Gibraltar Magazine - Oct11

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

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ibraltar the

October 2011 Vol. 16 No. 12 FREE

Gibraltar’s Guitar Heroes Taking the Rap in Toronto Can Gibraltar Compete?

Gibraltar’s Talking Seal

Local Beauties Get Shot

La Roca: A Story of Love & Hate

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what’s inside

arts & lifestyle 36 38 40 42 46 56 58 76

features La Roca: A Story of Love and Hate Jamie & Michael: Guitar Heroes € Freemasonry: Beyond the Myths

business & finance 8 9 12 14 16 18 20

Business & Finance Guide

62 69 70 75

Finance Column: What to do next? € Comutacenter Attracted by Gaming Sector HR Forum: Coaching the Coach Staying Motivated During the Job Search KPMG at Savannah

property files 30 32 33 34

history & heritage

Can Gibraltar Compete?

30-35

New Location, Location...

Property Directory Nifty Storage Tips BFA’s 25th Anniversary celebrations

food & drink

80-89

80 Events 82 Recipes 84-87 Restaurant & Bar Guide 88 Unseen Letters

health & beauty 48 52 53

48-53

A Personal Story Health & Medical Directory What is Cranial Osteopathy

regulars 68 Puzzle Page 90-91Around Town

information 64-65 94

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

City Centre Map Gibraltar Information

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

44 60 66

Local Beauties Get Shot!€ Bringing Characters to Life National Day 2011 Gibraltar’s 10 Pin Triumphs Berlin Philharmonic Soloists’ Series Youth Work - Get Involved Write On - Crimes in Tangier Taking the Rap in Toronto

Raffles & the Gibraltar Crime Gibraltar’s Talking Seal € The Youth & Manhood of Cyril Thornton Gibraltar’s Champion Egg Hunter

gibraltar the

October 2011 Vol. 16 No. 12 FREE

Gibraltar’s Guitar Heroes Taking the Rap in Toronto Can Gibraltar Compete?

Gibraltar’s Talking Seal

Local Beauties Get Shot

La Roca: A Story of Love & Hate

Photo: One of Gibraltar’s distinctive red telephone boxes

Vol. 16 No. 12 October 2011

The Gibraltar Magazine is published monthly by

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAGAZINE •• OCTOBER OCTOBER 2011 2011 GIBRALTAR

business & finance

Comparing Gibraltar is one thing – but can it compete?

by Ian Le Breton

In recent columns, I have written about the reasons one might consider Gibraltar as a good place to invest, work and live. I have covered issues such as the legal framework in the jurisdiction itself, regulation and, perhaps most importantly, the new corporate tax legislation that came into force in January of this year.

Then what happened? After the last column a lady reader stopped me in the street to say: “That’s all very well, but do you really have such rose-tinted spectacles?” She went on to ask if I was so enamoured of Gibraltar that I could simply ignore the competing jurisdictions. The conversation made me think.

As you can see from my mug shot overleaf, I obviously do wear “specs” — and have done since the age of five. But honestly, they’re not rose tinted. Of course everything isn’t perfect in Gibraltar but then who can show me a jurisdiction where such a utopia exists? Life would be pretty boring wouldn’t it?

So in answer to my lady critic, I thought I might take a quick look at one or two “competing” jurisdictions to see how Gibraltar measures up. What follows is necessarily a general view of just a couple of places that I genuinely consider to be our “competitors”. As always these are just my own personal thoughts so don’t shoot the messenger. If you disagree with anything that follows, do get in touch and let me know.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

I decided to limit myself to considering the most obvious places against which Gibraltar is most often compared. Bring on my first problem.

Being involved in the corporate services and trust business, the Channel Islands and Isle of Man were my first choices.

Other finance professionals in Gibraltar will differ; those more closely involved with the

I wanted to consider though were the places that are already close to each other in other ways — legal system, language, etc. In that way I felt we could make a more accurate “comparison”

funds or insurance industries might consider Luxembourg or Switzerland. The Chief Minister is likely to say London. And to an extent we’re all right. What I wanted to consider though were the places that are already close to each other in other ways — legal system, language, etc. In that way I felt we could make a more accurate “comparison”. After all, how does one match tiny Gibraltar with a country such as Switzerland with a population of several million?

So for this article I decided to consider only the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. After all, I can always look at other places in Europe or further afield in future columns.

First though, a word about my personal position in all this. As my surname suggests, I am not from around these parts. I am instead a proud Jerseyman although I left the island over 25 years ago. I rolled up on Gibraltar’s shores when I took up my appointment with Sovereign in November 2004 so am still considered by some, no doubt, as very much a new boy.

Having said all that, my first visit here was

business & finance almost 30 years ago and during my time as a banker I was here very frequently. So I’ve seen a few changes. I am settled here and celebrated National Day last month with everyone else so, of course, I am a keen fan of what one might call “Gibraltar plc” and everything the territory and its people stand for.

When considering the Channel Islands and Isle of Man, how do we compare and can we compete? Is it realistic for us in the finance industry to make such bold claims? Naturally I think we can and now I’ll try to answer why that is.

Firstly of course, Gibraltar is not an island — that much is obvious. As in the cases of the other three, we suffer our fair share of weather related issues at the airport. However, it’s rare for Gibraltar to be totally cut off and there are always options such as using Málaga. You can’t leave the islands so easily in bad weather so being joined to mainland Europe can certainly be an advantage.

I then considered some bare facts. For sheer size and population, Gibraltar is by a very long way the smallest of the four — although remember what they say about good things coming in small packages. Gibraltar’s population of almost 30,000 is half that of Guernsey and not much more than a third of the totals in both Jersey and the Isle of Man. Covering around 220 square miles the Isle of Man is many times the size of Gibraltar, and at 46 and 25 square miles respectively, Jersey and Guernsey also dwarf our small country in terms of size.

For all four jurisdictions, financial services are vital parts of the local economy. The percentage of the workforce employed in the industry varies but is significant in each place. The Channel Islands were first off the block in terms of providing what became known as “offshore” services in the ’60s although both the Isle of Man and Gibraltar soon followed. It’s when one considers the broader financial infrastructure and legislative framework that have evolved subsequently that one begins to appreciate how close Gibraltar now comes to the other three in almost all respects. Let’s look at a few concrete examples.

We may not have as many banks as the is-

lands, but a number of Europe’s finest banks are represented here, not to mention a growing number of hedge funds and investment firms.

We host most of the major accounting firms and although the large City law firms may be absent, many of our local lawyers have built world class reputations in such diverse areas as Experienced Investor Funds and maritime law, to name just two.

Moreover, in recent years, financial services have played an important role in the creation of a Gibraltar gaming sector that has left its competitors in Guernsey, the Isle of Man and indeed elsewhere far behind.

Looking at corporate and trust services, our firm has important offices in Guernsey and the Isle of Man, as well as here in Gib where we employ more than 60 staff. Each jurisdiction has its own specialities — for example Guernsey is particularly well regarded as a QROPS jurisdiction. But in general, Gibraltar can claim to compete across the board.

I have written about corporate taxation in recent columns. Gibraltar companies pay 10% corporation tax on the accrued and derived principle; this has been accepted at EU level and our new system is now operational. At present, with just a few exceptions, Channel Island and Isle of Man companies pay no corporate tax at all. This option is being challenged in some quarters so it may be that those rules might need to change.

There is one area, however, where Gibraltar not only competes with its peers but can also

With or without my “rose tinted specs”, can we really compare ourselves with the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man? You bet!

be considered to have a serious competitive advantage. Gibraltar is a full member of the European Union, although not part of the Customs Union – there is therefore no VAT. This presents unique opportunities for EU companies that benefit from operating in a VAT-free environment. There is no VAT in Guernsey either, while Jersey levies a Goods & Services Tax (GST) – the present rate being 5% — and the Isle of Man VAT is charged at the UK rate, currently 20%.

But none are part of the EU. The second unique advantage Gibraltar offers by dint of its EU membership is the ability for licensed, regulated firms to “passport” that status to other EU countries. This means firms regulated here may offer services to clients in any one of the 27 EU states. Passporting is enormously valuable to banks, insurance and investment companies. This is simply not an option in the other three jurisdictions.

So in conclusion, with or without my “rose tinted specs”, can we really compare ourselves with the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man? You bet. More importantly, is it realistic for Gibraltar to claim that it can compete effectively with these places? Again, the answer is a resounding “yes”.

Clearly, there is enough good quality, international business to keep the good practitioners busy in all four jurisdictions. I believe that we should always be aiming to grab a larger slice of the pie here. Gibraltar-based professionals are travelling ever further afield in order to spread that message. Let’s hope that this trend continues and that we develop our offering still further, to the benefit of all of us who live and work here. n

New Managing Director at Fiduciary Fiduciary Management Limited, the Gibraltar based financial services provider, appointed Steve Grainger as Managing Director last month.

Chairman Peter Isola commented “Steve has a wealth of knowledge in managing Fiduciary and Trust businesses and has worked in several major offshore jurisdictions in his impressive career”.

Having gained his early experience and qualifications in the UK, Steve worked

10

for 20 years in the Cayman Islands, the Bahamas, Channel Islands and Bermuda. He has particularly focused on the management and delivery of quality service to Ultra High Net Worth global clients and Family Offices.

Steve will lead and manage the very experienced and excellent Company Management, Trust, Marine Services and Fund Administration teams within Fiduciary.

The Fiduciary Group, which also has offices in London and Zurich, is one of the leading financial service providers in the Iberian Peninsula and is closely associated with Isolas law firm. n

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

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So you have a great business idea:

?

What to do next

It all starts with coming up with an idea and inspiration can come from anywhere; from identifying a gap in the Gibraltar market in which you work, to turning a hobby into a working business or even discovering that a special skill you possess is in great demand locally. Often I think the issue is that we have many great ideas but yet we do nothing about them.

How many times over the years have we been sat around the table on a Sunday afternoon enjoying a lazy lunch with family and friends, excitedly sharing our idea for a new business venture, which, we are certain, will make us a fortune in

12

only a short period of time? What is it that stops us from pursuing this further, and why do we get up on Monday morning and do nothing about it?

Is it because we are a bunch of would-be entrepreneurs whose

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

finance column daring weekend daydreams quickly evaporate with the onset of the working week? Or is it that we just don’t know how to progress our idea?

My money is on we just don’t know how to take that idea forward to test whether or not it is going to be a success. So let’s work on what we need to do to get us over this hurdle.

The first step is to spend some time testing the product or service and to ask ourselves if there is a market for our idea. I am not talking about detailed market research at this stage; things like brainstorming your idea with friends and colleagues can help because they can give different perspectives on the idea and may know if anyone else is doing the same thing.

Ask yourself if you can identify potential customers; think also outside Gibraltar, as the whole of Europe could be your potential market!

Think about how you are going to find customers, or how will they find you? Are you going to advertise or rely on word of mouth?

How will you deliver that product or service? Via direct sales? Selling through a distributor? Or over the internet?

Don’t forget to consider whether social trends will affect the demand for your product or service. What I am saying here is that what may work today may not work tomorrow; you only have to look at the way the internet has changed consumers’ buying habits to see this.

What makes your product or service different from those offered by competitors? It’s not all about price; you have to have an edge. To me, this is the key; get this right and you are half way there. Don’t forget to make sure that the product or service is safe and compliant, avoiding the pitfall that the importer fell into in my last article!

This final point leads me on to validating your idea and is, for me, the most important part as you will now need to discuss what you have with as many potential customers as you can. It might feel a bit uncomfortable as you must ask them whether they would buy your product or service, what they want, what they will pay for and any further ideas or suggestions, but you will be surprised at how receptive your potential customers can be.

If you can build a prototype

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.

of your product or develop an example of the offering then do this and let them test it; remember at this stage, all you really have is an idea.

It is at this point that most budding entrepreneurs put pen to paper and create a business plan which is nothing more than fiction filled with great ideas.

But the reality is that there is much more work still to be done.

Having an understanding of the numbers that impact your business is crucial, particularly at this planning stage.

You will need to understand your start up costs, at what price your product or service will make you a profit and how much cash you will initially need for the business.

So by next month, you will have tested your idea and, on the assumption that it looks like it has legs, we will need to look at the numbers in more detail.

I will show you how to calculate your start up costs and work through some straight forward budget and cash flow forecasts, so you can see if your idea can make you that fortune... more on this next month. n

Validating your idea and is, for me, the most important part as you will now need to discuss what you have with as many potential customers as you can

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

13

property issues

Marc Fryer, Computacenter’s Client Director for the Corporate & eGaming Sector

Computacenter Attracted by Gibraltar’s Gaming Sector It can win or lose customers. It can grow or shrink revenues. It can enable or inhibit. Technology is at the heart of every bet, every game, and every application, and has the power to drive or decimate a company’s market share and competitive advantage.

When Gibraltar attracts a technology company to its shores which employs over 10,000 staff across Europe and whose annual revenues exceed £2.7bn, Gibraltar must be doing some-

14

thing right.

There are only a handful of local companies that could boast being part of such a large group, whatever the sector. So it was with some

pride that Mike Nicholls, Managing Director of Chesterton, recently announced the establishment of Computacenter in Gibraltar. “We have been working with Computacenter’s UK team for some time to assist them with their feasibility study, subsequent office search and general advice on the myriad of issues arising when one sets up a significant business entity here in Gibraltar,” he said.

Computacenter is Europe’s leading independent provider of IT infrastructure services, including sourcing, deployment, transformation and management. Having signed up to premises in Gibraltar it is now establishing its office with on-site engineering staff and spare parts to be supplied under Guaranteed Service Level Agreements for key IT infrastructure assets.

According to Marc Fryer, Computacenter’s Client Director for the Corporate & eGaming Sector, “Gibraltar continues to attract the best in class gaming companies across the world.

We have invested in Gibraltar to offer the support these companies need and deserve.

Computacenter is a respected and pan European IT Infrastructure Services and Solutions provider with a history of dealing with some of the largest public and private organisations globally.”

Indeed, the company has nearly 2,000 customers including Sportingbet, Nationwide, Aegon, OB10, Visa Europe, BT and Harvey Nichols. It supports 750,000 users and 70,000 servers for customers in more than 60 countries whilst its service desk agents handle an average of 500,000 calls per month.

There are two aspects of Computacenter’s establishment in Gibraltar that are a cause for some self-congratulation from a Gibraltar perspective.

Firstly, the decision to set up here is not tax related. Most of the companies and individuals that are relocating to Gibraltar currently do so primarily for fiscal reasons. This company has been attracted to Gibraltar as they have identified an opportunity in the local market for their range of IT services. “And it wasn’t a quick decision either,” continued Nicholls. “We first spoke with the company back in March and it has taken a full six months of due diligence before they signed.”

Secondly, it demonstrates that as business sectors reach a certain size, so the ripple effect kicks in and businesses offering ancillary services to those business sectors migrate in as well.

Fryer gave some evidence that new jobs will be created by virtue of their arrival, thus contributing to the local economy: “We will have personnel on the Rock that can assist in providing Supply Chain Services, Professional Services and Managed Services, focussed on IT Infrastructure.” And it also means the company’s own more illustrious suppliers will now be introduced to Gibraltar. “We are educating tier 1 technology vendors on the importance of supporting Gibraltar and these vendors include EMC, Cisco, HP, VMWare, Oracle and Microsoft,” he continued.

This high profile arrival counters some concerns that the flood of companies expected following the launch of the 10% corporation tax, has not materialised. “I do believe that the number of companies establishing in Gibraltar

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

business events since the start of the year has not met some people’s expectations,” said Nicholls. “My own view is that we have a steady level of interest from new entrants, and commitment to relocate or establish a company here will follow some time after the initial interest. Hopefully history will confirm that the slow but sure sustainable growth we are encountering currently, is the best form of growth, with no boom and therefore, no bust.”

With the gaming sector still seemingly performing well, it can only be beneficial to that sector and to our economy as a whole that key service providers to our high profile gaming companies are attracted to the Rock.

“Even with the greatest due diligence and capital investment, there will always be IT problems that threaten the customer experience — especially in egaming hubs where there are often limited on-site engineering personnel, spare parts and back-up power supplies,” declared Fryer.

“With a company’s reputation and revenue riding on its ability to provide a continuous service, problems need to be found and fixed fast. Thanks to new ‘self-learning’ service management technologies, the problem resolution process is becoming increasingly automated.

Taking such an approach will not only help to reduce the average time to repair by up to 60% but will also cut operational costs by as much as 30%.”

Computacenter will open for business in Gibraltar during October. Meanwhile, those involved in promoting Gibraltar’s business benefits abroad turn their attention to Gibraltar Day in London on 17th October, where the Finance Centre hosts a lunch in the City of London for possible and future new entrants to Gibraltar’s growing business community. n

The company supports 750,000 users and 70,000 servers for customers in more than 60 countries whilst its service desk agents handle an average of 500,000 calls per month

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

Legal Year Opening 2011 Once again, Chairman of the Gibraltar Bar Council and a senior partner at Hassans International Law Firm, David Dumas QC delivered his address to the Supreme Court at the recent ceremonial opening of the Legal Year 2011.

It was a significant and historic event, opening, as it did, with the announcement of the retirement of the President of the Courts, Sir Murray Stuart-Smith, who many lawyers will recognise as one of the most distinguished and respected judges to have served, latterly, in the Court of Appeal of England and Wales.

Gibraltar has had the benefit of his erudition and deep jurisprudential knowledge and reasoning during his years as a member, and then President, of Gibraltar’s own Court of Appeal. Both David Dumas QC and the Attorney-General paid generous tribute to his work and commitment to Gibraltar.

This year saw the return to the historic Supreme Court building on Main Street where a brand new complex, with three new Supreme Court rooms to add to the main courtroom, has been completed. Three new magistrates’ court rooms and coroner’s court are due to be completed shortly.

As recorded last year, the additional Supreme Court rooms are complemented by having three, rather than two, full-time judges and the soon to be appointed fourth judge, initially a short-term appointment mainly to clear the criminal list. This will release the Chief Justice and the other judges for civil business, especially to handle commercial litigation, some complex, and including urgent, with and without notice, applications, which Gibraltar entertains on a regular basis: itself a reflection of Gibraltar’s growing importance in the

David Dumas QC

business and finance world and the reliance placed worldwide on English common law and equity which are at the foundation of Gibraltar’s legal system.

Mr Dumas also referred to new legislation, most significantly in the diverse spheres of insolvency and crimes and criminal procedure.

The former provides a modernised combined Act for corporate and personal insolvency, providing other routes for ailing businesses, a bonus to the many companies registered in Gibraltar and, equally, their creditors. Amongst other changes, the Act, soon to commence, includes a redrawing of the boundaries of voidable transactions. David Dumas had the benefit of working in the latter stages of Government drafting and consultation and was able to provide contributions in what is one of his areas of special interest.

A number of distinguished guests were present at the proceedings, including the Governor, Sir Adrian Johns, the Minister for Justice, Daniel Feetham, and Leader of the Opposition Fabian Picardo, a partner at Hassans.

David Dumas went on to host the traditional Bar Lunch attended by those and other guests. n

15

business & finance

Gibraltar HR Forum:

Coaching the Coach

“Coaching is an increasingly popular tool for supporting personal development and is now embedding itself as a widespread development tool and performance management technique,” says Ruth Halsall, Chair of the Gibraltar HR Forum, now in its 10th year of existence and with over 70 corporate members across a wide range of Gibraltar’s business world.

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)’s 2010 Learning and Development survey reported that just over eight out of 10 companies now use coaching in their organisations. It’s flexible and, when delivered optimally, is the learning and talent development tool for good and tough times.

Some examples of situations where coaching is used include: helping competent technical experts develop better interpersonal or managerial skills; developing an individual’s potential and providing career support; developing a more strategic perspective after a promotion to a more senior role; handling conflict situations so that they are resolved effectively.

Ruth adds, “Coaching is taken for granted in the world of sport, where individuals and teams have a coach to provide motivation, enhance skills and refine performance. Coaching helps to identify the skills and capabilities that are within the person and enables them to use them to the best of their ability. Ultimately, coaching aims to bring out the best in an individual to enable the team to work better as a whole. The same can be said of business and its leaders.”

Although there is some lack of agreement among coaching professionals about precise definitions, these are some generally agreed characteristics of coaching in organisations: • It is essentially a non-directive form of development.

• It focuses on improving performance and developing individuals’ skills.

• Personal issues are discussed with the emphasis on performance at work.

• Coaching activities have both organisational and individual goals.

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• It provides people with feedback on both their strengths and their weaknesses.

• It is a skilled activity which should be delivered by trained people.

The primary relationship in any coaching activity is between the coach and the individual, but this is not the only important relationship.

“

Coaching is taken for granted in the world of sport

”

Other key stakeholders include the person representing the organisation’s interests — most frequently an HR practitioner and the individual’s manager. Both of these parties are interested in improving the individual’s performance and therefore their contribution to the organisation.

It is very important to establish guidelines on confidentiality and information flow early on to develop trust between the individual and coach, and other stakeholders.

The HR department also has a central role to play in designing and managing coaching within an organisation. The quality of coaching and the results it delivers depend on choosing appropriate coaches (line managers, internal or external coaches), managing relationships and evaluating success.

HR practitioners need to understand when coaching is an appropriate and effective intervention in relation to other learning and development options. They need to be clear about what the different types of coaching and diagnostic tools/models are, and when each is appropriate. They need to understand how to select appropriately qualified coaches and then match them to both the organisational culture and to the needs of particular individuals.

Recognising the qualities and benefits that coaching brings to the organisation and the importance to have it delivered by trained people, Ruth Halsall commented “We are delighted to announce that the Gibraltar HR Forum, having reviewed a number of proposals from local providers, are partnering with Pete Yeoman and Gabrielle Gache of Power of Words to provide a four stage ‘Coach the Coach’ training programme for Gibraltar based HR practitioners”.

Ruth adds “CIPD research shows that coaching is increasingly seen as the responsibility of line management and so the programme has been designed to provide our local HR practitioners with the skills to become proficient coaches and enable them where appropriate, to work closely with their own line managers so they in turn are able to competently coach their staff”.

The experiential and practical programme has been designed to build the skill levels over four half day sessions and will run over a six month period to allow for the training to be understood, used and incorporated into the working environment. n For further details of the “Coach the Coach” programme please contact hrforumgib@gmail.com

Gibraltar HR Forum students receive the Certificate in HR/ Personnel Practice and Associate Membership from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

business & finance

TweetUp at Capurro

this photo by Rebecca Macias

Capurro (@capurro360) hosted October’s TweetUp, organised by @workITgib last month. The event happily coincided with the launch of the fabulous Range Rover Evoque and Gibraltar’s Tweeps got a chance to drool over these stylish new additions to the Range Rover garage. Capurro Marketing Manager, Justin Koen, gave an informal talk on social media and the benefits Capurro has reaped from online connections. To find out when November’s TweetUp is scheduled follow @gibmag for updates. n

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

Capurro’s Sales Manager, Stephen Guillem with Justin Koen, Marketing Manager

17

recruitment

Staying motivated during the job search It’s September and summer is over. It seems as though the world is rushing back to the workplace. If you are looking for a new job you will be pleased the summer is over and companies are getting back down to business.

When you’re job searching, summer seems to drag by with little recruitment activity. Many hiring managers are on holiday so it can feel as if your career has been put on the backburner until they get back to their desks.

It’s now time to get active and keep motivated whilst you find a great job — and enjoy yourself in the process. Here are a few tips to keeping positive and getting the result you’re looking for.

Get out of the house Sitting isolated at home is not going to do you any favours in the self esteem or motivational department. Be sure to get out of the house regularly and keep moving. There are many cafés out there with wireless internet access that allow you to bring your laptop or

18

cybercafés with computers so you can still continue your search while getting a change of scenery. Sitting at home alone can make time go by slowly and put you into a negative mindset becoming detrimental to the job search.

Volunteer Another proactive option may be to volunteer your time. It not only keeps your mind fresh, but can also give you some great experience that might be beneficial.

If you’re looking to move your career in a certain direction, but lack

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

recruitment experience in that crucial area, then volunteering your time to a local business might allow you to gain some of that experience. Having it on your CV could make all the difference to your application for a permanent role.

Get Networking Be sure to stay connected with the world around you. Your contacts can be a great source of moral support as well as a great source for job leads. Online forums and social groups (ie. LinkedIn job groups) can be a great place to start, but also make sure to meet up with friends regularly. You never know what may come to light over a coffee.

Staying connected to friends may also lead to introductions to other people who may know of an open position, so set up some appointments with friends and colleagues to keep in the loop of what’s happening.

Ask for help from a professional Make the time to meet with a professional recruitment consultant. Call their office and make an appointment to have a face to face meeting, get a better idea of

by Sarah Espigares: the market. Discuss your skill set Community Manager at and what the best options are for SRGEurope

future employment. This will give you some insight into the current, local job market and also give you a good idea of how to plan your job search.

will keep your mood balanced and your outlook on life positive. The most important personal attribute in the course of an interview is a positive attitude. This alone can make that crucial difference of Take a course you getting the offer over another Many of us aim to keep up with candidate. our professional development, but life simply gets in the way. If you’re Money Matters not working then this might be the An extended job search can perfect time to take a course and lead to money worries for some. learn some new skills. If you don´t Now is a good time to review your have the money to register into an finances. In the current economic official course, there are many great climate many banks and credit suponline courses that are free and can pliers are sympathetic to a lower be quite beneficial. Try and make it income status, so take the pressure relevant to your career path by ac- off and speak to the professionals. quiring a skill which will look good What are your options? Try and on your CV. If there is a specific determine non-essential costs and qualification which you require to make the effort to cut back keeping get to the next step in your career in mind that this is a good exercise. then take advantage of the free time It can be a remarkably satisfying you have at the moment. This is experience knowing you can suran excellent way of turning what vive happily without splashing many perceive as a negative situa- the cash. tion into a positive one. Learning Finding a job is a job in itself so keeps your mind fresh. treat it like one. By keeping focused, motivated and positive you Stay Healthy can get through the process a little It may seem like a silly idea, but easier and enjoy life a bit more. n staying healthy and fit can be a bit of a challenge if you’re on the couch If you’d like to speak to a recruitment for eight hours more than your consultant about your career options norm. Keep your eating habits in contact Oliver Medina, Associate Dicheck and get regular exercise. This rector at SRGEurope on 216 21111

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19

events

KPMG at Savannah KPMG held a summer reception at Savannah, Leisure Island, Ocean Village last month to thank its clients and business introducers for the continued support over the last year and since it re-established in 2008. Mike Harvey, a Director in the practice was pleased with the growth achieved in this time and expects continued growth for the practice and Gibraltar as a whole over the next few years. n

20

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OC TOBER 2011

events

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21

career file switched to writing novels — eight published and the ninth almost complete.

Hector’s first recollection of life on the Rock is of his home at 32 Prince Edwards Road where he lived for 55 years. Education began at Loreto Convent where Mother Hildegard and Mother Collette ran a tight well-disciplined school which prepared him for the strict regime of the Christian Brothers at the Grammar School.

His father, Nemesio Cortes, an acclaimed amateur musician, ensured he was exposed from birth to different musical stimuli. He started piano lessons at age five with Maria Soro from La Linea who was a graduate from the Barcelona Conservatory; she was succeeded

by Filomena Facio.

Nemi Cortes, knowing how hard it was to make a living from music, went out of his way to discourage Hector’s growing appreciation for and love of music by refusing to pay for piano lessons. However his mother came to the rescue and paid for them out of the housekeeping so he dashed off for lessons during the school lunch break. Eventually his father found out, surrendered, paid for the lessons and subsequently helped him with his A level and learning double-bass and trombone. He says he learned more from his father about practical music-making than from all his professional studies.

In those days it was not possible to take music grade exams as examiners had to come out from the UK and there were not sufficient candidates for the Department of Education to budget for the airfares.

At this time there was only a little drama at the grammar school and no music, however Hector insisted on taking an O level in music so becoming the first Gibraltarian to sit the exam on the Rock. Alas due to an administrative bungle he was taught the wrong syllabus and the Christian Brother in charge advised him not to sit the exam. Being obstinate he did and failed, however the next year he passed with a high grade.

When it came to A level music no one on the Rock was able to teach him and so, with his father’s help, he taught himself. It also meant The Gibraltar band which almost became the entry for Spain in the Eurovision Song Contest flying to England to take the practical examination and a John Mackintosh grant enabled him to do so in the winter of 1963. His uncle, rather than risk him sitting the self-taught A level in KCT, Hon FLCM, GLCM, ALCM Music, arranged an audition and interview with the London College of Music. He was accepted and, after a successful battle with the Gibraltar education authorities, was granted a scholarship but had to sign the mandatory contract to teach music for three years after his return to the Rock.

by Mike Brufal During his first year at London College of Music, Dr Reginald Hunt was Director but was Hector Cortes, a member of the post Second World War baby boom, succeeded by Dr William Lloyd Webber, father Andrew and Julian. In the years ahead the was born on 17th June 1945. He is an outstanding musician, largely of Lloyd Webber brothers often joined the student responsible for the development of Gibraltarian musical talent of the orchestra in rehearsals.

In three years at the college he was offered last four decades. Hector is the first Gibraltarian to pass an O level two jobs but, mindful of his contractual obligamusic exam and the first to teach music in Gibraltar’s schools. tion, he turned both down. The first was to join the band of the Life Guards for a minimum of Hector was the founder of the Music Cen- and was the force behind the creation of the six years to play double bass and trombone; it tre, the Gibraltar Youth Orchestra, he took Gibraltar Regimental Band. He is a former would have meant learning to ride a horse. Hecover the Gibraltar Symphony Orchestra from Prior of the Knights Templar, Gibraltar. If that tor would have played in the Royal Orchestra Willie Edwards, the Gibraltar Band, formed is not enough, when ill health prevented him which was a part of the band that played at the Gibraltar Girls’ Choir, the Calpe Singers from active participation in making music, he royal occasions and private functions. The

Hector Cortes

Gib’s Music Man

22

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

music file

Hector Cortes has now focussed his talents on writing and has 8 books published to date

second job, far more exciting to him, was to join the Halle orchestra as a double bass player.

While at the college he undertook considerable freelance work which enabled him to play under Europe’s leading conductors. A fourth year was spent as a post-graduate at Leeds University where he made his professional debut with the Leeds Symphony orchestra playing Beethoven’s 3rd Piano Concerto in the university’s Great Hall.

On his return to the Rock, and after national service in the Gibraltar Regiment, he became the first Gibraltarian teacher of music and taught in no less than seven schools.

Seeing the general lack of musical appreciation amongst the young he started the Music Centre and, working closely with the then Father Charles Caruana, obtained a grant from the Performing Rights Society.

Years later he directed the Gibraltar Song Festivals of 1980 and 1981 and, such was the parlous state of the festival’s finances, he had to meet the £1000 loss. The same year he married Johanna Bossano and they have two boys and a girl.

His work at the Music Centre was voluntary but the other teachers were paid to teach children how to play instruments and the theory of music. It then became possible to take grade exams in music as a budget was found to bring the examiners from England.

The Gibraltar Choral Society appointed him conductor but, after many successful concerts, a serious disagreement with a female singer from England, forced him to resign. As a result in 1991 he formed the Calpe Singers which became the most successful choir in local musical history. It comprised eight male and eight female voices and soon gave its first concert. Such was its impact that Bishop Caruana told him there was to be a Congress in the Vatican for choir masters and conductors and he would like Hector and his Singers to represent the diocese.

The invitation was accepted with alacrity. Tapes of the Calpe Singers were taken to Rome and given to Monsignor Pablo Colino, the Spanish Maestro di Capella of the Sistine Chapel. Within a week a letter was received from Monsignor Colino inviting the Calpe Singers to sing at St Peter’s Basilica.

Gib Symphony Orchestra; St. Michael’s Cave c1968

The Gibraltar government refused to provide any financial help towards the costs of getting the singers to the Vatican. Instead a letter suggested the Calpe Singers should concentrate on local events rather than setting their sights on the international musical scene. The Singers decided to raise the finance themselves and began collecting money. They gave a different concert every month, which involved a huge amount of work with no less than 700 arrangements created for them by Hector. Sufficient money was

“

St. Peter’s is always noisy, footsteps, talking, guides explaining... but for you, St. Peter’s stood still

”

raised and off they went to the Vatican.

The first engagement was a concert at the Church of St Ignatius of Loyola at Campus Martius. The reviews were positive with one critic saying 16 singers managed to sound like a whole symphonic choir. Next they sang at a Papal audience — the choir had learned a suitable Polish song with which to regale Pope John Paul II. The Calpe Singers were ushered to stand next to a dais on which the Pope would sit. Then a technician came and placed an overhead microphone in position. Hector, mindful of using Gibraltar microphones which often did not work, asked the technician if it was multi-directional.

He disregarded the question and walked away.

A female assistant then came over and told him it belonged to the Italian National Radio station, RAI, and was to be the first satellite broadcast from the Vatican with an audience of 120 million listeners.

When the Pope mentioned Gibraltar in his address the choir sang the Polish song and were rewarded with a Papal thumbs up sign and the Pope walked over to thank the choir and chat

With Pope John Paul II GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

23

career profile

Faure Requiem; soloist Julio Castilla; Holy Trinity Cathedral; Symphony Orchestra of the South of Spain; The Calpe Singers; cond.Hector Cortes. year c 2001

with Hector.

The last engagement was to sing at St Peter’s Basilica on the feast of All Saints. The plain chant was conducted by Monsignor Colino and when the Calpe Singers reached one of the motets he told them to sing pianissimo. Hector’s thought the voices would not be heard amidst the hustle and bustle of tourists visiting the Basilica. The Maestro di Capello told them to follow his instructions which they did and the reaction was amazing as every note could be heard and Monsignor Colino summed up the performance: “St. Peter’s is always noisy, footsteps, talking, guides explaining... but for you, St. Peter’s stood still,” he said, embracing Hector.

The Calpe Singers sang in many concerts outside Gibraltar including at the Basilique de Sacre Coeur, Paris; EuroDisney, Paris and the Isla Christina International Choral Festival in Huelva as guests of honour. The Isla Christina organisers wanted to fly the Gibraltar flag and, incredibly, the Gibraltar government was unable to produce one despite a trawl through all the departments. One was eventually found, and the flag flew, the choir and its soloist Johanna Cortes (Hector’s wife) got shouts of “Bravo!” and were applauded ‘por Sevillanas’.

Hector worked closely with the late William Gomez. He was the Music Director and arranger of the CD The Calpe Singers sing Albert Hammond which so impressed Albert that the singers were invited to accompany him when he sang at the Miss Gibraltar Competition held at the Queen’s Cinema.

Many years before, in 1967, Hector felt Gibraltar had become ‘of age’ musically and so formed first the Gibraltar Youth Orchestra, took the reins of the Gibraltar Symphony Orchestra, and finally the Gibraltar Band. No mean achievement for one person with a limited budget to accomplish in a short space of time.

It was brought to his attention that there was no Gibraltar Regiment Band so he and many of his musician friends joined the territorials and 1980 saw the first appearance of the Gibraltar Regimental Band with Hector promoted to Colour Sergeant. The present powerful and well equipped band grew from this seedling. Hector the only Gibraltarian Gibraltar Regimental Band band master.

Another of his innovations was the Gibraltar Girls’ Choir of 360 voices which began when he was appointed Head of Music at Westside

24

School in 1977. Concerts by 70 members of the choir in Wigmore Hall, London, and St.John’s Smith Square resulted in a recording (LP) by the choir.

In 1979 the lure of becoming a professional musician proved too strong and he left the security of the teaching profession. A small group was formed, Tone Cluster, and after a horrendous engagement in Leon Hector ’s equipment had to be sold for the fare back to the Rock. But it was not all doom and gloom. A single was recorded in Madrid under the name, Gibby, which was chosen by the PR department of Polydor/Phongram. The producer, without the group’s knowledge, entered the single in a competition to select the Spanish entry for the Eurovision Song Contest. It origins were kept a guarded secret and fortunately it came second — to win would have been a political disaster.

Imagine the uproar when, inevitably, it was found out Gibby was a Gibraltarian band. A double album was also released, one in English, the other in Spanish.

Back in Gibraltar with no job, life was very

In 1979 the lure of becoming a professional musician proved too strong and he left the security of the teaching profession

much hand-to-mouth. He opened a small music shop, returned to supply teaching and the Music Centre. There was considerable success in the music grade examinations and only a single failure at grade seven piano. The Music Centre moved many times, and finally settled in Wellington Front. Following a suggestion from George Chincotta, Hector was appointed head of music at Bayside, then St Joseph’s Middle School and finally St Anne’s Middle School.

He decided to take early retirement and in 2003 followed two of his children to England.

He bought a house in Westbury, Wiltshire.

What saddened him most about his musical career was that no one ever stopped him on Main Street to thank him for what he had done for music on the Rock.

A musician can never be kept away from music and so he started a Wilshire Calpe Singers (the Gibraltarian members were his wife, his daughter and himself). Concerts were given around Westbury. He also taught music at a local school for two days a week until a serious difference of opinion with an examiner compelled him to retire.

An advertisement in the Wiltshire Times sought a conductor for the Freshford Singers, and he successfully applied to find the members were high grade amateurs, many being former singers from the London Symphony Orchestra and the Bach Choir. He performed a series of major works in and around Bath until ill health forced him to retire. The last concert held in Bath was Bach’s St Luke’s Passion and a work

by Felix Mendelssohn.

Now a prolific author with nine titles, his first novel Anti Christ: the Beginning is the first of a trilogy whose second installment, In the name of Evil, is to be released shortly with the final book The Power and the Glory still to be published.

Hector thinks the local musical scene has never been stronger and concluded the interview with these thoughts: “It appears Gibraltar has returned to a chaotic state of music education after the demise of the Music Centre. Or so I hear on the grapevine. It is fragmented and leading nowhere. Were it not for the natural talent of the Gibraltarian, many of whom fly the flag for music, Gibraltar could well return to the bad old days. The talent is evident in Albert Hammond, of course, Charles Ramirez, John Bruzon, a number of popular music singers and performers, and not forgetting soloists of the calibre of Eric Ellul, whose legal talents extend to brilliant guitar playing.

“But then, being a full-time published author now, I have other interests to occupy my mind.” n

TEAM BUILDING The team at RecruitGibraltar went on an underwater adventure as part of a reward and team building activity in Rosia Bay recently. All members of the team took the chance to complete a try dive with local dive school, Dive Charters Gibraltar and a great day was had by all. A great diversity of things were seen from octopuses and a huge variety of fish to brightly coloured starfish and even a sunken car! n

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

update

The Barclays Wealth Gibraltar team bids farewell to Lee Francis, Director Business Management, at a party held on board MY Sirius

FLIP cheques for charities

Tarik’s Gift to Rotary FLIP (Future Leaders in Philanthropy) students hand over cheques from their fund-raising events to their respective charities. Aimed at students aged 16 and over FLIP is joint project between Credit Suisse and Bonita Trust to mentor and teach academically talented teenagers to manage a charitable investment portfolio and highlight the importance of social responsibility amongst these future entrepreneurs and business leaders. www.flip.gi n

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

The Rotary Club of Gibraltar recently received a donation of £250 from the Tarik Ship Agency, one of Gibraltar’s best known maritime suppliers.

Photo: Rotary President, Tony Nation with Joe Canepa, father of the current Tarik directors, Mark & Chris Canepa. n

25

events

photos: Mike Brufal

The Chief Minister’s Party at The Mount September 2011

Cruise Ship Schedule

OCTOBER 2011

DOA

Vessel

ETA ETD

Pass

Capacity From

Sat 01

Grand Princess

0900 1600

British

2600

Barcelona

To Southampton

Tue 04

MSC Orchestra

1430 1900

Italian

2550

Lisbon

Alicante Southampton

Thu 06

Ventura

0800 1400

British

3100

Ajaccio

Seabourn Pride

1330 1900

American

208

Seville

Malaga

Fri 07

Arcadia

0800 1330

British

1968

Zakinthos

Southampton Casablanca

Ocean Countess

1400 2200

British

840

Lisbon

Sat 08

Black Watch

0730 1600

Britis

798

Dover

Cagliari

Wed 12

Amadea

0700 0900

Germa

584

Tangier

Malaga Southampton

Oceana

0800 1330

British

1950

Barcelona

Azamara Journey

0930 1300

American

700

Motril

Seville

MSC Orchestra

1430 1900

Italian

2550

Lisbon

Alicante Palma

Fri 14

Grandeur of Seas

0700 1800

British

1950

Malaga

Sun 16

Saga Pearl II

1200 1900

British

500

Lisbon

Civitavecchia

Tue 18

Silver Spirit

0800 1600

American

540

Malaga

Cadiz Southampton

Grand Princess

0900 1600

British

2600

Corfu

Thu 20

Queen Elizabeth

1230 1800

British

2092

Korcula

Southampton

MSC Orchestra

1430 1900

Italian

2550

Lisbon

Alicante

Sat 22

Marco Polo

0800 1600

British

850

Barcelona

La Corunna

Seadream II

1530 2230

American

110

Valencia

Tangier

Sun 23

Splendour of Seas 1100 1900

Inter’nal

2064

Tue 25

Azura

0800 1400

British

3076

Alicante

Southampton

Adonia

0900 1430

British

700

Cagliari

Lisbon

Fri 28

Saga Ruby

0700 1400

British

665

Mahon

Lisbon

Grandeur of Seas

0700 1800

British

1950

Malaga

Palma

Mon 31

Queen Elizabeth

0800 1330

British

2092

Southampton

Port Said

Thomson Destiny

0900 1700

British

1595

Cartagena

Casablanca

Total Number of Vessels calling this month = 26 Approximate Number of Passengers calling in this month = 41,182

26

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

events

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

27

music man

Guy’s Story

by Sonia Golt

“Music and performing is an absolute passion for me and something I know I want to do for the rest of my life,” says Gibraltar-born Guy Valarino, currently gigging in the Big Smoke with his band Guy Valarino & the Gentlemen. But Guy’s passion as a youngster was sport not music, how did all this change?

28

“I would spend a lot of time whacking balls around at Sandpits Tennis Club. At the time music was still not my priority and it all came about when, at weekends, my parents took us to the countryside in Spain. My mother, who had a large cassette collection, would play anything from the Beatles to Elton John to classical music on our car stereo. We also had a compilation called Junior Choice which contained tracks from Rolf Harris, Charlie Drake and Benny Hill — always a popular choice of my sister, my brother, and I. This was the first music I can remember listening to as a child, and probably what made me more aware of the music world.”

Guy’s older brother studied music for his GCSE, specialising in trumpet playing. Friends on the same course played guitar and when they practised at Guy’s house they taught his brother while Guy looked on. His brother bought a cheap nylon strung classical guitar from a music shop in La Linea and young Guy would sit and watch him play the chords he was learning.

“When my brother was not at home I would sneakily take the guitar out of its case and try to copy what I could remember. God forbid if he ever caught me playing with his new toy!

Despite some yells and the odd punch in the arm, I couldn’t get enough of playing so kept taking the risk and it wasn’t long before I swapped my tennis racket for the guitar.

“My brother really got in to the group Oasis and when I got home from school, I would open the front door to the sounds of What’s The Story (Morning Glory) and Definitely Maybe blaring out from the bedroom which we shared.

I absolutely loved it! Of course it wasn’t long before my brother was learning Oasis songs on the guitar and in true little brother style I tried to work them out too!,” he chuckles.

“I’ll never forget the day I finally played Wonderwall from start to finish without having to stop to rest my fingers which had been stretched into all these weird and wonderful positions to make the sweet chords ring out.

Soon enough my brother was at the age where it was okay to let his little brother play on his guitar, so I was able to spend more time practising and learning the basics.”

As Guy played the guitar he began singing along and by the summer of ’99 had started a band with three of his friends — Guy as vocalist and rhythm guitarist. “We called the band Blackout and we became a relatively established cover band on the Rock but also played some of our own material. We played at most of the bars and pubs in Gibraltar as well as National Day rock concerts and at the annual Gibraltar Fair. I recall having great fun with the band when we had a residency down at the original Latino’s On The Beach where we would play every other week during summer, until the early hours to a full house of music lovers.”

After the summer break the band members left for various universities in the UK and although they had every intention of continuing the band, logistics meant they played very little together after that. “It was during my second year of university I decided to perform on my own,” Guy explains. “So I began to write and perform my own material at ‘open mic’ nights and lunchtime sessions on university

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

music file campus.”

The music Guy wrote and performed was very similar to the Blackout pop/rock material with a more acoustic sound. “I was playing less electric guitar and more steel strung acoustic and I have stuck with this style,” he reflects. “To be honest I don’t try to conform to any particular genre when I write, I just write whatever comes to mind and then keep what I like and scrap what I think is rubbish.” Guy mainly writes about life, love and his experiences or things he has observed.. He says he gets more out of being on stage performing rather than writing, though he acknowledges “It is very important to keep writing and trying out new ideas, if not you can find it hard to get back into it.”

By this time he knew he really wanted to pursue a career in music and during summer holidays from uni he played gigs at Lord Nelson, Rock on the Rock Club and Latino’s On The Beach. “It was a great way to spend the summer!” he enthuses. “I was also offered a support slot in summer 2007 for Kool & the Gang when they played at the Tercentenary Sports Hall.”

When he graduated from university he decided to move to London and make a real go of a career in music. “I returned to the Rock and spent a summer of gigging to save up some funds for moving to London. My brother was living in London and offered me the couch in the flat he was renting while I got myself sorted in this competitive world of music. I found being in the Big Smoke very inspiring but difficult at the same time as it’s super expensive and not easy to get gigs when you’re ‘fresh’ on the scene,” he explains. “It was during this time I wrote a bunch of tracks for my debut EP Sleeping On A Couch which I recorded during the summer of 2008 in Gibraltar at the old BFBS studios and released in February 2009.”

Guy managed to get a job in London working for an independent music promoter and it was through this he made contacts to find gigs for himself. “I started to play a few pub gigs and then moved onto playing showcase gigs where I would get to play my original material to an audience eager to hear original compositions. I was very much focused on making a name for myself on the unsigned London scene and managed to bag myself slots at important venues such as the Bedford in Balham, the Regal Rooms in Hammersmith, the Metropolitan in Notting Hill and the Troubadour

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

in Earl’s Court.”

Recently Guy decided to bring a band sound to shows rather than playing on his own. “Two of my good friends from Blackout, Anthony Martinez (bass) and Paul Santos (guitar) who are in London doing a music degree and who are both excellent musicians have come on board. A drummer from their course, Jamie Houghton, has also joined us.”

The band is called Guy Valarino & the Gentlemen and has played at popular London venues

“

I know that to make a living from music is not an easy thing to achieve, but I won’t give up

”

such as the Monto Water Rats, Proud Camden and the Elgin in Notting Hill.

“It is extremely satisfying to be playing with my old friends and Jamie and it has opened up a whole new horizon for us with the possibility of new venues to play,” he smiles. “Some of our shows have been broadcast live on the internet and this has helped to build our fan base and get people in the industry talking about what we are doing.”

Guy is currently working on new tracks which he would like to record as a second EP within the next year. “I’ve been trying to promote my current EP as much as possible and recently managed to get one of the tracks included on a video game All Points Bulletin.

“I know that to make a living from music is not an easy thing to achieve, but I won’t give up. I am however a realist and I know that as long as I enjoy it I will keep trying to make it in this competitive world. If others have done it, why not I?” n Check out the following site for more info: www. guyvalarino.com, www.twitter.com/guyvalarino, www.youtube.com/valamusic1

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property update Following the company’s recent expansion, the lovely ladies at Find-a-Property are ready to greet you with a smile, at their great new location on Governor’s Street.

Find-a-Property.gi New Location, Location, Location

With its new shop-front premises, Find-a-Property is offering properties for rent and sale in both Spain and Gibraltar, and has recently launched a new commercial division.

The team consists of director Anna Moffatt, lettings manager Helen Matthewman, office manager Kelly Keatley, and recently appointed sales manager Leslie Nuttall, together with administrator Hayley Fothergill.

Anna has also recently appointed a Spanish office manager, Anita Beckwith-Daw, for the company’s offices in Sotogrande, which completes the Find A Property team...... for the moment. n For more information, please visit Find A Property, at 83 Governor’s Street, or phone 20044537.

We offer Sales and Rentals in Gibraltar and Spain with a full management service which includes

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

S

real estate

TRIES

NTINENTS IES

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

32 32

• 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 • OCTOBER 2011

room dressing

Nifty Storage Tips Let’s face it — saving space in your home can be challenging, and the longer we remain in a home, we experience one of the most common scenarios — the junk piles up and the space runs out.

Most of us have trouble finding room for everything we own and need to store, and managing clutter in general. Here are a few creative storage and organisational ideas that will help you keep the junk under control.

In order to be successful, it is important to set time aside to organise. Depending on the project, it may not be a good idea to tackle it all in one day. Try to be patient, as getting your whole home organised can be an ongoing process.

As you discover what works for you in one area, you should be inspired to carry on the techniques which have paid off in different areas of your home.

Start with the areas that are really annoying you. These are generally junk piles that just seem to accumulate no matter what you do.

You get it tidy and through the course a couple of days, it’s junky again. This is usually due to the fact your family is in the habit of tossing things into the area.

You can also have an organised entrance

way. Line your entrance way walls with hooks to hang coats, keys, and hats. Set up a small shoe organiser to keep those shoes. Install some hanging drawers and a wall shelf to store pocket stuffs, mail, receipts and the like. You can also add a piggybank to store your spare coins which you empty from your pockets.

Lastly, put a small, tasteful bin near the door to get rid of the sweet wrappers, unneeded receipts, etc.

A wall shelf is easy to attach to your wall and adds a great decorative element to any room.

Many shop in Gibraltar sell attractive shelves that can be attached to the wall to create a space that can easily house books, collectibles, and other little conversational items.

Adding a storage bench is also one of your options. This is one of the favourite storage ideas because it can be themed and styled, which adds design to your room (see picture).

Make sure all your accessories in your kitchen, bathroom, and laundry room are functional since you do not want to clutter countertops. Use clear glass jars and canisters to display, in an organised fashion, items you actually use.

When you get your home organised in a way that works, it is more likely it will stay that way! n

Try to be patient, as getting your whole home organised can be an ongoing process

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

33

events

BFA’s 25th Anniversary

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

events

Public figures, the business community and property owners came together at the Calpe Rowing Club one sunny day in mid-September to wish Brian Francis & Associates all the best on their 25th Anniversary.

The property company, which prides itself on international standards with local expertise operates three division — estate agents, valuers and property management — and was founded in 1986.

May Brian Francis & Associates continue to thrive alongside Gibraltar for another 25 years. n More pics pages 90-91

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

35

© Jayden Fa

art file

Local Beauties

Get Shot!

“Fashion photography is about creating something original, not just about snapping away,” he says. “It is important as a model to understand what the photographer wants to convey in the final product, and in Gibraltar we are lucky to have many, many talented models.

“Models are like actresses in a way, as they must get into character, and express what I tell them to. They must let go of any inhibitions, and be open to ideas during a shoot.”

Together with his artistic director, Guy Baglietto, Jayden has shot more than 100 local girls, and has an extensive portfolio of work. From classic swimwear, to creative and bizarre concept work. n

© Jayden Fa

Jayden Fa is no stranger to the local photography scene, with his striking images full of boldness, and eye for detail.

Top L - R: Hayley O’Brien (Makeup: Deepak Ramchandani, Plastic Dress: Christel Mifsud). Samantha Enriles (Makeup: Francheska Benyunes, Hair: Jade Federico).

Bottom L - R: Maxine de la Rosa (Makeup: Deepak Ramchandani, Dress: Ismael Lopez). Kaiane Aldorino (Makeup & Styling by Jayden Fa). Denise Camilleri (Makeup : Liza Mayne).

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© Jayden Fa

”

© Jayden Fa

“

...in Gibraltar we are lucky to have many, many talented models

© Jayden Fa

Check out Jayden Fa’s website: www.jaydenfa.carbonmade.com

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

Cultural Programme

Pr o g r am a C ul tur al

September - December 2011

Septiembre a Diciembre 2011

Schedule | Agenda SEPTEMBER | SEPTIEMBRE

NOVEMBER | NOVIEMBRE

MONDAY MOVIES

SEPTEMBER

Thursday 10 th 19:00 Wine Tasting with Muga Bodegas Thursday 17 19:00 Conference: Atapuerca - The Emotions of D 6FLHQWLÀF 'LVFRYHU\ Prof. Dra. Marina Lozano th

Thursday 24th 19:00 Medicinnova: The history of the Evolution of Aortic Valve Surgery: Dr. Manuel Concha Ruiz

Wednesday 12th 13:00 Presentation: Two Views of Don Quixote Thursday 20 th 19:00 Medicinnova: HIV Infection: Achievements & Challenges: Dr. Santiago Moreno Tuesday 25th 19:00 Conference: Cordoba’s MosqueCathedral: Prof. Dr. Gabriel Rebollo Thursday 27th 19:00 Medicinnova: Antibiotics — a Paradox Dr. José Miguel Cisneros Herreros

Mon 3RD - 19:00 Nomadas Mon 10 th - 19:00 Ladrones SERIES: Realism in 1950s Spanish Cinema Mon 17th - 19:00 Surcos

SERIES: Realism in 1950s Spanish Cinema Mon 21 st - 19:00 Viridiana SERIES: Documentary Territory Mon 28th - 19:00 La Muñeca del Espacio

DECEMBER

SERIES: Realism in 1950s Spanish Cinema Mon 5th - 19:00 El Pisito SERIES: Documentary Territory Mon 12th - 19:00 Lucio

NOVEMBER

SERIES: Realism in 1950s Spanish Cinema Mon 7th - 19:00 Bienvenido Mr Marshall

Thursday 29th 20:00 Flamenco Recital: Guy Olivero Homage to Federico García Lorca on the 75th anniversary of his death

Tuesday 6th 19:00 Conference: El Flamenco: sus palos, su cante y sus bailes.

OCTOBER

SERIES: Documentary Territory Mon 24th - 19:00 14 Kilometros

Tuesday 20 th 19:00 Conference: Cuando se ligaba leyendo

OCTOBER | OCTUBRE

SERIES: Zonazine Mon 19th - 19:00 Bajo Las Estrellas Mon 26th - 19:00 Tres días con la familia

DECEMBER | DICIEMBRE Thursday 1 st 19:00 MuseoCarmenThyssenMálaga Conference & Presentation: Carmen Thyssen Museum, Malaga — Itineries for a Collection Thursday 15th 19:00 Olive Oil Tasting with Castillo de Canena

SERIES: Documentary Territory Mon 14th - 19:00 Efecto Iguazú

LANGUAGE COURSES Spanish courses for all ages and levels are available CALL US TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR TAYLOR MADE COURSES FOR BUSINESSES

We recommend early reservation for the events that take place at the Instituto Cervantes. 2nd Floor Cloister Building, 10 Market Lane, Gibraltar. Tel: +350 200 69888. Email: cengib@cervantes.es

Admission is free unless otherwise indicated

www.cervantes.es

travel-log

60’s Girl

Scene 10 & 11

Bringing Characters to Life...

by Jolene Gomez

Growing up watching Walt Disney classics, it never crossed Stephanie Seed’s mind that she would pursue a degree in animation, and would end up creating her own characters. “I looked further into the course, and the idea of coming up with my own characters, drawing them and bringing them to life was a fantastic idea to me, I mean, who wouldn’t want to play God?” Stephanie, who considers herself Gibraltarian, spent her early years in South Africa and the UK, before coming to Gibraltar age 9. She always had a keen interest in many arts forms, and although she had the skill, she was not

Stephanie Seed — an artist in animation

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quite sure what to do with it. As with any art form, it is important to find a niche as an artist, or let it find you, as was Stephanie’s case.

“Before venturing off to university, I found myself looking through stacks of courses, none of which really appealed to me, it was then I found out about animation courses. I had never really thought of animation as a thing before, as a job or a course; of people sitting there, working away on these cartoons putting time and effort into them, along with blood, sweat and tears; but I would come to realise this soon enough,” she explains.

She sort of ‘fell into’ animation, and she describes her process as playing a character, whilst attempting to create it. “Every Animator has a bold sense of self, and this always comes across through their work. You are, in fact, playing and acting through that character, with drawings upon drawings, upon more drawings. There are 24 frames per second — that is 24 different drawings per second of

“

There are 24 frames per second, that is 24 different drawings per second of animation you see

”

animation you see,” Stephanie explains.

Stephanie completed her degree this year at the University of Glamorgan, where she met great lecturers, and found the course very inspiring.

“It was a great working environment, because you’re all there together, in the thick of it, trying hard not to sink. And when it all accumulates on top of you and you think you cannot do any more someone inspiringly says, ‘Coffee?’ The vote is often a unanimous ‘yes’ and everything seems to be okay once more.

Don’t get me wrong, animation is amazing, but

Beaver GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

Tortoro

it takes some guts to show your idea to others, some stamina, lots of caffeine to follow your idea through, and heaps of love for it to all come together,” she grins.

She is now going back to complete a Masters, specialising in Storyboarding. This is a part of the process of animation, in which the script is blocked out with drawings, to portray exactly what each character is doing, or what is happening to them. “It’s a bit like a comic book, but it just makes everything a lot easier when it comes to making a film, so you can see the flow of the film, the pacing of it and if the continuity of it looks good,” Stephanie explains.

Although her peers have been influential in her creativity, there are also some big names in animation, which have spurred her on personally. “Bobby Chiu is a great digital artist, who should also be a key note speaker at any self-help groups, as he has the exact words that make you want to try that little bit harder and do everything a little bit better. Next to Chiu, I am also a great fan of Studio Ghibli, which is a popular animation studio based in Japan, which has made films such as Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle.”

Beyond university, she had not really thought about the job prospects at the end of it all. “Looking back, I think it was all rather silly of me I guess, because I just followed my heart and not my head. It was only once I got further into the course that the realisation dawned on me — I can do this and I can get paid to sit and draw all day, and I’d love every second of it!

It was then I realised it’s not what you can do with your talent, it’s what your talent can do for you,” Stephanie smiles.

Quoting the celebrated Picasso, “Never permit a dichotomy to rule your life, a dichotomy in which you hate what you do so you can have pleasure in your spare time. Look for a situation in which your work will give you as much happiness as your spare time.”

With regards to the materials she uses, Stephanie firstly has to think about the characters she wants to create, their style, colours, what they like, the faces they pull, what they look like from the back, from the side, from above — there is just so much to think about.

“This can all be done on paper, or via a tablet connected to the computer using Photoshop or Illustrator. I like to work with animation pencils, when scrawling down ideas and then I like to further the character with Photoshop. Making the animation you can do it traditionally,

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

Old Lady

with pencil and many sheets of paper, or use Flash. I have made a couple of shorts using both methods,” Stephanie explains.

She believes Gibraltar is great for art, with its many talented people, and a great community to support it. Her advice to any future animator and artists in general, is to never give up on the desire to be creative. “We artists are often told that we are lazy, and that doing art is the easy way out and because we enjoy it, it must be easy work! However, art is just about one of the most difficult things you can do, you have to work and really work at it. You have this constant nagging that you aren’t good enough, that people are better and you should just give up, only you can’t seem to,” Stephanie explains.

“When the bad times come, and they will, you must face it full on and push through whatever it is that is keeping you back, because you must never forget that you love it. Use that

“

talent you have and as Bobby Chiu would say, ‘Punch that self doubt in the face and keep on drawing, everyday’. There will always be people who are worse than you and people who are better. You should never compare yourself to anyone, but just plod on and keep creating,” she smiles. n For more information on Stephanie’s work, check out http://stephanieseed.blogspot.com.

...it’s not what you can do with your talent, it’s what your talent can do for you

”

Tiger

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events

National Day 2011 National Day 2011 was a huge success with the young and not-so-young enjoying the day in good spirits. The entire town was a haze of red and white and even the dogs dressed up. The balloons were release and filled the sky with red and white too, then the amazing fireworks finished a great day off. n

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qualification, we hope that soon we’ll have a talented enough roster to have a 200 qualifier

”

photo: Aidan Lennon

events

Some of the team showing their colours

Gibraltar’s Tenpin Triumphs

by Karim Corby

The Gibraltar Tenpin Bowling Association was formed in 1999 with three aims — first, to have a bowling alley in Gibraltar for public use, second, to take part in international events and third, to host an international event of their own. In 2008 King’s Bastion Leisure Centre accomplished the first goal, and in turn opened the door for friendly competitions around Spain, taking care of the second. November 2011 heralds the completion of goal number three as Gibraltar prepares to play host to the 2011 Rock Masters Tournament, when senior bowlers from across Europe will be competing for a piece of the £30,000 prize fund.

photo: Aidan Lennon

November’s tournament is set to be a boon, not only to the sport, but Gibraltar as a whole, which will no doubt benefit from the 100s of participants pouring in.

The completion of the GTBA’s goals also presents an opportunity to set new goals and create new opportunities, in this spirit, the club recently welcomed a new president, Graham Coles, with Paul Lennon continuing as vice president.

Gibraltar Magazine had an opportunity to speak with Graham and Paul about their plans for the GTBA, the Rock Masters and beyond.

They explained that Colin Crouch, who is already responsible for the delivery of the English Senior Open, will be organising the event, in conjunction with Match Point Tours,

Kings bowl is set to host over 2000 games

42

an event management company specialising in international sporting competitions, and the GTBA will be making full use of the company’s 80 years’ experience.

Participants in the competition, which takes place between 14th and 21st November, will be received at the Caleta Hotel, where there will be a reception, registration, and a number of events for the overseas contestants to get a taste of Gibraltar life. Bowlers accommodated at the Caleta Hotel will also benefit from a 25% discount on food, drinks, health and spa treatments.

The Rock Masters represents the 10th and final leg of a competition spanning the continent, quite appropriate given our status as the last point in Europe. The club intends to leave

the participants with a great lasting impression, and seeks to make it an annual event, as the competition has been confirmed for the next three years.

Marcus Buckley Bennion, managing director of Match Point Tours Ltd, confirms this aim saying the International Bowling Tour has 4500 members across Europe and America, bowling on a regular basis.

Of course, participation from the community is welcome, and you don’t have to be a professional or a senior as King’s Bowl will host an open evening on Tuesday 15th November, a junior coaching session on Wednesday 16th and a Pro-Am evening, allowing the community to pit themselves against the professionals in a light-hearted competitive atmosphere. Spec-

Club president Graham (R) and vice president Paul (L) at King’s Bowl GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

e that nted ve a

art file tators are encouraged to attend, entry is free and King’s Bowl will be providing expanded seating for the tournament, so go down and support the local teams and catch some of the professionals in action.

Beyond the Rock Masters there are a number of plans being worked out by the new committee to encourage membership. In Paul’s words “We want to redevelop the fun of bowling, to encourage not only the children but whole families to take part and see how enjoyable it can be.”

So far results have been positive; one young bowler in particular, Michael Wood (now the youth coordinator and qualified instructor) is one to watch as he regularly achieves near perfect scores, gaining 299 on more than one occasion.

The GTBA are remaining very focused on efforts for recruitment, having hosted a number of training sessions during the summer months. They are in talks with the various schools around Gibraltar, trying to get more students involved with the possibility of having bowling recognised as a part of school sports; in much the same way as schools make use of the GASA facilities. Ultimately the GTBA

“

We want to redevelop the fun of bowling, to encourage not only the children but whole families to take part and see how enjoyable it can be

”

hope to see schools advocating bowling to the students, and parents taking part in the sport as well.

For more experienced bowlers, or those looking for a greater challenge, the GTBA will be participating in the 47th annual Qubica/AMF World Cup — the biggest global bowling event worldwide; hosted this year in Johannesburg between 31st November and 7th December.

They are also looking forward to next year’s Mediterranean Challenge Cup 2012 (date to be announced), but this year sees the qualifying score for bowlers raised to 165, from the original 150. The reason for this change, Graham explains, is “the abilities of our bowlers has increased, so have the standards for qualification. We hope soon we’ll have a talented enough roster to have a 200 qualifier.”

In the space of four years bowling has changed from an occasional diversion requiring a day trip to Spain, to a readily accessible and central pastime. It is a game people of all ages can enjoy, and it is challenging enough to spur competition.

The GTBA welcomes new membership, and there are many ways to get in touch, either through King’s Bowl, or by visiting www. gtba.gi. Membership is a nominal £5 for youth and senior bowlers, and £15 for over 18s. Aside from attending events both sporting and social, membership will soon allow discounts for the bowler, guests and family as well as discounted rates at King’s Bowl bar. So whether you enjoy the thrill of competition or cocktails and good company alongside a game, you may find just what you’re looking for with GTBA. n GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

same theatre company as Alan Rickman.

Within a year she had worked with other members of Rickman’s final year at RADA on a fringe production of Brecht’s The Caucasian Chalk Circle, including a recording of Richard Greenblatt’s original musical score (featuring Angela as Yura the singer).

Trained at the Actors’ Centre, London and RADA Summer School, she has directed and performed extensively in leading roles in London and Edinburgh fringe venues, and regional theatres. She has a secret love of music hall and has performed from Hoxton Hall to the Albert Hall.

Her favourite theatre roles include Juliet (Romeo and Juliet), Laura (Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie) and Cecily (The Importance of Being Earnest). Musical roles include Velma Kelly (Chicago), Polly Brockhurst (Divorce Me Darling!) and Luisa (The Fantasticks).

Rock Theatre:

Adult Acting Workshops Ever wanted to play that dream part, try something you haven’t done before, or just spend time honing those rusty acting skills?

Rock Theatre Acting Workshops are for you.

Rock Theatre Artistic Director, Angela Jenkins is presenting a variety show of scenes and sketches at the Ince’s Hall this November as a showcase for some of our local performers and is looking forward to getting to know Gibraltar’s acting talent.

Whether you want to take part in the show or just come to some of the workshops, you will be welcome.

Television includes The Fourth Floor, Joy to the World, Look East, and Back to the Floor.

As a director, her productions include two world premieres at the Edinburgh Fringe (Drilling For Happiness and Tell Me You Love Me); Dusa, Stas, Fish and Vi at the Arts Theatre, London; Romeo and Juliet (open air), Macbeth, Death of a Salesman, The Big Knife, A Family Affair; musical shows include Something’s Afoot, Side

By Side By Sondheim, Cinderella, and Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

In November 2009, Angela directed the beautiful play Not About Heroes at The Convent and Rooke — the story of World War I poets Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon. Since then, she has run workshops, sung at Gibraltar Fair 2011 Family Pavillion and featured regularly singing at George Posso’s jazz club at the Eliott’s hotel. n

Angela says, “The beauty of workshops, as opposed to the constraints of rehearsing a set production, is that you have the freedom to work on whatever you want to: monologues, short scenes, urban edgy, period drama, classic comedy, even acting while singing. You can also choose how involved you want to be, which is great news for people with busy schedules”.

For more information on how to take part, you can e-mail Angela.Jenkins@gmail. com or call 56000756. Rock Theatre is a not for profit company limited by guarantee: All profits go towards supporting charities as advertised, and the costs of future productions. Email: info@rocktheatre.gi

About the Director Angela Jenkins

Angela started acting aged 18 with the

Angela Jenkins aged 20 - made to look old with make-up by Alan Rickman

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La Roca:

A Story of Love & Hate

by Jolene Gomez

Pepa viewing the Rock

In 1969, Spanish fascist dictator Franco closed the border between Spain and Gibraltar, isolating 30,000 people without food, water or phone lines. Over 13 years, families met at the border every Sunday to look through binoculars at their estranged lovers, siblings or parents. Our particular Berlin Wall caused years of pain to people on both sides of the iron gate, and with a mixture of powerfully treated archive footage, innovative re-enactments and vérité scenes, the film La Roca, relives one of the most important events of our common history.

Produced by 700g Films, La Roca is an epic story of love and hate, between the Rock of Gibraltar, and its neighbouring town of La Línea. “Hate spread through generations, makes you forget your enemies were once your family, and that in the good old days nobody thought about nationalities, passports or flags,” explains Raúl Santos, who directed the film. “But when so much harm has been made to someone you loved, the wounds take a long time to heal. Shakespeare wrote: ‘My only love sprung from my only hate.’ This inspired the tagline to La Roca: In order to hate you must first love.”

Raúl started 700g Films with his childhood friend Alexis Morante, and the company has produced internationally awarded movies such as Voltereta and Matador on the Road, as well as commercials and music videos for Enrique Bunbury, Macaco and Fito, Los Delinqüentes and Niños Mutantes to name a few.

“Even though we are based in the US, our production company remains Andalusian, and we are proud to be surrounded by a wonderful crew of talented professionals who follow us wherever we shoot. La Roca has been made thanks to the efforts of more than 30 people, including producers, art director, gaffer, grips, hair, make-up, archivists, researchers, sound engineer, composer, and CGI specialists etc,” Raúl smiles.

For Raúl and his team, part of the appeal of telling the story, is that not many people in

44

Spain know about the relationship between La Línea and Gibraltar. “There is an epic story in there and I was amazed that nobody knew much about it. I remember pitching the film in the first stages of production, and being happy to see how fascinated everyone was about it.

That kept us going through the hard times too.

People need to know about this. We strongly believe that La Roca can contribute to changing the way Spaniards look at Gibraltar,” Raúl says.

Gibraltar has fascinated Raúl since he was a child, as he would stare at the massive rock in the shape of a sleeping lady who lies on the sea, from his school window. Then, 18 months ago in New York, he was talking with his mum about an old photograph taken at a carnival, when he was four years old.

“I had seen this photo a thousand times, but only then I noticed that all the children around us had childish outfits, such as clowns and

“

animals. Not us. I was dressed as a Spanish National Policeman, my brother was a Gibraltarian Bobby, my cousins Joselito and Leti were dressed as a Civil Guard and Carmen Ward.

My brother and I had exchanged a British and Spanish flag. She confirmed this photo was taken 40 days after the border with Gibraltar had finally been reopened, and our particular Berlin Wall had vanished, ending 13 years of

People need to know about this. We strongly believe that La Roca can contribute to changing the way Spaniards look at Gibraltar

”

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

Cast and crew of La Roca during a recent trip through the Rock with Tito Vallejo

torment,” he says.

“She then explained how my grandmother, Antonia, used to cook for a Gibraltarian family, and what she discovered there changed her life. She became a smuggler, and introduced birth control pills for the first time in the south of Spain. She raised her family in a culture of tolerance, and a thirst for learning. Many of her friends were part of families separated by the border in those 13 years of shame. I was speechless.”

He realised how important Gibraltar had been to his family, and that the relationship between people on both sides of the border, was in fact a Greek tragedy. “One of my favourite lines in the film is: ‘Family can’t be the enemy.

It just can’t. Who could have imagined that you could hate what you loved the most?’ I think this encapsulates La Roca — a story that will carry the audience through a rollercoaster of emotions, and portray the human aspect of conflict. It is delivered powerfully by fascinating unknown protagonists, and unrecognised local heroes, who defied the fascist government at a time when that could mean death. It is not a conventional history film — it is a story in history, but essentially a story.”

At the start of the process, Raúl engaged a group of researchers to talk to people from Gibraltar and the Campo area, looking for the most charismatic stories. “They would sit down for a coffee, take a picture and then send their notes to me. I believe my team never had so much caffeine in their life. But it was well worth it,” he explains.

“We could have made a six-part series with all the material we had. I then met many of the interviewees, and although not everybody is in the final cut, it was a privilege for me to meet them. This story is told by everyday people, who have lived amazing experiences, without

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

“

This story is told by everyday people, who have lived amazing experiences, without being noticed. There are no politicians, no historians, and no experts. It is raw.

It is passion. It is heart

”

being noticed. There are no politicians, no historians, and no experts. It is raw. It is passion.

It is heart,” Raúl says smiling.

After nearly two years production, La Roca finally hit the screens 18th September 2011 in New York, and although there is no release date for Europe yet, Raúl is hoping this will happen in the next few months. “I would love

to screen it in a venue where Gibraltarians and Spaniards could view it together. We are not going to make two separate screenings,” Raúl confirms. n For more information, visit www.700gfilms.com, http://larocamovie.com, or the Facebook page: www. facebook.com/700gfilms.

Shooting La Roca

45

art focus of requests and opportunities, and performs regularly with partners such as the pianist Hélène Grimaud, Leif Ove Andsnes and the bass-baritone Thomas Quasthoff, with whom he recorded a CD of Bach cantatas.

In his search for new repertoire for his instrument, he is constantly fascinated by the idea of lending his voice (that of the oboe) to “foreign” works — pieces written for other instruments or for singers. Having sung as a child for many years in the Bamberg Cathedral Choir, he is especially attracted to the human voice, as the most “natural” of all instruments. He’s already provided convincing proof of that claim in the recording Lieder ohne Worte — Bach transcriptions for oboe and orchestra, in which the Baroque style and bel canto are delightfully combined. The CD immediately entered the German classical charts at number 2. His CD In search of Mozart recorded with Claudio Abbado and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra made it to the top of the German classical charts, the recording New Seasons presents music by George Frideric Handel in a stunning new light. In August 2008, the oboist’s album In Venice was released by Decca, featuring Baroque oboe concertos from Venetian composers. Another CD with works by J.S. Bach has been released by Decca in autumn 2009, followed by his latest CD “Bonjour Paris”, also released by Decca in autumn 2010.

Albrecht Mayer has been elected “Instrumentalist of the Year“ and was rewarded with an ECHO Klassik Prize by the German PhonoAkademie in 2004, 2008 and 2010; in December 2006 Albrecht Mayer was awarded the E.T.A.Hoffmann Prize by his German hometown Bamberg. Albrecht Mayer plays an oboe and oboe d’amore by Mönnig. n Tickets priced £20 each are available from the House of Sacarello, Irish Town and the Silver Shop, 222 Main Street. Credit/debit card purchase is also available by phoning the Society on 20072134. A limited number of tickets are available to Senior Citizens and students at a reduced price via the John Mackintosh Hall at 308 Main Street.

Evgenia Rubinova

Berlin Philharmonic Soloists’ Series The Gibraltar Philharmonic Society has the great privilege of presenting “The Berlin Philharmonic Soloists’ Series” and welcoming back oboist Albrecht Mayer and piano accompanist Evgenia Rubinova. The recital will be held on Monday 10th October 2011 at the Convent Ballroom commencing at 8pm.

When the subject turns to oboists, his name is now de rigueur: Albrecht Mayer. His playing has both listeners and critics raving, with expressions like “divine spark” or the “miraculous oboe” that the German player has elevated to become an “instrument of seduction”. He studied with Gerhard Scheuer, Georg Meerwein, Maurice Bourgue and Ingo Goritzki and began his professional career in 1990 as principal

46

oboist of the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra.

Since 1992 he has occupied the same position with the Berlin Phiharmonic. It’s no wonder that Albrecht Mayer ranks today among the most sought-after oboists and has appeared as a soloist with Claudio Abbado, Sir Simon Rattle and Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Along with his solo projects, Mayer considers it important to find time for chamber music. He has no dearth

Albrecht Mayer

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

fashion

leisure & sport

HORTICULTURAL CONTRACTORS Tel: 200 43134 Fax: 200 50648 Convent Gardens, Convent Garden Ramp

54 City Mill Lane Tel/Fax: 200 45966 Email: sandra4stichdesign@yahoo.com

Retail& Activities

shopping & gifts

Sacha’s

hair & beauty

lessons & tuition

DUTY FREE WINES, SPIRITS & TOBACCO

GACHE & CO LTD EST. 1830

• Giftware • Jewellery • Sports Trophies • Awards & Engravers 266 Main St, Gibraltar Tel: 200 75757

travel & hotels

open 7 days 79 Main Street

Queen’s Hotel Gibraltar Excellent Prices • Centrally Located • Easy Access • Parking • Bar • Restaurant

Tel: (+350) 20074000 Fax: 20040030

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

Health & Beauty Salon

• Aromatherapy • Sugar Waxing • Facials • Manicures • Pedicures • Reflexology • Luxury Organic 2hr face & body treatment Open: Mon-Fri 9.30-9 Sat 10-3

photography

Don House Arcade Tel: 20077311

newsagents/books Tel: 200 73786

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

GIBRALTAR GIBRALTAR MAGAziNE MAGAZINE •• OCTOBER OCTOBER 2011 2011

47 47

health & well-being

Breast reduction

a personal story

Advertorial Feature

Gibraltar resident Leia tells her story of having a breast reduction procedure and the impact it has had on her life.

At 29 years old, Leia is one of the growing numbers of younger women that have decided to have a breast reduction procedure.

“The women in my family all have big busts,” explains Leia. “I just lived with it, but after having my beautiful daughter and breast feeding, my breasts became even larger and worse still, they began to sag a lot”.

Leia’s story is more than familiar to many women in Gibraltar, who suffer with the discomfort of large breasts and the associated back pain.

Factors such as pregnancy, breast feeding, weight loss or weight gain and the force of gravity can all take their toll on a woman’s breasts.

As the skin loses its elasticity, the breasts often lose their shape and firmness and begin to sag. Breast Reduction, is a surgical procedure to raise and reshape large, sagging breasts.

Leia is happily married and knows that only her husband will see her breasts, but at the end of the day her self esteem was being eroded each time she caught a glimpse of herself.

“Each time I saw myself in the mirror I felt down,” continues Leia. “It was all about how I felt inside, about how I felt about myself. I am so happy to have had a child and to have been able to breast feed, but my body paid the price.”

Leia contacted Aria Medical Group, the cosmetic surgery company founded by renowned surgeon Dr. Marco Vricella.

“Two colleagues at work were really pleased with their breast surgery results with Dr. Marco Vricella. When they showed me, I was amazed at their results,” says Leia. “So I also booked a free consultation with Dr. Vricella here in Gibraltar at College Clinic.

“The consultation really rein-

48

forced my conviction to go ahead tinues, “My husband was really with surgery. Dr. Vricella is highly supportive as he knew just how professional and really much I was being afmade sure I underfected physically and stood all aspects mentally by my of the procedure. large breasts.

I also met with “My mothL o u i s e Tr u e er was also love, the Chief really posiPatient Care tive. She Coordinator encourwho took me aged me through all to go the details ahead and we rewith it ally got on whilst I very well”. was still Leia conyoung,

as she explained that the longer I waited, the greater the impact would be on my health. In her experience, bras pulled her shoulders down and in, affecting her posture and back pain increased.

So it just seemed the right time for me to do it.

“Having now had the surgery I am absolutely overjoyed with the results! It’s only been a few weeks but I feel great. It’s been really the only thing I have ever really done for myself, but I am so glad I did it, as it has transformed the way I feel, in every way. I am so glad I chose Aria too, as the care has been excellent. In addition to my pre procedure consultation, I have had all my aftercare here in Gibraltar.

Being a mother that has been so convenient! In fact the aftercare so far has been wonderful. Damien Moore, Aria’s Specialist Nurse and Louise Truelove visited me at home here during the first week after the op.

“Also, Aria offered me a complete all inclusive price, so I knew that if I might need some revision surgery later, there would be no hidden extras.

“I have showed off my results to a few girlfriends at home and they have been amazed. I have been so happy with the results that I have already recommended it to four friends who have already booked consultations with Dr Vricella and two other friends are considering it for the future!”

To read more Aria Medical Group client testimonials online, visit ariamedicalgroup.com. n 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

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

health & well being

A Healthy Glow for Miss Gibraltar

Claudia Schiel from Claudia’s Clinic is pictured presenting Miss Gibraltar 2011 Michelle Gillingwater-Pedersen with a Fake Bake pack to take with her when she leaves for London, where the 61st edition of the Miss World pageant is scheduled to take place at the Earls Court Exhibition Centre on 6th November, 2011. n

New Girl on the Promenade...

Emma Warhurst is the new beauty therapist for Aphrodite Beauty, on Ocean Village Promenade. Emma is multi-talented and covers all beauty therapies from manicures, waxing, facials, massage, spray tans, make-

up and all body treatments.

Emma is originally from Australia and gained her qualification from Elly Lukas Beauty Therapy College, Melbourne, Australia and despite her youthful looks has

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

years of experience behind her including working for three years tending to cruise ship passengers onboard. n Aphrodite Beauty, Ocean Village Promenade. Tel: 200 62422.

49

Dr. Marco Vricella, HC Marbella Hospital

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This caring approach is also reflected in Aria’s post procedure service in Gibraltar.

if required, free of charge + Free revision surgery if required + 24 hour help line Aria Medical Group’s personalised aftercare is provided by Dr. Marco Vricella and his dedicated team, headed by Damien Moore, Specialist Nurse, and Louise Truelove, Head Patient Co-ordinator.

Aria Medical Group has a personalised fullyinclusive aftercare programme, included in the price of every cosmetic surgery procedure:

Damien is a dedicated, friendly medical professional with a career that has spanned many years. He is a Specialist Nurse, Physiologist and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. He has worked at St Vincent’s University Hospital, Dublin and at St Thomas’ Hospital Intensive Care and Plastic Surgery Units in London.

+ Post procedure home visits in Gibraltar + Follow up consultations at College Clinic in Gibraltar + Scheduled post operative check up consultations after 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year + Additional post operative consultations

“Damien Moore was wonderful from beginning to end. He is an excellent medical professional who patiently and carefully helps you go through the whole procedure making you feel confident and at ease� confirms a female ‘tummy tuck’ client from Gibraltar.

Much is made of post operative aftercare promises by cosmetic surgery providers, but who really keeps their promises in Gibraltar?

Louise is usually the first person clients speak to at ARIA Medical Group. Not only is she the driving force behind the smooth management of client consultations, operations & post procedure follow ups but she is always on-hand at each of the free, private consultations in Gibraltar. “I thoroughly recommend Louise for her excellent patient care� confirms a recent breast augmentation client from Gibraltar.

So, to find out more about the Aria Medical Group aftercare promise and to read more client testimonials online, visit:

www.ariamedicalgroup.com

But to discover how really actions do speak louder than words, 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

* Your first post operative year - we offer you the best possible service, without question.

"SJB .FEJDBM (SPVQ TUBOET PVU BNPOHTU DPTNFUJD TVSHFSZ QSPWJEFST JO (JCSBMUBS 5IF DPNQBOZ GPVOEFE CZ $IJFG 4VSHFPO %S .BSDP 7SJDFMMB IBT B QIJMPTPQIZ VOJRVF JO UIF TFDUPS GPDVTJOH PO DMJFOU DBSF SBUIFS UIBO PO IJHI QSFTTVSF TBMFT

Cosmetic Surgery | Non Surgical Procedures | Cosmetic Dentistry

www.ariamedicalgroup.com www.marbellahighcare.com

FREE private consultations FREE genuine aftercare* FREE revision surgery* FREE 24 hour helpline*

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* Your first post operative year - we offer you the best possible service, without question.

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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 |

Marbella

|

Madrid

health & medical directory

health& fitness Bell Pharmacy

McTimoney Chiropractor

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

PASSANO OPTICIANS LTD

Louis’ Pharmacy Unit F12, International Commercial Centre, Casemates.

Tel: 200 44797

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

HEARING CENTRE

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

Opticians / Optometrists

BSc (Podiatry), M.Ch.S

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

Primary Care Centre

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

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

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

Need somebody to talk to?

Psychologist

7 days a week 6-10pm

52 what a page turner! www.thegibraltarmagazine.com

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

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

l

?

What is Cranial Osteopathy

health & well-being can advise on how to do this and also perform examinations to confirm that there is nothing more sinister going on.

by Joma Ormrod (BOst.)

Cranial Osteopathy is a subtle and refined form of osteopathy that works deeply in the body to gently relieve stresses and tensions. It usually involves applying gentle pressures to the head but can also involve treatment of the spine and tailbone, also known as craniosacral osteopathy.

Osteopaths are trained to feel the small movements and fluctuations in the body’s tissues, known as the involuntary mechanism or cranial rhythm, which, to an osteopath, will feel like small contractions and expansions.

This rhythm was first defined

by Dr. William G. Sutherland in the 1900s and its presence was confirmed in the 1960s through a series of laboratory tests.

The cranial rhythm can be easily disrupted by trauma, a difficult birth, knocks and falls, car accidents and ill-health. Over time, tensions resulting from any of the aforementioned can build up and eventually become symptomatic leading to headaches, joint aches and pains, digestive

Osteopathy for Babies Many parents bring their newborns in for a check-up examination and gentle treatment, using cranial osteopathy techniques, to help relieve the stresses and strains of birth and to prevent the child from becoming unsettled and irritable in the weeks and months to come.

The bones of a baby’s head are relatively soft at birth to help absorb the stresses placed upon it during labour. Sometimes babies can be born with an odd-shaped head and some bruising, particularly if the delivery involves extra help from forceps or Ventuse, a vacuum device placed on the baby’s head to assist the delivery if has not progressed adequately.

This normally resolves itself within the first few days, but occasionally the head does not fully ‘un-mould’ and this can leave baby with discomfort in their head and body.

Cranial Osteopathy can be used to help with babies who persistently cry, who are restless and irritable, have difficulties with feeding, who have problems with digestion, and also those who have problems with ears and sinuses.

Cranial Osteopathy is suitable for all ages and can be used in conjunction with structural Osteopathy and there are not usually any adverse reactions to cranial treatment. Following a session, babies and children are normally relaxed and sleep well however, they can occasionally become alert and have more energy but usually sleep well that night. n

pains as early as 4 years of age however this usually begins at around 7-8 years of age. The bones of the skull also become fully formed at this age and any retained, abnormal moulding can cause pressure within the head, and any tension patterns elsewhere in the body can make children vulnerable to fatigue Cranial Osteopathy for Children and sprains.

These tensions can ultimately Children can experience growing result in poor concentration, tiredness, constant fidgeting and periods of hyperactivity.

Growing pains are completely normal and are usually worse at night. They tend to occur more frequently in the legs as a throbbing pain and are concentrated in the muscles rather than the joints.

Growing pains can be particularly bad after an active day causing children to have unsettled sleep. To alleviate the pain, parents can gently massage the affect area, place a hot-water bottle or wheat bag over the area and perform some gentle stretching to the muscles.

Cranial Osteopathy is available at Osteopaths Atlantic Osteopathy. problems and disturbance within the internal organs.

In adults cranial osteopathy can be used to treat head and face pain, relieve stress during or after dental work, general malaise and fatigue, irritable bowel symptoms, and the effects of stress.

Tensions can result in poor concentration, tiredness, constant fidgeting and periods of hyperactivity

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

53

events

Garrison Library Hand Over

photos: Mike Brufal

Guests with links to culture and heritage gathered at the Garrison Library in midSeptember to witness the symbolic handing over of the keys of the library to the Government of Gibraltar. The keys to the building, which has a rich military history, were received by Chief Minister Peter Caruana, from the Chief of Staff Colonel Jim Mitchell. The government plans to turn the building, and collection, into a research facility, incorporating the old Gibraltar Chronicle printing works and the Government Archives. n

54

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

events

Bacarisas Tribute Exhibition An splendid evening was held at the Gibraltar Art Gallery last month, as contemporary artists took part in a tribute exhibition to the great Gibraltarian painter Gustavo Bacarisas.

photos: Mike Brufal

The exhibition is a collection of new work by mainly local artists, and the opening night attracted many artists, songwriters and poets to this lovely venue. n

Ilka Garcia at Sacarello’s An exhibition of Ilka Garcia’s works opened

photos courtesy The Gibraltar Chronicle

photos: Mike Brufal

at Sacarello’s restaurant on Irish Town in mid-September. The works, which exude energy, confidence and joie de vivre, will be on show until Saturday 8th October so you still have time to pop along, enjoy a coffee and a browse. n

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

55

activities

Youth Work:

Get Involved!

Now that schools and college have started a new term, why not enrol, or encourage your teenager to enrol, in the many activities organised by the Gibraltar Youth Service? With qualified youth leaders, lots of creative ideas, and various venues to attend, it is a great way to meet new people, learn new things, and have fun at the same time.

The Gibraltar Youth Service was established in 1963 and serves different purposes for different people. At present, there are four youth clubs — three of which are neighbourhood based — Laguna Youth Club, Plater Youth Club, Dolphins Youth Club, based near housing estates, and the Youth Centre on Line Wall Road.

Although the youth service tended in the past to be a more male dominated service, there is now an equal gender balance of full-time youth workers (Rebecca Figueras, Charlene Figueras, Martin Graffione and Mark Zammit) which allows members to associate and gain advice from leaders of both genders. The four youth workers provide positive role models for the young people and work under the direction of Jimmy Felices, the Youth Service Team Leader. There are also 10-12 paid part-time youth workers employed at any time.

The projects undertaken by the youth service is in partnership with the club members, and ranges from arts and fashion, puppetry, indoor and outdoor sports, presentations and discussions on contemporary issues, personal health and safety to themes about the environment, developing countries and places of local and international interest.

One of the more popular projects organised by the Youth Centre, was the Forensic Factory (FF), which has been going on since 2006. “We

56

had many teenagers coming to take part in this arts based project. They created fashionable items, worked as a team, and towards a final project,” explains Rebecca. The FF programme participants were so touched by the topic, that some continued with their commitment to fashion via further study and beyond.

Forensic Factory was delivered via group work sessions in which the responsibility of the group and its members was paramount. They were encouraged and assisted to use their time effectively in order to finish their work on time.

This was then submitted for evaluation via discussion and presentations. “Recommendations and critiques are offered in these encouraged discussions, as the participants learn to give and take criticism as part of their personal development,” says Charlene.

Projects such as FF the Youth Centre offer

a happy and secure environment, where the youth leaders support the members, by encouraging trust and respect. “Teenage years can be turbulent, as they are going through an important transition in their lives, both physically and emotionally. They are subject to many pressures and need as much understanding and support as they can get including that from the home and family. Youth workers offer ‘achievable projects’ which are evaluated by themselves. Whilst they do have to justify

“

Recommendations and critiques are offered in these encouraged discussions, as the participants learn to give and take criticism as part of their personal development

”

Workshop at residential for Forensic Factory GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

activities

by Jolene Gomez what they do, the main ingredients in these programmes are consistency and commitment.

If they persist with these and are still there at the end they are awarded a certificate for their efforts, for staying the course,” Charlene explains.

The youth centre invites local freelance artists and practitioners who are willing to offer their knowledge and expertise to young people to contact the youth workers if they wish to make a difference. The skills and benefits they can provide the young people taking part are invaluable. In the past artists and professionals have contributed greatly — people such as Lizanne Figueras, performer Nathan Conroy and members of the Yoga Centre.

“Any freelance artists or practitioners from different fields, who believe they can contribute, please get in touch. We are always looking for new ideas and projects for our client group,” says Rebecca.

In 2009, the youth centre carried out the project Teen Tales, where various local writers of all genres were invited to present their work and share their skills and knowledge. Adrian Pisarello talked about lyric writing, Claire Trinidad discussed descriptive writing, Davina Camilleri presented media and broadcasting, Sonia Golt concentrated on poetry and Vinod Mahbubani on journal and travelling memoirs.

“It enabled them to put their ideas into words; into expression. The result was the publication of Teen Tales: Tales of a Teen. Some of the contributions were quite graphic and shocking; some gave an insight into the young peoples’ skills, thoughts and feelings,” explains Rebecca.

Each Youth Club project, programme or session has a purpose. Each uses time spent with young people to explore and learn about their expectations; their joys as well as their concerns. In some, the learning outcomes follow a particular course and the participants themselves become the guarantors of those aims.

Workers listen and lend support throughout the project ensuring the experience as a whole is fruitful and within their reach.

The whole ethos of Youth Work and any project delivered by youth workers is to enable young people to progress and develop as individuals — using topics of their choosing; at a

Puppet project workshop

pace and level they feel comfortable with and find it acceptable to participate in.

Youth clubs offer premises which are welcoming and comfortable for young people. In return the young people share their ideas and views, respect the norms and rules and are likewise respected and valued for their contributions — whatever these happen to be.

Youth Work is about enabling young people to take part and have a greater say not just in

their own lives but also in the community in which they live and form part. Youth clubs are places for personal growth and learning, safe, amongst friends and doing things which are essentially fun. Young people simply wouldn’t attend them otherwise. n For more information on the Youth Service and their projects, please do not hesitate to contact them on tel: 20075020, or email gibyouth@gibtelecom.net.

Youth clubs are places for personal growth and learning, safe, amongst friends and doing things which are essentially fun.

Young people simply wouldn’t attend them otherwise

Making Wobbles mascots

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

57

famous rock

by Elena Scialtiel

Write On! Mary & Sam investigate 18th Century crimes in Tangier

After the town murder in yellow fever times and the suspicious suicide of a simpleton soldier during the Great Siege, fictional Gibraltarian-Genoese chandler/self-appointed detective Giovanni Bresciano is going tangerine to investigate a murderous burglary at the British Consulate.

Third installment of the saga, and sequel to Fall of a Sparrow (which is the prequel to The Murder of Whirligig Lane), The Pearls of Tangier is again a historical novel, where real and fictional characters mesh together as optimally as their creators, paediatrician by profession and historian by passion Sam Benady, and school teacher Mary Chiappe, the perfect pair of plotting pals.

Their lifelong friendship, bubbly zest for life, wondrous outlook on their hometown’s rich past, and addiction to writing are reflected in this effortlessly consistent, elegant, compelling narrative about the multidimensional “nice, but not too nice” protagonist, Giovanni.

In this book Giovanni grows from the idealistic adolescent of Fall of a Sparrow into a composed young man ready to set aside his juvenile ardour and discover a gentler sentiment towards delicate flower Giulietta, already introduced in The Murder of Whirligig Lane as his late wife, fallen victim of the 1804 epidemics.

In times of turmoil in Morocco, which Gibraltar largely depended on for provisions at the time, the 27year-old former volunteer soldier has to urgently attend some family affairs, when his little sister Lucia and their aunt become involved with the wrong crowd in Tangier.

He gets involved with the bloody theft of a heavily guarded trea-

sure, and with an American War of Independence British loyalist, Consul James Mario Matra — an old acquaintance of Sam’s, who thoroughly researched his biography, and is now taking poetic licence to weave into his life this fictional mishap.

Giovanni is pretty much a jointbrainchild, who wouldn’t have the same stature if the partnership was severed: “We write a chapter each,” the authors explain, “and then modify and elaborate on each other’s efforts. Usually Sam fishes out my history shortcomings,” Mary confesses, “and I add colour to the characters and their interaction. But at the end of the process it’s difficult to remember who originally wrote what.”

With a general plot in mind, they steer it according to their flights of fancy, where a certain degree of improvisation is allowed. Although extra care must be taken not only in chronological and geographical verisimilitude when piecing up events and describing cityscapes, but also in unfolding investigations with the limited detective methods of pre-forensic science eras.

What sets Giovanni Bresciano apart from many other fictional amateur and professional detectives is the innovation that he is portrayed at a different age in each book, so he grows with, and thanks to, his adventures, while in literary convention crime solvers are crys-

Usually Sam fishes out my history shortcomings,” Mary confesses, “and I add colour to the characters and their interaction” 58

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCToBER 2011

book launch art profile tallised in a rigid persona, because the limelight is on their mystery unravelling ingenuity.

Thus Giovanni’s world isn’t trapped in the restrictions of one genre — it spans romance, introspection, drama, action, history, biography and, why not, travel and heritage, since the books include charts to help the reader place the characters’ whereabouts in modern-day Gibraltar, and appreciate the evolution of the Rock’s topography.

But how did this deservedly successful double-act come about?

It all started by chance — and was supposed to be a one-off! — when Mary told Sam she wanted to write a locally set dark novel around the character of Captain Frederick Wentworth (born from Jane Austen’s quill) who happened to be in Gibraltar during yellow fever epidemic. Yellow fever was the switch to set Sam’s cogs in motion since he has dedicated much of his historical research to the subject.

And so the background for The Murder was set, and the plot spun faster than the whirligig at the corner of modern Main Street and City Mill Lane (punishment for adulteresses exposed to public scorn). Using a genuine GenoeseGibraltarian surname that has gone extinct, Bresciano was added for extra flavour, and he proved a much better detective than Sergeant Miles, who in the book is in charge of containing the outbreak in the city centre’s District 13, and went down in history for being one of the first Gibraltarian policemen.

Not happy with sprinkling chronicler’s facts into their narrative, Sam and Mary often borrow fictional characters from other classics: besides the mentioned Captain, Baron Munchausen makes a

fleeting appearance as a delusional aristocrat in the Fall of a Sparrow, and they are keen to bring back to life other pillars of European literature, without breaching any copyright.

They are resorting to self-publishing, which entails meticulous DIY editing, but their dream is to get discovered and become famous in their lifetime. “Perhaps we should alert some archaeologist we’re here!” Mary jokes, before revealing that even Carteia makes a guest appearance in the latest, but definitely not last, fruit of their fervid imaginations.

In fact, Mary and Sam don’t deny Bresciano is taking up the best part of their days. They have almost finished his fourth adventure with the working title The Prince’s Lady. It promises thrills galore, focusing on the Gibraltarian exploits of young Prince Edward, King George III’s son and later Queen Victoria’s father, who was Gibraltar’s Governor in 1802, after a stint on the Rock with his mistress in 1791.

The fun of writing is... writing, Sam explains. Distributing, marketing and soliciting sponsorship are nevertheless actively taken care of, with the hope of harvesting some profits to donate to Leukaemia Research, a charity very close to Sam’s heart.

And because a book is inevitably judged by its cover, the authors are sticking to their guns for this volume of their Bresciano encyclopaedia, and are featuring another original etching by Gibraltarian artist Clive Lavagna, evocative of exotic atmospheres and furtive romance with its dizzy perspectives and a splash of hot pink. n The Pearls of Tangier will be launched this autumn and will soon be available at local bookstores, priced £8.99.

It all started by chance — and was supposed to be a one-off! — when Mary told Sam she wanted to write a locally set dark novel around the character of Captain Frederick Wentworth

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

59

Jamie & Michael:

Guitar Heroes Photo: Mike Braunewell

by Karim Corby

60

In acoustic guitars, a large hollow body is necessary to amplify the sound, but with an electric guitar, strings and magnetic pickups no larger than a lipstick can do the job. The body is simply an embellishment, freeing designers to create new and interesting designs such as the ‘flying V’ and the double headed bass. However, for the most part, design has remained straightforward, with fully customised bespoke guitars occupying a niche — a niche Gibraltar’s Jamie Ghio has spent years filling.

Since its creation, the electric guitar has been an instrument in its own right, responsible for the redevelopment of a vast number of music genres through its versatility — the sound can be electronically shaped in tone, clarity and volume before it is amplified.

Yet despite being the most versatile instrument in terms of sound, its versatility has not translated to their design, which has not moved far beyond their early solid body configuration.

Enter Jamie Ghio, a man who has been in the music business for over 20 years, paying in a number of local bands, and who was initially inspired to customise his own guitar though watching the Orange County Choppers television series. The series features a family business dealing with customising motorcycles with unique and often striking designs; Jamie saw a similar opportunity in the creation of guitars.

With only wires, pickups and strings necessary for a decent sound, the guitar’s body was blank canvas for more inspired visual design.

Jamie contacted Michael Braunewell — a painter of some repute who had spent many years in airbrush design, mainly focusing on motorcycles and helmets — and the idea proved to be the new challenge the two were looking for. Jamie’s experience in mu-

Close up of Eve’s snake detail GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011 GIB

photo: Jayden Fa

Jamie, his wife Kerry Ann Ghio and Claire Foster with “Eve” Guitar photo: Jayden Fa

sports stars

photo: Jayden Fa

for art’s sake

Kerry Ann with “Dragon”

“

guitar photos: Mike Braunewell

We are usually given a rough idea for a design, but most of the creative licence is ours. I’ll sketch then carve and solder it before Mike takes over

Two of Jamie’s earlier designs GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

”

sic and Michael’s flair for design encouraged them to begin their first collaboration on a guitar body which was cut and shaped into flames, burning against the fret board, with a graduated red-yellow paint job to further accent the 3D effect.

When asked if they had named their first creation, Jamie replied “We’d rather let the musician name their guitar. It’s their instrument, not ours.”

Jamie and Michael have now spent five years working to make guitars that are striking, both in sound and visual presentation, and they have gained considerable notoriety in their field.

Michael explains; “Our greatest asset at the moment is word of mouth. Our guitars offer something unique, if we were to try to reproduce one design, it would always be different because it is all done by hand.”

They have received attention from many figures in the music industry including Breed 77 guitarist Danny Felice and iconic alternative fashion behemoth New Rock.

When dealing with well-known figures, one wonders how autonomous Jamie and Michael are with their designs? “We are usually given a rough idea for a design,” says Jamie, “but most of the creative licence is ours. I’ll sketch then carve and solder it before Mike takes over.”

With the New Rock guitar, for example, they started by looking at the company’s logo — a spinning globe with a banner encircling it. As it is so often seen in the company’s products, Jamie repurposed the spinning globe into a volume control, an ingenious nod to New Rock’s branding in his own work.

With the increased attention from musicians and agents of the industry, have the pair’s talents only gone into the creation of other people’s guitars? Row upon row of guitars line their walls, so there has to be at least one made just for them, right?

That is how I was introduced to the two favourites, singled out by virtue of receiving names.

First was Jamie’s Black Widow which has been seen on stage during his performances with Seven Sins. It conforms to the classic shape accented with an embossed spider’s web woven across the body. The second — simply referred to as Eve — has a rounded body resembling a green apple, with twin snakes

coiled along the edges. Inspiration for this one was taken from its namesake in the biblical story of the Garden of Eden. Though a simple idea, its understated nature belies the work that went into the design — painstakingly chiselling every scale on the snakes’ bodies was an investment of many hours’ work, and the result is certainly stunning.

What does the future hold for this pair of craftsmen? Only time will tell. One thing is certain; they show no intention of slowing. The pair hint at projects already in the pipeline which are sure to raise eyebrows. They talk of how their level of customisation is almost entirely unique in Europe, with most customised guitars of this calibre selling in the tens of thousands.

The opportunities are incalculable, and the demand is there.

In time, they look to do more freelance work and create bespoke models for the bigger names in instrument manufacture.

Whatever may happen, musicians in Gibraltar are taking note that their instruments can be as much an art form as the music they create. n To see more of Jamie and Mike’s guitars or Mike’s motorcycle helmets and other bike parts visit www.sworddesign.info or check out Jamie’s Facebook page www.facebook. com/Fifth.Element.

Guitars.

“Jungle Frog” Bass Guitar

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Gibraltar in fiction

Raffles & the Gibraltar Crime

by Reg Reynolds

Mention the name Raffles and most people will think of the famous hotel in Singapore but an equally famous Raffles is a gentleman thief who over the past 100 years has featured in books, movies and a television series. One of those books is titled Raffles Crime in Gibraltar and it tells the story of Raffles being arrested and falsely accused of murder on the Rock.

The book was written by Barry Perowne (pseudonym of Philip Atkey) who was born in Wiltshire in 1908 but came to know Gibraltar through working as a newspaper correspondent. In the book he takes the reader all around the Rock and amusingly gives two of the policemen involved in the investigation the names

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Inspector Sacarello and Inspector Parodi.

The story takes place during the Spanish Civil War when thousands of refugees, plotters and agents from around the world gathered in Gibraltar. Perowne describes the tensions of the time: “Life was changed for Inspector Sacarello. A

thousand problems — commissariat, camping space, billeting — beset him. The health graph dipped. The petty larceny graph took a sharp rise. Gibraltar’s one small prison was of a sudden hopelessly inadequate.

“The atmosphere was changed too. A powder magazine makes an uneasy neighbour, and

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

Gibraltar in fiction Spain was a powder magazine. The hot breath of war blew over neutral Gibraltar. There were ‘accidents’. Shells from Spanish government and Spanish insurgent battleships fell upon the Rock.

Embattled planes from Morocco flew over it.”

Here Perowne is describing a real event in July, 1936 when Republican warships shelled Franco’s troops at Algeciras and La Linea and were in turn attacked by Nationalist planes flying over from Morocco.

An American newspaper reported: “Exploding shells menaced the British city.

Residents and refugees were panicky. Splinters crashed at Europa ‘southernmost’ point of the Rock. A dud plumped into the sea by a commercial coal mole; a shell blew apart high above the Catholic cathedral; shrapnel fell near the luxurious Rock Hotel, high on the west face of Gibraltar.”

No one was injured but there was some cost to the Rock Hotel… “after the planes had returned to Africa it was found that two chimneys and a roof garden had been badly damaged by exploding shells.”

Perowne, who died in 1985, wasn’t the originator of Raffles — that was Ernest William Hornung (1866-1921). Hornung had married Constance Doyle and so was the brother-inlaw of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle creator of that notable fictional detective Sherlock Holmes.

Indeed Hornung made it clear that AJ Raffles (‘A’ stands for Arthur) was intended to be the inverse of Holmes. The first Raffles book An Amateur Cracksman (published 1899) carried the dedication “To ACD This Form of Flattery”.

And as Doyle had created Watson as a companion for Holmes, Hornung provided Raffles with old school friend Harry “Bunny” Manders to act as co-conspirator and narrator.

Doyle is said to have been concerned that public morals could be harmed by having a criminal as a hero but was pleased with the dedication.

In Raffles Hornung created a handsome, likeable rogue who admits to stealing for personal gain alone. In the Crime in Gibraltar book Raffles is described thus: “Height six foot, lean, athletic build regular features deeply sun-burned, clipped black moustache, eyes blue. Wearing white duck suit and panama.”

Hornung made the public-school educated Raffles an outstanding cricketer, a patriot and a lover of the monarchy who is always the perfect gentleman. The first time Raffles steals it is out of necessity when he finds himself abroad and

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCToBER 2011

broke. He becomes hooked on the thrill he gets from committing a crime.

“I’d tasted blood and it was all over with me. Why should I work when I could steal? Why settle down to some humdrum uncongenial billet when excitement, danger and a decent living were all going begging together.”

Hornung was born to wealthy parents in Middlesborough and attended public school. He lived most of his adult life at Marleybone, London where he befriended other authors, including James Barrie, Jerome K Jerome and Rudyard Kipling. Hornung had been a sickly child and, although an ardent cricketer and member of the Marleybone Cricket Club he suffered from severe asthma.

He was on vacation in the south of France with Constance when he died of pneumonia on 22nd March 1921, aged 54.

A contemporary of Hornung and another Raffles author was New Yorker, John Kendrick Bangs, who was known for his style of spoof fantasy. In this vein he created Mrs. Raffles: Being the Adventures of an Amateur Crackswoman (1905) and R. Homes & Co.: Being the Adventures of Raffles Homes Esq, Detective and Amateur Cracksman by Birth (1906). In the latter book Raffles Homes is the grandson of the greatest fictional gentleman thief AJ Raffles and the greatest fictional detective Sherlock Homes.

Sadly Hornung, the creator of Raffles would have no grandchildren in real life as his only child Arthur was killed in World War I at the

“

I’d tasted blood and it was all over with me.

Why should I work when I could steal? Why settle down... when excitement, danger and a decent living were all going begging together

”

battle of Ypres.

Bangs died less than a year after Hornung, 21st January, 1922, aged 59. But fans wouldn’t let Raffles die and a decade later the British magazine Thriller approached, Perowne, who is best known today for his mystery magazine story Blind Spot *[see note], to continue the series. Once the necessary arrangements had been made with the Hornung estate, Raffles after Dark (US The Return of Raffles) was published in 1933.

Perowne would go on to write a dozen Raffles books — Raffles and the Gibraltar Crime (US They Hang Them in Gibraltar) was published in 1937.

The last in the series by Perowne was Raffles of the MCC in 1979.

As Raffles and the Gibraltar Crime is available via the internet I won’t spoil the story except to say Raffles doesn’t hang. n * Note: Blind Spot, first published in the November 1945 issue of Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, is considered one of the most ingenious mystery stories every written.

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65

braltarian initiated in 1807, Lionel informed. “You had to be rich and an exclusive member of society to be invited into the Masonic lodge.

In modern times your status is irrelevant, it is the person we allow into the lodge, not their Status.

The idea that only the rich and well-connected are Freemasons is a misconception.”

One has to be invited to join the Freemasons or at least show interest in being invited. Firstly the individual will be proposed then seconded, then appear in front of the committee before being voted in or out by the lodge.

Lionel added, “We vote with black and white beans — if one black bean appears the vote is a ‘no’. It’s a myth to think that if a family member is brought in they will be automatically voted in, they are screened by the lodge. We remind the brethren that the proposed person will be judged as an individual. It is a free vote and a secret ballot. If the vote is ‘no’, no further explanation is required.”

There are three degrees to go through, to reach a Master’s level, and no exam to pass from one degree to the next. Instead you are asked a series of questions and judged by your personal growth within the lodge to pass from one to the other.

Rituals take place to proceed to the next degree; “There is a strong emphasis on role play. There is no blood or slaughtering of animals which most people think. Rituals are basically a dramatic play to symbolise stages in the Masonic lodge,” Lionel says, to clear up another long-lived misunderstanding.

Freemasonry is the source of many conspiracy theories and the ever famous Da Vinci Code by author Dan Brown has stirred up many questions and sparked a rekindled interest in the Freemasons.

“It is a sensationalist book,” states Lionel. “He exposed the idea of Masonry excellently by giving the reader a little bit of information but not enough, so keeping the reader interested.” Lionel continued, “Whether it is true or not I

Freemasonry:

Beyond the Myths

by Kirsten Openshaw

In 1727 two regiments of British soldiers came to Gibraltar. They were given a travelling warrant by the Grand Lodge in the UK to work the First Working Freemason Lodge under the British flag abroad. Today there are 30 Masonic units consisting of Lodges, Chapters and other Masonic Degrees in Gibraltar with 800 registered members throughout. Lionel Perez gave the Gibraltar Magazine an insight into Freemasonry and its We caught up with Lionel, who has 33 years of Freemasonry under his erm... apron! Lionel explains Gibraltar’s Freemason history and some elaborate myths.

In 1767, just before the Great Siege, the British military brethren formed the First Masonic lodge outside the UK in Gibraltar, with its Travelling Warrant which was the lodge of St John of Jerusalem No. 51.

The earliest Masonic evidence of recorded local minutes reads ’His Grace the Duke of Richmond

66

proposed health and success to our brethren of the Lodge of Gibraltar.’ At the time most of the gunners were Freemasons and celebrated their victories with beer and cheese in their Lodges.

“

Gibraltar’s lodge of St John is, therefore, the oldest Masonic lodge outside Britain. St John’s lodge was at first exclusively a military lodge but had its first civilian member and the first Gi-

There is no blood or slaughtering of animals which most people think. Rituals are basically a dramatic play to symbolise stages in the Masonic lodge

”

Lionel Perez tells us the truth behind the myths

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

associations cannot say but it fascinated people enough to ask questions.”

To be accepted into Freemasonry you have to believe in a higher supreme being. “I see it as; someone greater than yourself or any other existing human being. We encourage our Freemasons to follow their own religion and principles. Myself, I am a Roman Catholic but we also have of Jews, Hindus and Muslims in the lodge. All lodge members are seen as equals and never judged,” he emphasises.

“In the meetings we have a Bible and the Koran and any other book which may symbolise one of the brethren’s religions.”

It is a myth that Masonry is a religion and Catholics have been banned from joining Masonry, Lionel emphasises “This was done away after the Second Vatican Council. Mine and others’ applicants were given the blessing of Bishop Rapallo.

“There is a perception that we are against the Pope and Catholicism for reasons of religion and finance, this idea could not be further from the truth. In Gibraltar, being predominantly Roman Catholic, the majority of the brethren are Roman Catholic and we follow our religion strongly. It does not interfere with out Masonic life in any way.”

Lionel makes a point of this, “We are not a cult or a religion. In many ways we are like old hippies who just love everyone and never argue. I personally have never seen an argument in the lodge. It is a rule to never discuss politics or

religion in the lodge.”

The Freemasons worldwide are known for their large donations to charities, which are not always registered or organised charities.

Lionel says, “We do not donate to a specific charity but we do donate to hospitals a lot. The Freemasons have always been concerned with the care for orphans, the sick and the aged. For example, if a brother says his neighbour is sick and they cannot afford to go to England for treatment, we will all help out and donate. We never ask for money for donations from outside the lodge. Very rarely we will do raffles in public. Basically, the majority of donated money comes out of our individual pockets.”

A Freemason stands by the three rules — brotherly love, truth and relief — and support the community. As well as their own local community this is shown and reflected in the four Masonic charities. The Freemason Grand Charity is dedicated to supporting those in need. It was established in 1980 and has given out charity grants totalling over £100 million which has gone to helping individuals and other charities outside of Masonic charities.

Lastly, the Gibraltar Magazine had to ask about the notorious secret handshake, is it true? Lionel smiled and with a tilt to his head commented, “Yes, it is true but

“

Part of a 31st degree apron with pure gold stitching. Masonic aprons are worn to show your degree. Each lodge has specific colours so they can be easily identified

it’s more for us as Freemasons to know what degree you are in within the lodge. You will also be asked a couple of questions which every Freemason should know to confirm whether or not you are truly a Freemason.” Lionel continued,

In many ways we are like old hippies who just love everyone and never argue

National Dance Team to Germany

”

“It is kind of like a membership card more than a free entry into anywhere.”

Freemasonry aims to instil a moral and ethical approach to life in its members. It reinforces kindness and thoughtfulness to the community, honesty in business and courtesy in society and fairness in all things. Lionel concludes, “I personally do not think this is a bad way to lead your life. n

Following Gibraltar’s success at the recent European Championships, the Gibraltar National Dance Organisation will be participating at the 2011 World Show Dance Championships from 21st0-26th November. The event will be staged at the Erdgas Arena, in Riesa, Germany and over 2,000 dancers from different nations will take part.

The GNDO invited all adult finalists at the European Championships to take part and of 33 performers 20 have accepted the invitation.

These dancers will perform in the Solo Female, Solo Male, Duet, Group and Formation sections.

photo courtesy Mark Galliano Photography

On behalf of the team, Alfred Rumbo said, “We hope to once again deliver a high standard of dance in Riesa. It is the job of the GNDO and the official choreographers to step up to the challenge and prove that Gibraltar is a great dancing nation.”

To sponsor the team contact the GNDO on 20071635 or email: gndo@gibelecom.net

2nd Place Adult Formation ‘The Last Emperor’ at the 2011 European Championships

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

The team comprises: Cora Ramirez; Chantal Santos; Steven Pardo, Angelique Ruiz; Tyrone Walker; Claire McGrail; Zayda Torres; Kayleigh Halmshaw; Kayleigh Rumbo; Emma Vaughan; Najade Sheriff; Chloe Vaughan; Lauren Linares; Krystle Robba; Rachel Robba; Nicole Victor; Ellen Tirado; Megan Victory; Natasha Hernandez and Shara Lee Garro.

67

puzzle page

SUDOKU

by Alan Gravett This crossword is to celebrate Charlie Conroy’s 50 years in Judo on the Rock

Win a lunch for two at

The Cannon Bar

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

One entry per person.

Closing date: 20th October 2011 Last month’s winner: Iris Caetano 2 Electra Flats, Scud Hill

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

FIRST PRIZE: Lunch for 2 at The Clipper

One entry per person.

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

Last month’s winner: Mrs. S Rocca 7 Jasmine House, Scud Hill

Across: 7. Game involving throwing rings over spikes (6) 8. A Chinese martial art (4-2) 9. Training school for e.g. 1) (4) 10. Midday meal (8) 11. Variation of 1) (2-5) 13. Money-lending at exorbitant rates (5) 15. and 21. A high ranking in 1. (5,4) 17. Traditionally, a summer game; an insect (7) 20. National epithet for country of origin of 1) (8) 21. Seed 15) (4) 23. 1. Teacher (6) 24. Luxury home such as Buckingham or

Versailes (6) Down: 1. A martial art (4) 2. Gardens in Copenhagen (6) 3. Having no function (7) 4. Mammal which might be foul smelling (5) 5. Small English measures of length (6) 6. Naturally! (2,6) 12. Removed the bullets (8) 14. Sign a contract before; supplant (3-4) 16. Unrefined (6) 18. Silver-grey metal symbol Co (6) 19. Material from which jeans are usually made (5) 22. 1. hold preventing movement of a limb (4)

Jotting Pad ...

LAST MONTH’S ANSWERS: Across: Ruby, Archduke, Choking, Gills, Independence, Extend, Stadia, Subterranean, Anita, Askance, Hampered, Kiss. Down: Receiver, Brood, Regent, Highestmarks, Unlaced, East, Mispunctuate, Painless, Tourism, Grease, Hash, Ennui.

68

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

snippets

What’s On October 2012 Monday 24th October - Friday 18th November Autumn Festival. For info or a full programme of events contact the Ministry of Culture Tel: 20048063 or email: minculture@gibtelecom.net Saturday 1st October Craft & Collectors Fair at St Andrew’s Church 10am to 2pm. For further info Tel: 54023166 Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society monthly outing – Birdlife Eurobirdwatch 8pm. Meet the Alameda Gardens Cottage. For further info contact Albert Yome Tel: 20078333 Email: ebw@gonhs.org Wednesday 5th October The Wedding Show 2011 presented by Stephanie Florist at The Rock Hotel “Khaima” 8.30pm. Tickets: £20 available from Stephanie Florist or at the door. All proceeds to local charities. Tel: 20041688 Email: stephanies@ gibtelecom.net Thursday 6th October EU Funding Events at O’Callaghan Eliott Hotel 9.30am-12.30pm. Everyone welcome. For info contact: 20073255 email: euid@gibraltar.gov.gi Thursday 13th & Friday 14th October LOL Productions presents: Is This Halloween?

A Musical Comedy. Written and produced by Giselle Baker. John Mackintosh Hall Theatre 8pm. Tickets: £12 from Nature Shop, Casemates Square 12 noon-4pm. For info Tel: 20051038 Friday 14th October The O’Callaghan Eliott Hotel in conjunction with Chris King Productions presents the ultimate tribute show featuring “The 3 Divos”. Dinner and show £32 per person from 8pm. Pre-bookings required on Tel 20070500. Overnight stay packages at the hotel available.

Saturday 15th October Gibraltar Botanic Gardens Tour. Meets George Don Gates (at the south end of Grand Parade) 10.30am. There is no fee but donations are welcome. For further info Tel: 20072639 Email: alameda@wildlife.gib.gi Saturday 22nd October Cancer Research UK Gibraltar Branch - Walk for Life. Participation and support of men, women, children and their pets. For 5km walk from Casemates, along Main Street, into Queensway, Europort Avenue, Waterport Road and back to finish at Casemates Square. Registration £5 from 9am with warm ups by Janine from Batuka/ Zumba starting at 10.45am. Starts: 11am Sunday 23rd October Battle of Trafalgar remembrance service at Trafalgar Cemetery 12 noon. For info Tel: 20055083 Thursday 27th October The Gibraltar National Choir Concert at The Holy Trinity Cathedral Church 8.30pm. Tickets: £10 available from Arts & Craft Shop or choir member Tel: 54831000 and at the door.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

GIBRALTAR’S

talking seal

by Reg Reynolds

More than 150 years ago Gibraltar was home to a talking seal.

I learned this when I came across a court report from an English newspaper, the unusually named Watchman and Wesleyan Advertiser, published on 21st November, 1860.

The report was titled The Talking Fish and told of a Gibraltar native, named only as Benshimol, who was suing a Mrs. Gabriel, the proprietor of a hotel in Liverpool, for 61 pounds.

The report states: “It appears that in 1858 an Italian brought to Gibraltar a large seal caught with seven others which died, and engaged the plaintiff (Benshimol) to teach it.”

It took Benshimol six weeks to teach the seal to say ‘Pa’ and ‘Ma’ and to entertain with a variety of antics, undoubtedly the clapping of flippers being one of them.

The seal was then taken to England and sold. The seal must have put on a pretty good show because a Mr. Pollard paid 300 pounds for it and hired Benshimol to exhibit ‘The Talking Fish’ on a salary of one pound a week.

Unfortunately the seal was placed in the personal care of Mrs. Gallagher and

a short time later the poor creature died.

Benshimol demanded compensation for the potential wages he lost out on but Mrs. Gallagher refused to pay.

The old judge must have been a serious animal lover because in a surprise decision he found in favour of Benshimol and ordered Mrs. Gallagher to pay him 45 pounds. In announcing his verdict the judge declared that it was not enough that she fed the seal and kept it clean but it was also her responsibility to “…always sleep near it, wrap it up and put it to rest”.

Presumably Mr. Pollard was out three hundred pounds which was a small fortune at the time. There was no mention if the former Gibraltar seal was given a proper burial.

The Watchman and Wesleyan Advertiser was launched as the first Methodist newspaper in 1835; it closed down in 1883. n

It took Benshimol six weeks to teach the seal to say ‘Pa’ and ‘Ma’ and to entertain with a variety of antics 69

history uncovered

Charles O’Hara in John Trumbull’s painting — The Surrender of Cornwallis — c1819-20

The Youth & Manhood of Cyril Thornton

(or maybe not)

When my eagerly awaited autobiography finally hits the shelves, as it inevitably must now the blackmail letters have met with such a disappointing response, it will do just what it says on the cover. Dave Wood: The Gibraltar Years. Pretty straightforward. No ambiguity there. Sales in double figures guaranteed, so long as Auntie Agnes keeps her promise.

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But just as the best of optical illusions completely fool the eye, books are occasionally published that are not what they initially appear to be.

In 1827, the casual reader idly scanning the new arrivals section of his local bookshop might have been forgiven for assuming The Youth and Manhood of Cyril Thornton was an autobiographical account of his life and times by its eponymous hero. It was certainly written convincingly in that style; but if its author, Thomas Hamilton, is to be believed it was a novel, a work of pure fiction.

The bare bones of the author’s life are quickly disinterred, and need not detain us long. Born in Scotland in 1789, he was educated at the University of Glasgow, joined the army in 1810, and left it with the rank of captain at the conclusion of the Peninsular War. He wrote prolifically — fiction, non-fiction and verse — and died in Pisa on 7th December 1842 at the relatively young age of 53.

Far more interesting, and far more pertinent to our purposes is the life of his creation “Cyril Thornton”, though it is difficult to believe that many of Thornton’s adventures and observations were not drawn from Hamilton’s own experience. Hamilton was 38 when his novel was published, and the passages concerning his hero’s stay in Gibraltar, and in particular his description of, and gossip about, its governor, Charles O’Hara, are so vivid and matter-of-fact that, surely, they must be authentic?

Not so. Charles O’Hara became Governor of Gibraltar in December 1795, when Hamilton was six years old, and died in office in February 1802, when he was barely 13.

In the book, Cyril Thornton arrives in Gibraltar for a tour of military duty after spending some time in Tenerife. Of his approach to the Rock he writes that nothing could be more magnificently beautiful than Gibraltar seen from the sea. Alas, he finds the town itself, or at least the accommodation he and his companions are given, rather less so. It was very small, inconvenient, dark, dingy, detestable, and surrounded on all sides by the unwelcome odour of a crowded and, to use his word, “uncleanly” population. Hmm… I think I may once have rented the same apartment.

But it is with his description of the incumbent governor, Charles O’Hara, the book truly comes alive, and almost immediately we are given a graphic example of the fact words are forever twisting, turning, and changing shape until in time they either cease to have meaning at all, or become transformed into what, to all intents and purposes, is another language. The passage in question is this: “He [O’Hara] was a bachelor, and had always been noted as a gay man; too gay a man, perhaps, to have ever thought of narrowing his liberty by the imposition of the trammels of wedlock.”

There we have it. To the modern reader it seems plain enough. O’Hara, Hamilton is telling us through the medium of the fictional Thornton, was homosexual.

Except he wasn’t, and no reader of the novel in 1827 would have come to that conclusion.

In those days, the word “gay” still meant nothing more than “light-hearted”, “mirthful”, “carefree”. Charles O’Hara was unquestionably one of the more colourful characters to have held the post of Governor of Gibraltar,

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

history uncovered

by Dave Wood but indifferent to the attractions of the fair sex he was not. His father, James O’Hara, spent 13 years as diplomatic envoy to Portugal where he acquired at least three unofficial “wives” and fathered 14 illegitimate children (Charles among them), all of whom he took back to England and provided for financially. Dissolute, perhaps, but essentially noble.

Charles never matched his father in fecundity but the fact he never married was not through want of trying. He proposed to the love of his life, Mary Berry, so often that the question became practically a catchphrase. Eventually, worn down by his nagging, she accepted and they became engaged. Things were going well until Charles was offered and accepted the governorship of Gibraltar. Seizing what she may have seen as a God-sent opportunity, Mary said she would rather die an old maid than live in a place rife with cholera and apes, and melodramatically returned the ring.

Charles bore the disappointment so stoically, and kept his upper lip so courageously stiff, that an observer like Cyril Thornton might easily be forgiven for describing him as “gay”. He dressed flamboyantly, even eccentrically, threw endless parties, did his best to pay tribute to his old dad by fathering several children by at least two local ladies, and earned himself the soubriquet “Cock of the Rock”. Classic symptoms of profound depression.

One item of O’Hara’s extraordinary dress (he was either a mould-breaking fashion icon or a clueless buffoon), particularly intrigued Cyril Thornton. The Governor, he wrote, invariably wore a kevenhuller hat — something that had been all the rage in his youth, but was now as dated as flared trousers and kaftans would seem today. To describe a kevenhuller hat, we can do no better than to quote Thornton himself: “it was in shape precisely that of an equilateral triangle, placed with mathematical precision on the head, somewhat elevated behind, and sloping in an unvarying angle downwards to the eyes, surmounted by a long stiff feather rising from a large rosette of black riband on the dexter [i.e. right-hand] side.” Can’t imagine why it ever fell out of style.

Charles O’Hara was a bon viveur, a riveting raconteur, an inveterate gossip and, it is said, a fine singer. Sadly, he died in office on 21st February 1802, while the fictional Cyril Thornton was still on the Rock. He lies buried in the King’s Chapel close to the Convent, and Hamilton’s book contains a vivid description of his funeral, noting that lying atop his coffin alongside his sword and sash was the ubiquitous kevenhuller hat. The last time, apparently, such a hat was seen in Europe. It remains high on the Gibraltar Museum’s “most wanted” list.

Gibraltarian society at that time was rigidly segregated. It was cosmopolitan, with Jews, Moors, British, Spanish, Maltese, Genoese and others rubbing shoulders on Main Street, but seldom reaching beyond their tightly knit ethnic communities to interact with each other. In particular, the British military, who were, in effect, Gibraltar’s elite, disdained any kind of intimate contact with its tradesmen.

They were merely extras in life’s crowd scenes — two-dimensional figures who served an essential purpose but who had no depth and no substance. So the story Cyril Thornton tells of the merchant Hamet Sherkin is remarkable and

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paints a vivid picture of the prejudices and social etiquette of the time.

Sherkin, we are told, was a Moor born in Algiers. He was a successful entrepreneur, trading his way to considerable wealth, but his success inexplicably aroused the wrath of the king of Morocco to such an extent that the monarch ordered his execution.

In those days monarchs could do that sort of thing to lighten the mood of a bad hair day. Learning from a well-placed spy that the official executioner is on his way with a well-honed axe, Hamet wisely abandons his homeland and becomes, in effect, a travelling salesman, criss-crossing the continent with his shipload of goodies, and eventually settling in Gibraltar. As the only reliable source of decent Cuban cigars, he comes to the attention of Cyril Thornton, and an unlikely friendship ripens between them. Through the course of many a long conversation, Hamet (a pious Muslim teetotaler in public, but no stranger to el vino in private) tells Thornton of his many adventures in the course of his fascinating and occasionally wild life.

It is Gibraltar, the 18th Century is barely cold in its grave, and anything beyond the most perfunctory, utilitarian relationship between a British army officer and a Moorish tradesman is not only unusual, it is decidedly infra dig, which makes Thornton’s next move, in the context of the times, profoundly shocking. He invites his Moorish friend to a soirée being hosted by the Governor.

The cream of Gibraltar’s British military elite is present, and when Hamet Sherkin enters the room, dressed stylishly, but in the circumstances a trifle incongruously, in an elaborately embroidered jacket, yellow slippers, and a freshly laundered turban, there is an audible intake of breath followed by the audible quivering of several previously stiff upper lips and, for a while, an embarrassed silence. Really, by Jove, this was utterly beyond the pale. One guest particularly offended by this disgraceful social gaffe was a certain Colonel Grimshawe (the name is enough for every one of my readers to conjure an accurate vision of the man and his reaction without the necessity of further description). Grimshawe was so outraged that

It is Gibraltar, the 18th Century is barely cold in its grave, and anything beyond the most perfunctory, utilitarian relationship between a British army officer and a Moorish tradesman is not only unusual, it is decidedly infra dig

he and Thornton never spoke civilly to each other again.

When dinner is served, Hamet, in the manner to which he is accustomed, sits cross-legged on his chair, provoking loud, boorish laughter from the younger element; laughter which becomes even more offensive when the Moroccan disdains the use of his knife and fork, and eats instead with his fingers.

As the night wears on, Hamet Sherkin becomes the centre of everyone’s attention. He is a truly exotic creature — as mysterious to the British guests as a genie abruptly released from a bottle. Gradually they warm to him, albeit in a predictably patronising way, markedly referring to him as “Mr” Sherkin (something they would never do in normal circumstances), and generally laughing uproariously at what they considered his comical “antics”. Through modern eyes, we can see at once how unpleasant, how patronising, and how downright racist the actions of the British officers were, but Thomas Hamilton was writing in the 1820s, and describing events 20 years earlier, and such feelings would have been totally alien to him. His view, expressed through the words of his eponymous hero, Cyril Thornton, was that Hamet Sherkin became “the lion of the night”, relegating the assembled dignitaries to “but secondary personages”.

Colonel Grimshawe, though, was not amused. The following day he called everyone together and declared, henceforth, no-one should be invited to such functions without the express permission of a properly authorised committee.

The Youth and Manhood of Cyril Thornton remains expensively in print, but readers who wish to investigate further can access the entire text for nothing thanks to Uncle Google. Those who do will be richly rewarded. n

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community events

Mario’s Lifetime in Arts ‘A Lifetime in Art’, a beautiful coffee table book, was launched last month to celebrate the life and work of superb Gibraltar artist Mario Finlayson (pictured left).

At the Gibraltar Fine Art Gallery launch the Chief

Jumping for Charity to the society in the presence of the society’s patron Governor of Gibraltar, Sir Adrian Johns who in turn presented the jumpers with certificates of appreciation.

Official sponsors of the jump were Parodytur, Barclays Wealth and Martin Nuza from Gold Productions Studios (Gibraltar) Ltd www.goldps.com. n which all seem to come together to help the healing process. Sonia explained how Liz had changed career path later in life by training in beauty and holistic therapies, specialising in reflexology and aromatherapy.

Vicente Vinent was nominated

by Manolo Lima who praised Vicente’s passion for dance over the last 50 years inspiring others and lifting their spirits. At the age of 71 Vicente is still active on stage and supporting people however he can but Manolo had to highlight Vicente’s special touch and ability to transform the most sombre of occasions into a celebration.

Making a Difference to Others The beautiful cottage at the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens was the perfect setting for this year’s JM Memorial Awards presented annually to individuals in the community who make a difference to others.

Mark Montovio explained “Out of a total of nine very worthy nominations five individuals were chosen for 2011 although sadly it was not possible to make arrangements for one of the recipients to receive it. We were delighted to have been able to

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Finally a group of young boys got together to present the award to Janine Gaduzo. Ten year old Nicholas Gracia clearly spelt out the gratitude he felt towards Janine for supporting him in her role as Occupational Therapist. Nick’s mother Cheryl said “Janine has gone above and beyond what was asked of her at work, during the nearly 10 years now that she has been seeing Nick.”

present the award to Alfred Rumbo, Janine Gaduzo, Vicente Vinent and Liz Carr.”

his involvement with the Gibraltar Youth Service and the Gibraltar Community Association.

Mark Montovio continued: “I continue to be deeply touched by the the love and admiration shown by those who nominate others making a difference to the lives of many.” n

Alfred Rumbo was nominated by Seamus Byrne who praised Alfred’s commitment to voluntary work over many years, particularly through

Sonia Golt nominated Liz Carr. Liz is a therapist at the Lady William’s Centre and Sonia reflected on Liz’s warmth, affection and happy nature

For further information on the JM Memorial Foundation email support@jm-foundation.org or visit www.jm-foundation.org

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

Photos: Mike Brufal

Five daring charity skydivers — Mike Boxall, Andrew Rayner, Ivan Vinales, Sixto Parody and Jennalee Bandam — successfully jumped out of a plane at 15,000 feet in September with the aim of raising funds for the Gibraltar Society for the Visually Impaired (GSVI).

Later in the month Mike Boxall presented a cheque for £2,400.00

arts file Minister Peter Caruana said Mario, now 84, was a man greatly admired by the community as a whole, and that when the history of Gibraltar’s art is written he would have a prominent place in it.

The limited edition book is published

by Calpe Press and sponsored by the Bonita Trust.

Photos: Mike Brufal

Photos: a few of the guests who gathered to wish Mario well.

GADA presents Move Over Mrs Markham The Gibraltar Amateur Drama Association will be presenting Move Over Mrs Markham by Ray Cooney & John Chapman.

Despite being written in the 1970s this play is still hilariously funny and GADA is bringing it up to date in this production.

Move Over Mrs Markham exposes the intricacies and complications which ensue when different sets

of hopeful lovers all converge on the bedroom of the Markhams’ supposedly empty flat. The complications and deceptions which follow assure a hectic and hilarious evening.

The play with be staged on Tuesday 25th, Wednesday 26th and Thursday 27th October, at the Inces Hall Theatre. Tel: 200 42237 or email: gibdrama@yahoo.co.uk

Dog of the Month Toby in three years old and is a male crossbreed who needs training and help. He needs a knowledgeable home with no young children.

Can you help Toby find a forever home?

Gib DFAS Lecture:

Men Behaving Badly : Artists Behaving Badly on and off the Canvas – by John Iddon Wednesday 19th October, 6.30pm at the Eliott O’Callaghan Hotel

Throughout art, men have often been shown to be behaving badly, frequently at the expense of women. From Hogarth’s “Rake’s Progress” (pictured) through to other rakes portrayed by Reynolds or featured in Pre-Raphaelite and Victorian narrative paintings, the theme has been extensively explored.

The lecture brings the number of “rakes” in art, both on and off the canvas, up to date and into our times with Picasso, Augustus John, Lucian Freud and others. There is a short section at the end entitled “Women Strike Back!”

John Iddon is a lecturer and guide at both Tate Britain and Tate Modern, on P & O Cruises, as well as occasional lecturer for the National Trust and the Peggy Guggenheim Gallery in Venice.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

“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

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history file Edinburgh in 1852. He joined the Rifle Brigade in 1873 and was posted to Gibraltar the following year. Verner became interested in ornithology at an early age but it was at Gibraltar that he became serious about egg hunting and the killing and stuffing of birds.

While serving at Gibraltar, Verner met and worked with Lord Lilford (a founder of the British Ornithologists Union), Colonel L.H. Irby (author of Ornithology of the Strait of Gibraltar) and Prince Rudolf of Austria.

On the unexpected invitation to meet the Prince, Verner wrote: “It was in 1879 that the late Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria arrived at Gibraltar in his yacht, the Miramar, bent on an ornithological expedition in Spain. At this time I was a subaltern doing regimental duty and was not a little surprised to receive an invitation from the Governor, Lord Napier of Magdala, to meet at dinner His Imperial Highness, of whose ornithological accomplishments I was at the time, I am ashamed to say, quite unaware.

“Our meeting resulted in the Prince requesting me to take him on a ride into Spain the following day, the upshot of which was that when the Miramar sailed for Tangier I was bidden to accompany him. We subsequently went cruising up the Guadalquiver where, thanks to the kindness of the late Henry Davies of Jerez and his comrade, we were permitted to explore that most fascinating region the Coto de Donana. There I made the acquaintance with the famous ‘wild’ camels and gathered eggs of the flamingo.”

In the forward to his book My Life Among the Wild Birds of Spain Verner explained he didn’t want to encourage others to kill birds or steal their eggs and he only did so in the interests of science.

Fortunately for the birds of Gibraltar they were protected by Garrison Order. This forced Verner to travel into Spain to get his eggs and birds for taxidermy. If a type of bird was native to the Rock he would find a nest, or nests, of the same kind in Spain. An example of this was his Verner collected eggs from flamingos in nearby Spain

Gibraltar’s Champion Egg Hunter

by Reg Reynolds

Today he would be arrested, fined and possibly jailed but a century ago Lt. Col. Willoughby Verner, was the ‘bird-nester’ and egg hunter supreme.

In 1897 a London newspaperman boldly declared Colonel Verner to be “…one of the most popular officers in the British army… and his collection [of birds’ eggs] is probably one of the finest owned by an individual”.

What excited the journalist about Verner was the life-threatening risks he would take to col-

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lect his eggs, including climbing rocky towers and hanging upside down over cliffs 100s, even 1000s of feet, in the air. It would seem Verner was a match for any modern-day ‘extreme sports’ rock climber, a skill he perfected during six years stationed on the Rock of Gibraltar.

William Willoughby Cole Verner was born in

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history file rope-soled shoes, knickerbockers, heavy stockings, woollen suit and a soft felt hat.

Wherever his regiment was sent Verner would investigate and document the bird life but he also performed his duties as a soldier.

He took part in the Nile campaign (1884-1885) and during the Boer War (1901-02) he suffered a leg wound that put an end to his days of rock and tree climbing. However Verner’s interests stretched well beyond bird life — he was among the first to investigate and write about the Paleolithic cave paintings near Ronda; wrote a history of the Rifle Brigade; and invented a compass that was widely used by the British Army in World War I. After leaving the army in 1905 Verner retired

to Algeciras where he died on 25th January 1922.

His obituary read; “The memory of Col. Verner will always live in the hearts of those who were privileged to be with him for a time at his little shooting cottage near the Laguna de la Janda. His kindness, knowledge, and interest in everything were especially noticeable, but at the same his soldierlike love of order was never absent. Woe betide the guest who returned the salt-jar to the place where the pepper-pot should have been!” n * Note: It took Verner months to find the nesting place of a pair of elusive Blue Rock Thrushes which are native to Gibraltar.

pursuit of Bonelli’s eagle: “There was moreover the ancient Garrison Order prohibiting the molestation of the wild birds on the Rock. I however argued to myself that there most assuredly must be other pairs of Bonelli’s eagle nesting in the mountainous country north of Gibraltar and during the course of an extended expedition later in the spring, I actually located two pairs.”

Verner sought out all manner of birds *[see note] but favoured birds of prey, in particular eagles. As mentioned earlier he would risk his life to satisfy his lust for eggs. On one occasion near Jimena de la Frontera (between Ronda and San Roque) he climbed to 2,800 feet to fetch eggs from a golden eagle’s nest. Another time, when a loose rock gave way, he found himself hanging by the fingers of one hand 300 feet above ground. He claimed he had never been attacked by an eagle: “I have taken eggs from scores of eagles’ nests in lofty crags and have never once had such an experience. Certainly it is a little dangerous when one of these huge birds, affrighted, dashes out of a cavern, close to one’s head whilst one is clinging to the face of a sheer precipice; but I have never known an eagle to directly attack me.”

Although Verner sometimes climbed without the use of ropes his standard kit included: 180feet of 1-inch alpine rope, 50-feet of 2-inch for ‘bad’ places, a ball of strong twine, tin boxes kept in a creel, field glasses, a dagger, a revolver, canvas belt and water bottle. His usual attire was

Fortunately for the birds of Gibraltar they were protected by Garrison Order. This forced Verner to travel into Spain to get his eggs and birds for taxidermy GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

The beautiful Blue Rock Thrush is native to Gibraltar photo: © Armando Caldas

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‘El hijo del TEO’ takes the rap in Toronto

Taking the Rap in Toronto

Ay yo! Gibraltar has extended its long arm of the music across the Atlantic to Toronto, where producer, graphic designer and rapper SpitShine released his debut album Let There Be Light, whose cover art seems borrowed from an alien invasion movie poster.

by Elena Scialtiel

Don’t judge SpitShine’s musical collection, featuring Canadian rapper theMedicis and UK R’n’B singer Laurence 0802, on its cover picture, and instead indulge in 17 tracks, promoted as ‘hard hitting yet mellow and melodic hip hop beats’, inspired by Genesis.

Not the UK band, Genesis, but the Bible book, Genesis, which is for SpitShine, a.k.a. Gideon Bentata, engraved in the stone of his Jewish upbringing!

Gideon enjoys serving us food for thought with his original rhymes and angry, but not too angry, tirades about life’s injustices, as much as ‘spirituality and conspiracy theories’, seasoned with some references to jazz, progressive rock music and even ’60s and ’70s’ sound.

His nonconformist attitude emerged at an early age, when hip hop and rap were newborn genres blasting from the speakers of newborn MTV, while almost everyone else was taken with the ‘jeans-clad long-haired rock bands that saturated popular music at the time’.

Instead, the ‘unfiltered for the masses’ rhythmic speech hit his

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soft spot for poignant poetry and booming drums, and he immediately connected with these “regular young guys having fun with their music.”

He was fascinated by breakdancers spinning on their heads at the rhythm of Run DMC or Herbie Hancock, and saw in ghetto beats a pioneer movement not only in music, but “in everything”, which brought significant change to many art forms, introducing concepts like graffiti, scratching, and emceeing to mainstream.

Nicknamed El Hijo del TEO, Gideon was ‘hypnotised’ by the TV facing the entrance of his father David’s Gibraltar clothes store, where MTV videos were always on. MTV was a new phenomenon in his formative years and influenced him as much as many other teenagers, who got acquainted with the visual side of pop music, its costumes and cool dance moves highlighting and complementing lyrics and melody. It was his window on the music business and taught him about artists of the

With “no schooling, no job and no real direction in life” he was mugged and gang beaten one night, so he moved to Toronto

calibre of Kriss Kross, Beastie Boys, Naughty By Nature and especially Michael Jackson.

Writing poetry became the therapeutic outlet of his adolescent unease when he was boarding in Manchester, a city which had “little novelty” for him. With “no schooling, no job and no real direction in life” he was mugged and gang beaten one night, so he moved to Toronto to pursue qualifications in graphic design and audio production.

Later he worked for The Naked News, designing their website and editing their photo shoots: “It was definitely an original and fun place to work, but after a couple of years I needed a change and wanted to do something more related to my music passion,” Gideon says. So he moved on to freelancing in the music industry, designing cover art, logos, posters, flyers, and pro-

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

music file ducing for recording artists.

Nowadays, the visual and audio sides of his talent are fused in his behind-the-scene work to produce professional records, appealing to the eye as much the ear, with spanking covers and clean sound, recorded in his very own studio.

He volunteered at music festivals, like the prestigious Toronto Zeitgeist Media Festival which took place on 10th September — and being the man behind the star has tickled his fancy to take centre stage himself. Eventually, after years of ‘marinating’, his Let There Be Light album was ready to... see the light, with the hope of being a beacon in the contemporary mainstream hip hop music that, according to him, has lost its

He is poised to strike a chord with all sentimental bohemians out there, who were a bit sceptical about rap as a senior music genre insight and is somehow groping in the dark.

He firmly believes rappers who rely on rants penned by ghostwriters are just blabbers, because one must perform what pours from one’s heart: SpitShine draws inspiration from his troubled past, but he favours using his music to spread positive messages about pacifism and global awareness.

Thus he is poised to strike a chord with all sentimental bohemians out there, who were a bit sceptical about rap as a senior music genre, and nonchalantly takes it to full adulthood, with lyrics like “More than a molecule, I’m an amoeba that’s eager to escape out of the cell where I dwell in solitude” and “Part of you left behind as if your pieces are falling, Never complete, these pieces are never forming, You’re half the man you were but you carry on performing.”

Soloist by fluke, Gideon doesn’t feel the need to front a band to unleash his potential, but would love to team up with a female rapper, because there are very few mixed hip hop acts around.

In the meantime, Gideon works with up-and-coming acts like Angerville and theMedicis, confident

Gibraltar-born SpitShine in Cognition Studios, Toronto

that Canadian rap can indeed compare with its ‘big bro’ south of the border.

Let There Be Light is available on Amazon iTunes and www.cognitionstudios.net, and is the brainchild of a lifetime of composing, kept in the drawer while Gideon was ‘stuck in an office cubicle job’, until he was able to produce and record it independently.

And there was so much material left out that next the installment is already in the pipeline — and this time hopefully he isn’t expecting us to wait another decade for it! n

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

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activities

Our local players

Junior Chess at International Level Gibraltar’s first ever Junior International Chess Festival proved an enormous success with over 60 youngsters participating from Gibraltar, UK and Spain.

The event mirrored its big sister event the senior tournament which next year completes its first decade. The Junior Tournament was held over a weekend in the middle of August at the home of chess on

the Rock, the Caleta Hotel under the auspices of the English Chess Federation in association with the Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival.

Opening the tournament Sports

Minister Edwin Reyes spoke of the “friendliness and competitive atmosphere”. The tournament he said was as much about competing as it was about “developing new friendships, having a good

game, trying to win but above all learning from each other”. This was certainly true of this first championship.

The concept of a ‘Masterclass’ was one that has proved popular in the January festival as top players discuss several own games with the audience. Also introduced to the juniors the “lectures” were informal with a mixture of entertainment and instruction.

“Using this teaching method it is hoped that everyone present picks up at least one or two tips for their own games,” explained GM Stuart Conquest who gave one of these classes as did grandmaster husband and wife team of Pia Cramling (Sweden) and Juan Manuel Bellon (Spain), and 4times British Women’s champion Jovanka Houska who played 39 juniors, from the UK, Spain, and Gibraltar, in a giant chess simultaneous display.

Courageously she took Black and White on alternate boards, a format which makes it much more difficult to familiarise the positions for the master player - who also has to keep walking around while her opponents can stay sitting down! In fact so many people wished to play Jovanka, including some parents, that a separate dis-

Sport & Leisure Activities for Mature Older Adults Power Walking Tuesday 9.45 to 11am Power walking takes place every Tuesday morning at the Bayside Sports Centre; meet in the picnic area and try out Beside’s fitness trail; no curbs, traffic or fumes. A great way to start the day.

Ten pin Bowling Tuesday 10.30am to 12noon at the Kings Bastion Leisure Centre: Special price for members of PAAMOA and a free cup of coffee.

Expert advice on how to play the game. Telephone 20077338 or email information@kingbowl.com for further information.

Mobility exercise session Tuesdays 10.30am to 11.30am Chair exercise sessions aimed at maintaining mobility, looking

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after yourself and muscle strength for seniors. This class will take place at Kings Bastion Leisure Centre. Telephone Janet Lima on 20070346 or mobile 54195000.

Swimming Tuesdays 10am to 12noon Senior Citizens swimming in the Gibraltar Sports & Leisure Authorities small pool. Lifeguard on duty.

Telephone 20072869 for further information.

Saturday 1 to 3pm Senior Citizens swimming in the Gibraltar: Sports & Leisure Authorities small pool. (Starts Oct). Lifeguard on duty. Tel 20072869 for further information.

Yoga Wednesday 9.30 to 11am for

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

activities play was set up in the next room, conducted by Grandmaster and former British champion Stuart Conquest.

The Under 16 winner was close to home in Algeciras Rubens Valhondo Morales, with Gordon Scott from Norwich in second place, and Efren Garcia del Campo from San Luca in third. Winner in the Under 12 was Miguel Santos Ruiz from Sevilla, with Alejandro Perez Garcia from Estepona in second place.

Third was Joshua Higgs from Sussex. The best result under 14 was achieved by Henry Broadley from

Lancashire.

Tournament organiser Brian Callaghan congratulating all involved described the event as an excellent tournament which had met all its objectives.

For Gibraltar’s four young players the tournament proved to be a learning curve. They all achieved between 1 and 3 and half points in their game.

Now it’s time to look ahead to the tenth anniversary of the Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival in 2012 when it will open on Tuesday 24th January. n Master class with Houska

Mature older adults: Fantastic exercise for mature older adults held at the Yoga centre, led by Karen Chevasco one of Gibraltar’s most experienced Yoga instructors.

Telephone 20041389 for further info on the types of Yoga held at the Integral Yoga Centre.

Recreation Morning Wednesday 10.15am to 12.15pm for seniors: Badminton, table tennis, soft tennis and carpet bowls, for men and women, come along and try your hand at any of the above games. Please wear white-soled training shoes and bring along a drink.

Exercise to Music classes Thursday 9.30 to 10.15am: A low impact class which includes warm up, mobility, cardio-vascular work, muscular strength and endurance and co-ordination.

Thursday 10.30 to 11.15am - A slightly more controlled class which concentrates on mobility, controlled aerobic exercise and core stability.

Both classes will normally be taken

by Michelle at the Bayside Sports Centre, tel: 20076522 for further

information.

Intro to Water Exercises Friday 12noon to 1pm for frail older adults: Class led by Rosalind. For further information please contact Simone on e-mail simonredman@hotmail.com or by telephone 54886000 or 20043738 to book a place.

Tai Chi Saturday 12noon to 13.30pm at the Yoga Centre: This gentle form of martial arts is superb for encouraging the body to look after itself, a great way of mobilising and stretching the body so that it can find its natural peace. Email: rocktaichi@ trainingtm.net or telephone 20078714.

Aquaerobics For information on Aquaerobics and water fitness classes for seniors, please contact the Physical Activities Association for Mature Older Adult’s (PAAMOA) co-ordinator on e-mail simonredman@hotmail. com or by telephone 54886000 or 20043738 or Amelia Segui PAAMOA Chairperson on Tel 20072899.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

79

events

Celebrations at Cafe Rojo

The Perfect

There were loads of celebrations at Cafe Rojo last month, and Annette sent us pics of a few (thanks Annette!), but it isn’t just the customers who are celebrating — this month (in fact 18th October to be exact) Cafe Rojo will be 5 years old! Congratulations Cafe Rojo and the team, especially host Annette and chef Luis. n

Halloween Cocktail

Jack and Pauline’s wedding

GRA leaving do

The Berry Scary Martini is a delicious cherry and berry flavoured martini that will please the scariest guest at your Hallowe’en Party. Because of the rich, cherry juice (juice it yourself and strain — Morrisons sells frozen berries) it will have a deep reddish black colour — perfect for this day of witches and wizards.

Karen’s 40th birthday

Ingredients: 60ml cherry juice 30ml berry vodka 30ml cherry vodka Whole cherries Sugar for the rim of the glass Rub the rim of you glass with some fresh cherry juice, then dip into the sugar. Chill your glass in the freezer. Pour the vodkas and the fresh cherry juice into a martini shaker, fill with ice and and shake until well chilled. Pour into your chilled glass, top with a cherry or two and enjoy!

singer John Adeleye on the Rock

Gibraltar Port Authority dinner

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

gibraltar the

June 2011 Vol. 16 No. 08 FREE

for the latest updates... @gibmag

Gentleman Hotelier

Bridge Between Continents

Wildlife’s Swift Justice

Cultural Pursuits

Molly in Bed

a fine Marathon Man with more...

Palate & much

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

food & drink

Fun for Charity at the Lounge It wasn’t just fun and games at the Lounge, Queensway Quay, on National Day, there was also a serious side to the celebrations as hosts Sonia and Michelle were raising as much money as possible for two charities — Help for Heroes and Childline. In between the live music, Gordon Vickers held a fun horse racing event and even future Mayor, Tony Lima, was seen joining in. During the afternoon the girls presented cheques for £588.00 to each of the charities — well done girls for making a fun day also a charity day. n

Michelle and Sonia present a cheque for £588 to Childline

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

81

Warming Wonders

by Fifty-Five Chef Scott Casey

Spinach Lasagne with Parmesan Béchamel, Duck & Wild Rabbit Ragu, Beetroot & Fennel Seed Relish Serves 6

Duck and Rabbit Ragu: 3/4 cup olive oil 2 Wild rabbits, each one cut into six

pieces 1 whole duck 2 cups brown onion, finely diced 2 large carrots, finely diced 4 cloves garlic, minced 4 stalks celery, finely diced 4 bay leaves 1kg whole peeled tomatoes, crushed

by hand 3 tbs finely chopped fresh thyme leaves 2 tbs dried oregano 1 litre chicken stock Parmesan béchamel: 100g salted butter 1/2 cup plain flour 5 cups full cream milk 150g freshly grated parmesan cheese Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste Beetroot and fennel seed relish: 500g beetroot 350g finely diced red onions 1/2 cup caster sugar 1 cup cider vinegar (or tarragon vinegar) 10 tbs toasted fennel seeds 2 packs spinach lasagne Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste with extra grated parmesan for the top of lasagne

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Method: Heat the olive oil in a large non stick pan.

Dust the rabbit pieces in seasoned flour and then add to the oil. Cook on all sides until golden, remove and set aside.

Drizzle some olive oil over the duck and season well with salt and pepper. Roast in a preheated 190° oven for 2 hours or until cooked.

Remove from the oven and set aside.

In a separate large pan cook all the other ingredients until soft and al dente, add the rabbit pieces and then cover with the chicken stock.

Simmer for 1 hour or until the rabbit is very tender and falling away from the bone. Once cooked remove from the stock and set aside to cool with the duck.

Once cooled pick all the meat from the rabbit and the duck (minus the duck skin). Shred all the meat and then cook with the crushed tomatoes for a further half an hour or until the ragu is rich and sticky. Check seasoning and set aside.

To assemble, in a large non-stick tray place a layer of the lasagne sheets on the bottom, then add some of the duck and rabbit ragu and then the béchamel. Repeat this process until the tray is full, finishing the top layer with the ragu.

Sprinkle with some more grated parmesan and then bake for 30-45 minutes or until the lasagne sheets are cooked.

Serve a nice wedge of the lasagne with a good spoonful of the beetroot relish and some garlic bread. n

Kluski Slaskie (Traditional Potato Dumplings with Braised Pork, Dried Mushrooms & Sage Gremolata) Serves 2

For the Dumplings: 1kg waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into

even sized 2cm chunks 2 eggs beaten 2 cups potato flour Sea salt and ground black pepper

For the parmesan béchamel, cook the butter and flour over a medium heat for 5 minutes stirring all the time. Add the milk and mix well with a whisk to get rid of any lumps. Then For the Braised Pork: mix in the parmesan and adjust the seasoning. 400g pork fillet cut into 3cm medallions 4 medium brown onions, sliced finely Set aside to cool.

For the beetroot relish, peel the beetroot and onions. Grate the beetroot with the coarse side of a grater. Add to a large pan and mix in the other ingredients. Cook over a medium heat for 1 hour or until all the liquid has cooked into the onion and beetroot. Check seasoning and set aside.

2 tbs seeded mustard 1 cup dried mushrooms, rehydrated in

enough boiling water to cover them 500ml water mixed with 3 tbs powdered chicken stock Sea salt and pepper to taste For the Sage Gremolata: 1/2 cup fresh sage leaves finely shredded

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

food & drink 1/4 cup 1 clove 1 lemon

finely shredded flat leaf parsley crushed garlic zest removed without white pith

Method: For the dumplings, boil the potatoes in salted water until tender enough to mash. Drain, mash and set aside in the fridge to cool. Once ready to handle add the 2 beaten eggs and mix well. Check seasoning and then add the potato flour. Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil. Roll the dumpling mix out into a 2cm thick sausage shape. Cut into 2cm by 2cm sections and roll in dry hands to form a round ball. Place these onto a work surface and press the centre to form a small well. Drop these into the boiling water until they float, remove and plunge into ice cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain once completely cooled and set aside until later.

For the pork, dust the pork medallions in seasoned flour and seal in a hot pan on both sides until golden, remove and set aside. Add some more oil into the same pan and cook the onions until soft and translucent. Add the pork medallions back into the pan and mix well.

Add the water that has been mixed with the stock powder and simmer for 1 hour over a medium heat. Keep stirring making sure the pork is completely submerged in the onion and stock mix.

When the pork medallions are tender remove them and blend the onion and stock mix until smooth. Add back to the pan and mix in the seeded mustard and dried mushrooms. Cook for a further 5 minutes until the mushrooms

are tender. Check seasoning and then add the cup of cold water with the caster sugar and pork back into the sauce. Simmer for another 5 bring to the boil. Boil until the mix reaches 125 degrees on a sugar thermometer. Remove from minutes and set aside. the heat and stir in the passion fruit mix unFor the gremolata simply mix all the ingredi- til the gelatine has dissolved. Meanwhile with an electric whisk, whisk the egg whites with ents well and set aside. a pinch of salt until frothy then gradually add To serve blanch some of the dumplings in the passion fruit mix and whisk until this mix boiling water for 2 minutes. Place in the centre has doubled in size, and continue until the mix of a large plate and top with the pork medal- is slightly warm (about 5 minutes).

Pour the mix into the sugar dusted tin and lions and sauce. Sprinkle with the gremolata and serve with some crusty bread and a good set aside for 2 hours or until the marshmallows are at room temperature. When ready to cut quality of vodka on the rocks. n dust the top of the mix with more icing sugar and then turn out onto a work surface. Cut into 1cm by 1cm cubes and then toss in more icing Heart Stopping Hot Chocolate with sugar.

Passion Fruit Marshmallows For the hot chocolate simply bring the milk Serves 6 and cream to the boil, then whisk in the chocolate until melted, hot and smooth.

For the hot chocolate: Serve in a nice big mug with some of the 300ml full cream milk marshmallows and sit back and relax. n 300ml 300g

double cream good quality milk chocolate (at least 50% cocoa solids)

For the passion fruit marshmallows: 200 ml passion fruit juice (around about

25 passion fruit) 20g powdered gelatine 500g caster sugar 2 egg whites

Method: First lightly grease a baking tray and then dust it completely in icing sugar. Combine the passion fruit juice and the powdered gelatine and set aside. In a small saucepan combine 1

Chef Scott Casey

Modern

Relaxed

Dining

Open: 10am - late Closed Sundays + Saturday lunch

Open for morning coffee, lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

Irish Town Tel: 200 51738 to reserve

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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.

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.

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 to book your function or event.

ings. Open for lunch and dinner Monday to Saturday also offering a daily Business Lunch menu. Once a month 55 opens for traditional Sunday lunch and holds a variety of culinary themed evenings i.e. Thai/Japanese Fusion.

The main bar offers a full bar snack menu and is the perfect place after a long day at work.

On Thursday and Fridays you can relax to the mix of Soul & ’80s music by 55’s resident DJ, take advantage of Happy Hour and enjoy the sushi menu from 6pm. Special occasions or important business clients can be entertained in the Private Dining Room (up to 10 people).

Afternoon tea Thursday to Saturday -6pm. For info on membership or to make a reservation for lunch or dinner so you can enjoy the 55 experience contact Louise by phone or email louise@fifty-five.gi Nunos Italian Restaurant and Terrace Caleta Hotel, Catalan Bay For a reservations Tel: 200 76501 E-mail reservations@caletahotel.gi Overlooking the Mediterranean from Catalan Bay, Nunos’ Spanish chef with Three Star 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.

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).

From the main dishes you can choose from a variety of fresh fish and meat dishes. Or you could go for the house speciality of fresh, home-made pasta where you can choose from a wide range of options. Open: Monday to Saturday 19.30 to 22.30 and lunchtimes for group bookings.

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 Savannah Lounge only.

27 Heart Island, Ocean Village Tel: 200 66666 www.savannah.gi Fifty-Five Private Member’s Club Aimed at Gibraltar’s dining and night-life 267 Main Street Tel: 200 79655 Gibraltar’s premier Private Member’s Club scene, Savannah has been created with fun where members can enjoy fine dining and and style in mind. Offering contemporary impeccable service in luxurious surround- European cuisine a wide selection of drinks,

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The Waterfront Queensway Quay Marina Tel: 200 45666 www.gibwaterfront.com The Waterfront, established for over 16 years, is situated on the quayside at Queensway Quay Marina; the epitome of peace and tranquillity.

Open seven days a week from 9am until late the restaurant offers everything from a cup of tea or coffee right through to three course meals with Champagne! A comprehensive bar snack menu is available all day from 10.15am; the a la carte menu from midday through to 10.30pm, featuring daily specials.

The barbecue grill is open daily from 7pm offering sumptuous steaks, aged in-house, and fabulous fish including dorada and sea bass.

A delicious array of desserts and ice creams are also available. Boasting extensive terraces the restaurant provides the ideal location for summer ‘al fresco’ dining and drinking with stunning sunsets. Also catering for large party bookings including weddings, holy communions, birthdays etc the Waterfront is the ideal venue for any occasion.

informaleating Amin's The Office 30 Parliament Lane. Tel: 200 40932 Sit down, informal and friendly restaurant.

Amin is well known in Gibraltar for his Moroccan, Spanish and international cuisine.

Open early for breakfast at 7am right through the day. Try the Moroccan soups, couscous, lamb tagines and kebabs.

Open: 7.00am to midnight.

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.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

Tasty desserts and variety of wines.

Open: Monday - Thursday 11am - 5pm, Friday 11am-3pm and 7pm-11pm, Sat 11am-4.30pm

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.

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 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.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

Sunday specials include all Mumbai favourites such as Dosa and Choley Bhature.

Open: 7 days a week 11am - 3pm, 6pm -late.

Munchies Cafe 24 Main Street. Tel: 200 43840 Fax: 200 42390 A great sandwich bar/cafe offering an unusual range of sandwiches on white or granary bread, plus salads, baguettes, soups, desserts, homemade ice-cream and hot/cold drinks.

Business lunches, parties and kids 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.

The Studio Cafe John Mackintosh Hall.

Tel: 200 65222 This delightful cafe, opened by Colin and Chantal in the John Mackintosh Hall, is cool and trendy and the perfect spot to enjoy coffees, teas, frappés, shakes, smoothies and the Studio signature hot chocolate! There is plenty of tasty food on the menu from baguettes, paninis and wraps to jacket potatoes (with filling like sweet chilli chicken, Thai beef curry and tuna mayo), quiches, soups, pies and salads. Try the Cornish pasties, or empanadas (beef, chicken or veggie). The sweets include scones and flapjacks for those after a snack, to cheesecake, bakewell tart and apple pie for those in the mood for a more hearty dish.

Full menu available to eat in or take-away and catering available for events at the John Mack Hall, or even packed lunches for the beach.

Open: Monday - Friday 10am - 7pm.

The Tasty Bite 59a Irish Town.

Tel: 200 78220 Fax: 200 74321 Tasty Bite has one of the biggest take-away menus around with home cooked meats, filled baguettes, burgers, chicken, kebabs and everything else you can think of! Try the l Sacarello Coffee Co. quiches, tortillas and jackets spuds with all 57 Irish Town. Tel: 200 70625 kinds of fillings. This little place gets busy with Converted coffee warehouse, ideal for coffee, those popping out from the offices for lunch homemade cakes/afternoon tea, plus menu so get there early. including excellent salad bar, specials of the Open: Monday - Saturday. day and dishes such as lasagne, steak and mushroom Guinness pie, hot chicken salad, Verdi Verdi toasties, club sandwich and baked potatoes. 44 Cornwall's Lane.

Art exhibitions. Available for parties and Tel: 200 60733 functions in the evenings.

Verdi Verdi offers morning and afternoon coffee Open: 9am-7.30pm Mon-Fri. 9am-3pm Sat as well as all home-made vegetarian and vegan dishes, fish, fresh baked bread and desserts.

Smith’s Fish & Chips A wide selection of freshly made sandwiches 295 Main Street. Tel: 200 74254 to eat in or take away. Try the light and fluffy Traditional well-stablished British fish and homemade pizzas, or the falafel feast. Daily chip shop, located on Main Street opposite specials always on the board (the soups are the Convent, with tables/seating available or fabulous and filling). Delicious coffees. Ask for take-away wrapped in newspaper. The menu Idan's hot homemade chilli relish — sweet and includes old favourites cod, haddock or plaice scrummy. Delivery service available. in batter, Cornish pasties, mushy peas etc. Also Open: Mon & Fri: 9am - 3pm, Tues - Thurs: curries, omlettes, burgers.

9am -3pm & 7-10pm, Sunday 6-10pm, Saturday Open: 8am-6pm Mon-Fri. Breakfast from 8. 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 • OCTOBER 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••OCTOBER OCToBER2011 2011 GIBRALTAR

now also in Casemates

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

87

Unseen letters...

I found myself recently in the office of the wise and wonderful editor of this magazine, known to me only as ‘er upstairs. After a few moments pleasant chit-chat about deadlines and the difficulties faced by those who lived in the real world, she said she needed to go out — as she put it — ‘to cool down for a while’. I remarked that, with the air-conditioning, it was cooler inside than out but I only caught a passing reference to some people being idiots as she departed at speed; I assumed she was having trouble with the printers (who, I may say in passing, have been known in the past to change what I have written, so I could understand her agitation). In any event, after she left my eye fell upon a file marked: ‘Wine column correspondence’.

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

88

Normally, of course, a chap would not dream of looking at papers in the office of another person but I felt a sort of proprietorship here. After all, it is my column and surely I am entitled to see the occasional word of praise for all my hard work?

However, the file was very dusty and I soon realised the letters inside were dated from many years ago.

Although most were unsigned — and clearly written by persons who no longer have any connection with Gibraltar — I was fascinated to read them. They still seemed to have some relevance to today; in particular, perhaps, in revealing more of the writer’s character than was intended. I offer a selection.

1 ‘Sir, With some reluctance I take pen

to paper in order to remind your readers that your wine columnist, while doubtless a distinguished œnophile, can occasionally, like Homer, nod.

It will be remembered that Aloysius Gonzo, a former merchant of Gibraltar and scion of the family which bears his name (among whom I am honoured to count my wife’s second cousin once removed), was one of the first to bring the fruit of the grape to Gibraltar in 1790 and in so doing laid the foundation, if I may be permitted so to call

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

wine column it, of a long tradition in Gibraltar of partaking of ‘the Blushful Hippocrene’ as the great poet Keats (who is buried in Rome and may have, I believe, visited Gibraltar on the way to his final resting place) was later to describe that most noble of imbibitions.

It is with some trepidation, therefore, but relying as ever upon your indulgence, that I point out that my wife’s illustrious forebear did not trade under the soubriquet of Fozzi, an altogether different family and one which, although doubtless equally deserving of praise, bears no relationship, even by marriage, to my humble origins.

I hope, Sir, you will take this letter in the spirit in which it is written and bear no ill-will towards my good self for bringing your attention to this unfortunate error.

I should add, Sir, for your benefit if ever you require information in the future, that I am a fount of considerable knowledge on various subjects, including the religion of the Pope and the activities of bears in the sylvan glades known to the hoi-polloi as the woods.’

2 ‘Sir, Your magazine is well-known as a pitiful defender of the other political party and the recent article by your wine columnist shows the depths to which you are prepared to sink in defending the indefensible.

The facts are very simple.

The other

political party has always tried, whether in government or opposition, to suggest that our party is in the wrong. As you must admit, this is a scurrilous and despicable suggestion which is not borne out by reality. Sadly, our political opponents have no grasp of the realities facing Gibraltar.

Your columnist suggests that the leader of our party is not very fond of wine whereas the leader of the other party is known as a connoisseur. This ridiculous calumny must be stamped out immediately. Our leader is very fond of wine and has been known to drink bottles of it at a single sitting.

At the same time, he is very supportive of all groups who seek to ensure that our children are not exposed to the dangers of alcohol and proposes to provide additional funding to the Health Authority to help all those who might suffer from the effects of the sort of wine that the other party would permit to be imported.

Our party, unlike the other, is fully supportive of the important contribution made by the wine industry to the economy of Gibraltar, from the importers, whose taxes we will reduce, to the noble and hard-working bar staff, whose conditions of work we will improve.

It is our policy that every one in Gibraltar should be able to enjoy a glass of wine at a reasonable cost.

The people of Gibraltar deserve no less and your columnist should be ashamed of himself.’

Contemporary Mediterranean Dining

Grand Casemates Square Tel: 200

44449 for reservations

3 ‘Sir, I notice that your columnist

recently recommended a Spanish wine. Has he no conception of the suffering we have suffered and continue to suffer as a result of the insufferable actions of Spain?

In my villa in Sotogrande I ensure only French wine is available and I suggest all others should do the same.’

4 ‘Sir, Thank you for the

recommendations made by your most excellent wine columnist. It is rare to find, in a local magazine, such a combination of knowledge, wit and excellent prose style. I look forward to reading about, and enjoying, the next wine he recommends’.

Saturday Chill Out with DJ Eric from 7pm

The last letter was more recent. And there was a strange annotation scrawled in the margin: “If only he would occasionally recommend something.

Tell him about Chateau Cantemerle (£6.50 at Morrison’s).” n

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

89

A ro u n d To w n .. .

The nights are drawing in and the mornings are crisp and dark, we are in October and Christmas seems barely a heartbeat away. And this is when Gibraltar’s activities really get into full swing. The winter King’s Bowl league gets going from 10th October so make sure you register before then to be involved, all welcome. Rock Theatre adult acting workshops will begin in October and again all are welcome to take part. Call Angela on 56000756 for more information and start your acting career now! The amazing Berlin Philharmonic Soloists’ series recital will be held on Monday 10th October at the Convent Ballroom — one not to be missed as oboist Albrecht Mayer and pianist Evgenia Rubinova will create a magical performance (tickets from Sacarello’s restaurant or the Silver Shop).

Congratulations this month go to Charlie Conroy on his 50th anniversary in martial arts. To commemorate his 50 years in martial arts, Charlie Conroy of the Gibraltar Judo Association will be organising a Martial Arts congress, on Friday 7th October, at the Victoria Stadium, starting at 10am.

As well as local participants, the event will have groups from the UK and Spain performing a variety of martial arts displays, such as Judo, Karate and Capoeira. There will also be performances from Sea Scouts and Capoeira bands, as well as other local performance groups. For the final display, the participants of the event will invite members of the public to try out the various martial art styles, so if you fancy trying something new, pop round to the Victoria Stadium and experience what will be a truly entertaining event!

Tuesday 18th October is a very special day for the team at Cafe Rojo as it marks their 5th anniversary. Hasn’t the time just flown by! Congratulations to all involved in this lovely little restaurant on Irish Town, may you enjoy many more successful years of making sure Gibraltar’s finest are well fed.

90 90

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • MARCH 2007 GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

Lucky of the return to Ma with M Airlin Sharo Well d Sharo

Lucky winner of the two free return flights to Manchester with Monarch Airlines Sharon Celecia.

Well done Sharon!

Does this colour suit me?Becki tries the new Range Rover Evoque for style

To get you in the spooky spirit, LOL Productions will be presenting Is This Halloween?, a musical comedy on 13th and 14th October at the John Mackintosh Hall theatre. Tickets from the Nature Shop for this one.

Selwyn get a feel for the new Range Rover Evoque

Think pink day! On Friday 21st October wear pink at home or at work to raise awareness for breast cancer early detection and prevention. Then on Saturday 22nd October there is the Cancer Research Walk for Life. Men, women, children and pets — let’s see you all out there for the 5km walk from Casemates, along Main Street, into Queensway, and back to Casemates for the finish. The Walk starts at 11am with Zumba warm up from 10.45.

Birthdays this month include Chris of the Lounge on 2nd and Andrew Kimberley of the Waterfront Restaurant also on 2nd, Kevin Peach celebrates on 8th, Gigi Sene gets another year older on 19th followed by the wine club’s Tony Hernandez on 20th, Gib DFAS’s Claus Olesen also celebrates on 20th, with Mike Brufal celebrating the next day on 21st, James Neish will toast another year on 22nd, while Sport On’s Isabella Jimenez won’t look one bit older when she celebrates on 23rd, Momy Levy (pictured on this page) reaches a milestone on 26th, while Pelu Triay is sure to have a good one on 27th as will Tito Vallejo, while Chris Johnson and Rosie Darby round up the month with celebration on 29th. Chris will be celebrating his half century — congratulations Chris! Many happy returns to you all.

At the end of the month we have the hilarious play presented by the Gibraltar Amateur Drama Association — Move Over Mrs Markham. This promises to be one of their funniest to date and well worth peeling yourself away from the TV for the evening! It will be presented on 25-27th October at the Ince’s Hall Theatre. Tel: 200 42237 for info.

See you on Main Street!

Photos: taken at the BFA 25th Anniversary party at the Calpe Rowing Club (more pics page 34) GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • MARCH 2007 GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

91 91

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

92

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 • OCTOBER 2011

support

events

Support Groups Alcoholics Anonymous meet 7pm Tues & Thurs at Nazareth Hse Tel: 200 73774.

A Step Forward support for single, separated, divorced/widowed people, meet 8pm Mon at St Andrew’s Church.

Mummy and Me Breastfeeding Support Group for mums who are pregnant, breastfeeding or have breastfed to get together for coffee, chat and support.

Partners and older children welcome.

Meets first Wednesday of every month at Chilton Court Community Hall at 1.30pm.

Enquiries and support 54014517.

Childline Gibraltar confidential phone line for children in need. Freephone 8008 - 7 days a week 6pm - 10pm.

Citizens’ Advice Bureau Open Mon-Fri 9.30-4pm. Tel: 200 40006 Email: info@ cab.gi or visit 10 Governor’s Lane. No appointment necessary, no charge.

Gibraltar CAB outreach clinics at St Bernard’s Hospital every Tuesday. Advisors available at 1st floor reception, Zone 4, 9am-3pm. Info and advice is free, confidential and impartial.

COPE Support group for people with Multiple Sclerosis, Fibromyalgia or Rheumatoid Arthritis. Formed to ease day-to-day challenges of individuals, families and care partner. Meetings at Catholic Community Centre Book Shop at 7.30pm first Thursday of each month.

Contact Sue Reyes Tel: 200 51469 Email: copeadsupport@hotmail.com Dignity At Work Now. Confidential support and advice for those who are being bullied at work. Tel: 57799000 Mon - Thur 8pm-9pm Families Anonymous Support group for relatives and friends who are concerned about the use of drugs or related behavioural problems. Meet alternate Thursdays at 9pm at Nazareth House. For info Tel: 200 70047 or 200 73465.

Gibraltar Cardiac Rehabilitation and Support Group meets on the first Tuesday of every month at 8.30pm at the John Mac Hall, except for July and August.

Gibraltar Dyslexia Support Group 3/8 Serfaty’s Passage Tel: 200 78509 Mobile: 54007924 website: www.gdsg.co.uk Gibraltar Marriage Care. Free relationship counselling, including pre-marriage education (under auspices of Catholic Church, but open to all). Tel: 200 71717.

Gibraltar Society for the Visually Impaired. Tel: 200 50111 (24hr answering service).

Hope. miscarriage support Tel: 200 41817.

Narcotics Anonymous Tel: 200 70720 Overeaters Anonymous support group for compulsive overeating problems. Tel: helpline for meetings info 200 42581.

Parental Support Group, helping parents and grandparents with restrictive access to their children and granchildren.

Tel: Richard 200 46536, Jason 200 76618, Dominic 54019602.

Psychological Support Group, PO Box 161, Nazareth House. Meet Tuesdays at 7pm, Fridays 8pm. Tel: 200 51623.

SSAFA Forces Help Gibraltar, is a national charity, to assist serving and exService personnel and their families. Tel: (5)5481. E-mail olivero@sapphirenet.gi With Dignity Gibraltar support for separated, divorced/widowed or single people. Meet Weds 9pm, Catholic Community Centre, Line Wall Rd. Outings/activities. Tel: 54007181 or 200 79957.

Women in Need. Voluntary organisation for all victims of domestic violence. Refuge available. Tel: 200 42581 (24 hrs).

Med Golf News: The Allied Traders Trophy The new 2011-2012 Med Golf season raced into action on the New Course at San Roque Golf Club, which previously hosted the European Tour School finals and the Spanish Open. As always at this prestigious venue, the players enjoyed fantastic course conditions but had to combat blustery weather.

It was a good early season start for Peter Warren, a two time winner last season. Peter won the Allied Traders Trophy and a pro shop voucher for 100 euro with a winning overall score of 33 points.

Med Golf rewards results for golfers of all levels in three categories. Winner of Category 1 (0-12 handicap) was Steve Munns 33pts, runner up Dave Pinniger 29pts.

The Winner of Category 2 (13-21 handicap) was Chris Watkins 33 pts and runner up Douglas Casciaro 27 pts. Winner of 3rd category (22-36 handicap) was Darren Vincent 30pts and runner up John Powell 27pts.

The best 2 ball combined points prize on the day went to Peter and Chris Warren with 61 Stableford points.

5 nearest the pin mini competition winners were Mike Cowburn, Chris Warren, Darren Vencent, Steve Munns and John Hale.

In the best gross score for the par

3 holes only Steve Munns took the prize — he was also the Big Hitter and won the longest drive prize The prize that most of the low handicap players want is the best gross prize and tournament winner, Peter Warren, also had the best gross score with a brilliant 8 over par 80 shots.

Peter had to let his dad win something and Chris was the best senior on the day.

Everyone has some scope for a little improvement and ‘Rabbit’ prize of a golf lesson went to Nicky Sanchez.

Med Golf has its own Facebook page for up-to-date news and

Religious Services

& 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 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

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

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2011

contributions to on-going golfing discussions. The page was created to enable members and visitors to discuss anything about golf, give feedback on courses they have played, offer tips to others they have come across and much more.

The next Med Golf event is on the 23rd October at Montenmedio Golf Club and you can enter through the website. n For more details on the full schedule and benefits of joining Med Golf visit www.teetimespain.com or contact Johnathan Goodson on Gibraltar mobile: 56001055 or by e-mail at jg@ medgolf.gi

Peter had to let his dad win something and Chris was the best senior on the day

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 of 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.

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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 • OCTOBER 2011

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