Gibraltar Insight™ November 2018

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NOVE M BE R ISSUE 30

Contents

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Business Insight

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Features

10 BUSINESS NEWS

15 GENDER DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

17 REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL

30 GIBRALTAR GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES NEW BLOCKCHAIN ADVISORY GROUP

18 FINTECH: CAPURRO INSURANCE AT THE FOREFRONT

Sports Insight 26 AUTUMN INTERNATIONALS – THE SOUTHERN GIANTS COME CALLING 28 GIBRALTAR ROCKS THE WORLD OF FOOTBALL 29 RUGBY NEWS

Culture Insight 58 ODDS ON AFTER FIFTY YEARS 62 REVIEW – THE BOY FROM RED SANDS

32 SKY NEWS’ STEPHEN DIXON 34 ACT OF REMEMBRANCE 36 INSPIRATIONAL GIBRALTARIANS – ALBERT HAMMOND 40 WIB GIBRALTAR HOLD ANNUAL SOCIAL NETWORKING EVENT 42 GIBRALTAR GOES ON THE OFFENSIVE 48 OH HOW I LONG FOR 54 BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE ALAMEDA WILDLIFE CONSERVATION PARK 69 PROFILE – DORCAS HAMMOND

Regular Features 6

COMMUNITY INSIGHT

70 HOROSCOPES Gibraltar Insight Magazine July 2018. Editor: R Ford. Printed & published by GBZ Media Limited, Suite 1, 77 Main Street, Gibraltar GX11 1AA. +350 200 40913. hello@gibraltarinsight.com Copyright 2018. All rights reserved. The names Gibraltar Insight, Bermuda Insight & GBZ Media are marks of GBZ Media Limited.

No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Gibraltar Insight places great importance on the accuracy of the information contained within this publication, but cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions. Views expressed by contributors and correspondents do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher. Gibraltar Insight or GBZ Media Limited are not responsible for any claims made, or material used in advertisements. Deposito Legal CA-955/07

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59 ON THE SPOT: JAI MIRPURI 78 HEALTH & WELLBEING INSIGHT 81 MUM ON THE ROCK – COMMUNITY PARENTING 86 WEDDING INSIGHT 90 THE CELLAR CROSSWORD NOVEMBER 2018

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COMMUNITY INSIGHT

Benjamin Hassan

CLASSICS EXHIBITION Gibraltar has been blessed with some incredibly creative individuals over the years, and Benjamin Hassan’s work is currently being celebrated in an exhibition, simply called “Classics”.

He was born and raised in the heart of Gibraltar’s town centre and has travelled the world in search of both inspiration and knowledge. His work centres on portraits and landscapes - the former of which has made him a particularly sought after artist - internationally - by the great and the good.

What’s clear in his work is his passion and loyalty to Gibraltar, including its Jewish community.

The exhibition is being held at Space 92 and includes many of Hassan’s best portraits, spanning his entire career and from collections around the world.

The exhibition ’Classics’ is on now

IT’S OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FROM 9AM TO 5PM, MONDAY TO FRIDAY, AT 92 IRISH TOWN AND CONCLUDES ON THE 27TH OF DECEMBER 2018.

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New Consultant Clinical Psychologist at the GHA Dr Louise Barber has been announced by the GHA as a new Consultant Clinical Psychologist and will be based at Ocean Views Mental Health Facility, where she will provide psychological interventions for in-patients. The services will be audited to help inform further development.

Dr Barber held the post of Consultant Clinical Health Psychologist at Salford Royal Foundation Trust in Manchester and comes to Gibraltar with a wealth of experience. Dr Barber led the chronic fatigue syndrome service at the Trust, assisting in the safe discharge of in-patients. During her career, she has formed an important part of Multi-Disciplinary Teams, playing an active role in development of Mental Health Services. Dr Barber also has experience in drug and alcohol services.

General Manager for Mental Health Services, Mr Chris Chipolina said: “The Mental Health Service, as a whole, are extremely excited with the introduction of a Consultant Psychologist for in-patient services. This new, invaluable addition to our team will see the introduction of a number of new psychological interventions in a consistent and structured manner. These will include essential one- toone and group psychological therapies being offered to our in-patients from the start of their admission.”

Minister for Health, Care and Justice, the Honourable Neil F. Costa welcomed Dr Barber’s arrival: “I would like to warmly welcome Dr Barber to the GHA family. I am certain she will be a great addition to the team.

She brings a wealth of experience in psychology, having played key roles in the development of services with her previous employers.”

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COMMUNITY INSIGHT

Last month saw No 2 Overseas Gibraltar Squadron Air Cadets have their Annual Formal Inspection by the Officer Commanding and Deputy Officer Commanding of Norfolk and Suffolk Wing, Wing Commander David Miller and Squadron Leader Kevin Green respectively. They also welcomed RAF Gibraltar’s Station Commander, Wing Commander John Kane, to oversee proceedings.

This parade in RAF Gibraltar’s Western Hanger showcased the cadets’ discipline and commitment to the Air Training Corps, an organisation that aims to develop and engage with 12 to 20 year olds in the ethos, values and opportunities of the Royal Air Force. Gibraltar’s thriving Air Cadet squadron; provides an exciting opportunity for existing and prospective cadets, and continues to reaffirm the strength of the relationship between The Rock and the Royal Air Force.

Wing Commander Kane thanked the cadets, parents and staff of No 2 Overseas Gibraltar Squadron for the cadets’ fantastic support throughout this year’s RAF 100 events, the Battle of Britain Sunset Ceremonies and their support for the Remembrance Sunday parade.

The Alcaidesa Links Golf Resort was the venue in September for the annual Sancus Charity Golf Day. The event raised £17,000 for local Gibraltar charity, Research Into Childhood Cancer (RICC).

The mammoth amount comprised £15,410 which was rounded up to the final £17,000 by a further private donor.

In terms of the golf played, the winners were TSN law firm - featuring an excellent team effort from Charles Lavarello, Louis Triay, Guy Stagnetto and Matthew Ooldham. There was fierce competition, however, from the other 16 teams, which also included Steve O’Brien, MD of Sancus Gib, and Andrew Whelan, Sancus Group CEO (over from their head office in Jersey) with their team finishing in an admirable fourth position.

RICC is a Gibraltar based charity whose principle aims are to help find a cure for childhood cancers and to minimise the harmful effects of treatment on patients. Since its inception in 1989, RICC has consistently supported a small team of scientists based at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London who have been instrumental in the development of an immunology based treatment and cure.

Steve O’Brien commented, “Sancus is delighted to be able to support such a worthy cause. To see this number of Gibraltar businesses and individuals come together to raise such a substantial sum for RICC speaks volumes about the generosity & togetherness of the community.”

Craig Sacarello, representing RICC also said, “I would like to thank Steve and his team at Sancus for the incredible effort in raising £17,000 in their recent golf day.

Without these types of contributions, our research teams would not have been able to produce the fabulous results that they have achieved and we would not be saving as many lives as are being saved at present.

Thank you for your continuous support.”

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BUSINESS INSIGHT

Gibraltar forges ahead with faith in Blockchain Not content with being already at the forefront of Blockchain and distributed ledger technology (DLT), Gibraltar now has its own trade association whose aim is to marry the joint objectives of policy makers and the private sector. Until now, discussions and initiatives have been made on an informal basis. The purpose of creating the Gibraltar Association for New Technologies (GANT) formalises efforts between Government and enterprise to share both ideas and knowledge, with the additional benefit of helping to create greater awareness and trust in Blockchain and DLT at large.

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The Minister for Commerce, the Hon. Albert Isola MP, commented, “The Gibraltar Association for New Technologies will represent the views of the ever evolving DLT landscape here in Gibraltar and will be a vital component in the continued growth of the sector. This forum will allow the blockchain community to become more closely aligned with the traditional financial services sector here and give confidence to the firms operating in Gibraltar that we are committed to working collaboratively on regulatory and other matters of interest.”

In a four-prong approach, GANT will seek to work closely with stakeholders in the Rock, including HM Government of Gibraltar, the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission and the University of Gibraltar as well as the private sector. At the heart of the principles of the formation of GANT is the continued promotion of Gibraltar as the go-to jurisdiction globally for Blockchain and DLT.

The Association’s Chairman designate, David Parody, said, “These are exciting times for Gibraltar. A whole new industry is taking off now that the first DLT licences have been granted by the Financial Services Commission. As an association we want to ensure that we create an effective and collaborative forum for the discussion of key issues. It’s also incumbent on us that we provide efficient gateways to policy and decision makers so that practical and effective solutions are arrived at. Similarly, we want to build the knowledge base across the entire sector, from experts to blockchain beginners, which is why educational outreach will be a key objective for the association”.

An initial meeting of GANT will be held on Thursday 29th November 2018 at 10:00 at the office of Gibraltar Finance, Suite 761 Europort, Gibraltar

Gib’s recently launched pilot programme - Women’s Mentorship - recently kicked off, hosted by the Ministry of Equality. The induction sessions were designed to match mentors and mentees to maximise the skillsets on offer, and were overseen by Marlene Dalli - Policy Development Officer for the Ministry of Equality.

Minister for Equality, the Hon. Samantha Sacramento, MP, commented, “I am delighted that the Women’s Mentorship Programme will begin imminently. The programme has generated a great deal of interest and the response to both induction sessions has been very positive and enthusiastic. I would like to express my gratitude to all involved in the programme but particularly to mentors who will be giving back to the local community in order for mentees to maximise their professional potential. This cross-sector and cross-gender mentoring programme which is the first of its kind in Gibraltar, should help to ensure that there is greater gender diversity in the workplace, especially in positions of leadership and management.”

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FEATURE

Gender Diversity and Inclusion Women are still paid less than men, female managers are still in the minority and motherhood still carries the risk of losing your job. In the UK, according to the TUC, British women earn nearly a fifth less than their male colleagues.

Gender equality and diversity at work is a hot topic at the moment and, with this in mind, the Ministry for Equality hosted Gender Diversity and Inclusion training sessions on Unconscious Bias in October as part of an initiative to reduce the overall earnings gap that exists between men and women in Gibraltar.

Delivered by trainers experienced in HR and development from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD UK), Jacqueline Alexander and Georgia Rothon, issues were addressed surrounding the advancement of women and the promotion of greater gender diversity in the workplace.

Insight’s Jo Ward attended the breakfast seminar for the private sector held at the Sunborn Hotel, attended by over one hundred representatives from a wide cross-section of the local business community. Minister for Equality Samantha Sacramento told the audience in her opening speech that: “Equality is not just about women, but men as well, and it is good to see so many men in the room.”

Jacqueline Alexander stated that it was all about starting a dialogue, considering what has been done in the past and looking at how to go forward in the future. She presented some statistical research from Grant Thornton regarding women in business which showed that the percentage of businesses around the world with at least one woman in senior management has increased significantly, rising from 66% in 2017 to 75% in 2018. However, this suggests that businesses may be focused on ticking the ‘diversity’ box to avoid an all-male leadership team, rather than creating an inclusive culture that leads to a genuinely diverse senior management team.

During the morning, table discussions took place as we analysed and explored the effects of unconscious bias

in the workplace and its impact on women. Georgia Rothon roamed the room with a microphone, asking each table about the responses generated by the different topics. We identified the barriers that prevent women from accessing employment in the private sector, from securing promotion and from returning to work after a career break, focussing on strategies that enable women to take up leadership positions.

Jacqueline Alexander explained that there are different motivations for different generations of workers: Baby Boomers (1946-64), Generation X (1965-80) and the tech-savvy Millennials, born after 1980, who are coming into the workplace and are the fastest growing segment of today’s workforce. “We will have to re-learn how we deal with Millennials,” Jacqueline stated. After a discussion about what Millennials want and expect in the workplace, it was concluded that social media seems to be an important aspect of the recruitment process, they’re content with selling their skills to the highest bidder, they’re not as loyal as Baby Boomers and in most cases, they are quick to leave a company because of other options.

Jacqueline went on to discuss the heightened presence of transgender men and women in the workplace and said that although there has been a significant shift in the way transgender issues are treated in the last decade, there’s still much to be done to ensure their equality. “We can’t be influenced by the way people dress and will need to increasingly accommodate transgender in the workplace in the future.”

We were then asked to take part in an activity surrounding Unconscious Bias using the ‘Trusted 10’ technique where we wrote down the names of ten people we really trust that were not family.

This helped us to recognise our unconscious bias; the learned stereotypes that are automatic, unintentional, and deeply engrained within our beliefs, illustrating how we often just choose the best person for the job, but proving that we should open up our

thinking about people. A global online research study by Harvard which included over 200,000 participants, showed that 76% of people (men and women) are gender-biased and tend to think of men as better suited for careers and women as better suited as homemakers.

As the challenges of combining personal and career priorities increase, it is clear that transparency and trust is a high priority for women returners to the workplace. There are many women who feel nervous about the impact that starting a family might have on their career and women need employers to rethink their approach to balancing work, life, parenthood and family care.

In September, Minister Sacramento outlined ‘game changing’ plans for the advancement of women in the economy including a Women’s Mentorship programme which will look to tackle the gender pay gap, the objective being to educate, inspire, and empower women with the core values, attitudes and skills that are the foundation of quality leadership.

It looks like 2018 could be a tipping point for gender equality in the workplace, with Gibraltar instrumental in driving the promotion of equality and greater gender diversity which is central to the advancement of women.

WORDS BY JO WARD GIBRALTARINSIGHT.COM

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FEATURE

REASONS TO BE

Cheerful News that Gibraltar, the UK and the EU are close to agreeing the terms of a protocol over Gibraltar’s position post-Brexit will be widely welcomed by business – and not only because it brings the end of a period of intense uncertainty over Gibraltar’s role and relevance in a new world order closer.

Looking back over the past 2 years or so, it’s clear that in Gibraltar we have moved from a post-referendum sense of dread, of doom and gloom to a place where the outlook is much more positive. This is in no small measure due to the fact that Brexit has forced clarity on a number of issues. It has also brought reassurances from the UK that Gibraltar – and its interests – are very much on the agenda.

Specific concerns for local businesses such as the potential loss of passporting rights into the EU under a hard Brexit remain but their economic impact on Gibraltar appears limited and may eventually be more than mitigated by the possible creation by the UK of a special status for Gibraltar which would allow EU companies to passport into the UK assuming the UK’s future trade agreement requires EU companies to find such a solution. And the threat of transitional arrangements for Gibraltar being vetoed now appears to have gone. While the details of the tripartite talks have not yet been revealed it seems the three players involved – Gibraltar, EU and the UK – are seeking to find solutions that will work on all sides of the border.

It also looks as if those negotiations will bring separate memorandums of agreement on key issues including tax transparency, greater cross-border cooperation, tobacco and the environment. Again, greater clarity around all these issues is good news for business.

Of course, some uncertainty will remain until the small print of any agreement is revealed in its entirety. As we are often reminded with Brexit, nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.

So, while for many of the 96% of Gibraltarians who voted Remain, news that the protocol is approaching settlement still isn’t the ideal, the sense of optimism that has predominated in Gibraltar for many months can now be substantiated. So much so, that even in the worse-case scenario - a no-deal Brexit - there is a growing belief that the effort that has been invested in the intense negotiating process could see Gibraltar come out stronger. That this small corner of Europe will gain a clearer understanding of its relationships with the UK and the EU, and new opportunities for growth. One such opportunity was announced in the Gibraltar Parliament last week – with the Chief Minister’s announcement that Gibraltar may seek a differentiated position to the UK, for example by joining the Customs Union; and depending on the detail, that could bring further economic prosperity both to Gibraltar and the neighbouring region.

WORDS BY JON TRICKER, MANAGING DIRECTOR, KPMG IN GIBRALTAR GIBRALTARINSIGHT.COM

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Fintech: Capurro Insurance at the Forefront

By Nicolas Palacios Capurro & Patrick Sheppard-Capurro, Capurro Insurance & Investments Commercial/Fintech Team

WITH FINTECH GROWING IN IMPORTANCE TO THE ROCK, GIBRALTAR INSIGHT CAUGHT UP WITH A COMPANY WITH A PIONEERING SPIRIT IN ITS DNA… Capurro Insurance & Investments Limited is a family-owned and run company that has a business history dating back to 1876.

The company’s operations are in the financial services market, primarily in Gibraltar, Spain and Portugal.

firmed, we believe that the new regulations will have similarities to those of the DLT framework and will therefore continue to re-enforce Gibraltar’s commitment in this space.

The GFSC principles The DLT regulatory framework is based on 9 principles which DLT providers must satisfy. These are as follows:

With over 140 years’ experience in the insurance industry, the firm prides itself on its highly experienced and qualified teams in Gibraltar and London – both able to adapt to global market trends with a proven history of delivering tailored solutions to their clients.

Conduct it’s business with honesty and integrity Pay due regard to the interests and needs of all it’s customers and communicate in a way that is fair, clear and not misleading

As a result of recent developments in the financial technology (fintech) sector in Gibraltar, Capurro have placed themselves on an educational journey to be able to better understand and meet clients’ requirements dealing within the fintech space.

Maintian adequate financial and non-financial resources Manage and control its business effectively, and conduct its business with due skill, care and diligence; including having proper regard to risks to the business and customers

In recent months, there has been rapid growth of this sector in Gib. With regulations having been introduced in January 2018, the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission (GFSC) has created a regulatory framework for Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) companies wishing to operate from Gibraltar. This pioneering introduction is clear evidence of the desire to place Gibraltar as a safe and innovative jurisdiction from which DLT companies can operate.

Have effective arrangements in place for the protection of customer assets and money when it is responsible for them Have effective corporate governance arrangements

The regulations are aimed at companies that are “carrying on by way of business, in or from Gibraltar, the use of Distributed Ledger Technology for storing or transmitting value belonging to others”. One clear example of such company is Coinfloor, the oldest cryptocurrency exchange in the UK who’ve become the first of over 35 applications to be licensed under the ground-breaking legislation. Another is Huobi, the third largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world who now have operations from Gibraltar.

There’s also been a lot of talk about initial coin offerings (ICOs) and what these really are. The GFSC and Government of Gibraltar have observed the rapid growth of ICO’s as a means of crowd funding. Whilst there are no set dates for regulations to come ‘live’, the Government of Gibraltar and the GFSC recently confirmed at the Gibraltar International Fintech Conference held in London on the 24th October 2018 that regulations for ICO’s are in the final stages of preparation and should come into force by the end of November 2018. Although this has not yet been conGIBRALTARINSIGHT.COM

Ensure that all of its systems and security access protocols and maintained to appropriate high standards Have system in place to prevent, detect and disclose financial crime risks such as money laundering and terrorist financing Be resilient and have contingency arrangements for the orderly and solvent wind down

Insurance for DLT Providers The introduction of the DLT framework, regulated by the GFSC, demonstrated the desire to position Gibraltar as a highly repu

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table jurisdiction and ultimately ensure the protection of customers’ interests.

Within the nine fundamental principles, the GFSC establishes the need for DLT businesses to be protected by insurance. The key covers should include professional indemnity, Directors’ & Officers’ liability, crime and cyber insurance.

This is where our Commercial/Fintech insurance teams, both in Gibraltar and in London, have worked tirelessly to be able to provide such DLT companies with the required insurance services. Due to this being such a young sector, there has been only muted interest from insurers in this market. As it’s such a young field, it’s fair to say there’s limited knowledge and expertise of underwriters regarding the DLT/Fintech sector. However, Capurro is committed to promoting Gibraltar’s involvement in this sector, working with leading underwriters to enter into this new market and helping to provide the education required. It is their mission to ensure that as an insurance broker, they’re able to educate London market underwriters and provide DLT/ Fintech clients with the necessary insurance coverage for their businesses.

Why the London Market?

The London market is one of the world’s largest open markets for insurance, it is the place where many of the most complicated and largest risks are written from all over the world. The uniqueness of this market is due to the very unusual risks that have been written.

Capurro’s access to the London market is accomplished by maintaining long-standing working relationships with leading specialist Lloyd’s brokers who have joined them on this journey in this new market and negotiate preferential terms for clients from a range of quality insurers.

The key insurance covers There are a number of key insurance covers which DLT/Fintech companies should have in place.

Professional indemnity insurance is a type of liability insurance that provides protection for those who provide services to clients. The cover is designed to protect the insured, if a client alleges that they have been provided with faulty or inadequate services. Under a professional indemnity insurance policy, the insured’s legal defence costs will be covered, along with any compensation payment that the insured may need to pay to the client for their financial loss, due to the inadequate services.

The amount payable by the insurer in this situation is typically in excess of a self-insured retention and up to the limit of indemnity, with both of these amounts defined in the policy. Ad-

ditionally, in many cases, clients may make allegations against the directors or officers of the company for lack of oversight and control, if applicable. This is where directors’ & officers’ liability insurance will come to the fore. With both professional indemnity and directors’ & officers’ liability insurance, there are various extra add-on features that may be included, where appropriate.

Reputation is everything…

As we become increasingly dependent on technology, cyber risk is one of the most talked about topics. There isn’t a week when some sort of computer and privacy cyber risk is highlighted in the news. Take Facebook or British Airways scenarios, for example. It’s no surprise that cyberattacks have become the modern crime, which is why Capurro provides extensive cyber insurance products to protect clients’ businesses.

These cyber-attacks can happen in many ways such as, theft of funds where a hacker will steal money from a company’s bank account; damage to digital assets whereby a hacker is able to damage the system which your company works on, resulting in huge business interruption costs and in many cases leaving your business in great reputational prejudice; or data breach and privacy crisis management in which the firm's customers' personal information is exposed or stolen by a hacker or other criminal who has gained access to the firm's electronic network.

If you believe that “Cyberattacks only affect large international companies” you are wrong. It is only because these large companies have news exposure and that it is not newsworthy to report about smaller companies.

If you believe that “The bank should be responsible to reimburse theft of funds from my account”, then you are wrong again. The bank will not be responsible if it involves you or an employee being negligent in allowing access to a hacker.

According to the Risk.net annual survey of operational risk practitioners, out of the top 10 operational risks for 2018, at #1 is IT disruption; at #2 is Data compromise; at #4 is Theft and fraud (particularly cyber) (source: https://www.risk.net/risk-management/5424761/top-10-operational-risks-for-2018 ). All of these risks are cyber related.

Data breach has now become an every-day occurrence but, unfortunately, as is the case with many insurance covers, most people do not recognise the need for the insurance until the disaster has already happened, when it is obviously too late.

Since it is estimated that the average cost of a cyber-security breach is between £65,000 and £115,000 for a small/medium sized business, this has become one of the major issues of this decade.

To find out or discuss any of the products or topics mentioned in this article, please get in touch with our team (+350) 200 40850 www.capurroinsurance.com

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SPORTS INSIGHT

AUTUMN THE SOUTHERN GIANTS COME CALLING!

INTERNATIONALS NOVEMBER is the month when the giants of the Southern Hemisphere, primed and ticking, come calling to remind their Six Nations counterparts just who are the top dogs in the world of rugby - a role relished and ruthlessly executed by the mighty All Blacks when they embark on their explosive crusades to these shores to annually augment their decades-long domination of the sport. Ably assisted by Antipodean cousins Australia, who have admittedly been fading somewhat of late, with a less emphatic role played by South Africa, there can nevertheless be no doubting southern superiority over Europe, and with the World Cup taking place next year, the Autumn Internationals have taken on much more significance than usual.

This year, world champions New Zealand lock heads with enigmatic England and reigning grand slam victors Ireland in two monumental, mouth-watering clashes, while Scotland entertain Fiji, South Africa and Argentina, as well as a tribal showdown away to Wales.

England, in addition to the All Blacks’ visit, play hosts to Australia, South Africa and Japan with Wales completing their programme with games against the Wallabies, Tonga and the Springboks. Ireland kick off their four-match campaign with a ground-breaking clash against Italy in Chicago, followed by home fixtures against Argentina, New Zealand and the USA. An unpalatable fact for the Six Nations sides to digest is that all four semi-finalists in the last World Cup were the four members of the Rugby Championship - Australia, Argentina, South Africa and, eventual champions, New Zealand - despite the fact that the tournament had been held in England. Adding to that sobering reality check is that only once in the Cup’s history has a European side

won the Webb Ellis Trophy, England in 2003, when the Red Rose chinned the Wallabies 20-17 in that never-to-be forgotten extra-time final, when Jonny Wilkinson made himself arguably the most popular English sportsman of all time, when with just 26 seconds remaining, he slotted over that wondrous, winning drop-goal.

Apart from that titanic triumph, there have been intermittent occasions over the years that indicates the gulf between South and North may be being bridged – the British and Irish Lions’ recent drawn Test series in New Zealand was an exhilarating example. Ireland’s 40-29 first ever win over the All Blacks in Chicago two years ago was another brick in the wall.

This month’s tour is the final dress rehearsal between the hemispheres before next year’s World Cup in Japan, an ideal opportunity to gauge which of the European sides is capable of stemming the success of this seemingly unstoppable southern juggernaut. Of the Home Nations, England with its strength in depth, and reigning Six Nations grand slam champions Ireland, appear best equipped to turn the tide.

England has a score to settle with South Africa when they welcome the Springboks to Twickenham in their opener, having lost last June’s Test series to the Boks 2-1, a result that graphically highlighted their consistent ability to drag dismal defeat from the jaws of glorious victory. Having amassed substantial leads in both of the opening Tests - 24-3 after 18 minutes’ play in the first Test at Ellis Park and 12-0 in the second at Bloemfontein – the Saxon troops somehow contrived calamitous collapse to lose the series with a game to play. Victory in the third Test in Cape Town was scant consolation for the tourists.

South Africa, after a spell in the wilderness caused in part by political interference, with the ruling party insisting on ‘racial quotas’ in the playing squad, have been showing signs of revival – in addition to the series victory over England, the Springboks sensationally beat the All Blacks in the recent Rugby Championship at Wellington – and will be anxious to prove the series win over their hosts was no fluke. However, I favour England to get the wheels back on the chariot and go some way to redeeming their reputation after what has proved so far to be a very disappointing 2018.

Next up at Twickers will be recently crowned Rugby Championship champions New Zealand, in what promises to be an absolute juggernaut of a clash, the outcome of which is bound to cast a searing spotlight on England’s World Cup aspirations next year. The All Blacks have named just one uncapped player – 21-year-old Auckland loose forward Dalton Papalii - in a powerful 32man squad that includes legends such as the superb Sonny Bill Williams, all three Barrett brothers and Captain Fantastic, Kieran Read. Since 1905, there have been 40 Test matches between the sides, with the All Blacks winning 32 to England’s 7 with one tied game, and this will be the first clash since 2014, when NZ won a close encounter 24-21 at Twickenham.

England’s preparations have been badly hit by an injury crisis that has seen the withdrawal of the powerful Vunipola brothers, Billy and Mako, ever-reliable flanker Chris Robshaw and lynchpin lock Joe Launchbury, as well as the bombshell retirement, for family reasons, of Joe Marler, just a year before the World Cup, where the Harlequins prop would have been an automatic selection.

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AUTUMN INTERNATIONALS

Timetable (All Times GMT)

SATURDAY 3RD NOVEMBER Japan v New Zealand (Tokyo, KO 05:45) Wales v Scotland (Cardiff, KO 14:45) England v South Africa (Twickenham, KO 15:00) Ireland v Italy (Chicago, KO 20:00) SATURDAY 10TH NOVEMBER Italy v Georgia (Florence, KO 14:00) Scotland v Fiji (Murrayfield, KO 14:30) England v New Zealand (Twickenham, KO 15:00) Wales v Australia (Cardiff, KO 17:20) Ireland v Argentina (Dublin, KO 18:30) France v South Africa (Paris, KO 19:45) SATURDAY 17TH NOVEMBER Italy v Australia (Padua, KO 14:00)

Yes, the withdrawals have given coach Eddie Jones a selection headache, but also affords a chance to test the oft talked of theory of England’s strength in depth. The Aussie chief welcomes back Manu Tuilagi who has endured three tortuous, injury-stricken years, and surely this is the ultimate opportunity for the explosive 27-year-old Leicester centre to book his World Cup ticket. Gloucester’s No.8 Ben Morgan’s recall has also met with universal approval.

England’s next game with Japan is noteworthy, if only for the fact that the Land of the Rising Sun hosts the World Cup next year. It will be interesting to see if Japan has maintained the progress evident in the 2015 tournament when, in what is regarded as the greatest World Cup shock ever, they sensationally beat South Africa at the group stage. The intricacies of rugby’s set pieces - scrum and lineout - have made sport stars out of the most unlikely looking physical specimens, and it’s understandable that the lineout, playpen to 7ft-plus beanpoles, might present problems for Japan, where the average national male height is a tad more than a mere 5ft-7ins. If the ever-resourceful Japs manage to resolve this conundrum, they could well be a surprise packet and cause one or two further upsets at home next year.

Wales v Tonga (Cardiff, KO 14:30)

Ireland open their Autumn schedule with a Chicago date in Soldier Field with Italy, an opportunity for the American public to see real men in sporting combat, crunching, bone-jarring tackles, unlike the NFL version, where the grotesquely over-paid US stars take to the field wearing more protective gear than frontline troops, helmets, grilles, shoulder pads, knee pads, thigh pads, enormous box protectors, while the rugby boys go to war and joust with just a flimsy jockstrap as protection to keep wedding tackle intact and ease the fears of wives and girlfriends.

Ireland-Italy clashes at whatever sport are sure to be popular in the States, but the attendance for this game will be hard pushed to equal the astonishing 62,300 full house that witnessed the Men in Green conquer the All Blacks at Soldier Field in 2016. Staggering proof of rugby union’s popularity and potential for global growth, if any were needed.

Defending champions New Zealand will be attempting to win a three-in-row World Cup next year, they are currently best price even-money with the bookies to do so, and have identified England and Ireland as the two European sides to be most wary of, and that is the reason they travel to Twickenham and Dublin to test themselves against the best the Six Nations has to offer, and remind the upstarts that the Haka and the All Blacks still reign supreme.

ROLL ON

England v Japan (Twickenham, KO 15:00) Scotland v South Africa (Murrayfield, KO 17:20)

NOVEMBER

Ireland v New Zealand (Dublin, KO 19:00)

I can t wait!

France v Argentina (Lille, KO 19:45) SATURDAY 24TH NOVEMBER Italy v New Zealand (Rome, KO 14:00) Scotland v Argentina (Murrayfield, KO 14:30) England v Australia (Twickenham, KO 15:00) Wales v South Africa (Cardiff, KO 17:20) Ireland v United States (Dublin, KO 18:30) France v Fiji (Paris, KO 19:45) SATURDAY 1ST DECEMBER The Barbarians v Argentina (Twickenham, KO 14:30) TV COVERAGE: All England’s games overed by Sky Sports All Scotland and Wales games covered by the BBC All Ireland’s games covered by Channel 4 GIBRALTARINSIGHT.COM

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SPORTS INSIGHT

GIBRALTAR ROCKS THE WORLD OF FOOTBALL

SITTING in Murray’s Sports Bar in Dublin, surrounded by football fans from all over Europe, all with eyes trained on the myriad of screens covering the night’s football action, the talk was of World champions France’s comeback win over Germany, Wales doing the double over sorry Ireland and, of course, England’s stunning victory in Seville the previous evening, when, above all the hubbub came the voice of the main TV sport presenter declaring, and I quote, ‘The highlight of the weekend’s action was the two victories of Gibraltar, away to Armenia and at home to Liechtenstein!’ What....? Not that stunning France-Germany epic in Paris, nor Harry Wilson’s wondrous free-kick strike that swept Wales to the top of their group, not even the Red Rose’s astonishing 3-0 first-half spanking of Spain....NO, the highlight of the week was Little Gib’s giant step forward to the forefront of European football, and boy did it make me very happy that Gibraltar, that tranquil haven I have been blessed to have lived and worked in since 2006, became the chief conversation topic at the bar, all of it complimentary. No more talk of gallant losses, and gloss being put on embarrassing score lines. No, Gibraltar have put a marker down and with the confidence generated by these two magnificent victories, trepidation banished, it’s onwards and upwards for the nation, and this time with just a hint of a swagger.

In a second-half onslaught, there was an air of inevitability about George Cabrera’s equaliser – as a scorched Victoria Stadium exploded into a red hot cauldron and then, just six minutes later, Joe Chipolina ratcheted up the frenzy to volcanic level when he headed the glorious winner, unleashing a torrent of emotion from the success-starved Gibraltar faithful. A monumental night, never to be forgotten – even trumping Lincoln Red Imps 1-0 win over Glasgow Celtic in a Champions League qualifier at the same venue a couple of years ago – a result that has entered football folklore as The Shock of Gibraltar!

So, what now for Gibraltar who sit proudly in second place in the group, just three points behind leaders Macedonia?

Can two victories in a row become three in a row when Armenia come calling to a nation gripped by football fever on Friday, 16th November? After winning 1-0 In Yerevan, the answer, of course, is a resounding yes, the momentum being with Julio Ribas’s troops to do the double over the Armenians, and, depending on the outcome of the Vaduz game, open up the tantalising prospect of topping the table and possible promotion, should Macedonia drop points against Liechtenstein on the same night.

ner-take-all, earth-shattering encounter – the prize being promotion to League C, currently the home of Scotland, and as recent results would seem to indicate, shortly to house Northern Ireland as well as the Republic of Ireland – quite an achievement for Gibraltar should the impossible dream become reality.

Should that dream be still alive on Monday, 19th November, a Big Screen, erected in Casemates, to accommodate those of us unable to travel to Macedonia for the showdown, would be most welcome, to natives, expats and tourists, and who knows, the ‘Casemates Roar’, guaranteed to span the 3,500km between Gibraltar and Skopje, might prove to be the inspiration for Julio’s brave boys to once again, for the second time in a month, Rock the World. The dream is indeed very much alive!

FRIDAY, 16TH NOVEMBER Gibraltar v Armenia (Victoria Stadium, KO 19:45 GMT) TV: GBC and Sky UK MONDAY, 19TH NOVEMBER Macedonia v Gibraltar (Skopje, KO 19:45 GMT) TV: GBC and Sky UK

Who could ever have imagined the scenario of ticket touts doing brisk business outside a sure to be sold out Victoria Stadium for a Gibraltar game, as almost certainly will be the case for the Armenia duel? Victory there, a favourable result elsewhere, and three days later all roads, boats and planes will lead the exodus from the Rock to Skopje for a win-

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RUGBY

NEWS

MATCH REPORT: ISRAEL VS GIBRALTAR 20-17 To coincide with the recent Gibraltar Day in Tel Aviv, Gibraltar Rugby headed off to Israel to play a long-awaited return leg of a match first hosted in the Rock in February 2014.

saw flanker Mike Milward yellow carded in the 18th minute. Reduced to 14 men, Gibraltar endured wave after wave of Israeli attacks, none of which was able to break the resolute defence.

The squad had high hopes of repeating the win at home, but a number of other factors meant this was not the same Israel team, both in terms of players and management. Israel had recently appointed a new coach and had a 29man squad in preparation for an official match the following week. On the other hand, Gib’s players were facing only their second competitive match of the season and had a number of alterations to the line-up that had faced the UAE.

Once Gibraltar were restored to 15 men, and in the knowledge that they had not conceded any points, they were finally able to secure possession and begin to play. Two separate sets of possesion that went beyond five phases saw Gibraltar stretch the Israeli defence and able to work debutant Jamie Stone over for a try in the 33rd minute. Chuqui Cruz’s conversion gave Gibraltar a 6-10 lead.

Israel’s initial kick off was not gathered cleanly and untidy play resulted in an Israeli scrum where a penalty was conceded, duly converted to give the home side a 3rd minute lead of 3-0. The following kick off was successfully disrupted by Gibraltar, who were awarded a 40 metre penalty successfully converted

by Chuqui Cruz to level the score in the 5th minute.

Israel started applying pressure from their kick off, and Gibraltar were again penalised in the 9th minute, with a successful kick giving the home side a 6-3 lead. Gibraltar were unable to adapt to the referee’s interpretation of the breakdown law and the scrums in particular. This was to result in a much higher penalty count against Gibraltar than has been the case in previous Internationals.

The Gibraltar scrum was applying continuous pressure to Israel, with Chris Lugnani in particular dominating a succession of opposing props, and it was disappointing that a disrupted scrum

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Unsurprisingly, Israel again laid siege to the Gibraltar try line, with the same unsuccessful result. A kickable penalty in the last couple of minutes was turned down by Israel, aiming for a 5 metre line out. The kick was badly executed, going dead, and Gibraltar were grateful for the drop out and were able to successfully see out the half.

The second half saw a re-energised Israel concentrating on their strengths, the catch and drive from the lineout, which Gibraltar were unable to deal with.

Substitute hooker Luke Payas was controversially yellow carded for collapsing a maul, with the referee also awarding a penalty try for the offence in the 50th minute, giving Israel a 13-10 lead.

Again, Israel were unable to convert their numerical advantage into points, and heroic defence for the 10 minute sin bin saw the scoreboard unchanged. Gibraltar again started to try to get their normal flowing game going, but this was to be a strangely disjointed performance, with a succession of mistakes and wrong decisions combining to negate the efforts

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made by the Gibraltar XV. This increasing frustration led to an interception by Israel in the 69th minute, giving them a 20-10 lead.

Most of the last 10 minutes saw Gibraltar try to apply pressure, without tangible results. Finally, an aggressive Gibraltar scrum, followed by good support play and a number of phases again resulted in a Jamie Stone try in the 40th minute, again converted by Chuqui Cruz for the final 20-17 score.

Minister Albert Isola was able bring a small delegation from the GibDay events in Tel Aviv to come and watch the game, adding to Gib’s loyal travelling supporters (Bernard Stone and Charlie and Simon Cruz). Support, particularly in away games makes a massive difference and is hugely appreciated by the players.

GIBRALTAR: 1. Nick Ramagge 2. Oscar Cruz 3. Chris Lugnani (Captain) 4. Mark Waller 5. Mike Massey 6. James Savignon 7. Mike Milward 8. Xavi Bottino 9. Jack Milton 10. Chuqi Cruz 11. Jonny Reyes 12. Elliot Stone (debut) 13. Matthew Isola

14. Jamie Stone (debut) 15. Harvey Armstrong Substitutes 16. Luke Payas 17. Will Collin 18. Joey Galloway 19. Matt Jones (debut) 20. Aidan Beazley 21. Tom Lovelace 22. Sam Julian (debut)

Coaches – Dave Barley, Lee Forty, Team Manager – Dan Collin, Physio – Joyce Evans

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FEATURE

Gibraltar Government Launches New Advisory Group to Educate About Blockchain

T

he blockchain market is hot at the moment, with blockchain development taking the leading position as one of the fastest growing skills in the tech industry.

The Government of Gibraltar recently announced the launch of a new advisory group that will focus on the creation of new technology related education courses, such as blockchain.

The New Technologies in Education (NTiE) group will be a joint initiative between the Government and the University of Gibraltar in collaboration with some of the leading new technology companies based in Gibraltar. The advisory group will aim to address the growing demand for related skills as the sector continues to expand in Gibraltar.

NTiE’s mission is: ‘To facilitate the development and delivery of educational programmes in new technologies that enhance and develop expertise in Gibraltar and abroad across the education sector and industry.’ The University of Gibraltar website states that over the next 18 months, their goal is to engage secondary school pupils and raise their understanding, awareness and interest in new technologies and their application including interest in the craft of coding.

Minister for Education John Cortes said that: “Improving the way we prepare our young people within the schools in digital technology in all its forms is a critical part of our plans for education.”

Gilbert Licudi, Minister with responsibility for the University of Gibraltar, said that the announcement is a strong indication that Gibraltar is on the right path towards delivering their objective of addressing the skills requirements that will

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be needed to fully realise the potential of new technologies.

Significant input into course material will come from companies based in Gibraltar who are in the process of becoming regulated license holders of the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission (GFSC).

Nadine Collado, Group Chair and Director of Professional Development and Short Courses at the University of Gibraltar said: “The University is committed to developing and enhancing expertise in technologies such as blockchain, distributor ledger technology (DLT), coding and smart contracts across the education sector.”

“We are already scheduling a variety of offerings, to include a Professional Certificate of Competence within this area”. According to the Government, the courses will equip individuals with knowledge of the workings and potential applications of blockchain technology.

In addition to Nadine Collado, key members of the advisory group include: Professor Catherine Bachleda, Vice Chancellor, University of Gibraltar; Dr. Joey Britto, former Director of Education; Christian Celecia, Director of Information Communications and Technology, University of Gibraltar; Dr. Darren Fa, Director of Academic Programmes and Research, University of Gibraltar; David Parody, Chair of GANT; Keri Scott, Senior Education Advisor; and Paul Astengo, Senior Executive, Gibraltar Finance.

Minister for Commerce, Albert Isola, said: “New York University recently became the first university in the United States to offer students the chance to major in blockchain, so the evidence is strong that interest in the subject is

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growing. In fact, half of the top 50 universities worldwide provide courses in this technology and cryptocurrencies, but these are predominantly based in the United States. Only 27% of international universities offer any type of course and Gibraltar wants to help change that.”

Just as they did with online gambling, Gibraltar has taken the lead when it comes to legislating the digital currency and blockchain startup space. Gibraltar’s dedication in preparing new generations for cutting-edge technologies, including blockchain, comes in line with the government’s desire to turn the country into a leading blockchain and cryptocurrency hub. In January 2018, Gibraltar became the first jurisdiction globally to introduce legislation around DLT. In July, the Gibraltar Stock Exchange launched its Gibraltar Blockchain Exchange (GBX), a multifaceted initial coin offering (ICO) and trading platform, and in October, Coinfloor, the oldest operational cryptocurrency exchange in the UK, became the first company to secure a distributed ledger technology (DLT) license in Gibraltar.

“We continuously punch above our weight when it comes to promoting new technology opportunities and so provision of higher education will be no different,” said Albert Isola.

“For us to achieve our goal of a successful, long-term and sustainable business sector for Gibraltar, it is imperative that we educate all different levels. The creation of this advisory group is a key step in achieving this” The new courses are expected to start at the end of the year.

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FEATURE

“If the UK could

be more like Gibraltar,

the world would be

a better

place”

Coming to the Gibunco Gibraltar Literary Festival to talk about his collection of poems and his life, Stephen Dixon is the Sky News broadcaster with a twinkle in his eye known for his engaging presenting style as anchor for the Sunrise programme.

An unmistakable soft Cumbrian accent is evident as Stephen chats to me about his forthcoming trip to Gibraltar. What led him to write a book and why poems in particular? “I have always written poems,” he tells me. “It’s just a nice way to express feelings and thoughts at any given time, so I used to jot the odd one down here and there and then at some point, about eighteen months ago, I realised that I had a fair collection and I rather randomly decided to send them off to a publishing house,” Stephen explains. He went on to say that he didn’t expect anything to come of it and was expecting a rejection letter, but the publishing house liked them. “It was a bit of a surprise really,” he laughs.

The book is entitled ‘Love is the Beauty of the Soul’ and Stephen has dedicated it to his parents and Thomas and Isobel, his nephew and niece, with the sentiment: ‘The love of a family crosses generations and never fades’. Family is obviously very important to him. “That is how I have been brought up,” he states. “That is what actually matters in life, none of this and no television job or anything related to that is important,” he says, continuing; “what matters is family and relationships, so I wanted to make that clear.”

Sometimes poetry can come across as being pretentious, but the refreshing thing about Stephen’s collection is that, when asked, even he hasn’t got a clue as to the underlying meanings behind some of his poems. Written over a decade and stored on his computer, they reflect all aspects of his life, often touching and thought provoking, revealing his passion for nature that surrounds the Lakes in his home county.

Stephen has a well-known affinity for Gibraltar, always talking about the Rock fondly if it features in the news. “I came over in 2011 when I was on the judging panel for Miss Gibraltar and have been several times since,” he says. “I fell in love with the place because Gibraltar is a little bit old fashioned in the sense that it has a much warmer and welcoming atmosphere than in the UK, where people can become quite hard and so driven towards a career or a job that there is a lack of community.”

Proud of being a diabetic, Stephen is a staunch campaigner for diabetes awareness. “I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when I was 17 and although the diagnosis came as a huge shock to me and my family, I very quickly had to learn to self-manage the condition.” It was in 2003 that Stephen made the news himself when colleagues became concerned when he didn't turn up to present Sunrise, so they sent the police and paramedics along who broke into his flat to find him out cold from a ‘hypo episode.’

“It is all well and good to sit back and try and be someone who is semi-famous but I think that you have got to do something positive and worthwhile, so the fact that I have a public profile is why I talk

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about my diabetes on air,” he explains. “I do a lot of work with diabetes charities and I go round and visit diabetes groups across the UK, and the one thing which I have always been struck by is the fact that people say that it is inspiring to them to see someone with Type 1 on the television.”

Stephen says that he feels that he has a duty to fulfil to make sure that people with Type 1 can see someone like themselves with a public profile, but also to educate people who aren't Type 1 who misunderstand what it is and what causes it. “People completely confuse Type 1 and Type 2, so I have a responsibility to try and educate a little bit on that matter.”

Stephen’s broadcasting career began in hospital radio when he was a teenager, prior to his setting off to Nottingham Trent University to train as a broadcast journalist. From there he worked in local radio, moving to ITN, then Channel 4 and

Channel 5 before landing his dream job with the move to Sky happening in 2000. “It has just been a steady onward progression really and as much as I love journalism, I also have a fascination with broadcasting.” This passion stems from his grandfather whom he claims ‘was a bit of a broadcast pioneer’. “He worked at the shipyards ‘up north’ and built radio antennae,” Stephen says. “He had the first television on the street – so his fascination with broadcasting seems to have filtered down through the genes a little bit.”

Regular watchers of Stephen would have noticed a slight change to his looks a couple of months ago with the appearance of some new facial hair. #Beardgate! Stephen explains: “I was off work for a couple of weeks and I grew a beard during that time, so when I went back I had the beard on air for three days -that was all - but it did cause a little bit of a stir.” He tells me that it was something his brother would have grown in a week and that he was determined to show off his attempt at growing a beard on air, even if it was only for one weekend.

Social media is a platform that Stephen embraces, but unlike his colleagues who only Tweet about the news, he likes to Tweet about what he deems to be ‘the ordinary stuff’ of life.

“I think people just want to know a little bit more about the person behind the face they see on TV, and it seems to be quite a popular thing for me to do.” This is evident by the fact that his personal Twitter account @StephenDixonTV has nearly 27,000 followers. It is also noticeable that he likes to GIBRALTARINSIGHT.COM

share photos from his youth, particularly from his university days back in the 90s. “I do like to Tweet or Instagram the odd old picture, just because it is quite a nice little memory, isn't it,” he says rhetorically with a little chuckle. “I don't really feel 44 and sometimes looking at the pictures of when I was 19 or 20 does make me realise that I have aged.”

A product of the environment in which he grew up as a child, his appreciation for nature and beauty was formed by walking round the Fells and canoeing over the lakes, Stephen is proud of his northern working-class roots. “There is a lot of good honest decency that you get in those communities that you don't get in the middle-class media elite, which drives me bonkers frankly.” Plain speaking as always, Stephen says honestly that although he is out of the working-class earnings bracket, he likes to think that the values instilled into

him as he was growing up are responsible for shaping him.

“People looking at me from the outside might disagree,” he states, “but I’m certainly not going to Waitrose and buying ciabatta and pitted olives!”

Although presenting serious news and current affairs programmes can be demanding, there is often time for a more relaxed style, and Stephen admits that he enjoys the banter that he and his co-presenter on Sunrise, Gillian Joseph, have together even if they sometimes make headlines on their own account after having an attack of the giggles. “I am very fortunate in my relationship with Gillian, despite our different cultures and experiences,” he says. “We are similar ages, she is married with kids and I am single, she is black and I am white, but for some reason we just click and there is always a bit of a laugh and a joke going on.”

Proving what a down-to-earth guy he is, Stephen tells me that he was thrilled to receive a Tweet from Beverley Callard who plays Liz McDonald in Coronation Street. “She said that I was her favourite breakfast presenter and that made my day - anyone from Corrie who likes what I do – well that has got to be a good thing.”

Stephen Dixon will be talking to James Neish on Friday, 16th November at 2.00 pm at The University of Gibraltar.

Tickets are available from: www.buytickets.gi

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FEATURE

ACT OF

REMEMBRANCE This year marked the 213th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, and the tradition Act of Remembrance was held in Gibraltar’s Trafalgar Cemetery. Commander Mark Savage OBE Royal Navy, Commanding Officer Royal Navy and Commander Stuart Lawrence Royal Navy Commanding Officer Joint Support Unit, placed wreaths on the graves of those who died as a result of the Battle.

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FEATURE During the service, His Excellency The Governor of Gibraltar, Lieutenant General Edward Davis CB CBE KStJ read the despatch from Admiral Collingwood to the then Lieutenant Governor, which informed Gibraltar that Commander-in-Chief’ had died:

‘Yesterday a Battle was fought by His Majesty’s Fleet, and a Victory gained, which will stand recorded as one of the most brilliant and decisive, that ever distinguished the British Navy… Our loss has been great in Men; but what is irreparable, and the cause of Universal Lamentation, is the death of the Noble Commander-in-Chief who died in the arms of Victory; I have not yet any reports from the ships…”

This was followed by the preamble which was read by the Honourable Fabian Picardo QC MP MA, Chief Minister and reminded everyone that ‘for over two centuries the Fleets of the Royal Navy have gathered at Gibraltar for exercise and training in time of Peace. Here in time of War, the ships have assembled before sailing to face the dangers of the seas and the violence of the enemy.’

This year’s Trafalgar address was delivered by Commodore Tim Henry Royal Navy who said: “Many have heard about the unorthodox tactics where the British sought to break the enemy’s line. It was a tactic high in risk – those lead ships forced to endure repeated broadsides without answer, their commanders knowing that a crippling blow might, at any time, stunt the advance of the entire formation. But the risk was a calculated one; balancing the enemy’s poor seamanship and lack of battle experience against the ability of their British counterparts to rapidly achieve fire superiority once they could bring their guns to bear. And a risk that brought with it huge reward once the British returned fire down the length of the French and Spanish ships, gun by gun as they came to bear, with devastating consequences to opposing ships and crews alike…We have chosen to come together in this place and pause our hectic lives to reflect on, and remember, the deeds of people we have never met but whose stories we think we know. To remember those individuals from 58 nations that fought that day, to acknowledge the sacrifice of the 6000 or so that lost their lives on the day or in the days and weeks that followed. Most were committed to the deep from the ships in which they served; two of those that perished are buried here in this cemetery. Many more, like the veterans of today, carried the memories and, for some, the physical and mental scars of the battle for the remainder of their lives. Memories that can endure for a long time; such as for Joseph Sutherland, a young sailor in Nelson’s Fleet, aged 16 at Trafalgar, who died 85 years after the battle.”

The Command Chaplain, the Reverend Mike Wagstaff, led the prayers and pronounced the Blessing. This was followed by the Last Post and Reveille and the first verse of the National Anthem.

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“Maybe I haven’t written my best song yet” says the man who has just shown me an endless list of unpublished songs on his phone. He has three phones full. “I wish I could live for 500 years, I don’t have time to get through all this work”. Even if he doesn’t write any more songs he still has these treasure chests to choose from.

The Hammond musical legacy will live on.

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INSPIRATIONAL GIBRALTARIANS

Third time lucky for me I guess, ‘Inspirational Gibraltarians’ the series where the people from ‘Insight Magazine’ get on their radars and seek out the unsung heroes from our community who quietly go about their daily business, being fabulous here and abroad and yet maybe we don’t always recognise their achievements. Some of these people are too busy to be famous and some are too famous being legends in their own lifetime. I’m having coffee with one such legend.

Albert Hammond is a national treasure we should all be inspired by. In the universal reach of his music which speaks to the heart he has touched the hearts of many millions worldwide. “More than 300 million (a figure which I ventured), closer to 500 million I would say when you include China”. One of the most successful composers of the last fifty years, he has been properly recognised by his peers in the US ‘Hall of Fame’ and in ‘The Ivor Novello Award’ (UK).

However he still slings on a guitar for concerts and wows audiences singing his melodic hit songs, some of which rank among the best love songs ever written. That is inspirational.

His songs have been recorded by so many artists that we might forget that this super fit 74 year old singing star is still selling out national theatres and Opera houses of 1500 seats and upwards across the world. When we meet he is fresh back from an eleven date tour of Ireland to where many of his international fans travelled to see him - as they always do. “They come from across Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, Finland, the US, Sweden and Gibraltar and on the last night of the tour we all get together.” This guy loves to be loved and he loves them back through his concerts, that’s why he’s so happy doing what he does - isn’t that joyful?

He tells me that during this Irish tour he has taught his audiences to sing choruses and recorded them for a song which he wrote with Leo Sayer called ‘Hey St. Patrick’. By the time you read this he will have edited the choruses which will get onto the final recording of this folk song with an Irish chorus. His record company BMG are eagerly waiting and quietly confident too. Albert is simply chilled about all this because he knows how to groom songs for success. He’s done it before hundreds of times.

He has written for and produced so many top artists who have sung his songs that his anecdotes would fill a book or two. Think Willie Nelson, Julio Iglesias, Tina Turner, Diana Ross, the late Whitney Houston and Joe Cocker for starters... the list is as eclectic as it is inspiring. His hit songs are considered classics, standards which will be around for a long time, as some of them have for the last fifty years. “I really don’t know which of my songs has been the most recorded, but the general rule is that there will be

between 200 to 500 covers worldwide from a big hit song.

I don’t keep track, I just want to leave something precious behind when the universe calls me.”

The elusive magic of his melody is, I think, the greatest gift with which he endows his songs. After a lifetime of success he has now found himself a niche market as an artist singing his iconic compositions to worldwide audiences. Albert in front of a full symphony orchestra was a hugely successful European tour two years ago and the CD ‘Albert Hammond in Symphony’ put a classical spin on his music and also highlighted his calibre as a top performer. “It’s now being negotiated for touring ‘In Symphony’ across China as we speak and I’m very excited. In Japan some of my songs are anthems already, so China makes sense, but these things take a little time to arrange.”

Recently he was approached by a fan who owns a young racehorse (9 months) who was sired by ‘Camelot’ the famous Epsom winner and also a number of other important races, (you can Google ‘Camelot’ - I did). “I would like to call my horse Albert Hammond, how would you feel about that?” Albert said yes and is obviously quite chuffed.

Move over Sir Alec Ferguson and his famous horse ‘Rock of Gibraltar’ because in a couple of year’s time ‘Albert Hammond’ will be in competition with you.

Will his equine namesake win races I wonder? Obviously its owner has been inspired to name it after our famous composer. Does that not tell you something about the fame of this man? Have we as a community been found wanting in our awareness and appreciation of Hammond’s huge international achievements as a songwriter and artist? I think so and it should be reversed. Although he would like to live for 500 years he won’t be around forever.

I point him back to his childhood days: “Happiness, love and compassion is missing in the world now and ever since I was an 8 year old head choir boy here, I loved seeing people happy when they came to compliment my parents. I always knew I wanted to make people happy and if my music still brings people together then that is my mission, I have to share it.” Albert has never worried about the ever-changing trends in popular music as he always reinvents himself and writes in many styles across all musical genres. “By the time I was thirty-something I had hits in the pop, the country, the rhythm and blues and the rock charts.”

“I couldn’t interrupt the creative flow by trying to write only one type of song. Others may have been satisfied to have written ‘The Air That I Breathe’ or ‘It Never Rains’ or ‘Little Arrows’ - I wasn’t. I believe I wasn’t sent here to live off one song.

I’m here because I’m meant to be here.

I don’t have to drive myself to do anything, it drives me and it keeps me healthy and happy”.

About collaborations with other writers, he says it’s all about chemistry. He sat for two days

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INSPIRATIONAL GIBRALTARIANS with Burt Bacharach and nothing happened, then he sat with lyricist Hal David and ‘99 Miles from LA’ was born - a hallmark melodious Hammond hit song. “If I sit to write with Diane Warren we have chemistry and we’re both open to where it can lead.” Starship’s ‘Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now’ is a classic hit song he wrote with Diane in 1987. “We both write words and music so I guess it’s easier but it can be different, like when John Bettis wrote the words for ‘One moment in Time’ he gave them to me over the phone and I just sat down and wrote the music at the first attempt without having to change a single phrase.”

The rest is Whitney Houston and history. “Magic happens when you’re inspired and open to the universe.”

Hammond has songs in three successful musicals at the moment; ‘The Bodyguard’, ‘Tina: The Musical’ and ‘The Matterhorn’ which opened in Switzerland in February and is still playing to full houses there. He has no intention of slowing down - why would he? “Music is my passion. I have to do it because there is nothing greater for me than to give happiness to all those people out there who come to see me.”

Our conversation turns to his pre concert- routine and keeping fit is key for him. “I love to run my 5k every day then eat a little and then do my show. I am totally relaxed and on a natural high. I am going on stage to share my music. My songs are like my children and I feel them. The artists who sang them originally and had hits with them were just making a record. I don’t have to explain that to the people who come to see me in my concerts. They know how I feel and I know how they feel and that makes me so happy and proud.”

Would he consider writing a book about his songs? “Yes I might consider writing a book about my songs, but about my life it would have to be more about my spiritual journey than my life story. I was born in the UK during the evacuation but I was raised at Shakery’s Passage and when I left Gibraltar to seek fame and fortune I never stopped. Everybody else who left in my days came back (me included). I always said to myself… I can’t go back there (meaning back home to the Rock) I wanted to continue to write songs and I had faith in what I was writing, so I carried on working and still do.”

Will we be seeing a new Albert Hammond album any time soon? “My next record will be produced by Grammy winning producer Peter Asher. He approached my manager first and later I spoke to Peter and told him that he has to be the architect to bring together my many styles of songs and put them in an album that’s cohesive and reflects what I have written that is still unknown to the world, some of those songs will need to sit side by side on the album. I may have to write some new ones to link them in style, but I’m really excited about that.”

Albert Hammond doesn’t need to write any more songs but he can’t help himself.

He says that inspiration may strike in a minute and in an hour he can harness that and work out a whole song. He can’t pin down how he does it as he doesn’t know. In 1973 Hammond was riding in the US charts with his song ‘I Don’t Want to Die in an Air Disaster’ when a real air disaster happened which killed singer Jim Croce and that ugly twist of fate caused the record company to pull Albert’s record from the shelves. “I was singing that the other week in Cork and it got me so enraptured that when I finished it I said to the audience… wow! I love this song. You know I sometimes think how did I write that? The answer is that I don’t know. I connect with something out there and it just happens.”

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ALBERT HAMMOND Does he have a scripted routine and a set list for his concerts?

“I don’t have a set routine for my concerts but I do have a list of sixty songs from which I can choose to sing depending on how I feel and how the audience is reacting to me. I actually have to remember a lot of lyrics of songs which other people have sung. I never sang these songs until five years ago when I started touring. It’s hard for a guy my age to have to learn so many lyrics.” Over the last 5 years Hammond has averaged 130 shows and 9 festivals per year and from my calculations I reckon that he’s been seen by nearly 2.5 million people!

Does he have many regrets?

“When the universe calls me my first question is going to be why wasn’t I recognised for my achievements by Gibraltar? I don’t have regrets though as I have moved on and always tried to spread love. My advice to everyone is to fill yourself with love and compassion - even for your enemies. Feel good for them when good things happen to them. I’m so grateful for life and for being healthy. I don’t want any more recognition than that which I deserve and that is important to me.”

Recently New York attorney Fearghal de Feu wrote a book/thesis on ‘Self- Determination and Gibraltar’ in which Chief Minister Fabian Picardo writes the forward. “This guy gives me a dedicated book at the end of one of my recent concerts in Ireland. Amid the autograph signing I read his dedication which says that I must be the best ambassador for Gibraltar… did the universe put him there, I mean what are the chances?” Albert has brought the book to show me.

Will you ever come back and play in Gibraltar sometime?

“If they ever build a theatre here I promise that I will come back every year and finish my European tours here. That would be great. You know, when I finish my shows I always go out and sign autographs, chat and take pictures for an hour because my fans expect that and I want to be with them to share their joy.”

That is the real Albert Hammond, the one with his feet firmly on the ground and the one with the energy to keep spreading his music around the world by singing his heart out for two and a half hours in concerts. He sings from a famous song catalogue which he has built up with fifty years of hits.

Songs that have made our world a better place for a few moments, because when they touch our hearts with their melody and words time is suspended and we need that in our lives. Let us once and for all acknowledge that this huge talent is someone we should be proud to call our

‘Inspirational Hammond’

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WIB GIBRALTAR HOLD ANNUAL SOCIAL NETWORKING EVENT Janet Brear, Chair of Women in Business Gibraltar and her Committee hosted their Annual Social Networking Event in the prestigious surrounds of the Garrison Library.

The event was attended by various business leaders and corporate organisations who had the opportunity to connect and network with Minister Sacramento, Minister Isola and Leader of the Opposition, Dr Keith Azopardi. who found time in their busy schedules to attend.

The ambiance of the surroundings was complemented by light background music.

Women in Business Members also got the opportunity to network with representatives from FSC, Chamber of Commerce, GFSB, Prior Park and the Department of Equality, the latter of whom had just launched their Women’s Mentorship Programme which enabled members to take full advantage of obtaining firsthand information from Minister Sacramento on the programme’s aspirations.

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FEATURE

G i b r a lta r

G oe s on t h e

Off e ns i ve

It’s August 1940, Britain has been forced to beat a hasty retreat from mainland Europe on the face of overwhelming defeats handed out by German forces. Great Britain is under threat of being invaded herself and is preparing for the expected invasion as best it can. Amidst all this, the Chiefs of Staff Committee which forms part of the War Cabinet issues a memorandum dealing with the defence of Gibraltar.

This document dated 24th August 1940 highlights the Rocks vulnerability to attack through Spain. “In the event of Gibraltar being attacked from the landward side, the enemy’s operations would be facilitated by the heavy covering fire at effective range which could be developed from the concrete pillboxes which have been recently constructed by the Spaniards in their half of the neutral zone between la Linea and the British Frontier. These pillboxes are all within 2,000 yards of our main line of resistance, and some of them are not more than 1,200 yards from it.”

It further states that a plan had been prepared locally, by the Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Gibraltar, Sir Clive Liddell, to destroy these fortifications in a surprise attack before the enemy, whether Spanish or German, could concentrate its forces in the area. In order to “avoid the loss of time”, this committee requested the War cabinet to approve the operation and authorise the following procedure. (i) The War Office to arrange a code word with the Commander –in-Chief, Gibraltar, the receipt of which will be the authority to carry out the operation. (ii) The War Office to dispatch the code word as soon as the Foreign Office are satisfied that either (a) Spain is undoubtedly about to declare war, or

and the Allies are victorious, having defeated the combined armies of Italy and the German Afrika Korps. After years of bitter fighting and the successes of the Battle of El Alamein and Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of North Africa, the Allies are poised to put into action their next move, Operation HUSKY, the invasion of Sicily. A military retaliation in the area of the Straits of Gibraltar is envisaged especially in the event that HUSKY fails.

A memorandum dated 13th June 1943 was sent to Allied Forces Headquarters in Algiers, with a copy to the Commander, Fifth US Army, by the Governor Lieutenant-General Mason MacFarlane. This document summarises the main plans for combined operations drawn up locally with the primary objectives of these offensive operations being:

(a) Combined operations against selected coast defences in the area of Camorro, Isla de Tarifa and Punta Paloma, in the South of Spain. (b) Combined operations against the Spanish Defences on the “Neutral Ground” between Gibraltar and La Linea.

(Gibraltar Operation Order No.2) It seems that these operations were designed to form part of Operation BACKBONE, a large scale operation drawn up to prevent the closure of the straits by Spanish or German intervention and involved the use of any Commando unit based at the time in the Rock. Although BACKBONE had already been cancelled by February 1943, the local military commanders were of the opinion that if HUSKY should fail Gibraltar would be placed in extreme danger from Spanish hostility. For this reason, it was decided to extract these small local operations from BACKBONE in order to preempt a Spanish siege.

(b) The Germans have invaded Spanish territory and that the Spaniards have offered no resistance.

A third operation was also submitted by the Governor to the War Office for approval with the objective of disabling several Coastal Defence guns in the Spanish mainland.

It is unknown whether this request was approved at the time but what is certain is that this and other local Combined Operations were not forgotten. Its 1943, the war in the Desert is over

The following are a summarised description of the planned Special Ops.

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FEATURE t ion F o rt r e s s O p e r a inst ruct ion no1 16th

March 1943

This operation, itself divided into three, was intended to be carried out by 3 Commando in conjunction with the Royal Navy and its’ objectives were the destruction or disablement of the following gun batteries. (a) Operation A (Area Camorro) Two Troop to land at Red Beach

(i) 4 inch battery, consisting of four single guns mounted separately known as B.27

(i) 6 inch battery, consisting of four guns mounted on twin naval turrets Known as B.6

(c) Operation C (Area Punta Paloma) HQ & Three Troop to land at Blue Beach.

(ii) 12 inch battery, consisting of two guns mounted in a twin naval turret kown as B.3

(i) 15 inch battery, consisting of two guns mounted in single turrets known as B.203

(b) Operation B (Area Isla de Tarifa) One Troop to land at Green 1 or 2 Beach.

The supporting naval craft would consist of two Landing Ship Infantry (LSI), thirteen Landing Craft Assault (LCA) and three Landing Craft Support (LCS).

It was planned that this small fleet along with an anti submarine screen would head out west ward from Gibraltar and wait in a predetermined position to await the Governors confirmation order. Once this was received the LCA’s would move out from their mother ships, the LSI’s, simultaneously

and head off to their respective landing beaches.

The whole operation had to be carried out during the hours of darkness including re –embarkation into their craft and withdrawal out of close range from shore batteries.

This small fleet would then proceed to Casablanca to disembark casualties and await further orders.

t ion F o rt r e s s O p e r a inst ruct ion no 2

The size and complexity of this operation can be deduced by the large amount of information and intelligence gathered by the British planners on the Rock. This consisted of details on the Spanish military dispositions and strengths, the varied uniforms worn by different units, Spanish army emblems and details on the targeted batteries.

MAY 1943

Also to be known as Operation BUFFALO. This action which is reminiscent of the Sortie, as carried out during the Great Siege, had the main objective to destroy Spanish defences on the Neutral Ground. The troops allocated to participate in the operation were.

The Assaulting Force.

Commando Unit Independent Company, 2 x Platoons Gibraltar Tank Squadron Support Units.

Royal Engineer detachments Fortress Artillery including 4.2 inch Mortars.

The Royal Navy’s contribution comprised of, 2 x Landing Ships Infantry (LSI) 4 x Landing Craft Assault ( LCA) 2 x Landing Craft Support (LCS) 2 x Landing Craft Tank (LCT), although 4 was the preferred option.

The assaulting troops would be distributed in the following manner.

The operation was to be controlled

by Fortress Headquarters Gibraltar whilst the assaulting force was to be the command of the Officer Commanding, Commando.

Once the Assaulting Force were embarked on their respective craft, they were to head out to the Mediterranean during daylight a full 24 hours before zero hour, (zero hour would be when the 1st wave reaches the beach) meaning that this small fleet would spend one whole night at sea before the actual night of the operation. This manoeuvre would provide

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L.S.I(A) Assault Force HQ, minus a small Detachment.

Three Troops of Commando L.S.I(B) Detachment of Assault Force HQ Three Troops Commando One platoon plus one section of the Independent Company L.C.T Twelve Tanks, i.e. the complete Gib Tank Squadron, six to each craft.

An alternative assault route for the tanks was available if the L.C.T’s were not available. The tank squadron would proceed to the rendezvous areas via eastern beach.

a convenient “ruse de guerre” as it was hoped that the enemy observers would deduce that this fleet was heading to Malta or Italy.

The first wave of the assault force from L.S.I(A) would disembark onto Green Beach (La Atunara Beach) followed by the second wave from L.S.I(B) whilst the L.C.T’s would form the third one.

The role of the L.C.S was to open fire on fortifications V5, V9 and K3 whilst the assault waves were approaching the landing beach. Once

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the troops had landed, one troop would assault and capture K3 & V9 and prepare their demolition. The remainder of the assault force would rendezvous on preselected areas on the southern outskirts of La Linea and then advance back to Gibraltar in four columns, A to D. On their way back they had orders to capture and destroy a total of 22 separate fortifications (from K3 to K38) between them. The demolitions of these targets had to be achieved by Z+70 minutes.

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FEATURE Support Troops

The Gibraltar Tank Squadron had three roles to play in the operation. (a) To carry explosives for use by the assaulting force and forcing passages through barbed wire obstacles. Each tank would carry 2000lbs of ammanol explosive. (b) One troop of tanks would be allotted to each of the four columns. (c) They would be under the orders of the Officer Commanding of each column.

The Royal Engineer detachments were given the primary task of opening four gaps in the frontier fence and anti tank obstacles.

These gaps were to be marked with luminous painted boards and positioned on the outer edges of the gaps. Once these were in place they would ensure to keep them clear. These detachments would be protected by small parties of soldiers from the Independent Company.

All suitable Fortress Artillery would engage all pillboxes in range prior to the commencement of the operation. Supporting artillery would also be afforded during the actual operation and would be called up by a Forward Observation Officer (F.O.O) which would accompany the assault force.

Once the defences had been demolished each assault column would then withdraw into Gibraltar through their respective gaps, under the covering fire provided by the fortress artillery, Small Operations against Coastal Defence Batteries.

This operation was divided into eight minor ones i.e. eight specific and separate targets.

The enemy had a number of guns totalling 28 guns of various calibres/sizes arranged into 8 batteries which could bear and fire on Gibraltar. These batteries were positioned such that counter battery fire from

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the Rock would prove ineffective. Eight small teams “of picked and specially trained men of the Independent Company” would carry out the raids on these batteries with the objective of destroying their gun barrels with specially prepared explosive charges. The total number of men required for these raids would be 8 officers and 22 other ranks.

The Operation was to be carried out during the hours of darkness. The raiding party would be transported to pre-arranged positions, on three motor launches, to approximately 2.5 miles from the selected landing spots. It was considered essential to use R.D.F (Radio Direction Finding) to direct the launches to these positions.

The raiding parties would then embark on ‘FOLBOATS’ (a type of folding Kayak) to transfer from the launches onto their landing areas. Two men, plus their equipment, to each Folboat meant there would be a total of 15 Folboats involved in the raid.

The operational orders included in these documents state the basic items of uniform to be used:

be strapped to the gun barrels and fuses set for zero hour, and all timed to explode at the same time. These special charges consisted “of a thin metal cone filled with P.H.E. (Plastic High Explosive?), the sizes varying from 6lbs to 14lbs. At the wider end of the cone a cavity is made in the filling in order to form an air space which is lined with a semi circular lead “bullet”.” The narrow end contained the primers and detonators with 2- hour time delays. Apparently experiments had shown that these charges were capable of cutting a jagged hole of about 1 to 1.5 inches in diameter right through to the lining of the gun barrel.

Once the charges had been successfully attached to their respective gun barrels and fuses set, the raiding parties would then return to their hidden Folboats and head out to their rendezvous point with the motor launches.

Although we nowadays know the poor state of the Spanish armed forces in that period these raids do however seem to be very ambitious in their objectives. Nevertheless I am in no doubt that at least one of them would have been successful.

• Battle Dress & Trousers • Gym Shoes • Short Puttees • F.S. Cap (Field Service) No Cap Badges or papers “This dress is very similar to that of the Spanish Soldier.”

Preselected routes, devised to avoid the enemy‘s defensive positions, were fully studied and memorized by each team via the use of air photos, models and maps.

Although contact with the enemy was to be avoided, “where contact is unavoidable the sentry will be dealt with silently.”

Reference sources; National Archives (UK) Various internet websites La Artilleria de Costa en el Campo de Gibraltar 1936-2004, Cesar Sanchez de Alcazar.

Several documents provided by the late John Ritchie.

Article supplied by History Society Gibraltar.

Email: historysocietygibraltar@hotmail.com

On reaching the guns, the charges were to

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FEATURE

OH, HOW I LONG FOR...

Yes, when you have this, you want that, and when it’s that... you want this! I think it’s called, the `human being in us.’ Are we never happy; content with `what is,’ whilst putting aside this constant yearning for the opposite, or what’s perceived as an improvement on the status quo?

A

s summer passes us by and autumn arrives, the word down town is, “yes please, let’s have some rain, it cleans the streets and I’m fed up with summer now anyway; going to the beach, wearing these flip flops or slip-ons and the sticky levanter! I want to dress up now... roll on winter!”

The thing is you see, come end of February and into March the sentiment is repeated but in reverse; fed up of the rain and cold and longing for the beach, so it’s...`roll on summer!’ This is an annual mantra that’s repeated year in, year out that brings that smile of recognition to my face as I overhear these words again and again from one year to the next, especially amongst women - and sometimes men in our community. Well cooler climes will be moving in about now and understandably summer is a busy time with thousands of tourists in town, more traffic on our limited roads, a busier frontier and the

heat to boot. But summer’s good for business and Gibraltar plc, right! In the UK for example, they generally don’t have very good summers (apart from last year) and head for the sun elsewhere with many moving away to Spain, France, Italy, Australia, or the so called idyllic paradise of the Caribbean Islands and other places, for more of a `quality lifestyle.’

There are some couples and families however who, after some time, start yearning for the life they ran away from which may have been described as a life of doom and gloom when they were there - rising in the dark, going to work, returning in the dark, having a meal, watching TV and going back to work, starting all over again the next morning when the dreaded alarm goes! I watched a programme recently about a family from Newcastle who had spent ten years in the wonderful city of Venice and wanted to go back home; in Italy, mum was a Head Teacher teaching English, Dad worked in computers

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and IT, the children spoke Italian fluently, they lived in a decent, comfortable flat with a small balcony. Dad claimed they had a good life and enjoyed the Continental lifestyle but the kids needed a garden and the parks around where they lived weren’t up to much! So they were seriously thinking about returning to the oft grey and rainy North East of England (bottom line though, it is home...`and home is where the heart is’ for most, I guess!) The point is however, and according to dad and the family, the move to Italy worked out perfectly, enjoying hot summers and longer evenings which for many, provides the be all and end all for a happy existence but, yes... but no, but yes, but no, but yes...`let’s go back to the UK!’ So, do we know what we want? We’re told `the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence,’ but then it seems it’s not so green after all over there...`look, it’s a lovely shade of green, so let’s go for it.’ And so it goes on and on and on, and for many of us, we simply don’t know not what we want, we’re never happy with what we have or with what currently exists.

We tend to assume stars of the stage, screen and song, captains of industry and others are much happier than we are because they’re rich and have it all and we perhaps envy them. Well, very many of them are not any happier than you or I and I know this to be true at first hand. By way of contrast I was once observing a group of farm and construction workers in a cafe having a lunch break as they chatted amongst themselves. Clearly they came from humble beginnings and for all the so called `shortfall’ in their upbringing, social standing, academic education and frugal way of life, I was struck by their manner - chatting away, enjoying their unsophisticated lunch, generally happy to be amongst likeminded fellow workers and more importantly, happy to be returning to work at the end of their lunch break, grateful they had a job to go to, albeit for probably not a great financial reward at the end of the week. They appeared to be happy, conveying a sort of contentment that set me thinking about the issues of wanting more, the colour of the other man’s grass and what the state of the weather is doing to me. All of the above is not to say you shouldn’t venture into the wider world and try and improve your lot - it’s `whatever rocks your boat and stimulates you.’ I simply mean to point out that happiness, the way I see it, is not to do with material possessions, you have to find it deep inside, whether or not you own the latest Range Rover or a £2000 suit and live in a mansion! Much of it is a sense of instant gratification which in no time at all quickly subsides. Have you not noticed when you sometimes go on a cruise or travel to an exotic place on holiday how those feelings of enthusiasm and expectation when planning the trip are not matched by how quickly, when you get back home to your daily routine and reality sets in once more, they slowly fade and you hardly, in two or three weeks, think about your trip at all?

Therefore it could be that what we often long for is not such a great experience when achieved, or maybe it is for some or for many, I don’t know. I just feel that sometimes the craving and desire for something at any given moment or time doesn’t tally with our innermost feelings when achieved and experienced. Just saying!

So in the meantime, let’s try and enjoy the much needed rain for the whole of winter and wait patiently for summer... no worries, it’ll come!

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ANNUAL CIGAR DINNER The annual cigar dinner was this year held at The Casino Calpe on the 12th October 2018. An event which brings together cigar enthusiasts to share their passion for Habanos. An event that has become a must on the calendar of connoisseurs.

This year’s selection was composed of H.Upmann Magnum46, Montecristo Open Regata, Romeo y Julieta Wide Churchills and Partagas Lusitanias, a perfect match for the Glen Garioch 12yr Malt, Conde de Cuba 15yr and Lewis Stagnetto Signature blend of Ximenez Spinola Cigar Reserve Brandy.

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FEATURE

Behind

THE SCENES AT THE Alameda

Wildlife Conservation

Photograph by Lucy Chivers

Park

THE SMALL PARK WITH A

BIG MESSAGE Jo Ward took a tour behind the scenes at the Alameda Wildlife Conservation Park (AWCP) Set in just an acre of land, accessed by walking through the Botanic Gardens or from Europa Road, the AWCP is more than a zoo; it is the home to a collection of species, many of which are unwanted exotic pets or animals that have been confiscated by Customs. With space at a premium in Gibraltar and no other opportunities to get close-up with a selection of different animals, the park is a mustsee for both locals and visitors.

In May of this year, AWCP was awarded full Membership of BIAZA, the professional body representing over 100 zoos and aquaria in Britain and Ireland. As one of the smallest zoos in the association, this is a great milestone for the park.

Extensive renovation of the park finished in 2013, and the clever and efficient use of the compact space provides a fully immersive experience but with conservation high on the list of priorities, and as a small zoo, AWCP has to focus on smaller animals.

Park Manager Jessica Leaper tells me about a little bit of the history behind the park and how she came to Gibraltar. “I have been here since 2006 when I started as a volunteer,” she explains. “I came to Gib to study the macaques as part of my Masters project - I was doing a course in Evolutionary Psychology and primate ecology & behaviour – I later decided to move over here. I found the Wildlife Park and began to volunteer.” Six months later she started to work full-time as a primate keeper, moving up to become Manager a year later.

The park was established in 1994 when the first consignment of animals was seized by Gibraltar customs from ships passing through the Strait. “They found long-tail and pig-tail macaques and some birds, and there was also a ship from Africa that had chimpanzees and African Grey parrots on it, all destined for the Illegal pet trade or animal testing,” Jessica tells me.

The animals were initially brought to the Botanic Gardens, where volunteers built enclosures to house them. “The area we are in now was originally the mini-golf course and it was converted and run for many years by volunteers with funding from the EU and financial assistance from the Gibraltar Government.”

New plans are being drawn up to ensure that the park will predominantly focus on exotic species from Africa and in particular Madagascar, which is a real conservation hotspot. A local bio-diversity area is also being planned for development in the future.

Jessica runs the park with a staff of four full-time keepers, with the

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FEATURE assistance of a group of volunteers who come to help out. “We have Hannah who is on the Government Scheme, Steve Perry, a senior keeper who has come from Whipsnade Zoo, Emily who has been here as a Keeper for many years and more recently Lucy who was from Shaldon Zoo (the other smallest zoo in BIAZA) and Steve Bryant has re-joined us after many years away working in UK zoos, including Shaldon and Monkey World.”

Reptiles are kept in tanks in a cave-like passageway – great for kids who will enjoy the thrill of entering this dark domain. First stop is the pond exhibit, home to the semi-aquatic wood turtle and a soft shell snapping turtle, and then it’s onwards towards the spiders, tarantulas and reptiles, including small snakes and geckos.

One of the big messages that Jessica wants to get across is the many threats to the rainforests, especially cattle ranching and the industrial meat-trade.

“Marmosets, tamarins and other species are gradually being pushed out of their natural habitats, so we are helping to raise awareness of this. We have recently become more actively involved in conservation projects for these species over in South America” Jessica says.

Back out into the open air and we are greeted by the long tailed macaques, separated into two groups of four,

Other attractions that are really popular with kids are the peacocks and the otters, sisters Trixie and Dixie who are quite old now and like relationships in many families, they have fallen out. Asian short claw otters are quite dexterous and Dixie carries pebbles in her hands to play with, using her feet to manipulate the stones, just as if she was in the wild looking for shellfish and molluscs.

one group with a dominant male and the other with the ex-dominant male.

“These were the species that were confiscated,” Jessica explains. “We still have the three original macaques, one with a damaged foot probably from where she was caught in a trap.”

Jessica explains that some of the species in the park will be re-homed. “Zoos who want to breed get in touch with us if they know we have an animal that fits in with their breeding programmes,” Jessica says, “and this helps to protect endangered species.”

Photograph by Lucy Chivers

The park is built on the slopes of the Rock with paths leading up and down to different areas, designed to fit in naturally with the indigenous landscape and featuring some naturalistic immersion exhibits. Passing by the small animal area full of rabbits and guinea pigs, some of which have been dumped at the entrance gates or released into the

states. Amazingly, they snort like pigs not an exotic sound at all – but they are extremely cute, especially Spider and Boo, the younger family members. This is where you can get ‘up-close and personal’ with the animals who will come and sit on the walkway’s wooden handrails to greet and inspect their visitors.

gardens, Jessica stresses that no more animals are being taken in. “This includes exotics,” Jessica explains, “unless they really fit into the collection plan.”

Designed to replicate a rainforest, there is a tropical atmosphere that is heightened when the sun is shining. Long – tailed macaques, brown lemurs, cotton-top tamarins and ring-tailed lemurs, these are just some of the primates that reside at AWCP. The shrill sound of squawking birds fills the air as we wander through, passing by the African greys that Jessica tells me were some of the original confiscated birds. “This is Jumbo,” she says introducing me to the large blue and yellow Macaw parrot. “He came here when he was a toddler, he sings nursery rhymes and we had to teach him how to be a bird again because he thought he was a human.”

Next stop is the Barbary macaques, in an enclosure that Jessica says is too small at the moment. “We really need to raise some money to get them into a larger area that we have already earmarked and then maybe we could take on some non-breeding males to make it a more normal social group.”

Walking down to the large showcase immersion exhibit, through a series of tunnelled areas, Jessica introduces me to four brown lemurs. “These were kept in someone’s garden in France,” she GIBRALTARINSIGHT.COM

Then there are the spur-thighed tortoises, often smuggled in from Morocco. “People don’t realise that they are endangered,” Jessica tells me. AWCP is promoting the work of local bat group, Gib-Bats with their Batty about Bats campaign to promote the important work that they are doing with local bat species, and the park has two groups of fruit bats from Egypt, separated into males and females.

One of the most popular animals is Serranito the pot-bellied pig, waggling his little tail and happy at home in his eternally messy enclosure. “He was living on a patio here in Gibraltar,” Jessica states.

“When he came to us he was twice the size but he is on a gluten free diet now and he is so happy here.”

Living side by side in the same caged enclosure we find the marmosets and a majestic green iguana, so well camouflaged that she is hard to spot sometimes. Jessica says that they tolerate each other. “We bring the iguanas back into their outdoor enclosure in the summertime and the female marmoset will shriek and scream when they brush past her.”

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As well as visitors, the park welcomes school tours and also runs an outreach programme, going into local schools and talking to them about conservation issues. Word of mouth is spreading fast about this secret garden wildlife park with enthusiastic staff and happy animals, and visitor numbers are up this year.

Entrance to the park costs £5 for adults, £2.50 for children 5-16 and under 5s go free. AWCP is a ‘not for profit’ organisation with all the money received used to pay essential expenses such as food and vet bills. Donations are gratefully received and there is also a sponsor scheme where you can adopt a particular animal. Just be aware that because of the hilly terrain and the cobbled areas, the park is not really suitable for those with mobility problems.

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CULTURE INSIGHT

‘Odds’ on AFTER FIFTY YEARS

No this is not a gambling story it’s a musical one. The occasion was the launch of the book ‘A Boy from Red Sands’ by Henry Valerga, reviewed elsewhere in this magazine by yours truly. A significant part of Henry’s early journey as a musician was accompanied by three other musical teenagers fifty one years ago. This teeny bopper pop band were called ’The Odds’ and back in the day their cuteness and raw talent secured them a place in local pop history.

Henry Valerga, Douglas MacMahon, Denis Valerga, Arturo Bonich (then the eldest at 18) and Rosanna Valverde made up ‘The Odds’ and riding on the back of the book launch they reformed for one night only to bring music, joy and historical relevance to the few hundred gathered at Grand Battery House in expectation of this musical reunion. Rosanna who lives away from Gibraltar was missing from but the voices that made the local sound of the sixties were still fresh and giving joy to many ‘mature’ fans.

The wonder of rose tinted memories had brought together only a small part of a community that wants to keep the ‘old ways’ alive. Community life as it used to be in the patios and in the dances where groups like ‘The Odds’ played their version of hits of the day has been replaced by life in the cyber world where all eyes are glued to our mobile screens and we miss many of the simple things that used to make us happy.

Thank goodness music still binds our hearts together and anchors us to our past. We all have a song that we remember which marked our youth.

There were many happy faces at the book signing and I bet that ‘The Odds’ are still odds on to play again- maybe at the launch of the sequel to ‘A Boy from Red Sands’.

Photographs by Johnny Bugeja

Their repertoire included ‘These Boots are made for Walking’- ‘Sorrow’- ‘Happy Together’- All You need is Love’ and an encore ‘Jamaica I hear you calling Me,’ a Henry Valerga original song which at this event celebrated the recent twinning on National Day between Kingston and Gibraltar, our historical ties go back to the evacuation during WW2. The historical sense of the evening had been highlighted earlier by MC Levy Attias and special guest Sir Joe Bossano as well as the author himself and the musical treat that ‘The Odds’ pro-

vided capped the nostalgia of the evening when everyone had been singing along to the ‘old songs’ and mutually agreeing that ‘they don’t write them like that nowadays’.

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REVIEW

THE BOY FROM RED SANDS

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TAKES HIS STORY INTO PRINT

few weeks back a couple of veteran musicians met for coffee and a morning flew by. I was gifted with another opportunity to write about music and much more, as it turned out. Henry Valerga has written a well documented account of a life well lived and peppered it with many pictures that in themselves make his book a page turner. It’s more than that, because the rich narrative that spans a lifetime of music centred stories also encapsulates life as it used to be over sixty years ago ‘en los patios de Humphreys.’ It’s autobiographical, musical and a riveting historical account of community life.

As we sip coffee he’s telling me how the book came about and I’m turning pages totally engaged in admiring a first class book production which is a cut above the rest. It weighs in at 255 pages so richly illustrated with

old photographs (all captioned), that reading and browsing was a welcome breeze. Nostalgia spins it as a newsreel of better times - maybe they weren’t - but our rose tinted memories won’t allow us to make that judgement call.

Those of us who grew up in the postwar days followed by the cultural revolution of the sixties will cherish many of the memories recounted and photographed here.

Out of these stories one lingers and that is the journey of a very young band called ‘The Odds’ who were the fourth local band to try for fame and fortune abroad and specifically in the UK. The Diamond Boys, The Silhouettes, HT and The Rockbeats went before, but none of us went so early in our teens. None of us got arrested in Spain for being victims of a car crash either! You will have to read about it and the photographs of the accident scene are extraordinary.

The above is just one episode which resonates with me but there are many other stories which will appeal to those with a keen sense of local history. The narrative is expertly set out in 9 parts, always well supported by pictures. Then there follows an ‘Afterward’ and 4 appendices, the last of which is newspaper cuttings from 1966/7 featuring the ‘The Odds.’ The first hundred pages are full of historical snapshots and a happy infancy at ‘Red Sands’. It’s an engaging read all the way though. You can’t put it down because it’s certainly a page turner.

A unique way of telling some of these stories fell into Henry’s lap when rummaging through his memorabilia he opened an old shoe box and found his first passport. Each stamp of entry and exit from a country held a story within. Done and dusted. Therein is the determined charm of this narrator.

As he stumbles upon old photographs

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he researches them meticulously and writes them up. Nothing has been too much trouble and his book is richer for it. He has spent the last five years wisely invested in a huge project which is more than just this book. It will be another I’m sure.

This has been a crusade to honour Henry’s childhood memories of family and friends and entertain us with their stories, which are our stories too, so no stone has been left unturned to make this book the best it can be and it has a lot going for it in its execution and production. Throughout the book we sample his poetry and sayings, always in small doses, lightly loaded to underscore and reveal a glimpse of the inner man behind a guitar for the last fifty years. RED is deeply entwined in the writer’s life and he eloquently tells us some of the reasons on page twelve.

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Each time the colour is mentioned throughout the pages it’s printed in RED. Call it quirky, gimmicky or simply ‘sembrao’, this printing touch adds to the magic from cover to cover (and it’s a beautiful large format hardback that will refuse to spend time gathering dust on your book shelves). Pictures of our old cabarets are revealing and their stories too! Our musical ancestry in ‘Rondallas’ (guitar and mandolin ensembles) is told in words and pictures which are priceless. Patio life and activities is vibrantly played out through the eyes and sharp memory of ‘Enriquito’ the ‘Boy from Red Sands’.

I could not commend this touching ‘Llanito’ story book more, other than by saying that it is a gem and a time capsule full of not just historical musings and an illustrated musical autobiography, but an open door to yesteryear with an invitation to come in and browse, allowing your own memories

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to linger with the author’s. I can see a queue of excited fanciers armed with photographs going up to Henry trying to muscle their way into his forthcoming sequel. I can also see this book selling out before Christmas.

More importantly, this first offering from Valerga already stands head and shoulders above many books before it, which for me makes it uniquely compelling. I have already said to Henry that I will not relinquish my review copy which he must dedicate to a musical dinosaur! I look forward to his upcoming contribution at the Literary Festival where he will engage with fellow writer Humbert Hernandez to chat about ‘A Boy from Red Sands’. It will happen on Sunday 18th at the Convent at 4pm and as it closes the Festival it’s unmissable.

‘No te lo pierdas’.

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Hygge Cosiness, Contentment & Wellbeing Hygge is a Danish word and key aspect of Danish culture that is used to acknowledge a true feeling of cosiness, contentment and well-being; a sense of calm and comfort in your surroundings and personal space. This is the concept and aesthetic we aim to capture in our shop and in every single one of our products.

At Hygge (pronounced Hue-gah), located at 17 Convent Place, we recognise the importance of quality rest and sleep for optimal health and well-being. Our exclusive range of Senttix mattresses, pillows and luxury bedding ensure the finest sleep experience to all our customers; boasting anti-aging treatments, and even blood pressure regulating technologies, among myriad other properties. Through our products, we fully embrace an often-missed opportunity for a healthier way of life through quality sleep.

In combination with the latest cutting-edge technologies that currently exist on the market, Senttix mattresses strike an exceptional balance between premium quality and affordability. Most importantly, they are free from toxic chemicals and made from environmentally-friendly materials that are designed to help you get the very most out of your sleep.

Our range of luxury bedding is simple, natural and eco-friendly to promote a calm and relaxing environment.

Infused with a natural anti-mite treatment, our products are hypoallergenic and made of 100% combed cotton, for maximum freshness and breathability. Our duvets are comprised of 90% down filling together with 10% cotton, to create the perfect and highest-quality duvet available in terms of volume and comfort. The down has been treated, washed and sterilised according to EDFA (European Down & Feather Association) regulations.

As well as our Senttix range, we also have a selection of seagrass mats and cosy rugs on display in-store, available in many colours, designs, and sizes. We also work with a fantastic supplier that is able to manufacture hand-tufted made-to-measure wool carpets in any shape and colour, incorporating any required designs such as corporate logos.

Comprised of 3 collections - VIT, GEA and LAB - each product has been designed according to different requirements and different types of sleepers, using only the very best materials at our disposal.

Our most recent venture is the launch of our exclusive Millennia catalogue; a fantastic range of affordable decorations, from photo frames and mirrors, to clocks and cosy cushions, to help you make your house a home.

We have big plans to expand the current catalogue in the very near future and will be launching a small and unique Christmas range soon.

VIT - Simple, yet luxurious and elegant. VIT mattresses are handcrafted pieces, carefully sewn with moisturisers and properties that relax the nervous system, stimulate cell rejuvenation, and eliminate accumulated electrostatic charge in the body.

GEA - All natural. GEA mattresses are 100% natural, foamless and constructed without polyols. Environmentally-friendly while keeping your health very much in mind. Organic cotton, hemp, and latex are just a few of the key properties within the GEA collection.

LAB - The most technical rest. LAB mattresses are comprised of active recovery features such as Celliant, XtraCool, nanotechnology, and specific areas dedicated to enhancing recovery where you need it most. Recommended for athletes, or those of you with physically demanding jobs/hobbies.

Within these 3 collections, we also offer mattress toppers and premium pillows; mostly made from organic cotton and high resilience visco, the latter of which ensures they are perfectly malleable and easily adaptable to the head and neck, helping to avoid neck cramps and back problems. The pillows’ thousands of micro holes allow them to regulate temperatures throughout the night, and their fibres are a natural repellent against bacteria, helping to avoid allergic reactions and skin irritation.

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As a company, our aim is to meet our customers’ requirements with maximum efficiency, by dealing only with the absolute best and most reputable manufacturers and suppliers in the market. We thrive on a foundation of uncompromising commitment, providing an unrivalled after-sales service for existing and potential customers. Our ultimate reward is having clients repeat their visits to us in search of products and services.

You can find Hygge at 17 Convent Place. We look forward to your visit!

Opening hours: Monday - Friday: 09:30 - 16:30 Tel. 20078028 You can find Hygge on: Facebook - @HyggeHappyLiving Instagram - @HyggeGib Twitter - @HyggeGib

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Dorcas Hammond PROFILE

At just aged seven she sewed two sheets together perfectly in a straight line! These days, and slightly older, she’s the Rock’s top, creative fashion designer kept busy in her workshop and sewing school whilst `creative ideas’ keep her brain `bubbling’... even at home!

Some careers are often described as `having a passion for the work which never becomes a chore,’ and that’s the case for Dorcas Hammond who’s been allied to sewing needles all her life. Just recently returned from attending yet another presentation of her work at Julio Battaglia’s Showstars Marbella Fashion Week, she’s back at work in her Governor’s Street premises where `Team Dorcas’ continue producing their exclusive designs crafted with an edgy and unique twist, conveying high elegance with their bespoke creations. “The showcase was very successful held over a weekend at the Melia Don Pepe Hotel with younger designs paraded on the Friday and the more established professionals providing the more up market creations the following day. These shows are of a high level so we have to try harder,” Dorcas tells me. “I always like to take my own models with me instead of using the ladies available at the venue. In that way I know which dress or gown is best suited to each of my eight girls whom I’m very familiar with, and it avoids wasting time and having to make adjustments on the day of the show with models you’ve probably never met before.” Dorcas’ style and exhibits at these shows are `red carpet’ outfits and not day wear. “And that’s really what I do: Haute Couture or High Fashion and these shows are very useful in that you showcase your style with your exclusive creations. It’s important to make the woman look good. I labelled my showcase `AttraXoné’ for this show and concentrated on the LBD, the Little Black Dress, but with a difference.”

well as hopefully stimulating interest amongst boutique owners and others in her fabulous creations. Also at the Marbella showing were designers from Morocco, Brazil, Moldova, Spain and Gibraltar, and it was well supported. Whilst there, catalogues and other literature are made available for boutique owners, who may be keen to show Dorcas’ outfits in their shop windows or others who may be interested in any of the designers’ work.

As an international fashion designer Dorcas is no stranger to fashion shows and showcases. She’s accumulated 20 years experience in the industry and has exhibited in Morocco, Madrid and Marbella, London, Portugal and other lands. In Portugal - where she has paraded her creations on a number of occasions – she won the Agulha du Ouro (Golden Needle) prize for her work in 2004, and locally has provided Miss Gibraltar gowns on numerous occasions, producing the all important garments for almost all the girls at one of the Miss Gibraltar Pageants!

She is also asked to design wedding dresses and evening wear. Exclusive stuff and important alterations is what goes on at Dorcas’ workshop.

Two dressmakers assist her in her `dressmaking,’ keeping the trio busy all day every day. It can take up to 100 hours to create and produce one of her exclusive designs, but that’s not all our top designer has to keep her occupied. Sewing and stitching - and hopefully one day designer - trainees are taught the trade together with another teacher at the well-attended Dorcas Sewing School. There’s much to learn. Beginning with the technique needed when using a modern day and expensive sewing machine, to making kiddies clothes, shoulder and other bag making, lingerie, home decorations and the more involved fashion designing up to the highest level... enough to keep the team on the go all day long and beyond!

Fashion Designer Hammond, not content with exhibiting a selection of well made, already versatile LBDs, went the extra mile by using fabrics that oozed sophistication and sex appeal producing even more eye-catching scrutiny to her interchangeable pieces befitting any occasion, with her models conveying confidence and elegance as

It’s no wonder Dorcas’ `passion’ for sewing began at a very early age.

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GIBRALTAR GUIDE

Aries (Mar 21 – Apr 21)

If you feel that someone is being less than straightforward, Aries, then listen to your gut instinct! If you’d rather avoid confrontation then just smile and steer clear of them.

Taurus TAKEAWAYS

(Apr 21 – May 21)

VEHICLE REPAIRS

Your mind is full of new ideas this month, Taurus, and you are determined that you can make them work. Share with someone you trust and your results will be awesome!

Gemini

(May 22 – June 22)

If you have been itching to go on a trip or course, Gemini, then this is the time to do so. No need to justify it - just do it and your future self will thank you!

Cancer

June 23 – July 22)

You’ve been casting around for new and exciting ways of generating more income, Cancer, and this month you will come across the perfect opportunity. Grab it with confidence!!

Leo

July 23 – Aug 23)

You will have to say No to someone this month, Leo, and you won’t like it. It doesn’t come naturally to you but this is a must. Enough is enough – time to re-establish your boundaries.

Virgo

(Aug 24 – Sep 23)

BARS / PUBS

You’ve been working hard to gather new skills, Virgo, and now you need to stop and appraise what you’ve learned. Be impressed with yourself . . Others are!!

Libra

Sep 24 – Oct 23)

If you find that you have the habit of not planning ahead at this time of year, Libra, then you still have time to do so. Put aside those things which are not essential and create some quality time.

Scorpio

Oct 24 – Nov 22)

No one gets it right all of the time, Scorpio, so be gentle with yourself this month. Change direction a little and bring in doing more of what you love.

It’s powerful!

Sagittarius

Nov 23 – Dec 21)

You may want to take a swift financial check, Sagittarius and then you can go full steam ahead on the plan which is so close to your heart. It won’t take long and it’ll be worth it!

Capricorn

(Dec 22 – Jan 20)

INDUSTRIAL

You may have been a bit up and down recently Capricorn, so this month why not re prioritise a few things? Prioritise and organize – you know you love it!!

Aquarius

Jan 21 – Feb 19)

If you’ve been feeling frustrated of late, Aquarius, then it’s time to speak your truth and follow your own path. Remember the saying - “Lead me, follow me or get out of the way”??? That’s it!

Pisces

Feb 20 – Mar 20)

Money doesn’t grow on trees, Pisces, although we might wish it did! But there are many ways to turn a buck or two, honestly and ethically, if you keep your eyes and ears peeled. Good luck!

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For Private Readings

NOVEMBER 2018

TEL: (0034) 666 966 502 GIBRALTARINSIGHT.COM

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

PROFILE ”Yes, as a child I used to sew on my mother’s pedal sewing machine behind her back and I would also watch her at work and learn from that. I hated embroidery, I wanted to make clothes, and I did, making dresses and costumes for my dolls - I had a good collection.” And it was never a childhood fad for Dorcas: in Middle School she would make denim bags and pencil cases and sell them, she also teamed up with her cousin and started to make proper items from dress patterns. It was evident even then she was on the road to becoming a business woman as well as a seamstress. “I didn’t particularly like my mother’s style so I started making my own clothes. When I started working I would go back home in my lunch-break to sew, and again would spend my evenings sewing, making garments for other family members and always creating and jotting down ideas.” But by the time she reached her late teens, Dorcas knew she had to take her love of sewing further.

So in the early 90s she opened up for business in the ICC building and named her shop `Pins and Needles’, moving to a number of premises after that ending up in Governor’s Street (opposite Saverland) where she works from today. But even with an established business up and running

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to keep her occupied all day long, she takes her work home with her too, looking up design patterns on her laptop and sorting out the odd, `everlasting’ paper patterns! Starting work at 7am and busy, busy for about 10 or even 12 hours at her workshop, she’s still at it after she’s sorted meals and family chores when she gets home. Always on the go, taking lots of pride in her work, making sure her garments are made with meticulous care and attention to guarantee a high, quality finish... `Good, but not good enough,’ goes against the DCE, `The Dorcas Couture Ethos!’

.Passion’s not the word!

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CLASSIFIED SERVICES CHARTERED SURVEYOR

HARDWARE

INDUSTRIAL

ESTATE AGENT

PAINTING & DECORATING

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HEALTH FEATURE& WELLBEING GETTING OUR

Weight

Obesity is a common problem in the UK - estimated to affect around 1 in every 4 adults and around 1 in every 5 children aged 10 to 11. Here on the Rock, the Gibraltar Health Authority’s Lifestyle Report 2015 - the most recent survey carried out to date - showed that almost 60% of respondents were classed as either overweight or obese, with figures probably being even higher now.

The survey indicated that 24% were classed as obese and 35% overweight, with just 41% considered having a normal weight. This meant that 3 out of every 5 Gibraltarians were overweight or obese. Over three-quarters of men were found to be overweight from the age of 45. In the 2008 survey no men aged below 24 years were obese, whilst in 2015 about 8% of young men below 24 years were obese.

This is a hugely significant difference. In the ages of 65 and above, more than double the women were obese compared to the men (49% vs. 24%). This was a huge increase from the previous survey where only 28% of women aged 65+ were obese. The report concluded, “The general consensus worldwide is that levels of obesity are rising sharply, and Gibraltar is by no means an exception to this trend.”

The easiest way to see if you are overweight or obese is to calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI). Use the BMI calculator on the www.nhs.uk website to check out if your weight is within recommended levels. Being overweight or obese has serious health consequences as you will have an increased risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure and certain cancers.

Obesity usually develops gradually over time, as a result of lifestyle choices and poor diet, such as eating large amounts of processed or fast food, which are high in fat and sugar; drinking too much alcohol; eating out often; drinking too many sugary drinks; comfort eating (if you have low self-esteem or feel depressed, you may tend to eat more to make yourself feel better) and eating larger portions than you need (unhealthy eating habits tend to run in families).

Eating too much saturated fat can raise your cholesterol and increase your risk of heart disease. Saturated fats are commonly found in everyday foods such as butter, cakes, biscuits, fatty cuts of meat, processed meats, cheese, ice cream, milk shakes, and chocolate. UK health guidelines recommend that the average male aged 19-64 years should eat no more than 30g of saturated fat a day and the average female aged 19-64 years should eat no more than 20g of saturated fat a day. Grill, bake, poach or steam food rather than frying or roasting. Measure oil with a teaspoon to

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control the amount you use, or use an oil spray. Trim visible fat and take the skin off meat and poultry before cooking.

Choose leaner cuts of meat that are lower in fat, like turkey breast and reduced fat mince. Try reduced fat spreads, such as those based on olive or sunflower oils.

Nutrition labels on the front and back of food packaging can help you cut down on saturated fat. Look out for ‘saturates’ or ‘sat fat’ on the label. In most cases, colour coding indicates red for high, amber for medium and green for low.

Serving sizes can vary, so make sure you’re comparing like for like. The easiest way to do this is by looking at the nutritional content per 100g.

Lack of physical activity is another important factor related to obesity as many of us tend to have jobs that involve sitting at a desk for most of the day. We also rely a great deal on our cars and mopeds to get around Gibraltar, rather than walking or cycling. For relaxation, we tend to watch TV, browse the internet or play computer games, and rarely take regular exercise. If we’re not active enough, we don’t use the energy provided by the food we eat, and the extra energy we consume is stored by the body as fat. The UK Department of Health recommends that adults do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as cycling or fast walking, every week, which can be broken down into smaller periods.

There is growing awareness that early life experiences and habits impact upon our health as adults. Treating obesity in children usually involves improvements to diet and increasing physical activity. The amount of calories your child should eat each day will depend on their age and height.

Your GP should be able to advise you about a recommended daily limit. According to the NHS, children over the age of five should ideally get at least one hour of vigorous-intensity exercise a day, such as running or playing football or netball.

Some people claim there’s no point trying to lose weight because they say that it runs in their family. While there are some rare genetic conditions that can cause obesity, there’s no reason why most people can’t lose weight. It may be true that certain genetic traits inherited from our parents – such as having a large appetite – may make losing weight more difficult, but it certainly doesn’t make it impossible. In many cases, obesity is more to do with environmental factors, such as poor eating habits learned during childhood and our modern, sedentary lifestyle.

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MUM ON THE ROCK

Community Parenting Community parenting can be defined as parenting that is carried out collectively or between families within a community.

We all know that within Gibraltar community parenting is common practice, with grandparents and in some cases even great-grandparents taking care of children when the parents have to go to work. More often than not grandparent carers are extremely happy to look after their grandchildren, but in some cases they do so because it is an economic necessity and they are not able to enjoy their retirement years on their own terms.

Across the globe there are places where it is the social norm, where it is common for families to live together, sometimes with many generations together under the same roof, or where children are watched over by people in their village who interact with them as if they were their own. Maybe we should take more heed of the old African proverb: ‘It takes a village to raise a child’.

Community parenting may also be undertaken by close family friends, or other parents in the community who help each other with their children.

Families who are classed as ‘non-traditional’, for instance single parents, blended families and adopted chil-

dren, are becoming increasingly prevalent and in certain situations where parenting is a full time responsibility, it is something that needs to be shared with other caregivers providing additional support. This requires great trust from the parents of the children who are being cared for. They need to know that their little ones are in a safe environment and that the caregivers are responsible and care for the child’s welfare.

Raising families without community makes the burden of parenting harder for us all, but sometimes living in close proximity exposes children to different parenting styles and rules, and they may not be the same as ours. This can lead to children challenging their parents, rejecting their attitudes and ultimately cause upset and conflict.

friendships with adults who are neither their parents nor teachers and have several adults who are invested in their lives. They are exposed to different beliefs, values and opinions that can be useful as they journey into adulthood.

SO IS COMMUNITY PARENTING BETTER? GIVEN THE CHOICE, WOULD YOU PREFER TO RAISE YOUR CHILDREN AS A COLLECTIVE OR ON YOUR OWN?

One of the benefits of community parenting is increased social interaction, with children becoming more socially and verbally mature at an earlier age. Children living in alternative communities, such as eco-villages, often form independent

PACS (PARENT AND CHILD SOCIETY) GIBRALTAR PACS hold community playgroups for babies, toddlers and their families at different locations in Gibraltar.

Run by a dedicated team of trustees, local mums Gemma Kew, Chloe Weir and Helen Mumford, and a further group of volunteers who give up their free time each week, PACS has recently received charitable status and relies on donations or sponsorship to support the running of the groups. This goes towards purchasing insurance, supplies for the children’s snacks and crafts or ingredients for cooking. The donations also allow for the purchase of new play equipment Playgroups are a great place to meet mums with children your child’s age, and where your child can make new friends too. “We ensure that every-

one who comes along feels welcome,” Gemma says, “and we are always on hand for a tea and a chat.”

This year saw a lot of movement in terms of locations of the playgroups. Previously based at Laguna Youth Club, PACS playgroups were temporarily left without a home due to building work being carried out at the new Notre Dame School.

“Thanks to our partnership working with the Youth Service we saw our Toddler group and Cooking Club relocated to what was St. Teresa’s Hall at Glacis estate,” Helen explains.

A new working relationship was established with the Children and Families service and Trinity Toddlers moved to the new family centre at Mid-Harbours estate. More recently the Bumps and Babies session have

relocated to Dolphins Youth Club, at Rosia Dale estate, South District.

Parent led activities help to support children’s learning skills, health and well-being, and their social and emotional development. Through play the quality of a child’s relationships are improved.

An important part of what PACS strives to provide is a sense of community, making parents and families feel less isolated. One thing that’s really important to PACS is that all their groups are accessible to as many families as possible, so they don’t charge for sessions, but parents or carers can choose to give a voluntary contribution for the play sessions.

Find out more on the PACS Facebook page: www.facebook.com/parentandchildsociety WORDS BY JO WARD

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HEALTH & WELLBEING Hearing Aids and Cataract Surgery May Prevent Dementia Decline

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Can getting a hearing aid or having cataract surgery help prevent memory decline?

e all reach a stage sometimes where we think that our brain is in overload! As we get older it seems to get harder to co-ordinate tasks and our brains seem to have to work overtime to enable us to communicate, see, hear, smell and perform tasks that once were so simple. Whilst mild forgetfulness can be a normal sign of aging, for some of us, this can herald the onset of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.

Although we may not be ecstatic about the thought of having cataract surgery to improve our eyesight, and we may not be keen on the idea of having hearing aids fitted, the good news is that these fairly simple and safe procedures may slow mental decline in older adults, with recent findings suggesting that it may play a much more important role in brain health than we’ve previously thought.

radio, or you may find it increasingly difficult to hear people on the phone and often ask them to repeat themselves.

What is the difference between dementia and Alzheimer’s disease?

Dementia is the name for a group of symptoms that commonly include problems with memory, thinking, problem solving, language and perception.

Dementia is caused by different diseases that affect the brain of which Alzheimer’s disease is the most common. Some other common types of dementia include vascular dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies. While there is a relationship between dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, there are key differences between the two.

Alzheimer’s disease, named after the doctor who first described it (Alois Alzheimer), is a physical disease that affects the brain. During the course of the disease, proteins build up in the brain to form structures called ‘plaques’ and ‘tangles’. This leads to the loss of connections between nerve cells, and eventually to the death of nerve cells and loss of brain tissue.

Recent studies from the University of Manchester have linked compromised sensory functions, such as poor sight and hearing, to a decline in cognitive abilities, and research has produced new evidence indicating that addressing hearing and sight problems can slow down cognitive decline.

According to Dr Piers Dawes and Dr Asri Maharani, the Manchester University researchers who led the trials, cognitive decline - which affects memory and thinking skills - is slowed after patient’s hearing and sight are improved. The rate of decline was halved following cataract surgery and was 75% less following the adoption of hearing aids.

Dr Asri Maharani, co-author of the studies, said: “Age is one of the most important factors implicated in cognitive decline.

We find that hearing and vision interventions may slow it down and perhaps prevent some cases of dementia.” She described the results as ‘exciting’ but added further trials are required to confirm the link.

Dr Piers Dawes, fellow co-author, said: ‘These studies underline just how important it is to overcome the barriers which deny people from accessing hearing and visual aids.

It makes sense, doesn’t it, because although it has not been proved why hearing and visual problems have an impact on cognitive skills, it is certainly understandable that people who are hard of hearing and have problems with their sight may find it hard to socialise, leading to loneliness and isolation.

If you notice that someone is experiencing memory loss or are having periods of mental confusion, or if you notice changes in their personality and mood, or that they are finding it increasingly difficult to undertake tasks or activities that require concentration, you may like to suggest that you accompany them to their GP for tests and assessments.

Technology Advances

In the meantime, if you have hearing or sight loss or identify it in a friend or relative, it makes sense to get it treated as soon as possible. As technology advances, hearing specialists say hearing aids will continue to get smaller and smarter than ever before, becoming virtually invisible whether they sit inside or outside the ear. Advancements in cataract surgery mean that it is not the nightmare procedure that it used to be, but there is now the advantage of more precise procedures, shorter recovery time, and better outcomes.

How do you know if you need cataract surgery? A cataract is a clouding of the normally clear lens of your eye. Symptoms include blurry vision, light sensitivity and not being able to see well at night. You may see halos around lights, which can make driving at night difficult, or you may find that you need stronger prescriptions for contact lenses or reading glasses.

What about hearing loss? There are a range of symptoms to watch out for and these can include occasional difficulty understanding words to the inability to communicate with others, especially in noisy environments. Maybe you find that you need to turn up the volume when listening to the television or

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Just Married ON THE ROCK Abby & Martin married on 8th September 2018. Photo by Radka Horvath.

Laura & Joe, married on 5th September 2018. Photo by Radka Horvath.

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Gareth Netto & Gillian Rigby, married on 8th September 2018. Photo by Nicky Sanchez.

Susanne & Simon Gerber, married on 24th August 2018. Photo by Nicky Sanchez.

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