Gibraltar Magazine - June 2013

18 # 08 June 2013

dining guide • business & finance • sport & leisure • property • history • community

the gibraltar magazine

g

ibraltar the

Congratulations UEFA’s Team 54!

Secretly Serving The Sky’s No Limit Bikini Time with Charlene

Summer Views

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2007

18 # 08 June 2013

dining guide • business & finance • sport & leisure • property • history • community

the gibraltar magazine

raltar

gibraltar the

June 2013 Vol. 18 # 08 FREE

Congratulations UEFA’s Team 54!

Secretly Serving The Sky’s No Limit Bikini Time with Charlene

contents Business & Finance 8 Business & Finance Guide 9 The Price of Hidden Costs 12 Unlocking the Female

Health & Well-being 42 Health Directory 43 Save Our Skins 44 Health file

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Past Revisited 66 Baseball & the Rock of

Summer Views

Fringe-tastic

18 # 08 June 2013

Cover image: © DM Parody (http://dotcom.gi/photos) - see page 14 for details.

The Gibraltar Magazine is published monthly by Guide Line Promotions Ltd PO Box 1124, La Bayuca, 21 Turnbull’s Lane, Gibraltar Tel/Fax: (+350) 200 77748 Email: gibmag@gibraltar.gi Publisher/Editor: Andrea Morton Forde Copyright © 2013 Guide Line Promotions Limited. All rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced without written consent of The Gibraltar Magazine.

www.TheGibraltarMagazine.com Magazine & website archived by the British Library

18 # 08

22 24 26

Economy David Dumas QC International Initiatives on tax information exchange Career: Secretly Serving Born in the USSR Human Resources files

Arts & Lifestyle 28 Book review: A Delicate

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51 52

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61 62 69 73

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

Truth Miss Gibraltar 2013 — can you pick a winner?

Bikini Time with Charlene Learning the Art of the Sword Neon is the New Black on Gibraltar’s Runway Cake Boutique opens Rock Solid Spirituality 4x4 Project Education For the Love of Floyd

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Gibraltar The story of Mohawks on the Rock

Appetite 78 Barbie Burgers 80 Food & Drink Directory 84 Wine Column: June Boons Regulars 68 Puzzle Page 74 Images of the Month 75 People & Pets 76 Photo Call 86 Around Town Information 64 City Centre Map 75 What’s On May 90 Gibraltar Information

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features 54 74

Fringe-tastic Nadine, Horses & Baring All

Property File 32 34 36 38

Going Green Summer Views Budget Wish List Property Directory

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

finance

business

The Price of Hidden Costs words | Ian Le Breton

As I write this, we have just celebrated the May Day public holiday in Gibraltar and the UK is about to close for the early May Bank Holiday.

Having the day off here in the middle of the working week made for a nice change of course but it also set me thinking about the cost of the one-day shutdown.

May Day is of course marked in several other European countries, as well as North America, as a commemoration of the traditional Spring festival, and in many other countries around the world it is also celebrated as International Workers’ Day. It may be very popular to have these days off — particularly as the weather turns warmer here in the southern Mediterranean — but there is a cost to business, and therefore to the economy, that may not be immediately obvious.

First, I thought I’d take a closer look at the number of public holidays. I am often told we get too many here, but is this really correct? It’s certainly true that in 2013 at least we are getting four more days than the UK — Commonwealth Day, Worker’s Memorial Day, the Queen’s Birthday, as well as Gibraltar Day itself.

But in comparison with other countries, we seem to be about right. By my calculation we enjoy 12 public holidays annually. True, this is somewhat less than Spain but then each autonomous region adds its own “fiestas” on top. A report by ABC News last year named the lucky Argentines as being the most fortunate as they had a total of 19 days off last year.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

In the UK and Gibraltar we don’t call them “bank holidays” any more. When I was young, I used to be told that bankers were the top of the pile so when they had a day off, so did we all. It was one of the arguments sold me when I joined a bank all those years ago. Not quite the same today, methinks!

All of this is in addition to paid time off, which also varies from country to country. It has always struck me as odd that the US is one of the countries one associates most with leisure time but it remains one of the most stingy when it comes to paid time off. Two working weeks annual leave is still very common.

But think of an organisation close to you and consider for a moment the cost of even

When I was young, I used to be told that bankers were the top of the pile so when they had a day off, so did we all

one extra day off to that business. In my case, Sovereign employs around 80 people locally so if taking a five-day working week that is almost four working months. Crikey, I’m beginning to sound like our Finance Director but it does all add up to a lot of time — and money.

This can be of even more concern to smaller firms where cash flow is very tight — a start-up perhaps. I went on to think about other hidden costs that a business might consider and what, if anything, can be done to mitigate them.

Here in Gibraltar, as summer approaches, staff working in government — and some private sector firms too — start looking forward to summer hours, It’s a great idea in theory but of course there’s another side too. Leave aside the obvious shorter working week — it’s to be assumed that any organisation or firm allowing reduced working hours during the summer takes account of this when setting pay levels. The “hidden cost” applies also to other businesses — such as ours — who have to work with the fact that government offices are simply not open from mid-afternoon during the summer.

There is a definite cost to this and of course

business

finance

the potential for some clients or customers who have a choice to simply look elsewhere — i.e. away from Gibraltar. Don’t worry dear reader, this is a personal column and of course I am not going to start a campaign here. It would be a brave politician indeed who would dare to tackle this and of course there is another more positive side to the summer hours arrangement for families and local business. I’m just pointing out that it does cost us all, that‘s all.

Staffing is only part of the issue. There are many other costs involved in day to day business. This is true for any company “selling” something, be it any kind of service, a widget or indeed a bar or restaurant. At Sovereign, I am always stressing the importance of considering the “client acquisition cost”. There is no point selling something — anything — for £10 if it has cost £12 to produce. My friends in retail will immediately say “ah, a loss leader you mean”.

They would define that as selling something at a loss to encourage someone to buy more from you somewhere else. As my economics tutor taught me — “focus on the word loss boy”.

Not a bad thought, that.

The wide range of hidden costs that goes into producing and selling anything can be quite daunting — especially for a new business. It may upset those salesmen we all know or “business development managers” as they’re likely to be called these days. But the price you secure from your end-user client must cover everything and should still leave a surplus if you are to stay in business. So what costs am I concerned about here?

There are some obvious things. Let’s assume the widget or service being sold is either already made or finely tuned so we have something tangible to sell. What costs are involved in getting to meet your customer? Drive into Spain for 100km (and back), pay some tolls, buy some lunch on the way and the costs soon mount up. Fine if you’re selling something expensive but be careful that the dangling carrot

of the sale doesn’t tempt you into spending too much in an effort to pluck it from the tree (I know carrots don’t grow on trees but you know what I mean).

Then consider what in my view is the most commonly overlooked “hidden” cost of all — that incurred by you, or your business development manager, whilst out seeking that elusive carrot. To carry on the metaphor, consider the tomato growing just over there that you did not secure — because you were dealing with the carrot. The economist will call this the “opportunity cost” or to quote the dictionary “the loss of potential gain from other alternatives when one alternative is chosen”.

I have often come across situations where a colleague (or maybe a competitor!) spends more time on what may appear to be an easier “sale” — rather than stretching themselves to secure that elusive but perhaps more demanding and therefore lucrative business. The point about opportunity cost is that if one spends time today doing something — anything — then the opportunity to do something else is of course lost for ever. The hidden cost could be significant.

Other costs may not be “hidden” but, if they are not considered at the outset, can be just as detrimental to the bottom line. I could cite

several examples but perhaps one of the best is insurance. I don’t mean the obvious things such as fire and theft protection but such areas as public liability or directors and officers insurance. The cost adds up — but of course the implications of not protecting a business in this way could be catastrophic.

There can be any amount of hidden costs to consider, especially when setting out in business for the first time. Some can be mitigated by outsourcing if one can realistically get certain functions performed at a lower cost elsewhere.

But the cost in pounds and pence should not be the only consideration. For example, there is no point in outsourcing something if in doing so you are cutting yourself out permanently of the same business.

As always when considering new ventures, my advice is to take professional advice from the outset. Our firm has whole departments dedicated to assisting businesses — both here and around the world — looking at such issues.

But whether or not you decide to approach a specialist corporate service provider or not, do take soundings from others. Look at the costs you know about and keep looking for those hidden costs; it is managing those effectively that will make all the difference in the world to whatever venture you are contemplating. n

To carry on the metaphor, consider the tomato growing just over there that you did not secure — because you were dealing with the carrot

Piano Recital at the Convent The Gibraltar Philharmonic Society concludes its 2012-13 Season with a Piano recital featuring Miguel Ángel Muñoz at the Convent Ballroom on Wednesday 26th June at 9pm.

The last concert of the Society’s season is the one in which the Chairman, James Lasry, will outline the plans for the next season. The concert is sponsored by the Bonita Trust.

During 2011 the label “Verso” released Muñoz´s last CD which includes Chopin´s four Ballades and Third Sonata. The critical and public success exceeded all expectations: it was acclaimed as “one of the best versions of this repertoire ever recorded” and classified as “Outstanding

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CD of the Month” by Scherzo (May 2011), the main Spanish music magazine, acknowledging Miguel Ángel Muñoz as “one of the greatest contemporary artists of the keyboard”. The magazine mundoclasico.com described him as “one of the best pianists of his generation”.

Tickets priced £20 available from 3rd June at Sacarello’s coffee shop in Irish Town and the Silver Shop at 222 Main Street or directly from the society by telephone on 200 72134.

A limited number of tickets at £10 are available for senior citizens and students via the John Macintosh Hall at 308 Main Street.

For further information Tel: 200 72134 or visit www.philhamonic.gi

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

isolas-house-gibmag:Layout 1 10/19/12 5:21 PM Page 1

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Unlocking the female economy words | Paul Wharton

Earlier this year, I wrote about my spent time with Gigi Sene from Beacon Press, discussing some of the challenges facing today’s female entrepreneurs and business owners. This month, we return and dig a little deeper into the theme of female entrepreneurship.

So, let’s consider where Gibraltar stands in the world of the female entrepreneur? We only have to look around to see women in most walks of life moving in their own areas of expertise and meeting their male counterparties head to head. Even looking back over the past 25 years, it is possible to see that the female entrepreneur in senior and key roles is developing at a steady pace within our local community, thereby ensuring that there is a more balanced view to situations and negotiations that would not have been available in a previously male dominated environment.

Clearly, there are areas of business and commerce which may be more challenging to the female entrepreneur; these will take more time for the balance to be addressed over the coming years.

Now turning to female entrepreneurship more broadly. The promise of entrepreneurialism for economic recovery; the growth of the ‘freelance economy’; the plethora of start-up success stories… None of these are entirely new trends or ideas — it has been long recognised that amidst a difficult business climate and an uncertain employment market, a rising number of individuals see an opportunity to branch out and set up on their own. While most see barriers in tough economic times, entrepreneurs see opportunity.

Female entrepreneurs present a promising

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channel for growth, one that has not yet been tapped to its full potential for the economic and employment benefits it brings. Although women now participate at similar rates to men in the overall workforce, they remain underrepresented in entrepreneurship.

A recent report produced by Barclays, Unlocking the Female Economy: The Path to Entrepreneurial Success, examines entrepreneurship through the lens of gender. Psychological research and expert interviews highlight patterns in the financial personalities and

While most see barriers in tough economic times, entrepreneurs see opportunity. Female entrepreneurs present a promising channel for growth

management styles of men and women.

A key insight of the report is that men and women can bring complementary strengths and perspectives to entrepreneurship. Women tend to be less financially risk-seeking and (over) confident about their financial expertise compared to men. While this can help explain why women enter entrepreneurship at lower rates, a more cautious approach could encourage enacting only well-calculated risks. This is extremely important in the entrepreneurial domain, which suffers from both excessive entrance and failure rates.

The greater propensity of men to take risks can be linked to their attitude towards the possibility of failure. Men are more likely to view failure as an opportunity to grow and learn, and male entrepreneurs view this as an experience that will bolster their future chances of success. They are also more likely to hire an entrepreneur who has failed in the past, viewing failure as a “badge of honour”.

In any setting, the propensity for risk-taking

Paul Wharton is Head of Corporate Banking at Barclays Wealth & Investment Management in Gibraltar having arrived on the Rock from the UK six years ago. Paul has over three decades’ experience gained in various roles within Barclays, predominantly in and around London and is passionate about supporting the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) market which he sees as the lifeblood of the Gibraltar economy. Paul has won several awards for his work in Small Business Enterprise markets and has served on the London Board of the Prince’s Trust.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

finance

business

Photo taken at a recent Gibraltar Business Network for business & professional women www.gbn.gi

is going to be helpful at times and harmful in others. The key is not to have male opinions and female opinions but to have diverse opinions to help you see opportunities and risks in balance. Entrepreneurs should be aware of their own individual propensity for risk and surround themselves with people with different inclinations.

Another interesting trend is that women tend to be more reluctant to negotiate and less comfortable bargaining on their own behalf, which can help explain why they typically earn less than men in employment. Our report found that when it comes to entrepreneurship however, the gender pay gap is not just diminished but reversed altogether, with male entrepreneurs earning on average 14% less than

female entrepreneurs.

At a time when many countries face the prospect of slow growth for years to come, we need to foster innovative new business ideas to kick-start economic growth. We can champion and support female entrepreneurs by ensuring that they have equal access to funding, as well as the right networks, advice and partnerships to support them in taking risks, negotiating astutely and embracing the possibilities in failure.

Looking to Gibraltar, one of the initiatives that has recently gained momentum is Gibraltar Business Women Network (GBN), which brings active, entrepreneurially-minded business and professional women together facilitating the exchange of ideas, experience, business

advice and mentoring. GBN demonstrates that female entrepreneurs truly recognise the importance of local networking and exchanging information. Diverse membership including women from various fields such as lawyers, bankers and small businesses from Gibraltar bring together professional females who show how effective women can be when they put their mind to it.

I will come back to this subject in the next few months, discussing this topic with female entrepreneurs in our business community who are enjoying success within distinct businesses and trades. n Paul Wharton is writing in his own capacity and none of the above is intended to express the views or opinions of Barclays Bank PLC.

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13

cover

story

Gibraltar is Team 54

photos: J.Scott (GBC)

A special moment for the GFA — at the UEFA Congress in London

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Manager of Gibraltar’s National team Allen Bula somewhat lost for words...

On Friday 24th May Gibraltar was finally accepted as a member of European football’s governing body UEFA, allowing our national team and clubs to take part in international competition. The Application of the Gibraltar Football Association for UEFA membership was passed by an overwhelming majority at the XXXVII Ordinary UEFA Congress at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, London.

Gibraltar, which was granted provisional membership last October, first applied for UEFA membership in 1999 but had faced fierce opposition from Spain. Gibraltar’s case was strengthened in 2011 by a Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling that UEFA had to consider its membership.

“This is a momentous moment for us,” Gareth Latin, president of the Gibraltar FA, told the UEFA Congress. “It means we can now begin the next chapter of Gibraltar football.”

Gibraltar now becomes the smallest member in terms of population, behind San Marino (just over 32,000), Liechtenstein (approximately 37,000) and the Faroe Islands (just under 50,000).

The GFA’s first full international competition is likely to be the qualifiers for Euro 2016. n

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

update

business

New Gibraltar Head for Lloyds TSB Private Banking Lloyds TSB Private Banking has appointed Jon Farley as Country Head, to lead its business in Gibraltar.

Jon will be responsible for developing and executing the Bank’s strategy on the Rock, and managing the relationships with regulatory and government bodies.

He brings with him over 15 years’ banking experience in a variety of roles, including wealth, corporate, international and retail banking.

He will report to Richard Musty, Director, Lloyds TSB Private Banking and Lloyds TSB International,

who commented: “Jon will be instrumental to our future strategy.

He brings a broad and deep knowledge to the role and has extensive international experience having worked in Europe, the Caribbean, Africa, Asia and the US. “Gibraltar is an important part of our international business as a ‘gateway market’ reaching British expatriates across Europe. We have operated in the territory since 1986, developing tailored private banking services for a wide variety of clients. The recent 2013 Euromoney Award that the Gibraltar team won in the high net worth categories for the service excellence is a testimonial of the strength and difference that Lloyds TSB Private Banking brings to our clients.” n

Argus Refurbishment Customers visiting Argus Insurance offices recently will have noticed they have been redirected to the new and improved entrance on the corner of Queensway and Reclamation Road.

This is all part of a major investment into a new and expanded office footprint, improved working environment for employees and an enhanced experience for visiting customers.

The second phase of the refurbishment has already commenced and should be completed this Summer.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

15

profile

legal

�avid Duma�

Queen’s Counsel Gibraltar born and bred, David Dumas QC joined Hassans law firm over 30 years ago and has watched Gibrlatar and its laws develop and change over the years. We spoke to David about his career so far and what he likes to do when not at the office or in court.

Mr Dumas, your work at Hassans law firm has spanned three decades, how have you seen the firm, and Gibraltar’s legal requirements develop over this time?

As is to be expected changes in the legal landscape and the work of any lawyer go hand-in-hand. In turn, these changes are a reflection, and in many cases a reaction, to wider changes in the world one lives in, whether political, commercial or social.

Gibraltar is no different to the rest of the democratic world. So, it allows for different ways of thinking, living and doing business, which, as time marches on, requires the introduction of new laws, the revision of existing ones and, yes, the discarding of what is not required.

This whole process requires the work of lawyers. As such, in my own fields of practice and within Hassans as a whole, we work towards the implementation and application of the new laws and rules that are the product of those fundamental changes and developments.

Before I am accused of having indulged in lawyer-speak, I can give you a number of examples which your readers would have come across or know about.

The ease with which it has been possible to move money about, especially electronically, and the concerns about hiding the proceeds of crime, led to the introduction of what were labelled ‘anti-money laundering laws’, especially impacting on banks. As many people will know, the result of this is that it has never been more difficult or cumbersome for any person to open a bank account or move money about, having to produce

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all forms of proof of, eg, residence, source of funds and the like.

Well, lawyers would have written the laws and guidelines; they will also be assisting the authorities to ensure that these money institutions comply with the laws and, on the receiving end, will be advising clients on what the laws require them to do.

More pertinently to Gibraltar, what I have just described has certainly been a burgeoning business as the finance centre and the different types of activities within it have developed.

On the so-called social side, the ever-increasing use of the internet (which also has obvious implications for businesses) has led to studies for changes, for example, in the law of privacy and defamation.

A prime example of the state of flux in which many countries find themselves is the phone-hacking scandal in the UK which required the lengthy and detailed Leveson enquiry and subsequent report.

Gibraltar in its small way is not immune to some of these problems so new laws could be possible.

Another example is that of changes in employment laws, some due to greater awareness of health and safety needs.

Another significant driver of change or new laws over the past 30 years has been (and still is) the amount of legislation that is pushed out by the European Union which Gibraltar is then required to follow.

As I say, all these factors and the resulting changes throw up issues for lawyers be it in the drafting of laws, their interpretation, testing them or arguing (at times in court)

how to apply those laws and what the results should be.

What has been your own path to QC, and what advice would you pass on to young lawyers or those considering a legal career?

I was attracted to the legal profession as long ago as my early teens and I never really wavered between then and the time I embarked on my law degree, nor, in fact, to this day.

My interest was then, and still is today, in what would be called ‘going to court’, that is, as a barrister. I certainly did a lot of that right from the start at Hassans and still do so as much as possible.

It is worth pointing out that apart from the criminal cases and jury trials which tend to hit the headlines, there is an enormous amount of other casework. It is referred to as ‘civil’ work, but encompasses the fullest range of legal disputes.

Most significant ones include business and commercial cases and family and divorce as well as cases going to court to challenge de-

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

legal

cisions of public authorities (for example in immigration and asylum cases).

I have covered most of these areas of work, increasingly concentrating on commercial cases, insolvency of companies (when they fail) and taking on criminal cases and jury trials which I used to do much of in my earlier days.

Nowadays I am less in court due to the fact that our team is larger, so the work is shared and I am also freer to concentrate on heavier cases. Also clients ask for written advice sometimes ahead of problems thus avoiding court. There are also less full-blown civil trials because of reforms in England and Wales which we adopted, which were largely designed to ensuring that cases be dealt with as speedily, efficiently and cost-effectively as possible.

One of the by-products has been the steering of cases towards other ways in which people or companies could sort out their differences, put them behind them and get on with their lives, personal or business.

But there are still mini-hearings along the way (anything between an hour to a few days) even if a case then gets sorted out in

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

mediation. So there’s still work for lawyers, in this ever-increasingly specialised world.

They are still wanted to assess a case, advise and conduct it for the client, even if it is before a mediator rather than a judge.

It is worth mentioning also that the work of the barrister, also called the advocate (i.e. spokesman for the client), isn’t limited to ‘oral advocacy’ in front of a judge or in mediation or even at meetings with the other party. Just as important is what is called ‘written advocacy’ which is where the bar-

The amount of preparation and research, to then appear in court to be quizzed by the judge(s), is like doing an exam in public where there are two ‘examiners’

profile

rister sets out his client’s best case in eg correspondence or written legal arguments (now a strict requirement for practically all court appearances).

I have been told that from the outside it seems that the amount of preparation and research, to then appear in court to be quizzed by the judge(s), is like doing an exam in public where there are two ‘examiners’: the judge and your own client! I guess that is one way of seeing it.

This kind of work has always been known as ‘litigation’ but, in an attempt to make the concept more user-friendly and perhaps to give clients the hope that problems can get solved, the more common description now is that of ‘dispute resolution’.

I was extremely fortunate to join Hassans (then J A Hassan & Partners, founded, as the name suggests, by Sir Joshua Hassan in 1939) in the early 1980s when the firm, all five of us, was responding to change in a pretty radical way. This was by creating teams or departments for different areas of legal work.

In our experience, it is the best way to provide clients with more specialised advice

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profile

legal

and service, because each team concentrates on their specific areas of law.

So, I spearheaded the creation of the ‘litigation department’, now consisting of 12 lawyers, with the rest of the firm (another 70 lawyers, supported by a staff of over 160) providing a full service to local and international clients.

This path led to my appointment as Queen’s Counsel in 2002 and I am still at work in the same firm and doing the work, which I give thanks for.

I have also played a part in the representation of Gibraltar’s lawyers as Bar Council chairman, principally working on proposals for reorganisation intended to ensure the public gets the best reliable service, improvement of legal aid and pushing for streamlining of the court service.

I should add that on behalf of Hassans, which provides this pro bono service I remain, after some eight years, the legal adviser to the Environmental Safety Group.

Apart from the fact that the work can be extremely interesting, one gets to see advances at the cutting edge and, of course, the group is committed to improving our quality of life for the current generation and those to come.

Could you tell us a little about your background and what you like to do away from work?

I was born and bred in Gibraltar, as was my wife, and, in turn, our own four children.

Both my wife and I come from large families

also. I try to live as best I can by my Catholic faith, which permeates through my personal and professional life.

I would like to think that I do not hanker for much outside my working life. It is great to spend time with both my immediate and extended families, especially to see how the children have developed into young adults and also with my parents living close by.

I also have a life-long interest in music, having been taught classical guitar at a young age and thereafter developed, parttaught, my amateur piano/keyboard playing whilst not entirely forgetting the guitar, or the neighbours, for that matter!

I also try to keep as fit as I can reasonably manage after lengthy working hours and being seen at home. My early years were spent running or rowing. I have continued to row,

“

I would like to think that I do not hanker for much outside my working life. It is great to spend time with both my immediate and extended families

”

but on land, in the gym, and am back to running, making allowances for our concrete roads and huge amount of traffic.

You have been Chairman of the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme locally for a dozen years, and Hassans has been a corporate sponsor for even longer. What do you think the rewards of the scheme are for young people?

Yes, initially I was a representative for Hassans, one of the original ten corporate sponsors of the local Award and then as Chairman, 12 years and still counting.

For those who may not be familiar with the Award, it is an individual, non-competitive programme designed, through its four sections, to develop skills, a sense of community awareness and contribution to it, an expedition into unknown territory and an element of physical fitness.

As the name suggests, it was founded by HRH Prince Philip over 50 years ago and operates now in some 140 countries worldwide.

The delivery of the programme locally is through the Open Award Centre, the Guides, Scouts and Air Training Corp.

There is an increasing number of participants year-on-year leading to annual presentation of awards across Bronze, Silver and Gold of between 70 and 90.

It very much thrives thanks to the efforts of participants but also the huge and longterm commitment of the individual leaders, volunteers and assessors. n

Artist’s impression of the vessel in situ supplied by Sunborn

Floating hotel arrives this month Sunborn Gibraltar, a five star yacht hotel, is due to arrive in Gibraltar in June.

This 189 room purpose-built yacht has restaurants, a grand ballroom, cocktail and lounge bars, a spa and fitness centre, concierge and conference facilities.

Sunborn Gibraltar will be the brand’s debutante and, for some time, the only five star yacht hotel in existence in the world, the first of what is expected to be a fleet of five star yacht hotels.

“Sunborn Gibraltar will bring a different dimension, a different proposition, to the local hotel industry and the intention is not to go head-to-head but

18

to support and partner our fellow hoteliers,” says CEO of Sunborn Gibraltar, Brian Stevendale. “First, our price point will be the highest, with room rates of more than £200 a night, indicative of the affluent target audience we are appealing to. Second, should we hold events at the hotel for 750 guests, our maximum capacity, we only have 189 rooms in which to accommodate them. We’d like to work with partner hotels to host the overspill.”

The yacht hotel is scheduled to be ready to open within three months of arrival in Gibraltar. n GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

finance

tax

Let’s Talk: International initiatives on exchanging tax information The UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, has strongly welcomed the news that all British Overseas Territories with significant financial centres have signed up to the UK Government’s strategy on global tax transparency, “marking a turning point in the fight against tax evasion and illicit finance”.

What is being done?

It was recently announced that the Cayman Islands, Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, Montserrat, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and the Isle of Man have agreed to pilot the automatic exchange of information bilaterally with the UK, and multilaterally with the G5 countries, ie the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

Guernsey and Jersey have also expressed an interest in engaging with the pilot, but have requested more information before committing themselves.

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) also announced that it is working with both the United States and Australian tax authorities to analyse 400 gigabytes of data which reveals “extensive use of complex offshore structures to conceal assets by wealthy individuals and companies”.

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The Spanish tax authorities recently introduced a new annual reporting regime whereby Spanish tax residents must declare all of the assets they own outside Spain on a new official form, the first of which was due for submission on 30 April 2013.

There are also initiatives by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development on aggressive tax planning and the EU Commission fight against tax fraud and evasion, which are based on more cooperation and information being provided between jurisdictions.

What does the automatic exchange of information really mean?

The agreements will mean that the UK, along with the other countries involved in the pilot, will be automatically provided with much greater levels of information about bank accounts held by taxpayers in these jurisdictions. This includes names, addresses, dates of birth, account numbers, account balances and details of payments made into those accounts. It also includes information on certain accounts held by entities, such as trusts.

The level of information that will be exchanged under these latest agreements has been described as a “step change” in international transparency

The level of information that will be exchanged under these latest agreements has been described as a “step change” in international transparency.

How does Gibraltar fit into all of this and what are the benefits?

Gibraltar, which has already entered into 26 Tax Information Exchange Agreements and operates the relevant transparency directives as part of the EU, has also made the same commitments as the other Overseas Territories.

A statement made by the Government of Gibraltar on “Eradicating Tax Evasion” on 2 May 2013 confirmed that Gibraltar “is committed to continue working with the UK Government and the wider international community on a new package on tax transparency”.

It was probably an inevitable consequence of the Gibraltar Gov-

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

tax finance ernment committing to enter into a disclosure agreement with the US (the so-called FATCA arrangement) that it would eventually commit to a similar agreement with the UK, so the Government’s announcement that it will join the UK strategies should come as no surprise.

However, the speed at which this whole global initiative has gathered momentum has been somewhat breathtaking. Of course, Gibraltar is not alone in making this commitment — it seems the whole of the world has joined the cause. Indeed the European Commission will now negotiate with Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Andorra and San Marino on new rules for swapping bank account information.

What is important to remember is that this not a “tax haven bashing” exercise. The effect of an initiative such as this is that the G5 nations (apparently soon to be joined by other EU countries) share information automatically among themselves, which of course Gibraltar is committed to through its membership of the EU. Indeed, EU Directive 2011/16 on exchange of information on tax matters “which is recognised by the OECD

itself as being equivalent to a Tax Information Exchange Agreement, thereby providing OECDequivalent exchange mechanisms with the 27 EU member states, including Spain” has recently been included in local legislation.

The Gibraltar Government also stated in its announcement of 2 May 2013 that it has engaged the UK Government on a range of other issues of mutual benefit to both Gibraltar and the United Kingdom including the recognition of EU rights in the UK to Gibraltar companies and dealing with Gibraltar’s unjustified blacklisting as a tax haven or uncooperative jurisdiction by certain countries. Clarification of both of these issues would be of great benefit to Gibraltar in confirming its position as an international, mainstream financial centre.

will be automatically sharing information, the idea being that “tax dodgers” will have nowhere to hide. Of course, there is always likely be some remote jurisdiction which will provide secrecy to those prepared to pay for it, but if Gibraltar (and others) want to reinforce the message that tax evasion and financial skulduggery are not on offer they cannot be afraid to commit to international standards of transparency.

where KPMG has thrived since the set-up of the office in 2008, growing from the recruitment of Mike Harvey as Audit Director, to now being an office of 16 people.

The recent appointment of Micky Swindale as Managing Director and Viola Zasowska joining the tax team is a sign of the increasing profile of the Gibraltar firm locally and within the global network of KPMG. n

How does KPMG Gibraltar fit into this rapidly changing global environment?

KPMG in Gibraltar is part of the KPMG global network providing audit, tax and advisory services.

We have 152,000 outstanding professionals working together in over 156 countries worldwide and we can advise and assist individuals and companies, who have inWhat does the future hold? ternational structures and review It is likely that within a very their taxation arrangements. In short timescale every country particular, Gibraltar is a territory

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

The speed at which this whole global initiative has gathered momentum has been somewhat breathtaking

Darren Anton is Tax Manager at KPMG Gibraltar. He provides Gibraltar compliance and advisory services, whilst continuing to focus on tax solutions and cross-border structuring for international companies and high net worth individuals.

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career

profile Colonel Vincent John Mifsud OBE TD PhD MA (Cantab)

Secretly Serving words | Mike Brufal

The headline in the East Grinstead Courier read Defence scientist earns an OBE for secretive service.

Part of the report reads; “Hartfield’s answer to James Bond’s Q has been awarded an OBE for services to the defence industry. But such is the sensitive nature of the work, Dr Vincent Mifsud cannot reveal what projects he has been working on to earn his award.”

Colonel Vincent Mifsud, 59, was born in Gibraltar and is an only child. He married Rachel Moore and they have three sons — one a computer scientist at the Ministry of Defence, one studying medicine (after taking a PhD at Cambridge) and the third researching for a PhD in biochemistry, also at Cambridge University.

Leni Mifsud, the acclaimed painter, is a relation, while artist Vin Mifsud was married to a cousin. Colonel Mifsud has a flat in Gibraltar but has lived in Upper Hartfield, Sussex for the last 25 years.

Vincent was educated at Loreto Convent, the Christian Brothers Preparatory School and the Gibraltar Grammar School before being awarded the Barclays DCO scholarship, awarded to the most outstanding pupil in Gibraltar and the Bahamas at the time, to be sent to the Sixth Form at Dover College. Aged 16, Vincent left home for the first time to board.

This dramatic transition had no ill effects; he took Sciences at A level and went on to win an exhibition to Magdalene College, Cambridge where he was awarded a First Class degree in Engineering and Electrical Sciences.

He gained practical experience in electronics at Chelmsford Marconi on a sandwich course.

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This also provided the opportunity to play cricket for the Mid Essex Technical College, which built on an enthusiasm for the sport started in Gibraltar. He says he is delighted to see how the sport has developed on the Rock recently.

He remained in Cambridge while he worked to obtain a PhD. During his time as an undergraduate he joined the Officer Training Corps and in his final year was commissioned into the

Vincent was awarded the OBE in this Year’s Honours List for services to the defence industry. This has led to speculation regarding these services, and rumours abound that they are work for some aspect of the Intelligence Services

TA, REME ( Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers). During his first years at the OTC he was attached to the Royal Yeomanry in the Royal Armoured Corps.

Vincent was awarded the OBE in this Year’s Honours List for services to the defence industry. This has led to speculation regarding these services, and rumours abound that they work for some aspect of the Intelligence Services.

Naturally he cannot comment about such apocryphal stories as he has signed the Official Secrets Act. Any reader who thinks this does not matter in this day and age of openness should read the latest intelligence thriller, A Delicate Truth, by John Le Carre to find out what happens to British diplomats and soldiers who disclose state secrets!

Hartfield has been his home for the past quarter of a century and the East Grinstead Courier, his local newspaper, provides a flavour of what is being whispered locally. The report reads; “Hartfield’s answer to James Bond’s Q has been awarded an OBE for services to the defence industry... The technology wizard, who works on programmes for the Ministry of Defence, said he was very pleased with the award, after being nominated by colleagues at Cobham

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

profile PLC, where he has worked for six years. Dr Mifsud said of his work: ‘It is sensitive because it is defence and it involves work with the ministry in this country and of those overseas. It was totally unexpected. I have had the pleasure to work with excellent colleagues and as part of very capable teams over my years in various industries. I recognise that this award reflects their efforts more than any contribution that I may have made. I look forward to continuing to work with them in support of our Armed Forces and those of our allies’.”

Vincent has packed an amazing amount into his life. He is a Chartered Engineer, a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology, Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute, an Associate of the Institute of Linguists, a visiting Professor to the School of Electronics and Computer Science at the University of Southampton, a Board member of the UK Trade and Industry Advanced Engineering Strategy Advisory Board, a UK representative on the Aeronautics, Space, Security & Defence Industries in Europe’s Research and Technology and Security Commissions, and a Director of the Friends of Gibraltar Heritage Group.

He has written more than 20 publications in the fields of instrumentation, semiconductor processing, epitaxial growth and medical device technology. In addition he is the holder of several technology patents.

His first job in 1980 was in the Scientific Civil Service at the Royal Signals and Radar Establishment, Malvern where he worked in semiconductor research on internal and industrial collaboration programmes. In 1984 he moved to VG Semicon (subsequently part of Fisons Instruments) as Technical Director and stayed for eight years. This was followed by three years at Vickers PLC as Technical Director for Medelec, a neurodiagnostic instrumentation company and then promotion to Divisional Director for

the multi-national Medical Division operating in England, Scandinavia and the USA. In 1997 he was appointed Vickers Group (an organisation with 8,500 staff and a budget of £1 billion) Technical Director, responsible for the development of technology strategy in defence, marine equipment, automotive and special materials. In 2000, after Vickers was taken over

by Rolls Royce, Vincent left the company and became Chief Executive of SpectraProbe Ltd, a leading start-up company producing novel mid-infrared spectroscopy systems for on-line chemical analysis and process control. This was successfully taken forward, and in 2004 he moved on to be Managing Director, Weapons Division, QinetiQ with a staff of 500. This is a core division which provided leading edge weapon solutions and research to the Ministry of Defence, industry and international defence companies and government establishments.

Three years later he moved to Cobham PLC as Vice President for Technology of a £600 million Division, also reporting to the CEO for technology processes across the group, and is part of the management team for the fastest growing technology SBU and Division within the company. He was also the Managing Director of a £25 million Research and Development business and is the Chief Technology Officer for the Company’s interests in Europe and the rest of the World. Cobham PLC is a leading British

Parallel to this frenetic business career Vincent has been an active member of the Territorial Army and later this year retires with the rank of Colonel

career

Aerospace and Defence group.

Parallel to this frenetic business career Vincent has been an active member of the Territorial Army and later this year retires with the rank of Colonel.

In his TA career, he has held both command and staff appointments. He has many experiences to relate of exercises in various parts of the world, reflecting the changing role of the Reserves in modern society. When in command, he had the pleasure of deploying part of his Battalion (104 Bn REME) to Gibraltar for a summer exercise. As Colonel REME TA (his last posting), he proposed and was supported

by Gibraltar House in sponsoring a Gibraltar Cup, celebrating the links between REME and the Rock, for competition between TA units in the South-East of England. He maintains links with the Royal Gibraltar Regiment, and is a strong supporter both of its activities and the associated Cadet unit.

He assisted with the UK preparations for the Tercentenary of British Gibraltar, and visited the Rock for the local events.

Vincent expresses his opinion that the Gibraltar Governments of the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s dealt successfully with a very limited economy, and thus far the Governments of the new century have weathered the impact of the external financial and banking storm well. Today the economy is strong and vibrant and all augers favourably for the future.

On a personal level he regrets the abolition of the Grammar School, based on UK experience, he accepts that the comprehensive system works well in Gibraltar and looks after the academically weak as well as the strong. He is delighted with the Government’s decision to grant so many scholarships, as today no pupil is prevented by their family’s financial constraints from going on to a university education. This is meritocracy and social mobility at its best. n

700 New Berths A 700 berth small boat marina will be constructed in the mid-harbour area and will incorporate 400 six-metre and 300 eight-metre finger pontoon berths. The marina will have electrical and water points, secure entry to the pontoons and CCTV security cameras.

The construction will be a caisson vertical wall design wharf which will also provide 480 metres of new outer wharf berthing for large vessels and super yachts. There will be two lanes for traffic, a roundabout at the end of the wharf, a public promenade and parking for over 50 cars and for motorcycles.

In preparing the project, the Government has commissioned a number of studies including a geotechnical survey to determine the composition and characteristics of the sea bed and a wave study.

In addition, an Environmental Impact Assessment (“EIA”) has been carried out and an Environmental Statement produced. The

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

result of the EIA is that, subject to a small number of recommended mitigation measures, the potential impacts of the construction and operation of the small boat marina are considered to be negligible or minor.

Commenting on the project, Government Minister Gilbert Licudi QC said: “For years, local

residents have lost access to the sea as a result of various developments. This project seeks to redress that and will deliver not just muchneeded berths for boating enthusiasts but a new wharf for Gibraltar and a public promenade so that the new facilities can be enjoyed by everyone.” n

23

MARSHA ALMEIDA (ZHELEZNOVA) Born in the USSR

Marsha Almeida, Chief Operating Officer of RTI Ltd, tells her story

Born in the USSR Just a few years ago only Spanish, English, Arabic and perhaps the odd other western European language were heard spoken as you walked down Main Street. Now it’s not uncommon to tune in to words from a number of Eastern European countries too, especially Russia. In fact, it’s estimated there are at least 200 Russian speakers now working and/or living on the Rock. Richard Cartwright spoke to Marsha Almeida to discover her story.

24

The dissimilarities between, coming from a country the size of Kazakhstan — or even more contrasting the massive land mass of the former USSR — being raised in a communist system and coming to a western democracy and a place like little Gibraltar, must be interesting, to say the least.

“Perhaps one of the only similarities I could mention is that I come from a community of about 30,000 people, just like Gibraltar, but to me Peremyotnoe, which is where I come from, is a village,” Marsha Zheleznova (now British citizen Marsha Almeida) explains. “There, I was used to open spaces and one of my places of work was six or seven hours drive away. I remember when I first arrived in Gibraltar and was driven around the Rock — I was patiently waiting to see when we got to the main roads or motorways and my husband said no, that’s it, those are the roads!”

Marsha arrived on the Rock in 1998 — she spent some time in London after coming straight from the Republic of Kazakhstan — and found the transition a little difficult and overwhelming.

“My life in Kazakhstan had been completely different. In my final years there I worked in administration at one of the American-Turkish joint venture companies working on the development of the Kazak Government-run oil fields of Karachaganak and Tengiz. My earlier years were spent in my village, in school, university and deciding I wanted to be a teacher. In school we learned Russian, Kazak and English as the first foreign language.

“I studied maths and physics but ended up teaching English to children aged six to 16, taking six classes a day and, at one stage, not getting paid for six months. I remember not liking living off my parents and took on summer jobs whenever possible. I’ve always wanted to be self sufficient.

“When I got the job at the petro chemical company, Bechtel, in the oil fields, I earned $500 a month... 10 times more than in my school job!

It was the mid-’90s and we were experiencing the financial problems some European countries are having now. I got pneumonia during that period when the central heating failed!”

We tend to think of that part of the world as always being very cold and Marsha confirms it drops to -30 degrees in winter but all the houses had central heating and there were tanks that distributed hot water to all the radiators in the homes, gas today.

In summer the temperature would rise to +30 and they’d swim in the river nearby and generally, life was good...

“Yes it was and I remember it fondly. We had no Morrisons. Everything was run by the Communist Party. We were supplied with bread, butter, salt, biscuits and other bits and pieces by the government and the rest we had to grow. We were eco friendly too, recycling plastic bags and bottles, but we had to work very hard right through the summer to have enough for winter!

“There was no time for cinema or boyfriends and I remember I was 11 when my dad took me to see Starwars — my first film! There was very little from outside the Soviet Union in terms of music and fashion and all of that. Those who managed to obtain those things got them by whichever means were available to them.

“We did have our own popular singers and performers and access to European music from GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

people file

“

We didn’t know any different and what’s important is we were taught better values which have helped me pass on to my own children today France, Italy, Spain and other places but not from Anglo-Saxon countries and those influences, goods and changes were being felt coming in slowly before the change in the system.

But not having had those things hasn’t done me any harm. We didn’t know any different and what’s important is we were taught better values which have helped me pass on to my own children today.”

Despite the hardships Marsha did have a very happy childhood. She was encouraged to read a lot often visiting the library with her dad, a university graduate who taught maths and physics and who became a head teacher.

He later worked in the government’s tax collection department.

Everything was run by the Communist Party in those days before Perestroika and the breakup of the Soviet Union. Marsha recalls becoming part of the Children of October in school and was proud of her red star badge, then she became a pioneer and gained her red neck scarf as she progressed through her years in school. “And as you got older you could join and get more involved in the Communist Party if you had ambition to move up the ladder. In my family, only my dad was a member.”

How was the West perceived in the USSR? “It wasn’t anti-West propaganda all the time, much of it was in the form of humour in comics...”

Recently, Marsha’s husband Eric told me that whilst watching the film Red October about a Soviet submarine they had a good laugh as they accused each other, as the East and West, of pointing missiles first, and talked about other false impressions and misconceptions that were sometimes made.

Marsha Almeida is now happy and settled on the Rock. She started work as a secretary and progressed to become the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of RTI Ltd and is not planning on going anywhere soon.

“I’m not truly ambitious and don’t like big cities so much,” she says. “I found it easy to settle here but despite the fact I come from a very cold country in winter, the cold, humidity and dampness here with no central heating can be unbearable! Seriously though, I enjoy seeing friendly faces and have a happy life.”

Eric and their two children, Rachel and Victor are the love of her life and Marsha maintains her upbringing has taught her true family values. She claims the Soviet education to be the best in the world.

When not busy at the office you may find her at the Magistrate’s or Supreme courts, St Bernard’s Hospital, KGV or at a wedding as an interpreter, not just for her compatriots but also for Lithuanians, Poles and others.

They say the Russians are coming... No, they’re already here. n GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

photos: Mike Brufal

”

Bossano addresses Friends of Gibraltar in London’s Gibraltar House

Minister for Enterprise, Training and Employment, the Hon. Joe Bossano (above centre), addressed the Friends of Gibraltar Heritage Society at Gibraltar House, London last month. Mr Bossano tallked about his life and revealed what made him enter politics rather than a life as an academic in a British university.

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Proving yourself in a new job words | SRG Europe

So, you’ve just started a new job in Gibraltar and you are nervous. While you were the expert in your field at your old job, you’re suddenly feeling like you’ve jumped into a deep pool and can’t swim. This is a normal reaction for many when starting a new job. The worst thing you can do is panic and lose your confidence. The best thing you can do is impress your new company from the start. Here are a few points to keep in mind which might help.

Rewarding Employees

words | Sylvia Kenna, The HR Dept

When Gibraltar’s companies recognise and reward employees it aids their development, promotes innovation, gives ownership and makes employees proud of what they do and what the company does here.

As a beginning, catch your employees doing things well, says management expert, Ken Blanchard. As the owner or manager of a business that employs people it is up to you to make time to communicate with your employees on a regular basis. Make it a regular part of your role to thank staff for work done well. The more openly and publicly you do this, the more employees will understand what a job well done looks like and in turn this will motivate staff in the right direction.

For employees who really shine at what they do, support their development and support the development of others by having a knowledge-sharing scheme.

Ask your best employees to provide advice and training to their colleagues. For some employees this can be daunting if carried out in a formal setting, however the transfer of knowledge can be

26

done just as well in an informal setting. Order in pizza for lunch and provide a topic for discussion or ask them to write a “how to” or “expert tips” for everyone else.

Why not make a video of how the job is done correctly and to a high standard and post it ‘YouTube style’ on your company website?

Most people enjoy sharing their expertise and if you can provide them with opportunities to pass on that knowledge it will show you appreciate their good work and have confidence in their abilities.

Empowerment is another way of rewarding staff for their hard work. Empower your employees

by letting them make more decisions about how their work is carried out. The person carrying out the task is most often the best to judge what works well and what does not work.

Providing people with responsibility for their role builds a culture of ownership and, given the right training, staff should be able to make many decisions on their own. Having more responsibility for how a job is done can encourage problem solving and innovative ideas from the post holder, and the added value of this can be seen when staff offer suggestions leading to more efficient ways of

Most people enjoy sharing their expertise — if you can provide them with opportunities to pass on that knowledge it will show you appreciate their good work

working. A win-win situation.

Providing development in the form of education and qualifications is not just for managers. In Gibraltar the apprentice scheme offers ways for employers to add value to potential future employees by providing them with technical training as well as valuable work experience. In addition employers can offer their staff the opportunity to gain mathematics and English qualifications, both of which are offered locally in the college. Employers can offer to fund a percentage or all of the costs of training, and in return they can expect staff to be more knowledgeable and better equipped for their role and possible future roles.

Communicating to employees their part in the success of the company is important, and just as important is communicating problems facing the company. Hiding the bad news is a normal reaction GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

people Understand the business If you don’t understand the nature of the business then it will be an endless struggle to settle into the business and you ideally want to hit the ground running. The end goal for a company is to be profitable. Ask yourself how the business is valued. How do they make money? Once you fully understand this you can then start to understand how the business functions and where you fit into it. Know your competition as well. See if you can go a step further and learn the company’s strengths and weaknesses against its competition.

Understanding how the company values itself is essential, but you should also understand Company goals and projections. This will again help you to understand where you fit into the big picture.

If you’re not quite sure where the company is headed, then ask. If a company is genuinely working to be profitable they will appreciate the interest from their employees in understanding this.

Put your best foot forward When you start a new job, you need to play your strengths. You may not be able to do this all the time because there will be

tasks that need to get done no matter what and they might be a real challenge because they are new. Be aware of this, but if you also know what strengths you have brought with you, and can incorporate them into your new remit then do so. It will give you an added boost of confidence in your abilities, but also give you a sense of familiarity.

Remember that you were hired for your specific skills and qualifications. Don’t lose sight of this. Remind yourself of what your strengths are and be sure to use them to your advantage in making your new job your own.

Adapt to the new situation Every job is different. While it’s important to bring your skills and experience to the new job, remember that every job is different and you will need to adapt at least a little to both the job and the work environment.

Applying the same approach

to the new job that you had in the old job is not necessarily going to work; especially if you are changing industries. A little flexibility can go a long way.

Don’t let fear take over In any new job, there is a learning curve. You’re going to make mistakes while in that learning period. What you want to make sure of is to try and minimize these mistakes, correct what you can to the best of your ability and learn from them. Don’t be afraid to make the mistakes while learning and be sure to watch that you don’t fall into the pattern of not trying anything for fear of making mistakes. This happens often in a new job and can reflect poorly to an employer as it can create the appearance that you’re not actually capable of doing the job you were hired to do.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions Just make sure they are

Don’t be afraid to make the mistakes while learning and be sure to watch that you don’t fall into the pattern of not trying anything for fear of making mistakes

power

necessary to ask. Go away in the first instance and try figuring it out on your own first. Good questions for you to ask will probably pop up along the way.

This approach will streamline the learning process and make it more efficient. Take the initiative required to understanding your job through asking the right questions.

Don’t be afraid to learn Those who are open to learning and embrace it regularly are the best workers. Regular learning in any job is great, but it is especially important to be open to learning when first starting a new job. The more learning you embrace, the easier it will become and the more you will learn in a small amount of time. The more your employer sees you picking up in a short amount of time will be all that much more impressive.

When starting a new job there is always an element of excitement and one of anxiety. It’s new, but it’s also unknown. Don’t let your anxiety take over. Try focusing on learning the new job, using your strengths and understanding the business and it will be an enjoyable experience for both you and your new employer. n

and managers and owners often find it difficult to share bad news.

However keeping your employees informed about the business again gives them a sense of ownership.

It is important that employees understand completely the reason for their role in the bigger picture and the impact of that role on the business. Having this understanding will enable employees to identify solutions to problems and have innovative ideas to improve your business. Not having the whole picture can be demotivating.

Bringing out the best in everyone is not a strategy without risk.

Employees, once qualified, become more marketable. However if the culture of your company values its employees in an individual and personal way you are far more likely to retain staff, be more productive and attract new employees. Creating this culture is a long-term strategy and needs constant attention. Once this strategy is adopted it has to keep going. n If adding value through employees is a strategy you or your company is interested in, then The HR Dept. can offer advice and support. Visit www. thrhrdept.gi for information.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

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book

review

The Rock’s Delicate Truth... words | Mike Brufal

John Le Carré says “In the old days it was convenient to bill me as a spy turned writer. I was nothing of the kind. I am a writer who, when I was young, spent a few ineffectual but extremely formative years in British intelligence.” Le Carré’s 22nd novel, A Delicate Truth, set in Gibraltar, entered the hardback fiction chart as number one on release and there is already talk of making it into a film.

John Le Carré is the pseudonym of author David John Moore Cornwell, 81, who has written 22 novels.

David was educated at Sherborne School, the University of Berne where he studied German literature for one year, and Lincoln College, Oxford being awarded a First in Modern Languages. He taught at Eton College, 1956-58, followed by five years in the British Foreign Service where it is assumed he served as an intelligence agent.

John spent time researching on the Rock for his latest novel and in the acknowledgements he thanks “Danny, Jessica and Callum for enlivening my researches in Gibraltar.”

As the novel is fiction the author does not have to accurately describe locations, however there is an error in the location of the fictitious Chinese restaurant. Le Carré writes on page 20: “We’re heading for Upper Rock, so we’re taking in the Queensway Marina on the way. That’s the Rosemaria out there now. She arrived an hour ago. See it?”

“See it.”

“That’s where Aladdin always anchors, and those are his personal steps to the dockside. Nobody’s allowed to use them except him: he has property interests in the colony. He’s still aboard, and his guests are running late, still powdering their noses before they go ashore for their slap-up dinner at

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the Chinese.”

Some paragraphs later he continues “A flash-glimpse of cannons, then of war memorials, one British, one American. Welcome to Ocean Village, hellish canyon of apartment blocks with balconies of blue glass for ocean waves. Enter

a private road with gates and a guard-box, no sign of a guard.

Below, a forest of white masts, a ceremonial, carpeted landing bay, a row of boutiques and the Chinese restaurant where Aladdin has booked his slap-up dinner.”

“Aladdin is basically a mixed-

race Pole who has taken out Lebanese citizenship,” Elliot is explaining, in the little room in Paddington. “Aladdin is the Pole I personally would not touch with a barge, to coin a witticism. Aladdin is the most unprincipled merchant of death on the face of this earth

“

A flash-glimpse of cannons, then of war memorials, one British, one American. Welcome to Ocean Village, hellish canyon of apartment blocks...”

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

book

review

bar none, plus also the chosen intimate of the worst dregs of international society.”

Beware this novel cannot be put down once started and the conclusion to the moral issues is not reached until the last page.

The book’s first sentence reads “On the second floor of a characterless hotel in the British Crown Colony of Gibraltar, a lithe, agile man in his late 50s restlessly paced his bedroom...”

He [Paul Anderson] scowled upward through the grimy net curtains at Gibraltar’s legendary Rock which, sallow, wrinkled and remote, scowled back at him like an angry dowager.”

A Delicate Truth, John Le Carré Paul says “Her Majesty’s Viking - 310 pages Government has got a bloody great tri-Services headquarters in lish private defence contractor who Gibraltar. Not to mention a sub- is also his close friend. So delicate stantial Foreign Office presence is the operation that even the and a king sized listening station. Minister’s Private Secretary, Toby And a Special Forces training Bell, is not cleared for it. camp...”

Suspecting a disastrous con“They were driving between spiracy, Toby attempts to forestall high stone walls and he was drink- it, but is promptly posted overseas. ing in every sight and sound at Three years on, summoned by once: the blare of jazz from a pass- Sir Christopher Probyn, retired ing bar, the obese English couples British diplomat, to his decaying quaffing tax-free booze at their out- Cornish manor house, and closely size tables, the tattoo parlour with watched by Probyn’s daughter its embroidered torso in low-slung Emily, Toby must choose between jeans, the barber’s shop with ’60s his conscience and his duty to the hairstyles, the bowed old man in a Service. yarmulke wheeling a baby’s pram, If the only thing necessary for and a curio shop selling statuettes the triumph of evil is that good of greyhounds, flamenco dancers, men do nothing, how can Toby and Jesus and his disciples...” remain silent?

The action switches to the Upper Other key characters are Giles Rock on the east side with a hide Oakley, Elliott, the South African above Catalan Bay and the final mercenary and the SAS continlegitimate killing/murder taking gent. Readers can work out which place in an imaginary develop- of the key figures is based on ment where today stands the vast Sir Francis Richards, the former rubbish dump. head of GCHQ and Governor of More detail must not be revealed Gibraltar. as it would spoil the incredible Many moral issues are raised roller coaster of a thriller whose especially since the horror of 9/11 conclusion is revealed on the last when the security services of the page. Until then the reader is un- US and UK were said to use the able to decide what will happen black arts of rendition, extraorand whether good will triumph. dinary rendition, and enhanced Here is a neutral summary of the interrogation (torture by any other novel which gives nothing away: name). Today the reality is that A counter-terror operation in many Governments can pose as 2011, codenamed Wildlife , is much of a threat to friends as terbeing mounted in Britain’s most rorists.

This is a cracking story, and an famous Crown Colony, Gibraltar.

Its purpose to capture and abduct honour for Gibraltar to be the starta high-value jihadist arms-buyer. ing point of what might be John Le Its planners, Fergus Quinn, an Carré’s last novel. Highly recomambitious junior Foreign Office mended and essential for collectors Minister, and Jay Crispin an Eng- of books about Gibraltar. n

The action switches to the Upper Rock on the east side with a hide above Catalan Bay and the final murder takes place in an imaginary development GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

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activities

night skies

The Sky’s No Limit words | Charles Duarte MAstron

When we observe the stars and realise the vastness of space, it’s natural to speculate if humanity is alone in our galaxy, let alone the universe, or to consider whether other intelligent life form exist.

Our galaxy (Milky Way) is composed of dust, gases and stars — it is estimated there are around 500,000,000,000 stars orbiting around the centre of the Milky Way. Given this large number of stars we can assume many of them will have orbiting planets. NASA’s planet-hunting Kepler has determined, after a simulation based on data recorded from the past four years, that about one out of every six stars has an Earth-sized planet. This estimation translates to at least 17 billion such planets in our galaxy.

But what is significant about an ‘Earth-sized’ planet? Well, being Earth-sized does not mean that it is an ideal to habitat to live — many would be orbiting their parent star closer than Venus orbits our own sun, therefore it is too hot for liquid water to exist.

The requirements for an Earth like planet to support life as we know it, falls mainly on its distance from its parent star. Planets must orbit the star within the region of the habitability

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zones, commonly known as the “Goldilocks zone”. This region’s distance from the star must have a temperature that allows for the existence of water and this therefore vastly increases the possibility of the existence of life.

Kepler’s new data has expanded the Goldilocks zone further away from the star, which now means there are more opportunities for

The requirements for an Earth like planet to support life as we know it, falls mainly on its distance from its parent star. Planets must orbit the star within the Goldilocks zone

planets to support life at a further distance from the star to what we once thought.

Prior to Kepler data, Earth was thought to be at the centre of the habitable zone, now Earth has been reclassified as just touching the zone’s edge, a mere 1 million km from our Sun’s “Hot Zone”. This means we are not that habitable after all, this new definition makes us realise how lucky our planet is, if the Sun’s gravitational pull would have been greater during the accretion stage this would have pulled our planet further towards the Sun and into the ‘Hot Zone’ — the existence of water would have been negligible, and so too would life as we know it.

Kepler’s new discovery of planet KOI172.02 found in the constellation of Cygnus classified as a super Earth, with an orbit of 242 day around its star falls perfectly within the habitable zone this was announced by the American Astronomical Society in Long Beach, California last January 2013. n

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

night skies

Gibraltar Amateur Astronomers Club for all

activities

Is there anyone out there?

Quite possibly...

Got a telescope and want to learn how to use it? Are you a knowledgeable astronomer, but don’t have anyone to observe with? Or do you just love astronomy and are looking for a little camaraderie? The Gibraltar Amateur Astronomers is a club based on the love of astronomy and all that goes along with it.

The current Gibraltar Amateur Astronomers Club started in 2010 after Charles Duarte completed a Masters Degree in Astronomy.

Charles wrote the content for the club’s website (www.gibraltarastronomy.com) and dedicated to astronomy in general. The website is extremely informative and has a kid’s section with lot of interactive content.

The club, which has 25 members, is a nonprofit organisation with its own constitution, and over 200 Facebook followers.

Members regularly meet for stargazing either in Gibraltar or Spain. They like to ensure their members have an awareness and minimum knowledge of stargazing and the equipment used before open field observation. The GAAC holds dedicated Observing Sessions on the first Friday of the month (from 6.30pm during winter and 9pm during Summer) at its observing site in Europe Point, which offers clear southern skies away from the light pollution of the town. They also hold spontaneous sessions from time to time.

The club has accomplished observers as well as beginners in astronomy, young and old, and everything in between. So, if you are looking for a hobby that involves observation of the night sky with anything from binoculars upwards, join the club members (observing is free), then if you wish to become a member yourself you will be welcomed. Members enjoy sharing their knowledge of astronomy and their love of the night sky. n For more information on the Gibraltar Amateur Astronomers Club, or to find out how to become a member, visit www. gibraltarastronomy.com. Facebook: Gibraltar Amateur Astronomers Club.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

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Harnessing the Sun It is widely accepted that in the not too distant future renewable energy will be the only option for people to satisfy their energy requirements. Because of the physical, ecological and inevitably social limits to nuclear and fossil energy fuels, ultimately, it will not be possible to circumvent renewable energy as the solution. The question however, is whether we will succeed in making this radical change of energy platforms happen early enough.

John Clifford, Director at Cocoon Renewable Energy Consultants in Gibraltar explains that with the return on investment (ROI) time for solar thermal and solar PV systems falling significantly over recent years due to new technologies and increased competition in the marketplace there has never been a better time to install or invest in renewable energies for domestic or commercial purposes on the Rock.

There are factors such as the geographic location of the building and usage levels to consider, but an average household of four people can expect to recover the cost of a solar thermal installation within four to six years, and thereafter heating your water becomes FREE. “As we all know, Gibraltar is completely reliant on fossil fuels for its current supply of electricity generation, but with the present government of Gibraltar forcefully pursuing and implementing green and environmental policies and standards, raising awareness of green issues at a local level and supporting local green business enterprise, I believe we can all look forward to a cleaner, greener future which will do nothing but benefit Gibraltar and its residents as a whole,” John explains. n For further information or an energy survey — whether for your home or business — contact John Clifford on 54018595 or email info@cocoon.gi.

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

The Green Light In a bid to reduce operating costs and boost their bottom line, many Gibraltar companies are embracing the idea of retrofitting energyefficient LED lighting systems in their workplaces.

based on projected cost savings in the first financial year.

The PCL team provides a custom plan for companies looking to convert to high performance LED lighting technology which includes specific lighting solutions, and tailored financing and installation schedules. All of this is possible through PC Limited’s extensive audit and analysis process which begins with a walkthrough of the facility when the existing lighting is catalogued, along with hours of operations and usage.

This information is then compiled and used to generate a specific LED lighting solution.

PCL creates a detailed financial analysis — which includes everything from air-conditioning savings (due to low heat emission from LED lighting) to reduced maintenance costs — so decision makers can accurately predict the overall and substantial ongoing benefits of the initial investment. n

LED lighting makes a lot of sense for companies, large facilities, building/estate owners, and retailers where the high cost of electricity means the initial outlay for changing to more energy efficient lighting systems is quickly recovered and the ongoing benefits of reduced costs, in energy and maintenance, are soon reaped.

Innovative LED (light emitting diode) systems supplied in Gibraltar by PCL Limited improve ambience, increase visibility, enhance shopper or worker experience, and increase profitability through significant cost savings.

In fact, the team at PC Limited is so confident of the products’ cost saving credentials that they have negotiated with local banks to offer To find out how your business or facility could save a financing facility to some of their qualify- money by going green, contact Pacific Coast Limited ing existing clients on the capital investment, on 200 65950 or email: info@pclgib.com

A well lit working or retail environment has benefits to workers and customers beyond the cost savings achieved by the company

Commercial & Industrial LED Lighting Solutions for reduced costs and a better environment.

PCL LED Lighting For a Green Gibraltar

Unit D 66/70 Main Street, Gibraltar | Office: +350 200

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

65950 | email: info@pclgib.com | website: www.pclgib.com 33

ideas

home

Summer Views

words | Meme Fairbank, Denville Designs

Yes it’s here! Our Mediterranean summer. The sun and the heat the cooler European countries come flocking for, willing to pay a fortune on fuel, air flights and accommodate just for the chance to share what nature gives us for free.

Okay, so it can get a bit too hot and if you have to work through it, it can sometimes become tedious. What can we do to enjoy the warmth of the sun and the sea breezes in our own home more?

Nearly every home in Gibraltar is built to cope with the heat of summer rather than the wet and cold of winter. Live it. Take up

your rugs and carpets expose the beautiful floors some old houses have, wonderful old oak, some made from the wood of old seafaring vessels, mellow and rich with age.

The fabulous tiled floors , some houses boast Spanish tiles, others more exotic Moroccan tiles, hundreds of years old, exposing them

and taking your rugs and carpets to the cleaners will immediately give a cooler more summer feel to your home.

Modern homes have marble or wooden floors, reveal them too, banish all rugs until you want to cosy up in winter. Exchange heavy lined curtains for light voile, let the abundance of summer light filter through your windows as the voiles play lazily in the summer breezes.

Get rid of throws, heavy cushions, bring light into the room and make sure you can have steady breezes travelling through your home with the use of open windows and doors.

Nearly every home in Gibraltar has a small terrace, big patio or garden to sit out in during the summer months. Now is the time to really use and enjoy this space no matter how big or small.

Let’s go to that space now, what do you see? Have you a

34

fabulous view or just the back of the adjacent houses? Whatever it is, make the most of it. Make a haven where you want to be, look forward to as a treat, a glass of wine there after work, a healthy fruit breakfast before starting your busy day.

Look at the area you have, try to introduce potted flowers, bedding plants are in abundance right now, cheap and cheerful.

Collect unusual old pots to grow them in or pretty ceramic from the local market gardeners. You can find all sort of iron wear to put these pots in, hanging from your balcony or hanging into the patio. Plants in assorted pots up the walls, a big green bushy plant in a corner if you have the space, gives the feeling of coolness. Keep well watered in the hot weather, a little light pruning or dead-heading becomes a pleasure, as with your cool drink you can congratulate yourself on how

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

photos this page: Osborne & Little fabrics available from Denville Designs

Make a haven where you want to be, look forward to as a treat, a glass of wine there after work, a healthy fruit breakfast before starting your busy day

home ideas Terrace, patio, garden furniture is the next thing on the list — buy the best you can afford, plastic is always a bad buy your little garden is blooming.

Terrace, patio, garden furniture is the next thing on the list, buy the best you can afford, plastic is always a bad buy, as in our harsh climate it becomes very dry and brittle and breaks so easily, I have seen many bad accidents happen to people sitting on plastic furniture that buckles beneath them.

Wood is good, but it does need to be treated yearly and the colour of the wood then changes. Wrought iron can be very heavy to move about. I love the light aluminium frames with the Teflon mesh seating, it takes all kinds of weather, is easy to move and stack and can be made interesting with bright cushions and throws.

Last word on decoration, don’t

Pots of Charm — collect unusual old pots and make your outdoor space bloom with pride

forget the bounty of our beautiful seas, get the children sea shell hunting and have nice white wooden bowls of shells dotted about to replace the candles and

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

other winter ornaments, always a talking point where you found a special shell.

Have a wonderful summer take all it has to offer you. n

Denville Designs would be delighted to help you to arrange your outside space to its maximum potential.

Tel: 200 44012 or visit www. denvilledesigns.com for information.

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Budget wish list At the end of June, the second budget of this current Government will be presented. The property sector is a vital part of the economy, not only contributing stamp duty on transactions but providing the space for the private sector to drive the desired GDP growth. This year I focus on three areas which might be up for debate to assist the property sector.

Empty properties There is a real supply problem in the property sector at the moment. My April and May articles explained the current state of the local property market in more detail. Suffice to say that demand for rental properties easily exceeds supply. In the office property market, Chesterton Estate Agency believes there is less than 2,000m2 currently available, which is below half of that last calculated by Chesterton in January 2012.

With no further large scale developments due to complete in the next year or two, this shortfall will push prices higher and restrict the ability for ‘Gibraltar PLC’ to attract in new companies which bring new jobs and economic activity.

Somewhat paradoxically, Gibraltar has many empty properties, many of which are held privately and these are not confined to the Upper Town (where there is a welldocumented plan by Government to return these properties to the

36

marketplace).

I visit many empty properties with owners seeking advice as to how best to finance and/or refurbish their properties. Many property owners choose to do nothing, waiting for another day.

However, I believe that it must be in Gibraltar’s interest to reduce both the overall number of empty properties and the length of time that properties remain unoccupied.

Bringing an empty property back into use offers considerable potential advantages to the owner and the community. In this market, the owners, if they have access to finance to bring the property back into use, should make a good return if they sell or rent the property. Regardless, the property value will increase.

The community benefits from returning empty properties to use for a number of reasons. Firstly, empty properties are a wasted resource and deny homes to house-

holds or offices to companies.

Secondly, empty properties are an eyesore and damage the aesthetic environment, even having a negative impact on community safety in some respects. Finally, they can, and do, reduce the value of nearby properties.

Properties become vacant for many different reasons. In the majority of cases this is a short term issue, for example, where a property is in probate or in need of renovation before it can be occupied following a change of ownership or, if let, between tenants.

Such transactions are a normal function of the housing market.

However, it is the properties that remain empty for over six months which I am concerned about, especially where they are not being actively marketed or prepared for occupation, and are unlikely to be returned to use for some considerable time or without some form of intervention.

Hence I believe the budget could

deliver an incentive to owners to encourage redevelopment and bring back into use these empty properties. The incentive could be in the form of grants, or future rates and tax reliefs. Perhaps it is also time to consider a disincentive for not bringing properties back into use. Harsh? Possibly. But in the UK, where there are some 710,000 empty properties, rules have just changed to allow local councils to end the 50% discount on rates where properties are not occupied, to include a premium of 50% on top of the full council tax once a property has been empty for two years. The UK is clearly tackling the problem head on.

Stamp duty Stamp duty thresholds are: Purchase price Rate To £200,000 Nil £200,001-£350,000 2% on 1st £250k

5.5% on balance £350,000+ 3% on 1st £350k

3.5% on balance

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

file

property

Rules have just changed to allow local councils to include a premium of 50% on top of the full council tax once a property has been empty for two years

Firstly, these rates seem to be unnecessarily complicated for no obvious reason. The calculation of duty payable is not an easy task for many a buyer trying to calculate the sum (often in their head) at the time of making an offer. I wonder whether the rates could be simplified with no net gain or loss to revenues?

Secondly, the thresholds at which the rates are applied, creates a false market at each level. For example, a property sold at £200,000 costs a buyer £200,000, whereas a property sold at £201,000 costs a buyer £205,020. Which means no properties are sold just above £200,000 or £350,000, even if that is their market value.

Overall, the duty rates are internationally competitive and as much as the property sector, and buyers, would like to see reductions in duty, I think leaving the rates broadly as they is realistic for all concerned.

However, perhaps we could introduce duty rates and thresholds which, when they graduate upwards, are easier to calculate and remove false valuations at the thresholds.

come is not.

Buying property creates economic activity for the economy (stamp duty, refurbishments, buying furniture), leaving money in a bank does not.

Yet the tax system encourages passive investment over property investment.

When a property is let out to tenants, tax is due on rental profits, ie rent less any mortgage interest and property owning costs for example service charges, rates etc. So an investor who buys a property to achieve a net yield before mortgage interest of, say, 4.5%, will pay tax either at the company income tax rate if held in a company or at his personal tax rate.

If, however, this investor chooses not to buy a property but instead leave the money in a bank, no tax is due on the interest income.

Perhaps this is an inadvertent biproduct of the tax system. Across the rest of Europe, governments are trying everything possible to move money out of banks into economy generating ideas. Should the tax system prefer passive investment over property investment?

Whatever decisions are made in the budget, Gibraltar’s economy Rental income and property sector remain far In Gibraltar, rental income is healthier than much of the rest of taxable, whereas investment in- Europe. n Mike Nicholls is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, a member of the Gibraltar Society of Accountants, a member of the Gibraltar Funds and Investment Association and a board member of the Gibraltar Chamber of Commerce. Mike operates the Chesterton estate agency in Gibraltar and runs a real estate investment solutions consultancy.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

37

property

interiors

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arts file Photograph of the Year Last month, the Gibraltar Photographic Society selected this photograph of the Tropical butterfly Greta oto by Joseph Molinari as Photograph of the Year 2013.

There were 44 photographs in contention for the title, all being the highest ranked images in the different competitions held during the year.

The voting was carried out by all those present at the meeting who did not have images among the 44 in competition; 24 members and guests in total. n

Photographer of the Year The Gibraltar Photographic Society has announced that Stephen Hermida has won the title of Photographer of the Year 2013.

Stephen obtained the highest aggregate of points over all the competitions run by the Society during the course of the season.

Stephen’s impressive standard of photography has resulted in his coming first, and sweeping the board, in the Colour Prints Competitions, the Monochrome Prints Competitions and the Digital Projection Competitions!

Gibraltar Photographic Society Annual Competitive Exhibition The Annual Competitive Exhibition 2013 of the Gibraltar Photographic Society will be held from 24th June to 12th July, at the John Mackintosh Hall.

FBIPP FMPA FRSA. She will judge the entries, and will also deliver a talk on her own photography on Friday 21st June, at the Society’s premises at Wellington Front, starting at 7.30pm.

All are welcome to attend. n

photo: Derek Booth

The Exhibition will consist of three sections: A Monochrome Prints Section (open to all members), a Colour Prints Section (open to all members) and a Beginners Section.

The Adjudicator of the Exhibition will be Fiona Senior FRPS

PAIRS ING RE IES B M U L P RGENC & EME GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

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Coast to Coast Cycle for Charity This summer three students from the University of Exeter (Barty Isola, Will McGrath and Rowan Royds) will be cycling over 4,200 miles, coast to coast, across the USA. Starting in Washington DC and finishing in San Francisco this trip will take them 90 days and raise money for charity.

Saturday 22nd June, Casemates

CALENTITA! Gibraltar has a unique place in history and a unique place on the map; over the centuries people have come together from distant lands to make the Gibraltar we know today. But it is always evolving; its warm climate and successful economy see new people moving here all the time. They bring with them influences from other cultures, including food.

Calentita is a colourful celebration of Gibraltar’s

multicultural society, as reflected in the foods we love to eat.

Food stalls fill the square with delicious aromas and hungry people sampling the delights n offer.

This year the event is taking place on Saturday 22nd June.

Staging Calentita on a Saturday night (previously it has been on a Friday) gives everyone, including the Jewish community, a chance to take part.

problems with, movement, balance, and speech. Three of my cousins have been diagnosed with Friederich’s Ataxia. It’s a degenerative disease so their symptoms only get worse. Eventually they will lose all control, need wheelchairs to get around, and constant care to get through their daily lives. There is no cure at the moment but Ataxia UK do important research into trying to find one. They also provide essential care for sufferers and

Calentita is a celebration for all Gibraltarians — we hope to see you there to sample tastes from the melting pot of the many cultural influences that make this such a unique and vibrant community.

For more: info@calentita.gi / @Calentita / calentita.gi

Art in the Hills

painting by Sara Webb

Calentita is a street party and food festival to bring a very enjoyable Spring Festival 2013 to a close.

Each of the three cyclists has chosen to raise funds for their own personal cause. We spoke to Gibraltarian, Barty Isola about his reasons for taking up the challenge.

“There are two main reasons behind the trip,” Barty explains.

“First and foremost it is about raising money for Ataxia UK, a charity which is of great personal significance.

“Ataxia means ‘lack of order’. People with Ataxia have

Every year, the artists who live in Gaucin, one of the pueblos blancos of Andalucia, open their studios to the public and exhibit their paintings, photographs, sculpture and prints. Many of the artists have an international standing and several are well-known to us here in Gibraltar.

MAN & VAN

IKEAN Tel: 54008299 40

• Removals • Collections • Deliveries • IKEA Runs • Clearances You name it, we move it!

One of Gaucin’s artists Victoria Orr Ewing won 1st prize at the 33rd Gibraltar International Art Competition, and the Ministry of Culture has two of her paintings, the one which won the competition and one other they bought later.

Nozomi Hatano and Jenny Waterhouse will also be familiar to Gibrlatar’s art afficionados as they have also exhibited in Gibraltar and Jenny has won prizes at the international competition.

Beyond the art itself, the mountains around Ronda are an area of outstanding natural beauty. The combination of art, design and the environment would make a perfect weekend visit to the hills for anyone living in or around Gibraltar.

This year, the open studios take place from 31st May - 2nd June.

Visit http://artgaucin.com for further information.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

charity

events

their families.

“The kind of hardship I will endure over the 90 days that it will take me to cycle across the States pales in comparison to the challenges my cousins face on a daily basis. Nonetheless, I thought that by facing this challenge I could draw attention to the scale of the challenge that people like my cousins face every day, and hopefully encourage people to donate generously.”

Barty’s second reason for tackling the challenge, he admits, is “less noble and more self-centred”. It’s about the adventure, the opportunity to be completely self reliant.

He explains; “In this age of technological dependence and fast and convenient (sometimes) air travel there is something alluring about crossing a continent with nothing but the power in your legs. I also want to experience the sorts of things we miss out on when we cover huge swathes of our planet in a matter of hours. We Will McGrath, Luke Leppitt (team trainer and part-time physio), Rowan Royds & Barty Isola fly over whole cultures and landscapes with nothing but the view through a small cabin window to on 10th June this year, and will follow their progress or to make Giving account www.justgiving. return on 9th September. Visit: a donation to one of their chosen com/bartsbikeride and donate acknowledge this fact.”

The friends leave for the US www.threebikes.tumblr.com to charities. Or visit Barty’s Just directly to Ataxia UK there. n

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

41

health & medical directory

health& fitness Bell Pharmacy

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38 Main St Tel: 200 76544 Fax: 200 76541 Email: passano@sapphirenet.gi

John W Miles BSc (Podiatry), MChS College Clinic, Regal House Tel: 200 77777

ChiropraCtors

Dr Steven J. Crump BSc, DC, MCC ICC F5C 1st Flr, Casemates.

Tel: 200 44226 Gillian Schirmer MA, DC, MMCA McTimoney Chiropractor, Clinic (Claudia’s), 1st Flr, 58 Main St Tel: 200 41733 After hours: 200 40026

Treatment of Back Pain, Neck Pain, Headaches, Limb Pain & Sports Injuries Tel: 200 44226

ICC Suite F5C 1st Floor, Casemates, Gibraltar Member of British Chiropractic Association

Dr Carsten Rudolf Steiner BSc, DC Steiner Chiropractic Clinics, College Clinic, Regal Hse Tel: 200 77777

Counselling

Patrick Gabay AQA Adv Dip in Counselling Tel: 200 59955 / 54014124

Health Clubs

Atlantic Suites Health Club & Spa Tel: 200 48147

Health Stores The Health Store 5 City Mill Lane. Tel: 200 73765

HEARING CENTRE

Oigamas Hearing Centre Unit S3h 2nd Floor, ICC Casemates Square Tel: 200 63644 Email: info@oigamas.com

Opticians / Optometrists Gache & Co Limited 266 Main Street. Tel: 200 75757 L. M. Passano Optometrist 38 Main Street. Tel: 200 76544

PERSONAL TRAINERS

Now at Unit F5, 1st Floor, ICC Isabella Jimenez, Sports Therapist (BSc Hons) Tel: 54002226 Email: sportongib@gmail.com

Simon Coldwell Complete Fitness Unit G3, Eliott Hotel Tel: 200 51113

Need somebody to talk to?

Isabella Jimenez BSc (hons) Unit 5, 1st Floor, ICC Tel: 54002226 email: jimenez.isabella@gmail.com

Physicians

Dr Norbert V Borge FRCP (London) 7-9 Cornwall’s Lane Tel/Fax: 200 75790 College Clinic, Ground Floor, Regal House, Queensway.

Tel: 200 77777 www.collegeclinic.gi

Primary Care Centre 2nd Flr International Commercial Centre Weekend & Public Holiday Opening Hours (use Irish Town entrance) Saturday: 9am - 11am, 5pm - 6pm Sunday & Public Holidays: 10am - 11am, 5pm - 6pm

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SPECIALISTS

7 days a week 5pm-9pm

College Clinic, Ground Floor, Regal House, Queensway.

Tel: 200 77777 www.collegeclinic.gi

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

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Summer Health Woes For many, summertime means sun, surf and sand, but the season can also bring asthma attacks, ear infections and blistery rashes on the hands and feet.

Older adults, young children Here are four health woes that are more likely to occur in the and anyone with a weakened summer than at other times of immune system may be more the year. susceptible to food poisoning.

Loss of water volume and electrolytes due to a diarrheal Asthma attacks Summer can be a dangerous illness can cause dehydration, as time for kids and adults with well as kidney, heart and muscle asthma. More air pollution, high problems for older adults.

Prevent food poisoning by pollen levels and increased mold growth due to high humidity all keeping perishable foods refrigcause a spike in asthma attacks. erated or in a cooler with ice.

If you are prone to asthma Food left out of refrigeration for attacks, take your daily control- more than 1.5 hours may not be ler medications throughout the safe to eat. summer and keep a close eye on pollen and pollution levels. If Hyperthermia levels are high, it may be best to Hyperthermia — a group of stay indoors. heat-related illnesses ranging from heat exhaustion to heat stroke — happens when the body Swimmer’s ear Otitis externa, the common overheats. Older adults are more infection called swimmer’s ear susceptible to hyperthermia, is very common. To prevent wa- because people lose some of ter from getting stuck in the ear their ability to dissipate heat as canal, dry your ears thoroughly they age.

Chronic medical conditions, after swimming or showering, with a towel. Tilt your head so such as heart disease, poor cirone ear faces down to allow culation and obesity can also water to escape the ear canal. hinder a person’s ability to cool Then gently pull your ear lobe down. Certain medications, such in several directions to help the as those for high blood pressure, water drain out. Never stick a heart disease and depression can diminish an older person’s ability cotton swab in your ear.

Ear care is especially important to respond to heat.

Any older adult suffering from during the summer months when heat and humidity can fuel the cramps or early signs of heat exgrowth of the bacteria and fungi haustion, such as heavy sweating, weakness, dizziness or nausea that can cause swimmer’s ear. should also seek medical treatment.

Food poisoning To prevent heat-related illFoodborne illnesses are twice as common during summer nesses, avoid exerting yourself months than during times of the outdoors during the hottest hours year. That’s because the bacteria of the day, seek air conditioning grows fastest in hot and humid and drink eight to nine glasses of water a day. n weather.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

Here’s Health

well-being health

Save Our Skins We all know the importance of protecting our skins from sun exposure with sun creams and shade, but can we also add protection from the inside with vitamin supplements?

Vitamin D is good for our skin. It increases the skin’s thickness which means fewer wrinkles — the reason vitamin D is a popular ingredient in anti-aging skin care remedies. Research has also found a link between sun exposure and improvements in immune system function, including our skin’s immune defenses. Too little sun exposure and you risk developing a vitamin D deficiency. Too much sun exposure and you risk developing skin cancer. What surprised researcher, however, is that vitamin D may play a role in preventing cells from uncontrollably growing and dividing, which could protect us from certain cancers such as colorectal, breast and even skin cancer. In fact, a recent study found that when women took daily vitamin D supplements they had a 57% reduced risk of developing melanomas, a deadly form of skin cancer.

Vitamin A (retinol) may also help protect us from melanomas.

Researchers studying vitamin A and its role in preventing skin cancer found that people who took daily vitamin A supplements were 60% less likely to develop melanoma than those who didn’t.

Vitamin A helps your body repair sun-damaged skin, and may be one of the best options to combat the fine lines and hyperpigmentation of photoaging. It helps repair sun-related cell damage and restores collagen and elastin.

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health

& well-being Lasting Headache & Migraine Relief without Pills A trapped or pinched nerve in the neck is a common cause of headaches, and if untreated may lead to migraine. Surprisingly, a headache is not a “brain ache”. The brain, most of its membranes and the skull feel no pain at all. Many people take aspirin, Ibuprofen, patches and acetaminophen to mask the symptoms but never finding the cause of the headaches.

Chiropractors specialise in the spine and nervous system with their 5 year full time degree.

Our clinic in Gibraltar also has a surface electromyography computerised scanner that is safe and painless (no radiation) and helps the chiropractor to diagnose trapped nerves especially in the patient’s neck area which may be a common cause of headaches.

Once identified, the chiropractor is trained to gently remove the pressure, either with his hands or with a gentle adjusting tool called an activator. So gentle, in fact, that he treats babies of only a few days old for colic, jaw problems and neck distortion (torticolis, following a difficult birth process where the neck of the baby has been pulled or sprained).

Working Together to Safeguard Children By untrapping the compressed nerve through a course of adjustments, the headaches often reduce or may disappear altogether. Other symptoms (from the same nerve supply) such as ear ringing, dizziness, high blood pressure, blurred vision problems have also been known to respond.

If you, a friend or family member is suffering now and wondering whether chiropractic may be able to help you we have an offer.

Contact us this month for a full chiropractic, orthopaedic and neurological exam, (including a private consultation and an electromyography scan) for £20 (normal fee £35).

For further information or to make an appointment call us on (00 350) 200 44226. We are located on the 1st floor of the International Commercial Centre (ICC), on Casemates Square.

Open Monday-Friday 8.30am-5.30pm.

Childline Gibraltar will be hosting a multidisciplinary Day Conference on Wednesday 5th June at the O’Callaghan Eliott Hotel from 9.30am-4.30pm on the theme: Working Together to Safeguard Children.

The main speaker will be John Cameron, Head of Child Protection Operations, from the NSPCC and the topics to be covered on the day will include: • The Savile Case: A victim lead approach to reaching out and supporting children and adults • Operation Yewtree • Current Guidance and its impact on good multidisciplinary practice • Implications for managing and sharing child abuse information • Working with anonymous disclosures • ‘Don’t Wait until you are certain’ NSPCC campaign • Online abuse: A Serious Child Protection Issue

Childline Gibraltar is keen to encourage participation from all relevant disciplines at this event and are offering places at the cost of £25 per person. n To reserve places and obtain booking forms please contact email: info@ childline.gi or Tel: 200 43503 and leave your details.

Childline Gibraltar is grateful to the O’Callaghan Eliott Hotel for sponsoring the conference facilities for this event.

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

well-being &

health

GMSS Launched Pictured left: The Gibraltar Multiple Sclerosis Society was launched in May at the Gala Casino. Below: the 1st Brownie pack hands over funds to the GMSS. The Annual General Meeting for The Gibraltar Multiple Sclerosis Society will take place at GADA Premises (The last room to the right in the Ince’s Hall Courtyard) on Monday 3rd June at 6pm. Only fully paid up members will be eligible to vote, be voted for the committee and be able to table motions for the AGM. n Contact the GMSS on Facebook: Gibraltar Multiple Sclerosis Society, through Twitter: GibMsSociety or via email: gibraltarmss@yahoo.co.uk

Vicki Jones, MBACP, BSc (Hons) Psychology, PG Dip Integrative Counselling & Psychotherapy

Vicki Jones is an experienced psychotherapist who has highly successful outcomes working with people suffering with a variety of anxiety disorders including panic attacks, obsessive compulsive disorder, generalised anxiety disorder, specific phobias and posttraumatic stress disorder. She also treats those suffering from low self-esteem, relationship problems and anger issues.

She offers an individually designed intervention to suit the requirements and specific problems of each person. Please consult Vicki’s website at www.anxietytherapist.co.uk for further information.

Therapy sessions are conducted via Skype in the comfort of your own home. Quote ‘GibMag’ for introductory offer.

As Vicki is based in Gibraltar and central England, face to face counselling sessions are available in those areas.

The Psychological Support Group promotes gMental Health Awareness at the Piazza

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

Please contact Vicki via email: Vicki_jones1@sky.com or leave contact details on Skype vickijones4 to arrange your FREE consultation.

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BREAST REDUCTION Improving Health & Wellbeing Before

Why Have a Reduction?

Breast reduction is performed when one feels the need to reduce the volume of excessively big breasts (gigantomasty). Frequently, large breasts hinder daily activities and can cause severe back and neck pain. In fact, research suggests that the negative health impact of very large breasts can reduce life expectancy.

Factors such as pregnancy, breast feeding, weight gain and the force of gravity can all take their toll on large breasts.

Breast Reduction, is a surgical procedure to raise and reshape large, sagging breasts. Aria Medical Group also offers a procedure for men with excessive breast tissue too.

Free Consultation Marco Vricella offers free consultations in Gibraltar, where he discusses the variables that may affect the procedure - such as your age, the size and shape of your breasts, and the condition of your skin.

“During my consultation Dr Vricella explained the procedure very clearly and in a manner which was very re-assuring...”

Mrs. C.L., Gibraltar Potential Benefits A breast reduction can enhance your appearance and your self-confidence and in many cases reduce back and neck pain caused by excess breast tissue weight. Many clients comment how it has contributed to improved posture, and many clients say how much more they enjoy wearing more fitted clothes.

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After

“Having now had the surgery I am absolutely overjoyed with the results! It’s been really the only thing I have ever really done for myself, but I am so glad I did it, as it has transformed the way I feel, in every way.

I am so glad I chose Aria too, as the care has been excellent. In addition to my pre procedure consultation, I have had all my aftercare here in Gibraltar.” Leia, Gibraltar Aria Medical Group also offers Gynaecomastia for men, who have enlarged breast tissue and wish to have this removed to feel more confident.

Aria Medical Group’s personalised aftercare is provided by Dr. Marco Vricella and his dedicated team, headed by Damien Moore, Clinical Services Director, and Louise Truelove, Head Patient Co-ordinator.

Free Consultations If you want to find out more, then Dr. Vricella holds free consultations at College Clinic, Regal House, Gibraltar every 2 weeks – for dates and to book an appointment please call:

+ 34 671 639 353

“I desperately wanted gynaecomastia surgery...and it was not long before I found Dr Marco Vricella and the Aria Medical Group. I was treated with respect from the beginning with regards to what had always been a sensitive topic in my life, and I felt no embarrassment at any point throughout.”

Mr S., Gibraltar

or email: info@ariamedicalgroup.com

Full Aftercare Included Aria Medical Group has a personalised fullyinclusive aftercare programme included in the price of every cosmetic surgery procedure: U Post procedure home visits in Gibraltar U Follow up consultations at College Clinic in Gibraltar U Scheduled post operative check up consultations after 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year U Additional post operative consultations if required U Free revision surgery if required U 24 hour help line

+ Breast Reduction

www.ariamedicalgroup.com Some of our most popular procedures: + Breast Augmentation + Breast Uplift (Mastopexy)

+ Tummy Tuck (Abdominoplasty) + Liposuction + Face Lifts + Eyebag Removal (Blepharoplasty) + Rhinoplasty (Nose Surgery) + Weight-loss Surgery / Gastric Band + Cosmetic Dentistry

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

Because You’re Beautiful! + Breast Augmentation + Breast Uplift + Breast Reduction + Tummy Tuck + Buttock Augmentation + Liposuction + Facial Injections + Face Lifts + Eyebag Removal + Rhinoplasty + Gastric Surgery + Cosmetic Dentistry

Book your FREE consultation

(+34) 671 639 353 in English (+34) 662 936 058 en Español e: info@ariamedicalgroup.com When choosing your surgeon check their credentials.

They should be registered with the UK General Medical Council (GMC), the Spanish CGM and also on the UK Specialist Register of Plastic Surgeons (SRPC).

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

Cosmetic Cosmetic Surgery Surgery

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Gibraltar Gibraltar

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Marbella Marbella

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Madrid Madrid

community

update

, 22, Client Relationship Manager Assistant. Hair: Brown Eyes: Brown.

Interests: include modelling, keeping fit, volunteer work and integrating myself into the different cultures and traditions in Gibraltar. Languages: English, Spanish and Arabic. Ambition (career): To advance in my current field of work and to continue to challenge myself with new learning experiences both professionally and personally.

Idea of a perfect day: There is nothing better than a day filled with health, love and laughter. Why she wants to be Miss Gibraltar: I understand the value of hard work and there is nothing I would love more than to be able to represent Gibraltar locally and abroad whilst being a solid role model and inspiration of our Gibraltarian youth.

2Stacey Britto

, 21, Beauty Therapist. Hair: Blonde. Eyes: Green. Interests: include spinning, jogging and going to the gym. Languages: English & Spanish.

Ambition (career): To travel, become a fitness instructor and further my studies on beauty therapy. Idea of a perfect day: Going shopping with my five sisters. Why she wants to be Miss Gibraltar: It would be an honour to be able to represent Gibraltar abroad, meet new people and enjoy all the travelling that comes with it.

Photography: Jayden Fa (www.jaydenfa.carbonmade.com). Makeup: Liza Mayne. Hair Styling: The Look Hair and Beauty. Art Direction: Guy Baglietto. Underwear: Boux Avenue. Spray Tan: AphroditeBeauty Gibraltar

The most glamorous night of the year is approaching, when seven girls will battle it out on stage at the Alameda Gardens for the coveted crown of Miss Gibraltar 2013. The show takes place on Saturday 8th June at the John Mackintosh Hall Theatre and will be broadcast live on GBC TV. The winner will compete at the Miss World pageant in Indonesia later in the year.

1Maroua Kharbouch

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • MAY 2013 GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

3Erika Gonzalez

, 19, Sales Executive. Hair: Brown. Eyes: Brown. Interests: I enjoy working with children and being a child minder in my spare time.

Languages: English & Spanish. Ambition (career): To have a rewarding and fulfilling career. Idea of a perfect day: A day surrounded by family and friends. Why she wants to be Miss Gibraltar: It would be an amazing opportunity to be able to represent Gibraltar internationally.

4Arian Barton

, 19, Beauty Advisor. Hair: Dark Brown Eyes: Brown. Interests: I am interested in different cultures. At the moment my only hobby is studying.

Languages: English & Spanish. Ambition (career): To achieve a position within the business community. Idea of a perfect day: Time spent with loved ones. Why she wants to be Miss Gibraltar: I believe I could show the cultural diversity within Gibraltar

5 Keshia Doody Photos: Photography: Jayden Fa (www.jaydenfa.carbonmade.com) Makeup: Liza Mayne.

Hair Styling: The Look Hair and Beauty. Art Direction: Guy Baglietto. Spray Tan: AphroditeBeauty

and Beauty. Art Direction: Guy Baglietto. Underwear: Boux Avenue. Spray Tan: AphroditeBeauty Gibraltar

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, 24, Office Clerk. Hair: Dark Blonde. Eyes: Hazel. Interests: Football & basketball, I also enjoy travelling. Languages: English & Spanish. Ambition (career): To achieve as much as possible with a good quality of life. Idea of a perfect day: Being surrounded by family & friends. Why she wants to be Miss Gibraltar: Apart from making my family and friends proud, I would like to win Miss Gibraltar because it would be the greatest achievement I will ever gain outside my sporting career.

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6Jamielee Randall

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, 21, Customer Advisor.

Hair: Light Brown. Eyes: Green. Interests: Training, keeping fit, reading & shopping. Languages: English & Spanish. Ambition (career): I don’t like to think too much into the future as many things can happen. My goal at the moment is to be Miss Gibraltar & to stay healthy. Idea of a perfect day: A nice summers day, sat at the beach surrounded by family & friends. Why she wants to be Miss Gibraltar: To raise Gibraltar’s profile through charity work that comes with the title.

7Anne Marie Yeo

, 20, Client Services Administrator. Hair: Brown. Eyes: Brown. Interests: include cooking, listening to music, keeping fit and dancing.

Languages: English & Spanish. Ambition (career): To undertake some qualifications and see myself well established in the finance sector. Idea of a perfect day: Enjoy a perfect meal with my loved ones. Why she wants to be Miss Gibraltar: It would be an honour to be able to be part of the important work carried by a Miss Gibraltar.

As a role model, it would be good to be able encourage and motivate people to realise their potential.

Miss Gibraltar 2013 will be hosted by Stage One’s James Neish and Sky News Presenter Paula Middlehurst. Saturday 8th June from 9pm. Live on GBC TV.

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BIKINI TIME

words | Charlene Figueras, MLE Swimwear

Summer is here and swimwear lovers are trawling though some of the most popular high street and online shops to check out this year’s swimwear trends and find that perfect swimsuit to help boost summer confidence. We asked local swimwear designer Charlene Figueras to tells us what makes the perfect beach bikini...

As a self-confessed bikini lover, I know how much we want to wear a unique bikini in the summer. It is a great disappointment to spot two other women wearing the same one on the same beach! Fortunately, it is currently very trendy to mix and match different tops and bottoms.

This not only minimises the risk of being a swimwear clone, but also allows you to be creative and come up with your own unique look. It also helps avoid the problem of liking a particular bikini top but not the bottoms, or vice versa.

Before you venture out to purchase your swimsuit this year, take a good look at yourself. Please do not focus on the bits you don’t like about your body.

Rather, I would suggest you look at your assets and make sure to direct your attention to those parts. Also, it is not helpful to start the hunt for our season’s swimwear when our bodies have not

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yet felt the caress of the Mediterranean summer sun. I recommend you go for a fake or spray tan from one of our beauty salons before you try on any swimwear. I can guarantee it will help you have a better view of yourself in any prospective swimsuit.

That aside, the most important thing when choosing swimwear is to be aware of your body type to help you dress it up favourably.

Below are some helpful tips on how to find a swimsuit for your body type.

Straight For those with a straight torso and figure, create a more rounded waist line with some curves. A cut out swimsuit is popular for this as it gives the illusion of curves.

Ruffles will also instantly create volume to your frame. You can also try ‘scrunch bum’

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

Models: Molly McElwee & Gabriella Gracia Photos: www.figgyphotography.com

bikini bottoms for that instant even triangle tops with strings peachy effect. (Try style 4 for the tied behind the neck. It is a comtop & style 3 for the bottom) mon misconception to think that the bigger the bottoms the slimTop Heavy A plunging neckline mer you will look. By doing this in a full swimsuit or bikini top can you are just emphasising an area be very flattering so long as it has you would rather not draw atgood support. A halter-top with tention to. In these circumstances thick straps will usually give a I would suggest you avoid busy prints and opt for darker solid good support to your cleavage.

If you want to accentuate your colours for your bikini bottoms hips and rear, a low-rise bottom (although it does not have to be in a bright colour or pattern will black). (Try style 7 for the top & 2 draw attention where you want it. for the bottoms) (Try style 9 for the top & style 6 for Balanced Curves If the bottoms) your shoulders Bottom Heavy If your hips are bigger than your shoulders, you may want to opt for a bikini which shifts the focus away from your bottom half and draw attention to your chest area to balance your shape. Show off those shoulders with a bright coloured top, bandeau top, frills and

and hips are in proportion and you have a slim waistline, you have the liberty of wearing any design you like. Experiment with daring cuts and colours to suit your personality. (Try styles 5 & 1) Whatever your body shape, us girls are invariably overly-conscious of our figures and most of my customers complain about being conscious of their love handles. To avoid the feeling of being squeezed into your swimsuits, make sure you avoid tight strings, opting for a soft waistband instead. (Try style 8) Regardless of your body type, I would strongly suggest you always focus on choosing colours that will flatter your skin tone.

You might have been lucky and found this year’s swimwear already, but if you have not, you may wish to check out my designs for 2013. MLE Swimwear is a brand I design where each swimsuit is uniquely crafted focusing on

emerging trends and perfect fits.

We can assist you in choosing your swimsuit according to your body type.

‘Build your own bikini’ is the brand’s main attraction for its customers. With it, you can select a different top and bottom from the designs, as well as choose your size for each piece to suit your body shape. For even greater choice, MLE Swimwear also allows you to select fabrics, colours and even combine designs to create your own custom bikini or one piece swimsuit.

This year MLE loves frills and sparkles. Enjoy your summer and choosing your bikini. Don’t forget to smile, it’s the best thing you can wear! n Look us up on Facebook to find out about the latest competition to win yourself a custom made MLE swimwear bikini, hand made with love.

The most important thing when choosing swimwear is to be aware of your body type

5 GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

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leisure

skills

Learning the Art of the Sword Dylan Bocarisa and Chris Cortes have a passion for Japanese sword arts they want to share with Gibraltar.

Heads of individual clubs in Gibraltar, they began the Gibraltar Kendo and Kenjutsu Association to jointly promote the development of Japanese sword related arts on the Rock. We spoke to Dylan Bocarisa about their passion for martial arts, and the association’s aims.

Dylan, you are known locally for your interest in Kendo, Kenjutsu, Iaido and Jiujitsu — how did you and Chris get interested in these martial arts and what is special about them to you?

comfortable in. It’s like a pair of shoes — some fit, some don’t!

Chris has decided to focus on Iaijutsu and concentrates now on the Iai and Kenjutsu side of things. I have added Kendo and Jiu-jitsu to that as I have also always loved empty hand Budo and Kendo.

The interesting thing is that all the arts we do are related to the Katana — our first love!

Chris and I met years ago at Joaquin Sensei’s dojo in North Jumper’s Bastion. At that time I was teaching and studying Jiu-jitsu but had developed a great interest in Samurai swordsmanship. Chris also seemed to have an interest in the sword so we got chatting and eventually Between you, you began the Gibraltar Kendo I started teaching him a series of katas I had developed from an old Japanese style of budo.

We quickly became good friends and realised that, in order to develop our skills in this unrepresented martial art (there were, at the time, no instructors that gave classes on the Rock in Japanese sword), we would have to search for a Sensei that could teach us an authentic style of Japanese fencing.

What is special to me about Kendo and Jiu-jitsu, and Chris and I about Iaijutsu, is quite hard to say really! We both love martial arts and have found a style, or styles we feel

“

We both love martial arts and have found a style, or styles, we feel comfortable in. It’s like a pair of shoes — some fit, some don’t!

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”

and Kenjutsu Association to promote the development of Japanese sword related arts on the Rock. Could you tell us a bit more about this?

The GKKA is the parent association that works in partnership with the GSLA to support the two Dojos [Dojo is a Japanese term which literally means “place of the way” and refers to a training place for Martial Arts] that teach sword related arts.

Chris is the Dojo Cho of Iaido Gibraltar where Musso Jikiden Eishin Ryu Iaijutsu is taught (a 450 year old Japanese Martial Art). I am the Dojo Cho of Iwa Dojo which is where I teach Kendo and Onkochishin Ryu Jiu-jitsu IJJOR (Kendo being competitive Japanese fencing and IJJOR being a Jiu-jitsu based on the katana).

The Association helps both clubs organise events on a national level in Gibraltar. The great thing about the clubs though is that Chris is recognised by an international organisation in charge of MJER and has a direct link to the actual headmaster of the style. I am,

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skills

leisure

in turn, the representative for Gibraltar and the UK for IJJOR and similarly have a direct link to its headmaster. This means Gibraltar is represented by us internationally and at a very high level.

Our aim is to develop the practise of our arts in Gibraltar through our constant study and teaching in the hope of promoting the positive aims of our particular styles and, at the same time, putting the Rock on the international map.

We are lucky to have so many good martial artist on the Rock who already do this in their own particular styles. We are just filling a gap that we felt needed to be filled.

You have classes for adults and children, and mixed abilities, how does this work in practise and who is encouraged to benefit from the classes and why?

Classes are planned for a mixed ability setting. Every student has his/her individual learning ability which is linked to a myriad of things: body type, previous experience, learning ability etc. Different students learn at different rates, might not be at the same level of fitness and might also need to have things explained either visually, orally and even in a written format!

The only thing we remind prospective students is that the arts we teach might or might not be suited to them and so we encourage them to try out our classes before committing to membership. Budo is quite a personal thing and some styles are suited to some people more than others.

Classes are also open to male and female members. At the end of the day martial arts is not gender specific and we encourage anyone who is genuinely interested to give it a go.

The benefits can include an improvement in self-confidence, hand-to-eye coordination, numerous other health benefits as well as an understanding of different philosophical concepts and another culture. Oh — you make great friends and have a great time too!

When were the clubs formed, and where do they meet? Who teaches the classes?

Chris Cortes and Dylan Bocarisa

in sports halls/schools in Gibraltar.

Chris runs Iaido Gibraltar and teaches MJER Iaijutsu three times a week: but again, not being given suitable allocations he’s had to call in a few favours. This means he teaches at Santos Production’s HQ Mondays and Thursdays and at the Gib teacher’s association office on Wednesdays.

We understand that space is premium in Gibraltar, but we could really use more support in being allowed to use training halls more often than we’re getting at the moment. Sure, we understand that we aren’t as big as basketball — we know we’re an up and coming art/sport and cultural organisation! However, all we’re asking is for a fair chance at developing our martial arts by being given year round allocations in a suitable space.

Both Dojos were formed a couple of years ago at about the same time. I run Iwa Dojo, which is where I teach Kendo and Jiu-jitsu (IJJOR). We normally have two allocations a week though it’s hard sometimes to get allocations What do you see as the future for the clubs

locally and internationally?

With the right support from the Ministry of Sports and Culture we could look forward to a really good future. Kendo could open up the chance for us to develop a team which, in the long run, could compete internationally at important world events. Nevertheless, it’s not solely about competition. Kendo is more than that! But the international benefits it could bring are worth contemplating.

I know that Chris is also pursuing his path in Iaijutsu and wants to be able to give his students here more opportunities to develop in the art. Internationally he is already representing Gib at events in the USA as well as the UK. If someone wanted to get involved what would you encourage them to do?

First of all they should take some time to see what martial arts are on offer in Gib. They should visit different dojos and speak to the instructors and students and get a feel of what’s happening. After that they should pop into one of our classes (depending on the discipline they are interested in) watch the class, chat to the instructor and then, if they are still interested try out a few classes. After that they can compare their experiences and decide for the selves. As I said, each martial art is different and what both our dojos offer might or might not suit the person.

Check out the websites, do some investigation, try things out and come along and have a go! n Gibraltar Kendo & Kenjutsu Association, President: D Bocarisa, General Secretary: C J Cortes.

Member clubs and info: Iwa Dojo - head of dojo - D Bocarisa, website: iwadojo.com, email: dbocarisa@iwadojo.com Iaido Gibraltar - head of dojo C J Cortes, website: iaidogibraltar.com, email: info@iaidogibraltar.

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ne ay 23rd Jutre th to Sund 0 2 r Thea Ai y n a d pe O rs a u Th amed .com or Festival, Al

! c i t s a t e g n i fr inge @gibfringe Gibraltar Fr contact info om information w.gibfringe.c w w t: For further si vi ringe.com or bf gi @ ts ke tic

Thursday 20th June

Keith Vinnicombe presents:

Classic Guitar & Flamenco Fusion

Keith Vinnicombe who has delighted the crowd with lovely harmonies at Gibraltar National Days and other events, will be the opener for this year’s Festival.

Classical guitarist Keith enjoys playing as well as composing songs in his spare time. He recorded a five song CD of Flamenco/Classical guitar fusion tracks, all of which are registered with the ‘Performing Rights Society’ (PRS) in the UK. When not performing publicly or playing privately, he gives private guitar lessons.

A fusion of classical guitar harmonies and flamenco mixed with his own works will bring you an hour to relax after a hard day’s work to some Gibraltar made music!

Performance time: 8pm - 9pm Doors open: 7pm Place: The Alameda Open Air Theatre Audience: all ages / guitar, live music

Eidolon

Nervous Dolls Dancing presents:

Eidolon, a musical journey into a kaleidoscopic dreamworld...

Beings - Japanese Butoh Dance

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This award-winning collaboration from Australia tells a beautiful tale, narrated through a haunting live cello performance and summoned to life with imaginatively projected film, animation and illustration.

This fantastic and emotional show explores themes of time, freedom, memory and pres-

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

!

ence, fragility and strength, mechanical and natural cycles. The harmony of music and visual arts is both seamless and fractured, conjuring a unique and timeless experience.

Eidolon will mesmerise and enchant, transporting you to another world, out of space and out of time.

Performance time: 10pm - 11pm Doors open: 8.30pm Place: The Alameda Open Air Theatre Audience: all ages / family / live music fans

Friday 21st June Keith Vinnicombe presents:

Classic Guitar & Flamenco Fusion (See opposite for info) Performance time: 5pm - 6pm Doors: 4.30pm Place: The Alameda Open Air Theatre Metro Motel presents:

Metro Motel in Concert

Metro Motel, formed in the summer of 2009, will be the opener for the second day of the festival. Their music is a mix in every way, American pop rock mixed with Britpop in the rhythmic foundation, maintaining a fairly intense mix of lyrics and personal language as well as melodic and pleasant voice — a perfect explosive combination!

Metro Motel’s Mark, Corey, Aaron and Danny (who all live in Gibraltar) form a young and energetic band and give it their all on stage. Come and see some good solid ROCK music.

Performance time: 7pm - 8pm Doors open: 6pm Place: The Alameda Open Air Theatre Audience: Live music, rock lovers / all ages Gareth Owens presents:

Busking for Pennies, Playing for Love

The Balloonatic

a little crazy! But, who had called ..?

Come and enjoy this performance under the direction of Adrian Schvarzstein, who has directed many great shows full of laughter.

The perfect show to start the weekend in a good mood!

Performance time: 10.15pm - 11pm Friday night sees the release date and perDoors open: 10pm formance of Gareth Owens’s debut album, Place: The Alameda Open Air Theatre Busking for Pennies, Playing for Love. A folk Audience: All ages / family / enjoy a laugh rock album of travelling and love with strong messages, bouncing chord changes and subtle finger style rifts.

Since first picking up the guitar Gareth has devoted his life to playing and writing music, travelling, busking and performing his way Camilo Clown presents: throughout Europe and America. Join Gareth Bombero on his journey with Busking for Pennies, Playing A fire, a clown who wants to be a fireman, for Love. www.garethowenmusic.com and an audience eager to play!

This is the basis that build this show full of Performance time: 8.45pm - 9.45pm Doors open: 8.15pm humor and fantasy, for the whole family. This Place: The Alameda Open Air Theatre show is for all whom like to have fun and enjoy Audience: All ages / family / live music fans an interactive show.

Camilo Clown, who lives in Barcelona, is Adrian Schvarzstein presents: an artist who works his performances using traditional methods, advocating a philosophy Drrriiiiiiiiing!!! A phone call...

A call from someone who needs a clown. of clown classic, but with a style all its own. In Why is the Clown needed...? Right after the the show Camilo Fireman, the character plays call the Clown hits the street, completely out of with fire and becomes a real fireman. “It’s a the blue, in a rush, fully amped — not catching very fun and crazy show where the audience his breath or stopping anywhere. Camilo has a participates in some way,” says Camilo. The very special day to live through — the audience Italian (born in Turin) clown uses different witnesses everything from start to end — a day techniques like balances and public participafull of unexpected things, full of fun, sometimes tion to develop the performance.

Performance time: 4pm - 5pm Doors open: 3.30pm Place: The Alameda Open Air Theatre Audience: Family / kids / clown & laughter

Saturday 22nd June

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

Camilo Clown

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Workshops Butoh Dance workshop with Flavia Ghisalberti

Jordi Soler

rock and pop may briefly describe Tang’s musical style.

Danza Tang worked as a performing artist, studio The local dance group Danza Academy musician and producer in the ’80s and ’90s presents several dance pieces they have worked before his perspective on life changed — reon lately. sulting in him giving seminars and workshops Performance time: 6pm - 7pm about ‘Creating Personal Reality’ and later, Doors open: 5.30pm after meeting the Dalai Lama, about ‘Perfectly Place: The Alameda Open Air Theatre Happy without Desire’. Take the chance to reAudience: Family show / kids / dance lax in the gardens and enjoy excellent music.

Danza Academy presents:

In Between presents:

Beings - Japanese Butoh Dance

Dance company In Between Butoh tackles the slippery nature of morality, taking inspiration from Antonin Artaud’s adaptation of Percy Bysshe Shelley’s tragic play The Cenci. The story of the Cenci family, in 1500s Italy, has echoed down the centuries, inspiring by turns Percy Bysshe Shelley, Stendhal and Antonin Artaud.

In Beings, In Between Butoh has created its own interpretation of this story of incest and murder; of revolt and “the inevitability of evil” through butoh, the Japanese form of dance or performance art that allows the body — not the mind — to control movement. As such, butoh is largely unrehearsed and uses distorting and hyper-controlled movements to express that which is normally hidden.

In Between has performed at the Camden Fringe for many years and we are proud to have them here on the Rock. You have the chance to experience a Butoh performance by professionals - TAKE IT! Performance time: 8pm - 9pm Doors open: 7.30pm Place: The Alameda Open Air Theatre Audience: 18+ (contains partial nudity) / dance enthusiasts Tang presents:

Me & The Piano - concert Pointing to the invisible with music is easy by simply touching the heart — this is Tang’s motto. With a voice that gets under your skin and expressive piano playing Tang will carry you away into an inner world.

Songs like Falling Waters, Secrets in The Blue and Universal Love Song may give you a glimpse of this world.

Bringing classical music and jazz into piano

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Performance time: 9.45pm - 11pm Doors open: 9.15pm Place: The Alameda Open Air Theatre Audience: Live music, singer-songwriter and piano lovers / all ages

Sunday 23rd June Camilo Clown presents:

Bombero

(See previous page for details) Performance time: 4.30pm - 5:30pm Doors: 4pm Place: The Alameda Open Air Theatre In Between presents:

Beings - Japanese Butoh Dance (See above for details) Performance time: 6.30pm - 7.30pm Doors open: 6pm Place: The Alameda Open Air Theatre Psicoproject en Moviment presents:

Hombre Enamorado

Jordi Soler Contemporary Dance Company and physical theatre from Barcelona, ​​Spain.

The performance tells two parallel stories of one who searches to adapt to the dark reality that is living, and a young woman, dressed in loneliness, with difficulties perceiving reality.

Illusions only exist in their thoughts — friendship as a pillar, love without sex, most intimate confessions, an exhaust valve. The centerpiece of creation is human psychology as a tool using the expression movement.

Performance time: 8pm - 9pm Doors open: 7.45pm Place: The Alameda Open Air Theatre Audience: general / 18 + (contains partial nudity) / dance theatre lovers

Not only for dancers, but for everybody who likes to move — in English.

Flavia represents the European branch of Butoh. She performs and teaches in Switzerland, France and the US. Her style is a mixture of Gothic Romanticism and European carnival. She is sensual, surprising the audience, able to hold attention of audience to create an unforgettable image. She offers to her students a variety of ways to explore your own limits — physical and mental.

Bring comfortable clothes. Be at the theatre latest 15 minutes prior to workshop!

Friday 21th June: 2pm - 5pm Saturday 22nd June: 12pm - 3pm Sunday 23rd June: 12.30pm - 3.30pm Place: Alameda Open Air Theatre Audience: general /14+

About Flavia Ghisalberti: Flavia Ghisalberti is multi-disciplinary artist of Italian and Swiss descent who, since 1998, has worked intensively with Butoh dance. Flavia’s art explores the limits of the body and the mind and what they are willing to endure. Although Flavia’s butoh style is primarily independent of any butoh school or master, Masaki Iwana is an important teacher for her.

She co-founded the Butoh group In Between in 2003, organised Butoh-off the Basel and Freiburg butoh festival in 2010, and has performed and taught in many cities in Europe, as well as in the US and Russia.

Butoh is a contemporary dance form which emerged in Japan in the ’60s. Fusing the traditional with the avant garde, complex choreography with complete improvisation, wild physicality with meditative stillness, butoh defies easy definition and embraces paradox.

Described as a confrontational, yet poetic and non-violent dance form that evokes images of decay, fear and desperation, eroticism, ecstasy and stillness — it connects conscious and unconscious. Visit: www.inbetweenbutoh.com

Paper Magic with Mr. Paperman Lo

Mr. Lo will bring some paper magic to the gardens. Do you know what beautiful things can be made out of newspapers and other paper? Come and let Mr.Lo show your kids/and you that newspapers are not only for reading and throwing out... Everybody will take a little something home with them. Please check the online shop for times.

NOTE: only 15 pax per session / for kids younger than 10, it’s recommended parents attend as well, for free.

Free Performances The Big Bad Wolf

He’s not mean, he’s not scary, he’s just a twerp who’s very, very hairy! This fey, fop-

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

� n i r p � Hodman Dodmanott and Sally Forth

pish, ham actor is not as bad as his reputation portrays him. He’s been maligned by the press... maybe Little Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks or Shrek are somewhere in the audience to back up his story?!

The Big Bad Wolf is instantly recognisable as one of the most famous characters from children’s fairy tales. Skilled in improvisation, dance and witty repartee, the BBW is a fantastic life size puppet that will make the whole family laugh!

Time of performance: TBC Place: Alameda Botanic Gardens, out & about Audience: kids / family / all

The Balloonatic

‘We may not all share a language, but we all share laughter’ — meet the Balloonatic!

The playful buffoon with his giant balloon.

Award-winning international street theatre and crowd-pleasing comedy cabaret — an act that brings wholesome, honest laughter to audiences through a celebration of silliness.

The Balloonatic is the man inside the balloon. Visual comedy at its most daftly sublime, the act has left a wake of belly laughs across the globe — from African stages to Australian street festivals and from European TV screens to Asian villages. Come to the gardens and watch out for him!

Performance time: TBC Place: Alameda Botanic Gardens, out & about Audience: kids / familiy / all

Hodman Dodmanott & Sally Forth

The delightfully captivating Hodman Dodmanott and Sally Forth, a pair of wonderful wanderers from the proud country of Oblivia. Despite being completely oblivious (and proud of it!) Hodman and Sally will adorably attempt to explain the new and baffling world around them.

This is an interactive street theatre act with an unforgettable effect; an experience often described as ‘spellbinding’. Audiences of all ages become enchanted by the witty, adorable characters of Hodman and Sally and the unique illusion the act creates. A totally heart-warming and magical walkabout show. Come to the Gardens and watch out for them!

Time of performance: TBC Place: Alameda Botanic Gardens - out & about Audience: kids / familiy / all

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

� s e �

Saturday 1st June Buddy Walk, Casemates Square 9am to 3pm.

Registration fees: £5 per family; £10 per team; school teams £1 per student; £1 for individuals . For info contact: 57896000 or 58008801 or emails: czammit@environmental-agency.gi or dsnso@hotmail.com Book Crossing Day, Lobby of Parliament House, 11am – 12 noon Calpe Band, Casemates Square 11am to 1pm Re-enactment Society march to Casemates Square 12 noon Sunday 2nd Classic Car Display, Casemates 10am to 2pm Tuesday 4th June Short Story Competition Prize Giving at the Garrison Library 4.30pm. All winning stories will be printed in the Gibraltar Chronicle.

Friday 7th June ‘Pink Floyd Tribute’ a Rock Concert by J2 Productions at the Ince’s Hall Theatre 8.30pm.

Tickets £10 from Music Corner & Euphoria or £15 at the door. For info Tel: 54025517 email: jx2productionz@gmail.com Saturday 8th June Sea Scouts / Corvera Band / Brisas De Asturias.

Parade of the Pipers performance at John Mackintosh Square 11-11.55am Parade of the Pipers from the Lobby of Parliament House followed by a march to Casemates Square with the Re-enactment Society 12 noon.

Sea Scouts / Corvera Band / Brisas De Asturias,

muisc scene

Gibraltar’s Spring Festival is on until 20th June 2013 with events for everyone to enjoy.

Here is the varied programme of events for this month.

Parade of the Pipers performance at Casemates Square 12.30pm Miss Gibraltar 2013 organised by Stage One Productions, John Mackintosh Hall Theatre 9pm.

For email: info@stageone.gi Wednesday 12th & Thursday 13th June Zarzuela – ‘Doña Francisquita’ organised by Santos Productions, John Mackintosh Hall Theatre 8pm.

Tickets £5 from John Mackintosh Hall Ticket Office 10am-2pm. Sale of tickets limited to 10 per person Saturday 15th June Arts & Crafts Market, Casemates Square 10am to 3pm. Re-enactment Society march to Casemates Square 12 noon Tuesday 18th June ‘The History of Gibraltar in Five Parts: 3 History of a Port’ museum lecture by Geraldine Finlayson. John Mackintosh Hall Theatre. Entrance Free Thursday 20th - Sunday 23rd June Alameda Fringe Festival, Alameda Open Air Theatre.

For info email: info@gibfringe.com or tickets@ gibfringe.com or visit www.gibfringe.com Friday 21st June Czech out our Dances, Prague Dance Festival Presentation organised by Transitions Dance Academy, Ince’s Hall Theatre 8.30pm. Tickets priced at £7. For info and ticket sales Tel: 20077758 or mobile 54014395 FESTIVAL FINALE - Saturday 22nd June ‘CALENTITA – Tastes from the Melting Pot’ organised

by Word of Mouth for the Ministry of Culture. A celebration of Gibraltar’s multi-cultural community.

Event includes a spectacular acrobatic and dance musical. Casemates Square 8pm-1am.

Julian Lennon on the Rock Julian Lennon visited the Rock in May as part of his exhibition of amazing and unique Beatles Memorabilia, which is currently showing at the Gustavo Bacarisas Galleries in Casemates. He is pictured here with some of the staff of the Galleries.

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Surprised indeed, because this was sewing Christel’s first ever public appearance, as she entered Runway New Designer just to try her hand at it, not expecting her flashy casual wear to stand against, let alone knock down, the competition of sculpted futuristic apparel and ethereal renaissance frocks that regally promoted themselves as costumes for cyberpunk and period dramas blockbusters respectively.

And a welcome surprise too, for the awed audience of fashionistas shopping for wearable art. Something practical enough to go jogging, biking, hiking without renouncing a pinch of glamour, but stylish enough to be seen in downtown or even clubbing when not teetering on killer heels sheathed in a microdress.

‘Street’ is born from a very personal concept of trends and fads.

Christel entered Runway just to for the challenge and for fun, not expecting to be picked as the nation’s next sensation: “Participating was already my prize. The trip to Maastricht is a bonus, an exciting and welcome one.”

Hopefully, it will open doors for this ambitious yet down-to-earth 33-year old with a rocker-chick edge, who is inspired by everyday life, and most of all by her dreams.

The three outfits paraded on the catwalk oozed aerobics class allure from their cropped tops and neon colours, but provided contemporary functionality in their armbands geared up with wallets to comfortably carry phone and keys ‘on the run’.

More outfits were turned from idea to reality in the hectic four weeks separating the two events, during which Christel sewed like the wind to give a new dimension to her fashion vision, which must be “me”, she explains, namely must mirror her sporty funky side, with flaring substituted by streamlining, and brocaded substituted by intelligent fabrics which absorb the skin’s moisture to minimise chafing, and snug, geometric cuts to highlight the perks of a toned body.

This peppery petite surely packs a punch that cannot go unnoticed, because of its cheeky statement of ’80s’ break-dance style, paired up with an apparent disregard for the sexy unattainable woman’s image portrayed by glossy magazines.

However, if it isn’t goodness-on-a-pedestal, it isn’t ‘tomboy’ wear either: it is electrifyingly sexy, but more in a kickass than in a boudoir fashion, for the contemporary woman that needs no Prince Charming to slay her dragons

neon is the new black on Gib’s Runway

words | Elena Scialtiel

Runway 2013’s surprise (and surprised) winner Christel Mifsud is in Maastricht to participate in Fashionclash, a European platform for hot young designers to showcase their collections and try to break into the international market.

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

creatives arts Christel entered Runway just to for the challenge and for fun, not expecting to be picked as the nation’s next sensation

since she can wrestle them for herself, without fear of tripping in her train’s frills.

Christel started sewing to fix her hems and adapt the clothes she wanted to wear to her tiny frame, learning the ABC of tailoring from internet videos, and later, when she got entangled in the art of dressmaking, attending proper lessons.

Her friends liked her creations and started commissioning her for unique wear for that party and that club, so she ended up living a double life as clerk by day and fashion designer by night.

At the moment she is pretty much a oneman-band, from sketching to pattern developing, from seamstress to model of her creations for photographer Prem Mahtani’s photoshoot called Trashion, in which she aptly struts a prom gown made of old newspaper while lounging in a landfill.

She also worked with talented Jayden Fa, for whom she created the bubble wrap gown, possibly the perfect wedding dress for a mailorder bride.

“Not very practical,” she admits, “and definitely too see-through to be worn in a real situation. Also because it cannot be stitched or zipped up, and it is held together with cellophane and sticky tape...” But, sure enough, it caused quite a stir on the local artistic scene.

She would like to make fashion her business and eventually launch an online shop under the original brand label Shorji — nothing but her pet name ‘shortie’ going Japanese.

She stood tall and proud when she walked the (cat)walk side by side with her models after being proclaimed the winner — the beaming smile on her face making the wee hours spent snipping and stitching worth it for herself and her family. n photos: Jayden Fa

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

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fashion

leisure & sport

shopping & gifts

Retail& Activities hair & beauty

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lessons & tuition GACHE & CO LTD EST. 1830

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Sacha’s DUTY FREE WINES, SPIRITS & TOBACCO open 7 days 79 Main Street

newsagents/books

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travel & hotels Health & Beauty Salon

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Protect Your Dog Against Fatal Summer Diseases Heartworm, Leishmaniosis, Tickborne Diseases Phone Gibraltar Veterinary Clinic for details 200 77334 Emergency: 8977

Studio47 For information and bookings contact: www.vassalloimages.com Warren Vassallo Mobile 54176000 Spain mobile: 678158755 email: warren@vassalloimages.com

Archive editions of The Gibraltar Magazine now available online at www.thegibraltarmagazine.com

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAGAziNE • JUNE 2013

Cake Boutique

openings

update

Fiona, owner of Sweet Things, has announced the opening of her cake boutique — a dedicated bakery, creating one of a kind wedding and celebration cakes.

For numerous years, Fiona has been creating bespoke cakes in Gibraltar and the opening of the cake boutique has felt like a natural but very exciting progression for the business.

The purpose behind the opening of the cake boutique is to create an elegant space for clients to come and discuss their cakes, designs and their events, whether it be their wedding day or some other memorable occasion. Cakes are vary in prices, and Fiona ensures that all designs are designed within a specific budget to each of her clients, enabling them to have the cake of their dreams.

Not only will Fiona be creating wedding and celebration cakes, but she will also be conducting cake decorating and sugar floristry classes from the end of September 2013, all of which will

be announced on her website (www.sweetthingsbyfi.com) and her facebook page (www.facebook. com/sweetthingsbyfi).

The cake boutique will be by appointment only, allowing time for made to order cakes to be created. The boutique will be open to the public on occasion where baked goods, such as cupcakes and other delights will be available to purchase. When wishing to meet with Fiona, being located on the main road will allow for her clients to have easy access, and parking facilities are also nearby. n The cake boutique is now open for business at 31 West Place of Arms, Corral Road (next to Landport car park) with the official launch on Tuesday 4th June. To book an appointment contact mail@sweetthingsbyfi.com or 54036246

31 West Place of Arms 9-11 Corral Road, Gibraltar

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

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muisc

scene

Rock-solid spirituality words | Elena Scialtiel

Relatively new to the music scene, Gibraltarian band 3 Days II Rise launched their debut album In Between the Lines at a packed Rock on the Rock Club last 24th May, with a mystifying live performance by lead vocalist Jonathan Jove Carreras, and a generous freebies raffle compered by lovely Miss Glamour Cora Ramirez.

Formed 13 months ago, the foursome has put together an album in record time, with a punk and grunge feel, arranged with energetic riffs and strong vocals that undoubtedly bestow upon the band the right to induction in the Olympus of local hard rock.

‘Energetic’ is the word that lead guitar and backing vocalist Lewis Stagnetto uses to describe their music. Aimed at the youth, it will surely also beckon the children of the ’90s, because of the distinct influence of iconic artists like Nir-

62

vana and Alice in Chains echoing throughout, from upbeat songs to melodic power ballads in true classic rock style.

It isn’t extreme heavy metal however: there’s no room for ‘dirty’ distorted guitar work, or over-

whelming loudspeaker-melting stomach-churning percussions by drummer Jamie Collis. Words are sung not screamed, Lewis assures, because the lyrics are momentous, hence must be heard and memorised for the message they

“Composing is a bit like cooking,” Lewis explains, “you start with a note, add another one, try with a third, remove it and go for a higher one, until a new flavour is born”

put across, which is all about universal love and respect for unity within diversity.

“We want to reach out to teenagers and inspire them to change their nightlife ways for the better,” rhythm guitarist Brian Soiza says. “We’re not preachers of any particular religion, and surely we aren’t portraying ourselves as such, but our music is inspired by the greater force that brings people together hovering above all of us.”

Styled as a rocker-biker veteran in black vest, trainers and greying ponytail tucked in the peephole of a basketball cap, Brian is 3 Days II Rise founder and driving force, although his role on stage is just ‘second banana’.

“They won’t let me sing!” he whines jokingly.

“You’ve not heard him sing, that’s why!” Lewis cries out in reply, also jokingly.

Brian is just a grasshopper at guitar playing, but he learned quickly to oblige the inner calling that inspired him to start a band and name it after a promise of resurrection.

Enough to land Musician of the Year award at last year’s ROTR Singer/Songwriter competition.

But a one-man-band is not inspirational enough, so he had to beseech his guiding force to send him band mates: and in no time, almost without advertising his project, he was contacted by applicants whom he got together, to start composing.

Brian writes all the lyrics and hums the tunes shaping up in his head for Lewis and Jonathan to develop it in a catchy melody destined to drill into the audience’s skulls and forever lodge there its positive message.

“Composing is a bit like cooking,” Lewis explains, “you start with a note, add another one, try with a third, remove it and go for a higher one, until a new flavour is born.”

And he should know, as he is an amateur chef, too.

13 tracks in less than 13 months — actually just 11 songs, two of which double up in pleasant soulful acoustic versions — is quite a full menu for these boys who haven’t limited themselves to spreading their gospel with a couple of gigs at the local temples of rock and Estepona, but also entered the 2012 Battle of the Bands’ competitions in Gibraltar and Sotogrande, where they scored runner-up position.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

community

If that wasn’t enough, their single is regularly played on Spanish radio’s El Intercambio, and they have built up quite a fan club during the winter.

They are moving in the fast lane, which coincidentally is the title of one of their best songs, and although they portray themselves as preachers of the night for troubled teens, they comfortably bridge the generation gap and appeal to everyone young at heart and anyone going through a rough patch in

need of a pinch of poetic advice.

Titles like The Nazarene and Hotline to Heaven bear a direct reference to Brian’s heartfelt spirituality and crusade for inner peace, while The Sun Goes Black and Highway of Darkness may evoke imagery of cliché satanic rock. Don’t be

deceived by a handful of words picked out of context, the same way you must not be deceived by the Goth design of the album cover, featuring skywards bloody arrows over jet-black background: after all, the other side of darkness is nothing but light.

They are moving in the fast lane, which coincidentally is the title of one of their best songs

update

No respectable rock band would call itself that if they didn’t have exclusive merchandise, and 3 Days II Rise stock T-shirts, key rings, badges and plectra featuring their signature jagged double slash logo.

Rock on! n In Between the Lines is available from local music shops and on-line from Amazon.co.uk or iTunes. Digital downloads, are value for money to wet your appetite for their second album already in the pipeline.

Adopt Don’t Buy

Give a Dog a Home If you are interested in adopting call the GSPCA on 540 19968 or 540 29927 GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

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That Nail Place

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S3 Accountants Durante Carboni Jardim..............X3 ESV Hassan & Co........................ I4 Business/Financial Services AI Couriers..................................K3 Barclays...................................... M4 Jyske Bank.................................. L4 Sovereign Trust...........................N4 ITMS............................................ J9 Business Services Waste Management......................a6 Business Supplies Beacon Press...............................N6 Image Graphics...........................N3 Stitch Design................................P3

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U4

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McTimoney chiropractor.............L4 John Miles - Chiropodist..............K7 Sport-On - Sports Therapy...........K3 Steiner Chiropractor.....................K7 Pet Services / Supplies Gibraltar Veterinary Clinic..........H4 Property Sales / Estate Agents Chesterton....................................D5 Richardsons.................................. P5 Savills............................................J5 Solomon Levy . ...........................U3 General Services Balloqui . ..................................... P4 LP Borge......................................X3 Denville Designs.........................M3 Fashion House Interiors............... P2

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Recruitment RecruitGibraltar......................... O6 SRG Europe.................................I3 Transport / Marine Services Gib Cargo................................... B8 Tarik Oil..................................... C8

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M5 Q5

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CRAFT CLASSES - PHONE FOR INFO 184 Main Street Tel: 200 72133 open: from 8am (10am on Sun)

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

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Baseball & the Rock of Gibraltar...

words | Reg Reynolds

When I read that one of baseball player Frank Sullivan’s claims to fame was that he had seen the Rock of Gibraltar I decided to find out what other connections there might be between America’s ‘national pastime’ and the Rock.

The 6’7” Sullivan pitched for the Boston Red Sox of the American League and was nicknamed the Boston Skyscraper. He was also an accomplished writer and he penned the following in his memoir Life is More than 9 Innings: “Simply put, I’ve had a hell of a good life.

I’ve seen Niagara Falls bathed in floodlights and been to the Rock Islands of Palau. Watched the sunset in the lee of Niihau and pitched in a major league All Star Game.

“I sat in the company of Joe DiMaggio to hear Sinatra sing with the Tommy Dorsey Band at the Palladium and drank with Frank Evinrude on his yacht. Been to the rain gauge at the wettest spot on earth *[see note] and watched Ted Williams hit his last home run in his last at bat at Fenway Park.

“I’ve been to Hatchet Bay, Eleuthera, and taken the tube in London. Attended the Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta and flown to Kwajalein. Seen the Rock of Gibraltar and had my picture taken with Ed Sullivan.

My hometown honoured me with a parade and I got paid to play ball in Mexico.

“With all that said, the best thing I ever did was marry the girl with whom I live.”

Sullivan pitched 201 games for the Red Sox and won 90 of them. He was named to the American League All Star Team in 1955 and 1956 and elected to the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2008.

Most readers will be familiar with Niagara,

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Sinatra, Dorsey, the Palladium, Evinrude, the tube and the Masters but may not know that Ted Williams was one of the greatest hitters in baseball history and Fenway is the Boston Red Sox home park. Palau is one of the Micronesia islands, Hatchet Bay in the Bahamas is famous for its safe harbour and cave, Niihau is one of the Hawaiian Islands and Kwajalein is an atoll among the Marshall Islands. Ed Sullivan was a New York newspaper columnist who hosted a hugely popular variety television show from 1948 to 1971.

It’s impressive that Sullivan included seeing Gibraltar as a highly memorable moment in what was obviously a well-travelled and varied life.

Pennock proved the hero of the game pitching a no-hitter for eight innings as the Navy defeated the Army 2-1. There were a reported 60,000 in attendance including the King and Queen

Another baseball man who would have seen Gibraltar, but in miserable circumstances, was the Cuban Emilio Sabourin. He founded the Habana Baseball Club and guided his team to nine Cuban championships between 1878 and 1892. Cuba was a Spanish colony at the time and there was a revolution brewing.

When the authorities discovered that money Sabourin had raised from baseball games was being diverted to the Cuban Independence Movement he was arrested and baseball was banned. In 1895 Sabourin was transferred to the notorious prison at Ceuta across the Strait from Gibraltar. He died there of pneumonia two years later.

Today Sabourin is celebrated as the ‘Father of Cuban Baseball’ and there is a statue of him at the La Tropica Stadium in Havana.

A third baseball great who was meant to have spent some time on the Rock but was detoured because of his talent was Herb Pennock.

A left-handed pitcher, Pennock was frustrated at a lack of playing time during the 1917 season with the Boston Red Sox so in January 1918, with America at war, he quit baseball and joined the US Navy. He and another Red Sox, infielder Mike McNally, were given overseas postings, Pennock to Gibraltar and McNally to Queenstown, Ireland.

They were shipped out in late June while at the time, with World War I still raging and thousands of American troops in Britain, preparations were being made for a big Fourth of July celebration in London. One of the major events was to be a baseball game played between the Army and Navy at the Chelsea football stadium Stamford Bridge.

Someone alerted the Navy team about Pennock and when the ship docked at Queensland, he was summoned to headquarters. The necessary strings were pulled and he and McNally were sent to London. Pennock proved the hero of the game pitching a no-hitter for eight innings as the Navy defeated the Army 2-1. There were a reported 60,000 in attendance including the King and Queen.

After the game, Pennock stayed on in London to serve in the communications department. He never did get to Gibraltar before he was discharged in December 1918.

Back in America he returned to play for the Red Sox, but after a poor season in 1922, when he won 10 and lost 17, he was traded to New York where he would become a star.

The New York Yankees of the late 1920s were among the great teams in baseball history and the 1927 Yankees are considered by many to be the greatest of all time.

Pennock was a pitcher on that ‘27 team which won 110 games and lost only 44. They went on to win the ultimate prize of baseball, the World Series 4-0, outscoring the Pittsburgh Pirates in the best-of-seven competition 23-10.

Pennock won 19 and lost only eight during the regular season and in his one World Series appearance he pitched a three-hitter as the Yankees won 8-1. The first-baseman on that New York team was the muscular Lou Gehrig who sportswriter Jim Murray described as “Gibraltar on cleats”.

So Herb Pennock could claim to have played with a ‘Gibraltar’ but unlike Frank Sullivan he never got to see the real one. n

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

music scene

Would you like to join the Calpe Band?

The Calpe Band is looking for musicians and a conductor. Do you fit the bill?

The Calpe Band was formed in 1985 and a Royal Marine Bandmaster was appointed until 1997, with the responsibility of training musicians and preparing the band for concerts, including both military and civic functions such as mess dinners, garden parties,

concerts on visiting cruise liners and international events.

From a small beginning of half a dozen musicians, the Calpe Band (formerly Rooke Volunteer Band and Calpe Rooke Band) has grown into a mature and versatile unit, capable of producing a variety of

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

music. The philosophy of the band has always been for each musician to play to their best ability, for their own enjoyment and inevitably, the enjoyment of the audience.

The musicians now have a newly formed Swing Band within the group, and a fun Oompah

Band, perfect for beer festivals, so they’re ready for anything! The band will play for theater shows, dances, weddings, concerts, festivals, public and private functions, in fact to audiences anywhere who appreciate a good band. They also play for charity functions at least two or three times a year.

The band is currently looking for a new Conductor, to take them forward into the future. If you feel you can commit to rehearsals on Monday and Wednesday 7pm - 9pm, then please contact the band’s committee chairman Claire Pizzarello on 54017070 for more information.

The band is also looking for new musicians of all levels. If you play a wind or brass instrument, then go along to 35a Town Range (through the gates opposite Rock on the Rock) on Monday or Wednesday from 7pm.

There will be a performance by the Calpe Band at Casemates on Saturday 1st June 2013, from 11am - 1pm.

Contact Claire 54017070 or Andria 54020692 for any enquiries or to make a booking. Alternatively, please email: thecalpeband@gmail.com

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puzzle page

SUDOKU Just for fun!

by Alan Gravett 2

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Jotting Pad Send completed crossword to: The Clipper, Irish Town, Gibraltar.

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FIRST PRIZE: Lunch for 2 at The Clipper

One entry per person.

Closing date: 16th June 2013 Last month’s winner: Mr Ian Petfield Westview Park LAST MONTH’S ANSWERS: Across: Leaven, Kowtow, Nigeria, Corgi, Theta, Turkish, Broken Heart, Breadth, Table, Cairn, Everton, Sphere, Street.

Down: Length, Angle, Earmark, Occur, Terrier, Weight, Martin Sheen, Rhenish, Entreat, Abacus, Peanut, Donor, Bathe.

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Across 1 Islamic leader of olden times (6) 4 Worked hard (6) 5 Neckerchief (6) 10 An anaesthetic colourless liquid (5) 11 Most small (5) 12 One of three (7) 13 Reckoning; forecast (11) 18 Railway stations at the end of the

line (7) 20 Briefly, a large African aquatic

animal (5) 22 On the first go (2,3) 23 Explorer who discovered Canada

and shares his surname with a

famous watchmaker (7) 24 Large country property; what a

deceased person leaves (6) 25 Entrapped (7) Down 1 A metallic element; blue pigment (7) 2 Girl’s name (5) 3 Synthetic material used in many

day-to-day applications (7) 5 Famous fountain in Rome (5) 6 Shakespeare’s Moor of Venice (7) 7 Mistakes in printing (7) 8 Shelf over a fireplace (11) 14 Where to fly from (7) 15 Iran’s capital (7) 16 Step or length of step (6) 17 Like Henry in the children’s stories;

not likeable (6) 19 Immobile (6) 21 England’s wicketkeeper; before;

member of an order (5)

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

4x4 project education The MarocAtlas Gibraltar 4x4 Club visited Fezzou, Morocco, a remote town close to the Algerian border, for the first time during their Solidarity Raid in April this year.

As part of their ongoing projects and to commemorate the 20th Anniversary in 2014 of the club’s formation, it has joined forces with AFELLA (the Association for the Development and Culture in Rural Areas) in the association’s venture of providing a new school for primary students in the area.

Infants in this small town are unable to go to school as one is not available. In fact, the only “school” in this town is a classroom which allows older children to begin their education.

The association is manned by local teachers at the school who are willing to educate children from an earlier age and get them prepared to enter the main school in town.

Representatives of the Gibraltar 4x4 Club met with the as-

sociation to discuss their needs and came out with a number of positive ideas.

Another major concern which needs addressing in Fezzou is water. Fezzou is situated in the province of Alnif, south in the deserted landscape of Morocco, where temperatures can exceed 40° in the shade. Presently, their nearest well is 14km away and they have had to endure daily walks in the heat to provide their community with fresh water.

It is only recently that they have managed to place a hose-like pipe extending the 14km to get some fresh water. You may well imagine the dribble of water available at the receiving end. The town is in desperate need of a pumping system to provide clean water to their homes.

The Gibraltar club is embracing

these projects with great enthusiasm and is hoping to get the support of everyone in the community to help meet these people’s needs and dreams for a better future for their children.

If you would like to get involved with the MarocAtlas Gibraltar 4x4 Club in any way, you don’t need a 4x4 — you can still support the Above: This is the classroom built by the group, become a member or join association in the hope of converting it into a primary school. The MarocAtlas the adventures as a co-pilot. n Contact the MorocAtlas Gibraltar 4x4 Club through Facebook or visit their website www.MarocAtlasGib4x4.ning.com.

Gibraltar 4x4 Club provided them with some school materials which included a small blackboard and painting board during their visit

The Gibraltar club is hoping to get the support of everyone in the community to help meet these people’s needs and dreams for a better future for their children GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

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Nadine, horses � baring all...

words | Elena Scialtiel

This isn’t about a novel Lady Godiva but I got your attention... so can I tell you the story of Nadine Gonzalez, an actress who plays a big role in local drama, although mostly in back-up roles — and sometimes quite literally!

In fact, Nadine played the back end of a horse in the 2013 pantomime Calamity Jane, ducking behind co-star Yvonne Taylor, under a costume that playfully brought to stage a noble steed.

“We could have landed any part we wanted, but we actually begged for that part,” she gloats.

And it certainly was great fun, as well as spotlessly played, because the part required perfect timing and on-stage chemistry, which they created, being friends longer than they care to mention.

Furthermore, they were already experienced panto animals, having starred two years earlier as the cow in Jack and the Beanstalk, where they ‘mooed’ about in perfect synchrony.

Don’t get me wrong, Nadine has had plenty of human roles in the pantomime too. She is actually one of its pillars since 2003, when she returned to it, after a hiatus of several years.

As a teenager, she started acting with the Dockyard Drama Group, which later became the Trafalgar Theatre Group, credited for

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successfully reviving panto in Gibraltar and making it a truly Yanito affair.

Young Nadine starred in productions for the Drama Festival, then ‘life took over’ — when she started a family, juggling work and hobbies became harder.

Yet, theatre is more than a hobby for her. It’s her passion, and the calling was always there, again, quite literally, since a friend and fellow cast member called her every year punctually at casting season, ‘religiously’, as Nadine puts it, to ask her if that was the year she would finally return to the boards.

“And every year I huffed and turned the offer down... until 10 years ago, when I accepted.” She made a comeback with a bang in the part of a courtier in Sleeping Beauty, thanks to her supportive family, who arranged their chores around her rehearsals, as they understood that “the time I make for it and manage to squeeze in between full-time job and housework are truly mine.”

Actually, her sons inherited her theatrical

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

time

“I was going to attend the auditions anyway, but I was a bit put off with the ‘nudity’ in it, because I was concerned my teenage son’s friends would mock him about his ‘stripper‘ mum, plus my parents are a bit old-fashioned in that respect and I didn’t want to embarrass them... but then I saw so many cancer survivors with no experience in theatre who wanted to be part of it in order to raise awareness, so I told myself I had to go for it. I had to help raise awareness, no matter the awkward moments I could be plunging myself into.”

Rehearsals lasted nine months and were emotionally draining: the cast laughed and wept together, and most pressingly, worked out through trial and error the delicate dynamics of baring flesh, without flashing too much.

“It was all carried out very professionally and the directors made us feel very comfortable at the moment we had to shed our robes. No rude or prude jokes,” she says.

Nadine played Annie, whose husband died of cancer. It was a demanding role, which she prepared for by imagining how Nadine would react if life threw her the same harsh blows thrown at Annie.

“I arrived at rehearsals as Nadine but the she explains. moment I leapt on stage I automatically beShe also performed the opening tune, Jecame Annie, I don’t even know how myself,” rusalem, a tribute to her talent as a wedding singer: “I used to sing at weddings. Nowadays I seldom do that, only for people very close to Once you perform in front of an my heart.”

With Calendar Girls she averted the risk of audience, and you hear them being typecast as a slapstick comedian and roaring with laughter, your first showed her fans she can indeed play any big part. reaction is to be happy and And because there are no small parts, only small actors, she occasionally dons a colourful proud that your acting does work costume to entertain nursery toddlers: for Haland amuses them the way it is loween she morphed into an ugly witch, for a feisty Mrs Claus, and for Easter... meant to. Yet, it is infectious... Christmas well you guessed it: the Bunny. n

photo: Pennie Gwilt

flair and decided to join in, the eldest engineering the lights and the youngest about to debut alongside mum in GADA’s forthcoming play this autumn.

“I can’t disclose too much,” she says, “but I can tell you it is pretty much in line with past productions. It is a farce, but with a totally different plot — and it is hilarious.”

Talking of which, how does she tackle sudden giggling fits on stage?

“Well, sometimes I can’t help it,” she confesses, “and it is tricky to overcome. You would think that after so many rehearsals and doing the same scene over and over again, the lines lose their funniness in the actor’s ear, too busy with getting the technicalities right and make the action work. Once you perform in front of an audience, and you hear them roaring with laughter, your first reaction is to be happy and proud that your acting does work and amuses them the way it is meant to. Yet, it is infectious, and indeed it tempts the actor to give in and slip out of character. Which is not consistent with a character supposed to be furious or disappointed or sad... for instance, in A Bedful of Foreigners, a few years back, I played a wife whose husband’s mistress (a French Stripper) is in the room next to them in a hotel, and I was supposed to be very angry, of course, even though the scene was hilarious. I felt the giggles brewing up, so I stomped my feet to visually express the character’s anger while channelling my focus away from the audience.”

Nadine labels herself as a naturally funny and happy-go-lucky person, in her element with light comedy roles, especially because her parts affect her mood off stage.

However, last year she was cast for a tragic role in the thought-provoking cult comedy-drama Calendar Girls — and she rocked it. It was a challenge which she rose to bravely, benefiting from the learning curve it implied.

stage

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Reg’s

pages from history

Mohawks on the Rock words | Reg Reynolds

It was a scene out of the American ‘wild west’ but instead of ‘Cowboys and Indians’ it was Canadian ‘Voyageurs and Iroquois’ battling with the Gibraltar police.

In March 1884 a British expedition commanded by General Gordon was under siege at Khartoum by 50,000 followers of Muhammad Ahmad ibn Abdullahi (The Mahdi). Gordon was attempting to re-impose British rule in the Sudan while The Mahdi was fighting to rid the country of foreign influence and impose Sharia law.

By May, the Mahdists had encircled the city and cut off all escape routes, but it wasn’t until August that Parliament authorised funding to save the beleaguered garrison. General Lord Garnet Wolseley was given command of the ‘Gordon Relief Expedition’.

It was determined that the best way to rescue Gordon would be by a two-pronged attack, one from the desert and the other from the river Nile, and for the latter purpose special boats and boatmen would be required. Because the loyal Dominion of Canada was home to many of the best river men in the world a request was made to Canadian Prime Minister John A. Macdonald for 500 troops, river pilots and canoeists, then known as ‘voyageurs’.

Major Frederick Denison was given command of the ‘Canadian Voyaguer Contingent’ and he recruited 100 Native Indians, (today in Canada referred to as First Nations), who were considered the best of the boatmen. In the end the

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Canadian expedition consisted of 400 troops and civilians.

The Canadians sailed from Montreal aboard the Ocean King, a 1,632 tonne Scottish-built steamer, on 29th September, 1884. After a stop at Sydney, Nova Scotia, the Ocean King crossed the Atlantic and coaled at Gibraltar.

Like many a soldier/sailor before and after them some of the voyageurs and Mohawks did not behave well on the Rock, as recorded in Carl Benn’s book Mohawks on the Nile (Natural Heritage Books 2009): “At Gibraltar, Colonel Denison gave the voyageurs leave to go ashore, and once again some drank too much. Two intoxicated Ojibways *[See note] gave a demonstration of their impressive physical prowess when they defended themselves successfully from a half-a-dozen police officers and several bystanders who attempted to arrest them.”

Colonel Denison fined some of the voyageurs for misbehaviour,

Mohawk, James Deer, wrote about his adventures on the Rock

but as Benn records, many of the voyageurs and Mohawks “...behaved more respectably, enjoying a day visiting Gibraltar’s fortifications”. One of the Mohawks was James Deer who would later write a pamphlet about his adventures.

Benn reproduces the pamphlet and another by Louis Jackson in the book.

Jackson makes no mention of Gibraltar in his memoirs but Deer wrote: “On the tenth day after leaving Cape Breton we sighted Cape Saint Vincent and sailed into the Strait of Gibraltar. Two days later we reached Gibraltar and let go the anchor: the fortifications here are, of course, the chief attraction, and our party, having obtained leave to visit them, borrowed a boat from the captain and started for shore. We had a splendid day and enjoyed ourselves well. As the forts are closed at six-thirty, our orders were to return to the ship at seven.”

From Gibraltar the Ocean King

Like many a soldier/sailor before and after them some of the voyageurs and Mohawks did not behave well on the Rock

sailed for Alexandria where the expedition began its arduous journey down the Nile. Although much of the Nile is wide and calm, in the southern reaches there are treacherous waters with half a dozen cataracts between the Egyptian border and Khartoum.

In mid-November 1884 a courier managed to get through Mahdist lines and deliver a message from Gordon to General Wolseley.

Gordon reported that he could hold out for about forty days but after that it would be difficult. At the time the relief expedition still had a long way to go. The first boat didn’t get through the Third Cataract until November 28.

While the River Column was making its way down the Nile the Desert Column was fighting its way overland. Unfortunately neither would arrive in time as Khartoum fell on 26th January, 1885. The entire garrison was slaughtered, Gordon was beheaded and his head presented to the Mahdi. The Desert Column, having taken to the river to speed up progress, arrived by steamer two days late.

Wolsely learned of the fall of Khartoum on February 4th but didn’t tell the men, and the River Column continued on and defeated the Mahdists in the battle of Kirkbean on February 10th.

Commanding officer General Wil-

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

The Iroquois, “Were splendid fellows, and without whom it is not too much to say that the troops could never have reached their destination” liam Earle was killed. It wasn’t until February 24th that the River Column was given orders to withdraw northwards.

Although the expedition to rescue Gordon was a failure the Canadians acquitted themselves well. The natives in general and the Mohawks in particular were described by General Wolesley as “The most daring and skilful of Canadian voyageurs”.

One British officer, Lieutenant HSH Riddell reported that the Iroquois, “...with scarcely an exception, were splendid fellows, and without whom it is not too much to say that the troops could never have reached their destination”.

The Canadians had been hired on six month contracts at a wage of $40 a month. After six months passed the Contingent was split in two; the ‘first’ made up of those returning home and the ‘second‘ comprised volunteers who agreed to continue until the end of the campaign.

16 Canadians, including at least two Indians, died on the expedition. Mohawk Louis Capitaine drowned near Semma on 30th October, 1884 and Mohawk John Morris drowned at the Ambikol Cataract two weeks later. They are remembered in Canada’s Peace Tower, which dominates the Houses of Parliament at Ottawa and recognizes all of Canada’s war dead.

The Mahdi died unexpectedly, aged 41, just six months following the fall of Khartoum. After his death British and Egyptian forces thwarted several Mahdist attempts to invade Egypt, and under the command of Lord Kitchener, re-conquered the Sudan in 1898. n *Note: The Iroquois Six Nations consists of the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Seneca, Cayuga and Tuscarora. The Ojibway is a separate First Nation from the same general region

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

Rehearsals have been underway for almost a year now for June’s Pink Floyd Tribute Show

for the love of Floyd On Friday 7th June Pink Floyd fans on the Rock are in for a very special treat indeed. A group of talented local musicians and vocalists with a passion for Pink Floyd have got together to produce a spectacular Tribute Show which will include all the magic of the real thing (if on a slightly smaller scale).

The show, produced by Jay Callejon of J2 Productions, will showcase all the best Pink Floyd numbers and is the brainchild of musician and Pink Floyd fan Christopher Calderon.

“It has always been in the back of my mind to one day do a Floyd tribute concert but things never materialised. Jay approached me to perform at last year’s National Day concert and I agreed as long as he allowed me to do a few Pink Floyd numbers. He agreed and we set about looking for a group of musician who would fit the bill, and who all loved doing Floyd numbers. Chris Cavilla was the obvious choice as the main lead guitarist and he agreed to the concert as long as we added Floyd’s Comfortably Numb to the playlist, and the idea grew from there. After the National Day concert I approached Jay to see if he would be up for doing another concert in June for the GBC Open Day of just Floyd numbers.”

with Becky Louise adding backing vocals. Rounding off the line-up is Chuck McClelland on sax.

Not only will the concert include 14 Floyd numbers, but it also has a few spectacular surprises in store for the audience.

“We are trying to replicate the feel of a Floyd concert as best as possible,” says Jay. “There will be a light show, lasers and visual and audio special effects. We don’t want to give too much away as there will be loads of surprises on the night.”

“The musicians really wanted to do it, and they are so talented,” Chris adds. “Their dedication to rehearsals has been immense.

They have been working on the show for almost a year now and it is with great thanks to Ernest Borell that we have had a space to practise.”

The line-up grew and there are now 10 musicians/singers involved plus the Loreto Convent School Choir!

Ernest overheard Jay and Chris talking about the show and lamenting that they did not have anywhere to practise, so he offered them the use of his studio in Lathbury Barracks. Ernest has also been roped into providing the

Christopher Calderon takes care of keys, samples, and backing vocals, while Chris Cavilla is lead guitar, slide guitar, vocals.

Jonathan Bugeja is guitar, slide guitar, vocals, Julio Valerga plays bass, Victor Calderon and Jay Callejon handle drums and percussion, while Jemma Rocca and Corinne Cooper perform main vocals and backing vocals,

There will be a light show, lasers and visual and audio special effects

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tech expertise for the event and has happily allowed up to 20 people to squeeze into his small studio on some occasions.

Mark Cortes, a lighting engineer who has worked in the West End, will control the lighting and Stephanie Seed has worked on the animations.

“The whole crew would like to thank their family and friends for their patience, it really has been a hectic time for us all,” Chris finishes by saying, giving special mention to his wife Helen.

The main target audience of the Pink Floyd Tribute Show are Floyd fans, but everyone is welcome to buy tickets and go along to the Ince’s Hall to enjoy the spectacle and the music. (Doors open at 8.30pm).

All proceeds will go to the GBC Open Day charities thanks to sponsors Lewis Stagnetto Ltd, Giboil and Gibtelecom. Tickets are expected to be a sell-out for the night, but hopefully the spectacular will be repeated again in the not too distant future, so watch this space.

The tickets are on sale at £10 from Music Corner and Euphoria (they are £15 on the door but it is unlikely judging be presales that any will be available on the night).

Tel Jay on 54025517 for more information.

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photo finish

images of the month

Two fantastic landscapes this month showing very different aspects of the Rock. Plus we couldn’t resist this lovely pair of dolphins snapped by one of our visitors to Gibraltar.

Thanks for sending them in!

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Top: Rock of GIbraltar from Ocean Village Anthony Williams Left: Swimming with the Fishes - David Jackson Below: Twin Peaks - Vera Francis

Get involved If you have a fabulous

photo taken in Gibraltar and you’d like to see it in print, send it to The Gibraltar Magazine — email: gibmag@ gibraltar.gi.

We’ll feature our favourite photo each month and you’ll see your name in lights (well ink anyway!).

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

What’s On June 2013

Charlie

Gibraltar Spring Festival 2013 1st May – 20th June Programme of events for June on page 72.

Saturday 1st June Ceremonial Guard Mounting at the Convent 12 noon

Ruben

Car Boot Sale at Nun’s Well car park – Europa Point 10am. To reserve a pitch Tel: 54007869. All proceeds go to Cancer Centre Monday 3rd June Gun Salute-HM The Queen’s Coronation at Grand Battery 12 noon.

Wednesday 5th & 6th June Ju-jitsu Academy International Gibraltar 20th Anniversary 1993 – 2013. The academy will be conducting competition events in Ju-Jitsu & MMA Mixed Martial Arts & demonstrating the new Ladies Boxing Fit Classes - at Victoria Stadium Sports Hall. Tel: 54011007 or email: anthonybushido58@hotmail.com Saturday 8th June Gibraltar Botanic Gardens Tour meets George Don Gates (at the south end of Grand Parade) 10.30 am. No fee but donations welcome. Tel: 20072639 Email: alameda@wildlife.gib.gi Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society monthly outing – World Oceans Day, international marine life. Meet Camp Bay 9.30am. For info contact Eric Shaw Te|: 58832000 Email: eric@ gonhs.org Monday 10th June Gun Salute - HRH The Duke of Edinburgh’s Birthday - Grand Battery 12 noon.

Wednesday 12th June HM The Queen’s Birthday Parade (rehearsal), Casemates Square 6pm Thursday 13th June HM The Queen’s Birthday Parade at Casemates Square 6pm Wednesday 19th & 20th June Gibraltar Productions presents Gibraltar World Music Festival - Passage to Asia at St Michael’s Cave. Tickets: £25 for one night/£40 for two nights (£15 & £30 for senior citizens & students) from Sacarello’s Coffee Shop, Irish Town & Gibraltar Productions Ltd office, 92 Irish Town ( includes shuttle service - starts 7pm from Elliots Way and Public Market). For info Tel: 20068899 Tuesday 25th June to 12th July Gibraltar Photographic Society Annual Competitive Exhibition at John Mackintosh Hall 10am -10pm. Tel:57363000 or 56219000 Friday 28th June Med Dance Group Annual Show at the Alameda Open Air Theatre 9pm. Tickets: £12 available from 17th June at On Pointe Dancewear Store, 7F Casemates Sq. For info Nichol Montovio Tel: 54013520 Email: Nichol@gibtelecom.net Saturday 29th June The Convent Garden Open Day includes activities for children, information on the gardens, music by the Royal Gibraltar Regiment Band, plant stalls & refreshments. 11am to 3pm. Tickets: free for Gibraltar residents, non-residents £2 adults £1 for children & senior citizens (numbers limited).

Advance tickets from the Convent reception during office hours. All proceeds go to charity.

St Andrew’s Craft & Collectors Fair at St Andrew’s Church 10am-2pm. For info Tel: 54023166 GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

Peo p le&Pets This month we interview Charlie and his friend Ruben — always around town together.

Charlie & Ruben Charlie: Man about town Ruben: Golden labrador Age Charlie: 62 Ruben: 20 months

Favourite Food Charlie: Everything except fish Ruben: Yoghurt and Farley’s rusks for breakfast Interesting Facts Charlie: I love doing DIY but I am usless at sewing Ruben: I know exactly how to sneak into the bed at night without waking Charlie up

Likes Charlie: A trouble free world where everyone is equal Ruben: Chasing cats (but not catching them!) Usefulness Charlie: I am always at the end of a phone for my friends (even if they sometimes Hates don’t reciprocate) Charlie: Inequality Ruben: I am completely useless and I don’t Ruben: I love everything... everything is just even bark great :) Sociability Charlie: I am fine with people I know, but can be a bit awkward with people I don’t Ruben: I love everyone Best Trick Charlie: [peels of laughter but no answer given] Ruben: I look pathetic when I get told off so I make Charlie smile. That way he can’t stay mad with me for long.

Greatest Achievement Charlie: Fighting for gay rights and equality all round Ruben: Making Charlie lose his temper five times a day (not easy!)

If you weren’t a dog/human you’d be?

Charlie: I would be a dog, but only if I belonged to an idiot like me!

Ruben: I would work in public relations. I’d be good at that.

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photo

call

The Generation Game Four generations of McKinnons

— Robert, little Joseph (Joey) James (born 7th May, 6lb 4 oz), Jane, and great grandad Harry.

Sienna’s first Summer Kayleigh Potter with her daughter, the very gorgeous Sienna... Awww

New Look for Sacha’s

Jagdish Sachanandani and his wife Jyoti with shop assistant Antonio Rivero in the new look Sacha’s at 79 Main Street

Help for Heroes The Star Bar held a Quiz Night recently which raised over £500 for forces charity Help for Heroes. The Star Bar’s Andy Hunter, presented the cheque to Command Warrant Officer Gary Mitchell, newly appointed Gibraltar Coordinator for Help for Heroes.

Photo Call...

This page is for you. Send us your pictures of special occasions in Gibraltar and we will try to include them. You don’t have to be a VIP (everyone is a VIP to us), so snap, snap, snap away and email the photos to gibmag@gibraltar.gi.

By the way, we also love to get pictures of people reading the Gibraltar Magazine abroad, it makes us proud to see how far they travel (though a little jealous too!). no

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Orange Appeal In mid-May local band Orange Peel released their first album titled “Bing Bing”. During their album launch party at the Rock on the Rock Club they performed their album in the order of the CD to a large crowd that packed the venue. You can purchase their album at local record store, for more information visit www.facebook.com/orange.peel.gib

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

photo call

It Makes a Bloody Good Read!

Pictured above centre is Elena Scialtiel who launched her book, Nepenthes, last month at the Garrison Library as part of the Gibraltar Spring Festival. The book, a crime novel named after a carnivorous plant, is fifth of a series of novels written by Elena. To reserve your copy contact elena.scialtiel@gmail.com

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

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Barbie burgers The warm weather is with us and what better way to celebrate than by breaking out the barbecue and flipping some burgers? Burgers don’t have to be those flat frozen discs of suspect origins we are all familiar with though... try this gourment selction of recipes for something a bit special this year.

Gourmet Burgers 1 red onion 200ml red wine vinegar 80g caster sugar 600g topside beef, minced Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Thinly slice the onion and place in a bowl with the vinegar and sugar. Set aside.

Season the mince with salt and pepper and shape into patties using floured hands.

Grill the burgers for 4-5 minutes each side under the grill. Layer the burger on the roll

Mint and lime dressing 200g/7oz natural yoghurt small handful of mint leaves, chopped 1 lime, zest and juice lime wedges, to serve

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food appetite

with gherkin, bacon and reserved onion. Serve with mustard mayonnaise. n

Fish Burgers

600g pollock fillet (or any white fish),

skinned and boned 1 large shallot, peeled and sliced 1 tbs cornichons or chopped

picked gherkins 1 tbs capers 2 tbs chopped parsley flour, for dusting 2 tbs olive oil Dice the fish, place in a food processor and process to a rough paste. Put the mix in a large bowl. Put the shallot, gherkins, capers, parsley and seasoning into the processor and evenly blended. Mix with the fish paste.

With floured hands, shape the mixture into burger shapes. Chill for 1 hour to firm.

Sprinkle with olive oil and grill for about five minutes on each side, or until nicely browned.

Take care not to burn the fish.

Try serving in a ciabatta roll with green leaves and and chilli mayonnaise. n

Bean Burgers 2 x 400g cooked kidney beans, drained 200g cooked butter beans 200g cooked black-eye beans 1 small onion, finely diced 5 tbs olive oil 200g red lentils, cooked handful parsley, chopped 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves 1 small red chilli, seeds removed and

finely chopped 100g breadcrumbs salt and freshly ground black pepper Set aside a third of each type of bean. Place the remainder in a food processor and blend to a rough paste. Gently fry the chopped onion in a little olive oil until softened.

Place the blended beans into a large bowl and stir in the whole beans, fried onion, cooked lentils, parsley, thyme, chilli, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper and mix well until combined.

Using floured hands, shape mixture into burger shapes. Chill until required.

Sprinkle with olive oil then grill the burgers for 4 minutes on each side, or until goldenbrown and cooked through. n

Add some chutney, chilli jam or yoghurt dressing to your burgers instead of ketchup to make a barbecue treat

Contemporary Mediterranean Dining

Grand Casemates Square Tel: 200 GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

44449 for reservations 79

appetite

e to wher drink eat & the on k Roc

Café Solo Modern Italian eatery set in lively Casemates square. Everything from chicory and crispy pancetta salad with walnuts, pears and blue cheese dressing, or king prawn, mozzarella and mango salad to pastas(eg: linguine with serrano ham, king prawns and rocket; smoked salmon and crayfish ravioli with saffron and spinach cream) to salads (eg: Vesuvio spicy beef, cherry tomatoes, roasted peppers and red onions; and Romana

Cafe Rojo

restaurants

Sleek modern comfort in this relaxing little restaurant. Brunch (10am12pm) includes ciabatta, granary, foccacia sandwiches with fillings such as pear and blue cheese, smoked bacon and brie, cheese and honey roast ham, delicious desserts.

Lunch 12-3pm, dinner 7-10pm; dishes such as Marinated Tuna Steak & Sesame Crust; Roasted Lamb Shoulder; pastas or risottos such as Roast Pumpkin, Mushroom, & Spinach Curry, Langoustine, Lime & Coconut; Pear, Walnut & Blue Cheese; and Creamy Mixed Seafood; and salads such as Warm Goats’ Cheese, Fresh Spinach & Chargrilled Aubergine; and Roast Duck, Chorizo & Pancetta Salad.

Open: 10am. Closed Sundays and Saturday lunchtime.

Nunos Italian

Nunos Italian Restaurant, overlooking the Mediterranean, is popular with hotel guests, tourists and local residents. This 2 rosette rated, AA restaurant is renowned for its eclectic interior, intimate atmosphere and fine cuisine. Savour a wide selection of freshly prepared Italian delicacies, including bread, pasta, meat and fish, followed by delicious desserts. In the summer months, the hotel offers alfresco dining for private parties in the Garden Grill. Sitting nestled in the colonial garden you can enjoy a mouth-watering menu of charcoal-grilled meats and freshly prepared salads in candlelit surroundings.

Open: Mon-Sun 1-3pm lunch, 7–11pm dinner

Cafe Rojo 54 Irish Town. Tel: 200 51738

Nunos Italian Restaurant and Terrace Caleta Hotel, Catalan Bay Tel: 200 76501 Email: reservations@caletahotel.gi

Casa Pepe

The Waterfront

A delightful terrace, bar, restaurant on the prestigious Queensway Quay Marina. Wonderful location for business meetings, weddings, anniversaries and other special occasions. Specialising in fresh fish caught locally with daily specials including seabass, dorada, sole, and bream, plus a very comprehensive a la carte menu. Also available are tapas and raciones (double size tapas) to share (or not!) prior to a main course. Mixed paellas also available, as well as fish cooked in rock salt, whole suckling pig and baby lamb to order.

Open: Tues-Sat lunch & evening, Sunday lunch only, closed Mondays.

Right on the quayside at Queensway Quay Marina, this restaurant offers everything from coffee through to 3-course meals with champagne! A bar snack menu is available all day from 10.15am; the a la carte menu from midday to 10.30pm, featuring daily specials. The barbecue grill from 7pm offers sumptuous steaks aged in-house, and fab fish including dorada and sea bass. A delicious array of desserts/ice creams. Extensive terraces provide ideal location for summer dining and drinks with stunning sunsets. Caters for large parties - weddings, holy communions, birthdays etc. Est. over 16 years.

Open: 7 days a week 9am-late

Casa Pepe, 18 Queensway Quay Marina, Tel/Fax: 200 46967 Email: casa.pepe@gmail.com.

Visit: www.gibtour.com/casapepe.

The Waterfront Queensway Quay Marina. Tel: 200 45666 Visit: www.gibwaterfront.com

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chorizo, black pudding, egg and pancetta) and pizzas (eg: Quatto Stagioni topped with mozzarella, ham, chicken, pepperoni and mushroom) and specialities such as salmon fishcakes, beef medallions and duck. Daily specials on blackboard. No smoking.

Café Solo Grand Casemates Square. Tel: 200 44449

Solo Bar & Grill

Solo Bar and Grill is a stylish and modern eatery — perfect for business functions or lunches — and part of the popular Cafe Solo stable. Serving everything from Goats’ Cheese Salad, Mediterranean Pâté and Cajun Langoustines to Beer Battered John Dory, or Harissa Chicken, and Chargrilled Sirloin Steak. This is a delightful venue in Europort with a cosy mezzanine level and terrace seating. Well worth a visit, or two! Available for private functions and corporate events — call 200 62828 to book your function or event.

Open: 12-8pm.

Solo Bar & Grill Eurotowers Tel: 200 62828

Get Listed!

Do you own a restaurant, café, or bar in Gibraltar?

Get your business listed here

CALL 200 77748 for details GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

food & drink Amin’s Office

Just Desserts

Picadilly Gardens

Sit down, informal and friendly bar with informal eating. Amin is well known in Gibraltar for his Moroccan, Spanish and international cuisine. Open early for breakfast at 7am right through the day. Try the Moroccan soups, couscous, lamb tagines and kebabs. Terrace, just off Main Street (turn left at Trafalgar Pharmacy coming from Casemates).

Open: 7am to midnight.

B r i g h t a n d a i r y, recently redecorated cafe on the first floor of the ICC. All homemade food including daily specials, vegetarian options, desserts and small cakes. Eat in or takeaway. Try their daily roast with everything on, or their all-day breakfast. Pensioner’s lunch - 2 course meal for £5.25. Friendly, cheerful and fully licensed.

Open: from 7.30am Monday to Friday

Relaxed bar restaurant located near to the Queen’s Hotel and Cable car, it has a cosy garden terrace, which is great for drinks, tapas and food al fresco.

English breakfast, tapas, hamburgers, fresh fish, paella by pre-order, prawns, squid, clams and a variety of meat dishes. Eat in or takeaway. Open: 6:30am till late.

Amin's The Office 30 Parliament Lane. Tel: 200 40932

Just Desserts 1st Floor ICC. Tel: 200 48014

Piccadilly Gardens Rosia Road, Tel: 20075758

Mumbai Curry House

Sacarello Coffee Co

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Get your business listed here

CALL 200 77748 for details Buddies Pasta Casa Italian specials in pleasant ambience. Large selection of starters from garlic bread to calamari. Main courses include spinach caneloni, spaghetti alla carbonara, fusilli al salmone, and peppered steak to name a few. Tasty desserts and variety of wines.

Outside seating too.

Open: Monday - Thursday 11am - 5pm, Friday 11am-3pm and 7pm-11pm, Sat 11am-4.30pm Buddies Pasta Casa 15 Cannon Lane. Tel: 200 40627

Get Stuffed Very popular takeaway, sandwich bar and hot food.

Serving all fresh and homemade sandwiches, salads, soups, pasta, pies, cup cakes, plus hot/cold drinks and smoothies and a different special every day. Outside catering for corporate parties.

Open: 8am - 4pm Mon-Fri, 8am-3pm Sat. Get Stuffed Marina Bay. Tel: 200 42006 GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

Indian cuisine, eat-in/take-away, from snacks (samosas, bhajias, pakoras) to lamb, chicken and fish dishes such as korma, tikka masala, do piaza. Large vegetarian selection. Halal food. Outside catering for parties/meetings. Sunday Mumbai favourites such as Dosa & Choley Bhature.

Open: 7 days a week 11am - 3pm, 6pm -late.

Mumbai Curry House Unit 1.0.02 Ground Floor, Block 1 Eurotowers Tel: 200 73711 Home delivery: 200 50022/33

Oasis Eatery

Located in Governor’s Parade, just across from the Elliot Hotel, and offers hot/cold drinks plus a delicious homemade selection of baked items such as cakes and quiches, also sandwiches and wraps, bagels and cupcakes. Vegan/vegetarian items. Oasis is on Facebook and Twitter and you can pre-order online which is handy for a quick lunch.

Special orders taken for a range of bakery goods.

Fully licensed for beers and wine. Terrace seating.

Open: 8am to 3pm

Oasis Eatery Govenor’s Parade Tel: 200 65544 www.oasiseatery.com

Pick a Bite Morning coffee and daily lunch specials, one of largest selections of traditional home made food, to eat in or takeaway. All the old favourites — spinach pie, croquettes, quiche, spanish omelette, shepherd’s pie and more. Delicious sandwiches, baguettes, ciabatta melts and wraps, with a variety of fillings. Salads, snacks and soups. Cakes and muffins for those with a sweet tooth. Friendly, cheerful and very reasonal prices. Terrace seating.

Open: Monday to Friday 8am - 3pm.

Pick A Bite 10 Chatham Counterguard Tel: 200 64211

Converted coffee warehouse, great coffee, homemade cakes/ afternoon tea, plus menu and excellent salad bar with quiche selection, specials of the day and dishes such as lasagne, steak and mushroom Guinness pie, hot chicken salad, toasties, club sandwich and baked potatoes. Art exhibitions. Available for parties and functions in the evenings.

Open: 9am-7.30pm Mon-Fri. 9am-3pm Sat Sacarello Coffee Co. 57 Irish Town. Tel: 200 70625

Solo Express Located next to Pizza Hut in Casemates and in Eurotowers, serves a variety of salads/baguettes (white, brown, ciabatta) filled with a deli selection such as roast chicken; smoked salmon & mascapone; ham, cheese and coleslaw; or humous, avocado & roast red pepper. Salads fresh and tasty (Greek, Waldorf, cous cous, tuna pasta etc), great value. Jackets, quiches, coffee plus cakes (flapjacks, muffins) available all day. Eat-in area. Soups in winter.

Solo Express Grnd Flr, ICC, Casemates & Eurotowers

The Tasty Bite Tasty Bite has one of the biggest take-away menus around with home cooked meats, filled baguettes, burgers, chicken and everything else you can think of! Try the quiches, tortillas and jackets spuds with all kinds of fillings. This little place gets busy with those popping out from the offices for lunch so get there early.

Open: Monday - Saturday.

The Tasty Bite 59a Irish Town. Tel: 200 78220 Fax: 200 74321

informal food

directory

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food & drink

directory informal food

Verdi Verdi All day coffee plus all homemade and delicious vegetarian and vegan dishes, fresh baked bread and desserts.

A selection of bagels (try the smoked salmon and cream cheese) and baguettes to eat in or take away. Try the light homemade pizzas, or the falafels and humous. Daily special soups are fabulous and filling. Ask for Idan's hot homemade chilli relish — sweet and scrummy.

Open: Mon/Thurs: 7.30-6, Fri 7.30-5, Sun 10-3.

Verdi Verdi ICC, Casemates Tel: 200 60733

Get Listed!

Do you own a restaurant, café, or bar in Gibraltar?

Get your business listed here

CALL 200 77748 for details All’s Well

Traditional pub in fashionable Casemates area. Named for the 18th century practise of locking gates to the city at night when the guard called ‘All’s Well’. All’s Well serves Bass beers, wine and spirits plus pub fare. English breakfast all day, hot meals such as pork in mushroom sauce, sausage & mash, cod & chips and steak & ale pie plus a range of salads and jacket potatoes. Large terrace.

Karaoke Mondays and Wednesdays until late. Free tapas on a Friday 7pm.

All’s Well Casemates Square. Tel: 200 72987

bars & pubs

Bridge Bar & Grill

Located on the water’s edge, Ocean Village, just across the bridge from O’Reilly’s.

This bar & grill is a fusion of an American themed menu with Tarifa chill out style. Open for breakfast from 9am serving healthy options, freshly squeezed orange juice and Italian Lavazza coffee. Try the spicy Caribbean rum ribs, southern fried chicken bucket, the popular Texas burger or a selection of tasty salads and homemade desserts. London Pride, San Miguel & Carling beer on draught, live sports.

Bridge Bar & Grill Ocean Village Tel: 200 66446

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Cannon Bar

Jane is still there and still packed out with tourists and regulars!

Word has it that she nearly managed to escape, but wasn’t allowed to. The famous fish and chips, the odd French speciality, there’s always something happening in the Cannon! Located between Marks & Spencer and the Cathedral just off Main Street.

Cannon Bar

Gibraltar Arms On Main Street opposite the cathedral, enjoy a meal, coffee or a cool beer on the terrace and watch the world go by!

Bar decorated with rare military plaques from regiments and navy ships visiting Gibraltar. Full breakfast menu served from 7am, draught beers on tap include Old Speckled Hen bitter, Murphys Irish stout, Heineken lager and Strongbow cider.

Gibraltar Arms 184 Main Street. Tel: 200 72133

Jury’s Café-Wine Bar

Next to the Law Courts, with a terrace seating area, Jury’s has a selection of Ciabattas, paninis, baguettes and wraps, plus popular sharing dishes, such as Your Honour’s platter. Jacket potatoes, main courses, pasta and some innocent salads too.

For those with a sweet tooth, there are tantalising homemade desserts, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, as well as Lavazza coffees and frappes.

Open: 7am-midnight Mon-Sat, 9am-midnight Sun. Jury’s Café & Wine Bar 275 Main Street. Tel: 200 67898

Lord Nelson

Bar/brasserie in Casemates.

Done out like Nelson’s ship.

Starters & snacks include fresh mussels, blue cheese and rocket bruschetta, potato skins, spicy chicken wings and calamares. Main courses from chilli con carne and chicken & mushroom pie, to crispy duck burrito and fish & chips.

Jackets, burgers and kid’s menu. Live music on stage nightly. Spacious terrace.

Open: 10am till very late.

Lord Nelson Bar Brasserie 10 Casemates Tel: 200 50009 Visit: www.lordnelson.gi

e to wher drink eat & the on k Roc

The Lounge Stylish lounge bar on the quayside at Queensway Quay with very reasonable prices and light bites from 10am until late.

Popular quiz on Sundays (from 7.30pm) and a relaxed friendly atmosphere... always plenty of people / yachties to chat to. Events (matches etc) covered on large screen TV. Great place to chill out.

Open: 10am Mon - Sat until late and from 12pm on Sun (get there early for a seat for the quiz).

The Lounge Queensway Quay Marina Tel: 200 61118

O’Reilly’s Traditional Irish bar with full HD sports coverage and Irish breakfast from 7am (Sunday from 9am). Guinness on draught. Food includes salads, jackets, beef & Guinness pie, Molly’s mussels, drunken swine, Boxty dishes (potato pancake wrapped around delicioius fillings), sandwiches, rolls, Kildare chicken and much much more. And just like in Ireland there’s no smoking inside, so a great atmosphere for all.

O’Reilly’s Ocean Village. Tel: 200 67888

Star Bar

Gibraltar’s oldest bar, just off Main St. Small cosy and famous for its full English breakfast from 7am (9am on Sunday). A full menu including fish & chips, until 10pm. The home of Star Coffee, draught beers include Heineken, Old Speckled Hen, Murphys and Strongbow cider. Managed by Hunter Twins from Stafford, England, also home to Med Golf & Tottenham Hotspur supporters club.

Star Bar Parliament Lane. Tel: 200 75924 Visit: www.starbargibraltar.com

The Three Owls The Three Owls is a traditional bar serving best of English beers.

Three separate bars/floors: ground floor — big screen TV, pool table, poker machines, bar — open from 10.30am daily. First floor ‘Hoots’ bar, two match pool tables, poker machines, dartboard, bar, open from 5pm daily. Second Floor the ‘Nest’ — American pool table, poker machine, card table, bar — open from 7pm daily and also at weekends for the Rugby Union matches. If you are looking for a sociable game of pool or darts this is the place to be.

The Three Owls Irish Town. Tel: 200 77446 GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

Traditional Pub Serving Traditional Pub Fare, Bass Beers, Wines & Spirits

Visit us and step back in history

Casemates Square Tel: 200 72987

Full menu served inside or on our terrace including British Fish & Chips, Jackets, Salads, Burritos, Homemade Pizzas, our special Fresh Local Mussels and much more.

Visit us and buy yourself a souvenir, T-shirts, beer glasses, lighters etc Live music every evening, join our Jam Sessions on Wednesday or Sunday.

GLMS Music Venue of the Year.

Official Home to Gibraltar Rugby Club Free WiFi

10 Casemates www.lordnelson.gi Tel: 200 50009

• Pizza • Pasta • Salads • Fresh Juices • Cappuccino • Ice Creams

DAILY SPECIALS Grand Casemates Sq Tel: 20044449

SMITH’S

U4 FISH & CHIPS HADDOCK W4 PLAICE • COD FRESH FRIED IN CRISPY BATTER

184 Main Street Tel: 200 72133 open: from 8am (10am on Sun)

restaurant bar guide &

295 MAIN ST Tel: 200 74254

Get Stuffed!

Marina Bay Tel: 200 42006 Take-Away, Sandwiches & Hot Food Different Special Every Day salads, soups, pastas, pies, cupcakes, all home made Open 8am-4pm Mon-Fri, 8am-3pm Sat

Indian Cuisine to Eat In or Take Away Unit 1.0.02 Grnd Flr, Block 1 Eurotowers Tel: 200 73711

Casa Pepe Open: Mon-Sat 11am-late 18 Queensway Quay Marina Tel/Fax: 200 46967

BUDDIES pasta casa

Come and enjoy real Italian meals in Gibraltar’s leading pasta house 15 Cannon Lane Tel: 200 40627 for reservations

Award winning breakfasts from 7.30am Great meals & snacks all day Evening Steak House menu Med Golf Clubhouse Tottenham Hotspur HQ Parliament Lane Tel: 200 75924 GIBRALTAR GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAGAZINE •• JUNE JUNE 2013 2013

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which wine

June boons

words | Peter Rodney

The sun shines; the evenings are long; the cold and rain of winter are largely forgotten; a glass of Chablis/Gewurztraminer/ Barbadillo is in hand; what more could be required? Well, quite a lot actually, but we are not here to complain about motorbike noise, seagulls, thoughtless people who seem oblivious to the existence of others or other such irritations.

These irritations do, h o w e v e r, just take the shine off the sun. But I must learn to accept that some people do not have basic manners or courtesy. The two are not quite the same thing — and those who read this column will know that.

The people who need to understand the difference probably do not read this column. A vicious circle, which I will not be able to square.

Another vicious circle relates to the price of wine. Various members of my family have been pottering around France, Spain and Italy in recent months. All of them

have bought wines of varying sorts. I have always urged them to go to the source: the chateau itself, the particular vineyard or maison/ meson/casa which produces the stuff. They have always carefully followed my advice.

Until now. A daughter went to Moët et Chandon in Rheims and obtained some very good 2006 vintage champagne direct. It was not cheap. Staying in a local hotel, she popped into a local supermarket to sort out a picnic lunch. She noticed that the very same vintage, bought the day before from the House itself, was on sale at 15 euros less per bottle. She had the gumption to take a photograph, go back to Moët, and complain — and duly got a refund of the difference. I recently bought some 2008 Pauillac from a supermarket in Bordeaux because, against my own advice, I did not have time to go to Chateau Lynch-Bages itself. A brief look at

their website reveals that I saved some 5 euros a bottle. A trip some time ago to the Gonzalez Byass Bodega in Jerez also revealed that Tio Pepe sherry is more expensive at its own source than in Carrefour, or even a smaller supermarket, in Spain.

How dare they? There are no shipping costs when the wine is sold on site. Yes, you get the stage-managed tour of the winery (which you pay for) and a ‘free’ glass or two at the end. But this does not justify the profiteering.

Australian wines became enormously popular because the Australians enquired what people wanted to drink, at what price, and then — to everyone’s astonishment ­— produced it. Old World producers have always taken the view, rather like celebrity chefs, that they know what you want and if you don’t like it then bad luck. The Australians (and New Zealand-

Old World producers have always taken the view, rather like celebrity chefs, that they know what you want and if you don’t like it then bad luck

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wine ers, South Africans, Argentinians, Chileans) can produce very good wines at competitive prices despite the cost of shipping them half way round the world. The Old World woke up to the competition, eventually, and started producing a greater range of mid-priced, decent drinking instead of just premium labels or complete plonk. So at the £6 to £10 price bracket there is enormous choice. But the Old World still seems to be at roughly the same price as the New, without the shipping costs. Is there still some profiteering going on?

Either that, or we will hear that European producers are being undercut by lower labour costs and so on. The recent scandals of clothing for UK stores being made in sweat-shops in the Indian subcontinent has brought attention to this problem; but the Australians might object to any suggestion that their standards of life and work are lower. Sir Les Paterson, the Australian cultural attaché in London (as embodied by Barry Humphries), would certainly argue that the Ozzies know how to live well, even if that involves a tinnie on the beach rather than a visit to Sydney Opera House.

In Gibraltar, with healthy competition, prices are reasonable — although most Spanish wines will be cheaper in Spain because the same import duty applies to all wines. While it is possible to pick up complete plonk at £2 or £3 a bottle in Morrison’s and elsewhere, we cannot compete with the £1 a bottle on offer in Carrefour; if you really want to drink that then you are welcome. It is possible to find something that is not vinegar but you have to go through a lot of trial and error before doing so, and the damage likely to be caused to your interior workings by the trial and error process may be irreparable.

So, in principle, the economics reveal that the higher the price of

column

At the more expensive end, with summer upon us, the white wine you want to savour can only be Chablis and/or a Pouilly Fumé the bottle, the more you will be saving in terms of quality.

At the more expensive end, with summer upon us, the white wine you want to savour can only be Chablis and/or a Pouilly Fumé.

Both are £18 upwards from all outlets. It is worth going for a year (2007 Chablis is ready now but this will add a bit to the price).

A Sancerre is an alternative at a slightly lower price but with the same steeliness. My Wines and Anglo Hispano have an interesting selection of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc at about £10 upwards.

Once you regard even these as too expensive for your budget then you are stuck with Pinot Grigio at about £5 upwards. Finally, there is always Barbadillo to fall back on; a real boon in June when gazing at a warm sunset. It is not, however, the last word. n

r y ou Enjo side y qua ace e t rr

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

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d n u o r � ow� �

Well it certainly was celebration time in Gibraltar as we went to press with Gibraltar becoming Team 54 of UEFA’s footballing nations. It has been a hard fought battle for the GFA but finally Gibraltar’s footballers’ hopes and aspirations have come true. Well done GFA and well done team Gibraltar.

We are all very proud indeed.

May was a time for celebration for the Gibraltar Kennel Club too, when it was accepted by the Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI) as a Full Member at the General Assembly held in Budapest, Hungary with 32 votes to 26. Well done to all those involved.

Now the weather is hotting up and it finally feeling like summer has arrived there is plenty to keep us entertained away from the beaches as well as on them!

The Gib Fringe Festival is on at the Alameda Gardens from Thursday 20th to Sunday 23rd June with loads of acts to tickle your fancy from clown to contemporary dance. See pages 54-57 or visit www. gibfringe.com to buy tickets. Miss Gibraltar, the event everyone loves to watch live on GBC, is on 8th June (pick your winner on page 49).

Then the Spring Festival finale is Calentita! on Saturday 22nd June — yes, it’s a Saturday night this year (instead of its usual Friday) so jot the date down and don’t miss this cultural adventure into the foods of Gibraltar.

This year’s Lunar Walk will be held on 28th June at midnight. Registration starts at 9pm at Casemates. The route is a 5km walk starting and finishing at Casemates. Registration is £5 on the night. Everybody is welcome and you

Photos: This page Visual Variety launch at Sacarello’s restaurant

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

are encouraged to wear something pink! Join in... it’s a really fun event and all are welcomed.

Many happy returns this month to Gibraltar Kennel Club’s Lawrence Llamas on 7th June, Sovereign’s Ian Le Breton and curtain maker extraordinaire Lulu Martin on 11th June. Charlie Yeo celebrates a very special birthday on 12th June (we’ll leave you to guess which one!), and Radio Gibraltar’s Ros Astengo gets another year older on Saturday 15th June. The next day, Henry Sacramento will be adding another notch to his belt, while DHL’s Martin Forde celebrates on 27th. Happy birthday to them all and to anyone else celebrating a sepcial occasion in June. Don’t forget to keep those pictures coming, we love to publish them.

Don’t forget there is a Car Boot Sale in aid of the Cancer Centre (£10 per pitch) at Europe Point on Saturday 1st June. Still time to get your pitch or pick up some bargains.

And right at the end of the month, to round of a wonderful June, is the Convent Garden Open Day — that’s when you know it really is summer! All proceeds to charity to enjoy a rare opportunity to walk around the gardens and smell the flowers (doors open 11am).

See you all on Main Street — there is so much to smile about in Gibraltar and the start of summer is just one many things. Cheers!

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

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clubs&activities Arts & Crafts The Arts Centre, Prince Edward’s Rd. Art classes for children (5-6pm Mon, 5-6.30pm Tues, 5-7pm Thurs), adults (Mon - Tues 6.30pm8pm, Wed 6.30pm-8.30pm, life painting Wed 7pm-9pm). Tel: 200 79788.

The Fine Arts Association Gallery 1st Floor above Gibraltar Crystal, Casemates. Open 11am-2pm, 4-6pm Mon - Fri, Sat 11am - 2pm.

Arts & Crafts Gallery (next door) opens Mon - Fri 9.30am - 5pm (summer) -6pm (winter), Sat 9.30am - 3pm.

Exhibition Vin’s Gallery at the Rock, The Rock Hotel. Original paintings, prints, and souvenirs

by Vin Mifsud and her pupils. Monday - Saturday 9.30-11am and 8-10pm.

The Gibraltar Decorative and Fine Arts Society Affiliated to the UK NADFAS organisation meets third Wednesday of the month at 6.30pm at Eliott Hotel - lecturers & experts from the UK to talk on Art etc. Contact: ChairmanClaus Olesen: 200 02024 claus.olesen@sghambros. com. Membership Ian leBreton: 200 76173 ilebreton@SovereignGroup.com Knit and Natter Group: Tuesdays from 11am3pm, at Arts & Crafts Shop, Casemates balconyFree to join and refreshments provided. Tel: 20073865 for more information.

Board Games Chess Club meets in Studio 1, John Mackintosh Hall 8-10.30pm Tues.

The Gibraltar Scrabble Club meet at the Rock Hotel on Mondays at 3pm. For further information please ring Vin at 20073660 or Roy at 20075995. All welcome.

The Subbuteo Club meets Charles Hunt Room, John Mackintosh Hall 7.30 - 11pm.

Dance Adult Dance Classes Wednesday evenings at the Youth Disco Room, Kings Bastion Leisure Centre from 7-8.30pm. Cha-Cha, Salsa and Merengue. Lessons £5 and all proceeds to GibMissionAfrica Charity. Contact Dilip on 200 78714 or dance@trainingtm.net Bellydance classes. Beginners level on Tuesday from 7-8pm at Danza Academy or 8-9pm at Ocean Village fitness centre. Tel 54005593.

Salsa Gibraltar Salsa classes held Tuesdays at Laguna Social Club, Laguna Estate. Beginners 7-8.30pm, £5 per lesson. Intermediates 8.30-10pm, £6 per lesson (all profits going to the charity Help Us To Help Them). Contact: Mike 54472000 Email: info@salsagibraltar.com website: www.salsagibraltar.com Modern & Latin American Sequence Dancing Mondays Catholic Community Centre 8.30pm (beginners 7.30). Over 15s welcome.

Old & Modern Sequence Dancing sessions at the Catholic Community Centre at 8pm, beginners at 7.30pm, Wednesday.

The DSA Old & Modern Sequence Dancing sessions at Central Hall Fridays 8pm, beginners 7.30pm. Tel: 200 78282 or e-mail manvio@ gibraltar.gi Everybody welcome.

Modern, Contemporary, Lyrical, Flexibility, Hip Hop & Dance Theatre classes weekly at Urban Dance Studio for Performing Arts, 2 Jumpers Bastion. Tel: Yalta (54012212) or Jolene (54015125).

Ballet, Modern Theatre, Jazz, Contemporary & Hip Hop classes held weekly at Danza Academy, 68/2 Prince Edward’s Road. Training from 2.5 years to Adult Advanced. Royal Academy of Dancing and Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing exams taken. Competing opportunity with IDF European & World Championships. Tel: Anne-Marie 54027111 or Zulieka 54003973.

Aerobics, Step, Dancercise & Zumba classes for women of all ages held weekly at Danza Academy, 68/2 Prince Edward]s Road. Contact Anne-Marie 54027111.

Zumba Classes at Urban Dance Centre, Jumpers Bastion, with certified instructor Tyron Walker. Every Mon and Weds 8-9pm. Contact 20063959 or 54012212.

History & Heritage The Gibraltar Heritage Trust Main Guard, 13 John Mackintosh Sq. Tel: 200 42844.

The Gibraltar Classic Vehicle Association Dedicated to preservation of Rock’s transport/motoring heritage. Assists members in restoration / maintenance of classic vehicles.

Members/vehicles meet 1st Sunday of month, Morrison’s car park from 10am. New members welcome. Tel: 200 44643.

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Don’t be bored... do something fun!

Music Gibraltar National Choir and Gibraltar Junior National Choir rehearse on Tuesday & Thursday 7.30 - 9pm at the Holy Trinity Cathedral. New singers always welcome. Tel: 54831000.

St Andrew’s Music Academy Musical Monsters Club, workshops. Group musical activities for kids 3-7 years. Singing, rhythmic games etc.

Tel: 200 42690 email: samagib@hotmail.com Outdoor Activities The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is an exciting self-development programme for all young people worldwide equipping them with life skills to make a difference to themselves, their communities and the world. Over 5 million young people from 100+ countries have been motivated to undertake a variety of voluntary and challenging activities. Contact Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Montagu Bastion, Line Wall Road. Tel: 200 59818 Quizzes The Lounge friendly quiz on Sundays from 8pm right on the quayside at Queensway Quay.

Social Clubs Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes (Gibraltar Province) meets RAOB Club, Jumpers Bastion on these days: Provincial Grand Lodge, 1st Monday/month, 8pm. Executive Meeting, last Mon/month 7pm. Knights Chapter, 2nd Mon/month 7.30pm. Examining Council, 3rd Mon/month 7pm. William Tilley 2371, Thurs 8pm. Buena Vista 9975, Weds (fortnightly) 7pm. Por Favor 9444, Weds (fortnightly) 7pm.

Farewell 10001, Tues 8.30pm. Goldacre 10475 (social) last Fri/month 8pm.

Special Interest Clubs & Societies Gibraltar Horticultural Society meets 1st Thurs of month 6pm, John Mac Hall. Spring Flower Show, slide shows, flower arrangement demos, outings to garden centres, annual Alameda Gardens tour. All welcome.

Gibraltar Philosophical Society devoted to intellectually stimulating debate. Frequent lectures and seminars on a range of topics. Contact 54008426 (after 6pm) or email gibphilosophy@ live.co.uk for further information.

Gibraltar Photographic Society meets on Mon at 7.30pm, Wellington Front. Basic courses, competitions etc.

Harley Davidson Owners’ Club www.hdcgib. com UN Association of Gibraltar PO Box 599, 22a Main Street. Tel: 200 52108.

Creative Writers Group meet every Tuesday at the Eliott Hotel bar at 8pm. The workshop is run

by Carla, Tel: 54006696 and is aimed at learning to write fiction and non-fiction, for pleasure or publication. Each session is £5.00.

Sports Supporters Clubs Tottenham Hotspur Supporters Club meet at the Star Bar, Parliament Lane, when Spurs games are televised - call prior to matches to check the game is televised. Great food for a lunch if the KO is early or an early supper if the game is later. For info call Mario on 56280000.

Gibraltar Arsenal Supporters Club meet on match days at the Casino Calpe (Ground Floor).

Gooners of all ages welcome. Tel: Bill 54010681 or Dion 56619000. Website: www.clubwebsite. co.uk/ArsenalGibraltarSC/.

Gibraltar Hammers meet on match days at the Victoria Stadium Bar, Bayside Road. All league games are shown live. All West Ham supporters and their families are welcome. For details visit www.gibraltarhammers.com or e-mail gibraltarhammers@hotmail.com Sports & Fitness Artistic Gymnastics: Gibraltar Artistic Gymnastics Association. Tel: 200 Angela 200 70611 or Sally 200 74661.

Athletics: Gibraltar Amateur Athletics Association holds competitions throughout year for juniors, adults and veterans. Two main clubs (Calpeans 200 71807, Lourdians 200 75180) training sessions at Victoria Stadium.

Badminton: Recreational badminton weekdays at Victoria Stadium (Tel: 200 78409 for allocations). Gibraltar Badminton Association (affiliated to IBA & EBA) has leagues and training for adults and secondary school. Tel: Ivan 200 44045 or Linda 200 74753.

Basketball: Gibraltar Amateur Basketball Association (affiliated FIBA) leagues/ training for minis, passarelle, cadets, seniors and adults at a variety of levels. Tel: John 200 77253, Randy 200 40727 or Kirsty (minis) 200 49441.

Boxing: Gibraltar Amateur Boxing Association (member IABA) gym on Rosia Rd. Over 13s welcome to join. Tuition with ex-pro boxer Ernest Victory (200 75513 w, 200 42788 h).

Cheerleading: Gibraltar Cheerleading Association, girls/boys all ages. Chearleading and street cheer/hip hop at Victoria Stadium. Recreational / competitive levels. Contact Gina: 58008338.

Canoeing: Gibraltar Canoeing Association. Tel: Nigel 200 52917 or Eugene 58014000.

Cricket: Gibraltar Cricket, National Governing Body & Associate Member of ICC. Governs men’s, women’s, boys’ & girls’ cricket - league & cup competitions and in-schools coaching. www.gibraltarcricket.com email: info@gibcricket.com Twitter: @Gibraltar_Crick Cycling: Gibraltar Cycling Association various cycling tours. Tel: Uriel 200 79359.

Darts: Gibraltar Darts Association (member WDF) mens/ladies/youth leagues/competitions.

Tel: Darren 54027171 “Secretary”, Dyson “Youth Rep” 54024149, Justin “President” 54022622 Email: info@gibraltardarts.com Football: Gibraltar Football Association leagues/competitions for all ages October-May. Futsal in summer, Victoria Stadium. Tel: 200 42941 www.gfa.gi. Senior Tel: Albert 200 41515, Junior Tel: Richard 58654000, Women’s Tel: Brian 200 52299. Recreational football for over 35s Tel: Richard 200 70320.

Gaelic Football Club (Irish sport): males of any age welcome. Get fit, play sport, meet new friends, travel around Spain/Europe and play an exciting and competitve sport. Training every Wednesday in La Linea 7-a-side pitches at 8.30pm. Andalucia League with Seville and Marbella to play matches home and away monthly. Email team@gibraltargaels.com or visit www.gibraltargaels.com.

Golf: Med Golf tournaments held monthly. Tel: 200 79575 for tournament venues/dates. Gibraltar Golf Union has competitions through year, EGU handicaps. Tel: Bernie 200 78844.

Hockey: Gibraltar Hockey Association (members FIH & EHF) high standard competitions/ training for adults/juniors. Tel: Eric 200 74156 Peter 200 72730.

Iaido Gibraltar - teaches the Japanese sword (Katana), classes every week, visit www.iaidogibraltar.com Iwa Dojo, Kendo & Jujitsu, giving classes every week, for kids and adults, visit www. iwadojo.com email: dbocarisa@iwadojo.com Tel: 54529000 Judo: Gibraltar Judo Association UKMAF recognised instructors for all ages and levels at Budokai Martial Arts Centre, Wellington Front.

Tel: Charlie 200 73116 or Peter 200 73225.

Ju-jitsu: Gibraltar Ju-jitsu Academy training and grading for juniors/seniors held during evening at 4 North Jumpers Bastion (Rosia Rd). Tel: Tony 200 79855 or club 200 47259.

Karate-do Shotokai: Gibraltar Karate-do Shotokai Association sessions for junior/seniors, gradings and demos at Karate Clubhouse, 41H Town Range Tel: Andrew 200 48908.

Motorboat Racing: Gibraltar Motorboat Racing Association Tel: Wayne 200 75211.

Netball: Gibraltar Netball Association (affiliated FENA & IFNA) competitions through year, senior / junior leagues. Tel: 200 41795 or 200 41874.

Petanque: Gibraltar Petanque Association plays at Giralda Gardens, Smith Dorrien Ave. New members welcome. Tel: 200 70929.

Pilates: Monday & Wednesday 11-12am for beginners, and intermediate classes Monday & Wednesday 9:30-10:45am, at Shotokai Karate Centre. Contact Chantal: 60618882.

Pool: Gibraltar Pool Association (member EUKPF) home and away league played on Thurs through season. Tel: Linda 200 74753.

Rhythmic Gymnastics: Gibraltar Rhythmic Gymnastics Association runs sessions for 4 years of age and upwards, weekday evenings.

For information contact Sally Tel: 200 74661.

Rugby: Gibraltar Rugby Football Union training sessions for Colts (14+), seniors and veterans.

Play in Andalusia 1st Division Oct - April. Tel: James 200 72185 Sailing: Gibraltar Yachting Association junior/ senior competitive programme (April - Oct) Tel: RGYC 200 48847.

Sea Angling: Gibraltar Federation of Sea An-

what a page turner! www.thegibraltarmagazine.com

glers (members FIPS-M & CIPS) Superb calendar of events with four clubs participating. Tel: Mario 200 72622 or Charlie 200 74337.

Shooting: Gibraltar Shooting Federation (over 14s). Rifle, Europa Point range (Joe 200 74973); clay pigeon, East Side (Harry 200 74354); Pistol, near Royal Naval Hospital (Fidel 200 71990).

Skating: Gibraltar Skating and Xtreme Sports Association. State of art ramps for Xtreme/aggressive roller blading /skate boarding. Leisure skating facilities provided within excellent rink (when not used for roller hockey training). Tel: Eric 200 70710 (after 5).

Snooker: Members of European Billiards & Snooker Association - facilities at Jumpers Bastion with 3 tables. Professional coaching for juniors/seniors. Organised leagues/tournaments and participation in international competitions.

Tel: Sean Galligan 56262000 or Lee Prickman 54000068, email info@gibraltarsnooker.com Snorkelling & Spear Fishing: Over 14s for snorkelling, over 16s for spear fishing. Tel: Joseph 200 75020.

Squash: Gibraltar Squash Association, Squash Centre, South Pavilion Road (members WSF & ESF). Adult/junior tournaments/coaching. Tel: 200 44922 or 200 73260.

Sub-Aqua: Gibraltar Sub-Aqua Association taster dives for over 14s, tuition from local clubs.

Voluntary sports clubs: Tel: Phil 200 44606, Noah’s Dive Club Tel: Leslie 200 79601, 888s Dive Club Tel: Martin 200 70944. Commercial sports diving schools also available.

Swimming: Gibraltar Amateur Swimming Association (member FINA & LEN) opens its pool for leisure swimming Mon - Fri 7-8.45am, 12- 4pm, 8- 9pm. Junior lessons, squad for committed swimmers, water polo (Rebecca 200 72869).

Table Tennis: Gibraltar Table Tennis Association (members ITTA) training / playing sessions, Victoria Stadium, Tues 6-10pm and Thurs 8-11pm with coaching and league competition. Lizanne 200 45071/54020477 or Eugene 58014000.

Taekwondo: Gibraltar Taekwondo Association classes/gradings Tel: 200 Mari 44142.

Tai Chi: Children’s fun Tai Chi at the Yoga Centre, 33 Town Range, Saturdays 11-12am. Beginners Tuesdays & Thursdays at Kings Bastion Leisure Centre. 6.30-8pm. Adults £5, Children £2, all proceeds to GibMissionAfrica Charity. Contact Dilip on 200 78714 or rocktaichi@traningtm.net Tennis: Gibraltar Tennis Association, Sandpits Tennis Club, excellent junior development programme. Courses for adults, leagues / competitions. Tel: Frank 200 77035.

Ten-Pin Bowling: Ten-Pin Bowling takes place at King’s Bowl in the King’s Bastion Leisure Centre every day. To have a go call 200 77338 to reserve your lane. Gibraltar Ten Pin Bowling (members FIQ & WTBA) leagues, training for juniors and squad. Contact Charly on 56014000 or Paul on 54029749.

Triathlon: Gibraltar Triathlon Union (members ITU) Chris 200 75857 or Harvey 200 55847.

Volleyball: Gibraltar Volleyball Association (members W & EVF) training, leagues, competitions for juniors/seniors. Tony 200 40478 or Elizabeth 58306000.

Yoga: Integral Yoga Centre runs a full programme of classes from Mon-Fri at 33 Town Range. Tel: 200 41389. All welcome.

Theatrical Groups Gibraltar Amateur Drama Association Ince’s Hall Theatre Complex, 310 Main Street Email:gibdrama@yahoo.co.uk Tel: 200 42237 www.geocities.com/gibdrama Trafalgar Theatre Group meets 2nd Wed of month, Garrison Library 8pm.

All welcome.

Theatrix: Contact Trevor and Iris on Tel: 54006176 or email theatrixgib@yahoo.co.uk

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

community update Funds Raised for Dance World Cup Team Gibraltar recently held a raffle at Morrison’s with the aim of raising funds for their participation at the Dance World Cup to be held in Brighton, England in July.

The dancers all qualified from the 2012 Gibraltar International Dance Festival and will be travelling to Brighton under the auspices of MO Productions and in association with the GNDO. The winner of the 100 hamper was Terence Polson.

Team Official Belize Cortes said, “We would like to thank Morrison’s Management namely Mr Gary Chant, for allowing the Organisation to hold this raffle in their premises and the general public for so generously having supported our Team.” n

IDO Appoint Gibraltar As Youtube Headquarters The world governing body, the International Dance Organisation, has chosen Gibraltar as its headquarters for IDO YouTube. The IDO Executive Presidium has appointed the Gibraltar National Dance Organisation President, Seamus Byrne, to initiate, run and maintain the new IDO YouTube page.

GNDO President Seamus Byrne said, “It’s an honour to have been asked by the IDO President, Jorn Strobraten to run with this proj-

ect. I am also very grateful to IDO Vice President and long standing friend of Gibraltar Michael Wendt, because he has worked very closely with me to develop this new IDO marketing scheme.”

The GNDO can confirm that the IDO YouTube page is now fully functional.

Several sections from the 2012 IDO World Show Dance, Tap and Street Dance Championships have being included as well as a general page ‘Dancevids IDO’.

Many more pages will follow, which means that every IDO Official Event for 2013, and every year thereafter, will be included,

Support Groups Alcoholics Anonymous meet 7pm Tues & Thurs at Nazareth Hse Tel: 200 73774.

A Step Forward support for single, separated, divorced/widowed people, meet 8pm Mon at St Andrew’s Church.

Mummy and Me Breastfeeding Support Group for mums who are pregnant, breastfeeding or have breastfed to get together for coffee, chat and support. Partners and older children welcome. Meets first Wednesday of every month at Chilton Court Community Hall at 1.30pm. Enquiries and support 54014517.

Childline Gibraltar confidential phone line for children in need. Freephone 8008 - 7 days a week 6pm - 10pm.

Citizens’ Advice Bureau Open Mon-Fri 9.30-4pm. Tel: 200 40006 Email: info@cab.gi or visit 10 Governor’s Lane.

No appointment necessary, no charge. Gibraltar CAB outreach clinics at St Bernard’s Hospital every Tuesday.

Advisors available at 1st floor reception, Zone 4, 9am-3pm.

Info and advice is free, confidential and impartial.

COPE Support group for people with Multiple Sclerosis, Fibromyalgia or Rheumatoid Arthritis. Formed to ease day-

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

using various subheads within the performing arts, street dance and couple dance categories.

“All videos posted on the page will always be of a good taste so that the IDO will be promoted to the highest of standards. We invite member nations of the IDO, the local dance fraternity and everyone with a dance interest to subscribe to the channel by typing International Dance Organisation or Dancevids IDO,” added Seamus Byrne.

The team appointed to oversee IDO YouTube, all of whom are members of the GNDO Committee are: Noemi Chipolina, Elijah Cruz, Wendy Garro and Alan Pereira.

to-day challenges of individuals, families and care partner.

Meetings at Catholic Community Centre Book Shop at 7.30pm first Thursday of each month. Contact Sue Reyes Tel: 200 51469 Email: copeadsupport@hotmail.com Dignity At Work Now. Confidential support and advice for those who are being bullied at work. Tel: 57799000 Mon - Thur 8pm-9pm Families Anonymous Support group for relatives and friends who are concerned about the use of drugs or related behavioural problems. Meet alternate Thursdays at 9pm at Nazareth House. For info Tel: 200 70047 or 200 73465.

Gibraltar Cardiac Rehabilitation and Support Group meets on the first Tuesday of every month at 8.30pm at the John Mac Hall, except for July and August.

Gibraltar Dyslexia Support Group 3/8 Serfaty’s Passage Tel: 200 78509 Mobile: 54007924 website: www. gdsg.co.uk Gibraltar Marriage Care. Free relationship counselling, including pre-marriage education (under auspices of Catholic Church, but open to all). Tel: 200 71717.

Gibraltar Society for the Visually Impaired. Tel: 200 50111 (24hr answering service).

At the invitation of the IDO Executive Presidium, Seamus Byrne will be giving an IDO YouTube presentation at the IDO Annual Conference to be held in Portroz, Slovenia in June 2013.

The opportunity will allow Gibraltar to present this marketing tool to all member nations, so that with their support it will grow. n For further information please visit www.ido-dance.com Any IDO competition videos and links can be sent to the Gibraltar Headquarters by email: gndo@ gibtelecom.net

Hope. miscarriage support Tel: 200 41817.

Narcotics Anonymous Tel: 200 70720 Overeaters Anonymous support group for compulsive overeating problems. Tel: helpline for meetings info 200 42581.

Parental Support Group, helping parents and grandparents with restrictive access to their children and granchildren. Tel: Richard 200 46536, Jason 200 76618, Dominic 54019602.

Psychological Support Group, PO Box 161, Nazareth House. Meet Tuesdays at 7pm, Fridays 8pm. Tel: 200 51623.

SSAFA Forces Help Gibraltar, is a national charity, to assist serving and ex-Service personnel and their families.

Tel: (5)5481. Email: Susan GIB-CST-JSWPA@mod.uk With Dignity Gibraltar support for separated, divorced/ widowed or single people. Meet Weds 9pm, Catholic Community Centre, Line Wall Rd. Outings/activities. Tel: 54007181 or 200 79957.

Women in Need. Voluntary organisation for all victims of domestic violence. Refuge available. Tel: 200 42581 (24 hrs).

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information

T

he flora and fauna on the Upper Rock are considered of great conservational value. It’s the perfect place for birdwatchers, as migratory species use Gibraltar as the shortest crossing between Europe and Africa. Botanists will also be interested to see over 600 species of flowering plants, including some unique to Gibraltar. Watch out for colourful lizards, non-venemous Horseshoe Whipsnakes, butterflies and pipistrelle bats. Info on flora and fauna at the Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society’s information centre at Jews Gate.

St. Michael’s Cave: The cave comprises an upper hall with five connecting passages and drops of 40-150ft to a smaller hall. A further succession of chambers, some at 250ft below the entrance, is reached through narrow holes. The Cathedral Cave is open to visitors and is used as an auditorium for concerts and theatre. The cave was prepared as a hospital in WWII, but never used.

A further series of chambers ending in a mini lake is called Lower St. Michael’s Cave and can be visited with a guide.

The Monkeys’ Den: There are around 160 monkeys in the Park and around 30 can be seen at the Monkey’s Den. Often called apes, they are tail-less Barbary macaques and Europe’s only free living monkeys. £500 fine for feeding the monkeys - don’t do it!

The Great Siege Tunnels: Tunnelling in the Rock began during the Great Siege (1779-1783) when France and Spain made an attempt to recapture the Rock while Britain was busy with the American War of Independence. Governor General Elliot offered a reward to anyone who could tell him how to mount a gun on the north face of the Rock. Sgt. Major Ince suggested tunnelling and there are over 30 miles of tunnels inside the Rock with various exhibitions inside.

The Military Heritage Centre: Housed in one of the Rock’s many historic batteries, the Military Heritage Centre displays information on the development of Gibraltar’s military defences through the ages.

A City Under Siege Exhibition: Exhibits depicting the lives of civilian population during the many sieges, are housed in one of the earliest British building on the Rock. Original graffiti, drawn by duty soldiers to stop themselves falling asleep, is still visible, the earliest dating back to 1726.

The Moorish Castle: actually just part of a Moorish town and castle which was built up during the Moorish occupation of the Iberian Peninsula, spearheaded from Gibraltar in 711AD by Tarik-ibnZeyad (“Gibraltar” is a corruption of the Arabic words “Jebel Tarik” - Tarik’s mountain). The part we see today, The Tower of Homage, dates back to 1333AD, when Abu’l Hassan recaptured the Rock from Spain.

Natural History & Heritage Park Walks: Med Steps is a stunning walk with the steep climb at the end rewarded with spectacular views of the Rock and Spain. Another recommended walk is St Michael’s Cave through to Charles V Wall but walkers should be relatively fit for both. It

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is also pleasant walking along the upper rock roads. Brochures available free from all Tourist Board offices.

Botanical Gardens: Opened in 1816, the Alameda Botanical Gardens fell into disrepair but are being restored to their former glory. Visitors can enjoy a stroll beneath pines, dragon trees and palms, and see many of Gibraltar’s native plants as well as exotic species. The shop sells environmentally friendly gifts, plants and seeds. Tel: 200 72639/200 74022. Parking.

Nelson’s Anchorage: Rosia Road 9.30am - 5.15pm Monday to Saturday (last entry at 5pm). Closed on Sunday. Admission: £1.00 (free with Nature Reserve ticket. Tickets for the nature reserve can also be bought at this attraction).

Parson’s Lodge: Rosia Road. Narrow limestone outcrop with a labyrinth of tunnels surmounted by an impressive battery, which has witnessed the development of coast artillery over 300 years.

Housed three 18 ton 10-inch rifled muzzle loaders positioned behind a unique sandwich of armour plate/teak, known as ‘Gibraltar Shields’.

Flat Bastion Magazine Flat Bastion Road, Geological Research Station and Lithology of Gibraltar. To visit contact: F. Gomez Tel. 200 44460, P. Hodkinson Tel. 200 43910.

Shrine of Our Lady of Europe (Museum within premises) Europa Road. 10am-7pm Monday to Friday, 11am-7pm Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays.

Closed 1pm - 2pm.

Trafalgar Cemetery: Trafalgar Rd, 9am - 7pm daily (free).

Business Information Financial Serv. Commission Tel: 200 40283/4 Chamber of Commerce Tel: 200 78376 Federation Small Business Tel: 200 47722 Company Registry . . . . . . . . . . . Tel: 200 78193 Useful Numbers Airport (general info.). . . . . . . . . Tel: 200 73026 Hospital, St Bernards. . . . . . . . . Tel: 200 79700 Weather information. . . . . . . . . . . . . Tel: 5-3416 Frontier Queue Update Tel: 200 42777 Gibraltar Museum Tel: 200 74289 18/20 Bomb House Lane open 10am-6pm (Sat. 10am-2pm).

Closed on Sunday. Admission: Adults £2/Children under 12 years £1. Exhibitions also at Casemates gallery.

Registry Office Tel: 200 72289 It is possible to get married on the Rock within 48 hours. A fact taken advantage of by stars such as Sean Connery and John Lennon.

Rock Tours by Taxi Tel: 200 70052 As well as

History Alive Every Saturday morning the

Rock’s past is brought alive by a troop of soldiers in 18th century period uniform. The soldiers march from Bomb House Lane at 12 noon to Casemates. At Casemates they carry out a “Ceremony of the Keys” and then march back up Main Street to the Cathedral of St Mary the Crowned.

offering normal fares, taxis provide Rock Tours taking in the Upper Rock, Europa Point and other sites of interest. It is the best way to see the Rock’s major features in a short time.

John Mackintosh Hall Tel: 200 75669 Includes cafeteria, theatre, exhibition rooms and library.

308 Main Street 9.30am - 11pm Monday to Friday. Closed weekends.

Bicycle Racks Bicycle parking is provided at the following locations: Europort Road, Casemates Tunnel, Land Port Ditch, Fish Market Road, Commonwealth Car Park, Reclamation Road (by English Steps) + Line Wall Road.

Gibibikes is a scheme for public use of bikes taken from stations around the Rock. Visit www.gibibikes.gi for info.

Public Holidays 2013 Gibraltar & United Kingdom New Year’s Day Tuesday 1 January Commonwealth Day Monday 11 March* Good Friday Friday 29 March Easter Monday Monday 1 April Worker’s Memorial Day Friday 26 April* May Day Wednesday 1 May Spring Bank Holiday Monday 27 May Queen’s Birthday Monday 17 June Late Summer Bank Holiday Monday 26 August Gibraltar National Day Tuesday 10 September* Christmas Day Wednesday 25 December Boxing Day Thursday 26 December *Gibraltar only

Emergency Services

Emergency calls only: Fire/Ambulance................................... Tel: 190 Police............................................ Tel: 199/112 Emergency Number Tel: 112 Non-urgent calls: Ambulance Station Tel: 200 75728 Police........................................ Tel: 200 72500 os Emergency N : .............Tel: (5) 5026 / (5) 3598

GibiBikes Locations • Frontier • Victoria Stadium • Waterport Road (Watergardens) • Waterport Road (Waterport Terraces) • Eurotowers • Reclamation Road (Leisure Centre) • Commonwealth Parade Car Park • Rosia Road (Jumpers building) • Rosia Road (Bayview Terraces) • Grand Parade Car Park (Cable Car) • Southport Gates (Ince’s Hall) • Line Wall Road (City Hall) • Line Wall Road (Orange Bastion) • Market Place • Eastern Beach Road (coming soon) • Catalan Bay (viewing platform) • St Joseph’s School • Europa Point • Rosia Parade Visit www.gibibikes.gi to find out more about how you can benefit from GibiBikes

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2013

The Gibraltar Magazine is published and produced by Guide Line Promotions Ltd, La Bayuca, 21 Turnbull’s Lane, Gibraltar. Tel/Fax: (+350) 200 77748

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atural History & Heritage Park admission 9.30am to 7pm by tickets (includes entrance to sites - St. Michael’s Cave, Monkey’s Den, Great Siege Tunnels, Military Heritage Centre, ‘A City Under Siege’ Exhibition and Moorish Castle). Facilities closed Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Adults £10, children 5-12 years: £5, children age under 4 free, vehicles £2.

Private vehicles may be restricted at certain times, tours available by taxi/mini bus. Also reached by cable car (leaves Grand Parade 9.30am-5.15pm Mon-Sun. Last cable down: 5.45pm). 50p per person to walk with no entrance tickets.

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