of the New Year.

WORDS BY JO ADAMBERRY

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is coming The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is therefore offering shopping tips to help consumers become acquainted with their rights and to minimise disappointments over the festive period. These are based on common complaints received by the OFT.

If receiving the goods before Christmas is essential, make sure this is guaranteed by the retailer.

Consumers have additional protection when shopping online. In most cases consumers will have a 14 day cancellation period, from delivery, to change their mind and get a full refund, including the basic delivery charges.

the ofts shopping tips

Act promptly if something is wrong Check your purchases at the store before buying or as soon as you receive them if they have been delivered. If something is wrong, you will need to act promptly if you wish to exercise your statutory right to reject the goods and claim a full refund.

Shop around for best prices & get acquainted with refund and return policies Look around for the best price before you buy.

This may sound obvious, however consumers too often assume that prices for the same item will be the same everywhere. In fact, they may vary significantly from shop to shop, even if they are part of the same group.

Refer to the flowchart in the schedule of the Code of conduct for Retailers of Goods (see below) that can assist you in determining the redress you may be entitled to depending on when issues are raised after purchase.

If you find something you have bought for a better price elsewhere you do not automatically have the right in law to return it. This depends on the business’s return and refund policy, if any.

Retailers refund and return policies can differ significantly from store to store so make sure you check whether refunds, exchanges or credit notes are available before you buy.

Seasonal Sales Remember you have exactly the same rights on sale items as you do on full price goods. If a reduction is offered as a result of a fault that is pointed out to you however you will not be able to make a claim for this fault later.

Refunds are obligatory however where goods sold do not honour your consumer rights (see below).

New Code of conduct for Retailers of Goods

Know your rights Any goods that you buy, whether in store or online, must:

A new code was issued by the OFT for the retail sector in March 2022. Although the document is primarily designed to educate retailers, consumers can also rely on it to understand the standards expected from local traders. The Code can be found in the ‘Documents’ section of the OFT’s website: www.oft.gov.gi

• match the description given, • be of satisfactory quality; and • be fit for purpose.

If they do not meet any of the above criteria you may be entitled to refunds, repairs or replacements. Generally, if goods are faulty within 30 days from purchase, consumers can reject the goods and claim for a full refund. There is a useful flowchart in the schedule of the Code of conduct for Retailers of Goods (see below) that can assist you in determining the type of redress you may be entitled to.

Keep your receipts You will need proof of purchase if you wish to return your goods or make a claim against a retailer. It is strongly recommend therefore that you keep your receipts. If receipts are not available you may be able to use a relevant bank and credit card statements, however this is not guaranteed.

Gift receipts & Gift vouchers Ask for a gift receipt when buying goods for your loved ones. This will enable the recipient to exercise their rights to return the goods or make a claim against the retailer if something is wrong without revealing the price of the item.

Gift vouchers are a popular present, however you need to be aware of the terms and conditions of each voucher, often found in small print.

If a voucher has an expiry date this information should be communicated to you in advance.

Make sure you tell your loved one once they receive it too.

Do your online shopping with plenty of time By law retailers have up to 30 days to deliver goods unless otherwise agreed, so it's worth doing your online shopping early to ensure your goods arrive in time for Christmas.

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We are here to help

r the oft shopping tips fo d upcoming christmas an seasonal sale

The OFT’s Consumer Protection Team hope that you will find this article useful and that it will help you avoid any unfortunate surprises during this period. You can find more information and guidance in the ‘Consumer Protection’ section of the OFT’s website and by following the OFT on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Should you nevertheless encounter any problems or have doubts about your consumer rights please contact reach out to the OFT’s Consumer Protection Team: Email: consumer.protection@gibraltar.gov.gi Tel: 20071700 / WhatsApp: 56002998 www.oft.gov.gi

with the run-up to christmas, and the january sales thereafter, we find ourselves approaching the most intense annual period of consumer spending. for many this is the best time of the year, but also the most expensive. with the rapidly rising cost of living it is more important than ever for consumers to look for the best deals and to get value for money.

NOVEMBER 2022

le is the information contained in this artic intended as guidance only and is provided it for awareness and educational purposes. as upon, d relie or as, ded regar be not d shoul legal advice or otherwise. follow us on social media for regular consumer updates! facebook - oft gibraltar instagram - @oftgib twitter - @oftgib

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POLICE INSIGHT “At any one time, we could be listening to a victim of domestic abuse or taking details over the radio of a suspected drunk driver and, at the same time, we know that there’s a lady downstairs who wants to report that she has lost her mobile phone,” says PC Kasmira Kingsley who is one of the RGP’s Command and Dispatch officers.

This week is International Control Room Week which celebrates and raises awareness of the vital role played by control room teams who deal with traumatic and distressing situations every day of the year.

Last year’s International Control Room Week saw over 200 control rooms and more than 10,000 personnel from police, ambulance, fire and coastguard services across the UK get involved, as well as control rooms from as far afield as the United States, Australia and India.

PC Kingsley, who has been in the RGP for six years, says, “It is impossible to describe a ‘typical’ shift in the Control Room. We deal with everything - from life-or-death emergencies to stupid, time-wasting phone calls. We also get a lot of foul-mouthed abuse. But, at all times, we need to stay calm, attentive, and polite when dealing with every caller.’

Another of the RGP’s Controllers is PC Jayron Walker who has been a police officer for just over three years. ‘Despite being quite junior, I think of Controllers as ‘the brains’ of the RGP. We receive lots of information over the police radios and from telephone calls and then we quickly assess that information before deciding which of our ‘limbs’ to use. Do we send a firearms unit? A van with extra officers?

Could it be just a hoax?

“We allocate a Grade to every incident: a

TONY'S

RETIREMENT

Grade 1 is an emergency which must have an immediate response but it could last for some time. I was on duty when we had a man threatened to end his life and that took several hours and a lot of police manpower to resolve. At the other end of the scale we might allocate a routine event as Grade 4 which will be followed up when time permits.” These decisions are quickly made by the Controller without any reference to a more senior officer.

dispatched to the person’s home, often to find that an ambulance is required.

The Control Room is manned by two Constables, 24 hours a day, seven days a week with the Controllers working on a three shift pattern, ‘Mornings’ (7am – 3pm), ‘Lates’ (2pm – 11pm) and ‘Nights’ (10pm – 8am).

“One night I took a poor-quality call in which a man was screaming in a mixture of French and Spanish so I deployed our Marine Section and, as a result, they were able to save the lives of several Moroccan men whose boat was sinking off Europa Point. There have been many other occasions when I have sent officers to intervene in cases of some nasty domestic abuse. When this happens, I get a real feeling of satisfaction from having played my part in helping someone who was in trouble.”

Mornings shifts are characterised by lots of administrative matters. Members of the public tend to make enquiries about lost property or they call to ask for details of ongoing investigations. Meanwhile officers being allocated to attend court, transport needs to be arranged for prisoners and Roads Policing officers are calling in with details of driving offences during the morning rush hour.

In the afternoons, as children leave school and workers go home, the nature of the calls changes – there are more reports of anti-social behaviour, bad driving and domestic abuse. Later in the evening, the number of alcohol-related crimes starts to increase – reports come in of drunk drivers, fights and assaults, more domestic abuse, Road Traffic Collisions, border queues and so on. It is not unusual, especially during ‘Lates’ on a Friday, for there to be several major issues all running at once. “You get so busy that you can’t even speak to the other Controller – and anyway, he or she is just as busy as you are.”

The Night shift tends to have fewer incidents but often they can be the more serious ones – burglaries, break-ins, and very drunk drivers.

Kasmira says that being a Controller brings lots of job satisfaction.

Jayron added, "I remember a night when I took a report about a missing child. The mother was understandably distraught but, by getting her to calm down and talk to me, I was able to work out where the child might be hiding. Officers went to investigate and found the child where I’d thought he might be. I got a good feeling from having done my bit to find him."

Most people will never need to call the RGP Control Room, but if they do, we hope that, they understand that the officer on the other end of the line may also be dealing with several other important issues and with various people all wanting their problem to be dealt with, immediately. That public awareness is one of the main aims of International Control Room Week.

Who knows, it might be Kasmira or Jayron who you are speaking to ...

But, throughout all the shifts there are always the irritating calls, “I’m calling the police emergency number 119 because I haven’t got any credit on my phone.

What time does the ice cream van come to my estate?”

And, at least twice every shift, the Controllers will respond to an elderly person’s Panic Button going off. This usually means that officers must immediately be

THE ROYAL GIBRALTAR POLICE HAS SAID GOODBYE TO PC 118 TONY DE SOTO, WHO IS RETIRING FROM THE FORCE, AFTER NEARLY 14 YEARS OF SERVICE. Tony joined the RGP in 2009 at the age of 41 and worked for several years in the Response and Community Policing Team.

For the last eight years, he has mostly worked in the Armed Response Vehicle team and in his spare time he is a keen member of the Gibraltar Pistol Association.

He came third in the Open Senior event at an international shooting competi-

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Officers chosen for Controller training tend to have certain skills. They have the ability to stay calm in an emergency, they are good listeners and they must have endless supplies of patience. It also helps to be fluent in Spanish.

NOVEMBER 2022

tion at O Pinhal in Portugal earlier this month.

Tony, 54, said, “I’m very proud and honoured to have served Gibraltar and if I could do it all again, I would.”

An RGP spokesperson, said, “PC De Soto, thanks for your years of service to Gibraltar and its people.

“We hope you enjoy your well-earned retirement and we wish you all the best.”

Happy retirement Tony, from all you friends at Insight and thought Gibraltar.

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LAST ORDERS TO BE PLACED BY 2PM ON WEDNESDAY 14TH DECEMBER TO ARRIVE IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS

WE GO TO IKEA FOR YOU SHOWROOM: 19 CITY MILL LANE, GIBRALTAR | T: +350 20076262 Registered Company: Kitchens by Top Design

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45

FEATURE

DEPENDING ON

sELF

As participants in the current reality and the transition taking place on our planet and indeed being Light warriors charged with the task of looking after and guiding confused souls through this period, we realise that our own paradigms have shifted radically and we must shift our comfort zones accordingly. This means that as our familiar safety structures disappear from underneath and all around us, we have to step up and look deeper within in order to locate the locus of control within, which connects to the divinity which created us.

As participants in the current reality and the transition taking place on our planet and indeed being Light warriors charged with the task of looking after and guiding confused souls through this period, we realise that our own paradigms have shifted radically and we must shift our comfort zones accordingly. This means that as our familiar safety structures disappear from underneath and all around us, we have to step up and look deeper within in order to locate the locus of control within, which connects to the divinity which created us.

We find that we have two selves …. The Self (higher Self) and the self (lower self or ego).

Put simplistically this is the Heart and the Head.

Most of us these days are familiar with the Chakras … the seven, spiritual energy centres located in the body. It is valuable to recognise these centres in relation to the 4 Pillars of PIES. (Physical Intellectual Emotional Spiritual).

Root Chakra relates to Physical.

Sacral Chakra to Emotional.

Solar Plexus to Intellectual Throat, Third Eye and Crown to the Spiritual.

This leaves a gap in the middle, which is the Heart Chakra which is The Soul and the frequency of The Soul is not of the Intellect. The Intellect can make things happen but the Heart is where imagination lies and where ego fears to tread. We must open the altar of The Heart to allow God energy in and only thus can we arrive at pure, Heart based decisions that work for the highest good of all concerned.

More and more, it is essential that we keep our chakras harmonised and centred, vibrating peacefully with the higher frequencies around us. We stay centred by melding with the higher vibrations and diligently cleansing negative presences from the sphere around us. It is impossible to fix problems with the same mind that created them, the ego mindset, as the ego is only interested

in sabotage so has no one’s best interests in mind.

One of the most powerful ways to open the altar of the heart and allow God energy in is through the practice of Forgiveness, using the ancient Hawaiian practice of Ho’oponopono. What I have been learning more recently is that there is a deeper spiritual depth to this practice which is essential for the process to work on any valuable level.

It is possibly best described as a process of reconciliation and healing through self-forgiveness. The lower self (or ego) asks forgiveness from the higher Self for buying into the illusion of lack, thus taking responsibility and handing over control at the same time.

And that’s powerful! It is about Forgiving on a soul level …… and, as beings of the ‘We are All One’ energy, it is about taking 100% responsibility for our experiences and forgiving ourselves for our misguided preconceptions. It is truly liberating.

The mantra or prayer goes like this: I am sorry, Please forgive me, Thankyou, I love you. What is happening here is that the small ‘i’ (or self/ego) is recognising a false belief which it has allowed to come in and cause hurt and saying Sorry to the higher Self (Divine energy) for not trusting, and then asking for Forgiveness. Then saying Thankyou. It is about recognising that we are all one and that as we are all created in Divine perfection then we have full responsibility for everything that happens to us. This is what “I am you and you are me and we are one” actually means and the only way for us to reclaim our divine power and cease to live with pain is to recognise and honour our divinity and stop trying to ‘fix’ our lives through the ego.

The practice is simple …. but not easy as the power lies within the consistency of applying it. It must become a deeply ingrained habit in order to replace the negative voices which have ruled us all our lives and which constantly remind us of how flawed we are.

The ego or lower self, resides in the lower chakra centres – the physical, emotional and

intellectual. This could also be described as the 3D aspects of our existence. Remember that the current transition is about moving from 3D to 5D. From the material, head centred vibration to the heart centred vibration of love. Where value is placed on people and not on things. Ego identifies from the outside in – placing value on the ‘things’ that it has acquired but have no lasting value. Divinity identifies from the inside out, teaching us that value lies within and lives forever.

We learn to live from the heart chakra, understanding the power of and the safe space of love and only then can we move into the energies of the three upper chakra centres where divinity and spirituality reside.

And so, the heart acts like a bridge linking what I call The Annexe and The Chantry.

The Annexe being an ‘add-on’ or an afterthought, external and impermanent. The Chantry is a shrine, a place of prayer, a sanctuary of peace and love, internal and forever.

The bridge connecting the material and the spiritual (current transition) therefore becomes the 4D. This is where so many are at the moment. We know where we want to go but it feels like too big a risk as the ego prefers to be in charge and much prefers dragging us back into the old painful memory zone. So, we hover on the bridge. And this is where ho’oponopono comes into its power and erases all those old memories which hold us on the bridge. Depend on Self and let them go ….

I am sorry, Please forgive me, Thank you, I love you.

Kate Mchardy MA(Hons) PGCE MSPH Spiritual coach, teacher and healer. katemch@gmail.com The University of Light Group www.thehealingretreat.net Tel: +44 7712889534

WORDS BY KATE MCHARDY

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NOVEMBER 2022

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HEALTH & WELLBEING

INSIGHT

THE BEST OF HEALTHCARE IN GIBRALTAR Aria Medical group Cosmetic surgery College clinic Regal House Gibraltar Vithas Xanit Medical Centre Unit 1 Lexinton Midtown Queensway Gibraltar.

HC Cancer Centre HC Marbella International Hospital Spain Holland & Barratt 53 & 160 Main Street John W Miles State registered Chiropodist Midtown Clinic Unit 1 Providence Midtown Queensway Gibraltar

International Hospital

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HEALTH & WELLBEING Certain seasons seem to bring more natural joy than other times of the year. Spring and Summer top many people’s lists as they are “filled with the joys of Spring” or basking in the warmth of the Summer sun.

cooler mornings by trying a run in the park through the newly fallen leaves or getting out on a scenic bike ride. Try counting how many different colours you see as you are outside in nature, paying attention to things around us and naming what you see can help ground us and reduce anxiety. Autumn can stimulate newfound gratitude for the world around us.

One of the reasons we often find happiness in particular seasons is that we expect it to be there, so we look for it - and we find it there. In contrast, if we expect a season to be miserable and dank, that’s likely to be how we experience it. Consider the thoughts, feelings and emotions you associate with each season. If you are a Summer person, you might think about having fun in the sun, enjoying the long days and warm weather.

As Summer blends into Autumn and the nights draw in, it might be that your thoughts darken too, and your joy starts to nosedive. The best way to combat this predisposition to misery is to reset your expectations. Actively choose to find joy during each season. Identify one or two things you can celebrate in each season. It might be appreciating the colourful Autumn leaves, the glisten of frost on the grass or something completely different.

Anticipate and seek out positive seasonal experiences. They bring moments of joy that transform your mood.

There are three key points that will help you navigate and manage any seasonal changes.

Exercise Moving your body on a regular basis has far-reaching, positive effects on your physical and emotional health.

You don’t need to train for a marathon.

Walking around your neighborhood, doing push-ups, running around outside with children—these all have the same benefit.

Get more light Everyone needs to be exposed to sunlight on a daily basis. Since many jobs can be done indoors, this often takes effort. But the benefits are great, physically and emotionally. Our bodies absorb vitamin D, important to our health, from sunlight. The energy and emotional boost that we get from a few minutes in the sun can be exceptional.

Talk it out All transitions have their challenges, and it’s always easier when you’re talking to someone about it. Whether you are talking to a friend, colleague or therapist, let someone into your inner thoughts and experiences.

dealing with

Seasonal

changes Person-Centred Psychotherapist, Helen Burke-Smith BA, PGDip, MSc. believes ‘the effects of seasonal changes on our mental health can be profound.

As summer ends and the shift into autumn and then winter occurs, big changes in temperature, light exposure, lengths of daylight and intensity of light can impact our mental health. With the weather closing in and the temperature dropping, in conjunction with waking up to lower light in the mornings, we can find ourselves feeling more lethargic, depleted and less motivated to move or exercise. But is this always the case? Seasonal Affective Disorder is well documented, but the benefits of seasonal change are less well known or discussed. So let’s explore the positive impact of seasonal change on our emotional, mental and physical wellbeing.

Autumn stimulates the brain to start taking on new challenges because the bright visual contrasts we see in nature, bright reds, oranges, yellows, and evergreen leaves trigger the brain to respond to change. As our brains acknowledge the change of season, it stimulates a push for change within.

We can use this push to implement new healthy coping strategies, such as journaling, walking, exercising more, or making healthier food choices, all of which can help us in the colder and darker months. As the temperatures cool, we can find it easier to exercise outside, we can take advantage of the

Furthermore, the bright colours of autumn have also been shown to alleviate stress and anxiety. Nature's wide array of colours stimulates the brain and triggers positive emotions. Furthermore, research shows that Autumn stimulates nostalgia by reconnecting us to memories of our childhood. Think autumn leaves falling, kicking, or diving into the leaves, foraging for conkers or biking through the trees. If you stop to reflect on happy memories, it can work to train your mind to associate autumn with a joyful time of year.

A surprising fact about our mind is that, according to research, several brain regions (subcortical structures associated with learning, motivation, decision making and emotional processing) become larger during autumn, suggesting our memory may become sharper during autumnal months.

But not all benefits and positive impacts of seasonal change are linked to autumn, winter too can have a profound and beneficial impact on our mental health. Winter triggers us to want to slow down. Although humans cannot hibernate, we are drawn to do something similar. We are drawn to stay more local and inside and out of the cold.

We are more tempted to cancel plans, skip workouts and eat more comforting food. Is this inherently bad for us?

No. We can take the winter months to reoperate, enjoy the pleasure of more solitude, contemplate more, and spend time with loved ones cosy under blankets or in front of the fire. Winter is a time for rest and digest, and restoring depleted energy levels. Furthermore, winter too comes with a trigger for nostalgia, watching old movies from our childhood, playing board games, and getting the time to read our favourite novels.

Research suggests that, unlike summer, we are less likely to experience guilt for not getting out and about, there is more patience in winter and more time.’

Helen Burke-Smith www.thepathwayclinic.co.uk helen@thepathwayclinic.co.uk

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HEALTH & WELLBEING

LONELINESS When people feel lonely and depressed, they will typically have low self-esteem too.

If you find that you constantly berate yourself for feeling down, think about what you would say to a friend going through something like this. Consider how you might be able to help them feel better. Rather than being self-critical, remember that you deserve compassion too, so treat yourself kindly in any moment when you are not feeling so good.

Loneliness is not an abstract condition that affects only certain kinds of people. The truth is that feelings of loneliness can affect anyone—young, old, and in-between—and at any point in life.

It's not uncommon for the elderly, people going through a breakup, divorce, or death of a loved one, and young people to struggle with loneliness. Generation Z adults (ages 18-22), in fact, are feeling lonelier than almost any other population.

Loneliness can be due to so many different factors, and can affect both your emotional and physical health longterm.

The online world can be a double-edged sword, especially when it comes to loneliness and social isolation. Log on or log off—which is healthier? It all depends.

• The online world offers non-threatening and convenient ways to connect with others that can help if you're trying to overcome loneliness. Things like multi-player gaming, chat and message sites, even online dating sites can offer ways to interact and engage with others that's satisfying for some people. There are also online apps designed to

help you deal with issues like loneliness and social isolation.

• What about social media? Is it good for you when you're dealing with loneliness? For some people, the online world may contribute to even greater feelings of loneliness and isolation. Social media, for example, can portray people who seem to be living exciting, happy-go-lucky lives with hundreds of good friends at their side. Reality is that this is generally not reality. Social media can make some people feel inadequate, left out, and feeling lonely.

Bottom line, if being online seems more isolating than connected, it may be a sign you need to log off.

Volunteering is an opportunity to feel less lonely. Volunteer opportunities are usually plentiful. Contributing your time and energy, working alongside others for a good cause, can effectively help you in fighting loneliness. Volunteer activities are shown to ease stress, reduce feelings of depression, can help you make friends, and connect with others, and overall make you a happier person.

A sense of happiness, fulfillment, and connection to others is yet another way to stop feeling lonely.

Psychotherapist Elizabeth Ritchie believes that ‘sadly, loneliness is recognised as one of the most significant mental, physical and social problems in society today, not surprisingly exacerbated by the Covid 19 pandemic. It is prevalent among older people but many young people are also affected. Many of us who are lonely feel trapped in a state of social isolation and disconnect which can be intertwined with depression and other mental health illnesses.

WORDS BY KATHLEEN NORTH 50

NOVEMBER 2022

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HEALTH & WELLBEING The key to tackle these issues is in one word Communication! Avoiding speaking about loneliness can impact on self-esteem and can negatively affect interpersonal relationships Health professionals have resources to support and can provide non-clinical services like community groups, activities, or emotional support networks and “Social prescribing schemes” are now being developed as a result of these challenging societal issues.

SOME TIPS TO COMBAT LONELINESS Spend time outdoors if possible to be closer to nature and fresh air We are often happiest when we are mentally engaged so find ways to keep your mind active or at least distracted, i.e. games, puzzles, crosswords Reduce your time on social media, however for older adults, this can be a benefit as it can facilitate crucial connections.

Keep in touch with your friends, some of them may feel the same way.

Be mindful of your self-care. Create a

positive “to do “list. Include things that you enjoy doing, people that you enjoy talking to, programmes/films that you like watching. You can be your best cheerleader to navigate the challenging feelings and emotions associated with loneliness.’

Rest Less’s Lifestyle Editor Elise Christian states that ‘Loneliness is something many of us encounter at various stages of our lives but persistent loneliness (feeling lonely more than once a week) can have an adverse impact on our mental and physical health.

Research has shown that people who experience persistent loneliness are more likely to suffer from health conditions such as dementia, heart disease and depression for example.

There are some measures we can take to tackle loneliness. The first step is to acknowledge it. Sometimes we can busy ourselves so much that we can't find the time to stop and reflect on how we're really feeling.

Secondly, if you have lots of people around you but you still feel lonely, it might be because the relationships don't run deep enough. Try to foster high quality and meaningful relation-

ships which are founded on shared interests or experiences.

Thirdly, focus on the positives of being alone. Sometimes we have no alternative and it's really important to be comfortable in our own company as we will all have times in our lives when we are by ourselves.

Finally, they say comparison is the thief of joy. Sometimes loneliness can creep up on us when we spend too much time comparing ourselves to others.

Social media has made this even more common. When reflecting on your own goals and achievements, the only person you should ever compare yourself to is you! It's hard to find true contentment if you're comparing yourself to someone else's so it's a great habit to try and break.’

For more information: Liz Ritchie: Lizritchie.org Rest Less: www.restless.co.uk/press Age UK is becoming a leading expert in loneliness reduction services, like the creation of the loneliness app.

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New Vithas Medical Center

More than 10 medical specialities to make you feel special Vithas has opened its first clinic in Gibraltar, offering the medical specialities that you need: - Cardiology - Cardiovascular assesment - Diagnostic radiology

Vithas Xanit Gibraltar Medical Centre Unit 1, Lexington, Midtown, Queensway Rd, Gibraltar

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- Ophthalmology - Family medicine - Pneumology

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HEALTH & WELLBEING

osteoporosis Osteoporosis is a condition that weakens bones, making them fragile and more prone to breaking. The condition is often diagnosed when a fall or impact causes a bone to break, with the most common injuries occurring in the wrist, hip and vertebrae. Osteoporosis is called a “silent disease” as patients do not notice any changes until a bone breaks, as the bones often lose density over a number of years. Once the bones have become weakened some of the symptoms which my present include:

causes of osteoporosis

• A gradual loss of height

• Having a low body mass index (BMI)

• Stooped posture (particularly in older patients)

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Loss of bone is a natural part of the ageing process. Women are also more likely to lose bone after the menopause. This increases the risk of osteoporosis, particularly if menopause has started before the age of 45 or they have had an oophorectomy (ovaries removed).

Other factors can also increase the risk of osteoporosis onset, including: • Family history of osteoporosis • Had extended bed rest

• Lack of physical activity

• Increased bone fractures

• Heavy smoking

• Back pain as a result of fractured vertebrae.

• Significant alcohol consumption

Sometimes even the action of coughing or sneezing can cause a broken rib or partial collapse of vertebrae in people suffering from osteoporosis.

• Taking high doses of steroid tablets for prolonged periods

• Having or having had an eating disorder

• Medical conditions such as inflammatory conditions, hormone related conditions, or malabsorption.

NOVEMBER 2022

• Long-term use of medications that affect hormone levels, such as anti-oestrogen tablets that women may take after breast cancer.

osteopenia Osteopenia is the stage before osteoporosis and occurs when bone density is below average. Osteopenia does not always lead to osteoporosis and there are steps you can take to reduce your risk from developing the condition. There are bone-strengthening treatments your doctor may prescribe, depending on the severity of your condition.

preventing osteoporosis If you are at risk of developing osteoporosis, there are steps you can take to help reduce your risk and keep your bones healthy. This includes: • Keeping physically active to help keep your bones as strong as possible. Healthy adults should aim for 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise a week or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity exercise. Try to

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HEALTH & WELLBEING stages of osteoporosis

incorporate strengthening activities on at least 2 days a week. Regular weight-bearing exercise, such as light weight training, walking, climbing stairs or hiking are important.

• Aim to eat a balanced diet including foods which are rich in calcium and vitamin D. • Taking a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D. • If you are a smoker, consider stopping or cutting down. Appointments with the GHA free ‘Stop Smoking’ service are available on 20052441.

• Reduce alcohol consumption.

living with osteoporosis

healthy

osteoporosis

Severe osteoporosis

Osteoporosis does not usually cause discomfort until a breakage occurs. However, breaks, in

the spine can be a source of chronic pain. If you have suffered from a fracture there are some things which can help you in your recovery. Hot and cold treatments such as warm baths and cold packs can be used to reduce discomfort. Additionally, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) can be used to stimulate the nerves and reduce pain. If your condition is affecting your dayto-day life, or you have concerns about coping with a long-term condition, speak to your healthcare provider.

If you are diagnosed with osteoporosis, it is important to try and reduce the risk of falls. Remove hazards from around your home and ensure you have regular sight and hearing tests.

WORDS BY GHA GIBRALTAR

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HEALTH & WELLBEING

Manuka Honey Manuka honey is considered a superfood and the benefits of taking Manuka honey have been celebrated for centuries because of its anti-bacterial and healing properties. Manuka honey comes from the nectar of flowers on the Manuka bush in New Zealand.

BOOST YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM THIS AUTUMN

Taking Manuka honey, whether straight from the spoon or stirred into your morning cuppa, can benefit your wellbeing. If you struggle with hay fever or seasonal allergies, you may find that Manuka honey can help with your symptoms.

Manuka Doctor produces 100% pure New Zealand (it’s not mixed with variants from other countries) Manuka honey – approved and tested in the science lab. Try Manuka Doctor Manuka Honey Multifloral from Holland & Barrett. Bringing Manuka honey into your diet is a great way to support your immune system due to its antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Some of the bad habits that we picked up during lockdown, such as poor diet choices and indulging in too many takeaway meals, can contribute to a weakened immune system. The result of indulging in unhealthy meals too often can lead to a low intake of nutrients that support immune system functioning, such as Vitamins A and C. Supplements can play a big role in supporting our immune system. Vitamin D is an important nutrient that contributes to the normal function of your immune system and helps maintain normal bone and muscle function. Even with natural exposure to the sun some people may still be at risk of low Vitamin D. Other natural sources of Vitamin D include salmon, mackerel, sardines, milk, eggs and liver.

To make sure you are getting enough Vitamin D, take Holland & Barrett Vitamin D3 Tablets daily, preferably with meals.

Vitamin C, found naturally in a variety of fruit and vegetables, is also an important

Autumn is here and the winter months will soon be upon us, so preparing your immune system now will give you a better chance of getting through to the spring without suffering from severe bouts of cold and flu. If you do catch a cold and your immune system is strong, your symptoms are likely to be less severe, so here are some ways that you can help support your immune system. nutrient for normal energy yielding metabolism and reduction in tiredness and fatigue, but taking a supplement every day, such as Holland & Barrett Vitamin C & Wild Rose Hips Caplets can boost your immune system.

Exercise is really important for maintaining the immune system, whether that be a brisk walk to the shops instead of driving, or a swim in the sea or the local swimming pool. Going to the gym can help you to hit those fitness goals, and taking Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey Powder Chocolate from Holland & Barrett can help you reach your daily protein goals quickly and easily. Most people who do not exercise and eat a relatively healthy diet will reach their protein goals without really trying, but if you exercise, that number goes up and a protein powder could really help.

As many of us are back to having an active lifestyle again, it’s important that we let our body have enough time to rest and recover, allowing us to feel re-energised for the following day. B12 is known as one of the most important vitamins for normal energy-yielding metabolism and it also helps to maintain normal

nervous system functioning. Your body doesn’t make Vitamin B12, so it’s important to get it from a balanced diet. Beef, pork, eggs, milk, cheese and fish are all good sources of B12.

If you're vegetarian or vegan, it may be that you aren’t able to get enough B12 as you are excluding those food groups. B12 can be found in some breakfast cereals and nutritional yeasts and in supplements such as Holland & Barrett Timed Release B12 tablets.

There are lots of other ways to supercharge your immune system.

Smoothies can help you reach your fivea-day in no time. And while there aren’t many rules as to what you should put in your blender, there are recipes you can follow that are designed to contribute to the normal function of your immune function. Try adding different fruit and vegetables to support immunity, such as banana, clementine & mango or a delicious triple berry kiwi smoothie. If you’re not into smoothies, try a refreshing cup of hot lemon and ginger tea. Lemon and ginger are both full of antioxidants and vitamins, so drinking a cup every day can be good for your immune system. Alternatively, wake up to a cup of Pukka Ginger Joy Latte – a thrilling blend of ginger with turmeric and cinnamon to boost your immune system and a great way to start the day.

It’s also a good idea to think about supporting your child’s immune system, especially if they seem to be constantly falling ill from colds and bugs. Making sure they eat the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables a day isn’t easy, especially if they’re a fussy eater. Try giving them Holland & Barrett Healthy Kids Multivitamins + Omega 3 Juicy Orange Capsules. Each capsule bursts to deliver a juicy orange flaADVISORY vour that they're INFORMAT ION: Food supp sure to love. lements m us be t not used as a substitute varied and for a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. If pregnant, you are brea any medica stfeeding, taking tio medical su ns or are under pervision, consult a please doct professiona or or healthcare l and alway s read the label be fore use.

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PACS

A GROUP TO SUIT EVERY NEED! OVER A NUMBER OF YEARS WE’VE GONE FROM ONE PLAY GROUP AND ONE COOKING CLUB PER WEEK, TO TWO PLAYGROUPS A WEEK, BUMPS & BABIES, A SENSORY FRIENDLY GROUP, SENSORY STORIES, TWO COOKING SESSIONS A WEEK AND A MONTHLY CRAFT CLUB! We have always felt that we need to make sure we offer our groups to the whole community, ensuring that we tailor the groups to the needs of the children and the parents / carers who attend. Every child is different and before they head off to school it’s important that they gain vital skills to help them on their journey through school. Children learn through play and we at PACS are here to help them along the way. Each group offers something different to help develop new skills.

meet other Mum’s to be or new Mum’s in a calm environment. Bumps & Babies takes place in a café so that the adults are able to chat and actually have a much needed hot drink (!) whilst their baby happily plays.

Just a short conversation about something that may have been worrying a new Mum, can change someone’s week and put any worries to rest.

Our Tuesday group is completely different.

Some children do not like the noise and excitement that our Monday and Friday groups bring. To ensure that the group is quieter we use a booking system to help us restrict numbers. This group is about letting the children play and learn at their own pace, developing social skills without the pressure of a structured environment.

On Monday’s the children can participate in a Craft which means lots of sticking, gluing and paint! We also provide a messy play table which enables the children can make lots of mess outside of the home!

On Wednesday’s the group is different again. It became apparent that Gibraltar lacked somewhere for Mum’s to be to come and

On Thursday’s we have a totally different group too! Children love books…there is nothing better than being emersed in a story. Sensory Stories allows the children to become truly involved in a book as we offer role play and interaction. A firm favourite is the Bear Hunt…who doesn’t like that?

Friday’s group offers a relaxed end to the week. Free play, a story and songtime. A less structured group means the children can explore at their leisure.

And of course last but by no means least…Cooking Club. It does what it says on the tin!

The Children love to cook and the excitement during these sessions is very infectious.

Cooking, Playing, Singing, Listening, Sticking, Gluing, Socialising and so much more! A group for everyone!

Take a l!k below at our weekly schedule!

TOTALLY TODDLERS - TIME TBC

SENSORY STORY TIME – THURSDAYS 1.00 – 2.00PM

Mid Harbours Family Centre. Come join us for Storytime, craft and play.

The Methodist Church. Come join us for some interactive Story Time Fun! Different themes every week!

BUMPS & BABIES - WEDNESDAYS 9.30AM - 12PM

DIDDY DISCOVERERS – FRIDAYS 9.45 -11.45AM

The Living Room Café (Methodist Church). Our regular social catch up for parents to be and babies in a home from home atmosphere. This is a relaxed session where parents can meet up with their young babies to enjoy a cup of tea, make friends and talk about the highs and lows of parenting.

The Methodist Church. Come join us for free play, story time and song time fun!

COOKING CLUB – WEDNESDAY & FRIDAY 12.30 – 2.15PM The Methodist Church. A fun session aimed at toddlers aged from 2.5 upwards giving children the chance to make and try different foods. Booking required.

FACEBOOK FOR D FOLLOW US ON PLEASE LIKE AN R GROUPS. OU TES ON ALL OF REGULAR UPDA DSOCIETY HIL DC AN NT RE PA FACEBOOK.COM/

MONTHLY CRAFT CLUBS Ages 2.5 upwards. Details will be announced on our Facebook page.

VOLUNTEERS ALWAYS NEEDED! teers. Any help We are always on the lookout for new volun with a great ng is always well received, and you’ll be worki nt! Please bunch of people. There is never a dull mome like more if you’d contact us through our Facebook Page information!

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COMMUNITY INSIGHT

58

Gibraltar Cultural Services, on behalf of the Ministry of Culture has announced the results of this year’s Cultural Awards. The winners were presented with their awards at a prestigious event at The John Mackintosh Hall, also broadcast by GBC.

successes of individuals and groups between July 2021 and June 2022. These awards recognise and highlight potential, ability, talent, and achievement, whilst at the same time supporting the community’s artistic and cultural development.

The Awards aim to celebrate Gibraltar’s arts and culture, looking at the achievements and

The Minister for Culture, The Hon. Professor John Cortes MP said, “The Cultural Awards are

NOVEMBER 2022

a recognition, not just of the achievements of those who receive them, but of the richness and standard of Culture in our community, and the calibre of all its players. I want to thank all who have taken the trouble to nominate, all who have voted, and the panel itself for supporting the Awards and in this way supporting Culture."

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COMMUNITY INSIGHT

HIS MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT OF GIBRALTAR AND THE GIBRALTAR PHILATELIC BUREAU HAVE ISSUED THE FIRST SET OF STAMPS FEATURING HIS MAJESTY’S ROYAL CYPHER. The set of stamps titled ‘The 12 days of Christmas’ covers the postage values used in Gibraltar for postal operations throughout the Christmas period. They depict all the gifts that form part of the world-renowned Christmas carol "The Twelve Days of Christmas".

The stamps have been designed by local graphics artist Mr Stephen Perera, and have been printed on high quality gummed paper.

The Minister for Portal Services, the Hon Vijay Daryanani MP, said, “We are honoured and proud to become the first country to issue a set of stamps with His Majesty’s Royal Cypher.

We all know what the Royal family means to Gibraltar. Although we will never forget Her Majesty we will now show the same affection to King Charles, King of Gibraltar”.

The Chief Minister, the Hon Fabian Picardo KC, said, "Gibraltar will be the first of His Majesty's Realms to send His image around the world on our mail. I am delighted at this demonstration of our loyalty to His Majesty and the Crown."

Collectors can purchase these stamps from the Philatelic Shop in 104 Main Street or gibraltar-stamps.com

The Gibraltar International Art Exhibition organised

by Gibraltar Cultural Services, on behalf of the Ministry of Culture is being held at the Gustavo Bacarisas Gallery. Both local and international artists submitted a total of 128 works.

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Vegan Mixed Bean Taco Tacos, burritos or fajitas , we love them all. So we created a recipe you can adapt to suit either, with a sweet vegetarian filling.

INGREDIENTS 8 Large Taco Boats 1 Large Red Onion 1 Butternut Squash 1 Broccoli Mixed Beans tinned 1 Red Bell Pepper Spinach 6 Cherry Tomatoes

Fresh Coriander 1 Baby Lettuce 1 tbsp Ground Cumin 1 Tbsp Cinnamon Black Pepper Salt Tomato Salsa Vegan Cheese

METHOD Dice the butternut squash (peeled), bell pepper and broccoli into small chunks and lay them out on a baking tray with the cherry tomatoes. Drizzle them with oil over the top, season with salt, pepper, cumin and cinnamon and place in the oven for 30 minutes at 200C until soft ad the edges are charred.

Whilst these are in the oven, wash your lettuce and spinach, separate the lettuce leaves and put them in a bowl. Slice the red onion and add this to the bowl too.

When the roasted vegetables are ready, take them out of the oven. Drain and rinse the beans and mix it together with the roasted vegetables, making sure to combine all the oils and flavours well.

Now it’s time to stuff your tacos. First scoop the ingredients in the bowl, such as the leaves, beans and onion into the taco, then layer it with the roasted vegetables, and finally, dress it with tomato salsa.

For more delicious Mama Lotties recipes visit:

www.mamalotties.com 60

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MARRIED

on the

Rock

SIOBHAN AND MATT, MARRIED IN GIBRALTAR ON 3RD SEPTEMBER 2022.

PHOTOGRAPHER JENNA BROWN

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ADOPT

DON'T

SHOP

NEO

Spanish Dogs

Spanish Stray Dogs UK

SNOOPY

Neo arrived in January 2022 and was about 6 years old. Neo will happily sit for a treat and loves a good cuddle. Neo lives in a tiny cage on his own, as his other friends have been adopted. He now goes out on the patio with dogs from another pen. He walks perfectly on the lead, he loves sniffing the grass and does not seem bothered by people, cars and other dogs passing by. Such a good boy!

Snoopy is 2 years old and a cute and loving young boy. He is friendly with other dogs and respectful of their space. He is playful in a soft and gentle way. Snoopy is looking for a family to give him love and attention so he can have a second chance at happiness.

More info: www.spanishstraydogs.org.uk

More info: www.ainf.gi

Spanish Dogs

Spanish Stray Dogs UK

MARCOS

MAUKI

Marcos is a 4 year old boy who is calm with low energy. Despite being abandoned in a shelter for over 2 years he is learning to trust people. He is intelligent and a quick learner, with an easy going nature. He is waiting his chance to be with a loving family who will teach him that love is forever.

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Mauki arrived in April 2022 and was about 10 months old. Mauki is a special little boy, he chooses his favorite people and he loves them, then he loves cuddles and kisses! But if he does not like you, he will let you know. He is good with the other dogs at the pound.

More info: www.spanishstraydogs.org.uk

NOVEMBER 2022

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A VET'S INSIGHT

AND YOUR DOGS THIS YEAR WE HAVE HAD QUITE A FEW CASES OF DOGS SWALLOWING FISH HOOKS. MY ARTICLE THIS WEEK WILL BE QUICK GUIDE ON WHAT TO DO WHEN CONFRONTED WITH THIS PROBLEM. Obviously prevention is better than cure. With lockdown and our travel and movement restrictions there have been many instances where people walk their dogs in areas where people are fishing. Personally I would avoid walking my dog off the leash when passing fishermen, the risk of your dog picking up a bit of bait with a hook attached are quite high.

95% of swallowed hooks pass through the intestine and out naturally without causing any problems whatsoever. It is important to follow the passage of the hook through the GI tract with x-rays daily in the off chance that you are you unlucky and the hook gets caught up in the intestine. I strongly advise that if you take your pet to your vet and there is a fish hook in the stomach or intestine, DO NOT ELECT FOR SURGERY until you have monitored the hook for at least 48 hours, if it hasn’t moved by then, then you will have to go to surgery. Abdominal surgery is quite routine and any experienced vet should be able to find and remove the hook.

Problems arise when dog owners pull on the fishing line or it gets caught and the dog pulls back on the hook. If the hook gets caught in the oesophagus especially in the thorax then the plot thickens and its removal can prove problematic. Locating the hook with an endoscope is simple enough but if it is lodged in the thoracic oesophagus and it can’t be removed then the dog will require thoracic surgery where its chest is cut open to try and remove the hook, this is evidently surgery that is fraught with potential pitfalls.

So the takeaway from all this is First thing you must never do if your dog picks up some bait is pull the fishing line and try and retrieve the hook this way. The hook is designed to travel in one direction only, you will not be doing any favours by trying to hold onto a fishing line, just cut it and let the dog swallow the fishing line.

DON’T PULL ON A FISHING LINE!!!

For more information please phone Gibraltar Vetinary Clinic on 200 77334

WORDS BY MARK PIZARRO GIBRALTARINSIGHT.COM

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ADOPT

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MELLOW

A sweet natured 6 year old who loves cuddles and a good chat! A brave girl as she only has three legs, but this doesn’t hold her back.

She accepts any changes life shows her. Mellow is great with kids and dogs. As with Manolo, her home circumstances have changed so she’s looking for a home with her brother as they’re inseparable.

More info: (Facebook) @SaveGibStreetCats

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MANOLO

A chatty, laid back, chunky 7 year old boy loves to be cuddled, held and brushed! He’s great with kids and dogs and is very adaptable to change. Following unavoidable changes in home circumstances, Manolo is looking for his forever human, along with his sister, Mellow, seen here on this page. As inseparable brother and sister they must be homed together.

NOVEMBER 2022

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HOROSCOPES

YOUR FUTURE IN THE STARS

NOVEMBER WITH KATE MCHARDY

ARIES (Mar 21 - Apr 20)

LEO (Jul 23 - Aug 23)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 23 - Dec 21)

If you are feeling like you are being tested then you probably are, Aries. The best course of action is to keep your heart open and to stay centred and calm. This too shall pass.

Remaining balanced and conscious in your essence is how to be open to receiving healing and love, Leo. And, right now, you need both! So slow down and see both sides and you’ll tap into your gift for healing yourself and others.

You are being reminded how special you are, Sagittarius, and guided to maintain your self - worth and self - esteem. You have talents and wisdom held in your soul and your frustration is because you need to tap into them.

TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21) You are guided to be relaxed and independent this month, Taurus. I know its not always easy but just remember that everything you need to know is already within you.

VIRGO (Aug 24 - Sep 23) There are different and varied ways to solve problems, Virgo. Just tap into your ingenuity and determination, look at things from a different angle and step out of your comfort zone.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 - Jan 20) The world needs peace and harmony; Capricorn and it is essential that those of us who understand this also understand that we have that peace and harmony within us waiting to be shared.

GEMINI (May 22 - Jun 22) You are being reminded to develop unconditional love and grace this month, Gemini.

Recognise that you are truly lovable regardless of how anyone else might treat you.

LIBRA (Sep 24 - Oct 23)

AQUARIUS (Jan 21 - Feb 19)

You are called upon to be patient this month, Libra. If you are feeling confused then keep life simple and quiet and use your resources wisely. This is not a time for making decisions.

Have fun this month, Aquarius! Just enjoy the world and all the fun things happening around you. Love the flowers, enjoy your food and take time to see the beauty everywhere. Attune to the world of nature and feel your part in it.

CANCER (Jun 23 - Jul 22)

SCORPIO (Oct 24 - Nov 22)

Seize an opportunity with courage this month, Cancer. Focus with clarity and awareness on your objective and remain calm and centred. This way you’ll remain standing in your power and people will respect you.

It is safe for you to feel joyful and trusting this month. Scorpio. Though you may feel inclined to hide under your shell, remember that this may keep you feeling safe but will also stop the good from coming in.

PISCES (Feb 20 - Mar 20) Listen to the deep quiet voce within, Pisces, and browse the knowledge you have. You take this for granted but you are being guided to pay attentions as you have important information to share with others.

For Private Readings Tel: (0034) 666 966 502 Email: katemch@gmail.com Facebook Group: Horoscopes Gibraltar

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+350 540 63880 / ross@gbzmedia.com

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NOVEMBER 2022

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WORDS BY RICHARD CARTWRIGHT # B M I G ro u p NOVEMBER 2022

# Le a d i n g Ag e n t s

# G i b ra l t a r

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