The Gibraltar Magazine December 2017

December 2017 Vol. 23 # 02

VICKY’S KITCHEN NUTRITIOUS FOOD

SEASONAL STOCKHOLM A WINTER GETAWAY

LLANI XMAS HOME TRADITIONS

WHITE CHRISTMAS WHATS IN A SONG?

BOUND BY THE BRUSH A LOCAL EXHIBITION

LOST ARTIST WHO IS C.W.?

www.gibraltarlawyers.com

Whatever’s on the horizon, we’ve got your back For all that life may bring, whether good or bad, ISOLAS is on your side.

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For further information contact: info@isolas.gi ISOLAS LLP Portland House Glacis Road PO Box 204 Gibraltar. Tel: +350 2000 1892 Celebrating 125 years of ISOLAS Trusted since 1892

Happy Holidays

from the editor

DECEMBER ISSUE EDITOR’S NOTE

“It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas” - and that’s because it is! November has disappeared faster than the last mince pie of the Christmas spread as December rolls around, bringing with it a change of weather… and editor! I am very excited to take on this new role, and to continue bringing our community the latest and greatest in business, news, leisure and entertainment around the Rock.

On the cover this month is Vicky Bishop of Vicky’s Natural Kitchen. Read about her journey (p. 30) and be inspired to take that leap you’ve always wanted to.

As Vicky puts it, “you have to believe in yourself to achieve your goals,” and that she has.

ULTIMATELY, CHRISTMAS IS LESS ABOUT BUYING PRESENTS, AND MORE ABOUT BEING PRESENT…

What do you love best about Christmas? The delicious smells wafting from the kitchen with abuela diligently at the helm, fairy lights becoming our main source of illumination, Yuletide carols filling the air and that repeated rendition of “Jingle Bells” in every shop as Bublé emerges from hibernation just in time for the festive season (more on Christmas songs from Mark on p. 42). I even enjoy the annual wrestle with my stubborn Christmas tree, and the frustration of sitting on my living room floor surrounded by awkwardly-cut wrapping paper, scotch tape stuck in my hair, and a light dusting of glitter on every conceivable surface as I attempt to ‘neatly’ wrap a present for the hundredth time.

But ultimately, it’s less about buying presents and more about being present (something Mrs Rock realises as her beau Gerald gets cold feet and takes off altogether, leaving her to focus on ‘bitchain’ and ‘BLT’ - p. 23). Gibraltar is an impressive hotchpotch of nationalities, cultures and religion. What we do best is come together as a community, ponche in hand, to wave goodbye to yet another year and ring in the new. Richard takes a stroll down Main Street to talk to some of the people who make up this cosmopolitan community (p. 40).

Christmas wouldn’t be complete without donning our glitzy garb and indulging in a little giggle juice at the office party, leaving you with a phone filled with disconcerting selfies and your head feeling like it’s full of tinsel. Julia talks us through what to wear to these joyous events (p. 70) while Andrew advises us on the tipple (p. 80).

As the colder weather makes Gibraltar its new home, so comes the inevitable cacophony of coughing and onslaught of stuffy sinuses. We’ve got you covered – new to the magazine’s back pages are the on-duty chemist times (for when ‘sana sana colita de rana’ will no longer cut it) as well as a wintery tale to enjoy with your polvorón and tea.

Until next year, Buon Natale!

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

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contents 8 NEWS 18 Around town 20 Hello there: Best part of Christmas

BUSINESS 23 26 28 30 34

Mrs Rock - A new world Gibrael – The delegation’s visit to Israel Startup Grind – Development and scaling Vicky’s Natural Kitchen – A local success story Renting in Gibraltar – Who to go through and what to do

LIFE 37 A Merry LLani Xmas – Our traditions 40 Cosmopolitan Christmas – How do we all celebrate?

42 What’s in a Song? – The story behind our holiday compositions 44 Maja Squinado – The alien crab… or not?

SCENE 23#02 December 2017: Victoria Garcia Bishop

©David Rodriguez MUA: Nyree Chipolina │Hair: Kyle Gonzalez, Miss Shapes Contributing writers: Ian Le Breton Eran Shay & Ayelet Mamo Shay, Denise Matthews, Vicky Garcia Bishop, Jorge v.Rein Parlade, Molly McElwee, Richard Cartwright, Mark Montegriffo, Lewis Stagnetto, Mike Brufal, Reg Reynolds, Elena Sciatel, Nicole Macedo, Julia Coelho, Sophie Clifton-Tucker, Therese Caruana, Andrew Licudi, Peter Schirmer The Gibraltar Magazine is published monthly by Rock Publishing Ltd Portland House, Glacis Road, Gibraltar, PO Box 1114 T: (+350) 20077748 | E: info@thegibraltarmagazine.com Copyright © 2017 Rock Publishing Limited. All rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced without written consent of The Gibraltar Magazine.

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

! ADVERTISE The quality of a magazine reflects on the businesses that advertise within it. The Gibraltar Magazine is Gibraltar’s premier magazine packed with first class content. We don’t have pushy sales people, so get in touch if you have a business or strategy to promote. We will explain your options and help you with artwork if you need us to. We are passionate about what we do and about our home, Gibraltar.

! GET INVOLVED If you are an artist with an exhibition, a club or charity with an event coming up, we’d love to hear from you. This is a community magazine with no VIP area. Everyone is welcome to contribute so drop us a line.

! GET IN TOUCH We’d love to hear from you. Sometimes we get a bit lonely in our office, and we like to get letters, phone calls and emails with your feedback and photos. We might even publish the best so keep them coming. This is your magazine so get involved.

Email: info@thegibraltarmagazine.com Tel: 200 77748 GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

47 50 53 58 60

Rachel Simkiss – From dance studio to art studio The Lost Artist – Who is the mysterious C.W.?

Bound by the Brush – A tale of three friends A World of Moments – Life through a lens Mild West – A local collection goes live

LEISURE 65 Seasonal Stockholm – The perfect (snow) storm of culture and Christmas 70 Festive Frocks – Fashion trends for December 75 The Science of Smell – The art of buying the right scent 80 Great Wines, Great Christmas – The best wine regions 82 84 86 93 94 98

Christmas Door – A winter tale Recipes: Risotto Roast & Snowman Cupcakes Guides and Information #GibsGems Olympian Gods – Monthly prose Coffee Time and Schedules

Editor: Sophie Clifton-Tucker editor@thegibraltarmagazine.com Design: Lina Sproge design@thegibraltarmagazine.com Sales: Luis Jimenez sales@thegibraltarmagazine.com Distribution: Jordan Brett jordan@thegibraltarmagazine.com Accounts: Paul Cox paul@thegibraltarmagazine.com 7

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WINTER CULTURAL PROGRAMME 2017 Friday 1st

Thursday 7th to Friday 8th

Thursday 21st

World Aids Day Awareness Casemates Square 10am - 2am Organised by the Gibraltar Health Authority.

Christmas Flower Show Exhibition

The Piano and Dance Obsession Continues

A Journey Through Time 20th Anniversary Concert Ince’s Hall Theatre - 8pm Organised by Tears Of Joy Choir.

Tickets at £10. For further information please contact Melissa Hales on mobile: 540 247 38 Saturday 2nd Classic Vehicle Static Display Casemates Square 10am to 4pm Organised by the Gibraltar Classic Vehicle Association. For further information please contact Howard Danino on 582 250 00 Piazza Stall Lobby of Parliament 10am to 2pm Organised by the Gibraltar Heritage.

Trust For further information please contact 200 428 44 or email: heritage@gibraltar.gi Saturday 2nd to Sunday 14th January 2018 Christmas Fun Fair Attractions 2017 John Mackintosh Square 12am to 7pm Organised by Gibraltar Cultural Services. For further information please contact Gibraltar Cultural Services at info@culture.gi

J ohn Mackintosh Hall Gallery 9:30am - 9:30pm Free Entry. Organised by Gibraltar Horticultural Society. For further information please contact Maurice Gache on 540 400 22

Organised by Danza Academy. Tickets priced at £15 available at Danza Academy Studio, 68/1 Prince Edwards Road. For further information please contact email: danzagib@hotmail.co.uk

Tuesday 12th to Thursday 21st

Tuesday 26th

Art Exhibition by Rafael Palomino

Polar Bear Swim

J ohn Mackintosh Hall lower Exhibition Gallery 9am – 9:30pm Mon - Fri Free Entry. Organised by Mar del Sur Tuesday 12th to Saturday 20th January 2018 Affordable Art Christmas Exhibition Fine Arts Gallery 10am to 6pm Mon to Fri Entrance Free. For further information please contact the Fine Arts Gallery on 200 521 26 or email finearts@gibtelecom.net Wednesday 13th GBC Open Day - Radio Show John Mackintosh Square 9am - 6pm For further information please contact Ian Daniels on 200 797 60 GBC Open Day - Live TV Show John Mackintosh Hall Theatre 9pm

Thursday 7th

For further information contact Paula Latin on 200 797 60

Christmas Crafts for Adults

The Mona Lisa and the Art of Leonardo

he Main Guard, John Mackintosh T Square 10:30am and 6:30pm £10 per class includes all materials.

Organised by the Gibraltar Heritage Trust. For further information please contact 200 428 44 or email heritage@gibraltar.gi Museum Lecture Charles Hunt Room, John Mackintosh Hall 7pm Entrance Free. Organised by Gibraltar Museum. For further information please contact Tyson Holmes on 200 742 89 8

John Mackintosh Hall 8pm

Camp Bay 9am Organised by GASA in aid of Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. For further information please contact: gibswimming@hotmail.com Polar Bear Swim Catalan Bay 9am Certificates, mince pies and hot toddies provided by Caleta Hotel Organised by Caleta Hotel.

For further information please contact: the Caleta Hotel on 200 765 01 Sunday 31st New Years Eve 2017 Casemates Square 8pm – 3am New Year’s Eve Celebrations.

A night full of entertainment, live music, dancing for the whole family.

An excellent way to bring in 2018!

More information will be released nearer the date.

O’Callaghan Elliot’s Hotel 7:30pm Art Lecture by Nicole Mezey.

Organised by the Gibraltar Decorative and Fine Arts Society. For further information please visit: www.nadfas.org/gibraltar Carols by Candlelight 2017 Cathedral of the Holy Trinity 8pm Concert by the Gibraltar National Choir. Tickets priced at £12 on sale at the door. For further information or to reserve tickets please contact mobile: 548 310 00 or email liliolivero@msn.com

DISCOVER MORE

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

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CHRISTMAS FAIR ATTRACTIONS Gibraltar Cultural Services on behalf of the Ministry of Culture have announced that the traditional Fair attractions will once again be in Gibraltar throughout the Christmas Festive Season.

The attractions will be based at John Mackintosh Square from Saturday 2nd December 2017 to Sunday 14th January 2018 and will be open all day. All rides will be priced at £2 except for two days that will see the attractions free of charge for the community to enjoy. These days are: Saturday 2nd December 2017 Thursday 4th January 2018 For further information please contact the Events Department at the Gibraltar Cultural Services on 20067236 or email: info@culture.gi

NEW YEAR’S EVE CELEBRATIONS Gibraltar Cultural Services on behalf of the Ministry of Culture is pleased to announce the pro-gramme of events for this year’s New Year’s Eve Celebrations. The events that are been organised by Fresh Entertainment will be held on Sunday 31st December 2017 at Casemates Square from 10:30pm to 3:00am on Monday 1st January 2018.

GCS has been working closely with Fresh Entertainment in order to provide very entertaining cel-ebrations. The programme of events is as follows: 10:30pm 11:00pm 11:50pm

MIDNIGHT 12:10am 2:00am

DJ Music X Factor Andrea Faustini Countdown with James Neish & Miss Gibraltar 2017Jodie Garcia Spectacular Fireworks Display Jetstream in Concert DJ John James Hazel

HM Government and Gibraltar Cultural Services invite the general public to go down to Casemates and enjoy the festivities.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

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STREET ART MURALS Gibraltar Cultural Services, on behalf of the Ministry of the Environment, Energy, Climate Change & Education and the Ministry of Culture, the Media, Youth & Sport invites applications for the creation of street art murals at the following locations: • Fountain Ramp • T he Tunnel by Irish Town and Chatham Counterguard • T he Tunnel leading to the Alameda Gardens • E uroport Avenue to promote the Natwest International Island Games, Gibraltar 2019 • Ragged Staff Magazine

Further details, conditions of applications and supporting documents may be obtained from: Gibraltar Cultural Services 308 Main Street, Gibraltar Tel: 20067236 Email: info@culture.gi Completed applications clearly marked ‘Application for STREET ART MURALS’

should be sent to the Events Department, Gibraltar Cultural Services, 308 Main Street, NOT LATER THAN THURSDAY 21ST DECEMBER 2017.

Applications received after the above date will not be considered.

The Board does not bind itself to accept any application, or may accept any application in part.

THE FINE ARTS ASSOCIATION AFFORDABLE ART SHOW AND CHRISTMAS PARTY 2017 The event, which has proved very popular in the past editions is now an integral part of the Association’s annual calendar and its aim is to make art accessible to the general public, giving buyers a chance to purchase a work of art as a Christmas present. At the Affordable Art Show 2017, the public will be able to enjoy a variety of works by members of the Association at prices within reach of the average pocket. The maximum sale price is £1000.00 The Association would like to invite all its members, art lovers and the general public to the opening night and Christmas party

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to be held on Monday 11th December at 6.30pm. We urge everyone to come along for a drink and a chance to meet and support our member artists.

Artists are invited to submit up to ten small works or fi ve large ones* and can include paintings, sculptures, photographs and original prints. Mounted reproductions of original works will also be available in our browser. Terms and conditions are available online at the Association’s Facebook page “Fine Arts Gallery Gibraltar” or in printed form from the the Fine Arts Gallery in Casemates.

Artists can deliver their works to the Fine Arts Gallery, Casemates from Monday 27 November up to and including Wednesday 6 DECEMBER, from 10am- 2pm and from 3pm- 6pm.

Once again, the Association would like to thank Mr. Kishin Alwani and the Kishin Alwani Foundation for sponsoring the event and is very grateful for his continued support of fi ne arts in Gibraltar.

For further information please contact Paul Cosquieri via email cosqui@cosqui.com or telephone + 350 57857000

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

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IMPROVEMENTS TO THE NIGHT BUS SERVICE In an effort to improve the night bus service provided on Fridays and Saturdays by the Gibraltar Bus Company and following the underlying principles of the Sustainable Traffic, Transport and Parking Plan of ensuring the use of sustainable modes of transport, HMGoG is pleased to announce that an additional bus will be introduced to the N8 route.

This new arrangement will take effect as from Friday 24th November 2017. As a result, buses will run every 20 minutes instead of every 30 minutes, thus providing a much improved and efficient service.

This service enhancement will be kept under review to assess use.

STTPP – PEDESTRIAN SIGNAGE ALONG WATERPORT ROAD

The night bus runs from 9.00pm to 2.00am every Friday and Saturday night.

The Ministry of Infrastructure and Planning is pleased to announce, in keeping with the recommendations of the Sustainable Traffic, Transport & Parking Plan, several pedestrian signage improvements along the area of Waterport Road.

Pedestrian signs are known to be important in certain areas so as to increase safety by channeling people through the correct pedestrian routes. The purpose of erecting signage is to guide and assist tourists walking to and from the Port and Cruise Liner Terminal.

FINE ARTS GALLERY GIBRALTAR 11 DECEMBER 2017 6.30pm

Fine Arts Gallery Gibraltar

123 Design 2017

Fine Arts Association Fine Arts Gallery Units 13B &14B The Balcony Casemates Square Gibraltar Tel.: + 350 20052126

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

At present it is known that some pedestrians that arrive via the cruise terminal may occasionally and unknowingly cross along North Mole Road and Waterport Road at inappropriate and dangerous locations when walking from the Port to our City Centre and on return to the Cruise Terminal to board their respective cruise liners. Walking signs have been erected at the Pelican Crossings along this busy pedestrian thoroughfare on both sides of the road, so as to guide people walking along this route.

These improvements form part of the sustainable travel initiatives to promote walking around Gibraltar. The extensive review of our pedestrian routes suggests that our program for the implementation of walking signs will further develop our pedestrian routes. Walking time signs will also in due course be implemented at key locations showing approximate route times. This aims to enhance our pedestrian environment so it is efficient, user friendly and safe and makes key destinations known to pedestrians that are unfamiliar of their surrounding areas.

The Minister for Infrastructure and Planning, The Hon Paul Balban, said: “I am delighted to see the introduction of these much needed pedestrian improvements along North Mole and Waterport Road. This will improve the general pedestrian experience, especially for visiting pedestrians who walk into our City Centre.”

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news LEGISLATION AGAINST MICROBEADS HM Government of Gibraltar is extremely proud to announce that it will introduce legislation against the commercial importation of cosmetics and other products that contain plastic microbeads. Gibraltar will be one of the first jurisdictions in the world to take such significant action.

Microbeads are the non-biodegradable components of many products. They have been found to persist in the ocean and find their way into the food chain through marine organisms, with as yet unknown effects on human health.

Other countries including the UK are in the process of banning microbeads, which will be replaced in many products by natural biodegradable alternatives.

This initiative follows recent local actions aimed at reducing the use of single use plastics bags, as a result of which an increasing number of businesses are voluntarily moving towards paper, textile and other natural alternatives.

Reducing the use of microbeads will have a direct effect locally as it will reduce the amount of these that find their way into the sea around us, and therefore will reduce the impact of plastics on our marine life.

Coincidentally the new regulations were announced in the Gazette less than 24 hours of after the latest episode of the BBC’s acclaimed Blue Planet II, which highlighted the worrying impact of plastic on the marine environment.

CLASSICAL & OPERA FAIR Clubhouse Gibraltar has organised an event on the 9th December for a Classical and Opera Fair, involving sales of CDs, Books, Vinyls and DVDS. This will be held at the Gladys Perez Centre from 12pm to 5pm.

PUKKA INSURE LAUNCHES LOCAL SOCIAL IMPACT PROJECT CLUBHOUSE GIBRALTAR AND NAZARETH HOUSE TO BENEFIT November 20th 2017: As the season of goodwill approaches and as part of its introduction into the local community, a new social impact project has been launched

by Pukka Insure’s Gibraltar headquarters. Pukka Insure has been operating in Gibraltar for the last year and CEO Sam White wanted to further widen the company’s social consciousness and connect with local charities.

The chosen charities are Clubhouse Gibraltar and Nazareth House with Pukka Insure sending a member of staff as a volunteer once a week starting in January 2018.

“We want to collaborate with these charities in a way that allows us to reach out and connect on a human level and provide the community with a positive social impact”, says Managing Director Paula Coulthard, “this scheme allows our staff to help during working hours without having to worry about missing work” she adds.

Pukka takes a fresh and innovative approach to the automotive insurance market and offers a working environment that promotes an ethos of treating staff and customers fairly. Thinking and acting differently is in its DNA.

“Philanthropy is extremely important to us, we have a charitable foundation and profit share with several hardworking charities in the UK, therefore this is a natural progression for us in Gibraltar”, says Pukka CEO and founder Sam White.

“Clubhouse Gibraltar would like to thank Pukka Insure for their generous offer of sending their employees to volunteer at Clubhouse Gibraltar which will enable us to continue with our Work Ordered Day and Social Events, which help people who are affected by Mental Health difficulties to develop their full potential”, adds Clubhouse’s project coordinator Kevin Fowler.

More Information: • Pukka Insure was launched in 2016 in the UK by CEO and founder Sam White. It currently employs 15 members of staff loca lly.

• Clubhouse Gibraltar’s mission is to make a difference to people who have experienced mental illness by offering respect, hope and dignity within a restorative community.

• Nazareth House provides warm and nutritious meals for those less fortunate in the community.

Media contact: Leanne Delaney | T: 200 74640 | M: 56002777 | leanne.delaney@pukka.gi 12

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

news GIBRALTAR MEETS WITH LONDON ON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES A team from the Department of the Environment and Climate Change, headed by Environment Minister Prof John Cortes and Environment CEO Dr Liesl Torres, was in London last week and met with the Mayor of London’s Environment team, including Patrick Feehily – Assistant Director for Environment, Andrew Richmond - Strategy Manager (Waste and Low Carbon Circular Economy), Andrew Jones – Strategy Manager (Green Infrastructure), Stephen Inch – Senior Policy and Programme Officer (Air Quality) and Wayne Hubbard - Chief Operating Officer of the LondonWaste and Recycling Board.

Extensive discussions were held on a wide range of environmental issues.

These included traffic and transport, air quality, waste and recycling, energy efficiency and green infrastructure.

ities. Sadiq Khan’s aims and programmes are very similar to ours in Gibraltar and much can be gained from close contact with London’s City Hall”, commented the Minister.

“Despite vast differences in size, we have a great deal in common with London and the environmental problems and possibil-

The contacts will continue and will in future include discussions also with other Gibraltar Government Ministries.

The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has an ambitious and forward thinking environmental agenda, including an extensive environmental strategy which is nearing completion.

60 wines by the glass 40 small dishes of Mediterranean cuisine

30 John Mackintosh Square GX11 1AA Gibraltar Tel: 200 70201 info@vinopolisgastrobar.gi www.vinopolisgastrobar.gi GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

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news GIBRALTAR FOSTERING GIVING CHILDREN NEW OPPORTUNITIES Over the past two years, Gibraltar has seen an increase in the number of people who have opened up their hearts, lives and homes, to accommodate children who, for various reasons, cannot live with their families and who require alternative placements, which may be temporary, but in some cases, may be permanent.

In the last two years, the Care Agency has organised successful fostering awareness and recruitment campaigns and is pleased to have been able to retain its foster carers despite some of the challenges this commitment may bring, especially in a community as small as Gibraltar. The team has been able to retain the foster carers through its ongoing supervision, individual and collective support sessions, training programmes and responses from the social workers.

This year’s Gibraltar Fostering Campaign, is themed, “This Is Me”. The Children’s Services have teamed up with the Department of Education to produce an advert that formed part of the GBC View Point programme at the end of last month. The advert was acted, filmed and produced by local university students, teachers and volunteers, who generously gave their time to contribute to this worthy project.

If you would like to help foster a child, please contact The Care Agency on 200 78528 or email fostering@careagency.gov.gi

GHA ENTERS INTO AGREEMENTS REGARDING TRANSPORT FOR SPONSORED PATIENTS Following a tender process, the Gibraltar Health Authority has formally engaged in contractual agreements with two UK transport companies, ‘Raj Car Services and ‘Greyhound Cars’, to provide services to sponsored patients and their appointed escorts when travelling to London for treatment or to attend medical appointments.

The two service providers will offer transport to sponsored patients and their escorts from Gatwick and Heathrow airports to their accommodation. Upon arrival at the airport, patients and their escorts will be met by their designated driver. The service will also be available for the return home, when patients and their escorts will be driven from their accommodation to their departure airport. The GHA’s Sponsored Patients Department will be in contact with the transport providers and sponsored patients or their escorts to make arrangements.

Darion Figueredo, General Manager at St Bernard’s Hospital, said: “The services provided by ‘Raj Car Services’ and ‘Greyhound Cars’ are an important one for our sponsored patients and their escorts. The tender process was comprehensive, and, our objective, was to ensure that our patients and their escorts will be provided with a professional and secure service at fair and competitive prices.”

Minister for Health, Care and Justice, the Honourable Neil F. Costa MP, added: “To travel abroad to receive medical treatment can be a worrying time for patients and their escorts. It is our duty to do all we can to reduce any stress and to make our patients’ experience as comfortable as possible. I am also pleased to learn that the best service providers also offered the most competitive prices. It is important that we consider optimum value for money for our community when entering into any agreements.”

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

news CARE AGENCY AND RGP AGREE ON A PROTOCOL FOR THE PROTECTION OF ADULTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES The Care Agency and the Royal Gibraltar Police have signed a further Memorandum of Understanding for the protection of adults under the Agency’s care in the rare event that these adults are displaying behaviour that may require police involvement. The agreement sets out a consistent framework to be followed by both organisations to ensure best practice when dealing with these individuals

with a learning disability. As a result of this protocol, police officers will be able to gain a greater insight into the characteristics of persons with learning disabilities and provide a more individualistic approach to their needs. In addition, Care Agency workers will receive regular on-going training to continue to improve upon the service provided within this highly specialised area of work.

The Memorandum, which is the third written protocol entered into by the Royal Gibraltar Police and the Care Agency over the past 12 months, also envisages the annual training of police officers across a number of areas. Specifically, the Royal Gibraltar Police will receive instruction on how best to respond to each individual

The programme is led by the Care Agency and the Royal Gibraltar Police, with the participation of senior social workers, social care workers, psychiatrists, psychologists, learning disability nurses, the occupational therapist/strategy coordinator and management.

UK ORGAN TRANSPLANTS FOR LOCAL PATIENTS Following an agreement made between the Gibraltar Health Authority and the Hammersmith Hospital in London, local patients requiring organ transplants are now eligible to be registered on the UK transplant list. This news could not have come quicker for the four Gibraltarian patients requiring life-saving kidney transplants. As reported by the Chronicle, local patients have previously had no choice but to seek donation options across the border or in the UK. In order to receive Spanish organ donations, patients then had to gain employment in Spain or even go as far as relocating entirely in order to qualify for the transplant.

The GHA is now looking into taking things a step further by making the agreement reciprocal, meaning local donations will be made available to UK patients.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

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WORLD TRADE CENTER GIBRALTAR £65M ANNUAL BOOST TO LOCAL ECONOMY

CHARITY FUTSAL TOURNAMENT In honour of late friend and team mate Maurice Coelho, FC Boca Juniors (Gibraltar) organised a Charity Futsal Tournament that brought together his friends, family and past opponents at the Victoria Stadium Sports Hall in order to raise money for charity but more importantly, to raise awareness on mental health issues and suicide prevention.

This event wouldn’t have been as successful as it was without the support of the great people of Gibraltar and the amount of money we have raised is truly a testament to the generosity of our community.

In a weekend that saw multiple events being hosted around Gibraltar for a wide range of worthy causes, we still managed to raise £7,800, which has been divided equally amongst the two charities we partnered up with - Gibraltar Samaritans and Clubhouse Gibraltar.

We wish to extend our sincere gratitude to everybody who made this event possible.

Those who helped organise the event itself; the girls who set up the bake sale; the Gibraltar Football Association for granting us the allocation; the Gibraltar Sports & Leisure Authority staff for 16

helping us set up; the Gibraltar Referees’ Association for officiating (and playing) the games; all the teams that took part (and those who unfortunately we had to leave out due to the overwhelming response); Minister Linares and Minister Costa for coming down and supporting us on behalf of HM Government of Gibraltar; GBC for covering the event; all the people who stopped by to support and donate on the day and our generous donors: Our fight to raise awareness continues each and every day and with events such as this one, there is no doubt that we are heading in the right direction. If you feel you can help out, please get in contact with the charities who are always looking for volunteers.

Thank you to everyone at Gibraltar Samaritans and Clubhouse Gibraltar for the invaluable work you do for our community.

Maurice had an infectious personality and was a joy to be around. He was a great friend to all of us and will be dearly missed.

We hope that this event has been a fitting tribute to him and that everybody enjoyed taking part and importantly, listened to the messages of the charities.

If you or anyone you know is suffering from mental health issues, don’t be afraid to reach out. The Gib Sams Freephone Helpline 116 123 is now operational from Monday to Thursday from 7pm to 10pm.

Following the official opening of World Trade Center Gibraltar by the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister in February of this year, World Trade Center Gibraltar commissioned the independent, international economic consultancy Nairne Limited, to study and report on the economic contributions of the World Trade Center to the Gibraltar economy. This comes in the midst of an unprecedented take up of the office accommodation within the state-of-the-art facility. An astonishing 98% of available space was either let, sold or under offer in March, less than a month after the opening, and enquiries for more than 10,000 square meters of additional space (107,640sqft) were turned away by May due to a lack of available space.

The report reveals that up to 40% of occupiers in the building are new to Gibraltar; a volume much higher than many had initially anticipated. This demonstrates a sound confidence in Gibraltar’s economy, particularly at a time when Brexit continues to pose a number of unknown eventualities for the market place.

Around £30,000,000 is estimated to go to HM Government of Gibraltar in tax revenue, annually from the building occupants. When integrated with local spending multipliers and displacement ratios, this suggests that WTC Gibraltar contributes £65,000,000 annually to the Gibraltar economy.

The report also suggests that the global recognition of the World Trade Center brand carries local benefits for Gibraltar, providing a brand with worldwide recognition as a platform for eMoney, FinTech and other SME companies looking to attract capital investment to enable rapid growth plans.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

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GRADUATES The Gibraltar Magazine would like to congratulate the 14 graduates that completed the BSc (Hons) Nursing (Adult) programme and the 7 graduates achieving the BSc in Health Care Practice. A special mention to the 4 students who achieved first-class honours (1st).

THE ADMIRAL CASINO TROPHY The second event of the Med Golf 2017-18 Season was the Admiral Casino Trophy tournament at San Roque Club New on Sunday 22nd October 2017.

The Admiral Casino Trophy was won in

by Richard Atkinson with a great score of 37 Stableford points, 5 points clear of his nearest rival. Richard also won: the best gross on par 3-s, the best team with his playing partner Simon Dyson with a combined score of 64 points, the longest drive, and nearest the pin on hole 17. As the golfers among our readers will guess, Richard is heading for a significant cut to his handicap which he will welcome almost as much as his regular playing partners!

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

Of the few remaining prizes, the Best Gross Trophy (for which every hole must be scored) was narrowly won by Matthew Charlesworth with a round of 83, beating John Hunter on handicap. Matthew was also the category one prize winner as shown below. The Best Senior Prize was won by Garth Morris, a long-time member of Med Golf who was also the Category 3 winner.

Category 1 (handicaps 0 to 12): the runner up with 29 points was Chris Warren on handicap. The winner was Matthew Charlesworth 32 points.

Category 2 (handicaps 13 to 22): the runner up was Paul Nash with a score of 29 points. The winner was Andrew Lewis with 30 points.

Category 3 (handicap 23 and above): Nicholas Farr was the runner up with a score of 30 points on just his second outing with Med Golf. The winner on handicap with 30 points was Garth Morris.

Nearest to the pin winners were: Jon Hale, Neil Smith, Dan Lomax and Richard Atkinson. Nearest to the pin in 2 on a par 4 was Roy Azopardi and Gareth Davies was nearest to the pin in 3 on a par 5.

The Order of Merit (OOM) sponsored by Jyske Bank, is scored on a system where championship points are awarded according to rankings on the day. Rankings are based on the best 5 results with the worst result being discarded as the season progresses. The most consistent player at the top of the OOM after the penultimate event of the season is awarded the Med Golf Player of the Year Trophy and the top ten players contest the Masters Trophy on the San Roque Club Old course.

Current top 10 rankings in the OOM after 2 events who will qualify for the Masters are: Richard Atkinson, Matt Charlesworth, Roy Azopardi, Javi Hunter, Nick Farr, Louis Calvente, Kevin Jones, Mike Cowburn, Joe Sanchez and Paul Nash.

For more information visit www.medgolfmembers.com.

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around town – literary festival

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

jazz festival – around town © Mark Galliano Photography

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

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hello there

Anna Kolesnik, 31

Lindi-an Smith, 26

Freelance Traveller

GCSE Tutor at Little English

When you live away from your family home, Christmas becomes particularly special. It means going back to where you used to live, reminisce, and spend one week of the year with your family and old friends. The most important tradition though is watching ‘Home Alone’ for the umpteenth time with my sis…

Although it isn’t quite my favourite time of the year, spending lots of time with friends and family is definitely the best part about Christmas for me. This year I’ll be travelling back to the UK just in time for the festivities. I’m looking forward to delivering presents and sampling relatives’ mince pies, Christmas cakes, and mulled wine!

WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST

Sarah Adamson, 40

Mario Sampere, 54

Sales Assistant, Jewellery Centre

Gibraltar Electricity Authority

Christmas dinner. The sweet varies… I’m not very traditional with it, I don’t like Christmas pudding. Anything’s okay on Christmas day – even banoffee pie! My husband and I moved over from Scotland two years ago, so this Christmas the thing I’ll love most will be having my mum come and visit Gibraltar for the first time!

Everything. The lights in the streets, the ambience, the food! My favourite Christmas food? Also everything! My family usually go out to eat. Instead of doing it at home we book a place and we all go there. It’s our tradition.

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

hello there

Malena Pérez Jiménez, 24

Hannah Brookes, 30

Sales Assistant at Newton Store

Director at Lash Retreat

I have never been a Christmas kind of person, but in the last few years I’ve been experiencing the whole shebang; the food, family gatherings, the little markets, basically all the activities I refused to do at this time of the year! It has become something I get excited about and I’ve grown to love it. I would say is all thanks to the fact that I spend most of my time in Gibraltar, where all my friends and family have welcomed me and introduced me to the best parts of this holiday.

The best bit of Christmas for me is my closest valued humans are all on their jollies together and build up starts together towards the New Year! I have something called ‘January Joy’ that I share because I view it as a fresh start and new beginnings with lots of opportunity.

ABOUT CHRISTMAS?

Jeremy Clifton-Psaila, 28

Miroslaw Kolkowski, 35

Pensions Assistant at Fiduciary Management Ltd

Sky Restaurant and Bar Manager at Sunborn Gibraltar

The sense of community and families coming together. The various Christmas parties and family reunions are always a highlight over the festive season. The atmosphere in town on the lead up to the big day is also something I really enjoy. My colleague’s incessant carol singing in the office, however...

Hearing ‘Wham Last Christmas’ - It reminds me of when I was a child sitting with whole my family at home, waiting for the first star in the sky to sit down to the Christmas dinner. In our Polish tradition, this song was always played on the 24th December very often on the radio, T.V., and it just reminds me of the very warm, homey, Christmas atmosphere.

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When it comes to legal advice Hassans stands out from the crowd With a global reach, Hassans provides legal solutions, both locally and cross-border, to individuals and major multinationals. We deliver a service consistent with old world values of customer care whilst combining professionalism with pragmatism. Our clients get what they need, when they need it.

Personal or business solutions. Efficiently delivered.

57/63 Line Wall Road, PO Box 199, Gibraltar.

T: +350 200 79000 F: +350 200 71966 business@hassans.gi www.gibraltarlaw.com 22

“Hassans is widely considered to be the market’s leading firm, both in terms of size and depth of experience…”

Legal 500 EMEA, 2014 Edition.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

business

MRS ROCK’S ld a r e G NEW WORLD Mrs Rock is in a state – again

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eaders may recall that when we last checked up on her a year ago, some very big changes were in the offing. Widowed some time back, she had struck up an internet friendship with Gerald, who had visited Gibraltar for the first time last Christmas in order to meet her in the flesh and to get to know the place he was planning to call home.

All was set fair. Mrs Rock’s somewhat precious son, Sheridan, had acquiesced, rather too quickly she thought. She suspected that his ready acceptance of Gerald as a putative stepfather had more to do with Gerald applying for his Category 2 residence certificate than with genuine concern for his aged mother’s welfare.

‘Cat 2’ applicants, after all, are required to demonstrate a net worth of at least £2 million.

Sheridan had also somehow found out that Gerald was a childless widower and as a result seemed quite happy to welcome this GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

obvious reasons. stranger into the Rock family. In fact, Mrs Rock had been more than a little unnerved by how much Sheridan had been able to Some way into the process, Gerald discover. She assumed he must have been seemed to have got cold feet. Mrs Rock ‘going on the line’ again and been looking never found out quite why but one at that ‘interweb thingy’ on his ‘computafternoon, without explanation, Gerald ermabob’. Apart from the dating site where had simply packed his bags and caught she had first met Gerald, she the late plane back to Gatwick. couldn’t really get the hang of it She had then discovered that his She all. That would have to change, forwarding address in England assumed he she thought. But now back to was false. She had always must have Gerald. enjoyed Alice’s Adventures in been ‘going Wonderland but Gerald seemed on the line’ to be as elusive as the Cheshire Sad to relate, things didn’t quite work out as planned. Gerald had Cat. All she could remember now again and was his grin. set about applying for his Cat 2 been looking residency in the new year. This at that procedure is not overly compliYes, she had been more than a ‘interweb cated but it is thorough and quite little upset but being a femme thingy’ on his d’un certain âge, she had seen detailed and many applicants ‘computermseek professional assistance to it all before. Somehow, just abob’. guide them through the process. somehow, she had had an inkling Gibraltar, after all, has to be from the outset that Gerald was certain that it is not extending residency not right for Gibraltar, or indeed for her. rights to the ‘wrong’ sort of people for Now she had to break the news to her 23

business son Sheridan who, as regular readers may recall, is always looking out for his mother’s welfare – particularly where her money is concerned.

thought, this is my crisis – and I’m going to enjoy it.

“Now then, dear”, she began. Sheridan sighed. “I’m going to see that man who And so to lunch with the boy on that helps me with my finances. I’ve been rather nice ship hotel in the marina. hearing a lot about this ‘bitchain’ and “My yacht”, Mrs Rock liked to ‘BLT’. So I thought I might invest call it. She had quite taken to in them. After all, I love a good I’ve been going aboard as often as possandwich.” This time Sheridan hearing a lot sible. A coffee here, a light groaned audibly. “Mother, it’s about this lunch there. Once even – she way too complicated for you to ‘bitchain’ giggled at her own naughtiunderstand. I’ve told you before and ‘BLT’. So ness – a little afternoon cockthat I can help and in fact I am an tail on her own in the bar. expert in this stuff. And actually I thought I Whatever would old Mr Rock it’s ‘DLT’ and ‘blockchain’. The might invest have said? As a matter of coins are something else and... ” in them. fact, she knew very well what After all, I the old misery would have He didn’t get any further. “Thank love a good said, which merely added to you, dear,” said Mrs Rock firmly. sandwich.” her sense of derring-do.

“I am quite able to decide for myself, with my adviser’s help of Sheridan took the news that course. He’ll assist me to sort out all that Once he wasn’t to become a stepson stuff in the ether.” Sheridan wondered rather well. “Oh well”, he said, “at if his mother realised she’d just made a even – she least I won’t have to buy a new little joke. One look at her face suggested giggled at frock”. Mrs Rock rather wished otherwise so he gave up. “OK mother, but her own he wouldn’t say things like that. please be careful with our money.” “It’s my naughtiness He did so rather too often these money, dear,” she reminded him, not for – a little days. As his mother, she was the first time. afternoon concerned. But she put such cocktail on misgivings aside. After all she To town then to see her adviser. In truth

her own in the bar.

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

business

At least he’d shaved and wasn’t sporting a ‘Movember’ moustache, or whatever else it was that men did in the name of charity

explain that while bitcoins and she wasn’t sure what he was; some of the other crypto-curhe had so many letters after his rencies had made people money, name. A lawyer, an accountant, they were also extremely volatile. a banker perhaps? He had told Before investing, some underher in the past he was multi-justanding of the underlying techrisdictional so she thought that nology – the blockchain – was must cover it. It was old Mr Rock recommended. who had dealt with the firm for years – this chap’s father in fact.

And just as Mr Rock had dropped By now Mrs Rock was glazing off his perch, so adviser père had over. “One more question, docshifted to a more celestial advitor,” she said, without realising sory sphere leaving his fils in charge. Not her mistake. “What have ‘DLT’ or ‘BLT’ a bad lad either. At least he’d shaved and got to do with it all?” When it had been wasn’t sporting a ‘Movember’ moustache, explained that ‘DLT’ was the acronym for or whatever else it was that men did in the the underlying distributed ledger technoloname of charity these days. No gy – and that ‘BLT’ was what the tie, she noticed, and first names adviser had had for lunch – she He then used throughout, but what can gave up and went home. proceeded you do? to explain She mused on her day and her that while “So,” he said jauntily. She hated thoughts turned unconsciously to bitcoins and that. Why do all the youngsters Aldous Huxley. Well not exactly some of the start every sentence with ‘so’? to the novelist and philosopher “What can I do for you today?” other crypto- himself, but to the title of his He sounded rather like her most famous book. This ‘Brave currencies butcher in the market. “I wanted New World’, she pondered, was a had made some advice on investing in bitter tad too complicated for her. More people coins and maybe other krypton than a tad, if she was completely money, they factor things,” she replied. honest. She resolved to leave her were also money in the various governextremely ment savings schemes where The youth (for he looked like he volatile. they were currently lodged for should still be in short trousers) the time being. “I’ll return this to put on his most adult face and this further down the line,” she thought. A started talking – somewhat ‘waftily’ she phrase she’d just read on the ‘tablet’ that felt – about widows and orphans. “But she was clutching like a latter-day Moses.

I am a widow,” she exclaimed. “And an orphan come to think of it.” At her age though the latter was a given. “Precisely,” No more Internet dating for her, she said the adviser. He then proceeded to thought. Not for a while at least. She noGIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

ticed an e-mail message had arrived whilst she’d been out. She was pleased to see it was from that odd chap in specs who writes all that financial stuff in the Gibraltar Magazine every month. She read it and smiled. “Thank you”, she thought. ”And the same to you, dear”.

“On behalf of everyone at Sovereign in Gibraltar, I wish all our readers and their families a very merry Christmas and a happy – and prosperous – New Year 2018.”

Ian Le Breton Corporate Services Director, Sovereign +350 200 76173 ilebreton@ SovereignGroup.com 25

business

GIBRALTAR DELEGATION to the Innovation Nation

I

cities, namely Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and n mid-October a business delegation from Gibraltar paid a visit to Israel. This Haifa, where they explored some of the was the second such delegation in the Israel’s leading technology hubs, start-up space of 6 months, following the histor- incubators, accelerators and the Venture Capital industry. ic delegation which visited Israel earlier in the year. The delegation was led

by Eran Shay and Ayelet Mamo “The itinerary of this delegation Israel – Shay, founders of the Gibraltarwas almost completely different such a Israel Chamber of Commerce from that of the first one,” says technology (Gibrael) with the objective of Gibrael President, Eran. “This is poweridentifying business opportunibecause we felt it will not be fair house and ties between the two countries to introduce the delegates to the the source as well as to discover what has same people. The idea is that made Israel such a technology each delegation will establish its of many power-house and the source of own unique set of contacts in innovative many innovative and successful Israel.” and start-ups. successful The delegation stayed at the 5* start-ups.

The delegation was comprised Crown Plaza Hotel, situated at of senior bankers from both the the iconic Azrieli Center in TelGibraltar International Bank and Jyske Aviv, one of the city’s modern landmarks Bank, Callaghan Insurance Group, Sunborn and an important business hub. Starting in Hotel, Sodi Connect Asset Management Tel Aviv, the delegates received an introSolutions and other private investors. The duction to the Israeli HiTech ecosystem delegates have visited Israel’s three biggest and were then taken on a visit to one of 26

the city’s newest and poshest innovation & co-working spaces: AYEKA. There they met with a number of start-up entrepreneurs and explored the unique community atmosphere that this place has, which facilitates attracting investors and cross fertilisation of ideas. The afternoon included a visit to Big 4 accountancy firm Ernst & Young at their new MidTown Tower headquarters, for a session on the latest CyberSecurity developments. Delegates were then given a presentation by leading law firm Bracha & Co. on tax considerations when doing business between Israel and Gibraltar, for corporates and HNWIs. With Blockchain being the current buzzword, delegates were then taken to Israel’s largest Blockchain investment and venture capital group for some tips on what investors are looking for when assessing investment in blockchain start-ups.

The following day saw the delegation travelling to Israel’s capital, Jerusalem. There the delegates were treated to a tour of the GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

business

No visit to Jerusalem is complete without seeing the famous Old City, sacred to the world’s three dominant monotheistic religions.

Israeli Parliament (Knesset) where they were warmly welcomed and congratulated by the Deputy Speaker of the Knesset - MP Hilik Bar. From there they continued to a visit to The Bank of Israel for a presentation on Israel’s economy and monetary policy.

The afternoon included an overview of Israel’s trade & commerce at the Israeli Ministry of Economy, and a meetup with a crowd funding platform and a number of start-up entrepreneurs at the impressive StandWithUs organisation. No visit to Jerusalem is complete without seeing the famous Old City, sacred to the world’s three dominant monotheistic religions, and delegates enjoyed a real spiritual uplift visiting the Western Wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

The final day involved travelling to the North of Israel to Haifa- the country’s third biggest city, main port city and site of the biggest HiTech R&D centre, where some of the world’s most recognized corporates such as Google, Intel, Yahoo, Microsoft, IBM and many others develop their latest innovations. On the way to Haifa, the delegation stopped at the town of HertzliyaPituach, Israel’s main hub for Venture Capital investment firms, where they interacted with fund managers at Shine multi-family office and visited the offices of Playtika. Here, they heard the captivating story of how the company developed from an idea into one of the world’s biggest internet social gaming company, and were treated to a presentation on the Israeli GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

HiTech by the sector’s umbrella organisation – the IATA. Back in Haifa, the delegation met with the city’s Economic Development Company and met up with professors and entrepreneurs at Haifa University.

On the final evening, the delegation was treated to a large networking event attended by about 100 of Israel’s top business entrepreneurs, VCs, leading legal and finance sector personas along with representative from various government agencies.

“Over these three intensive days, the delegates have met with a multitude of intermediaries, entrepreneurs and leading business personas, and some of the opportunities identified have already successfully materialised into business results for the delegates,” says Gibrael Chairwoman, Ayelet.

Equally important, the delegation has discovered some of the “secret ingredients” that have turned Israel into such an entrepreneurial society. Such ingredients include: •

The public encouragement to take risks and the education to be entrepreneurial from young age

•

The general acceptance in the business world that some failure is a necessary component to becoming successful- indeed some VCs will NOT invest in an entrepreneur who has never failed before

•

The compulsory military service at the age of 18, which teaches young

people discipline, team work and leadership, and gives them a practical path to professional development •

The absorption of immigration from all around the world, with the recognition that immigrants are an asset to a country rather than a burden on its economy

•

Finally, the existential threats and challenges that Israel has been faced with from day one of its establishment in 1948. Such challenges have forced the people of Israel to think outside the box, innovate and invent in order to survive.

These ingredients along with various government support schemes and numerous private initiatives are indeed the secrets to Israel’s success. Surely there are lessons here for Gibraltar to learn if it wishes to diversify its economy further, and the Gibraltar-Israel Chamber of Commerce will continue to play its role in the exchange of ideas and opportunities between the countries. Further delegations are planned for 2018 and anyone interested should contact Gibrael Chamber on info@gibrael.org.

Eran Shay, Managing Director & Ayelet Mamo Shay, Business Development Director of Benefit Business Solutions Ltd. (+350) 200 73669 general@benefitgibraltar.com 27

start-ups words | Denise Matthews

STARTUP GRIND GIBRALTAR Chapter 2 – Development & Scaling

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exchanges, investment services (and other a focal point. Under the framework, DLT start-up is an idea, but it is controlled financial offerings) connected actually the execution of the service providers will be granted a working to tech which will also be covered. The idea that will define the success. license, providing they conform to nine Delivering a successful events regulatory principles. Some of these prinGibraltar Financial Services Commission ciples are honesty, integrity, the has worked on delivering this series for start-ups is no different. You regulation for over two years and protection of customer assets, need a plan, budget, marketing, and belief.

Blockchain it is not that they have outsmartWithout a sense of conviction that what and maintaining a high degree will become ed other jurisdictions, it is simply you are communicating adds of cybersecurity. Once the ‘beating value, your audience will disintethe rulings are accepted that experience in becoming We will heart’ of by Gibraltar’s legislaone of the main gaming providgrate. November saw our ninth be among finance. ers combined with the agility ture, we will be among event take place and our audithe few of being small and accessible in the few jurisdictions ence is growing, reaching other jurisdictions our Governance has given us a head start meet-up groups in Spain who worldwide to offer firms working worldwide which will enable us to become the domimay not always be reviewing us with Blockchain a fully regulated to offer framework. cile of choice for this type of business. positively but still want to know firms a fully what is happening.

From a blog by PWC USA the advantages In effect from January 2018, regulated are clear: “Blockchain’s distributed ledger Many factors are actively conthe new rules found on framework.

Government of Gibraltar website provides every party in a transaction tributing to the development of (gibraltarlaws.gov.gi) will cover any comwith access to the same data at the same the Startup Grind Gibraltar Chapter. The time, embedding complete transparency mercial use of DLT as a means to store main one has been Distributed Ledger and transmit value. The word ‘value’ is also and accountability in every transaction.

Technology (DLT) being regulated locally.

Changes can be confirmed in real time. It This may not mean anything to most, but defined as including “assets, holdings, or enables effective monitoring and auditing for Financial Technology (FinTech) start-ups other forms of ownership, rights or interests.” This would include cryptocurrency by participants, supervisors, and regulators. around the globe this has made Gibraltar 28

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

start-ups It creates a single point of truth, and it provides shared audit trails that streamline dispute resolution at the enterprise level.

In short, the application of blockchain technology to trade finance offers greater coordination and a host of process benefits. It drives down costs and enhances efficiencies.”

The World Economic Forum also made the statement that Blockchain will become the ‘beating heart’ of finance, 80% of banks with ninety Central Banks were predicted to start blockchain projects by 2017 and $1.4 billion has been invested into the technology over the past three years.

Carlos Kuchkovsky is the CTO New Digital Business at BBVA. He participated at the Startup Grind Barcelona Conference on the 9th and 10th of October. This summit has given participants, attendees and all the Chapter Directors in different cities access to top investors, entrepreneurs, developers, and journalists Startup The from both Europe and Silicon Grind exposure Valley. The exposure for Gibraltar represents for Gibraltar represents values that gy-based start-ups to emerge. in this community is invaluable. values that in this set them apart; to give Carlos has said he would be first, make friends, set them community is As a series the survival is based honoured to participate in one on continuity which in turn brings apart; to give help others. It is an invaluable. of our local “Fireside Chats”. extended family. The credibility. It is not a simple one He is also a Board Member of first, make sense of conviction is stop shop that may or may not bring value.

Hyperledger (hyperledger.org) a friends, help what feeds the efforts of every Our local tech industry growth will be benpart of The Linux Foundation others. It is individual Chapter Director and it eficial by directly feeding the economy. It is Projects of which the Gibraltar an extended keeps it growing.

Additionally, as paramount that businesses, other organiStock Exchange has recently befamily. part of our Global Roadmap there sations, and the government continue to come a member. Coincidentally, are yearly conferences in Silicon support through partnership and sponsorwhen mentioning our last guest, Valley (February) and Europe (June). With ship of these events. As a start-up founder Felix Moreno de la Cova CFO of Xapo (a sponsorship from WaveCrest and myself the events have enabled Spanish economist and Bitcoin expert), it It is an Gibraltar Finance alone, locally my own business One Media and turned out that Carlos and Felix’s cousthe Chapter has established itself Events - OME to have a presessential in are currently founders of a start-up but ambitions will not end there. ence. Being responsible for the part of the together.

The platform is of tremendous organisation, marketing and exeecosystem value to communicate. It is an cution of Startup Grind Gibraltar Aside from being part of a network that is to attract essential part of the ecosystem I have been able to build a brand. now present in 300 cities, Startup Grind or inspire to attract or inspire technoloIt was through personal financ- powered by Google for Entrepreneurs technologying and investment that the first based event was launched because of start-ups to the symbiosis between my own start-up and becoming a part of emerge. this organisation that has powered the milestones achieved.

For our next event we will be joined

by Nick Cowan Managing Director of Gibraltar Stock Exchange. They have recently revealed a plan to integrate blockchain into its trading and settlement systems. For more information visit startupgrind.com/ gibraltar

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

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start-ups words | Vicky Garcia Bishop

VICKY’S KITCHEN

Food is both emotionally and physically nourishing; it is the fundamental essence to our being. It’s primal.

E

believe in. The healing possibilities of food very own Chef Table for private enterating nutritious balanced food taining. This space can be hired out for and a balanced, nutritionally dense diet. replaces the guilt and self-loathing personal events, working bespoke seasonal from the aftermath of a meal and More than a concept, it’s a way of life; an menus for all types of occasions, both makes way for the feeling of fulfillethos I feel very strongly about, and is the main reason for embarking on corporate and private. No expense has ment and satisfaction that ensues tutoring courses in Catering for been spared in my kitchen and it boasts meal times. This is very powerful Eating the very best and latest equipHealth Needs at the for healing and wellbeing. nutritious ment, a dream come true after University of Gibraltar a It is a balanced catering from a domestic kitchen year ago.

My new outlet, Vicky’s Natural responsibility food replaces for, at times, very large numbers Kitchen is an expression of my I don’t the guilt and for some very prestigious events.

At my new kitchen, the passion for nutritious, health suptake lightly self-loathing Cottage industry catering has food I am cooking is portive food; years of catering for and that from the been very rewarding but simultadiverse requirements, research more in line with the sometimes neously quite pressuring at times. food I prepared on my and courses. Over the last 5 aftermath of keeps me I am really enjoying working in a TV programs, hence the years I have qualified as a Health a meal. awake at professional environment again name. Whilst still feaSupportive Chef at New York’s after so many years. night, but turing my fine dining catering for Natural Gourmet Institute and Vegan events, it incorporates a healthFusion tutor under Mark Reinfeld in Paris I have no Taking the leap from being a self and London. 18 years ago I trained and ier, nutritional, feel-good aspect regrets. to dining and food preparation. employed sole trader working taught yoga at the Integral Yoga centre.

I also feature vegan fine dining into my with casual labour when required to a largHealth and wellbeing have been at the er catering company has had its challenges menus. It’s a very exciting new concept. core of my personal life for all this time. but I would recommend anyone to take The fact that food trends are now opening that step and go for it. The most rewardto this holistic approach to living enables Upstairs in my unit I have a demo kitchen me to work much more in line with what I ing aspect is being able to employ a team, where I will offer workshops as well as my 30

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

start-ups taking off the pressure of working alone family and commute into work a couple of doors shortly. and being able to provide employment and times a week. That wasn’t to be the case. some security to those who have supportI started to cater for some local clients in The last two years have been a time of ed me casually over many years. It is a reSpain and within 6 months was contracted rapid growth for my business both locally sponsibility I don’t take lightly and by the Duchess of York, Sarah and internationally. 18 months ago, by that sometimes keeps me awake Ferguson, and later that year, the chance was taken on as a chef team memI worked at night, but I have no regrets.

British Royal Family. My business ber of International Chef Exchange and right up until began to take off in nearby Spain have been traveling to Guernsey, the UK giving birth; and up the coast. I had to make a Although this new catering and The Hague to represent Gibraltar and not working decision whether to stay working outlet providing a sell-out deli of the Iberian Peninsula’s cuisine. Catering was not an in Gibraltar or Spain; I chose to gourmet, nutritious meals and dinners in restaurants in these countries move back into Gibraltar and option. corporate and event catering has been an amazing experience. I have work in the corporate circle I from my new commercial kitchen learned so much from some of the great knew and really enjoyed. Catering in Spain is a new project, my catering business is chefs I have had the privilege to work with has added a lot of diversity to my cateranything but a start-up. and I feel very honoured to have had the ing skills and services so I am grateful for opportunity. that. From catering for spas and retreats, 21 years ago, 7 months pregnant with my to cooking for weddings in open daughter, I left my job as Sous Chef at a The scheme is part of the If I had fields and on camping stoves on local hotel to work as a freelance chef and International Food Festival UK’s the beach. But I missed organisany advice caterer. I was approached by a local law program to develop relations ing and catering events here in firm to cater boardroom lunches a couple between restaurants and supto give Gibraltar. of times a week, providing office catering pliers internationally. Working someone for client entertaining. I loved it from the with local and international looking to 3 years ago after some big changonset. Having the freedom to create my sponsors on inter-cultural food start up a es in my personal life I embarked own dishes on a weekly basis and preevents in reciprocal countries. new business This has opened a lot of doors on a mission to find, fund, and paring dishes in the comfort of my own it would be set up a commercial kitchen unit. kitchen was very rewarding. It enabled me for my international work and I think big, This proved to be much harder to give my full attention to preparing food will be hosting teaching events for a table of 6 to 12 people as opposed to than I could ever have imagined, and cooking demonstrations dream, but but finally after 2 years I found 80 in one service, experimenting, creating, abroad in the coming year as well start small. my place. It was an empty shell learning as I went along. I worked right up as participating in the Swedish and together with a team of solid until giving birth; not working was not an Passion for Food Festival in March. I could professionals it has all come together. option. When my daughter was 2 months never have imagined the diversity of caold I resumed my business and by the time tering possibilities this has opened for my she was 2 I had more work than I could The hardest part has been funding. I business, I feel very blessed. take on. I had a set client base and I was studied Hotel Catering and Institutional lucky enough for them to work around Management as well as chef training, but If I had any advice to give someone looking my availability and busy diary. There was managing a catering business did not assist to start up a new business it would be no one else here offering office catering me in putting together figures for bank think big, dream, but start small. Know and boardroom lunches at the loan applications and business your product, access your market… the I chose time and this had me working plans for a project I was 100% obvious, but also have the passion for it sometimes more than I could self funding. I hired help where and the will to work hard for it. With that, to move cope with. Whilst my children needed but went to bed at night I believe you can achieve anything. People back into were growing up I was just about might take your ideas, bring you down but Gibraltar and with the fear of failure or not able to juggle the responsibilities being able to fund the project you have to believe in yourself to achieve work in the of mothering with catering, my to completion. A year down the your goals. corporate passion. But I have to say when line I can say it has all been worth circle I knew I look back I would have liked to it and we are ready to open our Contact info@vbc.gi for catering. and really have had more downtime with them. I kept my work in the corenjoyed. porate arena which meant I could be free for my family at weekends, but by the time my second daughter was 2 years old I had started to embark on weddings, larger corporate events and a yoga teacher training course. Bonkers, I know but I have always liked to keep active and above all to feel like I’m learning and achieving new goals in life.

Working from a small apartment began to get a bit chaotic. I moved out of Gibraltar and to a bigger home with a large kitchen and garage conversion where I could store all of the catering equipment and work more comfortably. The idea was to tone it down a bit, spend more time with my GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

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words |

The team at Fiduciary Group would like to congratulate

ISOLAS LLP 125 ANNIVERSARY

Delivering Deliveringinternational internationalfinancial financial solutions solutions for for over over 35 35 years years TH on their At Fiduciary At Fiduciary Group Group we we helphelp our our clients clients protect protect theirtheir existing existing assets assets andand assistassist them them to manage to manage andand growgrow these these assets assets for the for the longlong term. term.

Our Our range range of services of services includes: includes: Corporate Corporate Services Services

TrustsTrusts & Foundations & Foundations

Gibraltar Gibraltar Residency Residency

Fiduciary Group, proud to be closely associated FundFund Yacht Yacht & Ship & Ship Registration Registration Pension Pension Solutions Solutions Services Services with Gibraltar’s longest serving Law Firm.

No matter No matter where where youryour financial financial journey journey takes takes you,you, we will we be willwith be with you you every every stepstep of the of way. the way. +350 +350 200 76651 200 76651 info@fiduciarygroup.com info@fiduciarygroup.com Gibraltar GibraltarLondon London www.fiduciarygroup.com www.fiduciarygroup.com Fiduciary Fiduciary Management Management LimitedLimited Licensed Licensed and Regulated and Regulated by the Gibraltar by the Gibraltar Financial Financial ServicesServices Commission Commission

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

Gibraltar’s oldest law firm

celebrate their 125 anniversary th

T

his year has been yet another successful one for Gibraltar’s oldest law firm. World-renowned international legal directory, Chambers & Partners, ranked ISOLAS as a tier 1 law firm as they celebrate their 125th anniversary in Gibraltar. ISOLAS was formed in 1892 by Horace Parody, great grand uncle to Senior Partner Peter Isola, and has gone from strength to strength ever since.

years, invested time and resource in coordinating and organising central functions in a way that has complemented the hard work put in by our lawyers in developing their profiles as experts in their fields, so offering an ever improving service to our clients and partners. We believe our team approach, in working with our clients, allows us to deliver a service that brings the strength of the entire firm in meeting their requirements.

It is ISOLAS reputation for combining expert legal advice with commercial pragmatism that cements their high-ranking position within their jurisdiction.

This recognition represents an independent validation of our efforts in this regard as well as recognition of the continuing high level of service being provided by the firm across the full range of legal services in Gibraltar. We look forward to celebrating our 125th anniversary through a series of events here and in London with our clients and business partners in the coming weeks and months.”

Chief Executive Officer, Marcus Killick OBE, stated “We are very happy to be recognised as one of two leading law firms in Gibraltar in this, such an important milestone in the history of the firm. We have been operating at the highest level of the profession locally and have, in recent

To celebrate the occasion, a dinner and

reception was held at The Caleta Hotel in October, attended by Lieutenant General Edward Davis and Chief Minister Fabian Picardo. The Chief Minister noted that in the 125 years gone by not once has ISOLAS looked back, but rather they have “looked beyond”.

Peter Isola, when speaking of the role he believes the ‘family firm’ plays within the community articulated: “Our friends are our clients and our clients are our friends.

We’re big enough and have the expertise, but at the same time we’re small enough to have personal relationships and develop together with our clients.”

ISOLAS, who are proud to have as many as 5th generation workers in their team, took the initiative to this year become Gibraltar’s first Limited Liability Partnership, once again proving themselves to be at the forefront of Gibraltar’s legal field.

property words |

RENTING IN GIBRALTAR Who to go through and how to do it.

A

These can be viewed by a large number client bought a new one bedof future clients anywhere in the world. room flat in a modern building close to the Marina in Gibraltar.

Often a booking can be generated shortly He asked me about renting it after a physical viewing is done. There are quite a number of these websites in out to be able to generate income and pay operation and my advice is to use for rates as well as to obtain a as many as you can. The more decent return on the investment.

There My answer was quite straightforthe merrier is the case with this are quite ward - put it on the rental marexcellent marketing tool. a number ket. There are several different of these ways to do so in Gibraltar: Estate agents websites in Direct marketing

operation and my advice is to use as many as you can.

Done via local adverts in several newspapers, which still works to an important extent. Just putting a well-placed small advert with your contact details may well be enough to bring positive results.

Specialised property websites These websites do offer excellent results and are normally extremely cost effective.

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This is a good solution to your problem if you do not wish to get involved or if you do not live in Gibraltar. There are plenty of estate agents who can do a professional job for you. They will find you a client and check their references on your behalf. Draft the relevant contract which is normally done for twelve months.

Collect your deposit of one month plus the current month of rental money. Transfer the money to you as per your instructions and handle all the necessary requirements

related to the rental of your property. In exchange, they will charge you a fee; normally one month´s rent on a twelve-month rental agreement.

In addition to all the services mentioned above, the estate agent will give you the correct guidance as to what to charge on a monthly basis for your property. Make sure you stick to a realistic figure so your house gets rented out within a reasonable time frame.

Another way to gain good income is to do short lets or holiday lettings. Nowadays, this has become very much in fashion and, if well managed, a property may yield substantially more income than if let out on a long term basis. But, like many things in life, nothing is achieved for free and the marketing costs are much higher, as well as the management of the property plus the marketing management. This option works if you have the time and dedication to run it. You do not necessarily have to live loGIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

property cally, although it would certainly be easier if you do. In case you are away you will need a local person or an estate agent who can manage your arrivals and departures plus cleaning, laundry and all the necessary requirements that a holiday home needs.

The better the service you offer the higher the rental amounts you will get.

To market a holiday home will require you to work with as many specialised websites as possible. Booking.com is expensive but extremely efficient and does produce a lot of customers, particularly during the dry weather season from April to October.

Make sure you read all their conditions as they are quite strict in some respects.

HomeAway offers the opportunity to work with them on a yearly-fee basis and make deals directly, which is my advice if you are 100% into the holiday rental market.

Alternatively, you can work on The better commission which may prove the service Some important points to bear Another client of mine who is highly successful, but again you will in mind: successful at this game always makes sure you offer not have full control and cannot there is a bottle of Cava in the fridge to speak to the client on the telethe higher welcome his clients and plenty of small Customer satisfaction. This is phone; this can sometimes mean the rental bottles of mineral water, as well as some top of your list.

Remember that the difference between closing amounts you amenities in the bathroom. The cost is good references from customers a deal and losing it. HomeAway will get. minimal and results are improved considerare essential in this business so may charge a little less but it is ably because of these small gestures. as to improve your reputation. worth having as they do have an This works wonders to attract others into excellent reputation. Airbnb seems to be your property, no matter the size Just to give you an example of very much in vogue and their charges are or type. Just make sure it is all in how well this works, a local client most reasonable. They do produce results The cost of mine decided to stop renting and give you the freedom to accept or turn order. is minimal his villa in Sotogrande on a long down a client. Rentalia and other Spanish and results term basis for which he was getwebsites may also be worth looking into.

Immediate response to customer are improved ting just under â‚Ź2000 per month, enquiries. You are not on your considerably and decided to go into the own. Competition is fierce, so Holidayrentals.com (part of TripAdvisor) because holiday rental market. He is now make sure you answer work along the same lines as Remember of these making between â‚Ź35,000 and immediately upon HomeAway and are highly proâ‚Ź50,000. Naturally, he is working that good small receiving an enquiry. A fessional - and there are quite a hard with all the websites and smartphone with the few more in the market. Make references gestures. holiday accommodation search correct applications sure your property is on as many from engines but it has most certainly made a works like magic. websites as you can manage. All customers tremendous difference. He then decided these websites have to be updatare essential to do it with two studio apartments in ed regularly with your prices for Spoil your clients. Make sure in this Gibraltar. His income almost doubled. different seasons plus an accuthat you really look after them business rate calendar of availability. You by going that step further. Help so as to There is surely a steady income to be made must either do this job yourself them with anything related to from renting your residential property in or have someone do it on your improve your their stay. Give them first class Gibraltar; how you get there is up to you. behalf. No shortcuts I am afraid. information about Gibraltar and reputation.

Only hard work produces results. its surroundings.

Jorge v.Rein Parlade MBA Business Consultant Tel: +350 54045282 Email: jorgeparlade@ icloud.com

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

35

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

Have yourself

life

words | Molly McElwee

A MERRY LLANI XMAS W

hen you think of the holiday you can’t escape from, overpriced festive streets (read: Twitter), and called all my season, a lot of things come jumpers, those awful last-minute shopping fellow tweeting compatriots to tell me to mind. There’s apocalyptic scenes, and eating what defined their holidays. The responsthe clichés; Santa so many roast dinners over two es were a perfect way for me to actually The weeks that your jeans button is Claus and his reindeer (obvs), the get into the Christmas spirit as, in case Christmas hanging on for dear life. three wise men with their pretty you were wondering, I’m writing period is random gifts, perfectly placed Or is that my cynical this in early November and Because ultimately matching baubles on a tree towside spilling out? Bah, currently cursing the first mince nothing says defined by ering over a sea of department humbug! pies appearing on shop shelves “Christmas that Mariah store gift-wrapped presents, and and Mariah’s high notes already is coming” Carey song a crisp layer of fresh snow with following me around.

What I do know is to a some sprinkling of snowflakes you can’t that this list of things outside. The reality of course Gibraltarian you associate with The general trends of our faescape from. is slightly less idyllic as, howevthe Christmas holvourite traditions are what you’d like the er good the intentions began, idays varies from person to expect from any place, and the smell of the likelihood is the gift wrapping quality person, and from place to place. obvious start is food. As with castañas worsened as the wrapper tired of the tape Unsurprisingly, our Gibraltarian much of our culture, the festive toasting and scissors, it probably isn’t snowing and traditions show a glimpse of our menu is an eclectic mix of British while you if it is, it’s going to be the sleet and icy kind cultural crossings, and the way an and Spanish delicacies. Whereas wait in which will send you face-planting onto the amalgamation of influences have most of our Christmas dinner will the border pavement and (spoiler alert) Santa and the come together to create a truly probably be similar to a tradiwise men are (probs) made up.

Llanito festive season. tional British roast, our festive queue. snacking tendencies follow our If we’re honest, the Christmas period is ulAndalusian neighbours - because nothing To get a glimpse into everyone’s favourite says “Christmas is coming” to a Gibraltarian timately defined by that Mariah Carey song part of Gibraltar’s Christmas I took to the GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

37

life like the smell of castañas toasting while you wait in the border queue. Sweet tooth extraordinaire, The Muscle Bakery, said delicias de almendras were their favourite Christmas tradition, and local food and fitness blogger Fit As Fudge echoed my own festive snack of choice: the polovorón. I can’t get enough of them, and a bag of the scrummy almond treats always seems to find its way into my suitcase on my flight back to university in January in an attempt to prolong the taste of home (though lack of restraint means they usually only last a couple of days).

Gibraltarian you speak to will undoubtedly mark our Christmas Eve tradition as one of the best. As the clock strikes midday, we will be rushing out of work to spend the afternoon (often in the sunshine), eating lunch, surrounded by our closest pals and getting pretty plastered. People in Christmas jumpers, pub-crawling in full Santa suits, with friends you see daily or students catching up with friends they haven’t seen since summer. Chatham Counterguard, Ocean Village and any Main Street restaurant full to the brim with people celebrating the holiday cheer, finishing lunch and hopping from bar to bar, then dragging themselves home (hopefulBut wait, I’ve completely skipped past the ly) just about sober enough to savoury king of every Llanito It’s your continue the party at an evening kitchen counter come December; weekly Christmas dinner with family who not it’s not the turkey, leg of have been slaving away in the lamb, or even golden spuds – it’s family kitchen all day. the mighty pata negra. When you gathering think about it, it’s pretty gross selfie that there’s this pig’s leg just Then comes the actual family opportunity, hanging about in our homes for Christmas parties, which may not just with a the best part of a month, but differ all that much from those lot more food of our British counterparts (if not there’s little that can get taste and some buds tingling and mouths salivatperhaps slightly louder), but what

fun paper crowns.

does differ is the company. Whereas in other parts of the world people might be coming together for the first time since the last birthday or Easter, or even the previous year’s Christmas, in Gibraltar you’re probably seeing family you see every other day. So it’s your weekly family gathering selfie opportunity, just with a lot more food and some fun paper crowns.

Before I move on from Christmas to our New Year’s Eve activities, a short (enraged) side note: if Michael Kors is ever wondering who their target market is, all they have to do is check out every single Gibraltarian female’s Instagram feed come Christmas Day. The plethora of postings with navy/ black/beige tote bags, some variation of a rose gold chunky watch and chain-link bracelets has gone pretty berserk on our little Rock in recent years, and don’t even get me started on the accompanying captions detailing how “lucky” and “spoilt-rotten” their holiday season has been. Please, enough – there are very few people who care what you received on Christmas morning from Santa, and those people can be reached via Whatsapp.

Rant over, but one more side note on the Christmas activities: for those that can roll out of bed down to the beach on Boxing Day, there’s the Llani version of the “Polar Bear Swim”. A tradition of Canadian origins, these swims happen across the globe, usually on New Year’s Day, in sub-zero temperatures, with participants stripping down in the snow to get into water actual polar bears might be cool with (pun intended). Our knock-off version works with what it’s got, but the average 16-degree

ing like the image of the jamón being sliced slither by delicate slither. Just the image of it in my head is making me drool as I type (apologies vegetarians, vegans and non-pork eaters of the world). The curing process can take up to five years, and some households pay upwards of £600 for their prized pig on their countertop. They will of course say it is more than worth it, and argue over which member of the family can make the thinnest cut of melt in your mouth, salty deliciousness.

But enough about the food, well, sort of. Almost any 38

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

life temperatures are hardly ‘polar’. That being said, I did it one time and wasn’t brave enough to go full dunk, head under the water, but I think that says more about me being a wimp than the in excess of 1000 people who do it every year. So props to them, and props to those ballsy Canadians.

of seedless grapes at Morrisons/ Eroski, as seeds will only complicate your life and cause spluttering and choking. A close friend even bitterly recounted a time her mother gave her the job of de-seeding grapes for all 18 members of her extended family before midnight (that’s 216 grapes).

A close friend bitterly recounted a time her mother gave her the job of de-seeding grapes for all 18 members of her extended family before midnight

And that brings me to New Year’s Eve, the day of the year we Gibraltarians dress up to the nines to eat dinner at our abuela’s As the grapes clog your gullet, house, to then go out to all the bars we then come the fireworks, and if go to every other Friday night, but pay you’re watching from your balcony upwards of £60 to do it. If you’re “lucky” you’ll do well to not lean over the you might be hopping across the border edge as fireworks whizzing out of and paying double to party in a pretenyour neighbours’ house might just tious club in Marbella, but that’s only if catch you. Other health and safety you’re lucky. Jokes aside, New Year’s is hazards include the throwing of el famous for failing to meet expectations trigo out the window, also for good luck, the world over and though in Gibraltar it’s and probably the cause of a few near-miss no different, we still know how to have a concussions. Then comes the actual party, good time, and a good laugh too. Anyone and starting your night out at 2:00am is in Casemates Square for the big concert unconventional as it is, but more so is the last year or watching the GBC coverage of 45-minute long wait at 6:30am for your it will remember the New Year being rung in 10 seconds too early, which confused us all no end, and left me faffing about with an already difficult For those task; eating 12 grapes in as that can roll many seconds. Another Spanishout of bed originating tradition, according to down to the superstition each grape is said to bring you luck for each month of beach on the coming year. As such, most Boxing Day, Gibraltarians spend the first 12 there’s the seconds of the year cramming Llani version the fruit into their mouths, of the “Polar trying not to gag and spew juice Bear Swim”. everywhere through their laughter. And good luck if you didn’t manage to grab the dwindling last supplies

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

majorly average, overpriced full English breakfast to soak up all that Cava. Funnily enough, it’s usually my favourite part of the night/morning, as despite the aching feet and long wait it’s where the best drunken conversations happen (and where the food is at, which is always my priority).

The holidays in Gibraltar are clearly as quirky and full of fun as most of our customs, albeit a bit wacky, and the appeal is not lost on us. The responses I got online even included a local woman who had lived in London for over 40 years, but told me they’d not missed a single Gibraltarian Christmas. If that wasn’t going to get me out of my Grinch-esque depreciation of the (very) early November saturation of festive cheer, I’m not sure what would.

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life words | Richard Cartwright

COSMOPOLITAN CHRISTMAS Our community is an eclectic mix of Gibraltarians and foreign residents... but how do we all celebrate the holidays?

C

many countries, workers from abroad eicafes or strolling leisurely up and down hristmas is a time to spend with the street. I’ve become quite friendly with ther living here or residing in La Linea and the family’, you often hear it said. foreign, bar and restaurant staff whose Quite true, it is a period to get crossing over to work in Gib. Many have families are afar, also noticing a number together with your closest loved arrived on their own whilst others have made the journey with a friend or partner, of locals who, year in year out, seem to ones as well as many members of your distancing themselves from home spend a lot of time on their own. Tito extended family, who have travis one such individual who tends to shy and families living many miles elled over from abroad to enjoy Life on away from the idea of, `coming home for the Christmas period all together, away. Christmas arrives, and the Rock is Christmas.’ Whilst his siblings invite him with many staying for the whole how do they spend the yuletide changing, celebration? Are they lonely not home, those invitations are turned down event running into the new year and these being amongst their due to his ear problem which celebrations. I met a lady who days means he can’t stand noise, loud families? Even on the told me around 40 members of And those Gibraltar’s Rock, as close-knit as her family used to gather in her from faraway music, chatter or laughter. “I tend population is to stay at home on Christmas Eve mother’s small flat to enjoy an inwe are, there are those places, are much more who find themselves and Christmas Day which makes credible feast, with her mum not they missing alone for whatever me feel very lonely, and New allowing anyone in the kitchen to cosmopoliout?

Year’s Eve is a nightmare with all reason with not much help prepare the food. She said tan. the loud banging and fireworks to do at this time, so having everyone coming home explosions, it’s not a happy time for me.” was enough, and she was happy! how do they manage during this James and Mercy I’ve known for many That’s the spirit of Christmas, and that period of celebration and, in particular, on Christmas Day? years living in the upper town during our spirit continues today in many households. much younger days. Mercy was one of my But life on the Rock (as in many other placsister’s friends and now, she and James go es) is changing, and these days Gibraltar’s Living on Main Street and frequenting our for their daily saunter the length of Main population is much more cosmopolitan. busy pedestrian thoroughfare as often as Street - I never see them with anyone Our city is packed with newcomers from I do, I see and meet lots of individuals in

‘

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

life

If she’s made aware you’ve not been good during the year she will give you a piece of chalk or coal.

else. They are just friends and live on their own, so that led me to assume they might be lonely also during this time, but to my surprise they do have a good Christmas with their respective families. Vicente is a well known personality locally, a dancer and leader of the Flamenco group `Los Salineros.’ He lives alone and said he felt lonely in the past, but not now he’s retired and has hung up his dancing shoes. He spends more time with family and with his nieces and nephews at Christmas. And those from faraway places, are they missing out? I popped into Jury’s to find out. Zane is Latvian but met Mikey, who’s Anglo/American and said they celebrate the event with a mix of both countries’ traditions along with Mikey’s parents. Peter, who’s a young Hungarian, informs me his girlfriend’s sister organises everything and gets together with a Latvian amongst other friends for some festive fun. Attila, also Hungarian, joins some Spanish friends and skypes home on `the day’ and says they have a ball.

Federico is Italian and he too gets together with friends during this time when not working on Christmas Day. They tend to open Christmas gifts on Christmas Eve and not wait for the `Big Day’ like most of us do. The Baltic and Eastern Europeans don’t seem to make much of the 6th January, `Epiphany’ celebration either, which for us – in many households – is another occasion for giving presents. Federico tells me, “I’m going to miss our tradition in Genoa on the 6th of January; it’s called `La Begana’ when an older lady comes round to offer chocolates and a type of leaf or fern. If she’s made aware you’ve not been good during the year she will give you a piece of chalk or coal. But it’s all in good GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

fun!” The other guy that caught my attention is Stefan, who plays his classical pieces on his keyboard accompanied only by his dog on Main Street. He told me he’s fine at Christmas and doesn’t feel lonely and sometimes gets invited for Christmas lunch to a Gibraltarian family home, so he’s well looked after!

So despite my misplaced perceptions most seem to find ways of enjoying Christmas.

Most mornings you will see Tommy sitting on a bench on his own at the northern end of Main Street. He lost his mum a couple of years ago and lives alone... “I go to my niece or spend time with friends and I don’t get sad. I spent many years in the army and don’t have a problem talking to people.” There is another guy you might consider to be a loner, but who describes himself as `an individualist’. Gibraltarian Alfred says, “No, I don’t celebrate or believe in Christmas! I’m not a loner, I’m not lonely and don’t indulge in self pity. I love my food, living alone and going out on my victory walks accompanied by my only real friend – my maker!”

now. We don’t have Christmas lights in the streets during this time but we do put up a Christmas tree at home.” Even our priests don’t miss out, Father Stuart once told me, “We are not party poopers you know, there’s nothing wrong with the fun side of Christmas, having a party and enjoying yourself.”

Hence, in one way or another whether local or from abroad, most find a way to indulge in the merriment at this time of the year when, `Christmas is for all to enjoy!’.

Romanian Darius who can be found at The Star Bar considers himself a ‘Scrooge’ and stays in his flat on his own on Christmas Day. His friend Jonathan, who is an Englishman living in Tangier and pops over to Gib quite often, tells me he’s tired of spending Christmas in the Moroccan city and plans to fly out to London, stay in a hotel and have Christmas lunch at a top restaurant in Piccadilly. We have South Africans with us too. Julie-anne is on the Rock with her four young daughters and her parents and tells me they’ll have a good time. “In South Africa it’ll be summer 41

music words | Mark Montegriffo

WHAT’S IN A SONG? A

choral sounds of the Andalucian yuletide, snow and sleigh bells were not a common lmost wherever you are from feature of holiday tunes. Berlin’s composiuntil all songs begin to sound the same. In the first of November to the last tion was the first major hit of holiday songs day of Christmas, you will not order to try to answer what constitutes a that captured a more secular and personal be able to escape the annual Christmas song, we can take the two most popular Christmas songs in history as case sentimentality, specifically during wartime festive hits such as Mariah Carey’s ‘All studies, compare and contrast in the case of ‘White Christmas’. Of course, I Want for Christmas Is You’. the snow and glistening treetops is secthem, and see if it is possible to I’ll admit, it’s not my personal In Gibraltar ondary. In many places, Gibraltar included favourite. In the Anglo-centric answer the question in any satiswe have the obviously, it doesn’t even snow! And even selection, I am more partial to factory way. luxury to be in places where snow is a feature of the classic winter standards like able to head holiday season, it is rarely syn‘White Christmas’, but also enjoy We can look first home and be onymous with the warmth that a foray into Spanish gipsy folk ... though to the best-selling immersed in Berlin’s song induces to the lis‘villancicos’. If you’re shopping single of all time (that’s I’m not sure the choral tener. Written during the Second in Debenhams and you feel like including non-holithat Carey sounds of the day themed singles), World War when families were you’re hearing the same song intended hoping for their sons to get home over and over again, you’re probaccording to Guinness Andalucian for her song safely, the primary theme is that ably not far off from the truth.

World Records, which yuletide to have of dreaming for a better future.

Many American Christmas songs happens to be Bing that sort of take their inspiration from the Crosby’s 1942 version of ‘White philosophical While ‘White Christmas’ could be same place, namely Phil Spector’s album Christmas’. The song was writA Christmas Gift for You, originally released ten in 1940 by Irving Berlin, a seen as the advent of the popular interpretain 1963 (though it took inspiration from Christmas song, it differs in mood legendary songwriter who grew tion. the Christmas standards of the 1920s and from ditties like ‘All I Want for up in Brooklyn as a Jew, experi‘30s). In Gibraltar we have the luxury to be encing Christmastide from an outsider’s Christmas Is You’, which is strikingly similar able to head home and be immersed in the perspective. Before the song, longing for to ‘Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)’ 42

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

music from the aforementioned Phil Spector album. Carey’s standard features the Phil Spector ‘Wall of Sound’ technique with a wide range of instrumentation, including sleigh bells and gospel-esque choral accompaniment, contrasting with the acapella-style introduction. It does not have the World War Two backdrop, but it is somewhat based on longing, or more precisely on ‘want’.

The significance of Christmas, is about detaching oneself briefly from the contemporary struggles of reality in order to dream about another one.

Emma Green of the Atlantic writes that “Christmas is a time of material and affection-based excess, yet the song is narrowly focused on just one thing: getting to be with a specific person; you...’Want’ is a sort of Hegelian dialectic of Christmastime desire, taking the conflicting notions of abundance and specificity and packaging them into an earworm for the generations.” Essentially, the song itself is a reflection of the modern zeitgeist whenever Christmas rolls around ever year – we want it to be an innocent, simple and special time with loved ones but it is also a time when we must consume, spend and want more than we have throughout the course of a calendar year... though I’m not sure that Carey intended for her song to have that sort of philosophical interpretation.

eating copious amounts of food that you would not normally do at any other time of year. Simply, Christmas is escapism – where we create a new but temporary reality of optimism, unabashed love, and unsustainable diets. In an age of instability and crises, Christmas and its music satisfies a part of the human consciousness that would be otherwise abandoned – the ability to dream of the ideal and “make my wish come true”. If we can’t hope for better during Christmas, can we at all?

So what do ‘White Christmas’ and ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’ have in common? Well, for starters, they both have ‘Christmas’ in the title. Obvious point but a large part of what makes a Christmas song is that it is packaged for the season, and sold as such. It is a kind of social construction, initially controlled by record companies and radio channels but now accepted as mere convention – it is not Christmas if there are no Christmas songs (i.e. songs written for the purpose of being played during Christmas) playing on loop! I cannot think of modern popular songs that were written without the intention of being Christmas-themed as now being considered as Christmas songs. But within the themes of the Christmas songs we have discussed, we can pick out a core element that is shared and fundamental to both songs: dreaming.

The dream may be desire-driven in the case of Carey’s song, or it might be a harking back to simpler times of peace and simple contentment. Either way, the significance of Christmas for many, as reflected in the music, is about detaching oneself briefly from the contemporary struggles of reality in order to dream about another one. It could be about loosening budget restrictions to buy the newest toys or GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

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environment words | Lewis Stagnetto, The Nautilus Project

MAJA SQUINADO Alien or local?

I

The colour of their blood is blue because to continue. This process is called moulting and is a particularly dangerous time for the main protein which makes up the crabs. When they moult, the new exoskelmetalloprotein group is copper. As an eton which is underneath, takes a number aside, humans have iron and that’s why ours is red. The other amazing thing about of hours to harden to the prickly state we their blood is that in winter time they are familiar with. During this time, they are particularly vulnerable to predation as they migrate to depths where temperatures can have no way to protect themselves; the be as low as 2oC. Spider crabs produce analogy I would draw is one with a special protein in their blood which prevents them from freeza knight in a battle without his The ing at these depths and suit of armour. analogy i this has enabled them Crabs belong to the orYou would would draw to get off the coastal The end of the juvenile stage is der Decapoda, which means be forgiven is one with shelf and down to the marked with a terminal moult ‘ten-footed’ in Greek. The spider for thinking a knight abyssal plains. after which no further moulting crab has four pairs of walking that one was in a battle will occur. Consequently, there is legs and one pair of modified legs talking about Spider crabs begin their without no further growth after this time. which it uses as claws. In males, a fictitious his suit of It also marks both males and these claws are markedly larger lives as tiny zooplankton females as being fully reproducthan in the females, but this is and over 2-3 years go alien. armour. through three separate tively competent. Males develop not the case with all decapods. development stages before they begin to enlarged gonads whilst females widen Claws can be articulated to grab food their abdomen to allow for increased egg settle and grow into the body form we items and these crabs boast a wide diet carrying capacity. You can reliably tell the recognise them for. As all crabs, Spider preference. They love sea urchins and sea difference between all species of crabs by cucumbers in summer whilst switching to crabs have an exoskeleton which they investigating the abdomen; females will algae and molluscs during the winter time. periodically shed to allow for their growth f I were to describe a creature which had blue blood, who had plates of armour for skin and could withstand over 1000 times the atmospheric pressure at the Earth’s surface, then you would be forgiven for thinking that one was talking about a fictitious alien. However, Maja squinado or the ‘European spider crab’ is no work of fiction and can be found at a beach near you.

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environment

have a large U-shaped flap whilst males will have a small v-shaped one.

Locally, these crabs have a good level of protection which has seen the speTypically, female spider crabs will mate 2-3 cies bounce back times a year and, unlike other species of crab, they are not required to have recently from the brink. moulted in order to allow the male to climb However, this is not the case along on to her. Each female can carry up to the rest of the 150,000 eggs in a single brood. This might Mediterranean due seem a lot but it’s important to recognise to its commercial that a tiny proportion of these eggs will value. By way of make it to adulthood. The latest research example, they are has suggested that spider crabs are able to considered to be in produce viable eggs up to 5 times after a danger of extincsingle mating event, which is out of chartion along the acter for the rest of their kin.

Spanish coast and end up being the solution to our algae some reports suggest that they have not A lesser known fact is that spider crabs problem as they have been known to feed been seen along the annually migrate. Spring and on it during winter time in other Locally, Mallorca or Menorca They could summer see them on the coastal parts of the Mediterranean. It also coastline since 1989! these crabs shelf area with autumn and winhighlights the importance of proacend up being Until protection was ter being spent in offshore sites. tive environmental practice of our have a good the solution introduced here in It has been suggested that this marine coastline for eradicating level of to our algae Gibraltar, we were migration is an evolutionary meaissues that human ingenuity fails protection problem. following a similar sure to reduce mortality caused to solve. which has path. Thanks to good by large seasonal water temperaseen the environmental management and ture changes in higher latitudes.

When we were younger some of us might species enforcement, it is now apparent It would be very interesting have feared the alien in the closet and, that these populations are startbounce back to understand what our local ironically, it is the ‘alien’ along our coasting to recover. species are doing as the seasonal from the line which might be a worthy ally in our temperature fluctuations of our conservation of it. brink.

As a double whammy, they could coastal water is much smaller.

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u-mee MEANS BUSINESS

words |

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

RACHEL SIMKISS

scene

words | Mike Brufal

From dance studio to art studio

R

was taken when she gave up ballet and throughout the year, including exclusive achel Simkiss is the director of the university sport for the arts. After comClarendon Fine Art Gallery located private views with each artist. The gallery pleting her A levels she went at 46 Dover Street, Mayfair; the launched in May 2010 and is part heart of London’s premier art of the successful DeMontfort to the de Montfort University She was Fine Art group. The Chief in Leicester to read for an arts district. The gallery specialises in British involved foundation, and later went on to Executive Officer of the group is and international contemporary painting in working Southampton University to be and sculpture, catering for both estabHelen Swaby. with popular awarded a BA (Hons) degree in lished and new collectors, and is market artists such leader in the work of Laurence Stephen Fine Arts.

Rachel is a Gibraltarian by maras Madonna Lowry R.A. The gallery holds an impressive riage which makes her a hundred and David museum-quality inventory of Lowry’s finest per cent pro-Gibraltar. She is From an early age, Rachel was Guetta. prints, drawings and old paintings. It has attracted to the world of art and married to Ralph Smith whose developed an international reputation for hoped to find a career in Fine mother Tessa is the daughter of numerous leading artists workMaggie Trico. They married in Arts. She did some painting, but soon ing in a wide variety of styles May 2012 and have a three year discovered that this was not for her. She An and genres, ranging from the would rather be the person behind the old daughter Sophia, to whom agonising semi-abstract to the impressionChristian is godfather. scenes. Now after 20 years she apprecidecision was ist, including Danielle O’ Connor ates what her strengths are and they lie taken when Akiyama, Sherree Valentine in the areas of curating and management.

Rachel was born in Leicestershire she gave up Danies, Fabian Perez, Jeffrey Today, rather than putting on her own and educated at the Portland ballet and Pratt and Gibraltar’s leading artist exhibition of paintings, she organises the House School for girls. She was university Christian Hook. shows and manages the business affairs of an outstanding netball player, Christian and other artists. She said: “This sport for the representing the East Midlands is my comfort zone and where I feel that I The gallery presents around and playing in the England arts. am performing at my best.” twelve varied solo exhibitions trials. An agonising decision GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

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life After graduation, a close family friend introduced her into the world of making and producing musical videos and commercials.

She started as a runner for Tsunami films in Poland Street, Soho and worked there for four and a half years. She was then promoted to producer and was involved in working with popular artists such as Madonna and David Guetta.

A brave decision was taken to leave this exciting industry as she needed to get back in to world of the arts. Luckily, two cousins started up a photography business and she ended up working with them, but suddenly her comfortable life was upturned when in 2004 her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Rachel continued to work fewer hours in London and spent more time in Northamptonshire

Rachel with daughter Sophia and Maggie Trico, grandmother-in-law who was born in Gibraltar and the reason Rachel took her first trip over ten years ago!

taking her mother to various treatments The main objective of the Silver Pearl Trust and therapies. She decided to do anything was to provide natural complementary she could to help. She got in contact with therapies for people who are suffering Cancer Research and offered to help in any from, or have been affected by, cancer. way possible. She relayed her skills and her Rachel decided now was the time to leave belief that her strengths lay in her career in the arts to set up organising events to raise money. a beauty clinic business whose The more Rachel started with a small event profits would pay for and allow she learnt in the Ralph Lauren store in people who had been affected about Chelsea and an impressive sum by cancer to come and enjoy cancer, the of £10,000 was raised. what she referred to as ‘nice more she treatments’. The beauty clinic quickly was dependent on referrals from It was at this time that Rachel realised that hospitals such a St Bart’s and the was headhunted to launch the no amount of Chelsea and Westminster. There marketing department for The was a dramatic take off with the Halcyon Gallery on Bruton Street money was referrals growing to about thirty in Mayfair London. It was here going to be a day. It was a tiny clinic and that her love of curating and able to cure demand was huge. It achieved its working with talented artists truly her mother. objective of providing a sanctuary began. Her first major show was for cancer patients to come to. the very talented British artist Rachel is enormously proud of setting up Mitch Griffiths. this charity as it enabled her to give something practical to the community. She has Alongside her daily working life Rachel now left actively working in the clinic but decided to set up a charity called the still continues to raise money for cancer Silver Pearl Trust and continued to hold charities. many fundraising balls in order to raise money for Cancer Research UK and In 2010, having achieved the charity’s Maggie’s Cancer Care Centres in Oxford dream of helping lots of people, Rachel’s and London Charing Cross. The more she love of the art world drew her back in and learnt about cancer, the more she quickly a meeting was held with a managing direcrealised that no amount of money was going to be able to cure her mother or others tor who was keen to discuss ideas. A new flagship gallery, Clarendon Fine Art, was living with the disease. Dealing with the shortly to open on Dover Street and she emotional side of it on a daily basis was at was offered the job of marketing director times really very hard.

Director of Clarendon Fine Art Rachel Simkiss & Sarah, Duchess of York at the private view of The Darwin Series.

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life to set it up from the absolute beginning.

She accepted and has never looked back.

After three years she was appointed the Gallery Director.

Seven years later, the Clarendon group consists of the flagship gallery in Mayfair, five boutique galleries across the South of the United Kingdom and three galleries on Cunard’s Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary 2. One of Rachel’s first challenges in 2010 was to set up the gallery on the Queen Elizabeth and have it ready in time for the maiden voyage.

A year later she flew to Fort Lauderdale to open Clarendon There was on Queen Victoria and a few an amazing months later on Queen Mary 2.

Rachel predominantly oversees all areas of Clarendon Fine Art at their flagship and manages some of their biggest artists including Christian Hook.

Clarendon has twenty six artists under contract. A boutique has opened in Wimbledon and another will open next month in the King’s Road.

painting hung on the wall called ‘The Culprit’.

On closer inspection it was revealed to be a Christian Hook.

Rachel went down to see the exhibition by five Gibraltarian painters in the East End and was impressed, especially by the works of Paul Cosquieri.

Rachel and her husband Ralph in 2012, on a visit to see his grandmother and other members of the Trico family, walked down Irish Town and went in to have look at Dylan’s art shop. There was an amazing painting hung on the wall called ‘The Culprit’. On closer inspection it was revealed to be a Christian Hook.

She is always looking for something new and this was different. Upon returning to London, contact was made with Peter Canessa and a meeting was arranged at Gibraltar House. The upshot was

Ralph Smith, Rachel’s husband whose mother and grandmother were born in Gibraltar.

the Clarendon Fine Arts prize for 2012. The main prize was a year’s contract being managed by Clarendon. There were 143 entries and CEO Helen Swaby and Rachel adjudicated the paintings and twenty were selected for exhibition with Christian declared the winner. His first solo show was in 2013 and the next year he entered and won the Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the year 2014.

der privileged backgrounds in third-world countries. The other cheque for £37,500 was presented to Clare Mathias for her charity the Hummingbird Foundation established in 2014 by the Mathias family. Its objective is to support innovative community action in preventing human trafficking in west Bengal, India. Christian is now off to Bali for three months rest and relaxation and in March flies to Abu Dhabi with the British Polo team.

Christian’s recent sell out solo show The Darwin Series has been a huge success with every painting sold and over £75,000 raised for charity.

The next He decided to give the proyear he ceeds of the sale of a painting entered and to two charities that are very won the Sky close to him and Rachel.

Arts Portrait

Life carries on at a giddy pace for Rachel as no sooner had the Hook exhibition finished she turned her attention to work on the solo show by their Argentinean painter, Fabian Perez.

Christian presented a cheque Artist of the for £37,500 to Sarah, Duchess year 2014. of York for her charity Children in Crisis founded in 1993 and remaining the life president. It is a non-profit organisation aimed at improving the lives of children and women from un-

Director Rachel Simkiss, Christian Hook & Rachel’s sister Caroline du Plessis who is manager of their Whitewall Gallery in York.

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Director of Clarendon Fine Art, Rachel Simkiss & Christian Hook

Director of Clarendon Fine Art Rachel Simkiss & Sarah, Duchess of York at the private view of The Darwin Series.

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scene words | Reg Reynolds

THE LOST ARTIST

Named, but not found: The continued search for C.W.

S

even years ago I went searching for the illustrator of a sketch of the eastern slope of Gibraltar, including The Caleta Palace Hotel, which I had recently purchased. The pen-ink drawing was signed Christopher Wood.

mation with him if he has not discovered it since.”

his prints which I attach to this e-mail for you to see…” So Christopher Wood was the nom de plume for Chris Woodhouse and that explains why I couldn’t find anything about him.

I replied that I was indeed interested and thanked her in advance for any help she could provide. Her next e-mail explained why I had not been able to find the artist In the August, 2010 edition of Gibraltar I had been looking for. “You Magazine I wrote of my search: I found three artists of that name, in I can spent a lot of time looking for the end none fit the time or place, but ‘When I came across a barChristopher Wood and it is such gain-priced sketch of Gibraltar at a the story of my search featured in the definitely a shame that I hadn’t August 2010 edition of Gibraltar car boot sale I didn’t hesitate to buy tell you that read your articles Magazine under the title Three it. The well-crafted illustration was I found the artist Artists named Wood and a sooner to save you the signed Christopher Wood. Intrigued three artists was Chris trouble. I can definitely I went to the internet to seek out Gibraltar Sketch. The matter was of that Woodhouse tell you that the artist forgotten about until I received artists with that name and came name, in the who signed was Chris Woodhouse an e-mail out of the blue in up with three – two were dead but end none fit his work who signed his work August this year. The e-mail one was alive and has a website.’ the time or ‘Christopher Wood’. was from Mrs. Barbara Bingham ‘Christopher of Limerick, Ireland and in part I know this because The living Christopher Wood is a place.

Wood’.

I used to babysit for read: “Through the internet I Scottish contemporary artist who him and his wife when I was stationed in have been able to view two articles by Reg paints abstracts primarily in oils and acrylGibraltar while in the Royal Air Force beReynolds that were published in August ics and told me back then that he defitween 1974 and 1977. Chris was a Flight and September 2010 about his search for nitely did not draw the Gibraltar picture.

Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force and on the artist Christopher Wood. I can tell him The second Christopher Wood, a native who the artist is and I can share the inforone occasion he gave me a gift of three of of Liverpool, had passed through Gibraltar

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scene on his way to Tangier in 1922; the Caleta Palace wouldn’t be built for another forty years. He was a friend of both Picasso and Jean Cocteau but became addicted to opium and in 1930 committed suicide by jumping in front of a train at Salisbury.

He was just 29. The third Christopher Wood was born in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1941 and was a potential candidate for the drawing. A graduate of Cambridge he Senior Aircraftswoman Barbara, wearing summer khaki, in the Gibraltar Control Tower, May, 1974

Barbara Bingham

by Christopher Wood worked for Christie’s Auction House and in 1977 established the Christopher Wood Gallery in London. He died in 2009.

Now, thanks to Barbara, former Senior Aircraftswoman of the RAF, I know that the illustrator of my ‘When I sketch was actually named Chris came across Woodhouse. Unfortunately, after a bargainleaving the RAF she lost contact priced sketch with him and despite research on of Gibraltar the internet I have been unable at a car boot to track him down. If Flt. Lt. Chris sale I didn’t Woodhouse, retired, (or anyone who knew/knows him) would like hesitate to to get in touch I would be very buy it. ‘ grateful.

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by Christopher Wood 51

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art words | Elena Sciatel

BOUND

BY THE BRUSH The tale of 3 friends, 3 different artistic styles, and 1 common interest.

T

hree lifelong friends exhibited their paintings at Sacarello’s last September in a talented display of innovative artwork that, being so diverse in style, meshed well together and reflected not only the multifaceted dynamics of their bond, but also their unique outlook on life.

Young in years but mature in talent, landscapist Beatrice Garcia, portraitist Phoebe Kelly and abstract artist Naomi Purswani let their creative juices flow colourfully in a gallery that reflected on Mediterranean light as seen through their personal filter: the first sublimating cityscape nostalgia, the second exploring close relationships, the third tracing on canvas the sensual dancing of lines and block colours.

Bea-listed heritage The charm of a bygone era and the acknowledgement of the need of preserving

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

of that and so is my own: a visualisation our heritage are two of the reasons that of how passionate and spontaneous I am inspired artist Beatrice Garcia to wander around the Old Town in search of subject about what matters to me.” matters for a series of cityscapes whose common thread is textured light expressed She perfectly captures the inner beauty in a contemporary style. The third and dethat shines through the cracks and the cisive reason is that an exhibition was on flaky paint in old buildings, and with the the artists’ bucket list for a while. use of muted colours and creamy Last September, Bea and her tones she highlights from new She school friends Phoebe Kelly and angles the quaint little corners perfectly Naomi Purswani held a collective we all know from picture-perfect captures of their very different visions of postcards: Prince Edward’s Gate the inner Gibraltar, interpreted as literally from an outbound point of view, beauty as Bea did or as abstractly as her against the flow of traffic to fellow artists’. include the understated sentry that shines post, Parliament’s Lane from Line through Wall Road, and Hospital Steps in Bea, who actually is the sitter the cracks a concertina-like extravaganza of for one of Phoebe’s portraits, and the says that their styles reflect their parallel lines and pastel hues. flaky paint characters: “Phoebe has a vibrant in old personality, expressed in her Her attention focuses on winbuildings. fashion sense and her outgoing dows, doors, ledges, the contrast attitude, while Naomi likes the of textures and the play of light, simple things in life, paired with elegance transforming every blemish into a feature and precision. Their artwork is a reflection to add character and historical value to 53

art

Beatrice Garcia each brick and louver. Sometimes, she zooms in so much that the landmark is no longer recognisable and the focus shifts on the detail of materials coming together in the architectural element in question, like the glass panes and wooden frames encased in stone of an arched window, one of Bea’s best exercises that effortlessly deals with the challenges of reflection and transparency.

If you really love what you do, you must always make it a priority.

tory of art, the challenge is doing it again but in a new way,” she asserts. “I particularly like the tatty look of my subject matters and I opted for that as my signature for this exhibition.

I took dozens of photographs, but only a few were eventually shortlisted to be developed into paintings.”

Self-confessed inspired by Italian medieval painter Giotto, his architectural vision and his choice of colour schemes, Bea’s budding brushstroke – quick, assertive and layered – is reminiscent of Christian Unlike Phoebe and Naomi, who have Hook’s (in fact he was her art teacher in pursued an academic career in history of Comprehensive) and her choice of subject art, Bea studied Business and Finance and matters, palette and through-the-frostedis currently working a full-time job that glass view is akin to award-winning work allows just few snippets for painting. “I had

by Leslie Gaduzo, whom Bea met at life put it aside since comprehensive school drawing sessions. She claims that she is when I painted 25-30 hours per week, but not mimicking them mechanically, rather I believe painting is like riding a bicycle, taking their influence positively and you can comfortably return in her stride to add her original to it after any hiatus. One must ...the voice to the busy production of be fearless with one’s painting: challenge is cityscapes. “Everything has been experiment without fear of doing it done before at this point in hismistakes, because mistakes can again but in always be painted over! However, it isn’t always true that painting a new way. is relaxing: for me sometimes it is frustrating when I have a clear idea in mind and I cannot transpose it on canvas or I don’t have enough time and life gets in the way of creativity. Art always wins at the end, and I like the idea of having a job that affords me financial security and a routine in order to paint freely without the constraints of making a living out of it. Yes, working means I don’t always have time to paint for as many hours as I’d like, but if you really love what you do, you must always make it a priority.”

around the Philippines, Hong Kong and Cambodia before landing in Australia where I au-paired. These were exciting experiences out of my comfort zone which help me mature as a person and opened my mind. I kept a travel journal where I sketched several ideas that I hope to turn into paintings one day, from the view out of my windows, to the Vietnamese woman in typical headdress crouching at the corner of the street selling fresh fruit.”

There is always a new challenge ahead for Bea who is revving to get hands-on with cutting-edge media, quite literally perhaps as she moves into three-dimensionality and the versatility afforded by cardboard:

At just 23, Bea is a well-travelled young woman who has treasured her experiences in the Far East and Australia: “I lived in Hanoi for a while where I was an English teacher, and then I travelled 54

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art “My work is a reflection of me and I’d like to start exploring different media, in a way that makes art like a science experiment, seeing what goes well together and push further the boundaries of the arts.”

painted only sitters I know well, so that I can portray the vibrancy of their personality,” Phoebe says. She works it in layers, either in acrylics or oil pastels, whose silken finish she favours, starting with a sketched outline to trace on paper the focal points of the subject. “I outline thick black strokes, giving the cartoonish feeling, then I stare at the drawing until I start seeing the true colours shining through and I just retrace them, colouring the blocks in.”

Despite the gaudy Gaudí filter and the imaginative paint-by-numbers style, the sitters’ likeness remains striking, and one can instantly tell not only how Phoebe captured their facial features, but also how much colour they add to her life, and how cheerfully she pays it forward. Of course, her first I outline batch of Smarties art wasn’t for thick black sale and each sitter was rewarded strokes, with their own portrait at the end giving the of the show, but Phoebe is availcartoonish able to take commissions, providfeeling, then ing she is afforded a preliminary I stare at interview with the potential the drawing sitters in order to get the vibe of until I start their inner colours.

feat: “I portrayed my dad as a bear, as challenge to myself, and one can really see his feature in the bear face – and more importantly, he loved it.”

She realised at a young age that art was her calling and so she dropped all scientific studies in seeing the Phoebe: colour me friendly school, instead opting for History And what about people she true colours of Art. After her graduation in Portraiture with an outlandish twist, a doesn’t like? Candidly, Phoebe shining 2015, she enjoyed work expericontemporary take on mosaic and stained admits that so far she hasn’t conthrough ences in both London and Hong glass having a play date with cartoons or sidered painting them. “I’ve never Kong, where she worked for a cupcakes sprinkled with nonpareils: this is painted someone I loathed,” she foundation that promotes contemporary the vibrant artistic coming-of-age for artist admits, “but I carried out an exercise with art throughout South-East Asia and met Phoebe Kelly who unveiled her collection someone whose ideas I don’t agree with, plenty of artists she describes as ‘meof paintings of ‘the people she loves’ at a and the final result was dimmer than usual; dium-high range’ who helped refine her group exhibition last September. it didn’t match the neon quality own style. Back in Gibraltar now, she is Co-exhibitors Bea and Naomi are my friends and family inspire It didn’t finding her place in the local art scene, two of the people who sat for me with.” Phoebe also enjoys match the collaborating with galleries in Spain to set her, as did Phoebe’s dad and her painting people in the shape neon quality up exhibitions and dedicating what’s left of siblings, whom she painted as she of animals, but that wasn’t her spare time after her day-job to painting my friends sees them through the kaleidosampled at her exhibition, as and writing. “I write poetry, for personal and family scope of her love. “So far, I’ve she considers it a more intimate Phoebe Kelly

inspire me with.

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art

Naomi Purswani consumption, as a way to unwind and clear my mind before going to bed, a sort of poetic diary.

Over the years, especially while abroad, I put together a collection of limericks and other short poems.”

The real challenge is stripping the object one wants to portray of any flourishes

Naomi: Putting the vase in varsity A debutante in Gibraltar’s busy artistic scene, History of Art student Naomi Purswani reveals: “I had never exhibited my work before, but I am glad I first made my art known in a café, a place where people come to socialise and this offers exposure and makes any artist accessible.”

The recurrent theme throughout this compact but intense show is colour, particularly colour drenched in Mediterranean light. From the soothing hues of the deep blue sea to the pinks of oleander blooms, every line and every twirl screams ‘summer!’ from square canvases where fine lines demarcate and blocks of pure colour arranged in basic shapes, not depleted of plasticity, shine with reinvigorating simplicity.

Contrary to popular belief, abstract work

is not easy, Naomi says, as the real challenge is stripping the object one wants to portray of any flourishes and concentrating solely on the few elements that make it instantly recognisable, without which it would be void of its intrinsic essence. “I wanted to show simple but striking shapes, using little imagery but plenty of colour to transmit the feeling of the object, and furthermore the feeling of light and shadow.

My work is inspired by Gibraltarian light but it doesn’t reproduce any particular place in Gibraltar.” The main feature of her artwork is the vase; a classic shape that has been studied over and over again throughout the centuries, and yet can still yield original ideas and interpretations: “I find it a comforting shape, and a challenging one, as it takes on many permutations but it stays true to itself.”

will eventually go large, but she accepts that smaller art is more affordable, not just because of prices, but especially because virtually everyone would have room to hang it at home, unlike large pictures that belong to spacious art galleries, museums or exotic villas.

Before having a go with acrylics, Naomi was, and still is, a creative tapestry weaver and fabric decorator: “I studied textiles in school and attended Dorcas’s tailoring courses since I wanted to follow that career path, but eventually picked the academic side of fine arts.” Her love for tactile textiles still stands with woven creations that happen to be artwork in their own right; sculptures made of yarn and pictures painted in snippets of material. These haven’t been exhibited as she actually regards them as personal work for her home, but she would consider accepting commissions in the future.

For her first artworks, Naomi chose small sizes with which to express big Mistakes ideas: “Working on small canvas is often more difficult because become proportions are trickier to remore obvious spect, and mistakes become more as onlookers obvious as onlookers don’t need don’t need to to step all the way back to apprestep all the ciate the bigger picture - instead way back to they keep close, noticing any slip appreciate of the brush.” She believes she

the bigger picture

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An admirer of abstract expressionism and Italian painter De Chirico’s ‘dramatic atmospheres’, with this project young Naomi has just scratched the surface, and once she finds her individual style and fine-tunes voice within Millennial artistic currents, a complete solo exhibition is warmly auspicated.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

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photography words | Elena Sciatel

A WORLD OF MOMENTS Life through a lens.

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a handful of points, the spirited streetith an eye for light, amateur life paparazzo reckons her achievements photographer Gerry Viagas graduated as Beginner of within such a short time are impressive, for the Year with flyher swift progress from beginner to advanced in only one year and ing colours last year and recently Eerie earlyher scooping the trophies of Best one of her dramatic shots won morning shot Monochrome, Best Colour and Photograph of the Year at the of cork oaks 2017 Photographic Society’s Best Digital. in the mist autumn exhibition. that evokes The eerie early-morning shot of cork oaks in the mist that “I’ve always been interested in mystifying evokes mystifying tales of dryads photography, but never gave too tales of much thought to pursuing it artisand Game of Thrones’ locations dryads and was taken last autumn in the tically until two years ago when game of Alcornocales: “Driving through I joined the society’s course for thrones’ the nature reserve I saw the fog beginners and started viewing locations. drifting in through the branches the world from a different angle. with the sunlight struggling to I am a competitive person and I enjoy giving my best shot to their regular break through the copper hues, so I had to stop the car, crouch and wait for the right internal competitions, that are strictly moment to immortalise.” themed, and judged by an expert adjudicator,” Gerry tells about her anticipation for the perfect frame to be snapped as well Indeed, Gerry’s infatuation with street to be viewed in print. Having missed the photography screams for plenty of lying in overall title of Photographer of the Year for wait for the perfect frame, the perfect light 58

and natural pose, like a peaceful hunter whose trophies are windows onto the unique moments everyday life is made of.

“Sometimes when I lull around, my husband complains I am wasting our limited time on holiday, but I must wait for the picture in my mind to materialize before my eyes, as I just know it is happening any time now. Occasionally, it just unravels before my very eyes as I happen to be at the right place at the right time, like the one I took in Seville of a young couple kissing under the arches: they were conveniently dressed in black and white, so I decided to make the picture monochrome and there was little or no digital retouching besides discarding the colour information.”

Although she confirms she wouldn’t take photographs of local children without their parents’ consent, two of her best people photos are actually of kids, the first one surprised in the twilight outside a Moroccan hotel while connecting to the Wi-Fi network, with the enthralled GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

photography expression on his cute little face one of a tatty Asian man standing not my strongest suit, unless they are aniThe glowing in the smart-phone outside the glitzy shop window mated with human activity. When I travel screen reflection, while the other of a world-class jeweller, or the somewhere, I always research it first, to be little boy’s one was the result and reward of woman watching the western aware of the best places to visit, the best delicate patient lingering. “Saturday aftertourists pass by in Chaouen, her times of the day and the year to visit them features, noon, Venice Ghetto: a group of candy-cane red apron in vibrant at, and the angles that are most authentic, seen in Jewish little boys in their finest contrast with the indigo walls. because very often a photograph, despite profile, beam Sometimes the shot is taken suits played together, but one being picture-perfect, is too commonplace an angelical sulked in the corner, so I waited without the subject’s acknowland ‘notorious’ as a postcard cliché.” message of for the most intimate pose.” This edgement as their features are trampled picture truly is worth a thousand concealed, but others Taking a sabbatical from the “I strike a words, expressing the solitude of require canvassing for Society this year in order to innocence a festive day, in the contrast bepermission: “I strike a pursue the development of her conversation and acerb tween elegant apparel and weary conversation with my personal style in view of a solo with my desperation. body language, while the little prospective subject,” exhibition, Gerry Viagas is also prospective boy’s delicate features, seen in Gerry says, “so that anticipating her trip to Cambodia subject so profile, beam an angelical message of tram- I can also recount their story and Vietnam and the call of lush that I can pled innocence and acerb desperation. behind the one frame I freeze in rice fields or the play of light and also recount time.” shadow on the rosy stone of the She declares to be a fan of spontaneity, temples’ intricate bas-reliefs. their story hence she wouldn’t pursue fashion phoIn other instances, her enthuSurely her ‘holiday album’ will be behind the tography as her first choice, however she’s siasm can prove risky: “Once I one you will feel excited about one frame got a keen eye for monochrome portraialmost missed my flight to take a being invited over to watch.

I freeze in ture, proven with her highly commended photograph of London Bridge at time.” glamorous portrait of her daughter, bankdusk. I flew to London and while ing on dramatic chiaroscuro and the sapiI waited for the connecting flight, ent use of highlights. “I don’t have a fancy I reckoned I had just about enough time to studio, so I worked on it at home, with the ride the underground to the bridge, surhelp of a black sheet as background, the face, snap the photo and return to airport, curtains drawn and my husband and son but the round trip was made with my heart both pitching in as assistants to shine the leaping in my throat.” All worth a picture light on the model’s face. The adjudicator that is an explosion of neon flashes over a praised it as worthy of the cover violet sky. of a glossy magazine.” On the I don’t other hand, a colour-accented Accomplice to her hobby is her have a fancy character portrait of her uncle passion for globetrotting: “I went studio, so I features a stately biker with his to Canada recently and took worked on handlebar mustache highlighted some 10,000 photos of which it at home, in beetroot red and an arm tattoo only a handful are fit for comwith the help petitions. Landscapes there are elbowing its way to centre stage, both intimidating and captivating of a black breathtaking, although they are in its intense bonhomie. sheet as

background.

She can also work her magic on the dainty and whimsical, like the emotionally-charged white feather close-up on solid black background: “My father had recently passed away when I found this fluffy feather floating around my house in the curved shape of a boat, so I took that photo and treasured it.”

Sometimes nature strikes the pose for her instantly, but more often than not hours of planning and inconvenient timings are necessary, like the day she raised before the sun did, to snap the perfect view of a Venetian dawn: “I marked the spot the previous day and I told myself that it would be splendid at sunrise, so I tiptoed there the morning after at five o’clock and just waited… and it was worth it!”

Telling a story with her photo is paramount, and elderly people are her favourite subjects because of the memories etched in their wrinkled skin, better still if in contrast with the ambientation, like the GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

Photograph of the Year at the 2017 Photographic Society’s autumn exhibition.

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poetry words | Elena Sciatel

MILD WEST

Compassionate cynicism for the sunset of life in Giordano Durante’s poetry

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his ‘delight in the minor pleasures and collection of poetry to be read at Giordano explains, “and it suits the crepusdusk, when the golden glow of cular mood with which the book is imbued. absurdities of life’. sunset is still projecting its indigo There is a sense of longing, ageing and undertones towards the eastern autumnal regret like the sunset described West is also the direction where the good in my westbound promenade parallel to darkness, is being launched this month wind of Giordano’s upbringing blew from: Oxford Street in the title poem.” by media personality Giordano “I spent a good part of my childhood in Durante, under the monosyllabic The book’s common themes are my parents’ home perched on a hill with a The book’s title ‘West’. pessimism, cynicism and someview to the east towards the sea, and the common times misanthropy, as noted by humid levanter wind coming from it, and themes are fellow writer M.G. Sanchez in his the countryside to the west. When the The author says this being the pessimism, back-page review, but these are westerly blew, it brought not only crisp first book he publishes, he went cynicism and presented as a realistic reflection end-of-summer days, but also the refreshfor poetry rather than novel or on life’s vicissitudes. ing scent of the fields.” philosophical treatise (still on his sometimes to-do list) because he has been misanthropy, jotting down impressions and The lingering sticky easterly (the but these are Like sunset is the most poetic time of the day thoughts in a free poetic form for ‘grey fluff’) is the protagonist of There’s presented and tragedy makes the quite a while during the pauses one of his best poems, simply always as a realistic of his busy lifestyle, juggling the most fertile ground for titled ‘Levante’. There’s a sense a shaft of reflection daily running of an online news literary masterpieces, of static oppression in the thick light piercing on life’s according to Giordano, outlet and a young family, and grayness of the mist that the the darkness. orange lights and the bass horns vicissitudes. there’s always a shaft he felt it was time he published of light piercing the them organically. struggle to stab, while ‘filling’ it darkness, if one reads between the lines instead as it lingers over the ‘veiled bay’ to locate the compassionate wink beyond towered by ‘disembodied structures’ of a “West is the title of the longest and the judgmental snub, and one appreciates ‘city shedding its parts’, most of all issuing most ambitious poem in the collection,” 60

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poetry and behaviour on the job and bealongside with the plants’ and the Landmarks hind the scenes, Giordano asks if immortality of the history there he did dream of this as a lifelong retold; ‘Main Street’, a title that become the career and he concludes that cannot miss in any Gibraltarian physical ‘perhaps it’s a job like any other: anthology, retraces the steps of a reference ‘make-up, stretching, yellow clips blind person along the busy thorto meditate on like a city clerk cycling to oughfare, guided only by noises on the three work’, so lamenting the transient and smells; ‘Howl’ is the memento A contemporary philosopher named stages of quality of life compared to a train to the dark period in our history after the Nolan excommunicated monk life ... ride ending in quick duck before that many want to see whiteGiordano Bruno, on whose pyre the entire choo-chooing into the tunnel. washed, the ‘smuggling’ Renaissance was consumed to The poems early Nineties. “It’s an episode of ashes in 1600, our local Giordano our history that marked an entire While most of his UK-inspired poems delivers a variegated sampling spark from generation and, although I was focus on journeys, whether on foot or of his poetic licence in forty-two experiences in my early teens at the time, it by train, the Spanish section is mainly (a subconscious nod to Douglas that the affected me too, and I believe it devoted to religion as the catalysing agent Adams’s famous answer to the author has should be remembered.” of intergenerational gelling. “The ritual is meaning of life, perhaps?) poems treasured all-important here and even an atheist like of various lengths. They are enough to me cannot remain unaffected by its signifLandmarks become the physorganised in four sections, albeit deem them icance, fascination and emotional power.” ical reference to meditate on not named after the cardinal worthy of ‘Folklore’ is about the rehearsals for a the three stages of life and the points, but after the places he’s Semana Santa procession in Cordoba that related stages of solitude that lived: Gibraltar: that could actuelaboration a foreigner mistakes for the circus, as well comes with them: ‘Boulevard’ is ally be identified with the west as the contrast (and similarities) between about getting drunk with teenage friends of the ancient world, Andalusia: the south the nature of the ‘unchaste club’ and the at the bastions that once overlooked the of Europe with its vivid colours and rituals, ‘mock float’ with the ‘blessed Virgin just a bay from Cathedral Square; ‘Mahogany’ Britain: the north with its steely skies and pile of bricks’ in the dead of the night. touches upon the theme of feeling lonely steel trains, and a myriad of places, not in the crowd within the herionly geographical, that constitute a sort Transient tage-rich settings of the Garrison of exotic east to his Proustian memory.

In ‘Margins’, the margins of a secLibrary where a lively reception The poems spark from experiences that ond-hand philosophy book bequality of life is being held, and the introvert the author has treasured enough to deem come the metaphor for the strife compared to struggles to keep up with the them worthy of elaboration, transferring, of a retired miner who lives at the a train ride mindless mingling; ‘Bishop Canilla or hoping to transfer, to the readers, any margins of society, while ‘Tribute’ ending in House’ is about a generation’s emotion stirred in him. is just that: a chunk of prose to quick duck mentality dying down taking its bring to the fore the destitute before chootraditions with, forever lost to who live and die anonymously.

One may wonder how a rationalistic and chooing into their descendants busy treading ‘Foetal Dream’ is about life before self-professed atheist is able to indulge in the boards of a fast-evolving life, already with a sceptical slant the emotional labour of love that poetry the tunnel. society. ‘Ghost Train’ is a melon what is waiting at the end of is, furthermore weaving the profound ancholic poem dedicated to the ‘Carnie’ that tunnel – hence, it is no coincidence religiosity that permeates most of his who passed away last year, and whom that the front cover of Giordano’s book Spanish section: well, both philosophy and many Gibraltarians remember should feature the concrete underpass that poetry are actually two facets Philosophy for his dancing in female clothes, affords access to the Alameda Gardens of the same research into the broom in hand, on the roof of the from Boyd’s Street. human condition, Giordano says, and poetry fairground train: after a somehow the first pivoting on systematic are actually merciless description of his attire arguments to demonstrate given ‘West’ is available at local bookshops priced £8. two facets hypotheses, the latter banking of the same on flourished language, flights of research into fancy and acoustic aesthetics to the human suggest rather than impose an condition. emotion rather than a thought. ‘beads of sweat’ on the eyelids of the ‘waking wives’ of ‘showered’ bin men, whose image of restful fragrant sleep is in sharp contrast with the unmentioned but yet looming stench of fuel-drenched ‘airless morning’.

These poems are in free verse, enjoying the occasional rhyme, alliteration and enjambment, and indeed in English, although Giordano has considered, but not put pen to paper for it yet, writing in Yanito to better express local topics (“Yanito is a fluid vernacular that I sense as too connected to everyday life - I feel it would be artificial to elevate it to a poetic tone”). He muses about even taking the plunge into an epic poem, bathed in bathos, of course.

‘Alameda Interlude’ is a metrically unconventional ode to the botanical gardens as silent witness to his personal circle of life, GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

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– Giordano Durante, West

– Giordano Durante, West

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leisure

words | Nicole Macedo

SEASONAL STOCKHOLM The perfect (snow) storm of culture and Christmas tidings

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faint smell of fresh, warm cinnamon rolls hangs in the crisp air.

It’s dark outside, but it’s always dark outside at this time of year; that’s the magic of Northern Europe. As ever, Stockholm city centre is alight with city folk, in complete disregard of the bitter cold and ever lingering darkness.

The swedes are a sociable bunch, and the weather won’t, by any means, get them down. That’s perhaps one of the reasons that a pre-Christmas trip to the “Capital of Scandinavia”, is an utterly charming excursion for those culture-hungry city enthusiasts.

The Swedes are renowned for their forward-thinking, no-nonsense approach to most aspects of life; from politics to civil rights, working hours, environmentalism, interior design and transport. Spending any amount of time in the vastly uninhabited middle sibling of the Nordics, squeezed between brothers Norway and Finland, will prove that the Scandi approach largely GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

works. Public transport is one area these Whilst all this might seem relatively Swedes have down to almost the impresuninteresting and logistical, some of sive calibre of London’s underStockholm’s central stations are ground system. adorned with local art, from wavy From ceiling frescoes to rocky platform wavy ceiling sculptures and trippy tile art, the Creative metro-polis frescoes underbelly of the city’s subway to rocky is certainly a sight for sore eyes The SL metro is a 24-hour operplatform and more than makes up for the ated system of train lines that run sculptures tedious periods of train waiting. both underground and overand trippy If you every find yourself stuck ground. It covers the majority of in the relatively mighty maze of tile art, the the capital city and its suburban the SL underground system, be outskirts, which are home to underbelly sure to download the Citymapper many of the country’s biggest exof the city’s app to your phone and switch porters. In the context of capital subway is your location to Stockholm. city public transport, it is a relacertainly a The system will direct you to tively cheap way to get around sight for sore your chosen destination via the the vast metropolis. Single tickets eyes. correct train lines, stations and can be purchased for around subsequent linking transporta€2.50 and will get you anywhere tion. This log is your log across the city. Tickets cover you for a period of an hour and a half before you Stockholm is vastly made up of a collection must purchase another single ticket, or top of districts nestled into the east coast of up your pre-payment card. the country, and includes a smattering of 65

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islands separated by estuaries heading to the Baltic Sea. The name Stockholm literally translates to ‘log island’, a name the city adopted in the old Norse legend that dictates how the metropolis was chosen by a log laden with gold that was set afloat in search of new capital city, after the former became corrupt and overrun with immoral business.

Saunter down the windswept, winding, cobbled streets of Gamla Stan in the old town for an afternoon of festive shopping

Stockholm’s most aesthetic feature is undoubtedly its Archipelago. A blissfully romantically sight, particularly in the crisp and clear winter light, it is home to 30,000 mini islands and an incredible host of natural surroundings and untouched

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flora and fauna. That’s perhaps Gamla Stan in the old town for an afterSweden’s best attribute overall, noon of festive shopping at the Christmas markets and quaint tourist boutiques, and most excitingly, it’s located a which very much seek to exploit the very short distance from the city Western world’s deep-rooted centre. Accessible by boat, island hopping the love for Finnish author and artist The central perfect pre-Christmas Tove Jansson’s ‘Moomin’ characsquare, pastime for the lovers of ters. The Moomin troll family are usually well loved across Scandinavia, the outdoors. Boating brandishing and tourists from far and wide is favourite activity blooming amongst the Swedes, can rejoice in being able to snag all the necessary Moomin although more common cherry paraphernalia from many of the in the summertime. blossom quirky old town shops. trees,

Gamla Stan Saunter down the windswept, winding, cobbled streets of

transforms into an outdoor ice skating rink.

If there is one word to learn before visiting Sweden, it’s fika.

Loosely translated to ‘time for coffee’, fika is a very Swedish trait that calls for a pause in the bustling day to day of life to enjoy a coffee and cake with the people around you. Fika happens a number of times throughout the day and is the absolute perfect excuse for escaping the bitter and wintry chill of the December air. With the festive period comes a host of accompanying coffee flavours, and a myriad of perfectly iced Swedish delicacies. The centrally located Gamla Stan (literally translated to old town) is the ideal stop for fika, particularly within the central courtyard of Stortorget that is home to the Swedish Academy and beautifully ornate Alfred Nobel museum. In the run up to Christmas, Stortorget transforms into a festive market hub of artisan delights. The epicentre of rich and historic culture, Gamla Stan is linked by way of bridges to the city’s Norrmalm and Södermalm districts.

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The original city centre dates back to the 1300s and is rife with medieval and gothic architecture. The Swedish parliament building, Riksdagshuset can be found in the midst of the cobbled centre. A mishmash of neoclassical and gothic design, the circular building is home to the eight parliamentary parties that devise Swedish law.

The front-facing façade is notably more classical and noble in architectural style,

whilst the assembly house, facing West Stockholm, has a distinctly newer design.

The Royal Palace is also located in the city’s medieval heart. Open to the public, the beautifully baroque structure quite frequently hosts public displays and stately ceremonies. The Royal Family’s place of work is guarded by a host of The Royal Guards who protect the celebration palace round the clock. Within comes with the building the its own public is welcome unique fika to peruse the offering, Treasury with the often made regalia, the Tre up of ginger Kronor Museum snaps and that portrays the sweet, palaces medieval history and Gustav saffronIII’s Museum of flavoured Antiquities. buns and

on. Deemed one of the most spectacular displays in Europe, the lights are made of environmentally friendly materials and energy-saving LED technology.

The ceremony is carried out on November 25th in the buzzing Drottninggatan district.

During the winter the central Kungsträdgården square, usually brandishing blooming cherry blossom trees, transforms into an outdoor ice skating rink. mulled wine Further North is Bordered by very hip and relathe vibrant theatre tively wallet friendly bars, Kungsträdgården and shopping district of is always throbbing with activity. For Norrmalm, bustling with hip distinctly cheap eats, and to counter all the restaurants and shopping calories burned skating, pop into Sweden’s centres. Towards the end favourite centre of culinary excellence: its of the November the city’s local chain of fast food restaurants, Max Christmas lights are turned Burger.

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travel is a relative epicentre of Nordic education with myriad museums located within its confines, including the ABBA museum, the Nordic Museum, and the world’s oldest open-air museum, Skansen, which also hosts an annual Christmas market that draws in tens of thousands of market revellers from across the globe. As you saunter around the park, be sure to keep an eye out for the current home of Swedish Prince Carl Philip and wife Princess Sofia, called Blockhusudden.

The wonder of Max burger Max Burger is special for a whole host of reasons, not least for its impressive selection of vegetarian and vegan options, but also because it encourages the country’s arguably most positive attribute: the Swedes’ love of dips. Seriously. Max Burger has the biggest offering of accompanying sauces possibly ever of any fast food joint.

Don’t be afraid to tap on each and every one of the offerings on the very efficient, self-service ordering system, they are all wholly delicious. For a more traditional Swedish meal, be sure to check out any of the more authentic eateries in the area. Be warned, however, that even at Christmas, much of the Swedish diet is made up of cold buffet style foods, famously dubbed the smorgasbord. The feast involves a vari-

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ation of smoked fish and meat dishes and salads, generally paired with sour cream or mustard, and dill. They do love their dill.

After lunch, head east on the tram to the much more tranquil island of Djurgården to take in its breath-taking surroundings.

Home to a friendly pack of free roaming deer, across the water is the district’s theme park Gröna Lund, which opens in the late spring but is closed for the duration of the winter months.

In the pre-Christmas weeks, the idyllic woodland island is more than likely to be snow laden, transforming it into a veritable winter wonderland. Djorgården

Home to a friendly pack of free roaming deer, across the water is the district’s theme park Gröna Lund,

Escape the evening cold in Slussen, the trendiest downtown hotspot for Swedish nightlife.

Be wary that whilst drinks are expensive, they are also strong, and Swedes are known for being a particularly revelling bunch. The Södra Teatern and Mosebacke, the city’s oldest theatre, offers

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an expansive roof terrace that although might not be ideal for the wintry chill of December, is an obligatory stop off on any Stockholm pub crawl, just to gaze upon the charming city and take in its vastness.

What’s particularly striking about Sweden is its expansive physical space and very small human population of just over nine million (interestingly the same size as the population of the city of London). During the daylight hours Slussen doubles as a fashionable shopping district, rife with very minimalist and Scandinavian boutiques covering the famous interior design and fast fashion movements.

Lovely Lucia In Scandinavia Christmas is typically celebrated on the 24th December with evening present opening and a buffet dinner with family, followed by much schnapps consumption and very jolly sing-

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In agrarian Sweden, young ing. The annual candlelit Lucia The annual procession on 13th December people used to dress up as Lucia is utterly unmissable for those figures (lussegubbar) that night candlelit and wander from house to house seeking the utmost Swedish Lucia Christmas experience. Lucia is singing songs and scrounging for procession food and schnapps. Stockholm is an ancient mythical figure with is utterly rife with Lucia celebrations, from an abiding role as a bearer of unmissable classic church concerts, to the light in the dark Swedish winters. for those Djurgården, Skansen stage, at Every year, a ‘Lucia’ is chosen on seeking which tourists will be able to folnational television whilst many low the tradition through its vast local communities declare their the utmost history and see how the holiday own darling light of Christmas.

Swedish The biblical Lucia is said to have has changed over time.

Christmas been Adam’s first wife, as well as experience referencing St Lucia of Syracuse, Whether it’s beautiful buildings a martyr who died in 304. Of or beautiful people, Stockholm course, the Lucia celebration comes with sets the bar high for wintry weekends of its own unique fika offering, often made culture and tradition. The stunningly hisup of ginger snaps and sweet, saffron-flatoric city will deliver a relaxing and wholly voured buns (lussekatter) and mulled wine. festive jultide experience, with a blanket of Perhaps the most romantic element of the crisp white snow almost a certainty for the Lucia tradition is the magical adornment of season. candles, particularly worn by the children.

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fashion words | Julia Coelho

FESTIVE FROCKS The fashion trends to expert this Christmas.

Foil High Neck Mini Dress TOPSHOP £46

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t’s nearly that time of the year again!

Time for the famed Christmas Eve boozy lunches, and debaucherous Main Street rampages. And whether you’ve promised yourself you wouldn’t or not, let’s face it, I’m sure I’ll be seeing you all in Dusk. Then it’s the frenetic family-filled Christmas lunches followed shortly by one of the most highly anticipated nights of the year, New Year’s Eve. Without a doubt, the latter 2 weeks of this month will require more outfits than any other time of the year (bar wedding season, of course).

December may be the most exciting month with regards to It’s pretty fashion, because it allows you much the only to go a little overboard without time of year anyone raising so much as an that you’re eyebrow. It’s pretty much the given full only time of year that you’re license to pull given full license to pull out all out all the the stops. Even if that’s not your bag, and you’re more of a low-key stops. dresser, I’m sure there will still be one or two occasions which will call for a slightly fancier look than your typical every day.

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E.L.K Relaxed Shawl Coat In Teddy Faux Fur ASOS £65

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

fashion

Faux Fur Coat in Leopard Print ASOS £75

Ruffle Wrap Mini Dress ASOS £25

River Island Pearl Embellished Yoke Top ASOS £35

But New Year’s Eve is now less than 4 weeks away, and I’ve really got to get my affairs in order. You may have noticed that satin and sequins have been having a major moment as of late: they’re all over the high street. This year feels a little more fun and less formal than other years, and I’m embracing it with open arms. While you may already have a fixed idea of what you’re planning on wearing for any upcoming events, I’ve explored some ideas below that may just get your brain ticking, or even sway you in another direction.

The right jacket I don’t know about you, but I really struggle to find coats that succeed in complementing my laboriously thoughtout party looks. More often than not, they tend to just throw off my entire outfit and look chunky and out of place. Enter faux fur coats: a new festive favourite! To be honest, I don’t really care if they ever go out of trend, as I think I’ll be sporting fluffy coats until the end of time regardless of what the fashion gurus have to say about it. With the vast selection of faux They’re fur pieces on the high-street right absolutely now, you can embrace the look with a clear conscience too. perfect to

throw over a dress for a classy look, or equally to dress up a cute knit and pair of skinnies.

Deeper colour palettes seem to be in this year; rich autumnal tones like burgundy, which would look absolutely stunning with any black or metallic dress. They’re absolutely perfect to throw over a dress for a classy look, or equally to dress up a cute knit and pair of skinnies: it’s a win-win situation either way. The most important thing, after looking good of course, is it will keep you warm!

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fashion Slinky silky satins

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I’ve been seeing a lot of satin pieces everywhere and I’m loving them, but to be honest, I’m just not sure if I can pull them off. This season is mostly about gorgeous midi wrap dresses, but there are also a plethora of shorter frocks available that are sure to please many of you.

Muted Floral Print Maxi Dress TOPSHOP £100

I’m particularly inspired by 1920’s styles, which of course were heavily saturated by silks and Once chiffons, so I love the idea potentially of wearing a Gatsby style considered flapper dress. I don’t need an tacky, this excuse, guys. It’s New Years!

Sequins

year if you’re donning some sparkle, you’ll be bang on trend.

I’m sure you’ve noticed that glitter and sequins have had a bit of a comeback this year.

Once potentially considered tacky, this year if you’re donning some sparkle, you’ll be bang on trend. If you prefer to keep it minimal in the outfit department but still want to make a statement, maybe opt for a pair of embellished shoes for that much-needed pop of festive glam.

And speaking of embellishments, pearls are having a huge moment too, so expect to see masses of pearl-covered pieces this next month.

Long Sleeve Maxi Dress by YAS Sequinned High Heel Slingback Shoes ZARA £69.99

TOPSHOP £130 River Island Pearl Embellished Yoke Top ASOS £35

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Crop Top Thigh Split Maxi Dress ASOS £58 Spice Jewel Embellished Perspex Stiletto Heels in Nude Patent PUBLIC DESIRE £44.99

Drape Satin Maxi Dress ASOS £65

Ruffles Are you a fan of the ruffle? Whether we like them or not, ruffles have been a huge trend this year, but they don’t necessarily have to stop at casual. It has to be said, the high street has totally nailed it. From firm favourites like Zara, to Topshop and Mango, I guarantee that you will find a ruffle that you can work with for any occasion.

Maxi Dresses The good old maxi dress will always have a place in my heart. No matter how many times I say I’m finally going to opt for something out of my comfort zone, there’s always a stunning maxi dress waiting to lure me back in. But just because you opt for a maxi, doesn’t mean that you need to go for the “typical” New Years vibe like a bodycon dress with lace and fishtails. Have you ever considered long flowy sleeves or even a brighter colour? You really can’t beat them; they’re so appropriate for the occasion, and easy to dress up or down.

I’m not planning on wearing one Have this year (though don’t hold me to it), but you can be sure that you ever I will have total dress envy for considered anyone who is. long flowy

sleeves or even a brighter colour? You really can’t beat them.

Iridescent Sequin Mesh Top Forever 21 £20 GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

It baffles me how much, not only fashion can change from one year to the next, but also my opinions about it. I’m pretty sure I was dead set against anything sparkly last year, and thought that maxi dresses were all life had to offer. This year, however, I’ve finally accepted a little bit of sparkle into my life and am truly excited for all the gorgeous pieces on the high street. Whatever you choose to wear, the most important thing is having fun with it - nothing is off-limits!

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New prices you’ll love this Christmas Wrap up this Christmas with our warm and stylish knitwear

LEGGINGS £17. 50, JUMPER £35 74

MARKS & SPENCER GIBRALTAR, 215B MAIN STREET GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

life words | Sophie Clifton-Tucker

THE SCIENCE OF SMELL My Two Scents. What’s our favourite scent on the Rock?

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A standard day will see us breathe approxt must have happened to you before. make you feel a sudden rush of nostalgia, imately 23,040 times, processing around A familiar scent winds its way up you sadness, or perhaps even fear. nostrils and instantly transports you 438 cubic feet of air. With every breath, back in time. Suddenly, you’re 4 years our nasal cavities fill and subsequently With all this knowledge tucked under their flood our olfactory centre, triggering an old, standing in front of a bonfire on the belts and up their crisp white sleeves, 4th November, enveloped by the intoxicat- emotional response. So how does it work? scientists have been able to get fragrancThe very clever protuberance in ing, musky smoke. Next, the sweet, sticky es down to a... well, science. smell of bubble gum takes you the middle of your face, You can’t take an innocent What A standard back to the time your friend your nose, is responsible stroll down one of the aisles we smell for effectively ‘translating’ Alex managed to smuggle some in Morrisons without being day will see like can play the various daily scents we Hubba Bubba into class during bombarded by laundry deterus breathe some part encounter into emotions middle school, and you sat at gent brands professing “the approximately in shaping and feelings. The science-y the back mischievously chewing best night’s sleep you’ve ever 23,040 our identity, away. And then… there’s that term for this is ‘transduchad!” thanks to a new blend times, if only for tion’. Transduction takes scent. The unforgettable, unforof essential lavender oils, or processing a pinch of sound, light or giving and undeniable redolence a body wash that will “invigthe people around smell, converts them, and of your first love. As French orate and energise you, even around adds a dash of chemical philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre 438 cubic on a Monday morning!” due us. states: “When we smell another’s neurotransmitters to elicit to a splash of peppermint feet of air. body, it is that body that we are an emotional reaction. The extract (good luck with that olfactory sector of the brain is where the breathing in through our mouth and nose, one, Radox). Or how about that perfume, magic happens; it is directly connected to that we possess instantly, as it were in its perfect for the lady in your life and “guarthe amygdala (emotions), the hippocampus most secret substance, its own nature. Once anteed to turn heads” with its heady mix of (memory) as well as other multisensory inhaled, the smell is the fusion of the other’s fruity plum, dark vanilla and musk? body and my own.” regions. This is why a certain scent might GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

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life Apply with precision Do you ever associate a person with a bottle, price tag, and the scent’s staying particular fragrance? What we smell like power.

Science dictates that fragrance should can play some part in shaping our identity, be applied to specific places on your if only for the people around us.

Colognes and Toilettes usually have a conbody which are, in increasingly But what makes us choose one centration of around 5 to 10% essential weird order: neck, wrists, ankles, If particular scent over another? oils, and are perfect for summer due to behind the ears and… behind the something The various olfactory groups can their dominant top notes. Because they knees. be divided into 4 main groups for is telling are of a lower concentration, they can the purpose of perfumery: Floral, be frequently reapplied. Eau de you that Producing the perfect Oriental, Woody and Fresh. Each Parfums are more noticeable for scent is too This perfume is all in the of these sections has subsections their middle notes. These frasickly, or the makes sense blending. Think of the which then slightly overlap. To grances are perfect for spraying other is too given our end product as one of choose a scent that’s right for on top of clothes or hair for a heavy, you’re Beethoven’s symphoproximity to you, follow these handy tips. fairly long-lasting scent, thanks to nies; just as a piece unlikely to Morocco and a mix of over 15% oils. (However, of music is composed change your our history be careful with delicate fabrics as of many notes, so is Always buy your fragrance they might stain.) Perfumes conmind once of Italian a fragrance. The ‘top in the morning tain the highest concentration of you get settlers... notes’ (notes de tete) of oils at up to 25%, and therefore A day’s worth of different scents home and a fragrance initially draw only a small amount is needed. are bound to get all up in your unbox it. you in, or turn you off. Most They are a beautiful chorus of all 3 notes nose and overwhelm those commonly these include tangy that are released slowly over time. sensitive sensors. Best to shop or citrus smells, herbs or light fruits and for the perfect scent before the smell of berries. The ‘middle notes’ (notes de coeur), coffee and croissants, or your colleagues’ Favourite scents vary across countries and also known as the heart notes, are the cultures. Supposedly, the French favour perfumes and colognes assault your noswell-rounded scents that linger for longer trils. One company who knows all the ins dark, spicy, statement scents than the top notes. This can be a whereas in the Middle East, and outs of the fragrance business is local combination of aromatic flowers Delta where fragrant teas are abundant perfumery Star of India. They lent us some such as rose and jasmine, someAirlines is and the air is thick with incense, professional advice just in time to help times infused with spices such as woody notes are popular. But you choose that specific scent for a loved infusing cinnamon, nutmeg or cardamom. what about Gibraltar? A small one’s Christmas gift: “When trying many its cabins Finally, the ‘base notes’ (notes de survey of the Rock’s favourite different perfumes, they may all start to smell with a fond). These are the notes you’re the same. Most perfume counters have little left with once the others have lavendernet bags of coffee beans hidden away. Ask evaporated. The lasting impresandfor one if you want. It’s to clear the nostrils sion. You may recognise some chamomile during episodes of nose fatigue. The idea is of these tones as cedarwood, scent called that you take a whiff of coffee and you can sandalwood, vanilla, patchouli go on to the next scent.”

Calm. or musk.

Trust your senses. Literally

It’s the job of a master perfumer, also known as a “nose” (no If something is telling you that scent is too points for creativity there) to sickly, or the other is too heavy, you’re carefully select essential oils unlikely to change your mind once you from the tete, coeur and fond get home and unbox it. Spray onto one of and gently blend them together the shop-provided paper tester before mixing with sticks from a short distance, These alcohol. In descending ‘shake it like a polaroid picture’ are the notes order, the fragrance and let it settle for a few minutes with the highest conyou’re before making a firm decision. centration of essences left with (Fun fact: these little paper strips is: Perfume, Eau de once the are known in French as ‘mouilParfum, Eau de Toilette others have lettes’, which is also their name and Eau de Cologne. for the soldiers that you dunk evaporated.

Unsurprisingly, this is in your runny egg.) Star of India The lasting usually reflected in advises us: “When using blotting impression. the size of papers, wait until the fragrance is the completely dry before smelling it.

Allowing the perfume to dry will give it time for all of the notes to develop.”

Use the season as your reason Summer usually calls for a lighter, fresher, fruitier scent, whereas woody, warm scents are perfect for winter. But again, this is all down to your personal sense of smell.

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Chanelches No. 5egIrnoom of L GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

life scent (not the wrestler) showed a strong lean towards the Oriental category, which includes smells like musk, amber, cinnamon and Oud. What the Oud is that? I hear you ask. Oud is a sensual, sweet, woody, aromatic oil that is often used as a base note.

This makes sense given our proximity to Morocco and our history of Italian settlers, as they too favour this note. If you’d like to get your hands on one of these fragrances, try Jo Malone’s ‘Oud & Bergamot’ Cologne or ‘Oud Wood’ Eau de Parfum by Tom Ford.

And with this, I leave you the amusing results.

Delta Airlines is infusing its cabins with a lavender-and-chamomile scent called Calm. ‘The Week’ asked its readers to come up with a better name to match “the ambience of the packed economy cabin.”

“Claustrophobique” – C. Pocali

“Eau the Humanity” – S. Meyer “Giorgio’s Arm-on-me” – W. Etheredge “Chanel No. 5 Inches of Legroom” – A. King

“Mist Connection” – C. Berkowitz

1 0 8 M A I N S T R E E T, G I B R A LTA R

1 0 0 - 1 0 2 M A I N S T R E E T, G I B R A LTA R

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MAYFAIRONMAIN

Gibraltar’s luxury hair salon experience where quality & service matter On 6th April 2017 amidst much surprise and excitement Mayfair On Main opened its doors for its VIP launch with its guest of honour the Chief Minister, Hon Fabian R Picardo QC MP officially inaugurating the luxuriously and strikingly designed French renaissance meets Italian decadence styled salon.

hair range. Ensuring that the individuality and level of excellence Mayfair On Main strives for extends to its colour range Sarah and Pauline carefully selected Alfaparf Milano, the luxury Italian colour brand which promises to be healthier for the hair and scalp and which offers some revolutionary products within its range.

The VIP launch was well attended

by Ministers as well as the Department of Education, GBC and the local press all keen to be the first to experience what would become the salon that awakens the Gibraltar Hair Industry, taking new steps to revolutionise the market. Mayfair On Main’s grand launch took place the following day with doors opening to its first clients on Tuesday 11th April.

Mayfair On Main is dedicated to education within the Hair and Beauty sector which starts in salon where its Apprentice stylist team are learning on the job at the same time as following a classroom style of learning provided by Head of Education Pauline Olivera.

The brain child of entrepreneur Sarah Carreras and Master Stylist and City and Guilds qualified Educator Pauline Olivera, Mayfair On Main seeks to offer a luxury hair salon experience never seen before in Gibraltar with the focus on quality of service being as important as the end result achieved by only qualified and experienced stylists. The salon offers different levels of stylist, from Apprentice Stylist through to Creative Director which is a typical approach in high end UK hair salons but one which had not been implemented in Gibraltar. The service fee depends on the level of experience and expertise from the stylist level you select, with the service fee for an Apprentice stylist being much lower than the regular market rate and the service fee of Creative Director being the highest fee to correspond to the

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Chief Minister Fabian Picardo inaugurating Mayfair On Main at the VIP launch 6th April 2017, Left to right Sarah Carreras, Chief Minister The Hon Fabian Picardo QC MP, Pauline Olivera

expertise and knowledge of the stylist.

Mayfair On Main are keen to ensure that whilst their service remains at A1 salon level, the experience should be affordable to all and hence the different levels of stylists allows this to be achieved.

The salon uses only professional hair care ranges and are proud to have exclusivity for Olaplex, the revolutionary hair treatment that has taken the USA and UK by storm and is set to do the same in Gibraltar. Olaplex repairs the bonds which become damaged through colour services and heat treatments. Sarah and Pauline were keen to offer only luxury products to ensure the best client experience and were happy to be able to secure a deal with Estee Lauder to gain exclusivity on their Bumble & Bumble luxury

The salon has been created to ensure that the apprentices can see a clear career pathway within the hair industry and have a clear goal to strive towards.

Pauline and Sarah are working closely with the Department of Education on Gibraltar’s first Hair Academy which will launch within the next two years.

The name ‘Mayfair On Main,’ encapsulates the touch of London magic that Carreras and Olivera have bought to Gibraltar and reflects the fact that its Creative Director started her hair career in Mayfair as did our Designer Simon London. Mayfair On Main (Street) also offers a play on words which can be read as Mayfair On ‘Mane’ and clearly emphasises the London style and standard the salon offers its clients.

Within the first six months Mayfair On Main became fully booked with regular appointments needing to be booked up to 2-3 weeks in advance such was the

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

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demand for the service. Local clients who used to fly to UK to ensure that they received their chosen hair style can now have their hair done much closer to home. The spotlight remained firmly on Mayfair On Main when they were selected to do the hairstyles for the filming of the ITVBe TV show, The Real Housewives Of Cheshire. The cast and crew were so happy with the involvement of the Mayfair On Main Team that they made the team part of the storyline within the two episodes shot in Gibraltar, so not only did the team experience celebrity hairdressing but they also made their debut appearance on TV. Sarah and Pauline are proud to have been able to achieve their goals so quickly and

attain a level of excellence which ensures clients rebook on their first visit. They are also pleased to have seen an increase in the level of service offered by local salons which was a clear strategy to ensure that there are other suitable salons within Gibraltar in which to place our apprentices and students as they become young stylists. With expansion on the cards and some exciting developments coming soon, the future looks bright for Mayfair On Main...

Gibraltar’s luxury hair salon experience where quality and service matter

Celebrity hairdressing for the cast of ITVBe’s The Real Housewives Of Cheshire. Star of the hit show, Dawn Ward, styled by Designer Simon Landon with Apprentice Stylist Niclas Ott

In house education and training at Mayfair On Main with Head of Education Pauline Olivera

MOM For more information or to enjoy the Mayfair On Main experience, call the salon on 00350 20075913 286 Main Street, Gibraltar, GX11 1AA • info@mayfaironmain.gi • www.mayfaironmain.gi

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wine words | Andrew Licudi AIWS

GREAT WINES GREAT CHRISTMAS Surrounded by friends and family there is no better time of the year to expand our wine horizons. This month we touch on some of the best wine regions to complement our favourite Spanish wines.

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vineyards became part and parcel of the taste. Relatively easy to find in Gibraltar. any years ago, when the Look out for 2009 or 2010 considered the English realm and its wine for more than Crusades against Islam were best vintages of recent times. ongoing and the Moors still three centuries became English wines. ruled Granada, a girl named Then, as it is today, quality would have been variable; because of their general Eleanor became one of the most powerBordeaux whites can also offer lots of family likeness the reds were known as ful and wealthiest women in Europe. Her drinking pleasure. The best tend to be Clarets (and still are to father the Duke of Acquitaine blends of Sauvignon Blanc and died, leaving his only daughter this day).

Semillon and even modest exEven Meursault his lands and wealth making her amples can provide real finesse modest is blamed Many consider the the most sought-after prize in the and complexity something that examples for turning wines of Bordeaux known world. The king of France neither of the grape varieties can exhibit a casual wine to have no equal and Louis VII thought she was too seem to manage on their own. It’s typical cigar drinkers into today Bordeaux can valuable a prize to leave to some a pity many wine drinkers would box or pencil wine geeks, foreign prince and so married her offer excellent value for never consider white Bordeaux shavings so beware. money. Other than the himself, and there his troubles a wine which can exhibit an top-classed growths started. It is said she made his understated elegance rarely aroma and Like Lafite or Mouton Rothschild life unbearable and eventually seen in exuberant New World or Spanish taste. collected like gold or shares, in 1152 divorced her. Eleanor Sauvignon Blancs. did not waste much time and most producers there are having soon married Henry who a year later was a tough time and there has never been The Rhône Valley in France is another a better time to try their wines. The reds made Henry II King of England. It was at region worth exploring. There are two distend to be made from the classical blend Bordeaux that their two sons John and tinct areas: the warmer Southern Rhone, of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and Richard (the Lionheart) were both born and the much-acclaimed Northern Rhone even modest examples can exhibit a typito become Kings of England in their turn. where the cooler climate can produce It was thus that Bordeaux and its famous cal cigar box or pencil shavings aroma and tiny quantities of extraordinary wines

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

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wine capable of challenging top Bordeauxs and Burgundies. Northern Rhone wines like Cote Rotie or Hermitage are rarely approachable young and consequently mostly confined to those wine geeks willing to wait decades before opening. The South is a different story. Here Mediterranean-type climate produces voluptuous, spicy red wines in significant quantities. Chateauneuf du Pape being the best-known example and the grape par excellence here is Grenache. Look out for the emblematic, embossed glass bottles of Chateauneuf du Pape.

make the best they can. Chianti with its relatively high acidity and nuances of dusty black cherries seem to complement beautifully Italian dishes such as authentic Carbonara made with pepper-cured pigs cheeks and aged Pecorino. Look out for Chianti by Antinori. (I once brought two

There can be no Punch without Judy and we cannot leave France without mentioning Burgundy. The world’s most complex wine region has the simplest allowable grape list - Chardonnay for whites and Pinot Noir for reds. Here the finest expression of both grape varieties in the world is made. They are never blended. For whites try Chablis or Meursault both available locally. Meursault, more than any other wine, is blamed for Riesling – turning casual wine drinkers into perhaps the wine geeks, so beware. Typical only wine to bottles from Rome only to disflavours of Meursault are tropical complement cover they were available here in fruits particularly pineapple. a curry.

Gib at a much-reduced price!)

Burgundian Pinot is slightly trickier. It can be expensive with no Barolo made from the Nebbiolo grape guarantee that the quality will reflect the used to be described as ‘Tar and Roses’ price. Caveat Emptor! due to the heavy nature of the wine and the decades it needed before it became Germany remains, in the mind of most approachable. These day Barolo can be consumers, as the origin for cheap drunk much younger and its light ruby sugary wines (think Liebfraumilch). This colour givers little indication of the potenis a wonderful state of affairs for wine tial for great complexity. Top producers enthusiasts who, knowing better, can like Conterno are highly sought after and still buy world class wines at reasonable go for eye watering prices. More modest prices. Riesling is king here and many wine examples at very reasonable prices can be writers, myself included, would consider found here. Definitely worth a try. a well-aged Riesling from a top producer as their Desert Island Wine. Riesling Lebanon might not be a region which with the counter play of high acidity and residual sugar can be sublime and complex. comes to mind when talking about fine wine. Yet one producer there has managed Global warming seems to be making great to carve an important niche in the minds vintages the norm rather than excepof the savvy consumer over the tion. Perhaps the only wine to Chocolate, last few decades. Chateau Musar complement a curry. Look out for from the Bekaa Valley is now the black eagle symbol. No eagle tobacco, firmly an iconic wine. Because and you will probably be buywood and of the height of the vineyards, ing a bulk cheap wine. JJ Prum, dark fruits the climate there is reckoned to available locally, is considered a all come be on a par with Bordeaux, and top-notch producer. Don’t expect to mind.

Cabernet Sauvignon grows well German Rieslings to be bone dry!

Polished, there. Famous wine critics such smooth and as Michael Broadbent was hugely We leave France and move on impressed with Chateau Musar to Italy. Perhaps the best-known powerful. and rated their wines equal in wine here is Tuscany’s pride and quality as some very famous names in joy: Chianti. Like German Rieslings Chianti France. The wine tends to be very dark, suffered from over production sending concentrated in nose as well as flavour. millions of gallons all over the world to Chocolate, tobacco, wood and dark fruits quaffed in trattorias everywhere. Chianti all come to mind. Polished, smooth and has made great efforts since, cutting back powerful. This wine will certainly engender yields and encouraging small producers GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

lively conversation at you Christmas dinner table. Production of the wine continued throughout Lebanon’s Civil War and some reckon the wines have an unmistakable whiff of stray bullets. Available here or across the way in specialist shops. Expect to pay around £25 a bottle.

No wine article would be complete at this time of year without mentioning sparkling wines. Prosecco, Cava, Champagne and English Sparkling wines all available here.

Proseccos and Cavas are inexpensive wines ideally suited to be drunk on their own at parties or receptions. Champagnes and English Sparkling wines are best appreciated with food. Try these with Scottish smoked salmon, brown bread and butter and a good slice of lemon.

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WINTER TALE

BY THERESE CARUANA

Bianca was tired walking home from work on Christmas Eve. She had lost her Christmas spirit after her grandmother had died five years ago, and now hated that her way home through the city square was filled with the smell of chestnuts, the sound of Christmas wishes and her sight tainted with Christmas trees, candy canes and baubles. Her colleagues had already called her a Grinch three times today. Her mother had also called her twice to ensure she was coming tomorrow.

As she loomed into the square an elderly woman waved her down. She handed Bianca a little box.

She wished for Bianca to help her deliver it to the penultimate door inside Lake Mansion. The large house was remotely situated and no one had witnessed anyone’s presence there for decades. It was an odd request, yet Bianca hoped this could be her excuse for arriving late at her mother’s house and miss some of the madness.

The following morning, Bianca pranced down to the Mansion and knocked on the door. There was no answer. The door was open so she poked her head in and shouted ‘Hello!’ No one answered.

The entrance was confusing with a staircase that lead straight up to the next floor, and finished by leading into a wall. There was nothing else in the hall except for a door: ‘No. 1’. She entered and found another room with a sole pedestal in the centre. On the pedestal there was a single chocolate. It was her favourite, a crisp chocolate coating with hazelnut filling. She looked around in the room. It had no rugs on the wooden floorboards, no tapestries on the walls and no windows. Was it here she was to

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deliver the gift? Eventually she couldn’t resist consuming the chocolate and as she did another door appeared: ‘No. 2’. Bianca felt slightly frightened, yet more curious and entered through the second door. There was a glamorous dress hanging from a clothes hanger in the middle of the room. She quickly changed into it. Door ‘No. 3’ appeared. There was matching jewellery. Door ‘No. 4’ had a hairdresser’s chair that styled her hair fit for a party. Door ‘No. 5’, shoes, door ‘No. 6’, bag, and a look in the mirror behind door ‘No. 7’ applied her make-up. Through door ‘No. 8’ she had to top the star on a Christmas tree, door ‘No. 9’ place gingerbread men into an oven. Door ‘No 10’ through to door ‘No 22’ presented a variety of Christmas activities her grandmother used to do with her. Her heart was filled with happy, holiday feelings, which she hadn’t felt since she was a child as she carried each of them out.

Door ‘No. 22’ had a photo of her grandmother on it. It was a beautiful photo that reminded her of joy. She really missed her. Behind the next door she found bags of presents with her family’s nametags on. Stunned, as she opened into room 24 she found her childhood crush Kevin, who had to move away from her when young.

He asked for the gift the old woman had given Bianca. He kneeled and opened the box to display a gorgeous ring. He slid it onto Bianca’s finger and then he 24 held out his arm to lead her to the last door. Of all the items Bianca had been blessed with thus far to recall the spirit of Christmas this must be the best. As she opened it she stepped into the hallway of her mother’s house where all her family greeted her with welcoming embraces.

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recipes recipe by Jamie Oliver

BEST-EVER RISOTTO ROAST with cranberry & pistachio

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

1 small handful of dried porcini

ake the risotto base first. Soak the dried M porcini in boiling water. Finely chop the celery, onions and garlic before adding to a large pan and cooking for 10 minutes on a low heat.

2 sticks of celery 2 red onions 2 cloves of garlic olive oil 150 g risotto rice or pearl barley 100 ml white wine 500 ml hot organic vegetable stock 200 g mixed wild mushrooms

Turn up the heat and add the rice. Cook for a minute or so until you hear it snap, crackle and pop, then add the wine and stir until absorbed. rain the porcini, finely chop and add to D the risotto pan.

1 fresh red chilli

Add the hot stock, a ladleful at a time until completely absorbed (about 20 minutes).

Once the rice is al dente, transfer to a bowl to cool.

1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 190ยบC/gas 5.

2 sprigs of fresh sage

ry the wild mushrooms in a little oil over F a medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until they start to crisp. Toast, then bash the nuts into coarse pieces, or quickly pulse in a food processor.

100 g pistachios 100 g almonds

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary 2 sprigs of fresh thyme 1 handful of sourdough or ciabatta breadcrumbs 2 tablespoons soft light brown sugar 200 g fresh cranberries 84

Once the risotto has cooled, add the breadcrumbs, chilli, lemon zest, and chopped herbs, season, and mix well. ine a 20cm loaf tin with greaseproof L paper. Cook the sugar and the cranberries in a pan over a medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes, then tip into the tin and spread evenly. Pile on the nut-roast mixture and pack it down with the back of a spoon.

Cover the whole thing with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and cook for a further 15 minutes. Once golden brown, remove from oven and leave to settle for 10 minutes.

Use a knife to loosen the tin, then place your serving platter or board on top.

Cover your hand with a tea towel and courageously flip the whole lot over, then carefully lift the tin off. Serve with all the trimmings.

inely chop the chilli and finely grate the F lemon zest. Pick and roughly chop all the herb leaves.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

recipes recipe by Little Sunny Kitchen

SNOWMAN CUPCAKES

with a chocolate base, and decorated with marshmallows

INGREDIENTS 90 grams all-purpose flour 65 grams cocoa powder 1 tsp baking powder ¼ tsp salt 200 grams granulated sugar 78 ml vegetable oil 120 ml milk 2 tsp vanilla extract ½ cup mashed banana 12 Dandies marshmallows Vanilla frosting Black icing Funfetti or sugar pearls to decorate

INSTRUCTIONS reheat oven to 180c and line a muffin P baking pan with 12 cupcake liners.

I n a medium sized bowl, whisk together the mashed banana, sugar, oil, and vanilla extract.

Stir in milk, then add the rest of the ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt), and mix until just combined but do not over mix. They batter won’t be very thick, sort of runny and that’s okay.

Pour the batter into liners, and bake for 18-20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. When completely chilled, decorate with the vanilla frosting and put a marshmallow on each cupcake.

Draw faces and arms using the black icing, and make buttons out of the sprinkles/ funfetti.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

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restaurants, bars & pubs

BON APPETITE FOOD AND DRINK CASA PEPE

NUNOS ITALIAN

CAFÉ SOLO

A delightful terrace, bar, restaurant on the prestigious Queensway Quay Marina. Wonderful location for business meetings, weddings, anniversaries and other special occasions. Specialising in fresh fish caught locally with daily specials including seabass, dorada, sole, and bream, plus a very comprehensive a la carte menu. Also available are tapas and raciones (double size tapas) to share (or not!) prior to a main course. Mixed paellas also available, as well as fish cooked in rock salt, whole suckling pig and baby lamb to order.

Nunos Italian Restaurant, overlooking the Mediterranean, is popular with hotel guests, tourists and local residents. This 2 rosette rated, AA restaurant is renowned for its eclectic interior, intimate atmosphere and fine cuisine. Savour a wide selection of freshly prepared Italian delicacies, including bread, pasta, meat and fish, followed by delicious desserts. In the summer months, the hotel offers alfresco dining for private parties in the Garden Grill. Sitting nestled in the colonial garden you can enjoy a mouth-watering menu of charcoal-grilled meats and freshly prepared salads in candlelit surroundings.

Open: Mon-Sun 1-3pm lunch, 7–11pm dinner

Modern Italian eatery set in lively Casemates square. Everything from chicory and crispy pancetta salad with walnuts, pears and blue cheese dressing, or king prawn, mozzarella and mango salad to pastas (eg: linguine with serrano ham, king prawns and rocket; smoked salmon and crayfish ravioli with saffron and spinach cream) to salads (eg: Vesuvio spicy beef, cherry tomatoes, roasted peppers and red onions; and Romana chorizo, black pudding, egg and pancetta) and pizzas (eg: Quatto Stagioni topped with mozzarella, ham, chicken, pepperoni and mushroom) and specialities such as salmon fishcakes, beef medallions and duck. Daily specials on blackboard. No smoking.

Open: Tues-Sat lunch & evening, Sunday lunch only, closed Mondays.

Casa Pepe, 18 Queensway Quay Marina, Tel/Fax: 200 46967 casa.pepe.gib@gmail.com. www.casapepegib.com

Nunos Italian Restaurant and Terrace Caleta Hotel, Catalan Bay Tel: 200 76501 Email: reservations@caletahotel.gi

THE LOUNGE

SOLO BAR & GRILL

JURY’S CAFÉ-WINE BAR

Stylish Lounge Gastro Bar on Queensway Quay Marina serving best quality food prepared by passionate, qualified chefs. Popular quiz on Sundays from 7pm and a relaxed friendly atmosphere. A separate Lounge Bar Area serving a wide range of hot drinks, wines, beers, spirits and cocktails at reasonable prices, with large TV’s for sports and events coverage.

Solo Bar and Grill is a stylish and modern eatery — perfect for business functions or lunches — and part of the popular Cafe Solo stable.

Serving everything from Goats’ Cheese Salad, Mediterranean Pâté and Cajun Langoustines to Beer Battered John Dory, or Harissa Chicken, and Chargrilled Sirloin Steak. This is a delightful venue in Europort with a cosy mezzanine level and terrace seating. Well worth a visit, or two! Available for private functions and corporate events — call 200 62828 to book your function or event.

Next to the Law Courts, with a terrace seating area, Jury’s has a selection of Ciabattas, paninis, baguettes and wraps, plus popular sharing dishes, such as Your Honour’s platter. Jacket potatoes, main courses, pasta and some innocent salads too. For those with a sweet tooth, there are tantalising homemade desserts, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, as well as Lavazza coffees and frappes.

Open: 12-8pm. Solo Bar & Grill, Eurotowers Tel: 200 62828

Jury’s Café & Wine Bar 275 Main Street.

Tel: 200 67898 │ www.jurysgibraltar.com

Open: 10am-late Mon - Sun Be sure to arrive early to ensure a seat!

The Lounge, 17 Ragged Staff Wharf, Queensway Quay Marina Tel: 200 61118 info@thelounge.gi

86

Café Solo Grand Casemates Square. Tel: 200 44449

Open: 7am-midnight Mon-Sat, 9am-midnight Sun.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

restaurants, bars & pubs words |

ALL’S WELL

O’REILLY’S

LORD NELSON

Traditional pub in fashionable Casemates area.

Named for the 18th century practise of locking gates to the city at night when the guard called ‘All’s Well’. All’s Well serves Bass beers, wine and spirits plus pub fare. English breakfast all day, hot meals such as pork in mushroom sauce, sausage & mash, cod & chips and steak & ale pie plus a range of salads and jacket potatoes. Large terrace. Karaoke Mondays and Wednesdays until late. Free tapas on a Friday 7pm.

Traditional Irish bar with full HD sports coverage and Irish breakfast from 8am (Sunday from 9am).

Guinness on draught. Food includes salads, jackets, beef & Guinness pie, Kildare chicken, chicken brochette, gourmet burgers, wraps, children menu, homemade desserts, daily specials and more. And just like in Ireland there’s no smoking inside, so a great atmosphere for all.

Situated in the corner of Casemates Square, the bar is a celebration of the life of Lord Nelson. See the collection of nautical art & memorabilia, including a brass pin from HMS Victory itself. HMS crews’ breakfast served from 10am, full menu including steak & ale pie, traditional fish & chips & much more served all day until 10pm.

Jam session Thursday, live top local band on Friday & Karaoke Saturday nights.

All’s Well Casemates Square. Tel: 200 72987

O’Reilly’s Ocean Village. Tel: 200 67888 www.oreillysgibraltar.com

Lord Nelson Bar Brasserie 10 Casemates Tel: 200 50009 Visit: www.lordnelson.gi

BRIDGE BAR & GRILL

STAR BAR

SOLO EXPRESS

Located on the water’s edge, Ocean Village, just across the bridge from O’Reilly’s. This bar & grill is a fusion of an American themed menu with Tarifa chill out style. Open for breakfast from 9am serving healthy options, freshly squeezed orange juice and Italian Lavazza coffee. Try the spicy Caribbean rum ribs, southern fried chicken bucket, the popular Texas burger or a selection of tasty salads and homemade desserts. London Pride, San Miguel & Carling beer on draught, live sports.

Gibraltar’s oldest bar, just off Main St. Small cosy and famous for its full English breakfast from 8am (9am on Sunday). A full menu including fish & chips, until 10pm. The home of Star Coffee, draught beers include Heineken, Old Speckled Hen, Murphys and Strongbow cider. Managed

by Hunter Twins from Stafford, England, also home to Med Golf & Tottenham Hotspur supporters club.

Located next to Pizza Hut in Casemates and in Eurotowers, serves a variety of salads/baguettes (white, brown, ciabatta) filled with a deli selection such as roast chicken; smoked salmon & mascapone; ham, cheese and coleslaw; or humous, avocado & roast red pepper. Salads fresh and tasty (Greek, Waldorf, cous cous, tuna pasta etc), great value. Jackets, quiches, coffee plus cakes (flapjacks, muffins) available all day. Eat-in area.

Soups in winter.

Bridge Bar & Grill Ocean Village Tel: 200 66446 www.bridgebargibraltar.com

Star Bar Parliament Lane. Tel: 200 75924 Visit: www.starbargibraltar.com

Solo Express Grnd Flr, ICC, Casemates & Eurotowers Tel: 200 62828

GIBRALTAR ARMS

WANT TO SEE

YOUR ESTABLISHMENT ON THESE PAGES?

Ask us about our fantastic new advertising deals 200 77748 │

On Main Street opposite the cathedral, enjoy a meal, coffee or a cool beer on the terrace and watch the world go by! Bar decorated with rare military plaques from regiments and navy ships visiting Gibraltar. Full breakfast menu served from 7am, draught beers on tap include Old Speckled Hen bitter, Murphys Irish stout, Heineken lager and Strongbow cider.

Gibraltar Arms 184 Main Street. Tel: 200 72133 Visit: www.gibraltararms.com

editor@thegibraltarmagazine.com

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

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services words |

C CO OM ME E& & JJ O O II N NT TH HE EF FU UN N !!

Only £40 £40 for for aa year year Only

Med Golf Golf members members shirt shirt Med Monthly tournaments tournaments Monthly

European insurance insurance European Discounts in in Hunter Discounts brothers bars Hunter brothers bars

Tel: 200 73786

www.medgolfmembers.com www.medgolfmembers.com

Worldwide from Gibraltar Company Trust Foundation Marine & Business Services Tel. +350 200 79013 info@europa.gi www.europa.gi

Quality Kitchen Ware Gibraltar’s Best Stocked Cook Shop 46 Irish Town Tel: 200 75188 Fax: 200 72653

GACHE & CO LTD EST. 1830

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

CRAFT CLASSES - PHONE FOR INFO HORTICULTURAL CONTRACTORS Tel: 200 43134 Fax: 200 50648 Convent Gardens, Convent Garden Ramp

littleenglish.

88

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MAGAZINE NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2017 GIBRALTAR

Savills. Flying the flag for our clients’ properties all over the world.

words |

Perspective matters The future asks more of business. A need for wider knowledge, swifter actions and more agile capability. A demand to look at the world from a whole new viewpoint.

With over 600 offices and associates globally, we are perfectly placed to find you the perfect buyer.

Deloitte identifies the new perspectives that will drive decisions; to build confidence in shaping the solutions that matter.

A fresh view on addressing your most challenging decisions awaits at: Tel: +350 200 41200 Fax: +350 200 41201 info@deloitte.gi

www. deloitte.gi Merchant House, 22/24 John Mackintosh Square, P.O. Box 758, Gibraltar © 2017 Deloitte Limited is a subsidiary of Deloitte LLP, which is the United Kingdom

Sammy Armstrong Savills Gibraltar Suite 1B, 1/5 Icom House, Irish Town GX11 1AA sarmstrong@savills.gi + 350 200 66633

savills.gi

affiliate of Deloitte NWE LLP, a member firm of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited.

Masbro Cyber Insurance Masbro Cyber Insurance can insure your company against Cybercrime.

Protect yourself. It is happening NOW! Recently several local CEO’s & companies have been caught out by very clever fraudsters and £100,000’s in illegal transfers have been lost as a result.

• Network Restoration • Cyber Extortion • Business Interruption & Extra Expense • Cyber E-Theft

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For All Your Insurance Needs Masbro Insurance is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Commission FSC00026B.

DECEMBER 2017 GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2017

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clubs & activities Arts & Crafts Cross Stitch Club: John Mackintosh Hall, 1st Floor, Mon 6-8pm, fee £1.

Gibraltar Arts & Crafts Association: Children: Mon&Fri 12.30-2pm, Mon-Fri 3.45-5.15pm Adults: Wed 5.45-7.15, Sat 10.30 to 12.30, Tel: 20073865 email: gibartsandcrafts@hotmail.com Knit and Natter Group: Tues 11am-3pm, Thurs 5.30-7.30pm, at Arts & Crafts Shop, Casemates balcony. Free to join and refreshments provided. Tel: 20073865.

The Arts Centre: Prince Edward’s Road, Art classes for children and adults. For more info call Tel: 200 79788.

The Fine Arts Association Gallery: At Casemates. Open 10am-2pm, 3-6pm Mon-Fri, Sat 11am-1pm.

The Gibraltar Decorative and Fine Arts Society: Affiliated to UK NADFAS meets third Wed of month at 6.30pm at Eliott Hotel - lecturers & experts from the UK talk on Art etc. Contact: Chairman Claus Olesen 200 02024 claus.olesen@sghambros.com.

Membership Ian Le Breton 200 76173 ilebreton@SovereignGroup.com Board Games Calpe Chess Club & Junior Club: meets in Studio 1, John Mackintosh Hall Thursday, Juniors: 5p.m. - 7 p.m. / Tuesday & Thursday 7p.m. - 10:30 The Gibraltar Scrabble Club: Meets on Tuesdays at 3pm. Tel: Vin 20073660 or Roy 20075995. All welcome.

The Subbuteo Club: Meets in Charles Hunt Room, John Mackintosh Hall.

Dance Adult Dance Classes: Wed evenings at Kings Bastion Leisure Centre from 7-8.30pm. Contact Dilip on 200 78714.

Art in Movement Centre: Hiphop/Break Dance,Contemporary Dance, Pilates, Capoeira, Acrobatics, Street Kids & Tods, Modern Dance. Performance and Film opportunities. Judo & Jujitsu Classes: Tue/ Thur with Sensei Conroy. All ages. Budokai Martial Arts Centre, Wellington Front. www. artinmovement.net FB: Art In Movement A.I.M, tel 54025041 or 54007457 Ballet, Modern Theatre, Contemporary & Hip Hop: weekly at Danza Academy.

Training from 3 years to Adult Advanced.

68/2 Prince Edward’s Rd Tel: 54027111.

Bellydance Classes, all levels, Tue 8-9pm at the Ocean Village Gym (non–members welcome). Contact 54005593.

DSA Old & Modern Sequence Dancing: Sessions at Central Hall Fri 8.30pm, beginners 8pm. Tel: 200 78901 or tony@gibraltar.gi Everybody welcome.

Modern & Latin American Sequence Dancing: Mon at Catholic Community Centre 8pm. Tel. Andrew 200 78901.

Modern, Contemporary, Lyrical, Flexibility, Hip Hop & Dance Theatre: Classes weekly at Urban Dance Studio, 2 Jumpers Bastion.

Tel: Yalta 54012212 or Jolene 54015125.

Rockkickers Linedance Club: Governor’s Meadow 1st School. www.rockkickers.com Salsa Gibraltar Salsa: Tues at Laguna Social Club, Laguna Estate. Beginners 7-8.30pm.

Intermediates 8.30-10pm. Tel: Mike 54472000 or info@salsagibraltar.com Zumba Classes at Urban Dance: Jumpers Bastion, with certified instructor Tyron Walker. Tel: 20063959 or 54012212 or Twitter: @UrbanDanceGib 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. New members welcome. Tel: 200 44643.

Garrison Library Tours: at 11am on Fri, duration 1h 50mins. Tel: 20077418.

History Alive: Historical re-enactment parade. Main Street up to Casemates Square every Sat at 12 noon.

Music Gibraltar National Choir and Gibraltar Junior National Choir: Rehearses at the Holy Trinity Cathedral. Tel: 54831000.

The Calpe Band: Mon & Wed. For musicians of brass/woodwind instruments of all standards/ages/abilities 7-9pm. Tel:

90

54017070 or thecalpeband@gmail.com Jazz Nights: Thurs at 9pm at O’Callaghan Eliott Hotel. Tel: 200 70500.

Outdoor Activities The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Gibraltar: Exciting self-development programme for young people worldwide equipping them with life skills to make a difference to themselves, their communities and the world. Contact: Award House, North Mole Road, PO Box: 1260. mjpizza@ gibtelecom.net, www.thedukes.gi.

Social Clubs The Rotary Club of Gibraltar meets the Rock Hotel, 7pm Tuesday evenings. Guests welcome. For contact or info www.rotaryclubgibraltar.com Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes: (Gibraltar Province) meets RAOB Club, 72/9 Prince Edward’s Road - Provincial Grand Lodge, Thu/month, 7.30pm. William Tilley 2371, Thurs 8.30pm. Buena Vista 9975, monthtly, Social Lodge. www.akearn1.wix. com/raob-gibraltar, william.tilley.lodge@ hotmail.co.uk, Clive, tel: 58008074 Special Interest Clubs & Societies Creative Writers Group: meets up on Tuesday mornings at 10.30 in O’Reillys Irish Bar and it is free to attend. Tel: Carla 54006696.

Gibraltar Book Club: For info Tel: Parissa 54022808.

Gibraltar Horticultural Society: meets 1st Thurs of month 6pm, J.M. 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.

Tel: 54008426 or Facebook: facebook.com/gibphilosophy Gibraltar Photographic Society: Meets on Mondays at 7:00 p.m. Wellington Front.

Induction courses, talks, discussions, competitions etc. For details contact the secretary on, leslinares@gibtelecom.net Harley Davidson Owners’ Club: www.hdcgib.com Lions Club of Gibraltar: Meets 2nd and 4th Wed of the month at 50 Line Wall Road. www.lionsclubofgibraltar.com St John’s Ambulance: Adult Volunteers Training Sessions from 8-10pm on Tues. Tel: 200 77390 or training@stjohn.gi The Royal British Legion: For info or membership contact the Branch Secretary 20074604 or write to PO Box 332.

UN Association of Gibraltar: PO Box 599, 22a Main Street. Tel: 200 52108.

Sports Supporters Clubs Tottenham Hotspur Supporters Club: Meets at Star Bar, Parliament Lane, when Spurs games are televised - call prior to matches to check game is televised. Great food for a lunch if KO is early or an early supper if the game is later.

Gibraltar Arsenal Supporters Club: Meets match days upstairs at Time Out Café, Eurotowers. Gooners of all ages welcome.

For info/news visit www.GibGooners.com Tel: 54010681 (Bill) or 54164000 (John).

Gibraltar Hammers: Meets 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 gibraltarhammers@ hotmail.com Sports & Fitness Artistic Gymnastics: Gibraltar Artistic Gymnastics Association. Tel: Angela 200 70611 or Sally 200 74661.

Athletics: Gibraltar Amateur Athletics Association holds competitions through 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 BWF& BE) junior club/tournaments, senior leagues/ recreational. www.badmintongibraltar.com Ballet Barre Fitness: Adults on Wed 10am & Fri 6pm at The Arts Centre. Tel: 54033465 or pilatesgibraltar@hotmail.com

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.

Boxing: Gibraltar Amateur Boxing Association (member IABA) gym on Rosia Rd. Over 13s welcome. Tuition with ex-pro boxer Ernest Victory. Tel: 56382000 or 20042788.

Cheerleading: Gibraltar Cheerleading Association, girls and boys of all ages.

Chearleading and street cheer/hip hop at Victoria Stadium. Recreational / competitive levels. Tel: 58008338.

Canoeing: Gibraltar Canoeing Association.

Tel: Nigel 200 52917 or Arturo 54025033.

Cricket: Gibraltar Cricket, National Governing Body & Associate Member of ICC. Governs International & Domestic Men’s, Women’s, Boys’ & Girls’ cricketleague & cup competitions and in-school coaching. www.gibraltarcricket.com, info@ gibcricket.com, Twitter: @Gibraltar_Crick Cycling: Gibraltar Cycling Association various cycling tours.

Darts: Gibraltar Darts Association (full member of WDF & affiliate of BDO). We cater for men, ladies & youth who take part in leagues, competitions and a youth academy for the correct development of the sport. Tel: Darren 54027171 Secretary, Alex 54021672 Youth Rep, Justin 54022622 President. Email: info@ gibraltardarts.com Football: Gibraltar Football Association leagues/competitions for all ages OctoberMay. Futsal in summer, Victoria Stadium. Tel: 20042941 www.gibraltarfa.com Gaelic Football Club (Irish sport): Males any age welcome. Get fit, play sport, meet new friends, travel around Spain/Europe and play an exciting and competitive sport. Training every Wed on the MOD pitch on Devil’s Tower Road at 7pm. Andalucia League with Seville and Marbella to play matches home and away monthly. Visit www.gibraltargaels. com or secretary.gibraltar.europe@gaa.ie Hockey: Gibraltar Hockey Association (members FIH & EHF) high standard competitions/training for adults/juniors.

Tel: Eric 200 74156 or Peter 200 72730 for info.

Iaido: teaches the Japanese sword (Katana), classes every week. www.iaidogibraltar.com Iwa Dojo, Kendo & Jujitsu: Classes every week, for kids/adults. Tel: 54529000 www. iwadojo.com or dbocarisa@iwadojo.com Judo and Ju-jitsu: Gibraltar Budokai Judo Association UKMAF recognised instructors for all ages and levels at Budokai Martial Arts Centre, Wellington Front. Tel: Charlie 20043319.

Ju-jitsu: Gibraltar Ju-jitsu Academy training and grading for juniors/seniors held during evening at 4 North Jumpers Bastion. Tel: 54011007.

Karate-do Shotokai: Gibraltar Karate-do Shotokai Association - Karate training for junior & seniors at Clubhouse, Shotokai karate centre, 41H Town Range. Monday: 9:30 p.m. & Wednesday 9:45 p.m.

Karate: Shotokan karate midday Mon beginners, other students 8.30pm. Thurs 8.30pm. In town at temporary dojo or privately by arrangement. Contact Frankie 54038127 or info@fhmedia.co.uk.

Motorboat Racing: Gibraltar Motorboat Racing Association Tel: Wayne 200 75211.

Muay Thai and Muay Boran Club: Tues & Thur at Boyd’s Kings Bastion Leisure Centre at 6:30pm, Tel: John – 54024707 FB: Gibraltar Muay Thai Netball: Gibraltar Netball Association (affiliated FENA & IFNA) competitions through year, senior/junior leagues. Tel: 20041874.

Petanque: Gibraltar Petanque Association.

New members welcome. Tel: 54002652.

Pilates: Intermediate Pilates: Tues & Fri 9.30am, beginners Pilates: Fri 10.50am at the Shotokai Centre, 41H Town Range. Tel: 54033465 or pilatesgibraltar@hotmail.com Gibraltar Pool Association: (Member of the EBA) home and away league played on Thurs through out the season, various tournaments played on a yearly basis both nationally and internationally, Tel: 56925000 gibpool@gibtelecom.net, www.gib8ball.com Rhythmic Gymnastics: Gibraltar Rhythmic

Gymnastics Association runs sessions words from | 4 years of age, weekday evenings. Tel: 56000772 or Sally 200 74661.

Rugby: Gibraltar Rugby caters for all ages from 4 years old to veterans (over 35’s). It organises competitions and sessions for Juniors; 4 x Senior Clubs; Veterans team; Touch Rugby and a Referees Society. Email admin@gibraltarrfu. com or visit www.gibraltarrfu.com Sailing: Gibraltar Yachting Association junior/ senior competitive programme (April - Oct) Tel: Royal Gibraltar Yacht Club at 200 78897.

Shooting: Gibraltar Shooting Federation. Rifle, Europa Point Range (Stephanie 54020760); Clay pigeon, East Side (Harry 200 74354); Pistol, near Royal Naval Hospital (Louis 54095000).

Snooker: Members of European Billiards & Snooker Association - facilities at Jumpers Bastion with 3 tables. Professional coaching for juniors/seniors. Organised leagues/ tournaments and participation in international competitions. Tel: 56262000 / 54000068, or info@gibraltarsnooker.com Squash: Gibraltar Squash Association, Squash Centre, South Pavilion Road (members WSF & ESF). Adult and junior tournaments and coaching. Tel: 200 44922.

Sub-Aqua: Gibraltar Sub-Aqua Association taster dives for over 14s, tuition from local clubs. Voluntary sports clubs: Noah’s Dive Club and 888s Dive Club. Tel: 54991000.

Commercial sports diving schools available.

Time - Thursday 12:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m..

Telephone, Jenssen Ellul - 54027122 Swimming: Gibraltar Amateur Swimming Association (member FINA & LEN) opens its pool for leisure swimming. Junior lessons, squad for committed swimmers, water polo.

Pool open Mon&Thurs: 7-10am, 12.30-4pm.

Tue, Wed, Fri: 7-10am, 12:30-5pm. Sat: 3-5pm. Sun: closed. Mon to Fri from 5-6pm groups training. 6-7.30 squad training. Mon, Wed, Fri 7.30-8.30 swimming joggers, Tues & Thurs 7:30-8:30 junior Water polo. Mon, Tues & Thurs 8:30-10pm Adult water polo. Tel: 200 72869.

Table Tennis: Gibraltar Table Tennis Association training and playing sessions, Victoria Stadium, Tues 6-10pm and Thurs 8-11pm with coaching and league competition. Tel: 56070000 or 20060720.

Taekwondo: Gibraltar Taekwondo Association classes/gradings Tel: Mari 20044142 or www. gibraltartaekwondo.org Tai Chi: Tai Chi for children and adults.

Mon-Thur 6.30-8pm at Kings Bastion Leisure Centre and Sat 9am-1pm at the Yoga Centre, 33 Town Range. Tel: Dilip 200 78714.

Tennis: Gibraltar Tennis Association, Sandpits Tennis Club. Junior development programme.

Courses for adults, leagues and competitions.

Tel: Louis 200 77035.

Ten-Pin Bowling: At King’s Bowl in the King’s Bastion Leisure Centre every day. Gibraltar Ten Pin Bowling (members FIQ & WTBA) leagues, training for juniors and squad. Tel: 200 52442.

Triathlon: Hercules Triathlon Club organises swimming, running and cycling training sessions and competes regularly in Andalucia and Internationally. Contact chris.walker@york. gi or Facebook “Hercules Triathlon Club” Volleyball: Gibraltar Volleyball Association training, indoor leagues, beach volleyball competition, 3 v 3 competition, juniors and seniors.

Tel: 54001973 or 54885000.

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: Meet at Ince’s Hall Theatre Complex, 310 Main Street. Tel: 20042237.

Trafalgar Theatre Group: Meets 2nd Wed of month, Garrison Library 8pm. All welcome.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

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information EMERGENCY SERVICES EMERGENCY CALLS ONLY: ALL EMERGENCIES..................................112 FIRE................................................................190 AMBULANCE..............................................190 POLICE..........................................................199

NON-URGENT CALLS: Ambulance Station 200 75728

Business Information Financial Serv. Commission Tel: 200 40283/4 Chamber of Commerce Tel: 200 78376 Federation Small Business Tel: 200 47722 Company Registry.Tel: 200 78193 Useful Numbers Airport (general info.) . Tel: 200 12345 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 10am-6pm (Sat 10am-2pm). Admission: Adults £2/Children under 12 - £1.

Exhibitions also at Casemates gallery.

Police 200 72500

Gibraltar Garrison Library Tel: 200 77418 2 Library Ramp Mon-Fri: 9am-5pm. Free Library tour offered every Friday at 11am. chris.tavares@gibraltargarrisonlibrary.gi Registry Office Tel: 200 72289 It’s possible to get married within 48 hours. A fact taken advantage of by stars such as Sean Connery & 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 etc.

John Mackintosh Hall Tel: 200 75669 Includes cafeteria, theatre, exhibition rooms and library. 308 Main Street 9.30am - 11pm Mon-Fri.

Gibraltar Services Police Emergency Nos: (5) 5026 / (5) 3598

Gibraltar Public Holidays 2017 New Year’s Day Commonwealth Day Good Friday Easter Monday Workers Memorial Day May Day Spring Bank Holiday Queen’s Birthday Late Summer BH Gibraltar National Day Christmas Day Boxing Day

*Monday 2nd Jan Monday 13th Mar Friday 14th Apr Monday 17th Apr Friday 28th Apr Monday 1st May Monday 29th May Monday 19th Jun Monday 28th Aug *Monday 4th Sept Monday 25th Dec Tuesday 26th Dec

*For 1st of Jan and 10th of Sept.

SUPPORT GROUPS

Alcoholics Anonymous meet 7pm Tues & Thurs at Nazareth House Tel: 200 73774.

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

Mummy & Me Breastfeeding Support Group those who are pregnant, breastfeeding or have breastfed to get together for coffee / support.

Partners and older children welcome. Meets 1st Wed / 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 5pm - 9pm Citizens’ Advice Bureau Open Mon-Thur 9:30am-4:00pm, Fri 9:30am- 3:30pm. Tel: 200 40006 Email: info@cab.gi or visit at 10 Governor’s Lane. Free & confidential, impartial & independent advice and info.

92

COPE Support group for people with Multiple Sclerosis, Fibromyalgia or Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Meetings at Catholic Community Centre Book Shop at 7.30pm first Thur of each month. 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.

Families Anonymous Support group for relatives and friends concerned about the use of drugs or related behavioural problems. Meet weekly on Thurs at 9pm at Gladys Perez Centre, 304A Main Street, Tel: 54007676 or 54014484.

Gibraltar Cardiac Rehabilitation and Support Group meets on the first Tues of every month at 8.30pm at John Mac Hall, except for Jul & Aug. Gibraltar Dyslexia Support Group 72 Prince Edwards Rd 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.

Mummy & Me Breastfeeding Support: Meets every Thursday 12:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Narcotics Anonymous Tel: 200 70720 Parental Support Group helping parents and grandparents with restrictive access to their children and grandchildren. Tel: 200 46536, 200 76618, or 54019602.

Psychological Support Group, PO Box 161, Nazareth House. Meet Tuesdays at 7pm, Fridays 8pm. Tel: Yolanda 54015553 With Dignity Gibraltar support for separated, divorced/widowed or single people. Meet Weds 9pm, Catholic Community Centre, Line Wall Rd. Outings/activities.

Women in Need Voluntary organisation for all victims of domestic violence. Refuge available.

Tel: 200 42581 (24 hrs).

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

The Gibraltar Magazine is published and produced by Rock Publishing Ltd, Gibraltar. Tel: (+350) 200 77748

ADHD & Learning Difficulties Meetings at Fellowship Bookshop Catholic Community Centre, Line Wall Road. Coffee, chat, books and info on display. Tel: 54027551 or 54014476.

BY CARRIE JACKSON

TAKEN A GREAT PHOTO OF GIB AND THINK EVERYONE SHOULD SEE IT? Email it in high resolution to editor@thegibraltarmagazine.com and you might see it published here!

93

prose words | Peter Schirmer

ht t a oug I th left th ree d ambo a h we ular j tic ehind par b ...

OLYMPUS CHRISTMAS A warning to Santa – keep your reindeer well away from the Rock.

‘

W

hat on earth is the reason for all that screeching and caterwauling?’ Zeus gestured towards the night-time glow of Gibraltar, spread below the Rock like strings of multi-coloured fairy lights. Most of his brood were either at work or at play among these lights earning – or spending – the cash the gods had been forced to find in the months that followed their emigration from Mount Olympus to the southernmost tip of the Iberian Peninsula. This evening only the Great Father of the Gods, his wife Hera, and their gad-about son Apollo were seated comfortably in front of the 50-inch TV screen.

The Olympian trio were watching yet another re-run of ‘Strictly Come Baking’ a popular instalment of the show in which so-called ‘celebrities’ competed against each other to make a rich fruit cake topped with marzipan and shaped like a Douglas fir. A former MP named Ann Widdecombe 94

‘I thought we had left that particular jamboree behind when we quit Greece.

Don’t tell me that these folk celebrate it too.’ Zeus hated everything about the so-called ‘Festive Season’ – particularly ‘It’s just choir practice for the Carols,’ said Apollo, who recently had encountered sim- as he was not included in the praises and prayers of Christmas rites. In ilar sounds in varying degrees of earlier millennia the festivities did screech or sweetness during his So-called not reach Mount Olympus and daily global circumnavigations. ‘celebrities’ its surrounds – the Greeks were competed more interested in Pasca, and ‘Carols? Aren’t they something to against each rumours of frolicking in distant do with all that Christmas nonother to Athens were easy to ignore. sense?’ Zeus raised a disapprovmake a rich ing eyebrow.

But a century or more before fruit cake escaping from the noisy flood of ‘Spot on, Pop.’ Although since topped with refugees and the impoverished leaving the sheltered environmarzipan Greek economy – roughly from ment of Olympus, Apollo’s travels and shaped the time a plump woman dressed left little time to mix with mortals, like a in black had mounted the throne like his siblings he now used a Douglas fir. of some rain-swept northern string of vernacular words includland – a German driving a sledge ing ‘Pop’, whose apparent lack drawn by antlered creatures very different of traditional respect infuriated Zeus. ‘Yes. from the stags his daughter hunted had Reindeer, Santas, Arctic elves, balloons, trespassed into the winter heavens. crackers, plum puddings’ Apollo continued.

was about to pronounce on a set of particularly sagging branches when the shrill decibels rose from somewhere in the city.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

prose Since then there had been sevas he reached the top of the ‘...shepherds watched their flocks...’, and so A German eral angry encounters between Rock. ‘What people want are on. Each with a different song.

Claus, a newcomer to the skies, pop songs – though I suppose driving a and Zeus who considered them Zeus’ brows rose in readiness to thunsledge drawn you could call panegyrics “Pop” to be his personal fief. Eventually songs... seeing as you inspired der, but as he was about to explode he by antlered the German sleigh-man accepted ‘em, Pop.’ noticed that his brood were not empcreatures it was unwise to drive his team ty-handed. Ares was bearing Marks & very different of reindeer over, or near Mount When none of the trio even Sparks short-crust mince pies, Poseidon from the Olympus, where, as he urged the smiled at the pun, Hermes a brace of pheasants acquired from the stags his animals on by name, Zeus could changed tack. He waved a handNaval Dockyard Headquarters kitchens, daughter be heard to rumble: ‘I’ll give ‘em ful of mail. ‘These will make you while Hebe drooped under several cases Donner and Blitzen’. So saying, laugh.’ (In recent weeks Hermes of Cava which she had received from hunted had the Great God had hurled one of had made peace with the local grateful clients of SG Hambros. There trespassed his signature thunderbolts at the trade unionists and was again were elaborate boxes of liqueur chocointo the Christmas cortege. It struck the working for the Post lates which Dionysus insisted winter sleigh with a satisfying THUNK, Office.) he had bought from a shop in Ares was heavens. strewing a bombardment of Main Street and a DVD of Bach’s bearing teddy bears, Barbie Dolls, cowChristmas Oratorio, which the ‘These are some of the Marks & boy suits, nurses’ uniforms, and board muse Terpsichore had sent to the wish-list letters local big-wigs Sparks games across northern Greece and into Olympian family to wish them a have sent off to the North Pole short-crust the Adriatic, where their discovery led to a ‘Merry Xmas’. asking for Christmas presents. mince pies, spate of short-selling shares in Toys “R” Us. The Chief Minister wants a masPoseidon sive cash injection to cover the Zeus relented. a brace of Hera had been similarly irked; the dropover-spend on his housing propings of the terrified creatures spattered grammes... another is from Greg ‘Well, seeing we’re living the life pheasants, her favourite reclining cloud. The mess was Butcher, who wants a new harof O’Reillys, McDonald’s, and while Hebe proving difficult to remove until – in one bour that will accommodate the Goodness Garcia’s, I suppose drooped of those serendipitous moments which biggest luxury yachts… and one under several for once we may as well enjoy sometimes bless both mortals and gods from someone called Samantha ourselves like mortals...’ cases of – Athene mentioned having seen, during who wants a sjambok.’

Cava from one of her infrequent visits to Athens, a grateful Dyson centrifugal vacuum cleaner. It was ‘What’s a sjambok?’ asked the first of the pantheon’s encounters clients of SG Athene. with Twentieth Century technology and Hambros. it wasn’t long before the gods converted ‘A sort of heavy whip made from to some aspects of modern technology.

Since arriving in Gibraltar with its plethora of shops providing everything from electric kettles to iPhones and wrap-around televisions, their conversion to high-tech faith had been total.

But, however many new-fangled gadgets the Main Street retailers had imported to boost their festive sales, Zeus’ distaste of Christmas and its trappings was unchanged.

‘It’s outrageous that this Fabian what’shis-name doesn’t do something to stop it,’ Zeus continued his grumble. ‘Or at least make them sing in tune... and songs worth listening to – like panegyrics,’ he added.

‘Who on earth wants to sing panegyrics when there’re songs by Sting, or Elvis, or that woman with the big boobs?’ Hermes, silent in his suede Hush-puppies, had heard the last part of his father’s harangue GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

rhinoceros hide,’ the all-knowing Hera told her. ‘Though what she would want with a whip’s beyond me. And (turning to Hermes) you shouldn’t be reading other people’s mail...even if you know it can’t be delivered.

Isn’t that right Zeus?’

Though what she would want with a whip’s beyond me.

But the Father of the God’s wasn’t listening. He was peering in the direction of the caterwauling, which seemed to be getting louder.

And it was. Out of the darkness his other children emerged. They were carolling, though each sang something different. Poseidon was chanting: ’There were three ships on Christmas day in the morning...’, Dionysus: ‘...bring me food and bring me wine...’, Hebe: 95

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www.ariamedicalgroup.com 96

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

information FLIGHT SCHEDULE DECEMBER 2017 DAY

FLIGHT NO.

AIRLINE

FROM

ARRIVES

FLIGHT NO.

DEPARTS

TO

Monday

EZY8901 BA490

easyJet British Airways

Gatwick Heathrow

11:00 16:30

EZY8902 BA491

11:35 17:20

Gatwick Heathrow

not operating on 25th not operating on 25th

Tuesday

EZY8901 BA490 EZY6299

easyJet British Airways easyJet

Gatwick Heathrow Bristol

11:00 16:30 19:30

EZY8902 BA491 EZY6300

11:30 17:10 20:00

Gatwick Heathrow Bristol

operates from 19th

Wednesday

EZY8901 BA490 EZY1963

easyJet British Airways easyJet

Gatwick Heathrow Manchester

11:00 16:30 16:55

EZY8902 BA491 EZY1964

11:30 17:20 17:35

Gatwick Heathrow Manchester

Thursday

EZY8901 BA490 AT990 EZY6299

easyJet British Airways Royal Air Maroc easyJet

Gatwick Heathrow Tangier Bristol

11:00 16:30 17:55 19:30

EZY8902 BA491 AT991 EZY6300

11:30 17:20 18:45 20:00

Gatwick Heathrow Tangier Bristol

Friday

EZY8901 BA490

easyJet British Airways

Gatwick Heathrow

11:00 16:30

EZY8902 BA491

11:30 17:20

Gatwick Heathrow

Saturday

EZY8901 BA492 BA490 EZY1963

easyJet British Airways British Airways easyJet

Gatwick Heathrow Heathrow Manchester

11:55 14:25 16:30 19:30

EZY8902 BA493 BA491 EZY1964

12:25 15:15 17:20 20:00

Gatwick Heathrow Heathrow Manchester

Sunday

EZY6299 EZY8901 EZY1963 BA492 BA490 AT990

easyJet easyJet easyJet British Airways British Airways Royal Air Maroc

Bristol Gatwick Manchester Heathrow Heathrow Tangier

10:30 11:15 11:30 14:25 16:30 17:40

EZY6300 EZY8902 EZY1964 BA493 BA491 AT991

11:00 11:45 12:00 15:15 17:20 18:30

Bristol Gatwick Manchester Heathrow Heathrow Tangier

operates from 16th operates 2nd only

not operating on 24th not operating onon 31st

DUTY PHARMACY OPENING HOURS MONDAY to Friday (7pm to 9pm) Weekends & public holidays (11am to 1pm & 6pm to 8pm)

CRUISE SCHEDULE DECEMBER 2017 ARRIVAL

VESSEL

Saturday 2nd, 08:00

MEIN SCHIFF 2

Monday 4th, 08:00

PASS

OPERATOR

CAPACITY

18:00

German

TUI Cruises

1912

QUEEN ELIZABETH

14:00

British

Cunard Line

2068

Friday 8th, 08:00

VENTURA

14:00

British

P&O

3096

Wednesday 13th, 08:00

MEIN SCHIFF 2

Sunday 24th, 08:00

MEIN SCHIFF 2

Tuesday 26th, 09:00

COLUMBUS

ETD

18:00 15:00 16:00

German

TUI Cruises

German

TUI Cruises

British

Cruise & Maritime Voyages

1912 1912 1400

28 Nov ‘17 – 04 Dec ‘17

Wesley Pharmacy 299b Main Street 200 67567

05 Dec ‘17 – 11 Dec ‘17

Wesley Pharmacy 299b Main Street 200 67567

12 Dec ‘17 – 18 Dec ‘17

Bell Pharmacy 27 Bell Lane 200 77289

19 Dec ‘17 – 25 Dec ‘17

Morrison’s Pharmacy Morrison’s Store Westside Road 200 75765

26 Dec ‘17 – 01 Jan ‘18

Wesley Pharmacy 299b Main Street 200 67567

02 Jan ‘18 – 08 Jan ‘18

Ocean Pharmacy Unit 2, Ocean Village Avenue 200 76822

09 Jan ‘18 – 15 Jan ‘18

Calpe 232 232 Main Street 200 77231

16 Jan ‘18 – 22 Jan ‘18

Calpe ICC Unit G9, ICC 200 77977

23 Jan ‘18 – 29 Jan ‘18

Mill Pharmacy 21/21a City Mill Lane 200 50554

facebook.com/PharmaGuide

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017

97

4

4

3

2

1

across

7

6

5

1) Swiss tennis player (7) 8) Similar to a slippery fish (3-4) 9) Famous England and Spurs footballer of yesteryear (7) 10) South west state of USA 9&) 11) Spanish tennis player (5) 13) Howling (9) 15) Musical accompaniment to a vocal piece which must be used (9) 18) Where chickens sleep (5) 21) Legally, Latin phrase meaning on the Bench (2,5) 22) Famous musical composers or conductors (7) 23) East African country (7) 24) Snake or other invertebrate (7)

8 9 10 11

12

14

13 14 15

16

17

17 18

19

20

21 22 23

down

24

© Copyright 2007 by Uwe Wiedemann

Put the numbers 1 through 6 into the triangular cells so that every line (in three directions) contains every digit not more than once.

Christmas Corkers

Either SNAP and SEND your completed crossword to editor@thegibraltarmagazine.com or RETURN TO THE CLIPPER by 20th December

& YOU COULD WIN lunch for two at Last month’s winner: STAN FLOWER

1) 15, 20’s villain (5) 2) Awe (5) 3) Turning round; Che Guevara for example (13) 4) Network (6) 5) Avocado (9,4) 6) Gardens in Copenhagen; World in Benalmadena! (6) 7) Preserve (6) 12) Loosely, person from the Middle East (4) 14) Individual units (4) 15) & 20) Charles Dickens novel (6,5) 16) Spool for winding yarn (6) 17) Pleasant smells (6) 19) Extravagant; exotic (5) 20) see 15d (5)

istmas dinner How will Chr ter Brexit? af t be differen ssels. ru B No

How do you recognise a Christmas tree from BHS? All the branches have gone.

What d oy Christm ou get if you e a as deco rations? t Tinsilitis .

u What do you get if yo nk? cross a bell with a sku Jingle Smells.

On which side do turkeys have the most feathers?

The outside.

Who makes toy guitars and sings ‘Blue Christmas’?

Elfis.

Generation 4

OPENING

SPRING

2018

120 ST YLISH AND C O M F O R TA B L E B E D R O O M S Including interconnecting and accessible rooms

S U P E R B L O C AT I O N B A S E D AT 2 1 - 2 3 D E V I L’ S T O W E R R O A D Wa l k i n g d i s t a n c e t o a i r p o r t , t o w n centre and Ocean Village

E N G L I S H A N D C O N T I N E N TA L B U F F E T B R E A K FA S T Included in room rates

FREE WI-FI And high speed internet access

(+350) 200 67890

i n f o @ h i e x g i b r a l t a r. c o m

w w w. h i e x p r e s s . c o m

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