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Happy National day Gibraltar from Insight Community magaziNE 2
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FEATURES
THE BORDER
INSIGHT WOMAN
NATIONAL DAY
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50 7 NIGHTS IN ALBANIA
14 CHIEF MINISTER INTERVIEW
44 RED, WHITE AND ROCKING IT!
31 RED, WHITE AND PROUD
62 WHISTLES WITHOUT BORDERS
16 A NEW CHAPTER FOR GIBRALTAR
46 ADAPTING STYLE FOR SEASONS
32 NATIONAL DAY: A SHARED DELIGHT
64 MONS CALPE WOMEN: THE JOURNEY
18 BEYOND THE BORDER
47 WHAT WOMEN WANT
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66 SURIANNE
20 BORDER OPENING
48 MICRO BREAKS
68 ON BEING WRONG
21 PEDRO SÁNCHEZ VISIT
THE AI LIE
69 MARRIED ON THE ROCK 72 HEALTH: GIBSAMS 74 HEALTH: SEASONS CHANGE 76 HEALTH: THERAPY AND IT'S PLACE 78 HEALTH: ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
22 THE TREATY AND HEALTHCARE
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MOUNT AVERNIA
38 WATERPORT DAY CENTRE
MOTORING
24 TOURISM, GROWTH AND OPPORTUNITY
54 MY FIRST CAR: VAUXHALL VIVA
26 LA LÍNEA'S NEW DAWN
56 ROCK CLASSICS: MUSTANG BULLITT
40 ORIGINS AND MEMORIES
58 LEXUS LBX 60 TRIO OF TOYOTAS
81 MARK THE VET: HEAR, HEAR!
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FEATURE // BY ERAN SHAY
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Travelling on the Number 2 bus the other day, I was approached by a family of foreign visitors asking me where they should get off in
order to take the cable-car up the Rock. They were horrified to hear that the cable-car has closed down for long term refurbishment, saying that they have used a specialist travel AI chatbot agent to plan their entire trip of Andalucia and Gibraltar and nowhere did the AI agent informed them that the cable-car is closed.
Faced with a logistics problem and the disappointment of their kids who were very much looking forward to the cable ride up the Rock, I suggested them a number of alternative ways to go up the Rock, but this incident highlighted one important fact- AI is a powerful tool, but it cannot replace real experience and professional advice.
vidual circumstances. Depending on the profession and jurisdiction, they may also be regulated, insured and accountable for the advice they provide.A chatbot generally has none of those responsibilities.
Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming part of everyday life. Millions of people now use AI chatbots to research destinations, understand legal or financial questions, prepare business documents, compare investments, plan journeys and help make important decisions.
This distinction is becoming increasingly important.AI is extraordinarily good at providing information.Professional advisers provide judgement.A business consultant does not simply tell a client what different strategies exist. A good adviser understands the company, its people, competitors, financial position, objectives and appetite for risk before recommending a course of action.A lawyer does not simply reproduce legislation. The lawyer interprets how legislation, contracts, regulations and previous decisions apply to a client's particular circumstances.An accountant does more than explain a tax rule. They understand the client's wider financial position and the interaction between different obligations.
The next stage is potentially even more significant. Agentic AI does not simply answer questions. AI agents can increasingly be given an objective and allowed to perform a sequence of tasks on our behalf — researching information, analysing documents, interacting with websites, preparing communications and, in some cases, taking actions. The benefits are enormous. But there is a danger in confusing an extraordinarily powerful tool with something it is not:AI is not a professional adviser. It can support lawyers, accountants, business consultants, travel advisers, financial professionals and many other specialists. It can make them faster and more productive. But relying entirely on AI instead of professional expertise can expose individuals and businesses to risks they may not even realise they are taking.
THE CONFIDENCE PROBLEM One of AI's greatest strengths is also one of its greatest weaknesses: it communicates extremely well.Ask a chatbot a question and it can produce a polished, coherent answer within seconds. It may provide dates, statistics, names, regulations and recommendations with remarkable confidence. Unfortunately, confidence is not the same as accuracy. Generative AI can produce information that sounds entirely plausible but is inaccurate, outdated, misunderstood or sometimes completely invented. These errors are often described as AI hallucinations. A professional adviser can also make mistakes, of course. But there is an important difference.A qualified professional normally has training, experience, professional obligations and an understanding of the client's indi-
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INFORMATION IS NOT THE SAME AS ADVICE
Travel provides a particularly good illustration because information changes constantly.Visa requirements change. Airlines alter baggage policies. Flight schedules move. Border procedures change. Attractions close. Ferry timetables change. Countries introduce new entry requirements and more. In fact many AI travel tools are not yet aware of the recent Treaty between Gibraltar and the EU and will still mention passport controls at the entrance to Gibraltar. An experienced travel professional may know that a theoretically possible 90-minute connection at a particular airport is extremely risky because passengers need to clear immigration, collect luggage and check in again.AI may simply calculate that 90 minutes appears sufficient.Data tells you what should happen. Experience often tells you what actually happens.That difference has considerable value.
PROFESSIONALS UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU DIDN'T ASK Perhaps one of the greatest advantages of human advisers is their ability to identify questions that the client did not know needed asking.You might ask an AI:"Can my company do this?"AI may answer the question exactly as asked. An experienced adviser might instead say:"Yes, but have you considered the
SEPTEMBER 2026
tax consequences, licensing requirement, insurance implications and what happens if your customer is located in another jurisdiction?" That ability to recognise the unknown unknowns is one of the most valuable aspects of professional advice.You cannot ask AI the right question if you do not know that the issue exists.
WHO IS ACCOUNTABLE WHEN AI GETS IT WRONG? This may ultimately become one of the biggest questions surrounding widespread AI adoption.If a lawyer, accountant or regulated financial adviser gives negligent professional advice, established systems may exist for complaints, professional discipline and compensation.But what happens when somebody loses £100,000 because they followed an AI chatbot's recommendation?Or when a company receives a regulatory penalty because its AI agent misunderstood a compliance requirement?Or when a traveller loses thousands because an AI-generated itinerary was impossible?
AI WILL TRANSFORM PROFESSIONAL ADVICE, NOT ELIMINATE IT This does not mean professional advisers can ignore AI.Quite the opposite. Lawyers, accountants, consultants, travel advisers, estate agents and other professionals who use AI effectively may become significantly more productive.AI can conduct preliminary research in seconds.It can analyse large documents.It can compare scenarios. It can summarise thousands of words. It can identify patterns that humans might miss.It can automate repetitive administrative work. The professional adviser of the future may therefore be a human expert empowered by AI, rather than either a human or AI operating independently.The smartest approach therefore is not choosing between humans and artificial intelligence, it is combining them. Use AI for speed, research and analysis. Use professionals for experience, judgement, accountability and context.Because when an important decision goes wrong, saying "the AI told me so" is unlikely to be much consolation.
Eran Shay, Managing Director, Benefit Business Solutions www.BenefitGibraltar.com
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BUSINESS NEWS //
SOMETHING SO EXCITING IS OFFICIALLY HERE! IT’S FINALLY HAPPENING: The TLTRTR sisterhood is officially launching, and we couldn't be more thrilled to invite you to be part of it! This isn’t just another network, it’s a genuine community of sisters. A warm, supportive foundation to grow, share, and lift each other up, heart-to-heart. If you want to be part of an empowering sisterhood (or know friends and colleagues who belong here!), we’d love to welcome you. Ready to join? Contatct us to join the TLTRTR Club Get in Touch & Spread the Word! Via email: TheLadiesThatRock@gmail.com Or call us: 20073669
Parasol_printing_ Abril 2021.pdf
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// BUSINESS NEWS
CHIEF MINISTER WELCOMES NEW UK MINISTER FOR THE OVERSEAS TERRITORIES The Chief Minister, the Hon Fabian Picardo KC MP, today took part in the first meeting between the elected leaders of the British Overseas Territories and the new UK Minister for the Overseas Territories, Uma Kumaran MP.
ment Office and the United Kingdom Overseas Territories Association. Ms Kumaran succeeds Stephen Doughty MP, who is now Minister of State at the FCDO for the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The meeting was convened by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Develop-
The Chief Minister, the Hon Fabian Picardo KC MP, said:
“I thank Minister Doughty for his Rock-solid support during our Treaty negotiations and I welcome Minister Kumaran to her new role and wish her well. I look forward to working with her, as I have with her predecessors, in the interests of Gibraltar and of the Overseas Territories.
Gibraltar Cultural Services is pleased to announce the nominees for the 2026 Cultural Awards. The Awards aim to celebrate the best of Gibraltar’s arts and culture by recognising potential, ability, talent, and achievements throughout Gibraltar’s cultural community. The Cultural Awards Board, comprising of The Hon. Fabian Vinet, Paula Latin, Ernest Gomez, Suyenne Catania Perez and Seamus Byrne, has considered nominations received through the public nomination process, alongside individuals and groups who have been active in Gibraltar’s cultural sector over time. Based on performances and events produced, as well as achievements attained primarily between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026, the Board has selected a shortlist of nominees across several categories. As part of the process, the public is encouraged to vote for their preferred nominees. The public lines will be launched in September with the support of Gibtelecom who will be providing charity telephone numbers. Proceeds from the calls will once again be donated to the GBC Open Day.
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At NatWest International our Commercial teams are here to support you with all aspects of your banking needs.
Meet the Commercial Banking Team from NatWest International
Across our four jurisdictions we’re proud to help our customers, spanning from sole traders and SMEs to large corporates. Our dedicated team of experienced Relationship Managers are on hand to offer support and guidance. The local team are introduced below, with each being a key member of the NatWest International team…
Bianca Lester Head of Corporate and Commercial, Gibraltar E: Bianca.Lester@rbsint.com T: +350 56001476
Bianca started her career in RBS Gibraltar 27 years ago. After having fulfilled several different roles within the Bank, Bianca joined the Corporate Team in October 2003. She’s been involved in several key local transactions over the years and 5 years ago took up the role of Head of Corporate and Commercial for Gibraltar. Bianca comments, “I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to develop and support our corporate customers, ranging from the small business in the high street to the largest corporate businesses in their everyday banking needs. I am committed to providing an excellent customer service and delivering the best customer experience.”
Eligibility criteria may apply. You must be over 18 and a resident in the Channel Islands, Gibraltar, or Isle of Man. Subject to status, business use only. Your business must be registered in the Channel Islands, Gibraltar or Isle of Man. Product fees may apply. For full details on all our terms, conditions and risk associated to our products, please visit our website www.natwestinternational.com/business 10
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Mark Stevens
Amanda Cid de La Paz
Relationship Manager, Top 25 Portfolio
Assistant Relationship Director
E: Mark.Stevens@rbsint.com
E: Amanda.CiddeLaPaz @natwestint.com
T: +350 20014438
T: +350 57302000
Mark has been with the Bank for over 30 years. He worked in the UK, before moving to work in Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey and now Gibraltar. Having started his career in the retail side of the business, Mark transitioned across to the Commercial team when he moved to Jersey. He has taken on roles in both Real Estate Finance and Corporate and Commercial. Mark says, “My attitude and drive has always been centred around putting the customer first and treating our customers in the way I would like to be treated. My desire to help all bank customers means I am always happy to help find practical solutions and to collaborate with colleagues to ensure we find the right outcomes to support our local communities.”
Amanda started her career in retail banking over 23 years ago and has held various customer-facing roles within NatWest International. She has diligently worked on developing her communication and leadership skills, earning the trust of both colleagues and customers as a trusted advisor. Transitioning onto the Corporate and Commercial team to become a Senior Assistant Relationship Director 3 years ago, she has committed to building enduring relationships with her customers and understanding their needs to provide tailored solutions. Amanda comments, “I am a proud advocate of our NatWest International brand, bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience in both the personal and non-personal sectors of the bank. I strive to provide an exceptional service to our customers and support them with their banking needs.”
Sylvana Balestrino
Cheryl Neale
Relationship Manager
Assistant Relationship Manager, Commercial Banking
E: Sylvana.Balestrino @natwestint.com
E: Cheryl.Neale@rbsint.com T: +350 58009610
T: +350 20014617
With over 33 years of service at NatWest International, Sylvana Balestrino brings a wealth of experience and expertise to her new role as Commercial Relationship Manager. Her career spans a wide range of positions, most recently as a Senior Mortgage Specialist, where she delivered tailored financial solutions to personal and business clients. Sylvana’s strong local market knowledge, meticulous attention to risk management, and unwavering commitment to customer service enable her to build trusted, long-standing relationships, underpinned by integrity, care, and a genuine passion for helping clients achieve their financial goals. Sylvana comments, “I’m passionate about building lasting relationships and being a trusted partner who genuinely supports customers through every stage of their journey.”
Cheryl started her banking career in 2001 at the age of 19 where she was part of the operations team. Over the years she has worked in several different departments including voucher processing, payments and cashier. Through these roles she has gained a lot of knowledge on systems and processes. Cheryl has been part of the Corporate Banking team for the past two years and she likes to ensure that her clients receive a high standard of service and works to form a close working relationship with them. Cheryl believes, “Excellent customer service is the key to a great relationship with the customer.”
The Royal Bank of Scotland International Limited trading as NatWest International is registered in Jersey (no. 2304) as a private company with limited liability. Regulated by the Jersey Financial Services Commission. Registered and Head Office: Royal Bank House, 71 Bath Street, St. Helier, Jersey, JE4 8PJ. Tel. 01534 282850. NatWest International is the registered business name of The Royal Bank of Scotland International Limited under the Business Names Registration Act. Gibraltar business address: NatWest International House, 57 Line Wall Road, Gibraltar. Tel. +350 200 77737 or +350 200 73200. Regulated and authorised by the Financial Services Commission, Gibraltar to undertake Banking and Investment Business from 55 and 57 Line Wall Road, Gibraltar. GIBINSIGHT.COM
SEPTEMBER 2026
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BUSINESS NEWS //
Government announces appointment of Mr Angelo Cerisola as CEO of Gibraltar's Disclosure and Barring Service HM Government of Gibraltar is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr Angelo Cerisola, currently Director for Services, Safety and Standards at the Care Agency, as the first Chief Executive Officer of Gibraltar's new Disclosure and Barring Service. The establishment of a Gibraltar Disclosure and Barring Service will form an important part of the Government's wider work to strengthen safeguarding, safer recruitment and public protection arrangements across Gibraltar. The new service will be responsible for supporting employers, voluntary organisations and statutory bodies through a structured system of disclosure and barring. This will include the processing of disclosure checks and, where appropriate, the maintenance of barred lists identifying individuals who are prohibited from engaging in regulated activity relating to children and/or adults. Mr Cerisola brings considerable experience from within the Care Agency, including in service standards, safety, compliance and safeguarding expertise. His appointment will ensure that the new service is led by someone with a strong understanding of Gibraltar's existing care structures, public protection responsibilities and the importance of clear governance. The Disclosure and Barring Service will operate in partnership with, and not in place of, the statutory safeguarding responsibilities of the Care Agency and other relevant bodies. The appropriate safeguarding bodies will continue to retain responsibility for frontline safeguarding investigations, case management and protective interventions. The Government is also progressing the legislative and operational framework required to underpin the service and ensure that its functions, powers and responsibilities are clearly defined. Further details on the implementation of the Disclosure and Barring Service, including its legislative framework and operational arrangements, will be announced in due course. Mr Angelo Cerisola said: "I am grateful for the confidence placed in me by the appointment to take on this new role. The creation of Gibraltar's Disclosure and Barring Service is an important opportunity to strengthen public protection and support safer recruitment across our community. "I look forward to working with colleagues across Government, the Royal Gibraltar Police, Care Agency, employers, voluntary organisations and other partners to develop a service that is practical and properly aligned with Gibraltar's needs."
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// BY JO WARD
A New Hori z on for Gibraltar
Insight’s Jo Ward asked Chief Minister Fabian Picardo KC about his thoughts on the opportunities ahead for Gibraltar, the advantages of a changing relationship with it's neighbours and what the future might hold.
A Long Journey
Q A
The Treaty has been many years in the making. Now that it has been agreed, has it sunk in yet, or do you still find yourself thinking there's more work to do?
Q
There must have been moments during the negotiations when you wondered whether agreement would ever be reached. Looking back, what were the most challenging periods?
It is certainly a moment to reflect on. This has been a decade in the making and more than four years negotiating the Treaty itself, after the work that began with Brexit, so seeing the frontier arrangements operating is hugely significant. But implementation is a different phase of the work. The Treaty is now in force and the Public Service, businesses and our neighbours are adapting to it. There is still a great deal to do to make sure we extract its full potential.
A
There were many moments when the distance between the parties was considerable. The hardest part was always keeping focused on the substance when there was pressure to reach an agreement simply because people wanted the uncertainty to end. We were determined that speed could never come at the expense of Gibraltar's fundamental interests. That meant being prepared to walk away if the right deal could not be achieved.
Q
You've often said that Gibraltar would never compromise on sovereignty, jurisdiction or control. How satisfying is it to reach an agreement that you believe delivers on those principles?
A
It is immensely satisfying because those were never negotiating slogans. They were the parameters within which we had to work. The Treaty protects Gibraltar's British sovereignty and constitutional position. We have secured fluidity at the frontier without surrendering who we are. The UK-Gibraltar Concordat also provides the protections that Parliament required, including the double lock on termination.
Q A
Negotiating a deal of this scale must have taken a personal toll as well as a political one. How has this journey affected you personally over the years?
Q A
Much of the real work happened away from the cameras. Can you share what life was really like behind the scenes during the negotiations?
Q A
Was there a particular moment when you realised, "We might actually get this over the line"?
It has consumed a very large part of my working life. There have been difficult days and difficult nights, and there have been moments of enormous pressure. But I have always known why we were doing it. My responsibility was to secure the best possible future for Gibraltar and for the generations that come after us.
It was detailed, technical and relentless. There were long meetings dealing with individual words and provisions, alongside the much bigger political questions. There were constant conversations between Gibraltar, London, Brussels and Madrid. A lot of the work was about finding solutions that could work for everybody without crossing the lines that Gibraltar had set.
There were several moments, but the political agreement of 11 June 2025 was obviously decisive. Even then, however, we knew there was a huge amount of legal and technical work still to do. The signature in Brussels and the unanimous approval by the EU Member States gave us the certainty that the Treaty would actually move into operation. 14
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Q A
During such a lengthy process, what kept you motivated when progress seemed slow?
Gibraltar did. I never lost sight of the fact that behind every negotiating point were real people: workers crossing the frontier, families, businesses, students and people who simply wanted to be able to travel without the frontier becoming a source of anxiety. The prospect of giving future generations greater freedom and certainty was a very powerful motivation.
Q A
How important was the relationship between Gibraltar, the UK Government and your negotiating teams in achieving the final outcome?
It was fundamental. Gibraltar could not have secured this outcome without the very close relationship we developed with the UK Government and the FCDO. The Gibraltar negotiating team, our Attorney General and our officials also did an extraordinary job. This was a genuinely collective effort. The Treaty is between the UK and EU, but Gibraltar's interests were at the centre of the negotiation.
What the Treaty Means
Q A
If you had to explain the Treaty to someone in just a couple of minutes, what would you say are its biggest achievements?
Q A
Which aspects of the agreement do you think will make the greatest difference to everyday life for Gibraltarians?
It gives Gibraltar certainty. It protects our British sovereignty and constitutional position while delivering a fluid land frontier. It gives businesses a more secure environment in which to operate and allows people to move more freely between Gibraltar, Spain and the wider European Union. It also creates a framework for much greater cooperation with our neighbours.
The frontier will make the most immediate difference. People are able to cross it as part of their ordinary lives rather than feeling that every journey is dependent on the politics of the day. The Treaty also gives businesses certainty, protects workers and opens up greater opportunities for trade, tourism and employment.
Q A
The prospect of a fluid frontier is something many people have hoped for over generations. What do you think that will mean, not just practically but emotionally, for people on both sides of the border?
Q A
Gibraltar has always had a unique relationship with the Campo de Gibraltar. Do you think this Treaty offers an opportunity to redefine that relationship for future generations?
The frontier has carried an enormous amount of history. For many people, particularly older generations, it represents memories of separation and restriction. We now have an opportunity to change what that frontier means. It can become a point of connection rather than division. That requires a change in mind-set on both sides, but I believe people are ready for it.
Absolutely. I have always believed that Gibraltar and the Campo can prosper together. There are enormous opportunities for businesses, workers and communities on both sides. We should be looking at how we create shared prosperity across the whole area.
Q A
Every agreement brings opportunities. Which sectors do you believe stand to benefit most in the years ahead?
Q A
What opportunities do you hope young Gibraltarians will have that previous generations simply didn't?
Q A
Are there any misconceptions about the Treaty that you would particularly like to address?
I would not limit it to one sector. Financial services, tourism, retail, professional services, transport and education can all benefit from greater connectivity and certainty. There are also opportunities in areas we have not yet fully imagined. The important thing is that we now have a platform from which businesses can invest and plan with greater confidence.
I want young Gibraltarians to be able to look north, south and across Europe and see opportunity rather than barriers. They should be able to study, work, build businesses and develop relationships across our region with much greater ease. If we get this right, the Treaty will expand the horizons of the next generation without changing who they are.
The biggest misconception is that Gibraltar somehow gave something away on sovereignty. We did not. Gibraltar's British sovereignty remains fully protected. The Treaty is about how we manage our relationship with Europe and our neighbours, not about changing Gibraltar's constitutional status. The other misconception is that implementation will happen perfectly from day one. Any transformation of this scale requires adjustment. That is why Government and the Public Service are working continuously to resolve practical issues as they arise.
Personal Reflections
Q A
When historians look back on this period, what do you hope they'll say Gibraltar achieved?
I hope they will say that Gibraltar secured its future without compromising its identity. That we faced an extraordinarily difficult situation, negotiated with determination and emerged with a framework that gives our people greater security and opportunity. And I hope they will say that we turned a frontier which had divided communities for generations into a place where people could meet, work and prosper together.
Q A
Finally, after everything that's gone into reaching this point, what message would you like to leave with the people of Gibraltar as we begin this new chapter?
Be confident in Gibraltar. We have protected what matters and created new possibilities for the future. There will be things to learn and arrangements to refine as the Treaty beds in, but we should not lose sight of the scale of what has been achieved. This is an opportunity for Gibraltar to look forward with confidence, to strengthen our relationship with our neighbours and to build an even more prosperous future for our children and grandchildren.
Quickfire Questions
A New Relationship
Q A Q A
Looking Ahead
Do you feel we're entering a genuinely new era with Spain and our neighbouring communities?
In one word, how would you describe this moment? Historic.
Yes. The Treaty gives us a framework within which historic differences do not have to prevent practical cooperation. Our negotiating teams have worked hard to establish a relationship based on mutual respect. That is something we should build on.
What kept you going during the toughest negotiations?
How do you hope relations between Gibraltar and the Campo de Gibraltar will develop over the next decade?
Who has been your greatest source of support throughout this process?
I would like the relationship to become much more normal. I want people to think about the Campo as a place of opportunity and cooperation, not simply as the area on the other side of the frontier. There are opportunities in tourism, commerce, education, transport, culture and many other areas. We should be ambitious about what this region can achieve together.
Q A
Do you think the Treaty can become a model of cooperation despite political differences?
Yes, and I think that is one of its most important features. We have demonstrated that it is possible to protect strongly held political positions while creating practical arrangements that benefit ordinary people. The Treaty simply allows us to get on with creating prosperity while respecting those positions.
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The people of Gibraltar and the knowledge that we were negotiating for the generations who come after us.
My children, first and foremost. Politically, I have also been extraordinarily fortunate to have had Joseph Garcia and Michael LLamas beside me throughout this process.
What are you most looking forward to now? Seeing the Treaty work for ordinary people. The negotiations are over. Now we have to turn the agreement into opportunities and prosperity.
When the Treaty is finally ratified, how will you celebrate? We have already had the extraordinary moment of seeing the Treaty signed and the frontier open. I think the best celebration now is to make it work. That is the responsibility we have.
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// BY JO WARD
A New Chapter for Gibraltar from a Historian’s Perspective
Jo Ward talks to Gibraltarian Historian Richard J. M. Garcia MBE. For Gibraltar, history is rarely confined to the pages of books. It is lived at the frontier, shaped by politics and remembered in family stories passed from one generation to the next. That is why the signing of the new UK-EU treaty on Gibraltar has prompted such strong emotions. For some it represents opportunity, for others uncertainty, but for Gibraltarian historian Richard Garcia it is best understood as another milestone in a much longer journey rather than a single defining moment. Speaking shortly after the agreement was signed, Richard offered a characteristically measured assessment. While acknowledging its importance, he was careful to place the
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treaty within the wider sweep of Gibraltar's history. "It is an important matter," he says, "but it's not necessarily the most important. It is one of a series of milestones along the way in which Gibraltar has grown, developed and progressed.” That historical perspective is vital. Gibraltar has never stood still. Over the centuries it has weathered sieges, political disputes, isolation, economic transformation and changing relationships with both Britain and Spain. Each generation has faced its own challenges, and each has helped shape the Gibraltar we know today.
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One of Richard's most striking observations concerns something most Gibraltarians have never experienced – a time when crossing into Spain was remarkably uncomplicated. Richard explains that before the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936, Gibraltarians could simply cross into Spain without carrying a passport. “Spaniards entering Gibraltar required permits because of Gibraltar's military status, but the rigid passport controls many associate with the frontier today did not exist.” "The removal of passport checks," he went on, "is in many ways taking us back to where we were before Franco." It is an important reminder that history does not always move in a straight line. Sometimes what feels revolutionary is, in fact, the restoration of something that once existed. The frontier itself carries layers of misunderstanding. Many people assume it has always existed in its present form, but Richard points out that the fence separating Gibraltar from Spain was only constructed by the British between 1908 and 1909. Before then there was no physical barrier of the kind people recognise today. Ironically, he notes, had the British never built that fence, Franco would never have been able to close it so completely during his dictatorship. "There wasn't any frontier fence at all," Richard recalls. "You went out of Gibraltar, across no man's land, and only dealt with Spanish authorities when you reached La Línea." The frontier has long attracted colourful nicknames, none more enduring than the "Garlic Wall" – a tongue-in-cheek Gibraltarian reference to the barrier separating Gibraltar from Spain. Richard describes it as having "a Mediterranean flavour of the Berlin Wall," a comparison that reflects not only its physical presence but also the political symbolism it acquired during the Franco years. Yet he is keen to challenge another common misconception. Spain has traditionally refused to recognise it as an international frontier, referring to it instead simply as "the fence". As Richard points out, it was perhaps the only fence in the world where you needed a passport to cross. The nickname may raise a smile, but behind it lies a powerful reminder of decades when a short stretch of land became one of Europe's most politically charged crossing points, shaping the daily lives of thousands of people on both sides. These are details that rarely feature in everyday conversation but fundamentally alter our understanding of Gibraltar's relationship with its neighbour. Perhaps inevitably, reactions to the treaty have been mixed. Social media has been awash with speculation, concern and rumour. Richard recognises those anxieties but also sees them as part of a familiar historical pattern. He recalls similar fears when the frontier reopened after Franco's blockade. Initially reopening to pedestrians in 1982 before fully opening in 1985, many worried that unrestricted access throughout the night would create serious security problems. Previously, the gates were closed at midnight and reopened early in the morning. Those fears, he suggests, ultimately proved unfounded. Today's concerns, he believes, echo those same uncertainties. History
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shows that communities often fear change before adapting to it.
fies the 2006 Córdoba Agreement as a pivotal turning point.
That does not mean people should dismiss genuine questions about the future. Rather, Richard believes they should resist allowing misinformation and emotion to overwhelm careful judgement.
Unlike earlier negotiations, where Gibraltar was largely presented as a fait accompli with decisions already made by London and Madrid, Córdoba established Gibraltar as an equal participant at the negotiating table.
"There are going to be lots of stories," he says. "Not everything we hear is going to be correct." Instead of focusing on sensational headlines, Richard believes Gibraltar's greatest strength has always been its people. "Gibraltar's greatest asset," he stated, "is the Gibraltarian." For him, the success of the treaty will depend less on politicians than on ordinary people on both sides of the frontier. If residents, businesses and communities embrace greater cooperation, then the agreement has every chance of succeeding. "I think people power on both sides is what's going to make this either work or not work." That optimism is rooted in experience rather than idealism. Richard argues that a failure to reach agreement would likely have resulted in a much harder frontier, with significant consequences for workers, families and businesses throughout Gibraltar and the Campo de Gibraltar. While historians are naturally more comfortable analysing the past than predicting the future, Richard believes the origins of this agreement stretch back much further than recent Brexit negotiations. He identi-
Richard contrasts it with the earlier airport agreement negotiated during Sir Joshua Hassan's leadership, when Gibraltar had no input. The Córdoba process, led by Sir Peter Caruana alongside British and Spanish ministers, fundamentally changed that relationship. "Gibraltar was an interlocutor," he explains. "It was able to influence the final documents and had to agree the final agreement." Without that breakthrough, he believes today's treaty negotiations would have been almost impossible. He also credits Chief Minister Fabian Picardo with building on those foundations over the years that followed, demonstrating that constitutional progress is often achieved gradually rather than through dramatic single events. Another misconception Richard is keen to address concerns Gibraltar Airport. Some have suggested the treaty suddenly opens Gibraltar to flights across Europe. In reality, European routes were already possible under the Cordoba agreements of 2006. The problem was not political but commercial, and airlines simply found the Gibraltar route financially unviable. Changes to airport management and landing charges over the last 30 years have improved Gibraltar's competitiveness, but market demand will ultimately determine which routes succeed. Throughout our conversation, Richard repeatedly returns to one central theme: sovereignty. Whatever practical changes the treaty introduces, he insists it does not alter where British sovereignty begins or where Spanish sovereignty ends. "The fact that Spanish sovereignty finishes where it always finished, and British sovereignty begins at exactly the same point, has not changed." For many Gibraltarians, that reassurance is central to understanding the agreement. Asked how future historians might remember this moment, Richard avoided dramatic declarations. Instead, he sees it as another chapter in Gibraltar's remarkable ability to adapt while preserving its identity. His closing reflection captures both the historical significance and the personal hope he feels. "The signature of the treaty has ushered in a new sense of hope for greater and more positive cooperation on both sides, with both sides wanting the treaty to benefit their citizens." For someone who has spent decades studying Gibraltar's past, hope is not offered lightly. History teaches that frontiers can divide, but they can also connect. They can become symbols of conflict or gateways to cooperation. Whether this treaty ultimately transforms Gibraltar will only become clear with time. But if Richard Garcia is right, its true legacy will not be measured solely by constitutional arrangements or passport checks. It will be measured by the lives people build across a frontier that, after centuries of tension, may finally become less of a barrier and more of a bridge.
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// BY JENNY EAGLE
JOHN ISOLA ON GIBRALTAR’S NEW ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY
As Gibraltar enters a new era of closer connectivity with Spain, the business community is looking ahead to what the changes could mean for investment, employment, tourism and the wider economy. Few organisations understand Gibraltar’s economic relationship with the neighbouring region better than The Gibraltar Chamber of Commerce. Established in 1889, the Chamber is the Rock's oldest independent business organisation and today represents over 300 businesses from every corner of Gibraltar's economy, from independent retailers on Main Street to international financial services firms, gaming operators, shipping companies, professional practices, hospitality businesses and importers. For more than a century, it has become one of the private sector's most influential voices, representing members in
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discussions with Government on taxation, employment, planning, customs, licensing and cross-border trade. At the helm, is President John Isola, who took on the role from Christian Hernandez in 2022. Alongside his responsibilities at the Chamber, he is Managing Director of Anglo Hispano, one of Gibraltar's longest-established family businesses. For him, the significance of the open border goes far beyond simply reducing queues. It represents a return to greater certainty and stability for a business community that has long depended on the movement of people, workers and visitors across the frontier.
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A BORDER THAT HAS ALWAYS SHAPED BUSINESS “Since the border opened in 1985, businesses have always been affected by the flows of people across the border,” says Isola. “When controls have been stricter and there have been queues, that has affected business because most of our visitors come from across the border - whether they are Spanish nationals living in the local area, people from further afield, or other nationalities who are on holiday along the coast and come to visit us for the day.” Over the years, they have experienced periods when the border operated smoothly and other times when delays and uncertainty created challenges. “The volumes have ebbed and flowed depending on the restrictions at the border,” Isola explains. “At times, the border has been difficult to predict.” That uncertainty has been one of the biggest concerns for commercial operations, particularly those dependent on tourism and regular cross-border movement. For retailers, restaurants, attractions and hospitality providers, the ability for people to move easily into Gibraltar is crucial. Even the perception that crossing the border may involve long delays can influence whether someone decides to visit.
CROSS-BORDER WORKERS One of the most significant economic factors highlighted by Isola is the role played by cross-border employees. Gibraltar’s economy has long depended on workers who live in Spain but travel daily to jobs on the Rock. They form an essential part of many sectors, supporting businesses and allowing Gibraltar’s economy to operate at its current scale. He estimates that Gibraltar’s daily working population is effectively doubled by the arrival of cross-border staff. “Generally speaking, the working population doubles every day by the arrival of cross-border workers,” he says.
ness levels, which would not have been possible had there not been an agreement.”
“As a result, people stayed away.”
He points specifically to industries such as gaming and financial services, which rely heavily on access to skilled professionals.
“This hopefully is a thing of the past,” he says.
“These sectors also depend on cross-border workers,” he explains. “Without the Treaty, life would have been very difficult for those workers to reach their places of work on a daily basis, and companies may have moved elsewhere as a result.” However, Isola believes tourism and tourism-related outlets could see one of the most immediate benefits. “The sectors that will benefit most from a free-flowing border will be tourism and tourism-related businesses,” he says. “Without any controls at the border, we should be able to attract many more visitors.” One of the biggest challenges since Brexit has been perception. Although Gibraltar has continued to welcome visitors, concerns about possible delays and uncertainty at the frontier have influenced travel decisions. Isola believes this has had a real impact. “Since Brexit, the perception had been that getting into Gibraltar was difficult, with the concern being that one wouldn’t know how long the queues would be and what documentation would be needed,” he says.
“Without these cross-border workers, Gibraltar’s economy would not have been able to grow to the level that it is at today,” John Isola
The hope now is that this uncertainty will disappear.
A more predictable travel experience could encourage more visitors from Andalucía, the Costa del Sol and beyond to include Gibraltar in their plans, supporting hotels, restaurants, retailers and attractions. Beyond tourism and employment, Isola believes the new arrangements could create a more stable environment for commercial entities and investors. “Certainly, both in Gibraltar and in the Campo, the new arrangements will hopefully offer a long-term stable business environment which will give confidence to investors,” he says. For Gibraltar, stability is a key factor in attracting and retaining companies. Corporations want certainty when making decisions about investment, recruitment and expansion. A more seamless relationship with the surrounding region could help strengthen Gibraltar’s position as a place to do business.
ADAPTING TO THE NEW REALITY While the long-term outlook is positive, Isola acknowledges that firms have had to adapt to immediate practical changes. For companies involved in importing and exporting goods, the introduction of new customs arrangements has required preparation. “In the very short term, businesses trading in goods have been having to grapple with the new customs arrangements for imports and exports,” he explains. “This has involved changes to IT systems, training of personnel and adapting to new processes,” he says. “This has also presented a big challenge for customs and other Government organisations on both sides of the border.
“The working population is made up of around 15,000 resident workers and then another 15,000 cross-border workers, who are mainly Spanish but include other nationalities as well.”
“In the early days following the start of the new arrangements, there has been disruption on the flow of goods coming into Gibraltar.But it is hoped that the teething problems can be ironed out quickly.”
While figures can vary, the importance of this workforce is clear.
THE CHAMBER’S ROLE GOING FORWARD While the new arrangements do not directly change the Chamber’s own operations, they have significant implications for the industry players it represents.
“Without these cross-border workers, Gibraltar’s economy would not have been able to grow to the level that it is at today,” he says.
“Really, the changes do not affect the Chamber as such,” Isola says. “They affect its members.”
The contribution of this labour force extends across multiple industries including Hassans International Law Firm, ISOLAS, Gibtelecom, The Bland Group, Saccone & Speed, and Sunborn Gibraltar, alongside hundreds of independent retailers, restaurants and SMEs.
As businesses adapt to Gibraltar's biggest economic change in decades, the Chamber expects its role to become even more important. From advising members on new customs procedures and employment issues to representing business interests in Government consultations, it will continue acting as the link between the private sector and policymakers.
PROTECTING GIBRALTAR’S KEY INDUSTRIES When considering which industries stand to benefit most from improved access, Isola believes the question is not simply about which areas will gain, but which ones will be able to continue growing because of greater certainty.
For Isola, the frontier agreement is not the end of the conversation but the beginning of a new phase in Gibraltar's economic development - one in which confidence, investment and competitiveness will determine whether the opportunities become reality.
“I think that it is not just a question of which sectors will benefit most,” he says. “It is also a question of the sectors that will be able to maintain and grow their busi-
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SEPTEMBER 2026
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// BY JO WARD
Beyond Borders How the Treaty Could Transform Gibraltar's Healthcare.
Jo Ward talks to the Gibraltar Health Authority's (GHA) new Director General, Dr Paul Bosio, about how an open border could transform healthcare in Gibraltar and strengthen services for generations to come. Following the ratification of the landmark UK/EU Treaty, Gibraltar is entering a new era. As the physical frontier disappears, opportunities for closer cooperation are emerging across many sectors, none more significant than healthcare. Few people are better placed to reflect on what this could mean than the Gibraltar Health Authority's new Director General, Dr Paul Bosio. Having spent almost four decades building an international career in healthcare management, most recently in Abu Dhabi, Dr Bosio returned to Gibraltar just five months ago. His appointment came at a pivotal moment, with the treaty on the horizon and the GHA preparing for one of the biggest operational changes in its history. Yet, surprisingly, the treaty itself was not what persuaded him to return.
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"I wasn't planning to come back," he admits. "I was recruited and asked very nicely to come back here." After twelve years in the United Arab Emirates overseeing major healthcare operations, Dr Bosio had intended to move into consultancy and executive board roles. Returning to Gibraltar where he was born and grew up had not featured in those plans. Instead, it became something far more personal. "It was a little bit of a sentimental return home for me," he says. "I've never worked in Gibraltar before, but it was an emotional response." His timing proved fortuitous. Leaving the Middle East just before regional tensions escalated, Dr Bosio and his family
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settled into a new home in Gibraltar whilst hoping to make more use of their existing holiday home nearby in Spain, a decision that now perfectly illustrates the new reality many Gibraltarians will experience under the treaty. Interestingly, before arriving, he viewed the treaty primarily through a personal lens. "If I'm completely honest," he says, "I hadn't really thought too much about the treaty and its possible impact on the GHA because I was more focussed on everything I had to do for the GHA anyway." That changed quickly as he began assessing how healthcare services would operate in an open-border environment. While the removal of frontier controls has dominated public discussion, much of the GHA's work has taken place behind the scenes. For patients, Dr Bosio hopes the transition will be seamless. "Our job is to make sure that the patient or the patient's relatives don't notice any difference in terms of their medication, their treatments or access to services." Achieving that has required weeks of preparation, particularly around the supply of medicines, blood products and biological samples. Before the treaty, procurement centred largely on the UK. Under the new arrangements, Gibraltar's integration into the Schengen framework has required new supply routes and procedures. "We can't procure directly from the UK anymore because the UK is now effectively a third country outside Schengen," Dr Bosio explains. Rather than seeing this as a setback, he views it as an administrative change. "I wouldn't say things have become more complicated, just different." New partnerships and revised procurement processes have been established to ensure essential medical supplies continue without disruption. "There have been a few weeks of ironing out those new processes," he says. Patients, however, should notice no difference. "We'll still get most of our drugs from the UK, and we may still get some of our blood from the UK. It'll just happen through different processes and for blood we will develop new agreements with Spanish transfusion authorities" At the same time, the treaty opens entirely new possibilities. That means future procurement could become faster, more flexible and potentially more cost-effective by allowing the GHA to source medical equipment, pharmaceuticals and specialist products directly from European suppliers while maintaining its close relationship with the NHS. "It's not that we'll ever become independent of the UK," he stresses. "But Europe has opened up to us again.
BETTER PATIENT CARE
Perhaps the most immediate benefit of an open frontier concerns emergency patient transfers. Gibraltar has long relied on partnerships for specialist healthcare, with many emergency cases requiring treatment in hospitals across Andalucía. Until now, however, ambulances were forced to stop at the frontier so patients could be transferred into Spanish vehicles. "When we transferred patients into Spain," Dr Bosio explains, "we literally had to transfer them at the border onto a Spanish ambulance." The treaty removes that obstacle.
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"In theory, and legally, from now, we can transfer patients directly in our own ambulances to Spain and collect them again afterwards." Although seemingly a small operational change, eliminating an ambulance transfer could save valuable time during life-threatening emergencies while improving patient comfort and continuity of care. Dr Bosio believes it also signals a broader shift towards closer clinical cooperation. "The easier it is for us to coordinate and collaborate with more centres in southern Spain that provide advanced tertiary services, the better it will be." Healthcare increasingly depends on specialist networks, shared expertise and rapid access to advanced treatments. Easier collaboration with neighbouring hospitals offers Gibraltar patients greater flexibility while complementing the GHA's longstanding relationship with the NHS. Despite these significant developments, Dr Bosio's message to the public remains reassuring. "In Gibraltar," he says, "I would hope people notice no difference whatsoever." If the GHA's extensive planning succeeds, patients will continue to receive the same high standards of care they have come to expect, supported by a healthcare system that is becoming more connected, more resilient and better equipped for the future. For Dr Bosio, however, the treaty's greatest significance lies beyond the immediate operational changes. "The major impact," he says thoughtfully, "isn't necessarily immediate. The real significance is the potential for expansion." That potential begins with people.
A STRONGER WORKFORCE
Every day, hundreds of healthcare professionals cross the frontier to work at the GHA. Nurses, healthcare assistants, domestic staff and other essential workers from neighbouring Spain form a vital part of the GHA workforce, ensuring services continue to run smoothly around the clock. Until now, however, that reliance has carried an element of uncertainty. Border delays could affect shift changes, increase pressure on existing staff and create operational challenges, particularly during periods of disruption. "The fact that our staff can now move across an open border makes their lives a lot easier," says Dr Bosio. "We were always a little vulnerable to issues at the border holding up our staff, and in healthcare that can become critical very quickly if people can't get to work on time." Removing that uncertainty is about far more than convenience. "It gives us much greater resilience on a dayto-day basis," he explains. "That really can't be underestimated." The treaty is also expected to strengthen recruitment and staff retention. "Gibraltar is already attractive from a salary and remuneration point of view," he says. "But making it easier for people to work here makes us even more attractive."
LOOKING BEYOND GIBRALTAR
Perhaps the most exciting aspect of Dr Bosio's vision lies in expanding Gibraltar's healthcare reach beyond its traditional borders. The GHA has spent years investing in advanced technology, highly trained clini-
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cians and specialist services. Now, he believes those strengths could benefit a much wider population. "There is no reason why we can't develop private services within the GHA," he says, stressing this does not mean privatising Gibraltar's health service. "I don't want that to be misunderstood. I'm absolutely not advocating becoming a private healthcare service." Instead, he envisages a not-for-profit model where private patients, particularly from the Costa del Sol, could pay to access selected specialist treatments at St Bernard's Hospital, with all income reinvested into the GHA. “With UK-trained consultants, advanced imaging and robotic surgery already in place, Gibraltar has expertise that could attract patients from across the region.” The treaty makes cross-border treatment far easier. "It opens up a much larger catchment area." For Dr Bosio, the treaty's greatest longterm benefit is closer collaboration. Modern healthcare relies on partnerships, specialist networks and shared expertise. Easier access to hospitals in Andalucía will strengthen referrals, joint working and specialist care. "The easier it is to collaborate and coordinate with centres in southern Spain," he says, "the better healthcare becomes." "This will reduce our isolation in healthcare, and that is incredibly important for the future." While the NHS remains central to Gibraltar's healthcare model, stronger links with neighbouring European centres create new opportunities. "It gives us more opportunities to develop advanced services." Dr Bosio is keen to reassure residents that the treaty poses no additional public health risks. "There is nothing for people to worry about." Concerns about infectious diseases or future pandemics are misplaced, he says. "All of our surveillance systems and contingency planning were already based on the fact that people moved freely across the border." "There is nothing new from an infection, disease or epidemic point of view." Instead, he believes the greatest health benefits may come from reduced stress and an improved quality of life. "Freedom of movement and quality of life are important. I would like to think that this will improve wellbeing," he says.
A MOMENT OF OPTIMISM
Having returned to Gibraltar after almost forty years abroad, Dr Bosio combines international healthcare experience with a deep affection for his homeland. "I've been very impressed by the work that has been done locally to get this treaty across the line," he says. "What many people thought would be impossible has actually become a practical and pragmatic agreement." His message is one of measured optimism. Patients should continue to receive the same high standards of NHS-based care while benefiting from a health service that is more resilient, more collaborative and better connected. For a community long defined by its frontier, the treaty represents not simply the removal of a border, but the opening of new possibilities for healthcare and future generations.
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// BY JENNY EAGLE
A Rock-Solid
Future: CHRISTIAN SANTOS ON TOURISM, GROWTH & OPPORTUNITY For generations, Gibraltar’s relationship with Spain and Andalucía has been shaped by geography, history and its position at the entrance of the Mediterranean. Situated between Europe and North Africa, the Rock has long been a meeting point of cultures, communities and commerce, with its location helping shape both its identity and its role as a destination. As movement across the frontier enters a new era, the Government believes the changes create an opportunity to strengthen Gibraltar’s visitor economy while bringing wider benefits to residents and businesses. The Minister for Equality, Employment, Culture and Tour-
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ism, the Hon Christian Santos GMD MP, believes easier access can help reshape how visitors experience Gibraltar, while encouraging closer cooperation with neighbouring regions. Since taking responsibility for tourism following the 2023 Gibraltar General Election, succeeding former Minister for Business, Tourism and The Port Vijay Daryanani MP, Santos has focused on developing Gibraltar as a high-quality destination with year-round appeal. His approach has centred on working with industry partners, supporting local companies and ensuring the territory’s attractions are promoted to new audiences.
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The tourism sector has become an increasingly important part of Gibraltar’s economic landscape, bringing together hospitality, retail, transport, culture and leisure. While the territory has long attracted people because of its location and landmarks, the wider ambition is to continue developing a more diverse visitor experience that reflects the range of activities available throughout the year. Speaking about the impact of easier movement between Gibraltar and Spain, the Minister describes it as an important opportunity for tourism. “Easier movement between Gibraltar and Spain has the potential to significantly boost tourism,” he says. “A smoother, more predictable frontier experience will make Gibraltar easier to visit and encourage more people to include it as part of a wider holiday.” For many travellers exploring the Costa del Sol or Andalucía, Gibraltar has traditionally been a popular addition to their itinerary. The next step is showcasing the wider range of experiences available, encouraging holidaymakers to look beyond the most familiar sights. While the Upper Rock, the Barbary macaques and the views across the Strait of Gibraltar remain major attractions, there is increasing potential to showcase the wider guest experience, from heritage sites and local cuisine to cultural events, shopping and outdoor activities. “Improved accessibility creates a better visitor experience,” explains the Minister. “It supports repeat visits and recommendations, and strengthens Gibraltar’s appeal as a convenient, year-round destination.”
A REGIONAL OPPORTUNITY One of the biggest opportunities ahead is strengthening links with Andalucía and presenting both destinations as complementary parts of a wider Mediterranean adventure. Rather than competing for visitors, the regions can work together to create itineraries that combine coastal attractions, heritage, nature, culture and gastronomy within a relatively compact area. “Yes, we absolutely see an opportunity to promote Gibraltar and Andalucía as complementary destinations,” he says. “Visitors staying along the Costa del Sol or elsewhere in Andalucía will find it easier to visit Gibraltar, so tour operators can develop itineraries that combine Gibraltar with destinations such as Marbella, Cádiz, Seville, Ronda and Tarifa, giving visitors even more reasons to explore the region.”
scenery, food and culture within a relatively short distance, while its location provides a natural link between southern Spain and the wider Mediterranean. A traveller could combine Gibraltar’s maritime heritage and landscapes with Andalucía’s historic cities, beaches and culinary traditions, creating a more connected regional excursion rather than separate visits.
SUPPORTING BUSINESS Tourism reaches far beyond hotels and attractions. Restaurants, retailers, transport providers, tour operators and event organisers all play an important role in the economy. “Improved connectivity is expected to benefit businesses across Gibraltar’s tourism sector,” says the Minister. “More visitors, longer stays and increased day trips will support hotels, restaurants, retailers and attractions. “It will also make it easier to host conferences, sporting events and cultural festivals, while giving businesses access to a wider workforce to help meet demand during busy periods.” For local companies, greater accessibility can support recruitment and collaboration, particularly in sectors where seasonal demand and specialist skills are important. Events will continue to form an important part of the visitor economy, bringing together accommodation providers, venues, restaurants, transport operators and tourism professionals. Gibraltar’s calendar of cultural and sporting events also plays a role in attracting people outside traditional peak periods. A strong events calendar and diverse offer will be important in helping businesses welcome people throughout the year. The focus will be on ensuring that growth delivers meaningful benefits while maintaining the quality of the guest experience. “We want growth, but we want the right
“We want growth that benefits the community while protecting the qualities that make the Rock special.” Christian Santos
BUILDING RECOGNITION In a competitive international tourism market, destinations must continue to communicate what makes them stand out. For Santos, the current changes provide an opportunity to strengthen Gibraltar’s profile and encourage more people to understand the breadth of attractions available. “We want people to discover Gibraltar as part of a wider trip, but also to recognise that Gibraltar itself deserves time,” he says. “There is so much to experience here, from our natural environment and heritage sites to our restaurants, culture and local businesses.” Although tourism will be among the sectors most directly affected by improved movement, the wider economic impact could extend further. “The benefits of improved connectivity are not limited to tourism alone,” says the Minister. “A more accessible Gibraltar creates opportunities for businesses across different sectors and strengthens our relationship with the wider region.” The relationship between Gibraltar and Andalucía extends beyond tourism. With many people living, working and studying on both sides of the frontier, easier movement has the potential to support stronger links between communities and businesses. For the tourism sector, continued success will depend on cooperation between government, industry and regional partners, ensuring that growth is managed effectively and delivers lasting value. “Our businesses are at the heart of tourism,” he says. “They are the people who deliver the experiences that visitors remember, and working together will be key to our future success.”
LOOKING AHEAD For Minister Santos, this moment represents an opportunity to build on Gibraltar’s existing strengths while creating new possibilities for the tourism sector. “This is an important opportunity for Gibraltar’s tourism industry,” he says. “Improved mobility will make Gibraltar more accessible, helping attract new visitors, encourage longer stays and strengthen regional tourism.” The focus now will be on working with organisations and industry partners to ensure tourism growth delivers lasting benefits for the wider community. This includes supporting local operators, encouraging investment, developing new activities and ensuring individuals continue to receive the quality of welcome that Gibraltar is known for.
The importance of cross-border travel is reflected in the latest visitor figures. Land frontier arrivals reached 9.26 million in 2025, compared with 8.93 million in 2024, an increase of almost 340,000 crossings year-on-year. (Gibraltar Government Statistics Office, Tourism Statistics 2025.) These figures highlight the importance of regional travel and the potential for new tourism products linking Gibraltar with Andalucía.
As the sector enters this next chapter, the opportunity is not simply to increase awareness of Gibraltar, but to strengthen its reputation as a destination where people can discover history, culture, nature and hospitality in one place.
For tour operators, this creates scope for more flexible itineraries that appeal to different markets, from cultural travellers and cruise passengers to families and those seeking outdoor activities.
“The aim is simple,” he says. “To make it easier for people to discover Gibraltar, experience what we have to offer and leave wanting to return.”
Gibraltar’s compact size allows people to experience history, nature, coastal
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kind of growth,” says the Minister. “Our focus is on attracting visitors who value what Gibraltar offers and who want to experience our history, culture, natural environment and hospitality.”
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// BY JENNY EAGLE
FOR CENTURIES, THE FRONTIER WITH GIBRALTAR HAS SHAPED LA LÍNEA DE LA CONCEPCIÓN’S IDENTITY, ECONOMY AND DAILY LIFE. AS RESTRICTIONS DISAPPEAR, THE SPANISH CITY HOPES AN HISTORIC TURNING POINT WILL BRING INVESTMENT, OPPORTUNITY AND A NEW RELATIONSHIP WITH ITS NEIGHBOUR.
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For much of its history, La Línea de la Concepción has lived in the shadow of a border that has defined it.
Now, with the opening of the Spain-Gibraltar border in July 2026, the city is facing a moment of historic change.
The Spanish city sits just a few hundred metres from Gibraltar, a British overseas territory at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula. For generations, that proximity has shaped almost every aspect of life in La Línea, from employment and trade to family relationships and the rhythm of everyday movement.
The disappearance of routine border checks marks the end of a system that residents have lived with for decades. But to understand why the moment matters, it is necessary to understand how deeply the frontier became woven into the identity of La Línea itself.
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The city’s name reflects that history. La Línea de la Concepción - “The Line of the Conception” - comes from the defensive line Spain built opposite Gibraltar in the 18th century after Britain captured the territory in 1704 during the War of the Spanish Succession. Gibraltar was later formally ceded to Britain under the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, creating the political situation that continues today. The military boundary that once separated the two sides eventually developed into a town built around the frontier. What began as a place of defence became a community whose fortunes were closely tied to what happened across the border. That connection was tested during one of the most difficult periods in modern Spanish-Gibraltar relations. In 1969, Spain closed the border completely after a dispute over Gibraltar’s sovereignty. The closure separated families, cut workers off from jobs and transformed daily life on both sides. The crossing was reopened in 1985, but the experience left a lasting memory among residents who had seen how quickly political decisions could affect ordinary people. For La Línea, the border was never simply a dividing line. It was also a workplace, a trading route and a connection between communities that had grown up alongside each other. José Juan Franco, mayor of La Línea de la Concepción, has spent much of his life in the city shaped by that relationship. Born there in 1975, Franco worked as a local government official in the municipality’s finance department before entering politics. He has been mayor since 2015 and leads the local political party La Línea 100x100, a movement focused on putting the interests of the border city at the centre of political decision-making.
THE FRONTIER’S IMPACT For residents who have spent generations organising their lives around the frontier, Franco believes the opening of the border marks a historic turning point. “For the people of La Línea, it represents the end of an era that has defined several generations. The border fence was not just a piece of border infrastructure; it shaped our economy, our mobility and, in many cases, the daily lives of thousands of people. Its removal has enormous symbolic value, but above all, it has practical significance,” he said.
“Its influence has been profound,” Franco said. “In La Línea, thousands of families have built their lives over decades around the daily movement between Gibraltar and Spain - whether because they work in Gibraltar, run businesses linked to cross-border activity, or maintain family and social ties on both sides of the border.” But that dependence also created uncertainty. Whenever restrictions were introduced or political disagreements affected the crossing, the effects were felt immediately. “Every disruption at the border had an immediate impact on employment, local businesses, and the economy,” Franco said. The end of those restrictions, he added, provides a more stable environment for residents and companies. “Having smooth and predictable cross-border movement now provides stability and certainty, which is essential for workers and businesses to carry out their activities with greater confidence and for the city to plan its future with greater certainty.” Franco said La Línea now has to ensure the change delivers tangible improvements for the people who have lived alongside the border for so long. “The challenge now is to make the most of this new reality,” he said. “I have always maintained that La Línea should be one of the greatest beneficiaries of any agreement, and now it is time to ensure that this change translates into more opportunities, greater investment, and a better quality of life for our residents.”
“FOR THE PEOPLE OF LA LÍNEA, THIS MARKS THE END OF AN ERA THAT HAS DEFINED SEVERAL GENERATIONS.”
For decades, La Línea’s location was often seen as a disadvantage. As a border city on the edge of Spain, it faced economic challenges and was frequently defined by its proximity to Gibraltar rather than by its own potential. The opening of the border offers the chance to change that perception. Franco believes the relationship with Gibraltar can help attract investment and strengthen sectors such as tourism, hospitality and retail. “A very significant opportunity is opening up for La Línea,” he said. “The normalization of relations with Gibraltar strengthens our ability to attract investment, promote new business projects, and reinforce key sectors such as tourism, retail, and hospitality.” “Our location is no longer seen as a limitation but as a competitive advantage.” However, he stressed that the city cannot rely on geography alone. Investment in infrastructure, urban regeneration and longterm planning will be essential if La Línea is to benefit fully. “These opportunities will not materialize on their own,” Franco said. “We must continue improving infrastructure, advance urban regeneration, and secure the support of all levels of government so that La Línea can fully realize its potential.” The future relationship between La Línea and Gibraltar will continue to involve political questions, but everyday life has always created a closer connection than politics alone suggests. Franco believes the next stage should be built on cooperation. “I believe the relationship between La Línea and Gibraltar should evolve into a new phase of greater cooperation and normality,” he said. “We are two communities that have lived alongside each other for decades and share a clear interdependence in many areas. It is therefore only natural that we continue building bridges through collaboration and mutual respect.” The aim, he said, should be to ensure that both communities benefit from the changes. “The goal should be for this new reality to generate benefits for both sides and, above all, to enable La Línea to make the most of its strategic location to advance economic development, create jobs, and improve quality of life,” Franco said.
That connection was most visible in the thousands of workers who crossed into Gibraltar each day, many employed in sectors such as construction, hospitality, retail and financial services. The movement also supported businesses in La Línea, from shops and cafés to transport companies and suppliers serving customers on both sides of the border.
“We now have an opportunity to leave old constraints behind and build a shared future based on cooperation and trust.” For La Línea, the opening of the border is not simply the removal of a barrier. It is a chance for a city once defined by its position beside Gibraltar to redefine itself - not as a place at the edge, but as a gateway between two communities that have always been connected.
For many families, Gibraltar was not just a place of work but a vital part of their economic and social lives, creating ties that extended across generations.
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THE NEXT CHAPTER
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Sandpiper Gibraltar
SEPT 2026
HAPPY NATIONAL
Day
FROM SANDPIPER GIBRALTAR
PROUD TO CELEBRATE TOGETHER THANK YOU TO OUR AMAZING TEAM AND LOYAL CUSTOMERS
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// BY JENNY EAGLE
THERE ARE FEW PLACES WHERE A NATIONAL DAY FEELS QUITE AS PERSONAL AS IT DOES IN GIBRALTAR.ON 10 SEPTEMBER, THE ROCK CHANGES COLOUR. FLAGS APPEAR ON BALCONIES, CARS, SHOPS AND WINDOWS; RED-ANDWHITE CLOTHES FILL THE STREETS; FAMILIES AND FRIENDS GATHER; MUSIC PLAYS; AND CASEMATES SQUARE BECOMES THE HEART OF THE CELEBRATIONS. But behind the bunting, parties and spectacular outfits
is a day with a serious meaning. Gibraltar National Day is about identity, belonging and the right of Gibraltarians to determine their own future. And that story goes back to one very important date: 10 September 1967. THE VOTE THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING In 1967, Gibraltarians were asked whether they wanted Gibraltar to come under Spanish sovereignty or retain its link with Britain, with democratic local institutions continuing and Britain retaining its existing responsibilities.
RED, WHITE
& Proud GIBRALTAR NATIONAL DAY
politicians traditionally address the crowds, and why words such as self-determination, sovereignty and identity remain part of the day's vocabulary. The occasion can be particularly emotional for Gibraltarians who live overseas. For them, National Day provides a moment when the community at home and abroad can celebrate the connection to the place they consider home. In his 2025 address, Picardo also spoke directly to “Gibraltarians abroad”, recognising the community beyond the territory itself. A NEW GENERATION One of the most interesting things about the event is the way its meaning changes as each generation grows up with it. In 2025, Gibraltar's Minister for Equality, Employment, Culture and Tourism, Christian Santos, spoke to pupils at Prior Park School about the history and importance of National Day. Santos recalled attending the first National Day in 1992, when he was 15, and said that he did not fully understand the significance of the celebrations at the time.
The result was overwhelming. 12,138 people voted to retain the link with Britain, while just 44 voted for Spanish sovereignty. That referendum remains at the heart of National Day.
“It was only in subsequent years that I truly understood the importance of the day,” he explained.
It was not simply a vote about a flag or a government. For many Gibraltarians, it was a statement about who they were and who should have the right to determine their future.
It is a revealing observation. A child may see balloons, music, flags and a day away from school. An adult may see decades of history. Someone older may remember what life was like before the celebrations existed.
The words that have come to define that sentiment were originally expressed by Gibraltar's Legislative Council in 1964: “the soil of Gibraltar shall belong to no-one but the People of Gibraltar.” The phrase remains a powerful symbol of the territory's belief in self-determination.
Each generation adds another layer to the story. GIBRALTAR TODAY National Day also arrives at an important moment for Gibraltar.
Yet the annual celebration came later.
The territory's relationship with Britain, Spain and the European Union continues to shape its political future. In June 2025, the United Kingdom, European Union, Gibraltar and Spain reached a political agreement intended to form the basis of a future treaty concerning Gibraltar. The agreement was presented as a significant step forward, while Gibraltar's political leadership continued to stress that any arrangement must respect British sovereignty and Gibraltar's right to determine its own future.
FROM REFERENDUM TO NATIONAL DAY The first National Day was held on 10 September 1992, marking the 25th anniversary of the 1967 referendum. More than three decades later, it has become one of the biggest dates in the local calendar. While the political message remains important, the occasion has also become something more personal: a day for families, friends, businesses, schools, musicians and community groups to celebrate what makes life on the Rock distinctive.
But National Day is not only about political negotiations.For many people, it is much simpler than that. It is about home.
It is the community of everyday life: the Llanitos, families who have been here for generations, people who have moved to the territory and made it home, and Gibraltarians living abroad who still feel a pull towards the Rock.
It is about hearing the music, seeing the flags, bumping into people you have not seen for months and watching children experience the excitement for the first time.
As Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said in his 2025 National Day address: “I know your hearts are always home on the Rock.”
It is about grandparents explaining why the day matters to their grandchildren, and about a small community making a very big noise.
That sense of home is perhaps one of the reasons the day has endured.
Perhaps the most enduring image of the day is not the political speech or even the enormous crowd.It is Gibraltar itself, covered in red and white.
WHY RED AND WHITE? Red and white are part of the Rock’s identity, appearing on its flag and coat of arms.
In his 2025 address, Picardo ended with the familiar phrase: “Red, white and blue. Red, white and PROUD. Red, white and FREE.”
In celebration of this, the streets, houses and shops are covered in the colours, while people wear red and white from head to toe.
For many Gibraltarians, those words capture the pride and sense of belonging at the heart of the day. The occasion is a celebration of the past, but it is equally about the future. It is a moment when a community pauses to reflect on who it believes it is, and then goes out to celebrate that identity together.
In 2025, Chief Minister Fabian Picardo captured the spirit of the day when he told the crowd at Casemates: “You look better every year in red and white!” The day is also a public expression of Gibraltar's distinct identity and its political aspirations. That is why
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// BY JOE ADAMBERRY
National Day
This time when we gather for our National Day celebrations at Casemates we may pause to remember that our territory is now shared more freely than before. Our geographical footprint may still be the same, but we no longer have a border with our neighbour. In order to secure a viable future with Europe and our neighbour, we have traded the frontier gates and a land border for a complex treaty document between UK and the EU, which sets out how our economic future may become more viable with a friendly neighbour, and with that, we might finally have ditched the long days of frustration when the border was used as an instrument of torture designed to bring us to our knees. With only three months gone of this promised land of milk and honey (moon?) we have not really digested the new climate, nor yet deeply felt its effects on the way of finally living in peace. Are we ready to change our geographical perceptions and are we prepared to forgive past injustices and subscribe to this new vision of shared prosperity, whilst the thorny issue of sovereignty is parked by London and Madrid? What would our forefathers have made of all this? Far be it for me to make this column incendiary by expressing these views. However, we have to dare to ask, because the promise of a better future is not in our hands. Not really, never has been, nor will it ever
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now a shared delight?
be. In 1900, US president Theodore Roosvelt famously said ‘Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far’ Carrot and stick politics (known as big stick diplomacy) will invariably produce beneficial results for the holder of the stick. That is a reality we cannot escape. We can plan and work for a good outcome and with the best of honest intentions, but if our vision does not align with the political masters beyond our territory, our aspirations will be quashed by them. If not quashed at least thwarted and in all probability rejected. We are not masters of our destiny but we can aspire to be the best that we can be, by cooperating with all that is good about the new treaty vision of shared prosperity. There is no good reason to doubt that a better future is possible for those on both sides, but what is good for the goose may not be good for the gander. We are small fry in a large pond where slippery stepping stones prevent us from clambering to safety, but give us time and our ingenuity will enable us to hitch a ride on a water lily and we can paddle our way to safety again and again, always avoiding any big sticks and circumventing the smooth talk of the carrot holders. Our forefathers would like that. HAPPY NATIONAL DAY.
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10 SEPTEMBER From
GMI Homes To all Gibraltarians
u all a o y g n i h Wis
wonderful, happy and joyful Gibraltar Na
tional
May this special day be filled with pride, happiness, family, friendship and celebration.
Day!
Gibraltar strong | Gibraltar Proud | Gibraltar United
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THE GIBR
// BY TITO VALLEJO
TAR FLAG L A
In 1502 the arms of Gibraltar were granted by their Catholic Majesties King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. There are two coats of arms for Gibraltar, which come from the same source. The first, is the famous "Pendon de Gibraltar" or Gibraltar Pennant, which is kept in San Roque's City Hall. This pennant or flag was presented to the most noble city of Gibraltar, key of Spain, together with the Deed of Arms and is supposed to have been embroidered by Queen Isabella herself in Santa Fe. Later her daughter Juana la Loca, "Crazy Joan" who followed her as queen, added the words "Most loyal and noble city". The pennant has the Castle and Key on one side and the Spanish Royal Coat of Arms on the other. Many will be surprised to hear that this is not the Castle and Key we use on our flag. The one Gibraltar has adopted is the true Coat of Arms, which is described and drawn in the Deed of Grant. The original drawing is just one inch high by three-quarters of an inch wide!
PENDON DE GIBRALTAR
or badge to be emblazoned in the centre of the Union Jack used by Governors should be supplied to the Colonial Office. No less than eleven examples were submitted. And then it happened, when on 28th September 1926 the late Sir Charles Monro, Governor of Gibraltar, recommended that the arms originally granted by Fernando and Isabella should, by right, be regarded as the true, proper and ancient Arms of Gibraltar and since the people liked the motto "Montis Insignia Calpe", he suggested that these words should also be regarded as part of the device. The Garter King of Arms advised that this could be done without a Royal Warrant, but only if a properly attested and accurate copy of the Spanish Grant of Arms by Fernando and Isabella in 1502 could be obtained. This was obtained and the Arms were accepted.
of 1779-83 was suggested and taken up by the Gibraltar Regiment as "Nulli Expunabilis Hosti" which can be translated as meaning one of three different interpretations. The first "Never Yield Unto the Enemy" another "Never Defeated by the Enemy" or "Conquered by no Enemy", which more or less convey the same message. Now we take an in-depth look at the flag and realise that the castle has no association with our Moorish Castle as most people believe. This castle on the flag in non other than the one representing Castille. The flag of Queen Isabella was that of Castilla La Mancha which is red and white with a golden castle on the red sector. This she cleverly turned with the white above and the red below and put her castle in red on the white sector, to this she added a golden key hanging from the castle gate. This Key is the only thing that has to do with Gibraltar as it was seen as the key to Spain and also to the Atlantic and Mediterranean Seas.
These two flags are NOT true Gibraltar flags; compare the Castles with the true one below.
National Day 2002 the last time we would see that flag displayed.
Deed of arms
The flag of Castilla LA Mancha
Governor's Colonial Flags
San Roque's Official Seal
Gibraltar's official seal
In 1869 a circular dispatch was sent to all British Colonies requesting that a sketch of arms
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With reference to the motto "Montis Insignia Calpe", which literally means "A mountain named Calpe", there are those who see it as rather insignificant after the Rock's turbulent history. Another motto which was coined after the Great Siege
In the past recent years people both in Gibraltar and San Roque have taken liberties in their own interpretation of the flag and badge of Gibraltar, making many variations and departing from the true version. I have selected a few as examples.
SEPTEMBER 2026
National Day 2003 at long last the correct flag is displayed after my appearance on Gibraltar TV where I shot all the other flags down!
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HAPPY NATIONAL DAY
from the staff and residents of Mount Alvernia
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FEATURE
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HAPPY NATIONAL DAY FROM EVERYONE AT WATERPORT DAY CENTRE
HAVE A GREAT NATIONAL DAY GIBRALTAR!
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// BY JOE ADAMBERRY
NATIONAL Sir Joe Bossano who was Chief Minister in 1992 travelled to the United Nations forum in New York to advocate for the right to self determination for the people of Gibraltar to decide their own future. It is against that backdrop that the idea of our ‘National Day’ was born. September 10th commemorates the first referendum held here, when the people of Gibraltar in 1967 voted overwhelmingly to remain British. In September 1992 at the Piazza, John Mackintosh Square, the first National Day was held to commemorate the 25th anniversary of that landmark referendum. I was there and the overriding memory of that first rally is the emotion I felt then as in subsequent years when those balloons went up to tell the world who we are. No one at the time thought that we needed a National Day in order to celebrate our unique status of British birthright. A Mediterranean people who had endured countless sieges were about to be emancipated by acquiring their own voice and demanding the right to their homeland, which was and still is under threat as the historical Spanish claim on the sovereignty of the Rock gathered momentum. In the new dawn of a Gibraltar outside of the EU, the Spanish claim is still a potential threat to our future prosperity and well being. It is right that we have to continue to uphold those values that make us who we are and we still have a duty to stand up and be counted as we proudly wear our Red and Whites on our National day.
DAY
ORIGINS AND
MEMORIES Joe Bossano is the father of our National Day celebrations as he is also the father of our parliament. It was he who obviously thought that we should celebrate our being ‘LLanito and British’ in equal measure and that the message needed to be shouted from our rooftops, so together with the ‘Self Determination for Gibraltar Group’ the Gibraltar Government fostered the consolidation of a festive political rally which has grown exponentially over the years and is now firmly established as our red and white day as well as our red white and blue day. The growing tradition of family BBQs on the beach will as ever fill the void left by crowd led events. I remember that from many years ago people would throng onto Main Street from early in the morning and await the parade that used to march all the way down from the cable car station at Alameda Grand Parade where the children’s National Day fancy dress parade and prize giving had already taken place.
Whole families many with pets festooned in our national colours would have already secured tables al fresco for English breakfast and await the parade, the passing of which was the queue to up sticks and follow them down to Casemates Square and stand shoulder to shoulder by the thousands to await the start of the political rally at 12.30pm. The rousing speeches by visiting UK politicians and our own chief ministers would then give way to the release of the 30,000 balloons (alas no more) to the strains of our own national anthem and the adopted ‘Llanito’ anthem by Pepe Roman ‘Llevame Donde Naci! The thunder of fireworks and confetti bombs was the backdrop to crowd hugs and kisses, when thousands of emotionally happy compatriots struggled with ‘frogs in their throats’ and happy tears as they tried to out-sing each other in the colourful cacophony that is now firmly established in the DNA of National Days to remember. For that unique invention of ‘our own day to celebrate ourselves’ we owe a debt of gratitude to Sir Joe Bossano and to the chief ministers who have followed him into the spotlight to make us feel very good about ourselves as a very small nation with high aspirations of staying Red, WHITE and FREE. Long may it be so and my best wishes that you may all have a happy and peaceful National Day 2026.
Wishes you a great
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Woman
RED, WHITE AND ROCKING IT! WHAT WOMEN WANT
ADAPTING STYLE FOR SEASONS
MICRO BREAKS
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NATIONAL DAY // BY JENNY EAGLE
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A red dress. A white polo shirt. A flag draped over your shoulders. A pair of trainers customised with Gibraltar colours. On National Day, the Rock’s streets become a showcase of the territory’s most recognisable style statement: red and white worn as a badge of honour. The annual celebration has created a fashion tradition unlike any other, where the emphasis is not on designer labels or following trends, but on joining in. From children with painted faces and miniature flags to families dressed in coordinated outfits, everyone takes part in the same colour scheme. The result is one of Gibraltar’s most memorable sights - thousands of people wearing the colours of the flag as the streets, squares and waterfront are transformed into a moving sea of red and white. National Day was established in 1993 by the Self Determination for Gibraltar Group (SDGG), following the group’s campaign to create a day celebrating the territory’s identity after a Government 1967 referendum, when residents votedto remain British rather than become part of Spain. Today, the event is organised by the SDGG in partnership with Gibraltar Cultural Services (GCS) and has grown into one of the Rock’s biggest annual celebrations, combining music, performances and community events with one unofficial rule: wear red and white.
are customised with Gibraltar-inspired designs, while children often add face paint, ribbons and temporary tattoos in the national colours. The appeal lies in the freedom of it. There is no official outfit to buy and no single way to dress - just a shared colour palette that allows everyone to take part. A TRADITION BUILT THROUGH STYLE The first National Day celebrations were shaped around a powerful symbol of unity. Before the official event began in 1993, the SDGG organised a 30,000 red and white balloon release in 1992, representing every Gibraltarian at the time. Azzopardi said the idea came from wanting to mark an important moment in the peninsula’s history. “The SDGG held an open meeting to identify a significant milestone in Gibraltar’s political history that could be commemorated,” he said. “Several key events were considered, including the 1967 Referendum, which was ultimately chosen. To mark the occasion, we organised the release of 30,000 red and white balloons, symbolising one balloon for every Gibraltarian and reflecting the unity and spirit of the community.”
National Day National Day has created its own signature style, with the red and white of the Gibraltar flag inspiring everything from summer dresses and everyday fashion to patriotic T-shirts, accessories and personalised outfits. Forty Azzopardi, President of the SDGG, said the tradition developed naturally from the beginning. “On the first National Day, the tradition of wearing red and white emerged quite naturally, without any formal organisation or guidance,” he said.
Although the balloon release later ended, the colours remained at the heart of the celebration. Azzopardi said the change was significant because the balloons had become one of the defining images of National Day, but the tradition of wearing red and white continued.
“People instinctively embraced the colours as a symbol of their identity and unity, and it has remained a cherished National Day tradition ever since.”
“While the essence of National Day has remained unchanged, as we have always sought to preserve its authenticity and focus on its deeper meaning, one significant change has been the discontinuation of the traditional balloon release,” he said.
THE COLOURS THAT UNITE GIBRALTAR The inspiration behind the style is simple: the Gibraltar flag.
“For many years, this was the defining moment of the celebrations and held great symbolic value.”
Its bold red and white colours have become the unofficial dress code for 10 September, interpreted in countless ways depending on personal style.
The disappearance of the balloons may have changed the visual landscape of the event, but the fashion tradition they helped inspire has remained stronger than ever.
Some choose a full patriotic look, pairing red tops with white trousers, flags and accessories. Others keep it understated with a red handbag, white summer tailoring or a simple Gibraltar badge.
Azzopardi said National Day continues to hold importance because it gives Gibraltarians the chance to celebrate what makes the community unique.
Fashion on National Day is deliberately democratic. High-street clothing sits alongside customised pieces, while traditional summer staples such as linen shirts, dresses, polo shirts and sandals take on a patriotic twist.
“National Day remains as important as ever because it provides an opportunity for Gibraltarians to celebrate their unique identity, heritage and community spirit,” he said.
Comfort is just as important as colour. With the peninsula still enjoying warm September weather, lightweight dresses, cotton shirts, shorts, skirts and trainers are among the most popular choices, allowing people to move easily between official events, street celebrations and evening concerts. The result is a relaxed Mediterranean style with a distinctly Gibraltarian twist. Local shops begin preparing weeks in advance, with Gibraltar-themed clothing and accessories appearing across the island. T-shirts featuring the flag, red scarves, hats and children’s outfits become popular choices, while many residents create their own looks by adding personal details. For younger generations, the celebration has become an opportunity to experiment with style. Denim jackets, trainers and caps
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“Above all, it serves as a powerful expression of our unity and our continued commitment to the right of self-determination.” As daylight fades, crowds gather in Casemates Square and along the waterfront for the evening entertainment before looking towards the Bay of Gibraltar for the day's spectacular finale. Against the glow of the night sky, the sea of red and white becomes one of National Day's most memorable images. For one day each year, the Rock’s fashion statement is shared by everyone - from the youngest children to the oldest generations. It is not about what brand you wear or how much you spend. It is about wearing the colours that bring the whole community together.
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STYLE // BY KATHLEEN NORTH
Adapting Styles for seasons
FROM CASUAL SPRING LAYERS TO COSY WINTER ESSENTIALS, PERSONAL STYLE CHANGES WITH THE SEASONS, IN SUBTLE YET MEANINGFUL WAYS. DRESSING WITH THE WEATHER IN MIND DOES NOT MEAN LOSING YOUR SENSE OF INDIVIDUALITY. Each season offers its palette, textures, and outfit combinations that allow you to adapt without compromising comfort or confidence. Whether it is lightweight fabrics for summer or layered textures for autumn, knowing what to wear and when helps you stay ready for every occasion. Spring Awakening: How to Transition Your Wardrobe As winter fades, altering your wardrobe for spring means swapping heavier layers for breathable fabrics and lighter tones. With online clothes shopping becoming more convenient, it is easy to find soft knits, cotton shirts and denim jackets that provide just enough warmth for chilly mornings but are simple to remove as the day warms up. Florals, pastels, and neutral shades suit the season’s mood, especially when styled with ankle boots or trainers for a casual, practical finish. Keep layering essentials like cardigans or lightweight scarves as spring’s unpredictable weather calls for flexibility. Versatility is key. Combine textures and tones that reflect the season’s freshness without the need to revamp your wardrobe. You can also ease into spring by blending winter staples with spring favourites. For example, wide-leg trousers with a sleeveless blouse and a loose jacket. This approach allows you to slowly adjust to changing temperatures. Accessories like crossbody bags in soft hues or a patterned headband can add a seasonal refresh without much effort. Aim for comfort and balance by choosing pieces that let you adapt throughout the day. Summer Staples: Cool Uncompromising Style Summer dressing calls for pieces that feel light on the skin, yet still reflect your taste and sartorial personality. Loose cotton co-ordinates, breathable linen dresses and boyfriend shirts paired with wide-leg trousers or shorts. Each look offering comfort with a refined twist. Opting for soft neutrals or pastel hues helps reflect the sun’s heat, while subtle prints or textures add just enough detail to maintain interest. Accessorising with straw hats and minimal sandals serves a function but also creates chic outfits. With smart fabric choices and easy layering, staying cool can look effortlessly put together, even on the most challengingly hot days. Are you wardrobe - ready for rising temperatures? Focus on practical details that enhance airflow and reduce bulk. Fabrics like chambray and linen are ideal for all-day wear, especially during outdoor activities or informal events. Autumn Layers: Mastering Texture and Colour As the weather cools, autumn offers the perfect opportunity to experiment with layered looks that blend warmth, comfort, and visual depth. Combining textures like suede, corduroy and wool creates a rich tactile contrast that brings dimension to any outfit. Earth tones such as rust, olive and mustard, echo the seasonal landscape and pair delightfully with neutral tone pieces.
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Lightweight polo necks under oversized or long cardigans not only provide insulation but also add thoughtful structure to your overall ensemble. Accessories in brushed metals, leather, or felt can finish the look with subtle interest, making each outfit feel purposeful and seasonally appropriate. To refine your layering approach, focus on balance and proportion. Start with breathable inner layers and gradually add weight with outerwear, allowing for flexibility as temperatures shift throughout the day. Mixing structured and draped fabrics also adds dimension to your look. Sleek and Warm Winter Style Choices Staying warm in winter does not have to mean wearing heavy layers that conceal your shape or slow you down. Modern fabrics and thoughtful layering can create a sleek silhouette while still offering insulation against the cold. If you are updating your winter wardrobe, essentials like thermal-lined leggings or slimcut wool trousers are invaluable. Pair these with lightweight merino wool sweaters that retain heat without adding bulk. Full length, tailored coats with built-in linings add sophistication and practicality. Accessorises like cashmere scarves and leather gloves complete the look with both function and finesse. Stay with neutral or dark tones for a cohesive look and add interest via texture and possibly, prints. Footwear also plays a key role. Lined ankle boots or waterproof leather styles offer both warmth and structure. Focus on layering basics like camisoles or undershirts that stay invisible but make a significant difference in comfort. The aim is to achieve a balance between smart design and seasonal protection, allowing you to move through your day with confidence. Creating a Year-Round Colour Palette Creating a colour palette that works across all seasons starts with understanding which shades naturally suit your tone and reflect how you want to feel day to day. Instead of chasing seasonal trends, consider anchoring your wardrobe around hues that speak to your mood, like calming earth tones, bold jewel shades, or crisp monochromes. These choices allow for smooth transitions between colder and warmer months by simply layering or swapping textures. A well-curated palette not only brings consistency to your wardrobe but also simplifies outfit planning. It allows your clothing to express your personality throughout the year without constantly overhauling your wardrobe. Transformative Accessories throughout the seasons A well chosen accessory can completely transform the vibe of an outfit, whether it is a chunky scarf for chilly January days or a lightweight Panama hat perfect for glorious July afternoons. Items like bold earrings, eye-catching belts or layered necklaces can seamlessly blend with seasonal wardrobes. They inject character without needing an entire wardrobe revamp. However you interchange your clothes and accessories throughout the year, there is no doubt that both subtle and major swaps can produce a whole new, inspiring, season-appropriate wardrobe.
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SELF CARE // BY KATHLEEN NORTH
Micro BREAKS
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Due to our busy lives, it is easy to believe that we must carve out large amounts of time for self care or recovery, in order for us to restore some positive equilibrium. However, it has become increasingly clear due to research and personal experiences that a mini-dose of self care away from our usual routines can both soothe and energise us.
Mind-wandering moment: Let your mind drift. A few minutes of thought-free rest can stimulate creativity and refresh your mental energy.
Most people live full lives and so when introduced to the concept of ‘micro-breaking’, many people view it with a level of excitement excitement as they explore a new approach to caring for ourselves. Micro break benefits are increasingly being recognised by wellness experts and researchers as powerful tools for mental and emotional well-being.
Hydration and movement: Use your break to drink water, walk to the window, stretch your legs. A mini walk of five minutes every 30 minutes of sitting was shown to reduce fatigue and improve mood.
So what exactly are micro-breaks, why do they matter and how can we easily practise them even when our schedules are packed?
WHAT EXACTLY IS A MICRO-BREAK? A micro-break is a short pause in your day — often lasting 10 minutes or less. These short breaks are not simply coffee breaks or social media scrolls. The most effective micro-breaks are deliberately taken away from your primary task, giving your mind and body a chance to rest and reset. By simply disengaging with our everyday routines, even for the shortest time, we can compress and recalibrate. By embracing the micro break benefits, you allow yourself regular opportunities to recharge — not just when you finally get a quiet hour but centre stage in our everyday life.
WHY MICRO-BREAK BENEFITS MATTER Restore energy and reduce fatigue: Research shows that micro-breaks may help replenish mental and physical resources. For example, studies found that brief pauses help reduce fatigue and increase a sense of vitality. Another report noted that taking breaks of 10 minutes or less can significantly boost our energy levels and improves mood. Increase focus and clarity: When you work continuously, especially on high-focus tasks, your performance can decline over time. Micro-breaks help the brain recover and refocus, supporting better attention and clearer thinking. Boost mental well-being and reduce stress: Small intentional pauses have been linked to lower stress, improved mood, and greater resilience. The micro break benefits extend beyond productivity — they also serve your mental health.
How to Practice Micro-Breaks in Everyday Life Please find below, simple, practical ways to incorporate micro-breaks into your day: Every hour (or every 90 minutes): Pause for 30-60 seconds. Stand up, stretch your arms overhead, roll your shoulders. According to ergonomics guidelines, even a short break like this can reduce musculoskeletal tension. Change scenery: Step outside, look out the window, get fresh air. A change in environment helps reset mental focus. Breathing pause: Close your eyes for one minute and take 5 slow, deep breaths (inhale 4 counts, hold 1, exhale 6). This simple breath break taps into the micro break benefits of restoration.
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HOW MICRO-BREAKS CAN WORK FOR YOU Set a gentle reminder: Use a subtle timer or alert so the pause becomes habit, not forced. Keep it consistent, not complicated: The best micro-breaks are simple and sustainable — even 60 seconds counts. Tailor them specifically to your needs: If your day involves creative, concentrated work, your micro-break might be a quick walk. If you work in a high-stress environment, it might be five minutes of stretching and breathing that allows you to connect to your physical, possibly spiritual side. Avoid substituting with more screen time such as scrolling social media during a break, this simply will not trigger the same benefits. Research suggests that anything still cognitively related to work tasks may reduce the recovery effect. The idea of micro break benefits invites us to shift our mindset about rest. It’s not always about long luxurious hours; it can be about thoughtful pauses, sewn into our everyday lives. As you start to embrace these small breaks, you may find yourself feeling calmer, more present, and more resilient — whether your day is full or your energy is low. Why not try a micro-break and evaluate what benefits you can enjoy? Stand up, take a deep breath, and let yourself pause. You may be surprised at how much it helps.
HOW TO PLAN YOUR OWN MICRO-RETREAT: Leave home: People who travel on short breaks tend to ruminate less about work issues, compared to people who spend those breaks at home. There is something about that physical and psychological distance from everyday life that helps instill calm. If you cannot afford a hotel, maybe a friend will host you or you can find a house-sitting opportunity. Plan your time: A wonderful aspect of micro-retreats is that you can customise them according to your own needs. Meditate, strategise, even cultivate awareness but make sure you are clear about what that your objective is. That way, you will be much less tempted to spend the whole time scrolling your feeds which research tells us is definitely not a relaxing experience. Minimise distractions: If you are just going to be taking calls and checking email constantly, you will miss out on most of the benefits of the micro-retreat. How would you use twenty four hours completely to yourself with no outside distractions? Whatever your personal answer is, maybe you should organise a micro-retreat and see what it feels like and what impact it has on you, both physically and emotionally. Science suggests the benefits to your psychology and productivity may be far more significant than you expect. Even a small dose of me-time can be an invigorating and positive experience.
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ALBANIA HAS BEEN STEADILY BUILDING A NAME FOR ITSELF AS ONE OF EUROPE'S MOST UP-AND-COMING TOURIST DESTINATIONS, AND IF YOU HAVEN'T VISITED YET, NOW IS THE BEST TIME TO GO. SITUATED ALONG THE TURQUOISE WATERS OF THE ADRIATIC AND IONIAN SEAS, ALBANIA OFFERS A BREATHTAKING LANDSCAPE OF DRAMATIC MOUNTAIN HIKES, HISTORIC OTTOMAN-ERA TOWNS, AND SOME OF THE MOST SPECTACULAR, PRISTINE BEACHES IN ALL OF EUROPE. WHETHER YOU ARE A HISTORY BUFF, A FOODIE OR AN OUTDOOR ENTHUSIAST, THIS COUNTRY HAS IT ALL. IN THIS GUIDE, I'LL BE SHARING A 7 NIGHT ITINERARY ON HOW TO EXPLORE THE VERY BEST ALBANIA HAS TO OFFER.
DAY 1 & 2: TIRANA
You’ll want to kick off your Albanian adventure by flying directly into the capital city of Tirana. If you’re flying from Malaga, WizzAir operates direct flights taking around 3 hours to touch down. To make the most of your week and keep your schedule flexible, I highly recommend renting a car for your entire stay. You can easily arrange this through TIA Rental right outside the main terminal building. Make sure to pick full insurance with your car rental as many roads within smaller coastal towns and mountain passes can still be quite rubbly. I recommend staying at the Elisa Hotel by Melia, the beds are very comfortable and you’ll be right in the city centre. They also offer valet parking. Things to Do in Tirana: • Step inside a massive, subterranean nuclear bunker at Bunk’ Art 2. Which was built during the communist era and has been transformed into a fascinating historical museum. • Take a walk up the 130 steps of the Pyramid of Tirana for panoramic views.of the city. • Have breakfast at Bitters. Turkish eggs here were delicious. • Stop by Home Cooking Te Joti for an authen-
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tic taste of traditional Albanian comfort food. •T ake a stroll through the historic fortress area of Tirana Castle. Interestingly, it doesn't look like a traditional medieval castle at all, but rather a charming, paved pedestrian street lined with artisan shops, cafes, and modern restaurants. • Visit the grand, newly built Namazgja Mosque near the city center, as well as the historic 18th-century Et'hem Bey Mosque located directly on Skanderbeg Square. • If you find yourself with a couple of extra hours to spare in the afternoon, take the easy 45-minute drive out to Durrës Beach. •B ook dinner at Nalu. I highly recommend ordering their slow-cooked beef ribs and the tender grilled octopus leg!
Kosi. A national dish featuring tender baked lamb cooked beneath a rich, creamy yogurt and egg mixture. •F or an adrenaline rush, head down to the nearby Osumi Canyon for a white-water rafting excursion. There are also kayaking options too if that’s more up your street. •C limb the historic cobblestone path leading up to Berat Castle, offering 360-degree views over the town. • Stroll along the river promenade. You’ll find a lot of bars and restaurants here and if you’re into your cocktails, make sure to check out Bazar Bar (they have over 100 cocktails on their menu). •S top by Pastiçeri Tori Berat to try an array of traditional Balkan pastries and cakes.
DAY 3: BERAT
DAY 4 & 5: DHËRMi From Berat, it’s time to head south toward the famous Albanian Riviera to soak up the sun. Your car rental agency will likely point out that you need to take a slight inland detour to get down to Dhërmi, as the most direct GPS route takes you through some unfinished, unpaved backroads. The drive takes roughly 2 to 2.5 hours and it is quite a scenic drive.
From Tirana, get ready for a 2-hour drive toward the historic UNESCO World Heritage site of Berat. Known as the "City of a Thousand Windows," Berat is celebrated for its steep hillsides lined with striking Ottoman-style houses featuring massive, square windows. Things to Do in Berat: • Treat yourself to a traditionally served, homemade meal at family-run spots like Home Lili or Ansel. Make sure to order Tavë
Dhërmi is noticeably quieter and far less commercialized than southern tourist hubs like
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BY GIANA SPITERI Ksamil or Vlorë, but it still boasts great restaurants and some of the most stunning beaches.
PRACTICAL TIPS FOR ALBANIA
In terms of accommodation, Black Diamond is a hotel chain around Albania which offers a pool at the hotel, in case it is too windy for the beach.You’ll also get a private area at the beach with golf cart transfers taking you to and fro. If you want to be in a more quiet area of Dhermi, then choose Gogo’s Boutique Hotel. The traditional Albanian food in the restaurant is great and Drymades beach is a 15 minute walk.
• Bring cash to exchange, ATM fees are high here.
Things to Do in Dhërmi: • Spend your afternoons relaxing on the beautiful beaches of Dhërmi Beach and neighbouring Drymades Beach. • Have dinner with a View at Zoë Hora. Make sure to book a table in advance and try to arrive for sunset. • Watch the sunset at one of the restaurants along the Dhërmi promenade. Olio and Luciano’s are both fantastic choices for fresh seafood and pasta. • If you’re feeling adventurous, park near the canyon and hike 30 minutes down a rugged trail to reach Gjipe Beach. It is quite the hidden gem!
• Make sure you purchase an E-Sim as Albania is not in the EU.
• Euros are widely accepted but the rate will be better if you pay in Albanian lek. • Make sure you pick full insurance with your car rental, a lot of roads are still quite rubbly when you're in the towns and scratches are possible.
• On many of the beaches, locals will ask you for money to park your car in their “private parking”. Whilst this is common and usually safe, you can also find areas further along the beach with free parking. tours take you out to inaccessible coastal areas, including Grama Bay and Pirate’s Cave. •A fter a day out on the water, grab a cheap and cheerful lunch at Brothers Grill & Fast Food. for their pork gyros.
DAY 6: HIMARË
DAY 7 & 8: BACK TO TIRANA VIA VLORË
Things to Do in Himarë: • One of the most popular activities in Himarë is booking a private or group boat trip. These
I recommend staying at the beachfront Yacht Hotel. The rooms offer beautiful views of the sea and the buffer breakfast is great. You’ll also get free access to their beach club with sunbeds and towels. Definitely try one of the pizzas at the Yacht Beach Bar too!
From Dhërmi, a quick and easy 25-minute drive down the coast brings you to the lovely coastal town of Himarë. This area is home to some of the finest beaches on the Riviera, including Himarë Beach, Livadhi and the famous Jale Beach (located right between Himarë and Dhërmi).
After a night in Himarë, it’s time to start your journey back up to the capital for your flight back to Malaga. To shorten the journey, you can spend a night in the coastal town of Vlorë.
the ne shoop.1 luggag on the rock
271 main street, gib' tel: 20077881
adam gifts & luggage adamgiftshopgib
(beside jury's cafe)
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MOTORING THIS MONTH MY FIRST CAR VAUXHALL VIVA HB SL
ROCK CLASSICS MUSTANG BULLITT
LEXUS LBX TRIO OF TOYOTAS
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MY FIRST CAR // BY MARTIN WARD
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ANDREW HULME Vauxhall Viva HB SL Andrew Hulme started working for Southern Counties Car Auctions in 1968, originality in Leighton Buzzard, then after twelve months back to his home town of Manchester, as auction assistant. Within two-years he became the manager just as British Car Auctions bought the company. Andrew rememberers his first car, it was a 1970 Vauxhall Viva HB SL, in beige with a ‘go-faster’ stripe, an ex-British Petroleum Fleet Car. He has many memories of it, but one sticks in his memory more than most. A day in Southport with friends, he parked the Viva on the beach, went for a walk, but didn’t realise how quickly the tide came in. It was a mad rush to move the car, to avoid it being submerged in the sea, a lucky escape he says, never misjudge the tide, it was nearly “Viva Lost Vegas”
He helped organise the sale of Princess Diana’s Mini Metro, and the vehicles and memorabilia from the Great Train Robbery. He also sold the remaining DeLorean cars after the car company went into liquidation.
In 1976 he moved to BCA Brighouse becoming a member of the Board, and by 1994 he was promoted to Group Managing Director until he retired in 2013. He said he met so many characters in the car auctions ranging from Royalty to Rogues, and everything in between.
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MY 1ST
CAR
SEPTEMBER 2026
He met Princess Diana twice at events that BCA sponsored, and Prince Michael of Kent when he opened auction centres around the country. Andrew and his family spend quite a bit of time in Estepona, and do travel to Gibraltar on a regular basis, a nice drive, as they go sometimes in his classic convertible. His Dream Car would be a Red 1972 Ford Capri 2.0 GT XLR, Registration Number SBV 308K, as this was his company car when he got promoted, he was so excited to get it, and has never forgotten it, and would love to drive it again. But, unfortunately it is doubtful this car is still on the road.
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ROCK CLASSICS // BY MARTIN WARD
ROCK CLASSICS F O R D M U S TA N G
Bullitt
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This months Rock Classic is an authentic replica of the Ford Mustang used in the film Bullitt. A film starring Steve McQueen who plays San Francisco Detective Frank Bullitt, and has that famous unforgettable car chase scene.
Martin says there is a button on the dash that allows the car to go from ‘street legal’ to ‘open pipes’ just like the Bullitt film car.
Martin Weigold who lives in Gibraltar bought a 1968 Mustang GT Fastback and had it completely stripped down. Then it was rebuilt using a brand new body shell and made to fit exactly onto the original chassis, a huge job for the mechanics.
The car started its life in the US, but has had homes in different countries including the UK and now here in Gibraltar. It won Best in Class at the Jimema Car Show, but unbeknown to Martin, his friend entered the car into the competition, when it was announced it was the winner, he couldn’t be found anywhere to receive the medal, he’d gone off to have lunch, but eventually they found him, and he got his surprise winners prize.
The new body was then expertly painted to modern day standards, but using the original paint colour, Highland Green, to make it look identical to the car in the film. It is now a Mustang Bullitt. The Mustang is powered by a 5.0-litre V8 that develops 440BHP, to handle all this power the suspension and brakes need updating. It has a Tremec 5-speed gearbox to handle the high torque of the powerful engine.
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The Car Chase in the film Bullitt is an absolute classic, and many think it is an all-time best, I too think that, it is outstanding. Martins Mustang Bullitt replica is outstanding too.
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MOTORING // BY MARTIN WARD
LEXUS LBX HYBRID
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The Lexus LBX Hybrid is more commonly known as “The Baby Lexus”, that measures 4,190mm in length it is a small five-door Hatch, but small inside, it isn't. I had one on test recently from Lexus GB Press Department, and it was fitted with its sister Companies Toyota Hybrid system, that produces 136bhp, a well tried and tested power train, that has improved significantly over the years. The first ones were good, the latest ones are even better. During the time I had the car, it achieved on average 69.7 mpg ( 4.05 l/100km ) It is fitted with a CVT automatic gearbox, that back in the days, were very noisy, and sounded like they were working too hard. But the latest CVT gearboxes are much quieter and smoother. The LBX has a 1.5-litre petrol engine coupled to the Hybrid systems electric motors, and goes from 0-60mph in 9.2 sec-
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onds, not the quickest thing, but quick enough to get away from traffic lights or road junctions. It is The interior where the LBX really shines, it is very plush, with a very high feel of quality, both in materials used, and fit and finish, something that Lexus are renowned for. They have used their skills and expertise from the larger cars, and put it into this smaller car. It has some large rear ‘haunches’ over the rear wheels, that are not really noticeable, that is until you are reversing and looking through your door mirror, then they look quite pronounced. But you soon get used to this design feature.
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The boot space isn’t massive, but I found it to be big enough, and useful. Rear seats room is adequate, and like most cars, getting three full size adults in, would be a bit of a squeeze. Lexus has an excellent reputation for reliability, quality and good resale values I did enjoy using the LBX for a week, it was incredibly quiet, frugal on fuel, and very comfortable. Prices in the UK start from £30,000, and go up to £41,000
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MOTORING // BY MARTIN WARD
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A Tale of
3 TOYOTAS
I recently had on test from Toyota GB Press Department a trio of vehicles, and they couldn’t be any different , very different. The first was the latest version of the very popular Toyota Argo X, but this updated car, it is a Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) it is not an electric car, and nor is it a Plug-In, so no cables or charging required. It is fitted with Toyotas well tried and tested self- charging system, and what a great system it is too.
But the small boot gives way to a large cabin, with more than enough room for four adults to travel in relative comfort.
The seat configuration is two at the front for driver and passenger then three and three rows.
The Aygo X is well put together at the Toyota Motor Manufacturing Plant in Kolin, Czech Republic
When you are travelling downhills, or braking, or slowing down the energy is collected and put into batteries, so nothing is wasted. This stored electricity in the battery is used mainly for setting off from road junctions, or around roundabouts. This free energy saves on fuel and reduces emissions, so a bit of a win-win. And the range on petrol is around 420 miles, so no worry about running out of electric.
Prices in the Uk start around £21,000 and go up to £27,000
It is basically a van with eight seats, but to travel in it, you wouldn’t know, it is very comfortable, and being an electric Vehicle, very quiet too. A great all- rounder this Toyota Proace Verso, I liked it, I liked it a lot
The Aygo X is a small four-seat hatchback city car, but in realty it’s not that small, and perfectly capable of motorway speeds, with very little noise, and does not feel or drive like a small city car.
The Proace looks a large vehicle, but in realty, it isn’t, when you park it in a car park, it doesn’t stick out at the front or rear, and I found it was actually shorter than some large saloons I parked next to, and definitely a lot smaller than SUV’s, so parking it was easy.
The boot is just adequate for a few shopping bags, or one large suitcase, if a family of four were setting off on Holliday with a suitcase each, then three of them would have to leave their clothes behind.
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The second Toyota, and it couldn’t be more different is the Toyota Proace Verso. The car, or van, I had on test was a 8-seat people carrier, twice as many seats than the Aygo X. It is also an Electric Vehicle (EV), and not a drop of petrol in sight, just a charging cable.
I charged it up to 100% a few rimes during the time I had the van, and the range varied between 221 miles if “Normal” was selected or 232 miles if you used the “ECO” mode. In ECO you lose a bit of power and heating/ cooling is not as effective.
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The Third in the Toyota line-up is a UrbanCruiser, a five-seat family hatchback, that is also an all-Electric Car. It is made made basically by Suzuki, a joint venture, and having driven the e-Vitara recently, I could see plenty of similarities. I charged it when the outside temperature dropped to 12-deg and the maximum range with 100% charge was 198 miles, (318km) but when the temperature went up to 21-deg the range increased to 232 miles (373km) . A few degrees can certainly affect an electric cars range. A trip from Gibraltar to Malaga airport and it would be getting down to only 25% charge left. The Urban Cruiser is a good sized hatch, but the range is not the best, but by no means the worst I have driven either.
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SPORT // BY STEVEN GONZALES
WHISTLES WITHOUT BORDERS From San Marino and southern Spain to a youth tournament in Boston, Gibraltar’s referees are travelling further, gaining greater recognition and creating a pathway for the officials who will follow them.
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On a July evening at the Stadio Olimpico di Serravalle, SP La Fiorita of San Marino were scheduled to face Luxembourg’s FC UNA Strassen in the first qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League. Representing neither club, but carrying Gibraltar’s name onto the European stage, was a four-man refereeing team led by Seth Galia. Alongside him were assistant referees Michael Macias and Fausti Guerrero, with Tim Reoch completing the team as fourth official. For Gibraltar, it was more than another entry on the summer football calendar. The appointment was the latest sign of how far the Rock’s match officials are beginning to travel. Only two months earlier, the same team had been selected for the men’s international between the Republic of Ireland and Grenada at the Nueva Condomina Stadium in Murcia. It marked an import-
ant moment in Galia’s career and began an unusually active period for Gibraltar’s international officials. By early June, they were back in action, this time for Northern Ireland against Guinea at the Estadio Ciudad de La Línea. It was their second men’s national-team appointment in as many weeks, but their schedule did not end there. Attention quickly moved to the women’s international game. The team travelled to Antequera for New Zealand against Haiti and Morocco against New Zealand, with another appointment, Haiti against Equatorial Guinea, taking them to Torremolinos between those two fixtures. In the space of a few weeks, four officials from Gibraltar had been entrusted with a run of men’s and women’s international matches before receiving the call for UEFA club competition. For Galia, Macias, Guerrero and Reoch, every new fixture brings experience of different teams, environments and levels of expectation. For Gibraltar’s wider refereeing community, their visibility provides a clear example of the level local officials can reach. The international road is not reserved solely for the established FIFA-listed team.
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In May, experienced referees José Antonio Perez and Abraham Corbacho travelled considerably further afield, heading across the Atlantic to Boston, Massachusetts. They had been selected to officiate at the Memorial Day Tournament, a competition featuring teams from North and South America and age groups reaching under-19 level. It was a different style of competition and an opportunity for two more Gibraltar officials to gain experience away from the domestic game. Their selection also showed that the recent run of overseas appointments extends beyond the four-man team working at senior international level. While those appointments offer the most visible evidence of progress, the other end of Gibraltar’s refereeing structure is also receiving attention. From 18 to 20 August, Europa Point
Stadium will host a Grassroots Referee Foundation Course for young people aged 13 and above. Over three mornings, participants will be introduced to the role of the referee and begin learning the Laws of the Game. The course is open to current players as well as other young people interested in football. Those already representing a club can continue playing while also refereeing, provided they do not officiate in the same competition in which they play. Refereeing requires clear communication, quick decisions and a willingness to accept responsibility. The foundation course will therefore cover more than the technical application of football’s laws. It will also introduce participants to the leadership, teamwork and problem-solving involved in controlling a match. Those who complete the course and decide to continue will receive mentoring, training and support from the Gibraltar FA before officiating their first fixtures. That transition is an important part of the process. Understanding the Laws of the Game in a classroom is one thing; applying them while players, coaches and spectators respond to every decision is quite another.
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The Gibraltar FA has also advertised for a Referee Recruitment and Retention Officer to support its work with new and existing match officials. The creation of the role suggests that attracting people to refereeing and keeping them involved are being treated as connected challenges. Recent events therefore provide a picture of refereeing at two very different levels. At one end is a young person arriving at Europa Point Stadium for three mornings in August, perhaps holding a whistle for the first time. At the other are Galia, Macias, Guerrero and Reoch receiving appointments in senior international football and UEFA competition. Between them are officials such as Perez and Corbacho, whose experience has taken them from Gibraltar to a tournament in the United States.
Not everyone joining the foundation course will one day referee in San Marino, Murcia or Boston. Gibraltar requires officials throughout its football structure, and every match depends upon someone being prepared to make the decisions. However, the international appointments demonstrate that a route upwards exists. They give younger officials recognisable local examples and allow Gibraltar’s refereeing community to measure its development against fixtures well beyond the domestic calendar. The summer’s announcements do not tell us whether every refereeing decision in Gibraltar has improved. What they do show is a group of officials receiving repeated recognition outside the Rock, alongside an attempt to prepare and support those who may eventually replace them. Players remain the most familiar figures carrying Gibraltar’s identity onto a football pitch. In recent months, however, the Rock’s referees have been doing the same, from international matches in southern Spain to European club competition in San Marino.
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MONS CALPE WOMEN // BY JOHN GONTIER
The Journey from Gibraltar Wave FC to Mons Calpe Women
Chapter I: A Bold Foundation Gibraltar Wave FC (2021)
from across Europe, in a format requiring exceptional physical fitness, agility, technical ability and adaptability.
Our story began on 15 March 2021, when founder John Gontier officially launched Gibraltar Wave Football Club with a clear and distinctive philosophy: to create opportunities for women and girls who might otherwise never have had the chance to develop in football.
Yet Gibraltar Wave did not simply make up the numbers.
At the time, Gibraltar's women's football landscape was defined by a relatively small player pool. Established clubs frequently recruited players from one another, creating a cycle in which strengthening one team could weaken another. In a micro-jurisdiction like Gibraltar, where the overall number of players is naturally limited, this approach risked restricting the growth of the women's game.
From Grassroots Pioneers to Gibraltar Champions and an International Sister Club That culture of resilience, togetherness and personal development became the foundation upon which everything that followed was built.
We decided to take a different path. From the very beginning, Gibraltar Wave established a strict principle: we would not sign a single player from an existing Gibraltar women's club. Instead, we deliberately looked beyond the traditional football pathway. We recruited athletes transitioning from sports such as athletics and swimming, complete beginners who had never played organised football, and former players who had drifted away from football because they had lacked opportunities. The objective was not simply to build a team. The objective was to create players. The early months were therefore characterised by steep learning curves. Players worked intensively on basic technical skills, tactical understanding, physical development and, perhaps most importantly, confidence and belief. Our first matches against established opposition produced difficult lessons. But rather than taking the easier route of recruiting experienced players, we remained committed to our original philosophy. Something important began to develop. The players were not simply learning how to play football. They were developing a shared identity and a belief that they could compete. 64
Chapter II: Breaking New Ground - Gibraltar's First Women's Beach Soccer Team (2021–2022) Our ambitions were never restricted to traditional 11-a-side football. We believed that developing complete athletes meant exposing our players to different formats, environments and challenges. That philosophy led to another historic opportunity: creating Gibraltar's first organised women's beach soccer team. The journey began at home when Gibraltar Wave entered and won the inaugural Beach Soccer Charity Tournament in 2021. That success earned the team the opportunity to represent Gibraltar internationally. In June 2022, the squad travelled to Nazaré, Portugal, to compete in the prestigious Women's Euro Winners Cup, the leading European club competition in women's beach soccer. For players who had begun their football journeys in such unconventional circumstances, stepping onto the sand in Nazaré was an extraordinary experience. They found themselves competing against highly structured and experienced teams
By taking part in the competition, Gibraltar Wave became the first and only club from Gibraltar to represent the territory in international women's beach soccer. It was another demonstration of the club's central philosophy: Give players an opportunity, give them belief, and see how far they can go.
Chapter III: A New Structure - The Partnership with Mons Calpe (2023–2024) As the project developed, so did our ambitions. We wanted to provide our players with a sustainable pathway towards competing at the highest level of Gibraltar women's football. To achieve that, we needed greater infrastructure, administrative support, facilities and institutional backing. There was also a structural challenge. At the time, Gibraltar FA League Statutes did not provide a straightforward route for a women's-only football club to become a full member in its own right. In 2023, Gibraltar Wave therefore entered into a formal partnership with Mons Calpe Sports Club. The women's team became the official women's section of Mons Calpe, initially operating as Mons Calpe Gibraltar Wave. This was not the end of Gibraltar Wave's story. It was the next stage of it. The partnership provided access to improved training facilities, administrative resources and wider club infrastructure, while allowing the original Gibraltar Wave philosophy and identity to continue through the women's team.
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The timing was important. The years of investment in players who had initially been beginners, athletes from other sports or players returning to football were beginning to produce tangible results. Technical ability improved. Tactical understanding developed. Physical conditioning increased. And, perhaps most importantly, the players began to believe that they could compete with the established powers of Gibraltar women's football. The gap at the top was beginning to close.
Chapter IV: The Breakthrough - Women's Rock Cup Champions (2025) The defining breakthrough arrived during the 2024–25 season. Under the technical leadership of head coach Colin Griffiths, the team combined the foundations developed over the previous four years with structured preparation and carefully targeted additions to the squad. The result was a remarkable cup campaign. On 19 May 2025, Mons Calpe Gibraltar Wave contested the Women's Rock Cup final against Lynx FC. With Victoria Stadium undergoing redevelopment, the match was played at the new Europa Point Stadium, which had also served as the venue for the team's matches during the previous two seasons. The players delivered a performance built on composure, tactical discipline and collective effort. When the final whistle sounded, Mons Calpe Gibraltar Wave were Women's Rock Cup champions. It was the club's first major domestic trophy. For everyone who had been involved since the launch of Gibraltar Wave in March 2021, the moment meant far more than winning a football match. The trophy represented four years of belief. It was proof that a team could be built without taking players from existing Gibraltar women's clubs. It was proof that beginners could become competitive footballers. It was proof that athletes from other sporting backgrounds could develop into champions. And, perhaps most importantly, it demonstrated what can happen when players who have previously been overlooked are given time, opportunity, structure and belief. The grassroots project had become a cup-winning team. But there was more to come.
Chapter V: Reaching the Summit - Gibraltar Women's Football League Champions (2025–26) The Rock Cup victory changed expectations. The challenge for the 2025–26 season was no longer simply to prove that Mons Calpe Women could compete. It was to prove that the club could remain at the top. The season began with another significant change following the departure of Colin Griffiths.
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To maintain the club's development and competitive momentum, Daniel Amaya was appointed head coach, working alongside assistant coach Maria Hidalgo. Under their leadership, the team demonstrated considerable tactical maturity and flexibility throughout the campaign. The foundations built over the previous five years now had a team capable of consistently applying them at the highest level of Gibraltar women's football. And the result was historic. Mons Calpe Women became champions of the Gibraltar Women's Football League. The club had now completed its transformation: Gibraltar Wave FC > Mons Calpe Gibraltar Wave > Rock Cup champions > Gibraltar Women's Football League champions.
And philosophically, it represents exactly what Gibraltar Wave was created to do: Create opportunities where previously there were none.
Chapter VII: The Next Chapter - From Champions to International Pioneers Looking back, the journey is remarkable. On 15 March 2021, Gibraltar Wave FC began with a simple but ambitious idea: rather than competing for an already limited pool of established players, create opportunities for people who had been overlooked. Some players had never played organised football. Some came from other sports. Some had left football behind.
A project that began with beginners, non-traditional athletes and players who had previously stepped away from football had reached the summit of the domestic game.
But they were given an opportunity.
The achievement secured Mons Calpe Women's position as Gibraltar Women's Football League champions until at least May 2028.
They were encouraged to believe.
But becoming champions was never intended to be the end of the journey. It was intended to create a platform for what comes next.
Chapter VI: From Gibraltar to London - An International Sister Club The next stage of the journey is about looking beyond Gibraltar. Following the transformation of Gibraltar Wave into Mons Calpe Women, the club achieved another important milestone by becoming the official first overseas Sister Club of London City Lionesses. The relationship represents a significant step forward for women's football in Gibraltar, creating a bridge between a Gibraltar championship-winning club and the English women's football ecosystem. It creates opportunities for collaboration, knowledge exchange, player development, commercial relationships and greater international visibility for both clubs. For Mons Calpe Women, the partnership is particularly significant because it creates another pathway for our players to experience and connect with the English game.
They were taught. They were supported. Four years later, that philosophy produced a Women's Rock Cup-winning team. One year later, it produced the Gibraltar Women's Football League champions. And today, under the new identity of Mons Calpe Women, that same club is also the official first overseas Sister Club of London City Lionesses. The journey from a grassroots women's football project in Gibraltar to a national championship-winning club with international connections demonstrates what can happen when football is used not simply as a competition, but as a vehicle for development, opportunity, education, connection and belief. The next challenge is to build on that foundation. Remaining at the summit requires continued investment in player development, coaching, facilities, international competition and education. It also requires strategic commercial partners who believe in the potential of women's football and the unique story that Gibraltar can tell. We are therefore seeking visionary corporate partners and sponsors who want to become part of the next chapter.
It also provides a tangible benefit to our players and commercial partners in Gibraltar.
Our partners can align themselves with a UEFA-affiliated championship-winning women's club, an extraordinary underdog story, a growing international network and a genuine social-impact project built around opportunity.
Through the sister-club relationship, Mons Calpe Women players and sponsors in Gibraltar have access to 20 complimentary tickets to London City Lionesses home matches.
The commercial proposition extends across Gibraltar, England and Europe, with opportunities around the team's domestic and international activities, digital storytelling, events, player development and future competitions.
The relationship therefore goes beyond a title or a badge.
Most importantly, partners will not simply be supporting a football team.
It gives people connected with Mons Calpe Women the opportunity to attend London City Lionesses matches, experience the English women's game first-hand and develop relationships within the wider football community.
They will be supporting a philosophy:
For London City Lionesses, the partnership establishes an international connection with Gibraltar and its growing women's football community.
From Gibraltar Wave FC to Mons Calpe Women.
For Mons Calpe Women, it opens another door into the wider English and European football network.
SEPTEMBER 2026
That talent can be found anywhere. That opportunity can change lives. That belief can create champions.
From beginners to champions. From the Rock to London. The wave that began in Gibraltar is now reaching far beyond it - and this may only be the beginning.
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MUSIC // BY JOE ADAMBERRY
The ‘Eyes Festival’ have seen Surianne and believed IN EARLY JULY A POPULAR UK MUSIC FESTIVAL CALLED ‘THE EYES HAVE IT,’ INVITED A YOUNG GIBRALTARIAN SONGSTRESS AND HER BAND TO PERFORM THERE FOR THE THIRD TIME IN FOUR YEARS. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A FOUR OUT OF FOUR BUT FOR A CLASH OF DIARIES LAST YEAR, WHEN ‘SURIANNE’ DALMEDO WAS NOT AVAILABLE DUE TO PRIOR RECORDING DATES IN MADRID. It’s no small wonder that a major London festival (held in ‘The Meadows’ in Derby) has called on an artist from the Rock to perform onstage. The significance of this can be explained by the festival organizers being impressed with what they saw and heard the first time around and then festival patrons asking the organizers to bring her back twice by popular demand. There’s a bitter sweet twist to this success story as it happens that it was only after their recent performance there, that Surianne and the band found out that ‘The Eyes Have It’ would be no more after this July. The organizers had decided that to continue would not be cost effective and therefore they will be moving towards a new project not yet to be disclosed at this early stage. It’s definitely cur-
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tains for the festival but not for Surianne who has been assured by the main organiser that she is still high on the list of acts that will be invited to participate in ‘whatever comes next’ as the man said. Not daunted by this setback, I chatted with Surianne over a coffee to establish an account of her recent London trip, which also saw the band perform at the famous pub music venue ‘The Shakespeare’ in the Barbican hub, a day before their festival gig. “In preparation for our London trip we took a close look at our setlist and settled on songs that we know work well with audiences. We took into account which songs have been recorded and which songs had gone down well at the festival in our previous appearances.
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“When we performed ‘Angel’ for the first time and I wore my wings it trended, and the first question I was asked this year was ‘Have you got your wings?’ so I’m really glad that they still remember it as a highlight of our previous shows. “There has been a lot of interaction with festival fans prior to the last event because they also liked another of our songs ‘Unwanted’ and when we finally appeared onstage a lot of them were actually singing along with us and it was a surreal experience. We designed our setlist to get the best reaction out of them. It was a six pm start and we were inside the main marquee but it was so hot inside that people were coming in and going back out to the entrance to get fresh air. They would stay a few minutes and come back inside. That explains how hot it was . We were completely drenched on stage. I estimate that there were around 800 inside the marque all the time we were on and they were drifting in and out during our set. We performed for just under an hour.”
sound check at six so we prepared fast and did the set on time with very good appreciation from the audience. The pub is well known as a London music venue.” I wanted to find out how the UK trip was financed and how the fees for performing offset their budget. ‘Not being nosey’- I explained to her and she was quite candid in her reply. With the GCS cultural grant (£500) the trip would still have set the band back another £2000, so they chipped in with collected fees that had been saved from two local gigs and Surianne also chipped in personally at the end to balance the books. They certainly didn’t do it for the money. They did it out of faith in their music and for the thrills and joy of being seen and heard outside our shores. Nobody said it was easy but everyone came back happy to have done it. When a good impression is left behind after a performance it becomes the best publicity. Word of mouth gets around and it costs nothing but it can change everything for artists who are carving a name for themselves.
On the previous day to the festival the band performed at the ‘Shakespeare’ pub in the Barbican. “It was an acoustic set and we had only arrived in UK at around four pm and we went to
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// BY KATE MCHARDY
ON being wrong Some people find it impossible to be wrong about anything. Even when the evidence is crystal clear and verifiable, they will insist that they are right. Sometimes, even flying into a rage and shouting at anyone who is around in defence of their standpoint, opinion or version of events. Admitting to being wrong can be likened to opening a well-covered wound and looking down deep, deep, deep . . . following the thread to the root that embeds the belief. And, in that wound, we will find fear. And fear is a god that we bow down to. Fear of what? Maybe of punishment... of being found out and being punished for being flawed. For being less than perfect... we want to hide our less than perfect self so we cover up our actions, we defend ourself from the perceived imperfection of our nakedness... hide from the terrible fear of being seen. This can be traced back to biblical times, all the way back to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. They disobeyed God and felt the need to hide their shame in doing so and so they made fig leaves to cover up their flaw. And we all know that feeling. And then it is compounded by having to defend our lies and so it spirals until we cannot admit to being wrong or the whole mess might unravel and then we fall in the abyss and I am beginning to feel exhausted just writing about it!
WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS OF BEING WRONG? Let’s start with the well-covered wound. You love your wound yet you are ashamed of it. We know you love your wound because you lie to protect it. You are afraid to love it wholly in case you discover that it is true. That this is all there is of you... imperfect, useless, demanding... and yet this is where the love lies. The power lies within the wound. Your wound loves you and is crying out to be loved and accepted by you.
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MOST PEOPLE FIND IT VERY HARD TO BE WRONG ABOUT SOMETHING. MANY PEOPLE FIND IT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO FESS UP AND SAY “I WAS WRONG”. It is gaping wide open, septic and raw, and held together with band aids and limp excuses. Your wound is craving love and acceptance and it recognises itself in others who we meet and our wounds fall deeply in love with each other and we call it love. We don’t love that other person the way we think we do. They carry an embodiment of the wound and our wounds reach out to one another in love and recognition. It is heady and wonderful until the ego gets uncomfortable and begins to replay the old reels and then blame sets in. Our souls know the truth but our egos will fight to the death rather than accept our wounds and give them the love they are crying out for. However, with deep healing and mutual respect we can learn to do this and that is very beautiful. The fear is of what lies within the wound. What will I find in there, I ask myself, that is so untouchable, so unbearable, so unacceptable, so rare, so old and ugly and unattractive. So disgusting and unlovable. Oh, so much easier to quickly cover it up again and hide it under beautiful fig leaves in the form of material goods or ego beliefs or intelligence or fantasy stories. But deep beneath those layers of fig leaves your wound still lies hidden and it needs to be embraced for you to become anywhere near whole. The hardest part, as always, is taking the first step. Perhaps, we can start with a few ‘what if’ questions? “What if I misunderstood what he just said?” “What if I am wrong about thinking a certain person doesn’t like
me?” “What if I am projecting my own insecurity onto the person I feel is disrespecting me?” Just what if? And listen to what comes up. Guaranteed that the sky won’t fall in. And just possible that it could be a relief to allow yourself to be wrong! There is a weight that goes away when we are OK with being wrong... A responsibility that we never needed to carry disappears. Then go a step further and ask yourself what if you are wrong about some of the beliefs you have about yourself. Have a chat with your ego about some of the beliefs it is willing to die for rather than let go of. What if the beliefs being hidden under the blanket of fig leaves are simply just stuff that you inherited from those who went before you. This is what the bible teaches us. Adam and Eve passed on their shame and guilt and we have continued the tradition. We build identities around ourselves and think that is who we are. Wrong... this is the false self we created because it felt safer than being naked. We need to know ourselves, and love ourselves, in order to survive the changing identities, we live through in a lifetime. Our essence doesn’t change, just the identity as we go through the seasons of life. So, I challenge you to find yourself in your wound. It is safe to love your wound. Your wound loves you and deserves to be released from its bed of shame. To be healed and embraced wholly and completely and then you can step into the world open and glowing and rejoice in the freedom of being wrong about so many things.
“Home... where my love lies waiting silently for me.” (Homeward Bound – Simon and Garfunkel) Kate McHardy MA(Hons) PGCE MSPH Spiritual coach, teacher and healer. Email:
katemch@gmail.com
FB:
The University of Light Group
Tel:
+44 7712889534
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MARRIED ON THE ROCK //
Ma r ried on th e Rock
Richard & Natalie Married in Gibraltar on 27th June 2026 Photographs by Jenna Brown
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PACS //
A World of Play Awaits JOIN PACS THIS SEPTEMBER!
The Parent and Child Society (PACS) is excited to welcome families back this September for another fantastic year of fun, friendship and learning through play. Whether you're a returning family or thinking of joining us for the very first time, there's something for everyone at PACS. As a charity that exists for the whole community, we pride ourselves on creating a welcoming, inclusive environment where children can learn, explore and thrive while parents and carers build friendships and support one another. Every session is designed to encourage confidence, creativity and development through engaging, hands-on experiences. Each term is packed with exciting themes that capture children's imaginations. From magical fairy tales and jungle adventures to transport, space, superheroes, animals and seasonal celebrations, every week offers something fresh and exciting. Our themed activities are carefully planned to make learning fun while supporting children's social, emotional and language development. One of the most popular parts of every session is our themed role play corner. This changes regularly to match our current theme, giving children the opportunity to immerse themselves in imaginative play. They might become doctors, builders, shopkeepers, chefs, astronauts or pilots, travelling wherever their imagination takes them. Role play is a wonderful way for children to build confidence, communication skills and creativity while simply having fun. Our interactive Songs & Stories sessions are another firm favourite. Children don't just listen to the story—they become
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part of it. With dressing up, props, role play, singing and plenty of audience participation, stories come alive in a way that captures every child's imagination. Every session ends with one of the highlights of the day—a lively parachute activity that brings everyone together for lots of laughter, movement and fun. Throughout the week, PACS offers a variety of groups to suit different ages and interests. Totally Toddlers is full of themed play and activities for busy little explorers. Play Sense provides a quieter, more relaxed environment with smaller numbers for children who benefit from a calmer setting. Bumps & Babies offers a welcoming space for expectant parents and families with babies to meet, chat and enjoy sensory experiences together. Songs & Stories encourages a lifelong love of books and music through interactive storytelling and singing, while Cooking Club gives children the opportunity to develop practical life skills, confidence and independence by preparing simple recipes together.
groups operate through voluntary donations, helping us continue providing high-quality resources, exciting weekly themes and enriching experiences for local families. The only exception is Cooking Club, which has a small charge to help cover the cost of ingredients and equipment. Everything we do is made possible by our incredible team of volunteers and the generosity of our community. Every donation, every family who attends and every volunteer who gives their time helps ensure PACS continues to be a place where children can grow, parents can connect and lifelong memories are made. We can't wait to open our doors once again this September. Come along, make new friends, discover exciting new themes and join us for another year filled with imagination, learning, songs, stories and, of course, our much-loved parachute fun. A world of play awaits, and we'd love you to be part of it.
PACS is proud to be a charity for the whole community. Most of our
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HEALTH //
INSIGHT PHARMACY MEDICAL DIRECTORY USING THE GHA APPOINTMENT SYSTEM
Other Services: Patients who wish to use the following services, • Over70’s Driving Medical • Blood Clinic • Well person or Sexual Health Clinic • Smoke Cessation Clinic
Same day appointments – Only when necessary: If you need a same day appointment call 200 52441 between 8:15am and 11:00am If you need an emergency evening clinic appointment call 200 52441 between 4:00pm and 6:00pm
May either a) Call 200 52441 between 11:00am and 3:00pm, b) Book online via Gov.gi c) On the Gov.gi eServices app
Advanced Appointments: Patients who wish to make an advanced appointment or a telephone consultation with their named or preferred GPs may do so for up to 4 weeks in advance by; Calling 200 52441 between 11:00am and 3:00pm
Other Primary Care services: Cancel an appointment - please call 200 72355 between 8:15am and 3:00pm or do so online via www.gha.gi
Booking online via Gov.gi: By using the Gov.gi eServices app
Repeat Prescriptions – please call 200 07909 between 11:00am and 3:00pm or do so online via Gov.gi or in the Gov.gi eServices app Sick Note - please fill in the required form online via www.gha.gi or Gov.gi General enquiries - please call 200 72355 between 8:15am and 3:00pm. For urgent medical advice, patients can call 111 at any time. 1A Centre Plaza,
+350 200 59955 beguelin@gibtelecom.net centralclinicgibraltar.com
Horse Barrack Lane, Gibraltar GX11 1AA
Your Health, Our Priority
CALL
8000 6-8pm
FREE
Need a chat? We're here to listen. GibSilver A friendly voice for Gibraltar's over-55s. Feeling alone? Call 8000 for a caring chat. GIBINSIGHT.COM
SEPTEMBER 2026
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HEALTH // BY JO WARD
A New Chapter for GibSams: Keeping the Conversation Going
Jo Ward talks to new Chair Julian Santos KC and Operations Manager Allen Bula as the charity prepares for another Suicide Prevention Awareness Month in September.
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For GibSams, the message is simple: you do not have to be at breaking point before you ask for help. Both Julian and Allen are determined to broaden that message, making sure people understand that GibSams is not simply a service for those experiencing suicidal thoughts, but a place where anyone can talk when life feels difficult, overwhelming or lonely. For Julian, who has recently taken over the Chair from Peter Montegriffo, the role represents a new chapter for a charity he has followed closely since its earliest days. “I have always taken a very keen interest in GibSams’ work ever since Marie-Lou Guerrero started it,” he says. After returning to Gibraltar from London, conversations with trustee Nick Borge led to him being approached about joining the Board. “I’ve seen, at work, both myself and other individuals, struggle at times with mental health,” he explains. “It’s become a very important part of my life, and a very important part of my working practice is ensuring my and others’ mental health.”
ly enough, trying not to fix. People are very quick to jump into a conversation with their thoughts or what needs to be said next, but just being there and really listening to that person is the most valuable thing.” That philosophy is reflected in the way GibSams encourages people to make contact. Callers can use WhatsApp or online chat if they are not comfortable with a phone call, and there is no expectation that they immediately explain everything. “You can just say, ‘I’m nervous’,” Allen says. “Maybe you’ll call one day just to hear the person’s voice but decide that you don’t want to speak that day and call another day, and that’s absolutely fine as well.” Anonymity is particularly important in Gibraltar. Allen stresses that callers can be reassured that nobody will find out they have contacted the service. Julian acknowledges that the Rock’s close-knit nature can work both ways. Strong family and friendship networks can make it easier for some people to ask for help, but pride and assumptions that someone is “okay” can also make it harder for others to admit that they are struggling. His advice is straightforward: give it a try.
He believes GibSams has an important role in a close-knit community where, despite strong family and friendship networks, not everyone is able to rely on those safety nets.
“There’s no harm in trying.” He adds: “A problem shared is a problem halved.”
“We often talk about the lovely community in Gibraltar and the safety nets that we have, which we are very privileged to have,” Julian says. “Unfortunately, there are individuals who slip through those nets.”
September’s Suicide Prevention Awareness Month gives GibSams an opportunity to bring these issues into the public conversation. Allen says the month is important not only because suicide remains a real issue, but because awareness can help people recognise difficulties earlier and understand how to support family, friends and colleagues.
More than a crisis service For Allen, joining GibSams as Operations Manager was an opportunity to use his operational experience for something with a wider community purpose. “I think everyone in their life has dealt with stress. Everyone’s dealt with some mental health issues,” he says. “To be able to take my experience of operations into something as worthwhile as this was really a chance that I couldn’t pass up.” He had previously supported GibSams through charity football tournaments, but his perception changed after joining the organisation. “I always thought that the charity was there for when you reach a certain crisis point,” he admits. “In fact it’s there for anyone and we’re trying to get people to come much earlier to talk to us.” That shift is central to GibSams’ wider mission. Julian agrees that the charity must remain there for people at their greatest moment of need, but believes it can also help prevent that need becoming so acute. “We should never move away from the core purpose of being there in a moment of need,” he says. “At the same time we can actually have an impact a little bit further down the line, or a little bit earlier down the line, to make sure that the ultimate need becomes decreased.”
The power of listening Allen’s role covers governance, communications, volunteer management, events, recruitment and outreach, including presentations to companies and organisations. For him, one of the most important lessons is that listening does not mean trying to fix everything. Asked what makes a good listener, Allen replies: “Active listening, silence actually, funni-
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A community coming together in September
GibSams’ September programme includes recruitment drives, a Flag Day on 8 September, the Sunrise of Hope Walk on 12 September, panel discussions and talks, and creative activities for children. The Sunrise of Hope Walk offers harder and easier routes to the Upper Rock in time for sunrise, creating a shared moment of reflection. Children will also be invited to paint stones and create artwork, with the stones later placed around Gibraltar as small reminders of positivity.
Turning Gibraltar green Green Friday on 11 September will see Gibraltar turn green in support of suicide prevention. Allen believes its strength is its simplicity. “Colours are always a good way of getting a message out, because it’s an instantaneous visual reminder.”
Keeping the conversation alive The challenge is making sure the conversation continues beyond September. GibSams already works throughout the year with companies and organisations, offering talks and presentations about mental health and wellbeing. Monthly Time to Talk sessions, held on the third Wednesday of every month at Costa Coffee in Atlantic Suites, provide another informal way to meet, have a coffee and chat. The cumulative effect of these activities, Allen believes, is significant. Someone may not contact GibSams immediately after hearing a presentation, but they may remember something they heard and use it later to help themselves or someone else.
GibSilver: tackling loneliness GibSilver, launched in 2025 for people aged over 55, has become another important part of GibSams’ development. Its mission is to combat loneliness, with both a listener service and a befriending service. The listener service operates every evening from 6pm to 8pm on the 8000 Freephone number, while the befriending service matches people with volunteers, taking shared interests into account. Every Monday morning, the GibSilver coffee gathering at Pizza Express from 9.30am to 11am offers free coffee and cake and an informal opportunity to meet others. Volunteers help newcomers settle in, and for some attendees it has become a weekly highlight. Julian sees further potential in GibSilver. “We’ve got many interesting ideas for GibSilver and things that we can hopefully bring into the expansion,” he says.
A new chapter Julian is conscious that GibSams’ growth brings responsibility. He pays tribute to past Chair Peter Montegriffo, CEO Brenda Cuby and founder Marie-Lou, describing them as “the 3 visionaries who have seen this turn into what it is today.” He sees his role as Chair primarily as one of governance, working closely with Brenda while ensuring that the structures match the level of service being delivered. That professionalism, however, must not undermine the volunteer spirit at the heart of GibSams. “We wouldn’t exist without our volunteers, so I’m really grateful to them,” Julian says. He also emphasises the importance of collaboration with the GHA, Care Agency and other organisations. “An important part of a small community like this is that we collaborate,” he says. “We collaborate with charities, we collaborate with the services that are already there and the best results come from organisations working together rather than duplicating services.” Ultimately, Julian says success would mean a consolidation of the fabulous work that has been done so far alongside new initiatives and, above all, “a service which everybody feels that they can call upon if they need it.” For anyone struggling, the message from Julian and Allen is consistent: “talk”. It does not have to be a huge conversation or begin with an explanation. It can simply begin with admitting that things are difficult. September is an opportunity to listen a little more carefully and ask someone how they really are. The aim is a Gibraltar where asking for help feels less daunting – and where nobody feels they have to face a difficult moment alone. You can contact GibSams by calling the free confidential helpline at 116123 daily from 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM, or via text/ WhatsApp at +350 56003612. Face-to-Face meetings are available by appointment. Call +350 5602 0927 to schedule. For GibSilver you can call the Freephone number 8000 daily from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM or request regular calls through the GibSams official website.
“While they might seem small, when you amalgamate them throughout a year, it means that we’re keeping people in mind,” Allen says.
SEPTEMBER 2026
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HEALTH //
Seasons Change CARING FOR ALL THE FAMILY - DAY TO DAY
A few simple changes can help you and your family stay healthy, energised and feeling your best throughout the season. Holland & Barrett offers a wide range of products designed to support your wellbeing from head to toe, helping you make the most of every day.
Protect Your Skin from the Sun Your skin is your body's largest organ, and it works hard during the summer months. Alongside sensible sun habits such as seeking shade during the hottest part of the day, wearing a hat and protective clothing, keeping your skin nourished is just as important. After time outdoors, skin can become dry and dehydrated from sun exposure, sea salt and chlorine. Moisturiser is a key step in any daily skincare routine – and in the morning, it’s important to make sure you’ve got sun protection in the mix too. Daily SPF is one of the most effective ways to care for your skin long term. Cetaphil Daily Defence Cream SPF 50+ Mineral Sunscreen from Holland & Barrett is a lightweight sunscreen that provides SPF 50 UVA+UVB protection, helping to defend skin against the effects of daily exposure to sunlight and prevents skin ageing due to sun exposure.
Beat Fatigue If you've ever wondered why you feel surprisingly tired during hot weather, you're not alone. High temperatures force your body to work harder to regulate its temperature, while increased sweating can lead to fluid and mineral losses that contribute to feelings of fatigue. Staying hydrated is the first priority. Water should always be your main drink throughout the day, but if you're spending long periods exercising or outdoors, electrolyte drinks or hydration tablets available from Holland & Barrett can help replace essential minerals lost through sweating. Nutrition also plays a key role. Rather than relying on sugary snacks that cause ener-
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gy highs and lows, choose balanced meals containing lean protein, wholegrains and plenty of fruit and vegetables. If you're feeling tired all the time, supplements such as Vitamin B Complex, Vitamin C or magnesium may help support normal energy metabolism and reduce tiredness as part of a healthy lifestyle. Holland & Barrett Complete Vitamin B Complex contains a combination of eight different B Vitamins: thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), pyridoxine (B6), biotin (B7), folic acid (B9) and cobalamin (B12). All of these are considered to be essential vitamins, playing different roles in the human body and can contribute to normal energy yielding metabolism and immune function, and help to reduce tiredness and fatigue. Take one Holland & Barrett Vitamin C 1000mg tablet fordaily immune support and at the end of the day, a NaturesPlus Magnesium NightTime Capsule can help you to get a restful night’s sleepwhich is essential for the regeneration of your body.
Refresh and Replenish During Exercise Whether you're walking along the beach, cycling with the family, playing tennis or simply enjoying evening strolls, staying active brings countless health benefits. However, exercising in warmer temperatures requires a little extra preparation. Drink water before, during and after exercise rather than waiting until you feel thirsty. For longer workouts lasting more than an hour, electrolyte replacement drinks can help restore sodium and potassium lost through sweat. Holland & Barrett Hydration + Energy Support Pineapple Guava Sachets, have beenexpertly developed by nutritionists, and combines essential electrolytes with targeted energy-supporting ingredients to help you feel recharged, focused and ready to go – without the caffeine.
Nourish Your Gut Holiday travel, eating out more frequently and changes to daily routines can all affect digestive health. A healthy gut supports not only digestion but also contributes to immunity and overall wellbeing. Feeding your gut with fibre-rich foods such as fruit, vegetables, wholegrains, beans and seeds helps beneficial bacteria thrive. Fermented foods including live yoghurt, kefir, kimchi and sauerkraut naturally contain beneficial bacteria that can support a balanced gut microbiome. For those looking for additional support, choose from a comprehensive range of probiotics formulated with carefully selected live bacterial strains. These may be particularly useful during travel or following changes to your normal eating routine. Holland & Barrett Live Friendly Bacteria 20 Billion Capsules are designed to survive digestion and reach your gut alive, or if you want a lower-strength formula with four strains for building up gradually or for everyday support, opt for the Holland & Barrett Live Friendly Bacteria with Acidophilus 3 Billion Capsules. With expert advice and an extensive range of trusted health, nutrition and wellbeing products, Holland & Barrett can help you and your family make this your healthiest year yet.
ADVISORY
INFORMAT
ION: Food supp lements m ust not be used as a substitut varied and e for a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. If pregnant, you are brea any medica stfeeding, taking tio medical su ns or are under pervision, consult a please doctor or healthcare professiona l and the label be always read fore use.
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Back to School.
Fuel their
focus.
GIBINSIGHT.COM
hollandandbarrett.gi 53 & 160 Main Street, Gibraltar SEPTEMBER 2026
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HEALTH // BY JACOB KUYUATE
The Weight and
therapy and it's place
The first thing a therapist sees is usually a person entering a room. What we do not see is the full journey that brought them there: the late bus, the school run, the manager who raised an eyebrow when they asked to leave early, or the price of parking. By the time someone takes a seat and says, ‘I’m fine’, their surroundings may already have shaped the session. Working as a senior therapist and hub manager in Leeds has made me increasingly interested in what I think of as the therapy of place. This is not a new therapeutic model, nor does it require us to replace formulation diagrams with an Ordnance Survey map. It is the recognition that mental health is experienced somewhere: in homes, streets, workplaces and communities. A postcode does not determine the future, but it often enters the therapy room with the person. Thinking about place does not mean making assumptions from an address. Neighbours can experience the same street differently. It means treating surroundings as part of the picture, then asking rather than presuming what they mean to the person.
Therapy loves an individual problem Most psychological therapies are necessarily interested in the individual. We explore thoughts, emotions, behaviours, memories, relationships and coping patterns. Yet our language can shrink a social reality into a personal failing. A person is described as ‘avoidant’ when the appointment requires two buses and an unaffordable taxi home.
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Someone is called ‘poorly engaged’ when they have no private place for an online session. Another is encouraged to challenge catastrophic thinking while facing genuinely precarious housing. Not every frightening thought is irrational. Sometimes the rent really is overdue. Sometimes the neighbourhood is unsafe after dark. Good therapy can help someone respond differently to difficult circumstances, but it should not pretend those circumstances are imaginary. A breathing exercise may settle the nervous system; it cannot remove mould from a bedroom wall. This matters in Leeds, where prosperity and hardship can sit a short bus journey apart. The city’s Health and Wellbeing Strategy estimates that poor mental health costs Leeds more than £500 million each year through lost output, benefits and pressure on services. Local analysis has also found greater mental health service contact in more deprived areas. Financial strain, insecure housing, unsafe environments and discrimination all increase psychological load. Yet services often behave as though access begins when an appointment letter is sent.
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What access looks like on paper On paper, an available appointment is access. In real life, access is a chain of practical conditions. Can the person travel to it? Can they afford the journey? Can they leave work without losing pay? Is there childcare? Do they understand what therapy is, and trust the organisation offering it? A single weak link can turn an apparently open door into a closed one. As managers, we can view attendance as a simple outcome: attended, cancelled or did not attend. The categories are tidy; lives are not. A missed session may reflect clinically important avoidance. It may also reflect a bus route, a zero-hours contract, a caring responsibility or a phone that ran out of data. We need to be accurate about what people must overcome before therapy has even started. Equality in psychological care cannot mean offering everyone precisely the same thing. A 10 a.m. city-centre appointment may suit one person and be impossible for another. Evening work can widen access, but travelling home late may feel unsafe. A community venue can feel familiar yet raise worries about being recognised. Choice is part of clinical design.
The room is part of the intervention Therapists spend years thinking about what to say and rather less time thinking about the chair from which they say it. Yet the room communicates before we do. Harsh lighting, thin walls, clutter and chairs arranged like a job interview can influence safety. A room that is too polished may suggest the service belongs to someone else. Neutrality is not the absence of a message; it is often a message we have stopped noticing. Research into therapy rooms remains modest, but its findings deserve attention. Clients commonly describe privacy, comfort, warmth, natural light, appropriate distance and a sense of control as important. Therapists and clients do not always imagine the ‘ideal’ room alike, a useful reminder that the tasteful lamp we are privately rather proud of may not be doing as much clinical work as we think. A supportive space does not need to resemble a boutique hotel. It needs to be clean, private, navigable and considered. Seating should work for different bodies and mobility needs. Sensory factors matter,particularly for neurodivergent clients: lighting, noise, smells, temperature and visual clutter can affect regulation. Even the waiting area matters. A loudly ringing telephone is not the ideal warm-up before disclosing the most difficult experience of your life. Location sends a message too. A city-centre hub may offer strong transport links and a degree of anonymity. It may also bring parking costs, crowds and an unfamiliar environment. A local service can reduce travel and build trust, but some people will avoid a venue where they fear being recognised. There is no universally therapeutic postcode. The question is whether a service understands the advantages and barriers attached to the place it has chosen.
Online therapy still happens somewhere Remote therapy has rightly widened access for many people. It can remove travel, make appointments possible around disability or caring responsibilities, and allow someone to speak from a familiar environment. It has also encouraged a misleading idea that online care is placeless. A video call does not remove the environment; it brings therapy directly into it. GIBINSIGHT.COM
For one client, home is the safest place available. For another, it is the reason they need support. They may be speaking quietly because a partner is in the next room or sitting in a parked car. Privacy, reliable internet, data, a suitable device and digital confidence cannot be assumed. One UK study found that nearly three in ten mental health service users did not meet the minimum requirements for remote therapy.
Therapy can sometimes move. Walk-andtalk sessions may suit clients who think more freely alongside another person than opposite them. Community groups and outreach can reach people who would not enter a formal clinic. These options require attention to confidentiality, accessibility, weather and risk. In Leeds, the weather is less a minor detail than a recurring member of the multidisciplinary team.
The lesson is not that online therapy is inferior. It is that modality should be matched, not imposed. Some people speak more freely through a screen; others feel detached or exposed. Offering genuine choice, reviewing the format and discussing the client’s physical setting are clinical tasks, not administrative extras.
A service must read its own map
Bringing place into the formulation Therapists do not need to become town planners, housing officers or transport consultants. We do need to be curious about context. Where does the person feel safest? Where do symptoms become worse or better? What is the journey to the session like? Is there somewhere private to speak? Which places are associated with threat, shame, belonging or relief? These questions can reveal patterns a symptom-based assessment misses. Place can sit naturally within a psychological formulation. Predisposing experiences may include growing up in an unsafe or unstable environment. Triggers may include moving home, eviction, a workplace change or the loss of a familiar community. Maintaining factors may include isolation, poor transport, overcrowding or having nowhere restorative to go. Protective factors may be equally local: a trusted neighbour, a library, a faith community, a football club, a park, a café where somebody knows their name, or simply a route they enjoy walking. This guards against two errors: pathologising a reasonable response to adversity, or becoming so focused on social causes that we underplay individual pain and agency. Therapy should hold both truths. A person can be affected by systems they did not choose and still develop meaningful ways to cope, act and connect. There will be times when practical intervention matters as much as cognitive or emotional work. Welfare advice, housing support, community groups, safeguarding or employment help may create the stability from which therapy becomes possible. Insight is difficult to use when the foundations of daily life are moving beneath someone.
Places can help us heal The language of place should not become another list of risks. Environments can also support recovery. Green space, movement, familiar routines and social contact can help regulate mood and widen a life that has become organised around distress. Neighbourhood belonging and social cohesion are associated with better mental wellbeing, although we should be cautious about turning this into the instruction to ‘go for a walk’ that people have often heard several hundred times already. The therapeutic question is more personal: which places help this person feel more like themselves? It may be Roundhay Park, a library, the gym, a place of worship or a trusted relative’s kitchen. Behavioural activation becomes more meaningful when rooted in identity and access rather than a generic activity sheet. The aim is not to prescribe wholesome scenery. It is to help people rebuild a usable world.
SEPTEMBER 2026
From a hub management perspective, taking place seriously changes what we measure. Referral numbers are not enough. Services should ask who reaches assessment, begins therapy, stays and benefits. They should look for patterns by area, deprivation, ethnicity, disability, age and referral route. They should examine whether appointment times, travel, digital requirements or the building create unequal friction. NHS England now includes inequalities in access and outcomes for Talking Therapies within its national approach. Local action, however, lives in ordinary decisions: where to base a service, how quickly to respond, how reminders are worded, what happens after a missed session, and whether clinicians can offer the right format. A welcoming leaflet cannot compensate for a pathway that is difficult to navigate. Therapists work in places too. Confidential rooms, manageable noise, reliable systems, time to think and a sense of belonging affect the care they provide. We sometimes expect clinicians to create calm and hope in environments offering them little of either. A resilient workforce needs more than a wellbeing poster and a communal fruit bowl containing one determined-looking banana. Good leadership brings clinical thinking into operational choices. It treats the waiting room, rota, reminder system, website and bus route as parts of the client experience. It asks not only whether a service exists, but whether people can realistically use it. It also remains willing to change when the data and the stories point to the same barrier.
Making room The therapy of place is not an argument against evidence-based practice. It is an argument for delivering that practice in the real world. Techniques matter. The therapeutic relationship matters. So do the room, the journey, the neighbourhood, the screen and the conditions to which a person returns when the session ends. When someone struggles to engage, our first question should not always be, ‘What is wrong with their motivation?’ It may be, ‘What have we failed to notice about the route into care?’ When distress persists, we should consider not only what is happening inside the person, but what keeps happening around them. This is not about lowering expectations. It is about making our understanding more complete. Leeds is a useful place from which to learn this lesson: one city, many communities and sharply different experiences of health, safety and opportunity. A therapy service cannot erase those inequalities, but it can avoid reproducing them. It can make thoughtful choices about where, when and how care is offered. The client who arrives in the therapy room has already travelled further than the distance on a map. Our job is not merely to offer them a chair. It is to understand what it took to reach it, to make the space worthy of their trust and, where possible, to help them build a life with more places in which they can breathe. 77
HEALTH // KAYRON POZO GHA
ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
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HEALTH // ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE IS OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH MEMORY LOSS, BUT IT IS MUCH MORE THAN OCCASIONAL FORGETFULNESS. IT IS A PROGRESSIVE CONDITION THAT AFFECTS MEMORY, THINKING, BEHAVIOUR AND A PERSON’S ABILITY TO CARRY OUT EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES. ALZHEIMER’S IS THE MOST COMMON CAUSE OF DEMENTIA, ALTHOUGH THE TWO TERMS DO NOT MEAN EXACTLY THE SAME THING: DEMENTIA DESCRIBES A GROUP OF SYMPTOMS, WHILE ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE IS ONE OF THE CONDITIONS THAT CAN CAUSE THEM.
RECOGNISING
THE
EARLY
SIGNS
We all forget things from time to time, particularly when we are tired, stressed or distracted. However, the changes associated with Alzheimer’s are usually persistent and gradually begin to interfere with daily life. Early signs may include: • Regularly forgetting recent conversations or events • Repeatedly asking the same questions
Above all, we should continue to include the person in conversations and decisions. A diagnosis should never become a label that overshadows the individual.
SUPPORTING
FAMILIES AND CARERS
Alzheimer’s affects families, friends and carers as well as the person diagnosed. Caring can be rewarding, but it can also be physically and emotionally demanding. Feelings of sadness, frustration, guilt and exhaustion are common and do not mean that someone is failing as a carer. Carers also need care. Accepting practical help, taking regular breaks, attending medical appointments and speaking openly about emotional wellbeing are essential. Support groups can reduce isolation by allowing families to share experiences and learn from others who understand the challenges involved.
• Misplacing items in unusual places • Struggling to find the right words • Finding familiar tasks increasingly difficult • Experiencing problems with planning, organising or managing money • Becoming confused about dates, places or surroundings
CAN
• Showing changes in mood, confidence, judgement or personality • Withdrawing from work, hobbies or social activities These symptoms do not necessarily mean that someone has Alzheimer’s disease. Memory difficulties can also be caused by depression, anxiety, stress, sleep problems, medication, vitamin deficiencies, infections and other medical conditions. This is why seeking professional advice is so important.
THE AN
THE
RISK
BE
REDUCED?
There is no guaranteed way to prevent Alzheimer’s disease, and some risk factors—such as age and genetics—cannot be changed.
Understanding Alzheimer’s Disease: Awareness, Support and Hope
IMPORTANCE OF EARLY DIAGNOSIS
Some people delay asking for help because they are frightened of receiving a diagnosis or believe that memory loss is an unavoidable part of ageing. However, dementia is not a normal consequence of growing older.
However, evidence indicates that looking after our general health throughout life may help reduce the risk of dementia.
An accurate and timely diagnosis can help identify the cause of a person’s symptoms and allow treatable conditions to be ruled out. It can also provide access to appropriate medication, practical assistance and emotional support. Most importantly, it gives the person and their family an opportunity to make decisions about future care, finances and personal wishes while the individual can remain actively involved.
• Remaining physically active
If you are concerned about changes in your own memory or those of someone close to you, speak to your GP or another healthcare professional. Keeping a brief record of the changes noticed—and when they began—may be helpful during the appointment.
LIVING WELL
WITH
ALZHEIMER’S
There is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, but this does not mean that nothing can be done. Medicines may temporarily reduce some symptoms for certain people, while psychological and practical interventions can support memory, communication, independence and quality of life. A diagnosis does not immediately remove a person’s abilities, identity or right to make decisions. Many people continue to enjoy relationships, hobbies, exercise, music, familiar routines and meaningful involvement in their communities. Small adjustments can make everyday life easier. These may include using calendars and reminder notes, keeping important items in consistent places, following a regular routine and reducing unnecessary clutter. When communicating, it is helpful to speak clearly, allow plenty of time for a response and avoid correcting or challenging the person unnecessarily.
Helpful steps include:
• Not smoking • Limiting alcohol consumption • Eating a healthy, balanced diet • Managing blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes • Protecting and treating hearing and vision problems • Staying mentally stimulated • Maintaining friendships and social connections • Protecting the head from injury • Seeking support for depression or persistent low mood These actions also support cardiovascular health, mobility and overall wellbeing, making them worthwhile at every age.
CREATING
A
DEMENTIA-INCLUSIVE
COMMUNITY
One of the greatest challenges faced by people living with Alzheimer’s is not always the condition itself, but the misunderstanding and stigma surrounding it. Patience, kindness and inclusion can make an enormous difference. A dementia-inclusive community recognises that people living with the condition still have strengths, preferences, feelings and valuable contributions to make. By learning the signs, talking openly about dementia and reaching out to families affected by it, we can replace fear with understanding. Alzheimer’s may change a person’s life, but it does not erase who they are. Behind every diagnosis is an individual with a history, relationships and a continuing need for dignity, connection and hope. For more information the Gibraltar Alzheimers and Dememtia Society can offer and guidance www.gads.gi
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sh ogs
ADOPT A DOG //
AMON
Spanish Stray Dogs UK
ADOPT
Spanish Stray Dogs UK
Don’t shop Spanish Stray Dogs UK
Amon arrived at the pound in March 2026 and was around 4 years old. He is a big, handsome and very gentle dog with a calm nature. Amon shared a cage with Bimba, who has now been adopted. He walks beautifully on the lead, enjoys cuddles and treats, and is a wonderful companion who deserves a loving home. www.spanishstraydogs.org.uk
AFRICA
Africa arrived at the pound in March 2026 and was around 1 year old. She is a lovely, friendly and open young dog who enjoys walks, exploring and spending time with people and other dogs. Africa is an easy-going girl who loves treats, cuddles and discovering the world outside her cage. www.spanishstraydogs.org.uk
NOEL INDIO
Indio is a handsome, affectionate boy with a passion for hugs. Indio is calm and clean in his kennel and loves to play . He has that lovely balanced nature that dog lovers dream of: playful when it’s time for fun and calm when it’s time to relax. He is 6 years old and good with all other dogs, he is friendly with people and loves to meet new friends. He is looking for a stable home with people who enjoy walks and giving him the affection he deserves. Could you foster or adopt Indio to save him from spending any more time in a kennel?
Noel is 9 years old and was abandoned at a shelter just before Christmas, but he is currently thriving in a foster home in Gibraltar. He was very underweight and scared when abandoned and he is still a little timid, but he is starting to trust people again now. He is still a spry boy; he gets on well with other dogs and loves snacks and snuggles on the couch as well as beach zoomies. He is looking for a quiet home where he can chill out and feel confident and safe. Could you give this boy a forever home? More info: www.ainf.gi
More info: www.ainf.gi
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MARK THE VET //
Hear, Hear! A frequent question I get from clients is: “What maintenance do my pet’s ears require?” There are countless products available for cleaning and treating ears, but in the majority of cases my advice is simple: if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it. For the most part, your pet’s ears do not require any routine treatment. If there is a small amount of debris on the inner surface of the pinna (ear flap), simply wipe it away gently with cotton wool or gauze. Do not start putting drops or cleaning solutions into the ear canal unless you have been advised to do so by a veterinary professional. If an ear is irrigated incorrectly, you can potentially do more harm than good. For example, you could push a plug of debris further down the ear canal. If that material becomes moistened by a cleaning agent, it can provide an ideal environment for infection to develop.
What about hair in the ears? If your dog has excessive hair growing inside the ear canal, this may need to be removed. In some breeds, regular hair removal can be beneficial, particularly where the hair contributes to poor ventilation or traps debris and moisture. Common breeds in which this can be an issue include Poodles, Water Dogs and Schnauzers. If hair removal is recommended for your pet, it should be done correctly and carefully. Regular maintenance can also make the procedure less stressful and uncomfortable for your pet.
correctly and thoroughly is an important first step towards getting them back to normal as quickly as possible.
Don’t ignore an ear infection
Why are some pets prone to ear infections?
An untreated external ear infection, or otitis externa, can progress and potentially lead to rupture of the tympanic membrane and infection of the middle ear.
Some dogs and cats are particularly prone to ear infections. In many cases, underlying allergies are an important contributing factor. The external ear canal is essentially an extension of the animal’s skin. If your pet is susceptible to allergies, allergens that settle within the ear canal can trigger an inflammatory reaction. The ear becomes inflamed and may produce serous fluid — creating an ideal environment for bacteria and yeast to multiply. These pets may require regular ear cleansing using an appropriate veterinary ear wash. The type of product and frequency of cleaning will depend on the individual animal, the underlying problem and the types of infection they are prone to developing. Regular cleansing, together with proper drying of the ears, can help remove allergens and excess material from the external ear canal. This can reduce the likelihood of a secondary inflammatory reaction and dramatically decrease the chances of infection.
The middle ear contains three tiny bones that transmit sound towards the inner ear. If infection causes significant damage to these structures, your pet’s hearing may be permanently affected.
In summary Don’t routinely interfere with your pet’s ears unless there is a reason to do so. If you notice excessive debris, discharge, redness, discomfort, head shaking, scratching or, particularly, an unpleasant smell, seek veterinary advice sooner rather than later. Some ear problems can progress surprisingly quickly, and early treatment can make a significant difference. Your pet’s hearing could depend on it!
Understanding your pet’s ear Your pet’s ear canal has two sections: a more external vertical canal and an inner horizontal canal. The eardrum, or tympanic membrane, separates the ear canal from the middle ear. If foreign material or debris becomes lodged within the horizontal canal, the ear can become blocked and the situation can escalate rapidly.
For more information please phone Gibraltar Vetinary Clinic on 200 77334
One of the most important warning signs is an unpleasant smell coming from the ear. If your animal’s ears start to smell, have them examined by a vet sooner rather than later. Depending on the underlying problem, the ear may require treatment with specific ear medications. In severe cases, your pet may also require systemic antibiotics, anti-inflammatory medication and pain relief. If your pet does develop an ear problem, being shown how to clean the ears
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ADOPT
Don’t shop
Kika 6 Months old | Female Loving and playful. Used to living with other cats and dogs. Perfect addition to your fur family. Follow Us: facebook.com/kittycatrefugio
Visit: www.kittycatrefugio.org Tel: 0034 613 851 679 Email: refugekittycat@gmail.com
Sofy 2 months old | Female Loving and playful kitty ready to find a forever home. Will that be you? Follow Us: facebook.com/kittycatrefugio
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CHRISTIANNE FAGAN 1
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ENTER & WIN
13
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Celebrate Celebrate the the flavours flavours of of Latin Latin America America
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ACROSS
DOWN
1. A person who is adept in planning tactics. (9)
1. A stylishly dressed, fashionable person. (4)
5. To move lightly and swiftly; fly, dart, or skim along. (4)
2. Stylishness; modishness. (4)
7. An instrument for determining directions. (7)
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3. The striking of one thing against another. (9)
9. Bl_ _, a group of persons, businesses, etc., united for a particular purpose.(2)
4. A publication commonly containing news, comment, features, etc. (9)
11. To go swiftly or hastily; dart (5)
6. Slightly crazy; unbalanced. (7)
12. Nonsense; rubbish.(4)
8. A small body of standing water. (4)
13. To walk with a labored, jerky movement, as when lame. (4) 14. Colour resembling blood. (3) 15. To slide along. (4) 16. Russian male forename. (4)
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ENTER & WIN Email your completed entry along with your name
10. _ _ _ _ e, very fat or overweight. (4) 11. A garment worn by Hindu women. (4)
IN WIN IN •• W WIN W IN •• W WIN ER CHER UCH OU VO £5 0V £50
and contact number to jeaninsight@gibtelecom.net. Entries to be received on / before 5 August. The winner will be drawn from all correct entries and will receive a £50 voucher to spend at Las Iguanas, Gibraltar. Entrants must be 18 years or older.
IN WIN IN •• W WIN W IN •• W WIN ER CHER UCH OU VO £5 0V £50
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Gibraltar
Happy National Day
WISHING ALL A VERY HAPPY NATIONAL DAY
BMI GROUP ESTATE AGENTS
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