The Gibraltar Magazine November 2011 edition

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

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ibraltar the

November 2011 Vol. 17 No. 01 FREE

Business & Finance FSC: Here Come the Girls The Mortgage Dream Team

Paul’s Eye for Fashion

Sprinting to the Top

Gibraltar’s Hard Rockers Try it While It’s Hot and much more...

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • JUNE 2007

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business & finance

features 39 46 58 78 80

8 9 12 14 16 20 22 24 26 28 31 32 33

The LIfe & Times of Richard Garcia Paul Perez: An Eye For Fashion € My Life in Drag The Ghost Hunters Voodoo Monkeys: Gib’s Hard Rockers

arts & lifestyle

42 48 60 64 74 82

In Town Without My Car Shot on the Rocks € Christian is Master of Arts Fold it Precious with Ming MIng Richard’s Sprinting to the Top GDA: Throwing on Target

44 62 70

The Poet of Seville & Gib’s Watchtower Gib Expert Predicted 1st World War Royal Engineer Spied for the French

property files 34 35 38

34-38

Property Directory The Mortgage Dream Team Creating a Cosy Home

food & drink

84-93

84 Recipes 86 Events 88-91 Restaurant & Bar Guide 92 Wine Column

health & beauty

50 56

50-57

£10,000 to Calpe House More than Meets the Eye

regulars 72 Puzzle Page 94-95Around Town

information

68-69 98

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

City Centre Map Gibraltar Information

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

history & heritage

Business & Finance Guide Residence & Domicile Doing Your Sums Adds Up Tourist Product: A Visitor’s View Diary of Gibraltar Day Recruitment: Know Your Value FSC: Here Come The Girls € SG Hambros Celebrates 30 Year in Gib KPMG: Changing Times Part fo the NEXIA Network Top Teamwork at WestMed Sitting Pretty?

World Trade Centre Address

gibraltar the

November 2011 Vol. 17 No. 01 FREE

Business & Finance FSC: Here Come the Girls The Mortgage Dream Team

Paul’s Eye for Fashion

Sprinting to the Top

The Gibraltar Magazine is published monthly by

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Vol. 17 No. 01 November 2011

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business & finance

the difference between Residence & Domicile and why it is important

by Ian Le Breton

In recent columns I have looked at Gibraltar in comparison to its competitors but I concentrated primarily on the commercial reasons that might persuade people to base themselves and their businesses here on the Rock in preference to alternative locations.

The issue of moving countries is an important part of the decision making process. More and more people are considering relocating from northern Europe as the economy shows little sign of recovery in the short term. Indeed, a recent article in The Financial Times reported that more than 40,000 Irish citizens had emigrated from the Emerald Isle in the year to April 2011.

It is widely reported that the UK is also experiencing net migration.

All this got me thinking. When chatting to a British business contact recently, I asked him what had led him take the plunge and move to Gibraltar. “Ah,” he said, “if you’d lived abroad as long as I have and moved countries as often as I have done in the last 10 years, you would understand how important it is for me to stay as a non-UK domiciled resident.”

My colleagues in the industry will perhaps share my amusement — or was it concern? — at this seemingly innocuous statement because it contains some glaring, and potentially ruinous, errors. So I thought I had better offer him some advice. This is what I told him.

First of all, let me make clear the difference between residence and domicile. This can be difficult to explain, particularly in the context of our nearby frontier. Residence and domicile, as we shall see, are two entirely different concepts.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

Imagine for a moment that you have crossed over the border to explain the difference to a Spanish lawyer who deals with British clients.

What is the Spanish word for residence? You leaf through your Spanish dictionary. Guess what — its domicilio. This translation business can be tricky, n’est-ce pas?

“Residence” is not difficult to understand. Put simply, it is where you live for more days in a year than anywhere else. In Spain, for example, it’s a very straightforward. If you live there for 183 days per calendar year (that is from 1st January to 31st December) or more, then you are deemed to be resident in Spain and must live with the consequences in respect of Span-

ish income tax — and, if you are sufficiently well-heeled, the newly re-introduced wealth tax — not to mention inheritance tax and other fiscal delights.

And don’t think the excuse that you don’t have a “residencia” or residency card will save you, because that is of no consequence these days. If the Spanish authorities believe you are living in their country without declaring the fact, then the onus will be on you to prove otherwise. Of course you might argue that you only live in Spain for part of the year, that you also live in the UK for another part and the rest of the time you are here in Gibraltar. I hear this often and the popular term that such people

“Residence” is not difficult to understand. Put simply, it is where you live for more days in a year than anywhere else

business & finance use to describe themselves is “fiscal nomad” — spending insufficient time in any one place for the respective revenue authorities to catch up with them. Limited space does not allow me to go into great detail, but suffice to say that this is not a wise strategy. One should establish a formal residence somewhere.

So what does this have to do with domicile?

Broadly speaking, nothing, because domicile is a totally different concept that is, in fact, quite unrelated to where one might be living. Essentially, domicile is all about where you are from.

Where your roots are and where, in theory, you might one day return to see out your days.

Let us consider a British subject born in England but living in Gibraltar. I always start the discussion with these two questions. “Where were you born?” and “Where was your father born?” If the answer in both cases is, for example, Penzance then the immediate presumption is that the person concerned is domiciled in England & Wales. Note that there is in fact no such thing as “UK domicile”.

So far so good. But surely it is only important to consider where you are resident because you only pay taxes in your country of residence right? Wrong. Let’s return to our example. Our person — let’s call him Mr Cornish — was born in Penzance but he has lived in Gibraltar all year round for the last two years. Naturally, he will pay Gibraltar tax on his income but he will also remain domiciled in “England & Wales” for some time, indeed for several years after moving to the Rock.

And let’s say he leaves Gib after a year or two for a new job in Dubai and then, after another three years, he moves on to Singapore — not an unusual progression for a working British expat.

What happens? His residency moves around with him but the fact that he is still domiciled in England and Wales does not change. Every time he relocates his place of residence, his domicile reverts to that of “origin” — or, in other words, England and Wales.

Well so what? Provided he is tax compliant in the various jurisdictions where he lives and works, what is the problem? Inheritance tax. Should our British expat die whilst living abroad, his worldwide estate will be subject to UK inheritance tax if valued at more than £325,000. This is why it is so important for people who are not resident in the UK to establish their domicile, as well as residency, outside the UK and plan accordingly. The use of a trust structure is unlikely to work on its own but some of the pension legislation recently introduced in the UK — particularly the so-called QROPS and QNUPS schemes — may be helpful in this respect.

One should also consider that if the deceased person also owns assets — say a villa or apart-

Moving from one country to another immediately doubles the number of tax authorities to be considered — and any property held in a third country serves to complicate life still further

ment — in Spain, then the property (indeed any assets located within the Kingdom of Spain) will immediately be subject to Spanish inheritance tax — at rates of up to 50% or more of their official value.

As you can see, residency and domicile can be a minefield. It sounds so easy to simply up sticks and move to sunnier climes where the sun always shines and the grass seems somehow greener. But moving from one country to another immediately doubles the number of tax authorities to be considered — and any property held in a third country serves to complicate life still further.

I have lost count of the number of times I have pleaded with people to seek professional advice about their personal or business affairs at the earliest opportunity. But when it comes to residency and domicile — not to mention how that differs from domicilio — I have never spoken a truer word.

Back to Gibraltar. Next month I’ll be reporting on the seasonal visit to our old friends the Rock family by Santa himself, so keep an eye out for him on your travels over the next few weeks in case he should arrive at Gorham’s Cave a bit early this year. n

Isolas has announces the addition of Steven Caetano as a partner of the firm, making him the eighth partner at Gibraltar’s longest established law firm.

Steven joined the Firm in 2002, a year after qualifying from Cardiff’s School of Law and has been with the firm since.

Specialising in the increasingly busy e-commerce aspects of commercial activity in Gibraltar, Steven has witnessed the growth of Gibraltar’s gaming industry. Steven also acts as legal adviser to the Fiduciary Group and manages a significant commercial practice with particular emphasis on corporate, intellectual property and gaming law “This is a very proud moment, as much for my family as for myself personally,” explained Steven, father of two.

Steven Caetano:

New Partner for ISOLAS 10

“The growth of e-commerce and gaming industry in Gibraltar has represented a tremendous opportunity to develop my practice in a dynamic area of law which presents many and varied challenges... I am delighted at the appointment and look forward to further developing my commercial practice at Isolas as the firm continues to grow and cement its reputation as a leader in the local legal profession.” n

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

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Starting a Business:

Why Doing Your Sums First Really Adds Up In last month’s column we talked about how to test those great business ideas we all have from time to time. Now, on the basis your research has told you there is a demand for the product or service you intend to launch in Gibraltar, we need to make sure it will make you money. So let’s look first at what it will cost you to get your business off the ground and then we can look at just how much you are going to make from the product or service you’re planning to sell.

A common mistake made by many first-time business owners is underestimating the amount needed to start their new venture.

In fact, this miscalculation is one of the leading reasons many businesses fail in the first year of operation, so let’s look at some of the costs you will need to cover before you start to make profit.

Premises You need to consider the cost of renting or buying your premises and factor in the cost of office furniture, telephone and fax lines, high-speed internet access and office supplies as well potentially licence costs, deposits or key money and initial stock.

Website & technology expenses Whatever the nature of your business, you will need a welldesigned website that proudly introduces your new business and the different products and services on offer. The website should be user-friendly having been designed and maintained by skilled internet professionals. In this day and age, this is a necessary cost, especially if you are interested in making additional revenue outside of the traditional in-store purchases. In addition, you will need to consider other technology expenses, including computers and accessories with updated specialised software.

Employee costs Are you planning to take on employees from day one? If you are, will they be full or part time and will you be offering any staff benefits, health insurance, etc?

Don’t overlook insurance; every new business needs different kinds of insurance in order to protect their company, personal assets, and paid employees. The type of insurance you will need will depend on your business.

Legal & Professional fees Don’t forget these fees, as you will need to visit both an accountant and lawyer before you launch your new business; at a minimum you should get basic tax advice and not sign any legal documentation without having consulted your lawyer.

Basic living expenses Let’s not forget that you will need to still pay the bills at home, so what will happen if you quit your job to pursue your business full-time? Your expenses will not decrease much, but your income certainly will, so make sure that you fully understand how much income from the business will be needed to cover the shortfall between your expenses and the other household income.

Further money matters Now that you have identified the costs, you must divide them into two headings: Fixed and Variable.

Marketing & advertising costs Fixed costs are always there, reYou will need to spend money on promoting your new business gardless of how much or how little and its products and services. you sell. Examples of this include Marketing materials can include rent, salaries and business rates. professional business cards, comVariable costs rise as your sales pany flyers, advertisements in the increase, and cover such things as media, brochures and stationery additional raw materials and extra (both locally and internationally labour, in the case of providing a should you intend to trade outside service and transport, for example.

Gibraltar).

Let’s hold that thought there for

12

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

finance column

now, and I will come back to this later with a real life example.

The next step is to calculate just how many sales will be needed to cover all costs and to ‘break even,’ as sales achieved over and above this figure will be your profit. This is what is called your “break even point.” There are lots of fancy definitions of “break even” although simply put, it’s the number of sales or amount of income that is needed to cover all costs. So it’s important that you carry out this simple calculation early on.

Let’s bring all this to life and work through a straight forward example. You have set up a shop in Gibraltar selling mopeds which has variable costs of £900 per moped sold and fixed costs of £20,000 per year, that need to be covered.

The market research that you have undertaken over the last few months tells you that there would be a huge demand if you could sell these for less than £1200, so you decide on a selling price of £1150. Now that you have all these numbers you can work out very simply that each moped you sell will contribute £250 towards the annual fixed cost (selling price £1150,

less total variable costs of £900) meaning that you would have to sell 80 mopeds (20,000 divided by £250) to cover all your costs and break even.

What we are saying here is that you will need to sell 80 mopeds to cover all your costs and each moped sold after that will make you a £250 profit. That’s it; you have now worked out your sales break even point!

Let’s take this a bit further: Say your research tells you that you can easily sell 250 mopeds a year. How much profit would that make you? I suggest that you work that out!

And why stop there? Now that you are covering all your costs with the sale of mopeds why not introduce a range of accessories and increase your bottom line profit even more?

Next month we will explore other key business areas which need consideration as you work towards making your business dream a reality. n Paul Wharton is writing this in his own capacity and none of the above is intended to express the views or opinions of Barclays Bank PLC.

Paul Wharton is Head of Corporate Banking at Barclays Wealth in Gibraltar having arrived on the Rock from the UK five years ago. Paul has over three decades of 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 the Small Business Enterprise markets and has served on the London Board of the Princess Trust.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

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tourism product breaks to enjoy the destination and introduce friends and family to it.

What makes you choose to keep coming back to Gibraltar for short breaks aside from work?

I find Gibraltar an extremely friendly destination with plenty to do for a weekend break. I also enjoy the weather. It is very unique and I’ve never been anywhere quite like it.

What do you think Gibraltar offers to shortstay and long-stay tourists?

I think Gibraltar has a lot to offer for a short break, such as beaches, restaurants, history and of course the Rock, but in addition it has the option for long-stay tourists to enjoy the beach, the culture and also use Gibraltar as a base to visit parts of Spain, Africa etc on day trips. I think the more recent addition of Ocean Village and the new Casino has improved the options for eating out and evening entertainment.

You bring friends with you when you visit.

What is the general feedback from them?

My friends have been generally positive about Gibraltar and enjoyed their time there.

It is a unique location, however a few of them feel it could do with a bit of modernisation and could be doing a lot more to attract tourism.

One friend loves coming back with me year after year, whereas another likened it to being in England in the sun in the 1960s!

Most of them have also commented on Europa Point being a fantastic location but not living up to its full potential. It would be an excellent location for some bars and restaurants to watch the sun set on a summer’s evening.

Regular visitor Juliet Perrett loves exploring the Upper Rock

A Visitor’s View

Juliet Perrett, Group Advertising Manager, Monarch Airlines, is a regular weekend visitor to the Rock and enjoys bringing friends here. We asked her what attracts her to Gibraltar as a destination and how she peels the ‘product’ can be improved.

Juliet, tell us a little about yourself and your reasons for discovering Gibraltar as a destination.

I am the Advertising Manager for Monarch Airlines so am responsible for marketing and advertising our flights to Gibraltar both in the

14

UK and in Gibraltar. I am also currently the chairperson of the UK Gibraltar Tourist Association so have a very active interest in Gibraltar as a destination and attracting tourism there. I am therefore, by nature of my job a regular traveller to Gibraltar but I also love to come over for short

What improvements or changes do you feel are necessary to improve the enjoyment of the region for weekend visitors?

Personally I have been frustrated that certain attractions haven’t always been open when I’ve bought visitors to Gibraltar for the first time. As a weekend visitor, I think the main attraction is the Rock and the apes and without ‘insider knowledge’ a lot of people would arrive on a Friday evening, go out for a nice meal, then on Saturday morning head off on a Rock Tour.

They probably wouldn’t realise (as it’s not widely publicised), that the shops all shut early afternoon on a Saturday. Therefore, I always know to save the Rock for Sunday and do Main Street and a nice lunch on Saturday instead.

I think a lot of weekend visitors must be very disappointed. I think that all attractions should be open all weekend and have often found that the World War II Tunnels are not open regularly.

Also I’ve yet to visit the Museum as that also closes at lunchtime on a Saturday and I would usually prefer to do that on a Saturday afternoon after the shops have closed.

I visited the WWII Tunnels which I had to arrange to be opened for a personal tour and found them fascinating, but I’d love to see them developed to have ‘scenes from the war’ and actual layouts of how people used to live i.e wax models there — this would add to it so much more.

Another area I think could be modernised is the swimming pool/concrete beach (Camp Bay) as you head to Europa Point — a lot more could be made of this with a sand area, a more

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

tourism product modern swimming pool and some beach res- considering a weekend or longer stay in Gibraltar? taurants and cafes.

Apart from letting them know about closHow do you think Gibraltar compares to ing times of various attractions and shops, I’d recommend they take their time and enjoy all other destinations as a weekend away?

I think it’s very different but very interesting Gibraltar has to offer. It’s a very relaxed atmoand has a lot of history, aside from the draw- sphere and walking around is a great way to take backs mentioned above. It also offers both sea it all in and not miss anything. I love walking up and down the Rock! and sun plus culture and history.

What do you feel the frequent or return visitor experiences compared to first time visitor?

A sense of being at home but also being on holiday. The people are so friendly, you feel safe.

Gibraltar is now serviced by more airlines with more to come, do you think there is a market for these increased services and how should they be marketed in the UK? I think that as more airlines fly into Gibraltar tourism will increase but there will still be a large majority of flyers who head straight to Spain.

The new airport will definitely be a welcome addition but obviously as traffic increases hotel rooms and facilities may become a problem.

The addition of new airlines from more regions of the UK will be good for tourism and allow more of those living in the UK to visit. I think it will help to continue to market Gibraltar as a year round destination and showcase the specialist interest activities that are available there.

What advice would you give to someone

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

As well as the various grades of hotels and a youth hostel, there are now shortstay apartments available in places such as Ocean Village, what do you think of the accommodation options available to visitors?

I think that there is perhaps a gap between the top 4 hotels and the lower end ones in terms of price. I think that Gibraltar would be less attractive to the price conscious but younger traveller who wants something a bit better than a youth hostel. I definitely think the apartments are a welcome addition and great for families and

I personally think that Gibraltar will continue to flourish as it is a unique destination. However, it does need some modernisation and to consider what it actually offers the weekend visitor

groups of friends.

Could you tell us anything further about your (and your friends) experiences as a visitor both positive and negative?

I love eating out and I think Gibraltar has such a great variety of food and restaurants in various locations from Ocean Village, to Queensway Quay, the hotel restaurants, places in Casemates and also round by Catalan Bay. Seafood is my favourite so it’s perfect for me!

My friends and I also enjoy a few drinks and there are now a good selection of places to sit with a glass of wine watching the sun set.

The main negative is the airport and having to cross the road. On my last visit I had to wait for three flights to land before I could cross after I had walked to get breakfast in Ocean Village after checking my bag in!

I also enjoy the history of Gibraltar and find the Rock, caves and tunnels fascinating. A lot of people I’ve bought with me for the first time didn’t realise all this was on offer and find it very interesting.

How do you see tourism developing in Gibraltar in the future?

I personally think that Gibraltar will continue to flourish as it is a unique destination. However, it does need some modernisation and to consider what it actually offers the weekend visitor. I also think that it could target the younger tourist more effectively. I know there is a market to bring other visitors from other countries into Gibraltar and this will be possible to achieve with the new airport. n

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business & finance

Gibraltar Day and Gibraltar Day Mass pictures by Mike Brufal

Gibraltar Day 2011

A Diary of Gibraltar’s Day in London

by Mike Nicholls

On Monday 17th October, political and business leaders of Gibraltar decamped to the City of London to showcase Gibraltar to a wide range of actual and potential clients. A huge effort is made by a large number of individuals and organisations to make Gibraltar Day successful. Colleagues ask me what actually happens at this event. So I thought this year, I would keep a diary, the first time I have done such a thing since a school field trip to the Thames Barrier in 1983.

My own trip to London started on Sunday 16th, with the 1605 Easyjet flight from Gibraltar to Gatwick. Lots of familiar faces were on the same flight for the same purpose. Waiting to board I chatted with colleagues from Barclays, Schroders, and RBS and discussed property funds with Tony Jimenez from Hassans.

This year was the 12th successive year the event has been held. It is hard to measure the success of the event in terms of new business generated for Gibraltar. However, the fact that the lunch for 330 people is oversubscribed, that 1,000 attend the Guildhall in the evening, and that private businesses from Gibraltar incur not an inconsiderable sum to attend, suggest that the day achieves its objective.

Once in Gatwick, the familiar faces splinter off in different directions. I travelled to Blackfriars, the nearest mainline station to my hotel. As I walked towards St Paul’s Cathedral, I noticed the significant police presence. The anti-capitalist protest had started the day before. I was

16

relieved with the peaceful nature of the protestors and further relieved that my hotel was a good 200 metres away.

In the evening, I had arranged to meet up for a business dinner with the management team from Ocean Village based Quest Insurance, at a restaurant called Roast in Borough Market.

The restaurant prides itself on serving the best of British and using only British sourced ingredients. The entire waiting staff, although most courteous and efficient, were entirely Eastern European, which added a sense of irony to the

It is hard to measure the success of the event in terms of new business generated for Gibraltar

occasion.

Gibraltar Day started early for me. I had arranged a meeting with a London based fund manager whom I knew. They were seeking to invest in London property within a certain criteria. Hopefully my UK colleagues can source some prize assets for their fund.

Next stop was Chesterton’s head office which is in Mayfair. One of my guests for the day was Robert Bartlett, CEO of Chesterton globally, (and, member of the 1992 Great Britain Olympic Rowing Team). Robert and I have been working on the establishment of a property fund in Gibraltar to invest in both London and the wider UK property market and we took time to advance those discussions. Central London property prices are increasing as investment pours in from around the world to take advantage of the weakness in sterling in a perceived safe haven. Foreign landlords own over 60% of London’s Bond Street and Oxford Street according to a report I read whilst away.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

business & finance

The Gibraltar lunch event started at 12.30pm at the Gibson Hall in Bishopsgate. Somewhat embarrassingly, we were late. Thirty-five minutes in a taxi from Mayfair to the City was fifteen minutes (and ten pounds) more than we expected. My other two London based guests were already at the venue.

The historic venue, the scale of the event and the bullish speech from the Chief Minister on the strength of the Gibraltar economy, the quality of the regulatory regime of the Financial Services Commission, and the acceptance of Gibraltar’s tax regime by the EU, G20 and OECD, all contributed to a sense of pride amongst those of us representing Gibraltar. The guests I spoke to were truly impressed.

After lunch, I attended a jointly hosted networking event by KPMG the accountants, and Vista, a fund administrator in Gibraltar. Strange but true, I was involved in a conversation on investment in agricultural land in the Ukraine via a Gibraltar based Experienced Investor Fund.

Agricultural land prices are increasing across Europe and this is attracting much attention.

The evening event at the Guildhall is a slightly less formal affair than the lunch.

Parts of the Guildhall date back to 1411 and it is a truly impressive building, even more so with the Gibraltar Coat of Arms projected onto

its facia for the evening. Inside the Guildhall the Gibraltar community mix and mingle with their own guests, plus representatives from the armed forces, a number of British MP’s, clergy, titled gentry and many other ‘friends of Gibraltar’.

During the evening, Robert Bartlett identified someone he recognised in the far corner.

“See that gentleman over there?” he said to me. “He attended my wedding.” We moved towards the corner and introduced ourselves.

The gentleman was Sir John Chapple, Chief of the General Staff (the professional head of the British Army) from 1989 to 1992 and Governor of Gibraltar from 1993 to 1995. It transpired that Robert’s father and Sir John served in the army together and have remained family friends ever since. Small world.

Time for speeches again. This time, the Chief Minister included politics and sovereignty to

the delight of the audience. “Gibraltar is not a problem waiting to be resolved. If we have a problem with our neighbours it is their inability to accept in 21st century Europe, the modern, democratic, and political realities of Gibraltar which will not change simply because they have a 300 year old hang up about us”, declared our leader. David Liddington, the Minister for Europe in the British Government added to the occasion, “We will not enter into any sovereignty negotiations with which Gibraltar itself was not content, because sovereignty in Gibraltar is founded on democracy and the wishes of the people of Gibraltar.”

Feeling safe in our politician’s hands, the guests were ushered outside to watch a truly magnificent performance by the Royal Gibraltar Regiment Band and Corps of Drums and the Drums and Pipes of the London Scottish

I was involved in a conversation on investment in agricultural land in the Ukraine via a Gibraltar based Experienced Investor Fund...

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

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business & finance

Regiment. At 2030, the ceremony, and the event itself, ended with the National Anthem.

“That was a most memorable occasion”, Brian Fleming, Head of Chesterton International, commented to me. Indeed it was. Gibraltar can most certainly punch above its weight.

My evening continued with another business dinner with six other colleagues. I just about achieved bed by midnight, having packed ready for an early morning start, the 07.30 from Blackfriars to Gatwick. On the train I read one of the early morning London freebie newspapers. The entire back page was devoted to an advertisement for Prospreads, a Gibraltar based spread betting firm. Good to see Gibraltar’s reach in practice I thought.

Once airborne, the laptop came out, and I

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typed away for the whole journey, this article, finishing it just before touchdown and a few hours before the copy deadline. I would like to thank Desiree McHard, Managing Director of BDO Limited, who was sitting next to me, for not complaining one bit. n

The entire back page was devoted to an advertisement for Prospreads, a Gibraltar based spread betting firm

Mike Nicholls is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and a member of the Gibraltar Society of Accountants. Mike operates the Chesterton estate agency in Gibraltar (www.chesterton.gi) and owns MN Associates Limited, a local company specialising in Gibraltar property, funding & relocation. See www. mn-associates.gi

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

business & finance

Gibraltar Day 2011 Gibraltar Day Mass celebrated at the Church of Our Lady of Dolours, Fulham

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

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recruitment

The Practice of Salary Neg

Know Your Value

by Sarah Espigares: Community Manager at SRGEurope

As much as we all want to be doing something we love for a living, the main motivator for getting us out of bed in the morning is the salary that comes with our job.

The question of salary expectations can be a daunting one, but if it´s not addressed you may find yourself in a very undesirable situation that can affect your job performance. Here are a few points that can help you in tackling this sensitive subject when the time comes.

Spend some time working out your value in terms of salary. This requires some research into what other professionals with the same skill set are currently earning. Be sure to consider factors such as the industry and the location. For example, most professional positions in London will carry a higher salary weighting than an equivalent role in Gibraltar due to cost of living differentials. A good source of information into salary bandings is a local Recruitment Company.

They are normally commissioned by clients to prepare this kind of information each year.

You also need to consider factors such as what you bring home after taxes as this will vary depending on your location. Recruitment professionals in Gibraltar often meet candidates who have just relocated and are surprised that the salaries are lower. Aside from the

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lower cost of living, lower income taxes (and other taxes) play a key role in salary levels in Gibraltar.

The local tax system has changed this year and workers in Gibraltar are enjoying a few extra pounds in their pockets. You can find more information at www.gibraltar.gov. gi and even download a calculator that allows you to calculate your net income.

Make a conscious effort to work on your salary negotiation skills.

This can be a tricky area which can go horribly wrong if not thought through properly. Have a clear and reasonable explanation as to why you believe a salary increase is justified, for example having passed a professional examination or an increase in responsibilities.

Negotiation works well when you are informed. If you have been offered another position for a different company while you are cur-

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

recruitment

y Negotiation

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rently employed then you might be able to hold out for the salary that you feel you deserve. However, if you are re-entering the work place after a break, demonstrate your abilities and work your way back up the career ladder.

Many people often forget to factor in benefits which can lower regular living costs. Added perks given by employers such as car allowances, pension schemes or even food costs throughout the work day can save you money that you would normally be spending after you’ve paid your taxes. Health care is one that is harder to assign a monetary value but by many its value ends up being priceless in the moment that it is needed.

When you have decided what is the correct number for you with regard to your salary, it is always a good idea to ask yourself if you are going to be happy at that salary six months down the road. Keep in mind that this salary is going to be yours for a while. Hopefully in a year’s time you will have a performance and salary evaluation. More and more companies are adopting this practice. In the meantime you need to make sure that this salary is going to allow you to cover your living costs and not create added stress in trying to make ends meet or achieve per-

sonal financial goals.

It is important to understand the reason behind an employer’s offer. Most companies have very strict salary guidelines that have been put into place across the entire organisation, salary bands can be fixed at certain entry levels.

At a final stage interview ask the interviewer their particular Company policy. If they do not have that structure there may be some flexibility. If negotiating a higher salary is not a possibility then it might be worth negotiating a future pay raise. Many companies have a probationary period for new employees which can be an opportune time to incorporate a raise in salary.

Just be sure to negotiate this at the offer of employment stage and to have it included in your contract of employment.

A lot of people shy away from the salary negotiation part of the job search as it can be uncomfortable.

It can feel like trying to make a sale and in a sense it is because it requires negotiation skills which are not inherent to everyone. The best approach in this case is a logical and well thought out one. If you come to the table with reasonable expectations and a logical explanation to back them up then your efforts will most likely be appreciated and rewarded. n

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21

events

Faces of success: last year’s four senior promotions — Hannah (Internal Operations Manager), Joanne (Head of Funds and Pensions Supervision), Susan (Senior Regulatory Officer), Bethan (Policy and Research Manager)

Here Come the Girls

Last year, the senior promotions at the Financial Services Commission were all internal employees, and female. As the FSC continues its policy of internal development rather than external recruitment, the four new high flyers give some insight on their experience, and how it feels to be successful women in a male dominant industry.

Hannah Strain, Joanne Beiso, Susan Harland and Bethan Hampson-Jones are all trained and respected women within the financial services sector, and are now successfully climbing the ladder at the Financial Services Commission.

Hannah, a resident of Gibraltar, has had a wealth of experience in various sectors but the Financial Services Commission had particular appeal. “A drive for ongoing professional

About the FSC The FSC is the Financial Services Commission, and is the integrated regulator for the financial services sector other than banking, and global business.

The FSC was established in 2001 and operates within a modern and internationally recognised legal framework which includes the Financial Services Act, the Securities Act and the Insurance Act.

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training and good, long term career prospects attracted me to the FSC.” Joanne also understood the potential. “I read for a degree in Economics and during this time I became interested in Financial Services and got to understand the importance and role of a regulator.”

The FSC focusses on attracting talent and offer great options for development including their own graduate scheme. Bethan recognised this when applying for the role. “I immediately knew that I wanted to follow in my father’s footsteps and applied for a graduate scheme that would enable me to settle quickly into a professional work environment, receive relevant skills development, and get hands on

“

experience, working in a number of areas of the organisation. The Financial Services Commission offered just that.”

These women are certainly all in agreement that the FSC opens many doors and provides opportunity for its employees. They also recognise the importance of its part to play. “The FSC’s mission statement highlights that our position is to protect the public from financial loss and enhance Gibraltar’s reputation as a quality financial centre. Both statements are extremely important to me and they are the foundation on which my position has been created,” says Bethan. Joanne also sees it is a great environment to be in. “The FSC provides an opportunity for staff to be exposed to a range of areas

Within the FSC, I am not treated any differently than my male colleagues and have been offered all the same opportunities, this article in itself is a testament to that

”

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

business & finance and it is a very open and friendly working environment with brilliant colleagues.”

While the financial industry can be recognised as male dominated, all four women show a refreshing attitude and assure that their experiences have been positive. “I do not feel that being a woman has in any way restricted or influenced my progression through the organisation. There is a balance of men and women in the organisation and this also applies to the executive team of the FSC,” says Susan.

Joanne agrees, speaking specifically about the organisation, “The FSC is a modern working environment and financial services firms generally have also developed over the years and continue to do so.”

These women however will embrace any challenges that come their way. Bethan tells us she is “not frightened by the thought of a male dominated sector and can appreciate the talents that both men and women bring to their profession.”

“Everyday brings a new challenge and our interactive environment encourages open discussions and allows me to gauge my colleagues’ opinions and valuable insights,” adds Hannah.

Interestingly two of the women mention age as more of a problem; “I would say that any prejudices, outside of the FSC, are based predominantly on my age and not my gender and this issue will inevitably, and sadly, decrease with time!” says Hannah.

The employees know the importance of providing assurance to their stakeholders and increasing the commission’s understanding

of different areas in order to offer an effective level of support.

Joanne has seen changes since she started working for the FSC. “We were 14 staff members and we are now over 40 and we are responsible for more firms and extensive Global/European requirements, some of which have been as a result of the financial crisis.”

Susan also notes the significant changes “Only last year we moved offices due to the increased staffing levels; as the industry grows so do we.” It seems the organisation is con-

tinuing to build on its future.

And will these ladies stick around? “I hope to see the FSC grow further and look forward to being a part of it,” says Susan. Bethan agrees; “We will be diverse and we will be in a position to welcome the growth that will pick up in the future.”

It is evident these employees care about financial services as well as their own roaring careers.

We are sure to hear more from these ladies in the future. Watch this space. n

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business events

SG Hambros celebrates 30 years in Gibraltar Last month Société Générale Private Banking Hambros hosted a Gala Dinner at the Rock Hotel for over 120 guests to celebrate their 30th anniversary in Gibraltar.

Among guests were Chairman, Warwick Newbury, CEO Eric Barnett, first MD Anthony Cooper and previous managing directors David Farrow and Franco Cassar. Incumbent MD, Emma Perez, welcomed guests and thanked them for support over the years.

SG Hambros, which started as a retail bank in Gibraltar in 1981, with four members of staff, has undergone a number of important changes over the 30 years on the Rock. In

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1997 the Hambros group was bought by Société Générale, one of the largest financial services in the Eurozone which includes the wealth management arm, Société Générale Private Banking, one of the top 15 Private Banks in the world. It was at that time that SG Hambros moved into Private Banking.

The bank increased in size following the acquisition in 2003 of the Credit Agricole client base and 2008 saw the ABN Amro acquisition which effectively doubled the staff numbers as well as assets under management for the bank.

The bank in Gibraltar now employs 65 members of staff. n

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

W O R K I N G T O WA R D S O N E G O A L : YOURS SOCIETE GENERALE PRIVATE BANKING HAMBROS Yo u r p r i v a t e b a n k e r w o r k s c l o s e l y w i t h a t e a m o f d e d i c a t e d i n d u s t r y e x p e r t s d e v e l o p i n g a p p ro p r i a t e s o l u t i o n s to help you manage your wealth and meet your personal objectives. w w w. p r i v a t e b a n k i n g . s o c i e t e g e n e r a l e . c o m / h a m b ro s

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20/10/11 15:28

finance

Changing Times The sheer pace of global events over recent years has increased the challenges facing individuals, companies and their advisors. The speed of change in tax is no exception and in fact, the pace of legislative change is accelerating, further complicating the tax environment.

A KPMG Gibraltar tax briefing held on 6 October considered some of these changes with a focus on a number of key areas, including the consultation on changes to UK tax residency, Spanish tax, the disclosure opportunities for UK residents, VAT and a Gibraltar tax update.

The key points from these presentations are summarised later in this article.

It certainly has been changing times for the Darren Anton, the tax manager at KPMG Gibraltar responsible for organising the briefing.

Darren arrived in Gibraltar over three years ago when the world economy was changing for the worse and there was uncertainty surrounding the tax situation in Gibraltar.

Darren, who spent 10 years qualifying and specialising in tax in the UK before leaving to become an international tax adviser in Gibraltar, explains “Before I arrived the future of the Gibraltar taxation regime for companies was not clear. The tax exempt company regime was

ending and although there were rumours no one knew exactly what new tax regime was to be put in place. In fact, everyone was waiting for the decision of the European Court of Justice about the Gibraltar tax system, which if had not gone in favour of Gibraltar could have jeopardised the ability of Gibraltar to set its own tax system and to make Gibraltar a tax competitive place for companies and individuals”.

Thankfully for Gibraltar and Darren the decision was in Gibraltar’s favour, with only the decision of the appeal now awaited. However,

“

if the recent Advocate General’s opinion is followed then the outcome should rubber stamp the original decision of the European Court of Justice. Whilst all this has been going on the Gibraltar Government has already implemented many changes with the introduction of a 10% tax rate for companies, the continued reduction of the personal tax rates, the release of the new Income Tax Act and Income Tax Office guidance notes to help people through all these changes, including the new self assessment system and the “climate of compliance” as the Chief Minister described it.

Now there is certainty surrounding the Gibraltar tax system, which has become one of the most attractive in the European Union, there are plenty of opportunities

”

Tax Briefing Event Round-up...

Gregory Jones, Head of taxation at KPMG in Gibraltar, began the conference by outlining the proposed new rules governing “residence” for UK tax purposes.

He pointed out that the concept of residence was fundamental to determining whether an individual has to pay tax in the UK, that the present rules were uncertain in their scope and hence very difficult to advise on, and that the proposals should improve the position markedly if they become law. It is hoped that this will be from 6 April 2012.

Essentially, under the new proposals, an individual will be conclusively treated as non-UK resident if he/ she meets one of the key conditions, for example if he/ she has not previously been resident and stays in the UK for less than 45 days in the tax year. If none of the conditions applies, the individual could be conclusively resident if any one of another set of conditions applies, eg he or she works full-time in the UK. Where the individual is neither conclusively resident nor non-resident then it is necessary to see whether he/ she has one or more “connecting factors” such as having a UK resident spouse/ children, or working for 40 or more days. The number of connecting factors will then determine how

26

many days the individual is permitted to spend in the UK without becoming a resident.

Jim Keys from KPMG London Tax Investigations spoke about the recently signed UK Swiss Agreement whereby taxes will be collected from assets held in Switzerland owned by investors taxable in the United Kingdom, without waiving their financial privacy. In addition, the UK Government continues to operate the Liechtenstein Disclosure Facility (LDF), a worldwide disclosure facility to enable UK residents to declare untaxed assets.

Jim explained “Every UK resident individual that holds a Swiss bank account will be affected and this will impact on service providers in Gibraltar because clients with UK connections who have Swiss or Liechtenstein assets will be considering their options. The Swiss Treaty only deals with Swiss assets but the LDF encompasses a worldwide disclosure and would therefore include any irregularities with assets held in Gibraltar.”

Francisco de la Puente Perales, from KPMG Seville gave a Spanish tax update. Topics included in the presentation were individual taxation encompassing the qualifications for Spanish residence tax, the

distinctions between resident and non-resident income taxation and the general rules of taxable items including real estate and capital gains. He touched on the “Beckham Regime” (named after David Beckham moved from Manchester United to Real Madrid in 2003), an incentive for high net worth individuals to set up their tax residence in Spain.

Darren Anton, tax manager in Gibraltar, provided an update on the Gibraltar tax regime. Changes that were announced in the 2011 Budget means that all individual taxpayers will pay tax at an effective rate of less than 25%. He also spoke about the Income Tax Act 2010 which came into effect on the 1 January 2011 and the important changes including (but not limited to) a new definition of residency for individuals, a self assessment regime for all, including companies and individuals, benefits in kind rules and penalties and surcharges.

Payments on account will be required in some circumstances and there is a proposed change in the legislation for companies in relation to the basis periods for the transactional period.

Sandra Skuszka, Head of VAT Services for KPMG in Gibraltar, gave an update on what’s been

happening in the world of VAT and other indirect taxes. She reported that consultation documents have finally been released on the proposal for changes to the EU regulations in respect of the VAT treatment of Insurance and Financial services.

Also on the 28th September 2011 the EU Commission released its proposal for a “Financial Transaction Tax” to be imposed on financial transactions between institutions when at least one party is based in the EU. It is estimated that the tax will raise in the region of €57 billion a year. n All of the presentation slides are available from KPMG’s website www.kpmg.gi

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

finance

All in all good news for Gibraltar and Darren believes that “now there is certainty surrounding the Gibraltar tax system, which has become one of the most attractive in the European Union, there are plenty of opportunities for both individuals and companies to use Gibraltar in their structuring”.

Darren goes on, and from his presentation he clearly is happy to talk about the tax changes in Gibraltar, “the last three years have been a great opportunity for me as I have been able to be involved with all the changes taking place in tax in Gibraltar recently, although it has been a challenge for everyone, advisors, the Income Tax Office, companies and

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

individuals, in getting to grips with the new legislation and the tax system”.

“But now with the teething problems being sorted out, it is a fantastic time to be a international tax manager in Gibraltar with considerable interest already for around the world. The KPMG Global Network not only

“

provides some of this work but allows me to help companies and individuals with all tax issues no matter what the country. I look forward to more changing times but this time by growing the international tax reputation of Gibraltar and also developing the KPMG Gibraltar tax team”. n

Now with the teething problems being sorted out, it is a fantastic time to be a international tax manager in Gibraltar with considerable interest already for around the world

”

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career file

With a vast pool of global experience in a range of financial services for its clients to draw from, NEXIA International — one of the world’s ‘top ten’ networks of accountants and business advisers — has established a strong presence on Gibraltar’s financial stage. And from humble local beginnings, the part NEXIA plays in the Rock’s financial and business sectors has grown strongly and significantly.

Benady Cohen Chartered Accountants

Part of the NEXIA Network NEXIA’s presence on the Rock dates from 2007 — soon after local chartered accountants Mark Benady and Moe Cohen set up a partnership which offered a broad spectrum of financial service and advice. A few months later their firm, Benady Cohen & Co. was invited to join NEXIA International, a world-wide network of independent, high quality accounting and consulting firms which helps to meet the business and financial needs of organisations and individuals with an international outlook.

NEXIA fills a vital role in today’s global market place, for though accountancy’s core essentials of integrity and accuracy have not changed, the profession has come a long way since the days in the not-too-distant past when accountants used hand-action adding machines to check each other’s arithmetic; and a lawyer with extensive commercial experience ensured that the books were kept ‘properly’, and that an annual audit would reveal no inconsistencies.

Since then the worlds of business and finance have been transformed — and internationalised.

Sophisticated technology and instant communications have created a global market place… often dominated by multi-national giants. Many accountancy firms have had to adapt to this.

The internationalisation — and the openings this provides for sophisticated criminal activities — has also led to a raft of regulations and directives which govern the ways business is conducted… and accounted for. And here, too,

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accountancy has had to change and develop; no longer just the keepers of companies’ books, and auditors, but also watchdogs of corporate compliance and, sometimes, financial advisers.

The globalisation of companies has also encouraged the growth of international accountancy firms. Some have become so big and so involved in the businesses of the companies they

Accountancy has had to change and develop; no longer just the keepers of companies’ books, and auditors, but also watchdogs of corporate compliance and, sometimes, financial advisers

serve that their independence is questioned; and in Brussels the EC is under pressure to force the ‘Big Four’ — Ernst & Young, KPMG, Deloitte and PwC — to use mid-sized firms to check their audits.

Other accountancy firms had attained ‘internationalism’ by developing global networks which link respected individual accountancy firms to share local expertise where necessary and to set shared standards of excellence.

Well to the fore among these is NEXIA which has members in more than 100 countries (last year these earned a total fee income of more than $2 billion). Though nearly 60% of its members’ work is in audit and accountancy, more than 20% provide major tax services to their clients.

Management consultancy, and advice on corporate finance are also dealt with by many of its members.

“Delivering consistent quality of service on a global basis is at the heart of everything we do,”

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

business & finance Norbert Neu, the chairman of NEXIA International said recently.

It’s a philosophy which Benady Cohen, embraces enthusiastically.

“NEXIA members provide each other with local expertise — and connections in all the right places — around the world,” explains Mark Benady who, after working with KPMG set up on his own 15 years ago. “At Benady Cohen, as at NEXIA, we look to provide seamless advice from people who are experienced and are used to working together.

“What’s more we strive to provide cost-effective services designed to meet all our client’s business and financial needs.”

The way the individual strengths of the partners complement each other mirrors, on a smaller scale, the interaction of shared knowledge and experience that characterises the global network of NEXIA. Typically, Mark Benady, who joined KPMG in the UK in 1988, has valuable experience in auditing techniques. In 1990, he transferred to the Gibraltar office of KPMG where he handled a portfolio of clients including international construction companies, and banks. In 1992, after being approached by a number of potential clients, Benady founded his own firm and has continued to develop it. His impressive portfolio of clients includes various international groups of companies, charities and communal institutions, insurance brokers and financial services providers.

On the other hand, Moe Cohen — who also gained widespread professional experience in the UK before returning to his home in Gi-

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

braltar where he became a partner in Deloitte where clients included hedge funds, regulated entities and international trading companies.

Cohen has particular expertise in the field of fund administration. It was Cohen who, in 2004 — with James Lasry of Hassans — drew up the legislation which led to the establishment of Gibraltar’s successful Experienced Investors Funds regulations.

Formerly Cohen was the CEO of the Bonita Trust, a large international philanthropic organisation, and his spell with the charity exemplifies an approach that he and Benady share — that business has a responsibility to ‘give something back to society’. And though both men have prominent roles in the local Jewish community — Benady is the Vice-President of Gibraltar’s Jewish Community and Cohen the Chairman of the governing board of the local Jewish school — their social conscience covers a wider nonsectarian field.

Even more, three years ago Shaun Cawdery,

The way the individual strengths of the partners complement each other mirrors, on a smaller scale, the interaction of shared knowledge and experience that characterises the global network of NEXIA

a financial mathematics graduate and medalist joined the firm from Deloitte as a senior manager, and became a partner last year. He has extensive experience in a number of different client industries, particularly in hedge funds, banking and insurance.

All three partners are active in Gibraltar’s professional bodies related to the broad disciplines in which Benady Cohen provides services. Cohen is currently a member of the Gibraltar Finance Centre Council, executive of Gibraltar Fund and Investment Association (GFIA), member of the Gibraltar Investor Compensation Scheme (GICS) and is the Gibraltar representative for the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).

Benady is a member of the Tax Faculty of the Gibraltar Society of Accountants and Cawdery is a member of its Technical Faculty.

But Benady Cohen is not just about facts, figures and finance. The partners are also committed to Gibraltar’s heritage, and as the firm expanded — it now has close to 20 staff and is recruiting more — two years ago it acquired a once-derelict building in Engineers Lane which they restored to a standard that gained them a Heritage Award earlier this year. Though the exterior has been renovated, it has retained its original architectural features, while the interior has been completely modernised.

“The building is symbolic,” Cohen explains.

“We, the members of the firm are the building blocks in terms of business for our clients. And in the same way that we improved the building, so too our services are designed to provide added value for our clients.” n

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business & finance

Award for jyskebank.tv On 30th September, jyskebank.tv was named Europe’s best web TV channel at the Digital Communication Awards 2011 in Berlin.

The Digital Communication Symposium in Berlin awarded the best communication projects from all over Europe, and jyskebank.tv was one of the big winners. The ceremony took place at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel at Potsdamer Platz.

Jyskebank.tv was in Berlin to present its project to the jury - in competition with Siemens and Daimler in the best web TV channel- before the winner was chosen. ”This has been a good year for jyskebank.tv. First, we won a Sabre Award in the spring and now a DC, which is awarded by a jury of academics and business executives from all over Europe. ‘This is indeed a major recognition of our TV production and approach to communication at Jyske Bank,’ said Lasse Høgfeldt of jyskebank.tv.

Per Esmann, Brian Woodward, Steen Mertz and Lasse Hogfeld from en.jyskebank.tv with Madlen Nokolaus one of the jury members, at the award ceremony

Log on to en.jyskebank.tv or scan the image below to learn more about the station.

Hassans announces speaker for 2nd Annual ‘Sir Joshua Hassan Lecture’ James Levy QC, Senior Partner at leading law firm Hassans, is delighted to announce the speaker for the 2nd Annual Sir Joshua Hassan Lecture, Cherie Booth QC. The lecture, in memory of Mr Levy’s uncle Sir Joshua Hassan, the longest serving Chief Minister of Gibraltar and founder of the firm, will be delivered by Cherie Booth QC on 24th November 2011 at the Rock Hotel.

Cherie is a leading barrister and committed campaigner for women’s equality. She is the founder and patron of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, a charity that provides integrated business development support for women entrepreneurs in developing and transition countries. In 2007, she was awarded the Eleanor Roosevelt Val-Kill medal in recognition of her high ideals and courageous actions and in 2011 the Commonwealth Award for her humanitarian work.

Mrs Booth, also know as Cherie Blair, studied law at the London School of Economics and was called to the Bar in 1976. Her fellow trainee at her first chambers was Tony Blair, former Prime

30

Minister of the UK, who was to become her husband. The couple married in 1980 and have four children. She became a Queen’s Counsel in 1995 and sits as a part-time judge and is also an accredited mediator and international arbitrator.

She is a founder of the ground breaking legal practice, Matrix Chambers where she practises in a wide range of administrative, commercial and employment cases in the UK, EU and internationally. She recently co-founded the Africa Justice Foundation, which aims to strengthen the legal capacity of governments in Africa, and is an active campaigner on equality and human rights.

Mr Levy said “It is a great honour to have someone of Mrs Booth’s calibre join us on this memorable evening to recognise and honour Sir Joshua. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank her for making the trip and look forward to her stay in Gibraltar being a pleasant and memorable one.” n

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

business & finance

Top Teamwork at WestMed You probably know or will have heard of Argus Insurance, which supplies all types of insurance be it for car, home or pleasure craft, or if you run a business it offers commercial cover and motor fleets, as well as other products.

What you may not be aware of is Argus’ subsidiary company WestMed Insurance Services Ltd, has started to make a name for itself in its own right.

Although WestMed began life as a small complementary auxiliary service to Argus Insurance, the company has now developed into a major player within local market. “Through our network of agency arrangements and specialist staff, we are in a position to be able to offer a comprehensive range of insurance products and premiums which suit our clients’ individual needs,” said Thomas Stagnetto, Head of Broking.

The company’s business is mainly in risks based in Gibraltar and Spain, however, due to WestMed’s increasingly well-known and respected reputation, it continues to extend those geographical borders.

So what are the products they offer?

Motor Insurance WestMed can offer alternative quotes for most types of vehicles irrespective of whether they are registered in Gibraltar, Spain or the United Kingdom. Policies can be tailored to meet individual requirements and can include breakdown assistance, protected no claims bonus and legal defence.

Household Insurance Cover is available for properties across most of Europe. The products can cover holiday homes or main residences, whether rented or owned. Standard covers, as

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

well as optional extensions are available, including all risks and legal defence.

Travel Insurance Whether you are travelling for leisure or business, for one day or longer, WestMed has a range of policies to suit individual, families or for corporate needs. Both single trip and annual policies are available.

Health Insurance Cover can be provided, from an extensive range of health products and for a wide range of geographical areas. Plans are very flexible from basic cash plans to more complete health products. The main providers are Aetna ALC, AXA - PPP, BUPA International, Generali, Lamp, Now and Sanitas. Optional policy extensions include dental, optical, medical history disregarded and repatriation.

Professional Indemnity & Medical Malprac-

Business is mainly in risks based in Gibraltar and Spain, however, due to WestMed’s increasingly well-known and respected reputation, it continues to extend those geographical borders

tice WestMed’s expertise in this field ensures that the right cover is in place to cover a firm’s reputation, as well as its assets, against claims and potential legal liabilities arising from professional activities. “We are Lloyds cover holders and have a PI binding authority with a major Lloyds syndicate providing competitive terms” adds Thomas Stagnetto. Products include PI, Medical Malpractice and Directors and Officers Insurance.

In order to stay ahead of the game WestMed has improved its advice and services to clients through their specialist team. “At WestMed we have a strong belief in training, and we organise in-house sessions on a regular basis. The team is encouraged to take the Chartered Insurance Institute qualifications to at least Certificate level and it is pleasing to note that the majority of the customer-facing staff has achieved this and are now studying towards the Diploma,” said an enthusiastic Thomas Stagnetto.

In a crowded insurance market, WestMed is carving a deserved niche for itself.

For more information or advice contact Thomas Stagnetto at WestMed Insurance on 200 79520 Ext. 228 or email tstagnetto@westmed.gi WestMed is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Commission, Gibraltar under Licence No. FSC00572B.

31

travel-log

?

Sitting Pretty

by Joma Ormrod (BOst.), Registered Osreopath, Atlantic Suites Health Spa

Unfortunately we now do far too much sitting and we’re not doing very well on it.

Going back to the 1950s, posture used to be about standing or sitting up straight. Images of young ladies learning ‘deportment’, walking with books on their heads, and soldiers with ramrod straight backs were everywhere.

Children were expected to sit up straight at their school desks, ‘a good seat’ on a horse involved an upright spine, and many young girls went to weekly ballet classes, partly to improve their posture.

Adults and children had physically active lives: people walked and cycled and ran for buses; cars were used mainly at weekends; housework involved considerable physical effort.

Since then evolving technology has developed ‘labour-saving’ devices that have saved us from all manner of physical exertion and many of us spend much of our day sitting — at a computer, in a car, at a desk in a call centre, in front of a television — all in the name of efficiency and minimum effort.

And guess what? Our bodies, which evolved for the active life of the primitive hunter-gatherer, do not respond well to all this stressed inactivity and poor sitting posture, and backache is the commonest cause of working days lost through sick leave. Interesting, isn’t it, how we sew the seeds of our own malaise?

Practical tips: If your task requires multi-task-

32

ing, then request a telephone headset. This will avoid the need to adopt awkward postures like cradling phone between neck and shoulder, as this can increase stress to the full length of the spine; Sort out the desk area if you multi-task, creating an area for admin/writing and an area for computing. Avoid twisting and aim to adopt a symmetrical posture where no force is impacting on the spine.

When writing there is a tendency to lean over the desk; this can be avoided by using a writing-slope, or, if these are unavailable, use a lever arch folder. This will allow you to sit upright and avoid stress on the lower and upper back.

Right-hand mouse users normally have their right upper limb about 30 degrees out of line with the shoulders; this adds stress to the up-

Adults and children had physically active lives: people walked and cycled and ran for buses; cars were used mainly at weekends; housework involved physical effort

per limb and shoulder, and up into the neck.

But often the pelvis is twisted as the left side of the body slightly swivels, again increasing the spinal loading. To overcome this, a small keyboard will allow the upper limbs to stay in line with the shoulders. However, men who are broad at the shoulder may require the longer keyboard, as a smaller keyboard may cause their right shoulder to rotate inwards.

When in the car, keep the seat as up-right as possible. Although car seats are now designed to help support the lumbar spine there is still a tendency for people to slump into the seat and bend forwards towards the steering wheel. This places pressure through a slumped lower back and then an increase in the curve of the neck as the driver is forced to look up more.

Placing a small cushion, or lumbar support, in the small of the back will remind you to keep a straighter posture and help to stop your lower back from slumping into the seat. Bring yourself a bit closer to the steering wheel so that your arms are able to comfortably reach the wheel without having to lean forwards. n If you have any questions regarding ergonomics at work or in the car then contact Atlantic Osteopathy (Tel: 200 48147) for more information or, alternatively, come a long for a free check-up and get advice on how to improve your work/driving posture.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

business & finance

Address for Gibraltar at WTCA General Assembly in Sao Paulo Gibraltar delegate, Brian Stevendale, recently joined 260 more representatives from 100 World Trade Centers across the globe at the World Trade Center Association (WTCA)’s annual General Assembly. Billed as “the most memberdriven General Assembly event” in the World Trade Center Association’s history, it was held in Sao Paolo, Brazil in mid-October.

Having officially unveiled Gibraltar’s World Trade Center (WTC) proposition in March at MIPIM 2011 in Cannes, newcomer Gibraltar was fresh in the organisation’s mind. Board Member Rolf Draak from WTC Nice invited Brian to the stage to inform delegates of Gibraltar’s plans.

Brian Stevendale, WTC Gibraltar’s Business and Development Director, explains, “With Gibraltar now part of the WTC family, it gives us vast opportunities to forge cross-border partnerships. We certainly raised the profile of the territory on a global stage to representatives of national governments and over one million companies. Rolf Draak had been impressed with our initiative to use MIPIM as a resource to launch WTCG and generously invited me to talk on the subject. It was a privilege to spend

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

20 minutes addressing the entire General Assembly on Gibraltar’s behalf, highlighting our unique attributes from tax efficiency to strategic geography, Mediterranean lifestyle to economic stability, and place Gibraltar under a significant global spotlight.”

Gibraltar’s application to establish a World Trade Center (WTC) was approved by the WTCA at the conclusion of its Annual General Assembly in Beijing, China, in October 2010.

With outline planning permission already in place, the seven-storey 170,000ft² WTC Gibraltar building will effectively treble the office space

already sold or leased at the Ocean Village development. Some floor areas will spread over 30,000ft², the largest available in the jurisdiction. Pure office space aside, the prestigious superstructure will also include business club executive lounges with dining facilities, secretarial services, year-round exhibition and display areas, virtual offices, state-of-the-art video conferencing and telecommunications, high speed lifts, climate control, electronic security access and CCTV as well as ample parking. n Tel: 200 40048, email brian.stevendale@worldtradecenter.gi website: www.worldtradecenter.gi.

33

S

property update real estate

TRIES

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NENTS

19/2 Governor’s Parade, Gibraltar Tel: 200 74018

T: + 350 200 400 41 F: + 350 200 440 11 sales@chesterton.gi lettings@chesterton.gi commercial@chesterton.gi

T: + 350 200 400 41 F: + 350 200 440 11 sales@chesterton.gi M.B.E., E.D., J.P., F.R.I.C.S., F.R.S.H. lettings@chesterton.gi AUCTIONEER,commercial@chesterton.gi ESTATE AGENT & VALUER

Gibraltar Art Gallery 14 Cannon Lane Tel: 200 73898 Email: artgallery@gibtelecom.net

S.LEVY

For Property Advice, Contact Us

Seekers Ltd Property Solutions 10 Engineer Lane Tel: 200 44955 info@seekerspropertysolutions.com www.furnituresolutions.gi

3 Convent Place Tel: 200 77789 or 200 42818 Fax: 200 42527 Email: slevy@gibraltar.gi

property directory construction

commercial interiors Bridge Solutions PO Box 598 Tel: 57185000 Fax: 200 77041 Space Interiors 6 Ellesmere House, City Mill Lane Tel: 200 73992 www.spaceinteriors.gi

transport services

homes & interiors

property services GibCargo Ltd Unit 3 North Mole Industrial Park Tel: 200 70787 Email: tom@gibcargo.com

Portman Ltd General Suppliers

Hire & Sale of Portable Cabin Units (Office, Toilet Units etc)

marine services

Unit F17 Europa Business Centre PO Box 476, Gibraltar Tel: 200 73119 Fax: 200 45008 E-mail: portman@gibtelecom.net

TARIK

Full Bunkering & Yacht Refuelling Service Spain: 15/5a Virgen del Carmen Algeciras (Cadiz), Spain Tel/Fax: 34 56 630418 After Hrs: Gib 200 70982

Gibraltar: Tel: (350) 200 72836 Fax: (350) 200 72861 Cables: TARIK GIB TLX: 2343 TRATAR

waste management home insurance Eurolinx 21&22 Victoria House, 26 Main St Tel: 200 40240 Ibex Insurance The Tower, Marina Bay Tel: 200 44628

34 34

• General Surfacing • Building • Building Renovations • Demolition • Painting & Decorating • Roadworks • Civil Engineering • Asphalt/Aggregate supplier • Comprehensive Plant Holding For prompt & competitively priced tenders contact AMCO P.O. Box 382 Tel: 200 40840 Fax: 200 40841

Curtain Makers Home Interiors Fabrics Bedding Bring your own fabric or choose from our range The Fashion House Ltd 85 Governor’s Street. Tel: 200 52938 E-mail: thefashionhouse@gibtelecom.net Fax: 200 52988

Environment and Waste Management Service E.W.M.S. Governor’s Cottage Europa Advance Road Gibraltar Tel: 200 44220 Fax: 200 44221 E-mail: ewmsgib@gibtelecom.net

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011 GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • November 2011

property file

Presenting the Barclays Wealth Mortgage Team, from left to right: Mortgage Team Manager Sally Butcher with Mortgage Advisors Debbie Redpath, Roshan Chablani and Karen Maloney

The Mortgage Dream Team Buying a property can be one of the most stressful yet exciting times in a person’s life.

But guiding potential homeowners through the financial maze to their dream property is all in a day’s work for the mortgage advisory group at Barclays Wealth, Gibraltar.

Receiving news that a client has just ‘completed’ on their new home is one of the many benefits of being a Mortgage Advisor, according to the professionals.

Speaking about the team, which includes Mortgage Advisors Karen Maloney, Debbie Redpath and Roshan Chablani, Team Leader Sally Butcher, says: ‘‘They’re highly qualified advisors from different backgrounds, each bringing their own expertise to the group. It is a pleasure working with outstanding people who support and challenge each other.’’

When establishing the team, the objective was that it should comprise the very best people for the job. Having lived in the area and worked in Gibraltar for over 23 years, Sally brought local knowledge and expertise with her when joining Barclays in 2008, along with the answer to what makes a great team. ‘‘Trust, respect and a vision of the future is

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

vital. A great team includes people who work well together, enjoy a challenge, have passion for the job and can have a bit of fun along the way. They should work hard together, be focused, have shared goals, clear leadership,

“

A great team includes people who work well together, enjoy a challenge, have passion for the job and can have a bit of fun along the way

”

and a common belief in what they do and what success means to them.

The drive, enthusiasm and expertise that come from a successful team are vital to the client experience, meaning their expectations are not only met but consistently exceeded.

I’m very proud of the team and the work they do’’ Debbie Redpath has been a qualified mortgage advisor for 12 years. She joined Barclays Wealth three years ago as a Personal Banker and successfully moved to the role of Mortgage Advisor within the bank two years ago.

Why work in finance?

Finance is an exciting industry. Purchasing a property is an important time in a person’s life and I’m pleased to be part of that.

35

property file What’s the best part of your job? challenges faced by clients.

Receiving news that a client has completed on their purchase. They’re always so thankful Why work in banking? and excited.

I’ve always loved working with customers. Being in Financial Services we can help What were you doing prior to joining Bar- customers achieve something, whether it’s clays Wealth? finding a better savings account or purchasing I’ve been in banking for fourteen years and new property. have experience of mortgage sales, administration, processing, underwriting, business Why do you enjoy your job? development and of being an independent I strive to deliver the best service, but when mortgage advisor in the UK. Since moving you receive feedback on how pleased clients to Spain I’ve worked in sales and business development amongst other roles.

What makes a successful team?

Respect and recognising each other ’s strengths.

Karen Maloney has been a qualified mortgager advisor since 1999. She started her career at Barclays Wealth 14 months ago as a cashier then moved to the Mortgage Team in November last year before taking the role of Mortgage Advisor in May 2011.

What was your career path before joining Barclays?

I’ve worked in Financial Services for 16 years. My roles have included Cashier, Assistant Branch Manager, Branch Manager, Mortgage Sales Trainer, Area Mortgage Advisor and have worked in mortgage and insurance sales. This experience means I understand

I’ve always loved working with customers. Being in Financial Services we can help customers achieve something, whether it’s finding a better savings account or purchasing new property

are, it means you’ve delivered your best.

Roshan Chablani will have been a Barclays Wealth Mortgage Advisor for seven years in December 2011.

What were you doing before joining Barclays?

I was a student at Oxford Brookes University, where I completed my degree in Business and Marketing Management. As part of my studies, I spent a year at American Express in London as a Marketing Assistant.

Is there a ‘typical’ day as a mortgage advisor?

Every day and every client is differentthat’s what makes our job so exciting. My duties involve understanding our clients’ circumstances and their future needs, ensuring we provide appropriate advice, whether they’re purchasing a new home, looking for a mortgage rate switch, remortgaging or raising equity. It is important that we’re constantly in contact with our clients to ensure they’re kept up to date.

What makes your team unique?

I’m part of a team of three and therefore able to provide a personal, prompt service. We’re all Certificate of Mortgage Advice Practise qualified and have 32 years of experience between us, making us very knowledgeable in this field. n

Back to the Fuchsia Every year, different forecasts for colour trends are released. The diverse colour groups, such as Fuchsia shades could work in your home and office environment, in 2012 and beyond…

Bold, daring and audacious, fuschia is one of the groups of tantalising colours, that makes no excuses for the attention it creates. This colour palette celebrates the energy generated through the provocative melding of dancing reds, purples and pink, all highlighted by a variety of fuchsias. Jewel-toned peridot both accentuates and complements the hotter hues. Try it this season and be on-trend. n

36

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

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interiors

Creating a Cosy Home...

Winter’s fierce growl along with short, hectic days beg you to find comfort inside your own home. When you walk through your front door, you just want to feel hugged, don’t you?

There are many things that are universally thought of as cosy additions to the home — crackling fire, homemade bread, blankets and steaming mugs full of goodness. It does not matter if your decor style is modern, traditional, cottage, or eclectic — each of these things make a room feel cosier during the winter months.

Make a welcoming flow into your home.

If you can only decorate a few areas of your home, concentrate on the entrance, the focal wall first seen upon entering. Create those unique, individual elements that distinguish a house from a home.

Plush upholstery and flannel bedding can provide your home with a soft, relaxing touch.

To make texture interesting, introducing a variety by combining different opposing textures together — hard and soft, smooth and rough, thick and thin. Like putting a plush rug on hard wood floors or a rough sisal rug on a smooth tile floor, for example.

Lighting shoos away winter’s shadows, but

it can also cast our focus on fair-weather days.

By placing artful groupings of mementos and photographs beneath a lamp on an end table, you can draw attention to objects you love and memories that warm your heart.

The sizes and shapes of your furnishings are important — variety adds interest, and a decor that is too sparse is hard to be cosy, as you need to be able to see, talk to and reach your guests. For optimal cosiness, create conversation groupings by moving furnishings away from the wall, and even a little closer together in the centre.

Include items that add warmth. It can be real, implied, or even emotional. Blankets, fires, candles, heavier weight of fabrics, steam from ciders, coffee and hot chocolates, lamps, dimmer switches, home made decor or gifts, and even books (which make a home feel lived in and welcoming), can be used as an accessory a vibrant focal point on a coffee or end table on your coffee table or bookcase. and enlivens a room with a pleasant aroma to Colourful, multi-textured potpourri, artlighten spirits and freshen the air. In winter, fully arranged in a favourite bowl provides spicy and earthy smells are most appealing.

Save the floral scents for spring and summer.

Choose subtle clean scents such as a fresh linen or vanilla to use year round. n

Create those unique, individual elements that distinguish a house from a home

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

gibraltar people

The Life & Times of Richard Garcia To everyone’s surprise, quintessential Gibraltarian civil servant, Richard Garcia, 57, retired as Chief Secretary last year — he says because nobody is indispensable and and after a few year the incumbent can become jaded and his advice and support stale. A new Chief Secretary will come to the position with new perspective and fresh ideas.

Richard, who is married to Ilka Azopardi with three children, was born at home at 33 Main Street on 8th February 1954. His earliest memories are of an Edwardian-style home life and of watching the Ceremony of the Keys at Casemates Square, after which he would follow the band and Escort to the Keys to the Convent where the keys were handed to the Governor.

Education followed the smooth route of Loreto Convent, Christian Brother preparatory school and then the grammar school. He was an exemplary student ending up being the last head boy before the start of the comprehensive system.

In 1972 the Gibraltar government provided 100% discretionary grants rather than the scholarships of today. The prime objective was to produce Gibraltarian graduates who would be able to take over from the many qualified expatriates who were imported to work on the Rock. A list was published of professions where Gibraltarians were needed; these traditionally were medicine, engineering and teaching. Those awarded the grant had to sign a contract to return to work in Gibraltar for three years.

Richard opted for teaching and went to Birmingham University to read English and Spanish, spending one of the four years at Salamanca university. This was followed by a postgraduate year at Bristol University to obtain the necessary teaching qualification.

Richard joined the Bristol University Players and was cast in one of the lead roles in Volpone

by Ben Johnson, which went on tour of south

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

Richard Garcia as Chief Secretary Richard (left) in Oscar Wilde’s Lady Windermere’s Fan at Birmingham University, 1974

Richard being invested with the OBE by Governor, Sir Francis Richards

England. Upon his return to the Rock he became a keen member of Group 70 and regularly took part in plays, usually directed by Cecil Gomez or the late Leslie Zammitt. This leisure activity became increasingly popular the longer the border remained closed.

In 1977 he joined Bayside School where Pepe Romero was head teacher and, by chance, taught the last year of the first intake into the comprehensive system.

While there was some dance and drama at the school, a spoken play had never been undertaken. He introduced drama and directed Julius Caesar which was also an A Level text he

was teaching.

His four years as a teacher were enjoyable, but it soon became apparent teaching was a young profession and many teachers of the same age were competing for a handful of promotions.

In 1981, the government recruited graduates (the first two were Richard and Clive Finlayson, followed by John and Gina Cortes) to the Government Clerical Service at the lowest grade executive officer level. This caused resentment within the civil service and over three years there were only the four entrants before it was abolished.

Richard gained all-round experience through a series of short-term attachments, seeing how

A list was published of professions where Gibraltarians were needed; these traditionally were medicine, engineering and teaching 39

gibraltar people

Christian Brothers Preparatory School.

Richard - back row (right) sitting next to John Dalli; in front row Andrew Hoare (left) and Philip Andrew (right)

different departments operated.

The first job was a stint at the Human Resources Department, followed by short sessions in the Attorney General’s Chambers, the Department of Labour and Social Security (DLSS) and the Economic and Planing Statistics office. The latter position was at the time of the 1981 census and he wrote the historic introduction to the census report. His next position was at the House of Assembly assisting Paul Garbarino, Clerk of the House, in the build up to the general election.

On promotion to higher executive officer he had a short stint at the Gibraltar Tourist Board where his first job was to revamp the tourist literature. In 1986 he moved to the Department of Medical and Health Services where he was a member of the senior executive team which included Dr Don Bacarese-Hamilton, Pepe Ballentine and Matron Janet Moncur.

The next year, when Pepe Rosado returned from the UK as manager of the London office, he was appointed his successor and promoted to senior executive officer. During this two year tour he lived in the Gibraltar Government-owned house in Dulwich and through the posting met his future wife who was studying at university.

Richard gained a professional qualification in tourism and, after submitting a dissertation, was accepted as a member of the Institute of Travel and Tourism. The Gibraltar Tourist Office ran a series of strategic promotions for travel agents and the local media, at which the Minister would speak, which was supported by advertisements in selected newspapers and magazines.

During his stint as manager, the Tourist Office exhibited once at the World Travel Market and he remembers with pride his most successful joint marketing campaign with Burberry clothing, which was paid for by the clothing company. He attended meetings of two travel related groups — the first, the Association of National Tourist Office Representatives, he attended meetings regularly maintaining a high profile for Gibraltar.

The other was the Institute of Marketing — Travel Industry Group.

In 1988 there was a change of government on the Rock and the new government decided it wanted to run the London Office differently so he was asked to return to Gibraltar. He was posted to the Supreme Court and given a multiplicity of roles which included being the deputy registrar of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal, clerk of the Court of First Instance and registrar of births, deaths and marriages. His

40

most memorable bridegroom was a man who had already been married twice by his predecessor and went on to be married by Richard three more times. Marriage number five only lasted a day as Richard received a postcard from Barcelona telling him the bride walked out of the hotel the next morning and was never seen again.

Richard enjoyed a reputation for putting on a real performance where his acting skills came in handy. He made the most of the ceremony’s limited time and never speeded up the proceedings. His view was, civil marriages were growing in popularity and the ceremony should have solemnity and dignity never to be forgotten by the bride and groom. He did not allow photographs to be taken during the vows so as not to detract from the solemnity of the occasion.

The most demanding side to this multi-faceted job was standing in for the registrar of the Supreme Court — he had no legal qualifications and the work increased and grew more complex. In 1996 after seven years in this important position there was a change of government and he was asked whether he would return to the ministry of tourism to develop a tourist board for Gibraltar.

As Registrar of Marriages, 1996, at the marriage of the former Attorney General for Gibraltar John Blackburn Gittings

“

It is up to the Government to determine its policies and then for the civil servants to put into place whatever is required to give effect to these policies

”

Investiture at the Convent as a OBE, with daughters Anna (left) and Beatrice, and son David

By then tourism was being run from the London office and the new government wished to refocus and administer it differently.

Appointed head of department he found he had acquired an additional portfolio of commercial affairs and transport, which also included shipping. He took responsibility in additional areas as the ministry expanded. The Minister was the Hon. Joe Holliday who gradually ended up with responsibility for Trade and Industry, Tourism, Postal Services, Employment and Transport.

The latter was particularly exciting in 1997 as the Ships’ registry was on the point of becoming a Red Ensign Group category A register— on par with the UK, Isle of Man and Bermuda. There were 24 ships on the register and only one marine surveyor. There was a need to develop maritime legislation for Gibraltar distinct from that of the UK and Richard worked closely with the law drafters to achieve this.

There was also work to be done in Brussels and Richard saw the advantage of Gibraltar joining the Alliance of Maritime Regional Interests in Europe and became the Government’s representative at AMRIE (then very active although today dissolved). A number of MEPs were members of AMRIE and it was a useful forum to promote Gibraltar as a maritime region in Europe. He became a member of the Council of AMRIE, its governing body and was invited to address meetings and chair sessions in Genoa and Malta.

The Minister was pro-active in marketing Gibraltar and Richard became heavily involved in promotions in Greece and London. He also addressed events organised by Gibraltar including the Posidonia shipping exhibition in Greece.

“I found this job to be both interesting and challenging as at the same time I was running the Tourist Board and developing it into what we see today and I was looking after the maritime portfolio. My two years in tourism in London came in most useful. I was able to provide appropriate advice and support to the Minister which is the prime role of a civil servant.

“It is up to the Government to determine its policies and then for the civil servants to put into place whatever is required to give effect to these policies. Over and above this I was developing legislation in relation to motor vehicles. Major changes in EU law meant this legislation had to be steered through and become law. My time in the Supreme Court came in very useful,” he said.

One of the most important issues was the GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

gibraltar people running of EU programmes for Gibraltar. Using his previous experience in Brussels he managed to raise Gibraltar’s profile. He took over the Gibraltar programme — traditionally reporting to Brussels via the UK government — and persuaded Brussels that Gibraltar should report direct as it is not part of the UK. Gibraltar still maintains direct contact with Brussels in relation to EU funding from the European Regional Development Fund reporting to the Directorate General for Regional Policy (DG REGIO) at the European Commission.

Richard went to Brussels for bilateral meetings and the director came to the Rock several times.

During his last visit the director, Jose Palma-Andres, paid tribute to the Chief Secretary saying the reason for this visit was to formally thank Richard for his hard work and for playing such a key role in the EU funding programme in Gibraltar.

Richard’s work load didn’t end there though — he was also responsible for administering the Minister’s portfolio for the Department of Employment and Postal Services.

In 2000 the Gibraltar Heritage Trust presented him with a Heritage Award for research into Gibraltar ’s history, especially philately and numismatics. This was followed in 2003 by an MBE for services in international promotion of Gibraltar through philately and other ways.

Richard was designated Chief Secretary to succeed Ernest Montado in 2006 and was given a few months to acclimatise himself before taking the position on 1st January 2007. This was a crucial moment in the build up and preparation for the Cordoba ministerial meeting between the Chief Minister and the Foreign Secretaries of the UK and Spain. He went to London in May for the preparatory meetings and moved to No. 6 Convent Place in September to ensure a smooth handover at administrative level.

“I accompanied the Chief Minister and Chief Secretary to Cordoba for the ministerial meetings.

My role was then to give effect at an administrative level to the Government’s part of what was agreed between the three governments,” he said.

The day after he formally took over the position, the new Constitution came into effect and he had to bed it down administratively by changing procedures to make them compliant, supported by a dedicated team at No 6.

Richard said, “We were all working in support of the Chief Minister and the Government and our objective was to ensure whatever the Chief Minister determined, both in regard to taking forward our relations with the Spanish Government and how the new Constitution should

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

work in practice, was carried out smoothly and effectively. As Chief Secretary under the new Constitution it meant for the first time the Chief Secretary became the de facto head of the Civil Service instead of the Deputy Governor as that post had vanished.”

Richard never sought the limelight, but worked quietly behind the scenes, whether organising elections in Gibraltar to the European Parliament, or seeing to detailed arrangements and delivery of the programme for the Trilateral Forum Ministerial Meeting in Gibraltar, or developing the rubric for ceremonies which became the responsibility of Gibraltar’s Government, introducing civil service reform, or dealing with the duties of the competent authority for Gibraltar for a range of European directives, or supporting the Government and the Chief Minister in regard to Gibraltar’s external relations. The depth of his role was considerable.

His work load was further increased when he

“

What I have witnessed during my career is the growing up and coming of age of the Gibraltar Civil Service. Gibraltar has matured, developed and changed in hugely significant ways

”

was appointed a member of the Public Service Commission, the new Judicial Services Commission, the new Police Authority and the new Specified Appointments Commission — he lead in developing administrative procedures for these new Commissions.

Following his retirement from public service, earlier this year Richard was appointed Chairman of the Gibraltar Police Authority for a three year period. A few weeks later on behalf of his family he presented the City Hall and the Patrimony of Gibraltar with a late 18th century Grand Tour garniture set in Carrara marble. He is also appointed Maritime Accident Investigation Compliance Officer.

He intends to continue his hobbies of philately, numismatics, currency notes and researching different aspect of Gibraltar’s history. (When the Heritage Trust was created he was one of the original trustees and a few years later when the trust was reconstituted he was again invited to be a trustee. He resigned in 1996 when joining the newly created Ministry of Tourism and Transport to avoid any conflict of interest.)

Richard concluded the interview with these observations, “What I have witnessed during my career is the growing up and coming of age of the Gibraltar Civil Service. Gibraltar has matured, developed and changed in hugely significant ways.

“In future years it will be for the historians to assess what happened and appreciate just how much Gibraltar has grown and developed as a territory capable of properly and effectively running and managing its complex affairs.” n

41

campaigns

In Town Without My Car In Town Without My Car Gibraltar (ITWC) is a non-governmental organisation made up of people who are interested in problems concerning transport and the environment locally.

In Gibraltar, the car is more than a means of getting about, it is a status symbol and the use of the car is deeply ingrained in our culture, ITWC states. Reversing this will take time and it will require a sustained campaign to open people’s hearts and minds to the possibility of change.

The overall aim of any traffic management plan for Gibraltar should be “To reduce reliance on private motorised transport and increase use of public transport and walking and cycling” to deliver reliable, predictable and comfortable ways of getting round Gibraltar in an efficient, nonpolluting manner.

More roads do not equal less traffic. There is evidence to show increasing road capacity results in road users altering their behaviour to fill the available capacity. ITWC focuses on quality of life, and considers air and noise pollution are detracting from the general quality of life in Gibraltar. Expansion of road capacity would only exacerbate this.

We need to be creative in our approach, ITWC emphasises. Gibraltar needs to think outside the box when it comes to addressing traffic locally.

The Gibibikes scheme and the new bus system hold much promise for a more sustainable transport system in Gibraltar, they say. Finally, they hope that a comprehensive transport study is undertaken to understand how best Gibraltar can meet its transport challenge. n

42

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

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the Poet of Seville & the Gibraltar Watchtower

by Dave Wood

In 1069 or thereabouts someone built, or at least commissioned a gang of sweat-soaked shirtless peasants to build a watchtower on the summit of Gibraltar.

He did not leave his name above the entrance, but the smart money says the man responsible was the legendary poet king of Seville, el (you can call me al) Mu’tamid. born in 1040 and inherited the kingdom of Seville on the death of his father, Abbad Il al-Mu’tadid, around the time the Gibraltar watchtower was built. He ruled until 1091; the last of his dynasty to do so. So far so dull, but we are getting ahead of ourselves.

The kingdom of Seville was one of more than 20 local fiefdoms that sprang like mushrooms after the demise of the Córdoba-based Umayyad caliphate in 1031. First to establish himself in Seville was el-Mu’tamid’s grandfather, Abu alQasim Muhammad ibn Isma’il ibn Abbad.

Old Ab, as he was surely known, was popular.

He was just, renowned for his wisdom, and spoken of far and wide as a good egg. Sadly, would rather drive camels in Fez than none of these attributes was inherited by his son tend pigs in Castile,” he wrote on one of those and heir, Al-Mu’tadid who, by contrast, was arirritating days when absolutely nothing would rhyme. What he meant is not entirely clear, but he was, after all, a poet. He was also, they say, bisexual, which is not particularly relevant, but a valuable biographical nugget guaranteed to rivet the attention of the casual reader on the brink of turning the page.

Muhammad Ibn Abbad al-Mu’tamid was

“

I

44

rogant, tyrannical and irredeemably nasty.

But just as future tyrant, Adolf Hitler, had some minor talent as a painter, al-Mu’tadid also had artistic pretensions. In his case, his chosen medium was poetry. When he wasn’t terrorising and executing his subjects, he was organising poetry readings and literary soirées. Small wonder, growing up in such an atmosphere, his own son, al-Mu’tamid, should also have taken up the purple pen.

One of the innumerable artists and writers who were drawn to al-Mu’tadid’s court was a penniless poet named Ibn ‘Ammar. Young prince al-Mu’tamid was impressed. No, he was more than impressed. He became infatuated with this fascinating youth. The discreet say they became “inseparable companions”;

When he wasn’t terrorising and executing his subjects, he was organising poetry readings and literary soirées GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

history file the scandalmongers say they became lovers.

Al-Mu’tamid’s fearsome father was outraged — not by the suggestion his son might be homosexual, for that was neither here nor there in the Bohemian atmosphere of Seville in those days — but because his son, Allah forfend, had become intimate with a commoner. He could have ordered ibn ‘Ammar’s summary execution, but that would have upset his son, so he compromised by having him exiled. It didn’t work. Al-Mu’tamid was nothing if not loyal to his friends and lovers. He stayed in touch, and when in time he assumed the throne, he not only restored ibn ‘Ammar to his court, but made him his prime minister.

Almost inevitably, it ended in tears. At some point al-Mu’tamid got it into his head that ibn ‘Ammar had betrayed him. The story, though coated in legend, has all the hallmarks of a violent lover’s tiff. The king, in an uncharacteristic fit of rage, killed his long-time friend then, racked with remorse, had him buried with full military honours.

But back in happier times, when the pair were still inseparable, they were, it is said, walking together in disguise beside the Guadalquivir River (they knew it as al-Wadi al-Kabir) when they chanced upon a group of young ladies washing their laundry in the river.

Al-Mu’tamid, momentarily possessed by the Muse that hovered perpetually above his head bombarding his brain with inspiration, suddenly gave voice to the opening line of a poem. It was a game that he and ibn ‘Ammar played frequently. One would throw out a line of verse, and the other would have to take up the thread and complete the couplet immediately or pay a forfeit.

Sana’a ‘r-ribu min al-ma I zarad…

Ibn ‘Ammar’s genius in the contest was legendary, and he would doubtless have thrown back a line of incandescent wit and sizzling brilliance, had not one of the young laundresses beat him to it: Ayyu dir’rin li-qitdlin law jamad!

In the cloistered salons of the court this improvised exchange would have had the fawning courtiers bowing to their knees and lustily crying Bravo! And admittedly it does sound pretty impressive.

When we learn, however, that roughly translated, the lines are “The wind has turned the water to chain mail” (alMu’tamid) and “What armour for a battle if it froze!” (laundress), we may be forgiven for wondering what all the fuss was about.

Nevertheless, al-Mu’tamid was captivated, not only by the young laundress’s repartee, but also by her beauty. Her name was I’timad, and she was a slave and mule driver for a certain Rumaik. The king bought her freedom, carried her off to his palace, and married her. Surely the most extravagant reward for a single line of extemporised doggerel in history. The best I ever got was a look of genuine concern and the offer of an aspirin. In his grave, al-Mu’tamid’s unspeakable snob of a father must have been spinning like a windmill in a gale.

They said it wouldn’t last. In the court and across the kingdom heads shook and tongues wagged. The king had taken leave of his senses and the world as the average person knew it had been stood upon its head. In a matter of months,

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

if not weeks, he would tire of her, and send her back with a refund to Rumaik and his mules.

They were wrong. Al Mu’tamid’s devotion to his wife, if anything, grew stronger with the years, and the knowledge that she could twist her infatuated husband around her finger like a piece of string became, to her, as the taste of honey.

One February it snowed in Córdoba. Nothing there to excite an Inuit or a coal miner in Durham, but a rare sight in that part of Spain.

I’tamid, God help us, burst into tears and told her husband between her melodramatic sobs that he was heartless not to provide her with such a beautiful sight every winter. The normal reaction would have been to have her sectioned, but no. Instead, al Mu’tamid ordered the sierra to be thickly planted with almond trees so that in springtime their white blossoms would, from a distance, replicate the appearance of his wife’s beloved snow. I think I’m going to be sick.

Despite being a lapdog to his capricious (I will not say demented) wife, al Mu’tamid had some notable successes. Within two years of assuming the throne he managed to add Córdoba to his portfolio, and he trumpeted his triumph in verse: I have won at the first onset The hand of the lovely Córdoba; That brave Amazon who with sword and spear Repelled all those who sought her in marriage.

And now we celebrate our nuptial in her palace,

The king bought her freedom, carried her off to his palace, and married her. Surely the most extravagant reward for a single line of extemporised doggerel in history

While the other monarchs, my baffled rivals, Weep tears of rage and tremble with fear.

With good reason do ye tremble, despicable foemen!

For soon the lion will spring upon you!

Whether his baffled rivals, his despicable foemen, were trembling with fear or laughing their heads off we leave our readers to decide.

While he lay upon his richly ornamented couch writing poems, the world beyond his palace walls was in increasing turmoil. The various Moorish rulers of their fragmented, tinpot kingdoms were fighting among themselves like myopic cats in a very small sack, and consequently the Christian reconquest of what would ultimately be called Spain was slowly getting underway.

It would not be completed for another four centuries, but by the time of al Mu’tamid the writing was already clearly on the walls. The graffiti have not been preserved, but we may be sure that a fine example was scrawled on at least one side of the Gibraltar watchtower.

Al Mu’tamid panicked, and along with the kings of neighbouring Granada and Badajoz, made the biggest mistake of his life. Together, they sent an invitation to the Berber Almoravids in Morocco to come to their aid.

It seemed like a good idea at the time, but it was like a flock of frightened chickens begging help from a gang of foxes. The Almoravids certainly roughed up the Christians, but what they did to their short-sighted Moorish brothers was worse. One by one their kingdoms fell to the invited invaders.

In Seville, which the Berber army sacked with joyous abandon, al Mu’tamid characteristically snatched up his bejeweled quill to pen a wistful verse: When my tears cease to flow, And a calm steals over my troubled heart, I hear voices crying “Yield! That is true wisdom!”

But I reply, “Poison would be a sweeter draught to me Than such a cup of shame!”

There is more, but time is precious and we must move on. Typically, his vow to swallow poison proved mere poetic licence and he decided instead to wait for the Berber wolves to arrive at his door and wreak havoc. Most of the rulers of the Andalusian kingdoms were murdered by the ruthless Almoravids, but their king, Yusuf ibn Tashufin, spared al Mu’tamid.

Perhaps it was against his principles to assassinate poets. For whatever reason, the celebrated poet king was allowed to live, but told he must leave the country and find exile in Morocco.

To mingled cheers and tears he, his wife and their entourage, left Andalucia forever, crossing the Strait of Gibraltar in a fleet of sombre black barges. Thereafter they lived in abject poverty in the village of Aghmat. While his wife and daughters earned a crust by spinning yarn, al Mu’tamid sat morosely in a corner writing poems of the “Woe is me” variety.

The death of I’tamid proved an unbearable blow. Without his wife to spin the wool, where would the next meal come from? He died, aged 55, in 1095. The Gibraltar tower has long since returned to the dust. Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair… n

45

I was quiet shy. However, I was completely blow away by what went on there, and it has definitely been one of the best experiences of my life.”

The project was organised by Charlene and Rebecca Figueras, and was one of the first stay in structured projects, organised by the Youth Service. The participants were taught the basics of fashion design, and although it was about fashion, it encouraged working together as a group, and making connections between the members involved. “At first this idea was like a dream come true for me. I finally had an outlet to express myself, and was focused and ready to work,” Paul explains.

“We had to create a full outfit per group, which was daunting, but a great experience.

I made really good friends who I have to this day, and it was refreshing to have something to work towards. Being openly creative in front of other people was an issue for me — however my fears were soon diminished by the trust given by the mentors of the group.”

The following year, Paul was invited to participate in the project as junior mentor, where he was able to give advice, critique work, and gain more technical knowledge in fashion. I’d like to thank Charlene and Rebecca Figueras for having being a huge influence on me, and helping me throughout. I appreciate and admire them, and they are like family to me,” Paul smiles.

Although discouraged by many people, he managed to get the funding for a degree course in Fashion Design, at University of the Creative Arts (UCA). He had to make a few dresses in

“

I was completely blow away by what went on there, and it has definitely been one of the best experiences of my life

Paul Perez:

Photos by Figgy Photography

”

An Eye for Fashion

Sitting in his grandmother’s living room, Paul Perez would watch his resourceful grandmother knit, crochet, and sew. Soon learning the basics from her, and even stealing her needles to start working on stuff, these were his beginnings before pursuing his career in the world of fashion design.

“Unfortunately, there was nothing in school which had to do with fashion or textiles — boys only had woodwork which I was terrible at,” Paul explains. Eventually he moved to the College of Further Education, where his art teacher, Fernando Gomez, was able to point him in the right direction. “He was a positive influence on me, and through his critique and

46

evaluation was able to get the best out of me.

He guided me as to which courses would be best for me, if I wanted to pursue a career in Fashion Design.”

Paul then saw a flyer for Forensic Fashion — “I decided to give it a go, even though I was very quiet and introverted. I was very nervous, as most of the members were girls, and

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

by Jolene Gomez

order to get accepted, and carry out a presentation in front of the lecturers. “I dragged the dresses all the way from the hotel to the University on the tube — good thing the teachers didn’t see the ends as they were black! I was so nervous — I threw the whole projector, in front of the lecturers. It was so embarrassing,” Paul laughs.

“The course is hard, and the university prides itself in preparing the undergraduates for the world of work. They encourage you to get out there in the industry, and offer internships on a regular basis. We’ve had the cast of Wicked visit the University, as well as dancers from So You Think You Can Dance UK, and I have worked with Julie McDonald and with Harpers Bazaar India, in order to look at the clothing and their artistic vision. Our internships enable us to get contacts for the future,” Paul explains.

Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of Paul’s journey through UCA, is that he discovered that, like most creative people, he was dyslexic.

“I was told at school I was average, and pretty much accepted this. However, at University it was suggested to me to take the test, and apparently I am dyslexic. It sorted out many things for me, and I’m lucky to have an excellent support system there for dyslexia.”

Now in his final year, Paul is working towards the four collections he has to create — a total of 18 outfits! “Nowadays, clothes have become a disposable product, and I feel the work of the seamstress and tailor have become undervalued.”

His next project is Graduate Fashion Week – an event all students involved in fashion try to get their work out there. Top people in the fashion industry attend, as they head hunt for young talent. “My University has a reputation for sending top quality designers, and only 20 from the year are sent — that’s a third of the course intake. I’m planning to work hard to

“

Nowadays, clothes have become a disposable product, and I feel the work of the seamstress and tailor have become undervalued

”

Gibraltar on the fashion map, and has been influential around the world. Paul is also influenced by Diane Von Furstenberg, and Tiery Mugler, but his true inspiration is Marc Jacobs, who at 35 has already worked for Louis Viutton, and has his own label.

“I specialise in womenswear, and my idea is to dress women from head to toe, including accessories and all. I’m currently working on my own blog, http://pivotalfashion.tumblr.com where I post ideas and trends within the creative industry, and hopefully, some of my creations soon,” Paul says smiling. n

gain my spot,” Paul exclaims.

“The good thing with the fashion world is that it is always changing, innovating and recycling at the same time. Although some ideas might no be in now, in five years time they might be the bomb. I love watching fashion weeks, and hot couture shows, and admit to be a little obsessed with them. I’m fascinated with how trends vary each year, and I’m always viewing stuff on the internet.”

Although his aim is to work in the world of fashion elsewhere, he can’t wait to bring his collection to Gibraltar. “I have researched local artists within fashion in Gibraltar, such as Eduardo Viotto, Priscilla Sacramento, adopted Gibraltarean Ismael Lopez, Dorcas Hammond and Emily Figueras — the last two whom I have worked with during my summer vacations. I’m very proud of what these fashion pioneers have achieved, and hope to bring my own style and flair to become a recognised designer locally,” he explains.

“In Gibraltar, men and women are very fashion aware, and although there is a diversity in the styles and genres available, I feel this needs to develop a little bit more. Fashion comes at a slower rate in Gibraltar, as we are generally more selective about what we wear.”

Despite his recent scandal, John Galliano is still an inspiration for Paul, as he has put

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

47

photo shoot

Shot on the Rocks...

Gibraltar can boast of some great modelling talent, and a total of 23 local models got together for Jayden Fa’s latest project.

“I have always wanted to shoot a big group of models together, so I got in touch with girls I have worked in the past. I have worked with over 100 local models, and wanted to get as many of them as possible all together to create a stunning group photo,” Jayden explains.

Jayden organised the event through Facebook, and the available girls met on a bank holiday, for a total of five hours. The location was ideal, as Jayden and artistic director, Guy Baglietto, were inspired by natural beauty and wanted the photo to represent summer. With the sea surrounding the rocks, it seemed like the perfect location to use for a big group shot. They came across this area when location scouting, and it was a place they always wanted to shoot at.

The job was not an easy task for the ladies

48

involved, as they had to walk along slippery, untouched rocks to take their spot, which actually proved quite painful for some. “I think people always think modelling is glamorous and an easy job to do, when in fact it is a lot of hard work for the models and the team involved,” he explains.

“

...people always think modelling is glamorous and an easy job to do, when in fact it is a lot of hard work for the models and the team involved

”

Jayden said a special thanks to Deepak Ramchandani and Naomi Abudarham-Kerman for doing the make-up on this shoot, and to Christel Mifsud for the styling. n The models were Lian Falzun, Jessica Baldachino, Francesca Hurtado, Sue-Ellen Hurtado, Louise Olivares, Stacey Britto, Jade Garcia, Karess Zammit, Zoe Borge, Jemma Rocca, Rachel Martinez, Kiara Crome Garcia, Elke Hurtado, Chantal Santos, Louise Gonzalez, Yesmina Ben Allal, Samantha Enriles, Kristy Torres, Elka Hanglin, Molly McElwee, Melanie Chipolina, Melanie Lett & Sueyenne Celecia.

For more information, please visit Jayden’s website: www.jaydenfa.carbonmade.com

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

fashion

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GIBRALTAR GIBRALTAR MAGAziNE MAGAZINE •• NovEMBER NOVEMBER 2011 2011

49 49

health & well-being

£10,000 goes to Calpe House Trust

Smiles all around: Olga Zammitt, representing the Calpe House Trust, accepts the £10,000 cheque

Hundreds of people who visit Calpe House will benefit from a donation of £10,000 made by UK based healthcare provider HSA, which will now be called Simplyhealth after recent changes to its health cash plan.

A special lunch event held at the O'Callaghan Elliot Hotel hosted by the HSA revealed a number of positive changes to its health cash plan and to its brand. Renamed as Simplyhealth, their new Simply Cash Plan has now expanded their benefits for Gibraltar. It will allow people to claim for five additional nights spent in hospital, claim for new child payment and to claim back 75% of the cost of health screening, up to annual limits.

Mike Wagg spokesperson for Simplyhealth comments: "We are pleased to announce a number of positive changes to our Gibraltar health cash plan. With customers no doubt feeling the pinch due to the recession, we have decided to freeze premiums at their current prices. We have also increased the amount that can be claimed back on dental and optical benefits and raised the percentage individuals are entitled to claim on complementary therapies from 50% to 75%.”

The occasion was marked with a gener-

50

ous donation of £10,000 to Calpe House Trust which will help towards the refurbishment of disability friendly accommodation. Charles Tilbury from Calpe House Trust comments, "I can't thank Simplyhealth enough for their generous donation. Over 500 people every year from Gibraltar stay at Calpe House. The money will be used to refurbish some of the existing accommodation to make it as pleasant an experience as possible at a time when people can feel quite low.” Mr Wagg responds, “Calpe House offers people from Gibraltar an

“

Calpe House offers people from Gibraltar an invaluable service and we hope that our donation will help the Trust continue its fantastic work

”

invaluable service and we hope that our donation will help the Trust continue its fantastic work.” The Simplyhealth cash plan has been welcomed by businesses and individuals alike and will remain committed to making a difference. n

About Simplyhealth Simplyhealth is a UK based health care provider offering health cash plans to those living in the UK and in Gibraltar.

Health cash plans allow individuals to claim back the cost of visits to the dentist and opticians as well as the physiotherapist, chiropodist and chiropractor, up to annual limits.

For further information about Simplyhealth please visit www.simplyhealth.co.uk/gibraltar.

To contact Calpe House Trust call 200 40630.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

An affordable way to look after the health and wellbeing of your staff Just think how beneficial it would be to your business if you could provide affordable benefits to help your employees with their health.

With the Simply Cash Plan, your employees can claim money back towards their everyday healthcare. It’s an easy and affordable way of showing that you value them.

The plan provides money back towards dental treatment, eye tests and complementary therapies, such as physiotherapy and osteopathy. It also includes money back towards health screening and consultations, all up to an annual limit.

To find out more visit www.simplyhealth.co.uk/gibraltar or call our agent in Gibraltar, Capurro Insurances & Investments Limited on 200 40850.

Simplyhealth has been named Best Health Insurance Provider at the 2011 Consumer Moneyfacts Awards.

Best Health Insurance Provider

Five good reasons to join today:

1.

Cover starts at just £2.05 per employee, per week

2.

Your employees will regularly use and value their plan

3.

The plan can help you recruit and retain staff, and minimise sickness absence

4.

We’ll deal with all claims directly and usually put the money back in your employees’ bank accounts within a few days

5.

Employees can upgrade to a higher level of cover and include their family by paying an additional premium

To find out more visit www.simplyhealth.co.uk/gibraltar or call our agent in Gibraltar, Capurro Insurances & Investments Limited on 200 40850

Simplyhealth is the new name for HSA. While our name may have changed our commitment to our customers’ health certainly hasn’t.

1110039

Capurro Insurance & Investments Ltd, 20 Line Wall Road, Gibraltar. Registered Company No. 59715, with registered address: 28 Irish Town, Gibraltar. Regulated and authorised by the Financial Services Commission, Gibraltar.

Simplyhealth is a trading name of Simplyhealth Access, registered and incorporated in England and Wales, No. 183035. Registered office: Hambleden House, Waterloo Court, Andover, Hampshire SP10 1LQ. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Your calls may be recorded and monitored for training and quality assurance purposes.

1110039-c-FINAL.indd 1

19/10/2011 15:40

Dr. Marco Vricella, HC Marbella Hospital

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surgery procedures and each client benefits from Aria’s post procedure after care service in Gibraltar.

Perceived wisdom suggests that cosmetic surgery procedures are really only requested by women, but that certainly is not the case and with regards to nose reshaping, the surgery is equally common amongst men as it is with women.

The procedure requires general anaesthetic and an overnight stay in our luxury private hospital. Results vary from person to person and changing your nose may also change the way your face looks; so discuss your individual case in the privacy of a free consultation. Rhinoplasty surgery varies, but typically it is performed from inside the nose, so there is no visible scarring at all; and when the procedure calls for

Aria Medical Group, founded by Chief Surgeon Dr Marco Vricella, offers Rhinoplasty as part of its range of cosmetic

Rhinoplasty can enhance your appearance and your self-confidence; but before you decide to have surgery, think carefully about your expectations and discuss them with Dr Vricella at Aria Medical Group; and see other ‘before and after’ photos so you can understand what is possible.

the narrowing of flared nostrils, the small scars on the base of the nose are usually not visible. However for the first few weeks some bruising and swelling will be visible, so it is worth considering this when booking the date for your operation, as you may want to take some time off to recuperate.

The final results take some months to be fully visible as it takes some time for swelling to vanish completely.

To find out more please feel free to book a free consultation. Dr. Vricella holds free consultations at College Clinic, Regal House, Gibraltar every 2 weeks – for dates and to book an appointment please call:

+ 34 952 895 088 or email:

info@ariamedicalgroup.com

www.ariamedicalgroup.com

Cosmetic Surgery | Non Surgical Procedures | Cosmetic Dentistry

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Book your consultation By phone: (+34) 952 895 088 in English (+34) 662 936 058 en Espa単ol Or online: info@ariamedicalgroup.com

Dr. Marco Vricella Director of the Aesthetic Surgery unit at HC Marbella Hospital

FREE Consultations | Gibraltar |

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Your Family Chemists

Gentle holistic treatment for all back or muscular problems and sports injuries Gillian Schirmer MA, DC, MMCA Clinic (Claudia’s), 1st Floor, 58 Main Street Tel: 200 41733 or after hours: 200

Here to help you by answering all your pharmaceutical questions Consult us at 27 Bell Lane Tel: 200 77289 Fax: 200 42989

CHEMISTS

Bell Pharmacy 27 Bell Lane Tel: 200 77289 Fax: 200 42989

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British Registered Optometrists

Chiropodists

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 STEINER CHIROPRACTIC CLINICS

Chiropractic Health Clinic

Dr Carsten Rudolf Steiner BSc DC

Dr Steven J. Crump B.Sc, DC, MCC Open: Mon - Fri 9.30am - 6.30pm

Member of the British Chiropractic Association

Back to better health with Chiropractic for headaches, dizziness, neck and lower back pain, sciatica, osteoathritis and sports injuries.

College Clinic, Regal Hse. Tel: 200 77777

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

The Health Store

5 City Mill Lane, Gibraltar. Tel: 20073765

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

Suppliers of Glucosamine, Ginkgo Biloba and all vitamins.

Body Building Products (Creatine etc) Open: 9am - 1pm & 3pm - 6pm

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

JOHN W. MILES

Gache & Co Limited 266 Main Street. Tel: 200 75757

STATE REGISTERED CHIROPODIST

L. M. Passano Optometrist 38 Main Street. Tel: 200 76544

Treatment of all Foot Problems • Ingrown Toe-nails including Surgical Removal

OSTEOPATHS

• Biomechanical Analysis for Insoles / Orthotics including Children

Joma Ormrod (BOst.) (female) Atlantic Suites Health Club & Spa Europort Tel: 200 48147 www.atlanticosteopathy.com

• Wart (Verruca) Clinic • Diabetics

PERSONAL TRAINERS

Tel: 200 77777

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

College Clinic, Regal House, Queensway TEL: 54029587 FOR HOME VISITS

2nd Flr International Commercial Centre Weekend & Public Holiday Opening Hours (use Irish Town entrance)

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

Opticians / Optometrists

BSc (Podiatry), M.Ch.S

Primary Care Centre

HEARING CENTRE

Isabella Jimenez BSc (hons) 3/8 Turnbull’s Lane Tel: 54002226 email: jimenez.isabella@gmail.com

Need somebody to talk to?

Physicians

Dr Norbert V Borge FRCP (London) 7-9 Cornwall’s Lane Tel/Fax: 200 75790

Saturday: 9am - 11am, 5pm - 6pm Sunday & Public Holidays : 10am - 11am, 5pm - 6pm GP Clinics: 8am - 5.20pm

Specialist Medical Centre Unit F7 ICC Casemates Square Tel: 200 49999 Fax: 200 49999 Email: info@smg.gi

Psychologist

7 days a week 6-10pm

54 what a page turner! www.thegibraltarmagazine.com

Clinical Psychologist Tel: +34 661 007 261 Email: vivianabot3007@yahoo.es

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • November 2011

health & well-being

l

There’s always a warm welcome at the Health Store on City Mill Lane where you will find everything from the full range of vitamins to body building products and just steps away from Main Street near Mothercare. Pop in and say hello.

Recent addition, Elizabeth Tosso, joins Eugenio Mendieta and Carmen Vazquez to complete the team at the Hearing Centre Ltd. Hearing problems can be avoided with an early diagnosis, so why not phone them for a free appointment? Tel: 200 63644.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

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health issues

The Gladys Perez Centre:

Much more than meets the eye

by Karim Corby

For nine years the Gladys Perez Centre has acted as a follow-up for the Bruce’s Farm drug rehabilitation programme, an aftercare facility that served to keep in touch with those who completed the programme.

It afforded its participants an opportunity to continue their work in a private yet centralised location on Main Street. July saw a substantial investment from the Gibraltar government into the expansion of the premises — manager John Montegriffo was kind enough to explain the expanded facilities and what it means for the future of the centre.

Tackling Diabetes October saw the relaunch of Diabetes Gibraltar (previously known as the Gibraltar Diabetic Association). The new name and logo were chosen to reflect the fact the charity supports and welcomes anyone affected by diabetes; those suffering from the disease and their families and friends.

The relaunch event took place at the John Macintosh Hall on 5th October. Richard Lane, OBE, the President of Diabetes UK attended and gave an interesting and inspiring talk about his life with diabetes and his experience as a recipient of pioneering treatment in the UK. He spoke about the vital role Diabetes UK played, funding seven million pounds of research into the treatment of diabetes last year. He also encouraged people to become active members of the newly launched charity.

The committee were delighted that 126 people attended the event and thank everyone associated with making the event a success.

The diabetes centre is open 10-

John has been working for the cause of drug rehabilitation since the early 80’s when he was a part of the Drug Rehabilitation United Group (DRUG) “Back then” he recalls, “There was nothing close to the facilities we have available today, the subject was too taboo to be discussed or adequately tackled with the limited resources

available.”

The centre was named after Gladys in honour of her work managing Bruce’s Farm and the dedication she showed in her work. “Gladys was an incredible human being” says John “she had a big heart but knew to be firm when she needed to, she kept Bruce’s Farm running, and had

12 noon Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 51 Line Wall Road.

Membership of Diabetes Gibraltar is free and application forms are available at the centre and in the PCC. The next event in the calendar is the Annual Flag Day which includes a Walk for Diabetes on Saturday 12th November. Go along and join in and wear blue to show your support.

Diabetes Gibraltar is particularly interested to hear from anyone with a few spare hours to help in the lead up to the flag day or anyone willing to help on the day.

Further details are available on the Facebook page so please take a look and get in touch. n

The next event in the calendar is the Annual Flag Day which includes a Walk for Diabetes on Saturday 12th November John Montegriffo

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

community she not been taken so suddenly, no doubt she’d still be working there.” It seemed appropriate — given Gladys’ tireless efforts for the residents and for the opening of the centre — that it be named after her.

In many ways the expansion of the centre represents far more than the bricks and furniture — it cannot be quantified in the number of people it has helped in its years in operation, or judged by the determination and hard work of the carers, like its namesake Gladys. The centre is a culmination of so many ventures, agencies and volunteers working towards the cause for over 20 years. It is impossible to properly articulate through any single aspect of its operation.

To the care workers, it is an opportunity to better help those in need, to the participants, it is a refuge, and to Gibraltar, it is a part of our history and our shared heritage — being one of the oldest buildings in Gibraltar it was once a part of the Convent, and many of its centuries old details can still be seen.

With this in mind, the generous investment of £30,000 has gone towards far more than simple material gains. Granted, those who had seen the centre prior to its inauguration in July this year can attest to how much change has come about as a result. The atmosphere is certainly different.

What was once little more then a space occupied by folding chairs is now a real therapeutic centre.

The common area is clean and comfortable with new soft furnishings and paintings lining the walls, there is a private space for one-to-one counselling and an open area upstairs for group meetings, as well as some games tables to take the edge off the rigours of the programme.

The Royal Gibraltar Police has also been active in this refurbishment— collecting donations from drug awareness events raised enough to purchase a brand new HD television for the common area.

Minister for Family, Youth and Community Affairs, Jaime Netto, inaugurated the refurbishment and newly upgraded facilities in July, and stated his hope that the centre would continue to offer community services. He also highlighted the fact it had remained “under utilised” as an asset to the community.

John spoke of the new initiatives currently being adopted for the centre. They are planning to expand drug rehabilitation and aftercare as well as welcoming

The common area where groups will be able to gather and socialise, flanked by rooms for more intensive one-to-one therapy sessions

“

Gladys was an incredible human being, she had a big heart but knew to be firm when she needed to. She kept Bruce’s Farm running, and had she not been taken so suddenly, no doubt she’d still be working there new groups to the centre. This includes Families Anonymous, the Psychological Support Group and elderly care facilities.

Alongside the new groups, they will also be expanding their therapies and support programmes.

With presentations for schools aimed at educating the young population to the dangers of drugs and addiction. The centre will host more therapies including group sessions, one-to-one counselling, support for families who have relatives undergoing rehabilitation and otherwise offering refuge to those who, for whatever reason, cannot commit to a stay at Bruce’s Farm.

The Gladys Perez Centre also represents change, not only in the way we treat social problems, be they drug and alcohol related or beyond.

“People don’t see the word ‘rehab’ the way they used to,” John explains. “20 years ago it was a case of being locked up, held down or otherwise until the addiction subsided, but what we are seeing, not just locally, but around the world, is a shift from residential rehabilitation to more communal approaches — group therapies, sponsor systems for people who complete the programme

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

”

— and it is becoming much more effective. People respond to those who have survived what they are going through.”

John’s hope for the future of the facility is to continue growing

from this strong community approach; for the centre to be seen, not as a refuge for the broken but a place of community support.

A welcoming space for all, and a place where help is freely given; be it advice on drugs, alcohol, help taking care of your family, or a place for the elderly to enjoy a comfortable space for an afternoon.

It is clear that the centre represents a great deal to the community, but by far the most meaningful thing is what the Gladys Perez Centre is set to become. n

The games room will double as a group therapy area

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events

With his proud parents at a competition

myLife in Drag

Karl Mascarenhas:

Dating back to the dawn of theatre, with the Kabuki in China and Japan, men have been dressing as woman on stage for hundreds of years. The word “drag” derives from the style of women’s costumes in the 18th and 19th centuries, with long, full and heavy skirts that dragged across the stage, thus men who wore them were dressed “in drag.” Nowadays, drag queens dress in the female gender role, often exaggerating certain characteristics for dramatic and satirical effect, with elaborate costumes and complex acts. Gibraltar’s Karl Anthony Mascarenhas has performed at many prestigious competitions around the world, and lets us into this fascinating world, full of sparkle, glamour and pzazz.

Growing up in Gibraltar was not easy for Karl, as he was subject to bullying and tormented by his peers. “Growing up was hard for me — I was very different to other people my age, and went through very hard times coming to terms with being bullied. I decided I had to change my life, and left Gibraltar, moving to Malaga, aged 18,” he explains.

Out one night enjoying Malaga’s vibrant nightlife, he noticed a pub called Paradise Club had organised a drag queen competition.

“I thought about trying it out, and ended up as runner-up. The experience was unforgettable — I enjoyed myself so much that I decided to take it up professionally. That was 10 years ago — 10 years of fantastic experiences, adventures and fun,” Karl smiles.

Coming up with an artistic name was also an important step for Karl. “I started using the

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name Platina, but after a lot of thought, I preferred having a name that would describe me, and my journey to becoming a drag queen. I started off with the word hysterical, as I wanted to entertain my audience through humour, and my journey to becoming a drag queen had been a confusing one, so I added these two together to become Isterika Confundida.”

When becoming a drag queen, there are times when new ones turn to a drag mother — an experienced drag queen who acts as a

“

...it takes me 90 minutes to do my make-up — layers upon layers to transform me into my character

”

mentor and guide to a drag queen who is just starting in the business. “My partner was fortunate to have a drag mother from Portugal, who showed him how to get ready and perform, step-by-step. I just kept on watching, and got the skills from observing.”

Getting ready for a performance is a long process for drag queens, as they have to make sure every detail of their appearance is perfection. “I start off by having a shower, and getting rid of any excess body hair. Then it takes me 90 minutes to do my make-up — layers upon layers to transform me into my character,” Karl explains.

Karl likes to create his own ideas for costumes and performance routines, as he strives to be unique and innovative. “I like to try different styles and colours for my costumes, which I make myself, and an outfit can take

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

performing arts

by Jolene Gomez from a week, to a couple of months to create. It is a lot of hard work, but when you see the final product on stage, it is worth it,” he states.

His performances have evolved over the years, becoming more complicated, and his costumes more and more expensive and elaborate. “I started using sequins and plastic stones, and changed to Swarovski and Strass crystals, which although much more expensive, add calibre and glamour to my outfits,” Karl explains.

To date, Karl holds 18 different titles, and has competed at various prestigious competitions around the world. The most important prizes he has won were two first prizes at the Canary Islands competition. The Canary Islands are renowned for their Carnival, and the competitions held there are amongst the best worldwide. “What I love the most is performing at competitions, and being on stage — I feel on top of the world,” Karl smiles.

Working in public relations, a normal working day for Karl starts with sticking on his platforms, and mingling with the public at an event. He is often asked to sing playback, and in this case changes his outfit to perform the crowd favourites. “It is a tough business, but if you are passionate about it, you will do well. I would recommend anyone willing to get involved in the Drag Queen world, to keep calm in difficult circumstances, always try to better themselves as performers and people, and reach for the stars.”

With regards to the future, Karl would love to work on a cruise liner, in a hotel, or any other tourist venture. “My dream is to work with [world-famous Gibraltarian fashion designer] Galliano with regards to my outfits. I would love to express my own creations with his sense of style,” he says.

Having performed at the GBC Open Days a few years ago, Karl cannot wait to come back to Gibraltar and do what he loves best. “I am longing to work in my home town, and let the public see a true carnival. I think Gibraltar has

One of Karl’s creations GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

At a competition in Benalmadena

many resources and people are very artistic, and would appreciate and enjoy a carnival parade down Main Street, where different outfits can be on display. That is one of my goals,” he smiles.

Karl is now getting ready for carnival and

“

competitions in February, and would like to thank his family for supporting him, emotionally and financially. n For more information or sponsorship opportunities, contact Karl on +34 651577192, +34 646281601, or email him on karlanthony22@hotmail.com.

I am longing to work in my home town, and let the public see a true carnival. I think Gibraltar has many resources and people are very artistic, and would appreciate and enjoy a carnival parade down Main Street

”

Isterika Confundida

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activities

Christian Santos

Master of Arts

by Sonia Golt

Looking back at Christian Santos’ involvment in the arts, it is easy to see that though an artist can learn skills, practise different methods, and, through hard work, hone techniques, a true artist is born with the creativity, sensitivity and imagination to make him or her different to the rest. Christian lucky to be born with a great artistic flair!

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An artist is someone who dedicates time and energy to an activity considered an art, thus singing, dancing, acting, poetry, writing lyrics, painting, sculpture, photography, and music are included, but perhaps a better name for all rounder Christian, whose passion for music and theatre started at a young age, would be ‘entertainer’.

“At the age of 16 a group of us started up an amateur production company called Teen Productions,” he explains. “A lot of us are still involved in theatre and event productions, like Owen Smith and Richard Mor who co-write and perform in my ‘Llanito’ shows.

“I was very lucky as a teenager as I had the opportunity to work with many different people who inspired me,” he adds. “On the music front my greatest inspirations were, and still are, Charlie and Helen Chiappe, who helped me take my first steps as a vocalist and as a general musician. On the acting front I was very privileged to work with the late Leslie Zammit and was part of the Trafalgar Theatre Group junior workshops led by Christine Thompson and Jean Penny, who started me off in this incredible world of art and to whom I am forever grateful. ” And the fashion and pageant side? “My first attempts at presenting came from working with you, Sonia, at Golt & Associates as you always involved me in all the events you organised and produced. You were my first stepping stone into this field.”

Christian says he feels very lucky to have had such an interesting youth, and a firm foundation to fall back on later when he was away in the UK studying.

Christian completed his degree in Contemporary Arts at Nottingham Trent University and then went to further his professional studies in Mountview Theatre School, a vocational school which trains students in all aspects of Musical Theatre.

“My time there is possibly the best in my life, growing into the performer I have become,” he states. “I was fortunate enough to sign with an agent who made sure I went to numerous auditions. This led to nine years of work including musical theatre, cabaret, television, and acting, followed by six years working for the Disney company, on their cruise line and in the Tokyo Disney Resort in Japan. An incredible experience!”

Christian then returned to Gibraltar, and went straight into production — the first show he produced was a talent show for children called Star Search.

“I had been back in Gibraltar for over two months not knowing

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

show time what to do here but I was amazed at the amount of young untapped talent. I had always wanted to open a stage school in Gibraltar and working with these hugely talented children most certainly reinforced this idea,” he explains. “I possibly learned as much from these kids as I hope they learned from me.

Their ability to sing is what made me start a choir with 11 students.

That number started growing so much that it propelled me to start Santos Productions Academy and it has been going from strength to strength to this day.”

Christian has tried his hand at a variety of shows culminating in Gibraltar’s most prestigious and sought after annual event, the Miss Gibraltar Pageant.

“Miss Gibraltar is a show which will always be evolving,” Christian says. “Different producers give their own individual input and personal touch to what is the highlight of the social calendar. The Miss Gibraltar show is something I am generally very passionate about, not only as a producer but as a Gibraltarian and spectator.

“I think I have added a bit more of an up-to-date fashionable aspect to the show.” Christian focussed not only on the entertainment side, but on the contestants and making them appear more self-assured and fashion orientated. “I am a big fan of beauty pageants in general and therefore I spend a lot of time researching what is going on in this world internationally to try and add a bit of that into our local pageant,” he enthuses. “We spend a lot of time training the girls to not only be pretty faces but also well rounded women. I am extremely satisfied with what we have achieved with all our contestants, and I think it goes without saying even more so now, feeling so proud to have a Miss World come from one of our pageants.”

Acting, writing and singing are also part and parcel of Christian’s talents and he remembers “As a youngster my dream was always to perform but as the years went

by I realised that I also needed to create.”

Christian enjoys performing on a professional level but like everything else in life, he says it can become stale at times. “When I worked as a singer or actor on a new production there was always a bit of me that would like to be on the other side, writing, directing or producing.”

Christian made a decision at the age of 30 to come back to Gibraltar and set up a production company.

“I gave myself three years to make it a success, if this did not happen as I had already made good contacts

Christian on stage

abroad in this field I could always return to work elsewhere.

“I have given my all to this endeavour and fortunately it worked out and even better than I expected,” he smiles. “When I produce a show I put my heart and soul into it and it is a fantastic and rewarding experience.”

Christian also performs in many of his productions so he still get the satisfaction of that aspect.

“Another of my passions is writing, and having my own production company gives me the chance to write my own shows. Most of the shows I produce I write myself or together with Richard Mor, who I have been writing with since my childhood days. The local audience is a great forum to try out new work and be as creative as I choose to be as they are very appreciative.”

Established in 2008 the very successful Santos Productions Academy always takes part in the Gibraltar Festival for Young Musicians where they have always won many awards in vocal sections and the bursaries. They have won Most Vibrant Performer on three occasions, Most Promising under 12 and under 18 and the Most Promising Youth Choir.

When the prestigious Sylvia Young Theatre School in London came to hold a weekend workshop locally, they offered one scholarship for the Summer School in acting and musical theatre. “Not only did one of our students win this scholarship but another four of our students were awarded scholarships too,”

“

Christian grins. “This year one of our students entered the Arts Educational Theatre School which is one of the UK’s most prestigious vocational schools — thousands audition and only 50 obtain a place.”

There are four more students who will be auditioning for places in vocational schools around London.

“My aim is to train every student to reach their utmost potential not only as actors or singers but also as young people,” emphasises Christian. “Not every one will become a great singer or actor, but hopefully they will have the opportunity to learn about production, theatre etiquette, commitment and general discipline.

“Santos Productions Academy is one of my biggest achievements. I am extremely proud of all my students and what they are achieving at such a young age. I hope I can inspire them as much as they all inspire me on a day to day basis.”

Christian has now also joined GBC television and radio, and says “Working on Radio is something that has always interested me.

The fact you just have your voice to express yourself without any visual aid is fascinating. I only work at GBC as a freelancer so I get to read the news in Spanish and do the Spanish programme every other week. I also have my TV programme Chatterbox which is a children’s debate programme. I enjoy performing in both media where I can actually be myself instead of playing a character. I feel I am very lucky to have this opportunity as I

The local audience is a great forum to try out new work and be as creative as I choose to be as they are very appreciative

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

”

have learned a lot about broadcasting in general.”

So where next for Christian?

“Who knows? I want to continue and try to finish every project I now have ongoing. My school, my production company, my performing, and my work on Radio Gibraltar and GBC. “My mind is always working and creating. If you see me walking down the street you will probably see my lips moving because either I am singing something or mumbling some lines I need to jot down when I get home... my car is also a place where I get to pump the music and sing along and stage a show in my head.

“I have many different ideas I still need to bring to the stage and TV,” he adds.

“At the moment I am also working on opening up a cafeteria which has also been one of my dreams.

And before I am 40 I would like to open up a ladies’ fashion boutique offering an all round service for the modern woman.

“When I was younger I sat down and wrote a list of everything I wanted to achieve by the time I got to 40, and it seems I have remained faithful to my list (after I open up the cafeteria and years later hopefully the boutique, which is last on my list). I will wait till I am 40 and start drawing a new list for the next 20 years...” n

Kids Rock Santos Productions pre sent Kids Rock from 9th – 11th No vember at Inces Hall Theatre.

An original production aimed at chi ldren, but perfect for the whole family to enjoy. Tickets are priced £10 and on sale at the Nature Shop

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history file

Gibraltar Expert Predicted 1st World War

by Reg Reynolds

The name Frank T. Bullen won’t mean a great deal to most people today but a century ago he was a well-known sailor, adventurer and writer and quite possibly the best-informed person on world affairs.

Bullen sailed all over the world and wrote books about his experiences. His voyages often brought him to Gibraltar and he became somewhat of an expert regarding the Rock and its military importance.

His knowledge of the world and the political scene is best illustrated by a speech he made in Canada in 1910 when, four years in advance, he correctly and unequivocally predicted the outbreak of what would become World War I. Speaking to an audience in Winnipeg on 30th May, 1910 Bullen stated: “That there will be a war in the

62

near future I am absolutely convinced. It will be a tremendous affair, a war between the greatest forces in Europe and as no doubt a great blow will be dealt at Britain’s supremacy I am glad that we are going to get help from the colonies.”

On mentioning help from the colonies Bullen was referring to the founding of the Royal Canadian Navy in January of that year.

In his speech Bullen warned that ambitious leaders such as Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany should not underestimate the resolve of the English-speaking peoples.

“For a man who loves his country as I do it is far from pleasant to

find that people abroad, especially in Germany, are beginning to think that England has reached her pinnacle of fame and that now her star is descending. I have travelled in almost every part of the globe and I find that people everywhere are getting this impression that we are going under.

“

“It is not so much that Germany hates Great Britain that she is preparing a great battle fleet as the fact she believes the Old Country is on the down grade, and she wants to be ready to step into her place.

“Of course we are determined not to go under and I believe in a crisis the mother country and her colonies would not by any means be beaten. But we must be ready for any emergency.”

10 years earlier Bullen spoke of his admiration for Gibraltar and the importance she would play in future conflicts.

In a November 1900 article written for the Daily Mail, Bullen waxed lyrical: “What is it that constitutes the charm of Gibraltar, if it is a charm, or what is it that strikes even the most blasé globetrotter with the most curious sense of awe upon beholding it for the first time?”

Bullen went on to write that Britain would be “mad” to ever part with Gibraltar and he explained that those who ridiculed the Rock’s defenses did so at their peril. He noted that some detractors had written in snide newspaper reports that a French fleet had passed through the Strait of Gibraltar unnoticed.

“When the news came back to Gib… men stared at each other and laughed or cursed as was their bent, because the passage of that fleet had been duly noticed in the local newspaper in the usual way…

“Not that anyone is crazy enough to suggest that this most stupendous fortress in the world, armed with the finest and farthestcarrying guns known, would be able to stop in any weather or even at night the passage of a fleet.”

Frank Thomas Bullen was born in Dorset on 5th April, 1857 and grew up impoverished in Paddington, London. He had some schooling but by nine-years-old was living the life of a street urchin and running errands to survive. At the age of 12 he went to sea and worked his way up from cabin boy to able seamen and eventually attained the rank of chief mate.

From 1883 to 1889 he worked at the Meteorological Office.

Bullen was nearly 40 when his

What is it that constitutes the charm of Gibraltar, if it is a charm, or what is it that strikes even the most blasé globetrotter with the most curious sense of awe upon beholding it for the first time?

”

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

history file art profile

as ‘a vivid and detailed account of life on a Yankee whaler’ it was a big success and established Bullen as a member of the great fraternity of literary seafaring men.

Cachelot, subtitled Round the World After Sperm Whales, tells of Bullen’s experiences as an 18year-old aboard a whaling ship that sailed from Bedford, Massachussets, through the Atlantic and Pacific oceans in search of sperm whales which were highly valued for their oil. Cachelot is an ancient French word for ‘tooth’ and because sperm whales had teeth and were plentiful they were known to whalers as the ‘common cachelot’.

Rudyard Kipling was so impressed with Cachelot he declared it the finest report on the techniques of whaling that he had ever read. The book earned Bullen enough money that was able to

devote himself to full-time writing and, as noted above, travel the world to make speeches and warn of the impending war. Until the end of his life he would publish a book a year including such notables as Log of a Sea-Waif, The Call of the Deep, Deep Sea Plunderings, A Whaleman’s Wife and A Bounty Boy: Being Some Adventures of a Christian Barbarian on an unpremeditated Trip Round the World.

Bullen lived to see his prediction of the Great War come true in August, 1914 but sadly he didn’t live to see the outcome as he is reported to have died 1st March, 1915 on the Portuguese island of Madeira. This date could be wrong, however, as an internet search revealed that the Royal Geographical Society, of which Bullen had been a member since 1898, printed his obituary on 22nd February, 1915. n

Bullen lived to see his prediction of the Great War come true in August, 1914 but sadly he didn’t live to see the outcome as he is reported to have died 1st March, 1915

Members of Rifcom fundraising team ‘Los Mojitos’ and friends at the top of Mulhacen summit at 3482m in Sierra Nevada, Granada, Spain. This trek is preparation for their 100km Rifcom charity challenge in the Atlas Mountains in November. Los Mojitos have now raised in excess of £16,500. To donate to the Rifcom Los Mojitos fund, please visit http://www.justgiving.com/teams/losmojitos

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

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arts file

Fold it precious with Ming Ming

by Elena Scialtiel

Wrapping-paper, bus tickets, supermarket receipts and foreign currency notes: if you cannot recycle them in an environmentally friendly fashion, you can always turn them into... outright fashion!

Fashion jewellery to be exact, as unique as the wearer, sold in elegant card boxes embossed with the gilded MM logo and the caption ‘handmade in Gibraltar’.

Several decorative and goodluck shapes, not bigger than a square inch in the most generous of cases, are crafted with the ancient oriental technique of origami, from any kind of printed or blank paper, coated in clear waterproof sealant for firmness and durability, and strung on gold plated or sterling silver wire or ribbon to create necklaces, pendants, bracelets and earrings, often paired with semiprecious stone beads and freeform nuggets.

The artist behind the idea of making Gibraltar an innovative though improbable ambassador of origami in Western Europe is Ming Ming, a Hong Kong born young woman whose name means ‘enlightenment’. She landed on the Rock in April 2003 to work for a local gaming company, after a spell in the UK where she had obtained her Masters in Design Management.

Finding Gibraltar reminded her of the Hong Kong of her childhood both for the skyscrapers and the bilingualism, she felt immediately at home and joined the Arts & Crafts association in Casemates, because she saw there possibilities

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to turn her hobby into a part-time business.

She started by inking out ideograms on rice paper and producing some traditional Chinese and Japanese pictures, but soon she upgraded to teaching the ancient and noble art of ‘paper folding’, as the Chinese simply call it, which seems to have quite a fan club in the West.

Every Saturday morning she holds classes at the Arts & Crafts premises for ages four and up.

Often they are one-to-one, but

the limit is three people learning the basic techniques for folding simple objects like turtles, swans, stars or lilies.

She provides plain paper for their first creations because it makes the folds easier to spot, until her pupils are ready to move to multicolour, to add pattern to shape and threedimensionality.

Without scissors or glue, origami allows you to make both flat and 3D objects: Ming Ming favours the second, which are more challenging to work out successfully, but

perform better as free-standing ornaments.

Size depends on how large the initial sheet of paper is, though Ming Ming prefers to keep it tiny, and her supple fingers swiftly fold fans, stars, flowers and angels to dangle from shepherd hooks for her popular earrings.

Tourists are quite pleased and surprised to find origami artisanship in Gibraltar, and Ming Ming is happy to see it being given worldwide as souvenir from the Rock.

She has also noticed how most

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

arts file people don’t recognise it as paper at first sight, since its professional sheen makes it seem like resin or plastic.

The prettiest, most immediate, attractive, shape Ming Ming makes is the puffy chubby five-point star recognisable from afar as universal positive symbol, even if it isn’t so obvious at first glance that it is painstakingly obtained by interweaving two or more pieces of origami. Its variations in size and colour are virtually infinite: charms, earrings and wind chimes featuring it are totally funky and modern.

And suitable for everyone, from little girls to those wanting to razzle up an evening outfit with some youthful, fun accessories.

Supporter of the oriental custom of handmade gifts for friends and family, which have an emotional meaning for giver and receiver, Ming Ming enjoys crafting bigger objects, like the traditional paper lanterns featuring over 25 different pieces interlocked into each other, usually made out of New Year good-luck red envelopes.

Her sculptured swans and teapots are masterpieces of little looped fringes of white paper wedged into sinuous or spherical shapes, which look and feel like some kind of fine china, though is just paper so for ornamental purposes only.

Ming Ming is a keen follower of Chinese philosophies of feng shui, so she likes to ‘educate’ her customers on selecting shapes and colours to help the wearer with their inner equilibrium and luck. Or shapes that carry a significant message, for instance giving someone a turtle means well-wishing for long life, patience and wisdom, virtues symbolised by this animal in Chinese tradition.

She says origami crafting is therapeutic too, because it stimulates the fingertips pressure points and acts like body massage, releasing positive energy and helping relaxation. n For information and booking a lesson (£8 per hour), contact Ming Ming on mobile number 54004166 or e-mail mingmingib@gmail.com.

She says origami crafting is therapeutic too, because it stimulates the fingertips pressure points and acts like body massage, releasing positive energy and helping relaxation

Italian Baroque Concert at St Michael’s Cave Fans of Italian Baroque music should highlight Monday 28th November in their diaries, which is when one of the most outstanding oboists today, Alexei Ogrintchouk, will perform together with the Spanish National Music Prize 2011 winners (in the category of “Interpretation”) The Seville Baroque

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

Orchestra. The concert, organised by the Gibraltar Philharmonic Society in association with Credit Suisse, will be held at St Michael’s Cave at 8.30pm.

Tickets for the concert are priced at £20 each and are now available from the House of Sacarello in Irish Town and the Silver Shop at 222 Main Street. Credit/

debit card purchase is also available by phoning the Society on 20072134.

A limited number of tickets are also available to Senior Citizens at a reduced price via The John Mackintosh Hall at 308 Main Street. The price includes a return shuttle service departing from Eliots Way from 7.30pm. n

65

cancer awareness

Walk for Life Cancer awareness event

66

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

cancer awareness

The annual Walk For Life organised by Cancer Research UK Gibraltar Branch took place towards the end of October. The participants gathered en masse at Casemates Square — men, women, children and dogs for this family event — before starting the 5km walk along Main Street, into Queensway, Europort Avenue, Waterport Road and back to finish at Casemates Square. Warm ups were provided by Janine from Batuka / Zumba. The events raises lots of funds (from the £5 registration fee and collections) and awareness for the charity each year. n

Launch event in aid of Cancer Charity

Shoe on Main Street, held a launch party in aid of Breast Cancer Support Gibraltar where they raised £772.36 for the charity last month . The organisers Di and Jenny thanked all the businesses which donated prizes including 55 private members club, Atlantic Suites Health Club & Spa (especially Jane who massaged feet all night), Renaissance, Gib Flora, Sarah Linares, Michael Barknecht, Dolce Vita, Clinica Medrano, 14 on the Quay and Image Graphics. Audrey represented the charity and explained the incredible support the charity offers to cancer sufferers.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

67

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GACHE & CO LTD EST. 1830

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

SMITH’S

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•VIP Bar •Restaurant •Private Dining Room

Accountants Durante Carboni Jardim..............X3 ESV Hassan & Co........................ I4 Business/Financial Services AI Couriers (DHL)......................K3 Barclays...................................... M4 Jyske Bank.................................. L4 Sovereign Trust...........................N4 STM Fidecs.................................H7 ITMS............................................ J9 Business Services Global Business Centre................S3 Waste Management......................a6 Business Supplies Beacon Press...............................N6 Image Graphics...........................N3 Stitch Design................................P3

Motoring & Car Sales A. M. Capurro & Sons Ltd ........ N6 Computers & Cableing Image Graphics........................... N3 Newton Systems.........................M5 PC Clinic..................................... U3 Food & Drink Amin’s The Office....................... K5 Buddies Pasta Casa..................... Q4 Cafe Rojo.................................... K5 Café Solo..................................... G3 Casa Pepe.....................................Z6 Fifty-Five.....................................T4 Final Whistle............................... N3 Fusion ..........................................I4 Get Joost...............................H4, S4 Get Stuffed.................................. A3 House of Sacarello.......................L5

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K3 GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

69

events

Royal Engineer Spied for the French

by Reg Reynolds

Modern British judges are often criticised for the leniency of the sentences they hand down but, surprisingly, the same could be said of at least one judge 120 years ago.

In a time when people were executed for far lesser crimes a judge in Liverpool gave a government worker and ex-soldier, who had committed a most outrageous act of treason, an astonishingly light sentence of 12 months in prison.

Edward Holden, a former Quartermaster in the Royal Engineers had been arrested at Manchester on 3rd April, 1892 and tried at the Liverpool Assizes on 14th April, that year. He was found guilty of betraying the fortifications of Malta and attempting to betray the fortifications of Gibraltar. It emerged that Holden, who worked in Government service as a draughtsman at the time, had been offered a total of 300 pounds to reveal all of the fortifications of the two Mediterranean strongholds.

Included in the evidence were letters passed between Holden and a French agent named Poinet, which revealed that the plans of Malta had been sold and those of Gibraltar were about to be handed over at the time of the arrest.

It was thanks to a lowly Lance Corporal that Holden was caught. He had tried to bribe LAC Thomas McCartney to help him with the Gibraltar plans only to have McCartney report the treachery to his superiors.

The one-year sentence was immediately challenged as wretchedly inadequate.

“A man like this is a traitor and deserves no mercy from the country he would destroy,” wrote one newspaper. “It is no excuse for his crime that it was not committed during war.”

One senior officer declared that it was “The biggest fright the War Office has seen in a generation”.

That Holden had committed an act of high treason was bad enough but his actions also cost Britain thousands of pounds.

One newspaper reviewing the trial reported that, “There is no doubt that the description of every fort, every battery and every gun on the island of Malta has been given to France, and that the latter now has in its possession the most ample particulars in regards to all the armaments of the huge fortress.”

When French gunboats were found to be prowling the waters around Malta it was de-

70

termined that they were attempting to verify the plans sold by Holden and so significant changes had to be made to the fortifications at great expense.

The Lord Chief Justice said that he had wanted to pass a sentence of penal servitude for life but that his hands had been tied by the inadequate indictment that had been brought.

That seems a lame excuse and one can only imagine that Holden had friends in high places.

The maximum penalty for high treason had been death for centuries (Treason Act 1695).

And when the Crown abolished capital punishment in 1965 it remained on the books for treason. It wasn’t until 1998 that the maximum punishment for

The last person executed in Britain for high treason was William Joyce, who as Lord Haw Haw, broadcast propaganda for the Nazis during World War II treason was changed from death to life imprisonment. Before that time the death penalty was mandatory, subject to the royal prerogative of mercy.

All British nationals and holders of British passports owe allegiance to the Queen (or King), as do Commonwealth citizens and aliens present in the UK at the time of the treasonable act.

The last person executed in Britain for high treason was William Joyce, who as Lord Haw

Haw, broadcast propaganda for the Nazis during World War II. He was born in America (Brooklyn) and was of Irish descent but it was deemed that he had a valid British passport at the time of his crime. Joyce was hanged at Wandsworth prison on 3rd January, 1946, aged 39.

Gibraltar-born Jose Estalla-Key, aged 34, was executed at Wandsworth on 7th July, 1942. His crime, recording the movements of land, warships and planes, i.e. high treason. n

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

events

What’s On November 2012 Saturday 5th November Dinner & Dance — in support of Breast Cancer Gibraltar (luxurious fashion show, dinner, auction and dance) at the Caleta Hotel 8.30-11.30pm.

Tickets: £45 available from Hearts Boutique, 250 Main Street. For info Tel: 54032117 or email: rweston@reene.co.uk Craft & Collectors Fair at St Andrew’s Church 10am - 2pm. For info Tel: 54023166 Friday 11th November Armistice Day at Parliament House Lobby Time: 11am. For info Tel: 20055083

Donna Stewart:

Here in Spirit...

Television Medium, psychic and regular visitor to Gibraltar, Donna Stewart, will be back again on 3rd November for a few days to meet regular clients and talk about mediumship to anyone interested in taking their own journey further.

As usual Donna has already got many bookings for the one-to-one personal sittings she gives — mainly in Gibraltar but also to clients living along the Costa del Sol. As well as appearing on UK television she is a regular contributor to radio with the Paranormal Hour which used to air on Thursdays via the internet but has just been picked up by a brand new internet TV channel which launches in two weeks time. She was also interviewed on GBC for the series Frankly Speaking by Frankie Hatton, which was made locally and aired last year.

We caught up with Donna and ask her a few questions ahead of her visit.

Since her first visit to Gibraltar in 2006 Donna has been working here at least once a year since, but what keeps her coming back? “I love the energy of the place and the relaxed pace of life,” she says. “The people are always friendly and give me a warm welcome.”

Saturday 12th November Gibraltar Mini Club – 1st Mini Dash at Casemates Square. 9am will be arrival of Minis, both classic and new. At 2pm vehicles will drive through Main Street en-route to the Upper Rock Nature Reserve, via Queensway, Devil’s Tower Road, Catalan Bay & Europa Point. For info Tel: 56000228 Email: gibminiclub@yahoo.com www.gibraltarminiclub. com Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society, monthly outing – Mushrooms a trip into woodland to find mushrooms. Meeting place: Spanish side of frontier 8am. For info contact GONHS Tel: 20072639 Email:info@gonhs.org

When asked if there was a difference in the readings or the clients in UK and Gibraltar, she replied “Very much so. In the UK my readings are mainly for connecting with loved ones who have passed and are usually with one client. In Gibraltar, contact with loved ones is important but life guidance is also requested. Families often ask to come in groups which is difficult as it can sap my energy but in some times it is important for the family.”

Regarding different nationalities she reads, she adds “There are obviously cultural differences but people of all nations miss their loved ones who have passed. The interesting thing is language isn’t a barrier to the Spirit World so I can communicate and pass messages no matter who or where they are from.”

During November’s visit Donna will be giving one-to-ones (private sittings) and a day workshop for people to explore their own psychic abilities.

“This workshop is suitable for the new enquirer and those with some experience of mediumship development where enthusiasm is the main requirement!” she explains. “I’m calling it A Journey With Spirit. It is an inspiring and highly interactive one-day workshop that will explore a person’s latent ability to connect psychically to the auric energy of others and to those in the Spirit World.”

Through a balance of theory and practical exercises in a fun and supportive environment, Donna works together with the students to give a clearer understanding of the ‘Sixth Sense’ that she says we all have as part of our natural spiritual heritage. “In my experience people are always interested in discovering their own experiences so the workshops are usually booked up early,” she emphasises.

Over the next 12 months Donna has lots of classes, seminars and workshops booked and demonstrations of mediumship at various venues around the UK and overseas. “My own annual residential seminar is in the UK in February so as ever, I am excited about that. I am a contributor for a Channel 5 documentary about mediumship being aired in January 2012 and if I find time to breathe in between I aim to finish writing my two new books — one an updated autobiography and the other a training manual for mediums! Then it’ll probably be time to come back to Gibraltar again, I can’t wait.” n Contact Donna by email info@fhmedia.co.ukor through her website www.donnastewart.co.uk and please mention Gibraltar Magazine when you do!

Gibraltar Botanic Gardens Tour meet George Don Gates (at the south end of Grand Parade) 10.30am. There is no fee but donations welcome.

For info Tel: 20072639 Email: alameda@wildlife. gib.gi Sunday 13th November Remembrance Sunday at Cross of Sacrifice 12 noon. For info Tel: 20055083 Monday 14th November Gun Salute HRH The Prince of Wales Birthday at The Tower (Berth 41). For info Tel: 20055083 Friday 18th November Switching on of Christmas illuminations, Main Street. For info Tel: 20074191 Thursday 24th November Convent Christmas Fair at the Convent 12 noon until 7pm

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

71

puzzle page

by Alan Gravett

SUDOKU

1

Win a lunch for two at

9

2

3

4

5

6

7

Across 1. Not commercially manufactured (8) 5. Old airline (1.1.1.1.)

9. Beano, say; amusing (5) 10. Honorific title given to Mohandas Gandhi (7) 11. Participant in a protest march (12) 13. Affront; treat with contemptuous rudeness (6) 14. US President 1817-1825; US actress d.1962 (6) 17. Senior school official (12) 20. Senseless; stupid (7) 21. Property of a musical note; area where some

sports are played (5) 22. Long, arduous journey (4) 23. North African dish of steamed semolina (8)

8

The Cannon Bar 11

10

11

12 13

14 18

17

16

15

19

18 22

One entry per person.

Closing date: 20th November 2011 Last month’s winner: Ferdinand Monteverde 410 Portland House

22

Down 1. Joint above the fetlock; German white wine (4) 2. People forming a club; Parliamentary

representatives (7) 3. Localised weather patterns (12) 4. Pink colour of a type of rose; patterned

silk material (6) 6. Group of 8 performers (5) 7. Leaders of boards of directors (8) 10. Arranges a dance routine (12) 12. Items one would like to own (4,4) 15. Italian rice dish (7) 16. Hitchcock film (6) 18. Similar in important respects (5) 19. Accordingly (4)

19

21

20

Send completed suduko to: The Cannon Bar, 27 Cannon Lane, Gibraltar.

23

23

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

FIRST PRIZE: Lunch for 2 at The Clipper

One entry per person.

Closing date: 20th November 2011 Winner notified in next issue of The Gibraltar Magazine.

Last month’s winner: K Carroll 16 Danino’s Ramp

Jotting Pad ...

LAST MONTH’S ANSWERS: Across: Kungfu, Dojo, Luncheon, Jujitsu, Usury, Black, Cricket, Japenese, Belt, Jensei, Palace. Down: Judo, Useless, Skunk, Inches, Of course, Unloaded, Coarse, Denim, Preempt, Cobalt, Lock.

Tel: 200 70047 or 200 73465 email: gibfamanon@yahoo.com

72

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

connections

Gibraltar’s World Series Connection

by Reg Reynolds

Last month, while watching the Texas Rangers and St. Louis Cardinals battle to claim the title of baseball’s World Series Champions, I found a Gibraltar connection to America’s national game.

It is a rather odd connection but a connection nonetheless.

Following the 1938 World Series in which the vaunted New York Yankees won the best-of-seven series in four straight games over the Chicago Cubs, the veteran manager Connie Mack of the Philadelphia Athletics, suggested that baseball players in slumps should be ‘rewarded’ with paid vacations. I’m sure the current England rugby team would consider this a rather grand idea, although some would consider that their performance in the recent World Cup qualifies as nothing more than a paid vacation.

Henry McLemore, famed sportswriter for United Press International, took up the proposal of paid vacations for losers in his nationally syndicated column of 26th October, 1938. He offered Mack’s idea this tongue in cheek solution.

“Supposing the Cubs had been using this plan in the last World Series. What would they have done with Carl Reynolds? Where would they have sent him? Nothing short of a ‘round-theworld’ cruise with a 10-day stop off at Gibraltar would have cured him.”

Poor Reynolds *[See note] had been a very good player in his time — batting more than .300, the accepted standard of excellence for batters, six times — but in the ‘38 Series he could hit nothing, achieving (or not) an average of .000, not even one hit in 14 plate appearances.

His dreadful performance in the World Series was even more disconcerting to McLemore who

noted that in that same season Reynolds had finished 10th in National League batting with an average of .302.

I have no idea why McLemore chose Gibraltar as a holiday destination for the hapless Reynolds, and for 10 days no less, but one must assume he had visited the Rock on some occasion. I did learn he accompanied the US Olympic team to Europe in 1936. In those days the teams travelled by ship and so he may have stopped at Gibraltar on that voyage.

Reynolds would play one more season with the Cubs (batting .246) before retiring. In all he played 12 seasons with five clubs — Chicago White Sox, Washington Senators, Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs.

Sadly 1938 was his only appearance in the World Series which, by the way, got its name from the New York World newspaper which sponsored the first ever Series in 1903. Anyway, today the World Series is truly an international competition as many of the best players competing in America’s Major League Baseball hail from such baseball hotbeds as Cuba, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Japan, Korea and Canada. n

Carl Reynolds

*Note: As far as I can determine Carl Reynolds is no relation but curiously we have the same birthday, 1st February. Carl was born in 1903 and died on 29th May, 1978. At the time I was a sportswriter and I wrote his obituary for my local paper. **The World Series was still in progress at press time.

I have no idea why McLemore chose Gibraltar as a holiday destination for the hapless Reynolds, and for 10 days no less, but one must assume he had visited the Rock on some occasion

Pete’s Walking to Gibraltar We hear often of charity swims, cycling and cars all making their weary way in the pursuit of fund raising from point A to point B many of them covering many miles across countries, down rivers and of course across the Strait. Currently Pete Beatty is another of these selfless individuals giving not just a bit of time to shake a tin or man a stall but actually physically giving his all.

Having completed a 3 Peaks Challenge last year Pete is now walking, yes walking to Gibraltar. Over the next two months Pete is hoping to complete approximately 35 miles per day to get here.

He is raising the money for Combat Stress which is the UK’s leading military charity specialising in the care of veterans’ mental health. The charity looks after men and women who are suffering from a psychological condition related to their Service

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

career. This might be depression, anxiety, a phobia or PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Their services are free of charge to veterans.

Since 2005 the number of ex-servicemen and women seeking the help of Combat Stress has risen by 72%. They have a current caseload of more than 4,400 individuals — including 102 Afghanistan and 400 Iraq veterans. The website www.nothingandeverything.co.uk explains the plan to raise £100,000 over five years up to 2015.

Pete’s walk across Western Europe is part of that plan and he is blogging on the website each day as to his progress. As part of the five year plan Pete has already completed the aforementioned Peaks and swam the English Channel. It is from this end point in France that he has now begun walking to Gibraltar. He set off on 20th September and you can follow his progress through France and Spain before landing or stepping across the frontier hopefully around 20th November. n If you want to donate to Pete then go to his website http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/ PeteBeatty

73

sporting heroes

Richard Blagg:

Sprinting to the Top

by Kirsten Openshaw

Richard Blagg is the perfect example of a dedicated trained athlete and luckily he represents Gibraltar. He has competed world wide holding the Gibraltar flag high and proud. He has pure passion and love for his sport which is no wonder why he has excelled in athletics.

Richard Blagg is on an all time high having competed in the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Athletics Championships 2011 held in Daegu, Korea.

Richard ran in the 800m with a finishing time of 1:59:34.

“It was one of the greatest experiences of my life. Meeting international athletes and getting feedback from them and competing internationally was just life changing,” Richard said with enthusiasm.

Training nine times a week there is no doubting Richard’s dedication to his sport.

“Saturday I rest then Sunday I race. If I don’t train I feel as if something is wrong. My body doesn’t feel right. I find time to run, sometimes I will run two to three times a day,” added Richard.

Richard is a member of the Calpeans Athletics Association and trains with coach Charlie Flower at the Victoria Stadium. Training also takes place around Gibraltar, running different routes each day, which helps his body to push itself further every time. “I do tempo runs and aerobic training,” Richard continued, “circuit and core stability training as well as cross country runs in Spain. This helps me to constantly improve my endurance. In the

74

gym I focus on body strength.” Currently Richard’s personal best for the 800m is 1:56:56 and 4:03 for the 1500m and with no surprise Richard sees room for improvement.

It is also no surprise Richard is a personal training instructor in the army with the official title of Lance Corporal. Due to this he was able to compete in the British Army’s athletics championship in Tidworth, England. It was the second time he participated in this event, the first event was in 2008 at the young age of 17. This year he won the 1500m and came second in the 800m, which he lost by a hairline 0.5 seconds.

Richard shows absolute love for his sport with constant and regular training as well as a

“

I would love to compete in the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games. Once I achieve that I will be a happy man

”

healthy diet. “I watch what I eat and 48 hours before the race I load up on carbohydrates and drink lots of water. Socially it is hard sometimes because I cannot go out drinking with my friends or socialise as much because I am always training. I sacrifice a lot to be the best I possibly can be.”

Meeting his hero, five-time world gold medallist and an inspiring three time Olympic gold medallist, Jamaican born Usain Bolt, in Korea just confirmed that anything is possible for Richard. “If they can do it why can’t I? Meeting Usain Bolt reinsured me that every sacrifice I make is worth it.”

Although when it comes to personal heroes Richard lists his father as number one. “If it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t be here. I have to give all the credit to my dad. He pushed me along and I have the utmost respect for him because of that.” Richard adds, “I was basically running before I was walking. I competed in school relays and won sportsman of the year. As well as running I also enjoyed vaulting and gymnastics but running just comes naturally. My dad was always there for support and reassurance when I did not do as well as I had hoped.”

Competing internationally just adds to Ri-

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

sporting heroes chard’s determination to achieve his ultimate goal; “I would love to compete in the Olympics and the Commonwealth Games. Once I achieve that I will be a happy man. If anything competing internationally has shown me it is possible to dream big. Nothing is impossible.”

His first international competition was the Aland Island Games in 2009 and he has been representing Gibraltar since the age of 15.

Richard is hoping to attend Loughborough University in the future with a dream of teaching children in sport. “I want to work within youth athletics,” Richard confirms. He has high hopes for the future of athletics in Gibraltar. “Gibraltar has really strong talented athletes it is just the competition we lack. We seldom get to compete outside of Gibraltar. It would be great if other countries were coming to us to compete or if we were going to the UK. It is getting harder to take our standard internationally. Luckily Gibraltar always competes in the Island Games. In 2013 if I qualify I hope to bring a medal home with me.”

Richard points out the benefits of being an athlete, “I feel that athletics is a fantastic way for anyone to see the world and have the honour of representing their country. I have been to Korea, Poland, Aland and England, to name just a few, simply through sports. The next Island Games in 2013 are held in Bermuda and that would an amazing place to go. I have met wonderful people and had memorable experiences. It is something to be proud of. I admire anyone who pursues his or her chosen sport.

It shows commitment and dedication within the person.” n

Richard with his hero, Jamaica’s Usain Bolt in Korea at the IAAF World Championships 2011

Cruise Ship Schedule

NOVEMBER 2011

DOA

Vessel

ETA ETD

Pass

Capacity From

To

Tue 01

Grand Princess

0700 1600

British

2600

Barcelona

Southampton

Adventure of Seas 1400 2100

I’national

3114

Lisbon

Malaga

Sat 05

Kristina Katarina

1200 2000

Finnish

380

Cartagena

Casablanca

Sun 06

Oceana

0800 1330

British

1950

Alicante

Southampton

Mon 07

Celeb.Constellation 0800 1800

American

1900

Cartagena

Funchal

Thomson Dream

0900 1400

British

1494

Almeria

Casablanca

Wed 09

Sea Cloud II

1230 1730

German

96

Malaga

Tangier

Wind Spirit

1700 2230

American

148

Sun 13

Grand Holiday

1600 2359

Spanish

1452

Mon 14

Maasdam

1000 1800

American

1266

Tue 15

Empress

0600 1400

Spanish

1600

Tue 22

Boudicca

0730 1330

British

798

Algiers

Lisbon

Wed 23

Artania

1000 1700

German

1200

Cartagena

Funchal

Thu 24

Indep. of the Seas 1100 1800

I’national

3600

Cagliari

Cadiz

Sat 26

Queen Victoria

0800 1330

I’national

2000

Katakolon

Funchal

Sun 27

Insignia

0800 1400

American

698

Barcelona

Tenerife

Casablanca

Almeria

Total Number of Vessels calling this month = 17 Approximate Number of Passengers calling in this month = 26,546

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

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community events wanted to do something to help people, so I decided to raise money for Cancer Research as cancer is something almost everyone has been affected by in some way,” he says.

Learning to ride a unicycle when he was young, he admits to not riding one for a long time, until he decided to do this trip. It is like riding a bicycle – you never forget.

“I chose a unicycle because I hadn’t heard of anyone doing it before, I also wanted to be a bit different and really challenge myself.

If I can go this far on one wheel, maybe someone else could consider getting a train or bus for their next holiday. I do believe that people should fly less for environmental reasons, and also it makes for great adventures,” he smiles.

Matt would like to thank nearly everyone he met on the way, for treating him with great kindness, especially Ray from the Star Bar One evening at his local pub, Matt Downing declared he would be unicycling from Calais to Gibraltar, much to his friend’s amazement. Three months and thousands of miles later, for making him feel very welcome in Gibraltar, and also the Emile he arrived in Gibraltar on 9th October. “I had not been to Gibraltar before and when I Hostel for being a great help also. arrived at 5.30am it seemed very quiet, but when the shops started to open and people For more stories of Matt’s journey, you can check out his blog http:// took to the streets, everyone was very helpful and welcoming,” he explains. www.1newheel.wordpress.com, and He felt Gibraltar was a great home — with classic red phone ble cause, as he has raised nearly if you wish to donate, http://www. place to finish, and also liked the boxes and three pin plugs. £2000 including on and offline do- justgiving.com/onewheel-acrosseuidea of arriving at a home from His venture has been for a no- nations, for Cancer Research. “I rope. n

Matt’s Unicycle Challenge

Fun Eco Art workshops An innovative and exciting project has just started at the Gibraltar Arts and Crafts Centre, at Casemates Square. With a focus on creating and learning about our world, and how we need to look after it, Ania Maza has embarked on the Eco Art Workshops.

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Ania was responsible for organising the Green Art summer workshops for children, and also worked alongside Clean up the World campaign.

“These art workshops are to help children discover and imagine new ways of combining their ideas with green art, and get them into the world of drawing, painting and sculpture, etc. I’m going to use recycled materials, to teach children how to change them into useful products again.

The project gives children an

opportunity to explore the art, combined with the protection of the environment. “Children can discover exciting new ways to express themselves, and learn how to behave in an ecological way,” Ania explains.

The workshops will take place on a weekly basis, Mondays 3.45pm-5.15pm, Thursdays 6:00pm-7:00pm and Fridays 3.45pm-5.15pm. For more information, please contact Ania Maza on tel: 54024321 or email ania. maza@gmail.com. n

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

arts file

The Waterfall House — Frank Lloyd Wright

Architects as Designers The next lecture in the Gibraltar Decorative and Fine Arts Society’s calendar is Architects as Designers - Furniture, Ceramics, Metalwork - from Frank Lloyd Wright to Norman Foster on Wednesday, 16th November at 7.30pm in the O’Callaghan Eliott Hotel.

The speaker for the lecture is Marina Vaizey, CBE, mother of UK Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries, Ed Vaizey. Marina is an eminent (but fun) NADFAS lecturer. She married a life peer so she’s Lady Vaizey.

She is also a Curator, broadcaster and journalist, has had an illustrious career as art critic for the Sunday and the Financial Times, is a member of the Arts Council, a Turner Prize Judge, and a trustee of several museums. She has lectured at the National Gallery, the British Museum, the V&A and the British Council.

Architects, from the Arts and Crafts movement to Art Nouveau, and from the Modernism of Mies van der Rohe to the flamboyant designs of Frank Gehry, have contributed to the decorative arts in unusual and fascinating ways. This lecture will look at these contributions and influences.

Frank Lloyd Wright spent over 70

years creating designs that revolutionised the art and architecture of the 20th century. However, he also designed furniture, fabrics, art glass, lamps, dinnerware, silver, linens and graphic arts and was a prolific writer, educator and philosopher.

He developed a remarkable plan for decentralizing urban America (Broadacre City) that continues to be debated even to this day.

Who in Gibraltar hasn’t heard of the Sovereign Bay Project, that “proposed marina and island luxury development spacious enough to accommodate a cuise liner as well as yachts, there will be landscaped public squares and plazas... and with such amenities, you’d never need to leave this island...” thus speaks the advertisement, revealing the grand design of Norman Foster, so well know throughout the world for grandeur and innovation.

There will be time for drinks before the lecture, on the top floor of the Eliott. n

Dog of the Month Chica is a lovely friendly little dog who would love to have a family. She is well behaved though active and would be better in a home without young children

Can you help Chica find a forever home?

“I need a good home!”

If you are interested in adopting me call the GSPCA on 540 19968 or 540 29927 Note: dogs that have been kennelled for a while may need patience with house training when first in their new home

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

77

Photo: Tito Vallejo

The infamous Gray Lady is said to haunt the Convent

Ghost Hunting:

by Karim Corby

Stories & Spirit Orbs It’s a tempting thought that all it takes is a dark and dusty old house — after all people die every day, they have done for centuries, it’s a wonder that the sounds of moaning and rattling aren’t everywhere. Alas it is not the case, it would appear not everyone returns, nor do they all prefer the environments so favoured by horror movies. If you’re seeking out the deceased, what one really needs, we are told, is an open mind.

More often then not, the sightings of paranormal phenomenon happen in locations with a long history or otherwise a good old fashioned scandalous story. There are myriad theories to explain the phenomena, some claim the construction materials in certain older buildings are more conducive to absorbing these energies, and some say that those subjected to an

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Photo: Kevan Sercombe

You wouldn’t need to look to hard to find tales of hauntings in Gibraltar. Whether you are a believer or not, grim fascination often compels even the most hardened sceptics to discover more. If you were to take camera in hand and go seek out your own spirit, what would you need?

unexpected or violent end are more likely to cling to this life or return.

An authority on the subject of Gibraltar’s more colourful stories, Tito Vallejo, explains; “You have to look at how a story is created and ask yourself, does it prove what you believe to be true, or does it change how you see that belief.”

Tito spent some time collecting information about Gibraltar’s history during the Spanish rule and inquisition, in particular he looked at the operation of the various convents, many of which did not practice burial in cemeteries, instead interring the dead inside the convents themselves.

As time passed, their use was lost to the ravages of time; they became offices, houses and the like. Refurbishment works would lead to uncovering bones, tombs, and the odd lost spirit.

The Governor’s Grey Lady was not the first nun sighted. During World War II the Loreto Convent was hit by a bomb, killing one of the nuns, Sister Lorcan O’Connor. Since then, a ghostly nun has been seen walking the corridors on her knees. It came to light during repairs that there was a stone floor just under the wooden boards — the Sister had in fact been walking on the original stone.

Tito’s other speciality is his knowledge of the tunnels inside the Rock. The tunnels provided accommodation for a garrison of 16,000 during World War II, as well as facilities including kitchens, a hospital, a generating station and much more. Though still in use for military training, they are now little more than a ghost town — perhaps literally. Tours return with tales of odd sights and sounds from the subterranean city.

This is often a case of the story influencing what people want to see — it is dark, damp and oppressive, small breaths of wind howl menacingly from the darkness. The idea that the place was a military garrison in one of the bloodiest wars in history hangs more thickly than any looming spectre.

That said, Tito points to one recurring story of a man whose military uniform appeared unfamiliar, seen around the REME Chambers, Fosse Way, with a dog. Later there was evidence to be found in an old photo, depicting a military policeman accompanied by a patrol dog in the tunnels. It is a compelling story because the evidence came after the observation.

In most cases, when it comes to spiritual phenomenon, the ways of researching and proving methodology are similarly reversed. We spoke

“

Spirit orbs can vary in size shape and colour

The only way I can examine the evidence is scientifically, though spirit capture is about disproving all other theories, leaving only yours

”

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

Photo: Tito Vallejo

ghost & things

Gibraltar Police Authority

Officer and patrol dog in the tunnels

“

Public Survey— have your say!

You have to look at how a story is created and ask yourself, does it prove what you believe to be true, or does it change how you see that belief

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

”

orbs are drawn to electrical sources and may in fact draw power from them, with this in mind, focus on areas with active electricity.

Finally, for those who may doubt the possibility of such a phenomenon don’t assume our present knowledge of the human consciousness is total and complete. As the psychiatrist Carl Jung observed, “There are historical reasons for the resistance to the idea of an unknown part of the human psyche.

Consciousness is a very recent acquisition of nature, and it is still in an experimental state.

It is frail, menaced by specific dangers, and easily injured.”

Believer or no, any scientist will tell you that energy cannot be destroyed, only redirected; this is further compounded by the knowledge of multiple dimensions occupying the same space.

Though the question of ghosts’ existence may never be known, grab a camera and find whatever you can. n

Photo: Kevan Sercombe

with Anthony Kevan Sercombe who has published work on photographing spirit orbs; the unexplained balls of light that sometimes appear in photographs. He explains “The only way I can examine the evidence is scientifically, though unlike other methods, spirit capture is about disproving all other theories, leaving only yours.”

Spirit orbs sit upon rather vicarious ground, even though they are the most commonly held example of a possible presence, it can only be accepted as a true orb if there is no other way for said orb to be there, such as a reflection on glass, lens flare, dust, rain, flying insects etc.

In order to reduce, if not eliminate the presence of false orbs, certain steps can be taken, first use an area you are familiar with, ensure there are no reflective surfaces so the flash does not cause lens flare, the room should have landmarks and furniture at varying distances to add depth and judge distance and size at a glance. Dust is most often illuminated at very close range, distant orbs tend to be easier to authenticate. It is also important to take continuous shots; dust will obviously be present in every frame, whereas orbs are often intermittent.

True orbs are also distinguishable from false orbs through their appearance, where false orbs are solid spherical objects; spirit orbs have a clear anatomy closely resembling a cell. Most often they will have a prominent outer and inner ring, as well as a nucleus appearing as a ‘hole’ in the mantle. Kevan identifies the phenomenon as electro-magnetic in nature, this may explain the accounts of ‘spirits’ interfering with electrical equipment, burning out lights and draining batteries. He has noted that the

A spirit orb with clearly visible anatomy, note the two distinct layers and the cell-like nucleus

Since its inception four years ago, the Gibraltar Police Authority has consulted the general public on an annual basis through a Public Consultation Survey. Its aim is to ascertain the public’s views on how Gibraltar is policed and to find out what they believe should be the priorities for the RGP to be reflected in the next Annual Policing Plan drawn up by the Authority.

In an effort to achieve a higher response rate and to ensure the questionnaire reaches an even cross section of society, a new methodology for consulting the public has been drawn up. This will entail a number of strands.

•

• • •

•

Random distribution of questionnaires via post Random telephone interviews Face-to-face interviews in the street Distribution of questionnaires to places of work The public can also complete the questionnaire online at www.gpa.gi

Individual responses are anonymous and confidential, although the percentage results obtained from the completed questionnaires will be made public.

“Once the results have been analysed, the real work begins,” said Richard Garcia, Chairman of the Gibraltar Police Authority.

“We will then look closely at the degree of public confidence in the RGP and their style of policing, and we will take account of the views of the public in preparing the Annual Policing Plan for the policing year commencing 1st April 2012.” n

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Voodoo M

Gibraltar’s Hard Rockers

“

I have never been in a band that went through so many line-up changes so fast but it was great

”

but it was great because these musicians who I admired were willing to play songs that both Charlie and I had written, and that was a huge compliment for both of us. Once we had a settled line-up we began writing as a band and the rest is history,” James explains.

Their first appearances in Gibraltar were very short sets, as all of the members were previously in other known local bands on the scene, so people were already interested in hearing them play. “Our first shows were fun but tough. I think we went out a bit fast, eager to showcase songs, and perhaps we were not the polished outfit we are today, but sometimes you have to just go for it and ask questions later! We created a lot of material, which made it onto our album, The World, and many other tracks which most certainly will be on the next one,” James confirms.

With a ’90s Seattle grunge influence, from where bands such as Soundgarden, Alice in Chains and Pearl Jam emerged, to the more classic side of the coin such as, Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin, The World is a mixture of different styles, ranging from the hard rock, to the groovy funk. “Recent bands which have influenced us are Alter Bridge, Foo Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age — we feel our album is varied in style and content, and want our fans to live the journey Voodoo Monkey has experienced through our music.”

Released in September, their debut album is a culmination of years of hard work, and a collaboration between James and Charlie. “Songs were written over the past few years, from dif-

Richard Camilleri

Considering themselves a hard rock band, with rock n roll roots, Voodoo Monkey has taken the local music scene by storm. “We love throwing in different elements of the bands we love, but at the end of the day, we can’t help but be a rock band,” explains James Culatto, front man of the band.

Being in Gibraltar, it is easy to get to know fellow musicians, and although James started the band with Charlie Moore on drums as a project — it wasn’t really meant to be a live band. “I had recorded a few songs I had written, with some contributions from other musicians as well. With the material we had, we felt like it could come across great played live, so we thought, why stop a good thing from happening. I guess that was our attitude, and when someone was needed in the band, we just went out and found them,” James smiles.

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They recruited Richard Camilleri on bass, and Gavin Garcia and Carl Debono on guitars.

With Carl unable to commit, James took up guitar duties with Gavin for those first few gigs.

However, Gavin had to leave too, and Justin Phillips stepped in. Jason Pincho came into the frame a couple of years back, bringing with him a wealth of experience from his time in the UK. With a reputation of being a versatile and creative guitarist, the band were delighted to have him. “I have never been in a band that went through so many line-up changes so fast,

James Culatto GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

o Monkey

by Jolene Gomez Photos by Mark Galliano

Charlie Moore

ferent periods of our lives, and with different musical influences, which culminate in a nice mix of styles, with something for all rock lovers,” James explains.

“Now, however, it is a complete band effort, and everyone has an input in the song writing process. Sometimes a member will come in with a completed song. However, most of the time we bounce ideas off each other and see where it takes us. It’s actually quite exciting, because with the various influences we have, we never really know what direction a new idea will take,” James says.

Themes vary, but the majority of the lyrics are based on their own personal experiences, and those of their close friends. In many ways, they feel it is particularly important, as listeners can then relate to the songs on a personal level — there is more of a connection that way.

Although sparingly paying tribute to their idols, such as Led Zeppelin, Faith No More and Alice in Chains, Voodoo Monkey concentrate on playing their original material, and feel this is something which is lacking in the local music community. “With regards to the local music scene, we feel this is growing at a steady pace, and although we love going to see cover bands as much as the next person, hearing someone playing a song they wrote has that extra emotion, and really works for us.”

The band would like to get more concerts, and be given a chance here and there, especially when bigger acts come to Gibraltar. One of

“

the things they feel might be holding promoters back, is the impression that they are a metal band, when in fact, they just like to rock out!

“We want to enjoy this band for as long as possible. There is no point laying out un-realistic targets and then getting frustrated — we just want to have a good time and enjoy making our music.”

For the band, their biggest achievement was winning Band of the Year last year, and James was also fortunate to have won Musician of the Year in 2009. “We cannot thank the public

enough for their support, and hope they enjoy The World as much as we have enjoyed creating it.”

So if you are up for night of true rock entertainment, Voodoo Monkey will be performing at Rock on the Rock club on Friday 18th November, and if you can’t wait to get your hands on their new album, it is available at Retribution Clothing, Music Corner and Atomic Rock, priced £10. n For more information on Voodoo Monkey, check out their Facebook page.

It’s actually quite exciting, because with the various influences we have, we never really know what direction a new idea will take

”

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

Justin Phillips

Jason Pincho

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sports

Gibraltar Darts Association:

Throwing on Target

It used to be stigmatised as a lame excuse to down pints at the pub.

Instead, it is an incentive to build up camaraderie in a structured, but not too structured, environment, where ‘athletes’ flaunt six-packs of the drinking kind and stay in the game well beyond their first grey hair.

Darts is a pillar of the Rock’s sporting activity. Well before 1958, when the Forces and the Civilians’ clubs were amalgamated into the Gibraltar Darts Association, this typically North-European pastime had already harvested trophies galore.

Soon it was out of the bars to take international tournaments by storm, and 50 years later, professional players Dyson Parody, Dylan Duo and Henry Zapata are successfully surfing the world scene and making Team Gibraltar one of the strongest — able to compare with giants like the UK, the Netherlands or Germany.

Member of the World Darts Federation, the local association keeps quite busy with leagues, tournaments and training for the World and European Cups, happening every other year.

When the Mediterranean Cup is on, this is a stronghold for the Llanitos, who last year hosted it and

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went on to win it outright!

Secretary Darren Olivero, who modestly admits to play in second division at The Ship in Marina Bay, explains the Association has some 150 members at the moment, a steady trend in the past decade, after the surge of the Seventies.

They are both men and women, and although there isn’t enough demand for a ladies’ league, he’s pleased to watch how the sport is gaining popularity with children and teenagers, who play — and play well! — in a league of their own.

Darren claims that darts is a fun way for kids to review their maths; in fact, arithmetic plays a big role in calculating the ideal score for their

next move, to try and end the game on a double point.

It also requires concentration, precision and posture, and can be appealing to those children who aren’t otherwise prepared to endure physical training sessions, and value instead the social aspect of sports over competitiveness.

Furthermore, a dart player’s career can be very long-lived indeed, allowing him or her to perfect their aiming skills down to the millimetre for a discipline that banks on grey matter rather than red muscle.

It doesn’t hurt to know that it is a cheap sport as well: you can kit out your future champion for about £40, that buys good quality darts and board sets. Plus, there

is no need for special protective equipment to wear, provided that the rookies’ first toss happens when everyone is standing safely behind them!

It takes a while to adapt and find the right weight for one’s darts.

Once you are comfortable with your set, you take them to every match, as they become your most precious playing companion.

It doesn’t make the difference whether a player is left or right handed, since shots are taken individually within the team, and the score is decided on a best-of-five (or eleven) system.

The local league boasts eleven teams of 10-12 players who alternate every week to meet the minimum requirement of six players per team. It is housed in pubs and bars, and Darren hopes to see more establishments offering room for this activity which, he assures, would make the drinks flow!

On the other hand, since all the action takes place on Friday nights, most joints are already packed to capacity with revellers, and don’t need a bunch of guys darting around in matching polo shirts. Darren points out however that individual matches are held on Tuesday, traditionally a slow pub day: being home to a team can prove a fun way to shake up the ambience.

In fact, several pubs organise darting events on their own accord, while Darren takes care of the nitty-gritty, helping computer wizard and association president Justin Broton, yet lamenting that they haven’t been allocated premises where to practise for big international dates and

When the Mediterranean Cup is on, this is a stronghold for the Llanitos, who last year hosted it and went on to win it outright!

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

sports

stage their own tournaments.

The sport is popular in Spain too, although Andalucía mostly plays electronic darts, which are different in weight, while Cataluña favours the traditional board: Gibraltar participates in the yearly tournament in Puerto de Santa Maria before Christmas, and usually brings to the Rock British players fresh from the Torremolinos Open, happening in March and organised by the British Darts Association, the same organisation that takes care of the Winmau World Masters, where Gibraltar regularly sends players to.

Open tournaments are a great way to improve your global status, and higher ranking entails the possibility of better sponsorship to enter more prestigious tournaments with handsome cash prizes, until the player does well enough for himself to make it his livelihood, with more time for focusing

on practice.

Darren loves the atmosphere that brews up at tournaments, where the audience is allowed to drink but the players aren’t, with cheers and jeers so heartfelt that sometimes the player’s attention risks undermining.

All in all, Gibraltar fares quite proudly against ‘everybody else below the big boys of darts’, and rubs elbows with the above mentioned giants wit dignity and enthusiasm, confident that the team is able to hit bull’s-eye at every event. n For more information on how to join, visit www.gibraltardarts.com.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

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events

Try itWhile it’s Hot...

by Fifty-Five Chef Scott Casey

This month’s selection of recipes are perfect for the late Autumn sun — fresh, colourful and tasty. Easy to make and a brilliant way to impress, try these two delicious dishes and a sweet treat to finish.

Five Spiced Smoked Snapper with Smashed Broad beans Serves 6

1kg firm fleshed fish, snapper ideally Vegetable oil for frying

80g 2 tsp 2 tsp 1 tsp 1 tsp

palm sugar light soy sauce dark soy sauce black peppercorns Szechuan pepper

For the marinade: 40g fresh ginger, peeled & finely diced 1 spring onion, finely chopped 60ml light salt reduced soy sauce 1 tbs Shaoxing wine or dry sherry

For the smashed broad beans: 300g double peeled broad beans 250ml chicken stock 1 tps caster sugar 2 tps salted butter Salt and pepper to taste

For the ginger sauce: 2 tbs vegetable oil 2 tbs minced fresh garlic 2 tsp finely chopped ginger 2 spring onions, finely chopped 2 star anise 2 pieces cassia bark 2 pieces mandarin peel

Cut the fish into 2cm strips leaving the skin on and set aside. For the marinade grind the ginger in a pestle and mortar to extract all the juice and discard the leftover flesh. Combine the ginger juice with all the other marinade ingredients, season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside for at least 2 hours to let

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the flavours infuse.

For the ginger sauce heat the oil in a large wok or sauce pan and then add the garlic, ginger and spring onion, fry until the oil is

Chef Scott Casey

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

food & drink fragrant or until the garlic is golden not burnt.

Add 700ml of warm water and the rest of the ingredients, bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes until the liquid has reduced and equals out to about 400-500ml. Pat the fish dry with absorbent paper and discard the marinade. Deep fry the fish at 180 degrees Celsius until cooked, remove from the fryer and drain on more absorbent paper. For the smashed broad beans, combine all ingredients and boil until tender. Remove from the heat and smash with a fork or whisk, Check seasoning and add more butter if desired. Set aside.

Return the sauce to the heat and add the fish. Simmer gently for 5 minutes or until all the liquid has nearly evaporated. Place a nice pile of the fish next to a nice pile of the smashed broad beans and then drizzle with the remaining sauce. n

Chilled Pumpkin & Ginger Velouté with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds Serves 5

50g salted butter, roughly chopped 300g butternut pumpkin, peeled and

roughly chopped (note reserve the

seeds) 2cm ginger, peeled and diced as fine

as possible 20g caster sugar 30ml dry white wine 250ml chicken stock 30ml cream Salt and pepper to taste 2 tbs pumpkin seeds 10ml olive oil In a heavy based saucepan, melt the butter and add the pumpkin and ginger. Cook over a medium heat stirring regularly for 5 minutes. Add the caster sugar and white wine.

Cook for a further 3 minutes then add the

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011 OCTOBER 2011

chicken stock and cook until the pumpkin is tender. Then add the cream and gently bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and blend until smooth. Pass through a fine sieve and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate for at least two hours or until chilled. For the seeds gently toast with the oil until golden, dry and crisp.

To serve divide the chilled velouté between five cups, top with the toasted seeds and then drizzle with the leftover oil. n

Banoffee, Pecan & Toffee Mess Serves 6 300ml 6

whipping cream individual vanilla meringues

6 bananas, sliced 1 handful pecan nuts, crushed Butterscotch liqueur Toffee sauce: 100g butter 100g dark brown sugar 100ml double cream For the toffee sauce simply combine all ingredients in a saucepan bring to the boil and simmer until well combined. Remove and chill in the freezer or fridge. Next whip the cream until firm peaks, set aside. Slice the bananas and set aside. To assemble, in six nice glasses start to layer with the crushed meringues, cream, bananas and toffee sauce. Do about three layers and to finish drizzle with some butterscotch liqueur. n

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food & drink

Wine Tasting

at Fifty-Five

Lewis Stagnetto Limited held a well attended wine tasting evening at 55 members club in October to showcase some of the wines the company offers. n

Verdi Verdi

Verdi Verdi has relocated to Unit G10 on the ground floor of the ICC (behind the taxi rank), Casemates, bringing you great coffee, a selection of teas, delicious treats and a warm welcome from Idan and his team.

With its new location, Verdi Verdi has expanded, but still offers the usual vegetarian and vegan favourites, fresh baked bread, and desserts. With their delicious freshly made sandwiches, homemade pizzas and falafels, pop in to say hello to Idan next time you’re in town. You will not be disappointed! n

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

food & drink

Happy

50th

Birthday

Manager of the very popular Waterfront restaurant at Queensway Quay, Andrew Kimberley, celebrated his 50th birthday last month (pictured top right, and looking as youthful as ever).

The restaurant was full of his friends and family and a fabulous time was had by all. A great venue and a great night. Congratulations Andrew. n

Modern

Relaxed

Dining

Open: 10am - late Closed Sundays + Saturday lunch

Open for morning coffee, lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

Irish Town Tel: 200 51738 to reserve

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restaurants l Café Solo Grand Casemates Square. Tel: 200 44449 Modern Italian eatery set in the 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 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. Good daily specials menu on blackboard. No smoking inside.

Free WiFi. l Cafe Rojo 54 Irish Town. Tel: 200 51738 Sleek modern comfort in this relaxing little restaurant. Red comfy arm chairs in separate area for a relaxing drink or coffee.

Brunch menu (10am-12pm) includes ciabatta, granary, foccacia sandwiches with fillings such as pear and blue cheese, smoked bacon and brie, cheese and honey roast ham, delicious desserts (chocolate mousse in a must).

Lunch 12 - 3pm and dinner 7-10pm includes Roast Pumpkin, Mushroom, & Spinach Curry; Marinated Tuna Steak & Sesame Crust; Roasted Lamb Shoulder; pasta dishes such as 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: from 10am. Closed all day Sundays, and Saturday lunch.

Casa Pepe 18 Queensway Quay Marina.

Tel/Fax: 200 46967 Email: casa.pepe.gib@gmail.com Casa Pepe is a delightful bar/ restaurant in the prestigious Queensway Quay Marina. A wonderful location for business meetings, engagements, weddings, anniversaries etc. Specialising in a broad range of raciones (plates to share) with a very comprehensive a la carte menu. Daily specials may include fresh fish caught locally and a selection of Argentinean beef. With a menu including dishes such as Caracoles a la Llauna Snails, Rabo de Toro Oxtail, Carrillada de Cerro Iberico Iberico pork cheeks, large rib steaks from Avila and special to order whole suckling pig.

Open: Monday-Friday: lunch and evening meal, Saturday: evenings only, Sunday: lunch only.

Fifty-Five Private Member’s Club 267 Main Street Tel: 200 79655

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Savannah Lounge 27 Heart Island, Ocean Village Tel: 200 66666 www.savannah.gi Aimed at Gibraltar’s dining and night-life scene, Savannah has been created with fun and style in mind. Offering contemporary European cuisine a wide selection of drinks, cool decor and good music. The venue hosts regular events with invited DJs and shows from abroad.

Open: Sunday-Thurs midday-midnight, Friday and Saturday midday-5am.

Solo Bar & Grill Eurotowers Tel: 200 62828 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!

Open: 12-8pm. Available for private functions and corporate events — call 200 62828 Gibraltar’s premier Private Member’s Club to book your function or event. where members can enjoy fine dining and impeccable service in luxurious surroundThe Waterfront ings. Open for lunch and dinner Monday to Queensway Quay Marina Saturday also offering a daily Business Lunch Tel: 200 45666 menu. Once a month 55 opens for traditional www.gibwaterfront.com Sunday lunch and holds a variety of culinary The Waterfront, established for over 16 years, themed evenings i.e. Thai/Japanese Fusion. is situated on the quayside at Queensway The main bar offers a full bar snack menu Quay Marina; the epitome of peace and and is the perfect place after a long day at tranquillity. Open seven days a week from work. On Thursday and Fridays you can 9am until late the restaurant offers everything relax to the mix of Soul & ’80s music by 55’s from a cup of tea or coffee right through resident DJ, take advantage of Happy Hour to three course meals with Champagne! A and enjoy the sushi menu from 6pm. Special comprehensive bar snack menu is available occasions or important business clients can all day from 10.15am; the a la carte menu be entertained in the Private Dining Room from midday through to 10.30pm, featuring (up to 10 people). Afternoon tea Thursday to daily specials. The barbecue grill is open Saturday -6pm. For info on membership or to daily from 7pm offering sumptuous steaks, make a reservation for lunch or dinner so you aged in-house, and fabulous fish including can enjoy the 55 experience contact Louise by dorada and sea bass. A delicious array of phone or email louise@fifty-five.gi desserts and ice creams are also available.

Boasting extensive terraces the restaurant Nunos Italian Restaurant and Terrace provides the ideal location for summer ‘al Caleta Hotel, Catalan Bay fresco’ dining and drinking with stunning For a reservations Tel: 200 76501 sunsets. Also catering for large party bookE-mail reservations@caletahotel.gi ings including weddings, holy communions, Overlooking the Mediterranean from Catalan birthdays etc the Waterfront is the ideal venue Bay, Nunos’ Spanish chef with Three Star for any occasion.

Michellin experience offers a variety of Italian cuisine. The restaurant has now moved from its location on the lower floors and can now be found at the reception level of the hotel. informaleating A quick peak at the menu reveals the chef’s celebrated Salmorejo is on the menu, as are his baby squid burgers (Insalata di Calamari). Amin's The Office From the main dishes you can choose from a 30 Parliament Lane. Tel: 200 40932 variety of fresh fish and meat dishes. Or you Sit down, informal and friendly restaurant. could go for the house speciality of fresh, Amin is well known in Gibraltar for his home-made pasta where you can choose from Moroccan, Spanish and international cuisine. a wide range of options. Open: Monday to Open early for breakfast at 7am right through Saturday 19.30 to 22.30 and lunchtimes for the day. Try the Moroccan soups, couscous, lamb tagines and kebabs. group bookings.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

Open: 7.00am to midnight.

homemade cakes/afternoon tea, plus menu including excellent salad bar, 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

Buddies Pasta Casa 15 Cannon Lane. Tel: 200 40627 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.

Open: Monday - Thursday 11am - 5pm, Friday 11am-3pm and 7pm-11pm, Sat 11am4.30pm FusionDeli 11 Cooperage Lane (by BHS) Tel: 200 63940 FusionDeli is a great little takeaway which specialises in delicious and freshly cooked Malaysian food plus some old farvourites.

It is innovative, tasty and affordable and all served in the iconic noodle box. Breakfast of giant toast, bagels or croissant. Lunches of Malaysian curries, noodles with various sauces and veg, chicken, beef or prawns. Old favs of salads, egg fried rice, wanton chips, and chippy curry sauce. Plus a variety of wraps, pitta breads and baps (with curry, barbecue pork or chicken, or beef steak).

And don't forget the cakes and pudding plus coffees and soft drinks. Well worth a visit.

Open: 11am-4.30pm Get Stuffed Marina Bay. Tel: 200 42006 Take-away, sandwich bar and hot food.

Serving all homemade sandwiches, salads, quiches, pasta, pies, muffins, plus hot and cold drinks and smoothies and a different special every day. Outside catering for corporate parties.

Open: 8am - 6pm Mon-Fri, 8am-4pm Sat. Just A Nibble 1st Flr ICC Tel: 200 78052 Full licensed cafe serving English breakfast, vast range of toasties, rolls, and snacks. Meals include, Bob’s famous chicken curry/chilli con carne, and a great new range of pies (from Bob’s chicken and leek to steak and kidney plus a whole range of tasty alternatives) plus all the old favourites; jacket spuds, burgers, hot dogs, fish and chips, and daily specials.

Ideal meeting place.

Open: Monday - Saturday from 9am.

Just Desserts 1st Floor ICC. Tel: 200 48014 Bright and airy, recently redecorated cafe on the first floor of the ICC. All home-made food including daily specials, vegetarian options and desserts. Eat in or take-away. Try their daily roast with everything on or their allday breakfast. Non-smoking restaurant with terrace smoking area. Friendly, cheerful and fully licensed with sensible prices.

Open: 8am - 4.30pm Monday to Friday.

Mumbai Curry House Unit 1.0.02 Ground Floor, Block 1

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

Smith’s Fish & Chips 295 Main Street. Tel: 200 74254 Traditional well-stablished British fish and chip shop, located on Main Street opposite the Convent, with tables/seating available or take-away wrapped in newspaper. The menu includes old favourites cod, haddock or plaice in batter, Cornish pasties, mushy peas etc. Also curries, omlettes, burgers.

Open: 8am-6pm Mon-Fri. Breakfast from 8.

Solo Express Grnd Flr, International Commercial Centre & Eurotowers Solo Express, located right next to Pizza Hut in Casemates and in Eurotowers, serves a good variety of salads and baguettes (white, brown & ciabatta) filled with a wide deli selection of things such as roast chicken; smoked salmon & mascapone; ham, cheese and coleslaw; or hummous, avocado and roasted red pepper. The salads are fresh and tasty and include Greek, Waldorf, cous cous, tuna pasta, etc and are great value.

Jacket potatoes, quiches, tea, coffee etc plus cakes (such as flapjacks and muffins) are also available throughout the day. Eat-in available.

Soups in winter. Free Wifi.

Eurotowers Tel: 200 73711 Home delivery: 50022/33 Good Indian cuisine for eating in or taking away, from snacks such as samosas, bhajias, and pakoras to lamb, chicken and fish dishes with sauces such as korma, tikka masala, bhuna, do piaza... in fact all you would expect from an Indian cuisine take-away.

Large vegetarian selection. Halal food is available, as is outside catering for parties and meetings. Sunday specials include all Mumbai favourites such as Dosa and Choley The Tasty Bite Bhature.

Open: 7 days a week 11am - 3pm, 6pm - 59a Irish Town.

Tel: 200 78220 Fax: 200 74321 late.

Tasty Bite has one of the biggest take-away menus around with home cooked meats, Munchies Cafe 24 Main Street. Tel: 200 43840 Fax: 200 filled baguettes, burgers, chicken, kebabs and everything else you can think of! Try the 42390 A great sandwich bar/cafe offering an quiches, tortillas and jackets spuds with all unusual range of sandwiches on white or kinds of fillings. This little place gets busy granary bread, plus salads, baguettes, soups, with those popping out from the offices for desserts, homemade ice-cream and hot/cold lunch so get there early. drinks. Business lunches, parties and kids Open: Monday - Saturday. parties also catered for (for party and office platters phone or fax order by 5.30pm day before - minimum orders for delivery £12).

Open: Mon - Fri 8.30-7, Sat 9 - 4, Closed Sun. Picadilly Gardens Rosia Road. Tel: 200 75758 Relaxed bar restaurant with cosy garden terrace just across the road from the cable car.

English breakfast, churros, tapas, hamburgers, fresh fish, prawns, squid, clams and a variety of meat dishes. Eat in or take away. Menu of the day only £6. Open: early to late. l Sacarello Coffee Co. 57 Irish Town. Tel: 200 70625 Converted coffee warehouse, ideal for coffee,

Verdi Verdi Unit G10, ICC, Casemates (behind taxis).

Tel: 200 60733 Verdi Verdi offers morning and afternoon coffee as well as all home-made and delicious vegetarian and vegan dishes, fresh homebaked bread and desserts. A wide selection of freshly made sandwiches and baguettes to eat in or take away. Try the light and fluffy homemade pizzas, or the falafels.

Daily specials soups are fabulous and filling. Delicious coffees. Ask for Idan's hot homemade chilli relish — sweet and scrummy. Free WiFi. Open: Mon & Thurs: 7.30am - 6pm, Friday 7.30am - 5pm, Sunday 10am - 3pm. Saturday closed.

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bars&pubs All’s Well Grand Casemates Square. Tel: 200 72987 Traditional pub in fashionable Casemates area.

Named for the 18th century practice of locking the Gates to the city at night when the guard announced ‘All’s Well’ before handing the keys to the watch. All’s Well serves Bass beers, wine and spirits plus pub fare. English breakfast served all day, hot meals such as pork in mushroom sauce, sausage & mash, cod and chips and steak & ale pie are complemented by a range of salads and filled jacket potatoes. Large terrace.

Karaoke every Monday and Wednesday until late. Free tapas on a Friday 7pm.

Cannon Bar 27 Cannon Lane. Tel: 200 77288 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.

Quiz night on Tuesdays, get there early as it is definitely the place to be on a normally quiet Gibraltar Tuesday.

Attractive bar/brasserie in historic Casemates building. Done out to represent Nelson’s ship with cloud and sky ceiling crossed with beams and sails. Spacious terrace Starter s& snacks include fresh local mussels, blue cheese and rocket bruschetta, Lordy’s potato skins, spicy chicken wings and calamares. Main courses cover a range from chilli con carne and chicken and mushroom pie, to crispy aromatic duck burrito and British fish and chips. Try one of the salads or Nelson’s platters. Jacket potatoes, The Final Whistle burgers and children’s menu. Credit cards ac4, Cornwall’s Parade Friendly sports bar with six screens. If it’s live, cepted. Live music Venue of the Year, with live it’s on, and often more than one game on at a music on stage every night. Free Wifi. Open: time for full sports coverage. Fun atmosphere from 10am till very late. with special offers during premier matches. All The Lounge sports fans welcome.

Queensway Quay Marina Tel: 200 61118 Open 10am until late, 7 days a week.

Stylish lounge bar right on the quayside at Queensway Quay with very reasonably priced The Gibraltar Arms drinks and light bites from 10am until late.

184 Main St. Tel: 200 72133 Free WiFi, popular quizzes on Sundays (from www.gibraltararms.gi Good food served all day at this typical pub 7.30pm) and a relaxed friendly atmosphere... right on Main Street. Everything from all day always plenty of people / yachties to chat to. breakfast to Irish fillet steak roll, burritos, and Events (matches etc) covered on large screen the popular fresh local mussels. Draught lager, TV. Great place to chill out. Open: 10am from bitter, cider and Murphys plus free WiFi. Ter- Monday to Saturday until late and from 12pm race seating right on Main Street to watch the on Sundays (get there early if you want a seat world go by. Open: from 8am (10am Sundays) for the quiz). until late.

O’Reilly’s Leisure Island, Ocean Village. Tel: 200 67888 Lord Nelson Bar Brasserie Traditional Irish bar with full HD sports cover10 Casemates Tel: 200 50009 age and Irish breakfast from 7am (Sunday from www.lordnelson.gi 9am). Guinness on draught. Food includes salE-mail: reservations@lordnelson.gi

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ads, jackets, beef and Guinness ale 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.

Savannah Lounge 27 Heart Island, Ocean Village Tel: 200 66666 Aimed at Gibraltar ’s dining and night-life scene, Savannah has been created with fun and style in mind. Offering contemporary European cuisine a wide selection of drinks, cool decor and good music. The venue hosts regular events with invited DJs and shows from abroad (see ad for details).

Open: Sunday-Thurs midday-midnight, Friday and Saturday midday-5am.

The Star Bar Parliament Lane. Tel: 200 75924 Reputedly the oldest bar in Gib, this small cosy bar opens early for breakfast (English or toast & cereal). Lunch/evening menu includes fillet steak, fish and chips and salads. Home of Med Golf and Tottenham Hotspur FC supporters club. Outside seating.

Open: from 7am every day. Located: first right off Main St (walking from N to S).

The Three Owls Irish Town. Tel: 200 77446 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.

Wembley Bar 10 South Barrack Ramp. Tel: 200 78004 Popular bar for hot and cold bar snacks, function room, in south district. Fridays 10am for breakfast. Air conditioned. The home of the Real Madrid Supporter’s Club.

Open: from 11am - midnight Sunday - Thursday, 10am - 1am Friday, and from 11am - 1am Saturdays.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

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 EveryDay salads, quiches, pastas, pies, muffins, all home made Open 8am-6pm Mon-Fri, 8am-4pm Sat

Indian Cuisine to Eat In or Take Away Unit 1.0.02 Grnd Flr, Block 1 Eurotowers Tel: 200 73711

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 GIBRALTARMAGAZINE MAGAZINE••NOVEMBER NOVEMBER2011 2011 GIBRALTAR

Just A Nibble Licensed Cafeteria Let the ‘A’ Team serve you up a snack or a meal.

Daily Specials • Varied Menu

Open from 9am First Floor ICC, Main Street THE PLACE TO MEET

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wine column

Housey-Housey The call of ‘bingo’ apparently being considered a little too vulgar for respectable ladies enjoying themselves of an afternoon, this phrase was used instead when a ‘house’ or line of numbers was achieved. Whether it is indeed more genteel is not an issue; the important point is that it was perceived as such.

If there is no life without language (as Wittgenstein never stopped saying, much to the distress of all those who had to listen to him rabbiting on interminably), then our use of language defines us.

We strive to be polite, not to give offence, and yet say what we mean.

This leads to wonderful circumlocutions and meaningless phrases.

Political correctness requires me to say that a stupid person is ‘mentally challenged’. And yet I am mentally challenged, every day, by the tortuous mind of the cryptic crossword

setter in my daily newspaper. Am I therefore a sandwich short of a picnic? And if so, in what sense?

(Happily, the crossword setter of this estimable magazine is a simple soul who relies on general knowledge and therefore causes no difficulty.)

A job reference from a previ-

membership @ fifty-five

Individual Couple Corporate**

Full Membership £750 guest allowance 2 £1250 guest allowance 4 £2500 guest allowance 8

**Corporate Membership consists of 3 nominated and 1 unassigned

Full membership comprises: Access to the Bar and Lounge • Use of Lounge to host your own events (subject to availability) • Advance booking for Restaurant • Opportunity to add additional names to guest list • Full Concierge Services • Free access to Private Dining Room • Free access to Meeting Room • Invitation to all club parties and events* • Wireless internet and laptop loan • Account facility

Individual Couple Corporate

Associate Membership £300 guest allowance 1 £500 guest allowance 2 £750 guest allowance 4

Associate membership comprises: Access to the Bar • Same day booking for Restaurant • Private dining room available for hire • Opportunity to add additional names to guest list • Invitation to some parties and events* • Wireless internet and laptop loan * There may be a charge for tickets to certain events.

All guests must be accompanied by a member at all times.

Open: 11.30am - late lunch, bar snacks and fine dining Monthly members events. Contact Louise at 200 79655 or louise@fifty-five.gi

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ous employer may include the splendid words: “You will be very lucky if you can get this person to work for you”. The Queen once enquired how many people worked in the factory she was visiting, and was informed: “About half of them, Ma’am”. And the best put-down to a (usually female) friend is: “I may not understand what you mean, dear, but I do understand what you say”.

Government departments complain of insufficient resources when they mean they have run out of money. I tried that on my bank manager once and received a rather dusty reply. Investment in the country’s youth means paying (small) amounts of money to unemployed 20-year-olds. When, many years ago, I suggested to my bank manager that he should invest in me, I received rather a dusty reply. When it comes to the crunch, it depends on whether it is your own resources, or someone else’s.

It is much easier to spend someone else’s money — sorry, resources — just as words can easily be used to justify the unjustifiable.

So it is with language describing wine. I have just come across a bottle that I recommend. It is called First Cape Pinotage Limited Release

(£6.00 from Morrison’s).

It is an unpretentious good glass of ordinary red. There is nothing special about it. It will slip down well with all food (including fish).

At the price it is good value — and better, I regret to say, than Morrison’s Ordinary Claret which, as I have previously remarked, has gone downhill of late. But it is ordinary. It will be ideal for the dinner party at which you want a wine to be unremarked but nevertheless to be enjoyable for your guests. I claim no more for it.

Now look at the label. It is described as having ‘smoky and rich tones on the nose’ with ‘lush velvet supple fruit on the palate’. What on earth does this mean? When I sniffed it I got the usual slightly acidic niff together with a bit of

Now look at the label. It is described as having ‘smoky and rich tones on the nose’ with ‘lush velvet supple fruit on the palate’.

What on earth does this mean?

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

wine column grape. On tasting, it was good ordinary stuff — perhaps a little tart. Where was the velvet? Or the supple fruit? Is it possible that the makers think that we will read this guff, and believe it, before buying the bottle? Or are we supposed, having bought it, to read the label and then realise what we have just tasted?

The Heebie-Jeebies once produced a marvellous parody of the Bee-Gees entitled Meaningless songs in very high voices. Once you have listened to this, you will never listen to the real Bee-Gees again without being reminded of the imitation — which, as with all the best parodies, is actually an improvement on any original. Wine labels need to say something about the contents, but they do not need to parody themselves; like the 13th stroke of a crazy clock, it casts doubt on all

that has gone before.

But a wine writer’s appreciation of wine must always include the fruit, the velvet, the subtlety, the blackberries, the steel, the newmown hay, the suppleness, the hint of apricots (continue ad nauseam).

Labellers of wine have caught the habit. In the same way, a can of Coca-cola may be described as lightly sparkling on the tongue with a depth of aluminium can aftertaste leading to a true appreciation of the joys of caffeine.

In reading this, you rightly ask whether I have a better method of describing wine. I do not. But any wine has acid. The amount of that acid will vary — dry whites tend to contain a little more, but fresh reds will be nearly as sharp; in sweet whites the sugar content will mask the original taste. The purpose of the wine is either to complement the food or to be drunk for its own enjoyment. In the first case you need something acceptable but ordinary; in the second you need to know your own taste. The language used will, I regret, not help you decide.

‘A small Burgundy from the southern slopes but I think you will be amazed by its presumption’. By all means pretend you know what you are saying.

You may impress those who know even less than I do.

If stuck, try a Berberana Riserva (£4.50 from Morrison’s) which is delicious and says nothing on the label.

You can make up your own plaudits. n

Contemporary Mediterranean Dining

Grand Casemates Square Tel: 200

44449 for reservations

Saturday Chill Out with DJ Eric from 7pm

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

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A ro u n d To w n It’s November and the days are getting shorter, Christmas goods are already in the shops and the christmas lights get turned on on Main Street on 18th followed by the Christmas Fair at the Convent on 24th. Just where has 2011 gone!

On Bonfire (Guy Faulkes) Night this year (5th November) there is a dinner dance at the Caleta Hotel in aid of Breast Cancer Gibraltar. This promises to be a spectacular social event and is sure to be a sell out so get your tickets early from Hearts Boutique on Main Street. On the same day those who prefer a quiet rumage can go along to the St Andrew’s Church craft and collectors fair at the church near the Elliot Hotel.

A minute’s silence will be observed around Gibraltar at 11am on Armistice Day (11th November) and a ceremony will take place at Parliament House lobby, followed by a remembrance Service and the laying of poppies on Sunday 13th November at the Cross of Sacrifice 12 noon.

Saturday 12th November is a busy day with the first Gibraltar Mini Dash taking place at Casemates Square from 9am when the Mini cars start arriving (classic and new). More information on this new and fun event can be found on the website www.gibraltarminiclub.com.

For those who prefer the peace of nature there is a mushroom hunting trip into the woodlands with the Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society. If you want to go on this one you will need to be on the Spanish side of the frontier at 8am. If you’d prefer a little closer to home there is a Botanic Garden tour from 10.30am.

Happy birthday to Sarah of Cafe Rojo who gets another year older on 30th. Other birthdays this month include Dave Wood on November 5th, a biggie for Melanie Bosano of Retribution Clothing on Irish Town

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • MARCH 2007 GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

on 6th, Michelle Stafford of the Lounge on Queensway Quay 8th, Chantal Hosken of the Studio, John Mackintosh Hall on 11th. Angela Sargent of Upon This Rock celebrates on 16th as does little James Vinet who will be 4, Yalta of Urban Dance will no doubt dance the night away on 23rd, and finally Tessa Imossi will be painting the town on 29th November.

A special mention goes this month to Simone who, devastated to find out Westlife had split up was already in a state of shock when she was told Gadhaffi had been killed. Simone was distraught at the news and those around her were surprised at her affinity with the ex-Lybian leader’s plight. Until they realised she though they had said boy band member Keith Duffy had died! Gadhaffi - Keith Duffy.... easy mistake to make, Simone!

An original production aimed at children will be staged by Santos Productions from 9th-11th November. Called Kids Rock the production is perfect for the whole family to enjoy so go along to the Ince’s Hall theatre and have a great night out (tickets £10 from the Nature Shop).

And finally we wish all the best to our Miss Gibraltar 2011, Michelle Gillingwater Pedersen, who will be taking part in the Miss World pageant on 6th November at the Earls Court Exhibition centre in London. We are sure she will do Gibraltar very proud indeed.

Photos: ’80s revival night at Salsa Fuego in aid of GBC Open Day GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • MARCH 2007 GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

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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 6.30pm-8pm, Wed 6.30pm-8.30pm, life painting Wed 7pm9pm). 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 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.

Senior Citizens Teatime Dances at The Youth Centre, Line Wall Rd on Mondays 2 - 5.30pm.

All senior citizens welcome for coffee, tea and biscuits. Entrance free.

Classical Ballet classes for children 4+, Spanish dance and hip-hop at Liza School of Dance, 3rd floor, Methodist Church, 297/299 Main St. Classes Weds & Fri from 6pm at Chiltern Court (4Cs). Tel: 58111000.

Modern, Contemporary, Lyrical, Flexibility, Hip Hop & Dance Theatre classes held weekly at Urban Dance Studio for Performing Arts, No. 2 Jumpers Bastion. Contact Yalta (54012212) or Jolene (54015125).

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.

Music The 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

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Don’t be bored... do something fun!

Outdoor Activities The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is an exciting self-development Programme available to all young people worldwide equipping them with life skills to make a difference to themselves, their communities and the world. To date over 5 million young people from over 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 Cannon Bar quizzes are held on Tuesdays starting with a warm up, then two other quizzes, including a theme quiz. Starts at 8.30pm, all welcome and prizes are given. Free entrance but a donation to charity is requested. Tapas served after the quiz.

The Lounge friendly quizzes take place on Sundays from 8pm right on the quayside at Queensway Quay.

Social Clubs Scots on the Rock: Any Scots visiting the Rock can contact Charles Polson (Tel: 200 78142) for assistance or information.

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.

The 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 The 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.

Billiards & Snooker: Gibraltar Billiards and Snooker Association (member IBSA) round leagues and competitions at various venues.

New members welcome. Tel: Eddie 200 72142 or Peter 200 77307.

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 Rockettes Cheerleading Club. Classes for girls aged 3+. Contact Gina: 58008338.

Canoeing: Gibraltar Canoeing Association. Tel: Nigel 200 52917 or Eugene 58014000.

Cricket: Gibraltar Cricket Association (member ICC) runs leagues/competitions at Europa Point/ Victoria Stadium. Junior/senior training. Tel: Tom 200 79461 or Adrian 200 44281.

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.

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 and juniors. Tel: Eric 200 74156 or Peter 200 72730.

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 or 60624275.

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 more 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 Anglers (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

what a page turner! www.thegibraltarmagazine.com

rink (when not used for roller hockey training).

Tel: Eric 200 70710 (after 5).

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 E-mail: gibdrama@yahoo.co.uk Tel: 200 42237 www. geocities.com/gibdrama Trafalgar Theatre Group meet 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 • NOVEMBER 2011

events

Celebrations at Cafe Rojo this month included: Clockwise from top left: Colin Peter’s 50th party; GHA get-together; Dawn’s birthday; Bassadone leaving do.

(Thanks Annette for sending in the photos)

It’s Ladies Night at 55 Lots of ladies took advantage of Ladies Night at 55 private members club last month where the only man allowed was lucky DJ Eric (who we have to say a big congratulations to for becoming a father last month.

Little Leon is doing well and making Eric proud).

There were lots of fun and games for all the ladies who attended. For information on 55 telephone Louise on 200 79655.

Religious Services Baha’i Faith Tel: 200 73287 www.gibnet. com/bahai email:bahai@gibraltar.gi Bethel Christian Fellowship Tel: 200 52002. Queensway. Sunday service 11am.

Church of England Cathedral of the Holy Trinity. Tel: 200 78377. Sung Eucharist, Sunday 10.30am. Sunday School.

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day

Saints Suite 21a Don House, 30-38 Main Street. Tel: 200 50433. Sundays 10am.

Church of Scotland St Andrew’s, Governor’s Pde. Tel: 200 77040. Worship & Sunday School 10.30am. Bible Study Tues 7.30pm.

Evangelical Bretheren Assembly, Queensway Quay. Sun 11am, Tues Bible Study 6pm, Thurs Prayer Meeting 6pm.

Hindu Engineer’s Lane Tel: 200 42515.

Jehovah’s Witness 6 Europort Avenue

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

Tel: 200 50186.

Jewish 10 Bomb House Lane Tel: 200 72606.

Methodist 297 Main St Tel/Fax 200 40870 email minister@methodist.org.gi Minister: Revd Fidel Patron. Sunday 11am Morning Worship, 8pm Evening Service. Prayer meetings Monday+ Wednesday to Friday 7pm and Tuesdays 8pm. Communion celebrated on 2nd and 4th Sunday mornings of the month, and other special occasions.

Alpha Course: held Thursdays 8pm.

House Groups meet for Christian fellowship, prayer and study on a regular basis Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. Sunday School meets Sunday mornings alongside morning worship.

Roman Catholic Cathedral St Mary the Crowned, 215 Main St Tel: 200 76688.

The Cityline Church 13 Castle St Tel: 200 75755 email: citylinegib@yahoo. com. Meet: Tues 8pm, Sundays 11am.

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information

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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.

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!

with a labyrinth of underground 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 Services 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 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.

The Natural History & Heritage Park

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.

Remaining Public Holidays 2011

Gibraltar & United Kingdom Christmas Day Mon 26 December Boxing Day Tues 27 December

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

Bus Routes & Timetables

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.

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 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

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.

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The Gibraltar Magazine is published and produced by Guide Line Promotions Ltd, 1st Floor 113 Main Street, Gibraltar.

Tel/Fax: (+350) 200 77748

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-ibn-Zeyad (“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.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 2011

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