The Gibraltar Magazine - January 2017

January 2017 November 2016 Vol. 22 # 03 Vol. 22 # 01 FREE

New Rock Direction Warriors -- Political change Cage fighting

Broccoli is Bargain StressUrban Farming Power for Good at Work - Cut meat, not trees - Dealing - New business sector - Fighting bullying with pressure

Legalise Cannabis? Search Hitchhikers’ Guide Discovering Fusing Unconscious Cultures Men United for Ancestry -- A war people - Journey withIthumbs - Come toperspective my Home 3 GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE NOVEMBER Grow aonMo, bro 2015 - Who do I think am -up Psychoanalitic

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editor’s letter

JANUARY ISSUE A

ccording to the Government’s Second Health Survey, ‘three in five adults in Gibraltar are overweight or obese’ and ‘smoking levels are high’ (p.10). In 2016, heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death in the world. What causes it? High amounts of certain fats and cholesterol in the blood, high blood pressure, smoking and lack of exercise. So why do we do it?

Why do we choose to spend most of our time sat in front of a screen with a cigarette and a fatty meal when we know full well how bad it really is for us? Perhaps, it’s because we are prone to choose shortterm pleasure over reason? Thankfully, as we enter the New Year, the call for change whispers in the air. Resolutions are one thing, but 2017 might be the year you decide to embark on a new journey.

This month, it could mean embracing a kinder and greener way of eating. Do we ever ask ourselves about where our food comes from, how it was made and what harm it may have done? Last year, 23,000 participants cut animal products from their diet and turned to a new lifestyle of healthy eating. With Veganuary back for its third edition, thousands are going ‘cold turkey’ on meat and dairy products for thirty-one days to be kinder to their arteries as well as the planet (p. 36).

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Health Promotion Officer Daya Dewfall firmly supports starting nutritional education from early childhood and reminds us of the importance of the old five-a-day rule (p. 80). She also pushes to promote Meatless Mondays, Veggie Wednesdays or Fruity Fridays in local restaurants, schools and homes - an initiative launched by the Alameda Wildlife Conservation Park. With the desperate situation nowadays of hundreds of species being wiped off the face of the earth, the Park has decided to initiate its new ‘Eat like a primate!’ campaign to combat the deforestation of the SouthAmerican rain forest, the natural habitat of the cotton-top tamarin (p. 39).

by the sole use of your thumb in our hitchhiker’s guide to the Caribbean (p. 66) and we remain within the theme of open borders to explore the ‘Come to my Home’ project that combines music, art and culture from all nations (p.51). The New Year can also come in the form of a fresh new look as we see what it takes to build a solid and sustainable wardrobe for 2017 (p. 59).

In Business, we introduce the concept of urban farming; how to keep our produce as local as possible and how we could make the Rock a greener place (p. 26).

Happy and healthy 2017!

To round it all off, we reveal why resolutions sometimes don’t stick explaining how real change of oneself demands a deeper psychological self-awareness (p 78). But, what are your new year’s resolutions (p. 18)? Will you give Veganuary a go? See our delicious plantbased recipes to help you get started (p. 84).

Anna

The New Year also heralds a new movement for political change as we meet Marlene Hassan Nahon to discuss her vision that may one day put her in her father, Sir Joshua Hassan’s, shoes (p. 28).

The worldwide debate on the ‘War Against Drugs’ is having a domino effect across numerous countries calling for change, so we light up the subject of cannabis regulation in Gibraltar (p. 32). We open the book on the daring adventures of open travel GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2017

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contents 8 NEWS 16 Around town 18 Hello there: Resolutions

BUSINESS 21 Happy New Year? - It’s hard to tell...

24 Tackling Conflict - Have a happier office in the New Year 26 Urban Farming - Gibraltar’s next business sector?

LIFE 28 32 36 39 42 44 46

New Year, New Direction - Marlene Hassan Nahon Legalise Cannabis? - A war on people, not drugs Broccoli is Bargain - Diet for a month, lifestyle forever Me Eat No Meat - Benefits for heart and Earth Marine Nuisances - The lionfish are coming!

No longer sheltered - Penetrating journalism industry Iberian Connection - Robert Capuro

SCENE

22#03 January 2017: Marlene Hassan Nahon Contributing writers: Ian Le Breton, Sylvia Kenna, Eran Shay, Ayelet Mamo Shay, Nicole Macedo, Elena Scialtiel, Lewis Stagnetto, Mike Brufal, Julia Coelho, Chris Hedley, Elaine Caetano, Andrew Licudi, Polly Lavarello.

The Gibraltar Magazine is published monthly by Rock Publishing Ltd Portland House, Suite 4, 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.

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51 Fusing Cultures - Driss Alaoui Mdaghri 54 Robin Hood & The Three Kings - Nadine Gonzalez 56 Punk & Country - The Undesirables 141

LEISURE 59 62 64 66 71 78 80 82 84

New Staples in the Closet - Build a solid wardrobe Tennis Sensation - Amanda Carreras Conquering the English Channel - Nathan Payas Hitchhikers’ Guide - Thumbs up to the Caribbean Trans-Siberian Railway - From St. Petersburg to Beijing Perception of Psychotherapy - Sticking to resolutions Daya’s Diet - Listen to your gut and test the tastes Premier Grand Crus - The irrational world of fine wine Recipes: Shepherd’s Pie & Chocolate Tart with Rhubard

86 Guides and Information 96 Mum on the Rock - Working as a mum 98 Coffee Time and Schedules

Editor: Anna Kolesnik anna@thegibraltarmagazine.com Journalism: Mark Viales mark@thegibraltarmagazine.com Distribution: Jordan Brett jordan@thegibraltarmagazine.com Accounts: Paul Cox paul@thegibraltarmagazine.com

Email: anna@thegibraltarmagazine.com Tel: 200 77748 GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2017

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CHINESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS IN GIBRALTAR

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ion dances, street parades and traditional dancing will flood Main Street in early February in celebration of the Chinese New Year, the year of the rooster.

The Gibraltar Chinese Association will organise the event that strives to play an active role in relations between Gibraltar and China, fostering understanding and friendship.

“It organises events in Gibraltar during the year which reflect important festivals in the Chinese calendar,” a spokesman for the association said. “Reflecting the links of Gibraltar with the United Kingdom, the association also receives strong support from the Chinese embassy in the UK.” The representative said that one of the most interesting aspects of Gibraltar is its people, who comprise a melting pot of cultures and spoke of the Chinese becoming more prominent on the Rock.

“Its recent growth is seen in an increasing number of events organised by the Chinese community including, but not limited to, Chinese New Year,” the spokesman said. “It is fitting that Gibraltar joins in these celebrations. One in every six people in the world does so, and not

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words | Richard Bowry, Hassans

just in China. The New Year in Korea and in Vietnam follows the Chinese calendar, and the traditional Japanese New Year does likewise.”

The spokesman said that there is a Chinese community in most countries in the world with London claiming the largest Chinese new year celebration outside Asia. It is also one of the oldest festivals in the world.

Exactly how far back it goes is unclear as its origins are prehistoric.

Although the Chinese calendar does not traditionally use continuously numbered years, New Year is often numbered from the reign of the mythical Yellow Emperor in the third millennium BC. The exact date varies between sources, but by some accounts, we are now living in year 4653.

“Customs vary in different parts of the world, but it is a refreshing fact that many customs throughout the world have a common root, often linked to appreciating what we have, with family and those close to us, and a desire for peace and wellbeing,” the spokesman said. “Chinese New Year is no different, the main reasons for the festival being to celebrate a year of hard work, have a good rest and relax with family, and importantly, to wish for a lucky and prosperous coming year.”

With a festival that goes back so far, it is not surprising that there are innumerable legends and stories explaining the Chinese New Year festival, and many people are familiar with some of these, including the Chinese zodiac.

“The Chinese calendar is made up of a cycle of twelve years, each of them being named after an animal. In number, this is rather like the Western zodiac,” the spokesman said. “However, it runs through a series of years, not months, people born during a particular animal’s year are said to inherit distinctive characteristics of that animal. The signs repeat every 12 years.”

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WORLD CHESS CHAMPIONS TO REVISIT THE ROCK

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he world champions of chess will fly to Gibraltar this month to take part in the Tradewise Gibraltar Open Chess Festival in its 15th anniversary.

The top prize this year for the Masters is £23,000 with the Women’s award at £15,000 and there will be a host of smaller prizes as in other editions.

The Opening Ceremony and drawing of lots will take place at 8.30pm on Monday 23rd January in the main restaurant that will feature the top three rankings Fabiano Caruana (USA), Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA) and Hikaru Nakamura (USA). The event will run until the 2nd February.

needing to pay the entry fee to have a chance of taking on the world’s best.

Evening Events will include master classes, pairs and four player team blitz tournaments as well as the much maligned the Battle of the Sexes.

Last year, the Battle of the Sexes saw the presence of Gibraltar Government Minister Samantha Sacramento as she joined in the festivities.

The festival will also incorporate ‘Master Classes’ through evening lectures conducted by visiting elite players. Games or positions are analysed and questions taken from the audience and there is no

charge to attend. Master Classes are also broadcast live over the internet. www.gibchess.com

The Gibraltar Open was voted the overall best tournament of the year by the Association of Chess Professionals in 2014, as well as being voted the world’s best Swiss System event for the last few years. As a result, the festival has become the blueprint for top tournaments everywhere, with the broadest possible range of standards represented, from world champions down to the humblest beginners.

#gibchess

The Gibraltar Masters are open to allcomers, with those interested merely

The strongest Open Chess Tournament in History

NEW POWER STATION GENERATING SETS

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he Gibraltar Electricity Authority announced the arrival of the six generating sets last month for the new power station aboard the MV Palmerton.

time monitoring of emissions, and the technology for clean emissions, will ensure that air quality in Gibraltar is better than it has ever been,” he said.

A spokesman said that the arrival of the Generating Sets, each with a generating capacity of approximately 14 Mw, represents another milestone in the new power station project.

Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said the introduction of the generating sets was an important day in the calendar of Gibraltar’s power generation revolution.

Dr John Cortes, Minister for Energy said that the move from the old diesel engines to gas represents a ‘quantum leap’ in power generation efficiency and environmental stewardship.

“The new engines, with their real-

“We receive the engines that will This event is made possible by guarantee the security of supply that we have long craved and which this new power station and LNG terminal will finally deliver during the course of the next year.

There is a lot of work still to be done, but the arrival of these generating sets is a huge step in the right direction,” he said.

For more information email chess@caletahotel.gi or visit www.gibchess.com GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2017

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GOVERNMENT RESTRUCTURES CHILD PROTECTION COMMITTEE

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he Gibraltar Government last month restructured and revised the composition of the Child Protection Committee in order to ensure the efficiency of local safeguarding and child protection procedures.

in Gibraltar is safeguarded,” said Neil Costa, Minister for Care. “I look forward to receiving their invaluable advice in order to ensure that we do all that we can and more in safeguarding and protecting our children.”

The agencies involved in the committee include the Royal Gibraltar Police; Probation Services; Youth Services; Gibraltar Health Authority; the Department of Education; the Care Agency and others.

The Child Protection Committee is responsible for co-ordinating with the relevant organisations on how to work together best in order to ensure they provide an effective service.

“The existence of a professional, trained and well-resourced multi-agency and multi-disciplinary committee in this critically important area with the ability to delegate operational matters, whilst retaining responsibility, will ensure that the welfare of children and young people

The Committee is also responsible for the training of all professionals as well as analysing trends in children’s safeguarding issues.

The spokesman said that the committee will delegate operational functions to

relevant responsible officials and be accountable for all work relating to safeguarding children in Gibraltar.

The Care Agency has also organised a three-day training event in February that will be delivered by a senior consultant from Barnardo’s.

GOVERNMENT SURVEY REVEALS HIGH OBESITY AND SMOKING LEVELS

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n 2014, the Government of Gibraltar gave its commitment to a second Health and Lifestyle survey, following the successful publication of the first survey in the previous year. The new survey took place in February 2015 and its results are now available to the public in the record time of 21 months.

the use of health services and other aspects of health and lifestyle. All in all, over 24,000 separate pieces of data were captured and analysed.

A limited quantity of print copies of the full 200-page report has been produced and will be distributed to libraries, schools and

other locations where the public can access it.

A condensed 16-page version of the report has also been produced and will be distributed to people’s homes in Gibraltar in the coming months. A PDF version of the full report will also soon be made available for download on the GHA website.

The results were revealed to the public along with a wealth of information on the health and lifestyle of Gibraltar’s population. One of the findings states there are high levels of obesity and smoking amongst the Rock’s population.

The survey revealed that three out of five adults in Gibraltar are overweight or obese and smoking is higher than in all other countries chosen for comparison, having increased since 2008. Alcohol consumption in the population is generally low at all ages and Gibraltarians are generally aware of the risks of skin cancer, harbouring a healthy attitude towards sunbathing.

The report also examined eating habits, perceptions about their health, exercise, 10

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GROUP THERAPY FOR MOTHERS

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new therapeutic group supporting mothers on the stresses of parenting from pre-birth through different stages of motherhood will begin on the third week of January.

BabySTEPPs, a local charity, has been supporting parents in Gibraltar since 2012 and urges anyone interested to sign up as soon as possible.

A spokesman for the charity said that it was approached by local psychotherapist Elaine Caetano who was keen to support local women suffering from post-natal depression.

“Between Easter and the summer, we piloted a support group for women with young children. After the summer, we moved on to running group therapy sessions for a small number of women who committed to attending weekly,” the spokesman said. “Women who have

participated in these sessions have reported to feel better and benefit from having the space to talk. Groups are kept small and everything that is shared is confidential.”

For a private chat on groups for mothers please call Elaine on 54001238.

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 JANUARY 2017

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BOOK CHRISTMAS TREE COMPETITION

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‘Book Christmas Tree’ has been set up at the entrance of the John Mackintosh Hall as part of a competition with the prize of Gibraltarian artist Christian Hook’s fabulous new book.

The competition is organised by the Gibraltar Cultural Services and involves guessing how many books it took to build the not so traditional Christmas tree.

All people need to do is approach the lobby at the John Mackintosh Hall

reception any weekday between 9am and 5pm to pick up an entry form and venture a guess. The closing date is on Friday 6th January and all entrants will be informed of when the exciting ‘book count’ will take place.

“This competition is a great way to get the community involved and interested in reading over the Christmas holidays,” a Gibraltar Cultural Services spokesman said. “We take this opportunity to wish everyone Season’s Greetings and a Happy New Year!”

LAUNCH OF GIBRALTAR COLLEGE LANGUAGE SCHOOL

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he Chief Minister and Minister for Education launched the Gibraltar College Language School last month that will offer Spanish, French and Italian to pupils aged between six and sixteen years of age.

Courses will cater for a range of levels and abilities with the aim of developing pupils’ abilities to speak, listen, read and write in a foreign language. These classes will be held at the college from 4pm till 5pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Enrolment will take place at the Gibraltar College from Monday 9th to Wednesday 18th January between 9am and 3pm.

Application forms can be obtained from Gibraltar College reception or downloaded from the Collage website, www. gibraltarcollege.org Enrolment will be on a first come basis and classes will run provided there is sufficient demand.

“Studies have shown that language skills help learning abilities across all areas and, in adults, bilingualism has been shown to delay the onset of dementia by around five years,” said Minister for Education, Dr John Cortes. “Gibraltarians gain many economic and social advantages from their bilingualism and we should do everything possible to foster our community’s linguistic skills. I am very pleased that this is the first new initiative I have launched as Minister for Education.”

The aim of this venture is to promote bilingualism in Gibraltar’s young people and to build language skills in order to facilitate pupils to communicate with people of other nationalities and other cultures.

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LOCAL AUTHORS WIN INERNATIONAL BOOK AWARDS

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wo local authors won ‘The Readers’ Favorite International Book Award’ for their book entitled ‘Little Bird Lost’ in a competition held in Miami last month.

Kate and Steve Larkinson were presented with the award on the back of having won another award at a different competition held in Los Angeles earlier in the year.

Literary Classics is an organisation dedicated to furthering excellence in literature that appeals to young people, while educating and encouraging positive values in the impressionable young minds of future generations. The organisation’s review of Little Bird Lost is as follows: “Little Bird Lost is a literary labor of love brought on by a lucky encounter. Steve Larkinson happened upon a nest with some baby birds and was able to capture some winning photos of a mother and father bird caring for their little ones.

Inspired by these photos, Kate Larkinson penned a lovely poem which is perfectly paired in this wonderful little book.”

Kate said she was inspired to write the story after Steve captured an endearing series of photos of baby swallows in their nest that humorously depicted greed, sharing, sibling rivalry and parental care.

“We’re incredibly grateful that in such a competitive field, the judges of both these literary organisations have deemed our little book to be worthy of their awards. It’s such a great honour,” Mrs Larkinson said.

Little Bird Lost is available from local bookshops and online at Amazon in paperback and eBook editions. Further information can be found at www. littlebirdlost.co.uk.

LOCAL GETS HONOURABLE MENTION IN INT’L LETTER WRITING COMPETITION 15-year-old Westside Student won an honourable mention in the Universal Postal Union’s International Letter Writing Competition for Young People 2016.

Anna Grech was presented with the Special Mention Certificate and prizes during a ceremony at the Finance Centre Boardroom early last month.

The letter is one written by her 14-yearold self to her 45-year-old self, in which she describes her dreams and aspirations for the world. The letter goes on to explore her hopeful expectation that in the intervening years peace will have been restored across the world, equality the norm and cures for common ailments found.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2017

“We should all be very proud of what Anna has achieved; her letter has been placed within the Honourable Mentions that have been granted, placing her within the top thirteen entries sent in by 980,000 participants from 64 countries. It is a remarkable achievement and deserving of our congratulations,” said Albert Isola, Minster for Postal Services.

Anna is confident that by the time she reads her letter, she will have achieved great things and the bonds with her family will not have faded over the years.

She concludes by acknowledging that the expectations she had set may be too high for herself and for the world she lives in and quotes a statement by Emma Watson

©YGTV

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in a speech to the United Nations; ‘we can change the world. If not me, who? If not now, when?’

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SILVER MEDAL FOR LOCAL FIREFIGHTERS

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team of four local firefighters travelled to Montgomery, Alabama to represent Gibraltar in the 25th Anniversary of the World Firefighter Combat Challenge.

a small nation with a limited number of firefighters, and only having competed in this sport for a couple of years, is such an amazing feeling’.

The competition consists of five individual disciplines linked in one race that replicates the real-life demands of a firefighter at a fire incident. The race has been aptly named the ‘Toughest two minutes in Sport’

by ESPN.

Three of the team members, Julian McGrail, Matt Coulthard and Dylan Pratts, were inducted into the ‘Lion’s Den’, an elite club of the world’s fastest finishers.

This makes them the first Gibraltarians, but also the first British firefighters to have this honour bestowed upon them in the 25 years since the inception of this competition.

“The team hope that their success will help promote health and fitness as part of work and an active lifestyle,” the spokesman said.

The team consisted of Matt Coulthard, Julian McGrail, Dylan Pratts and Dyron Ford whose aim was to make it past the qualifiers, but they exceeded all expectations to bring home a silver medal.

“We are thrilled at what we have achieved; we went with the intentions of trying to qualify for the final knock out stages, but to make it to this stage and then all the way to the final is beyond our wildest dreams,” a team spokesman said. “To finish second in the world, coming from such

GIBTELECOM ANNOUNCE MULTI-YEAR PARTNERSHIP WITH GFA

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he ‘Gibtelecom Rock Cup’ is to be the new name of the Gibraltar Football Association Challenge Cup, following a partnership arrangement between the GFA and Gibtelecom.

The four year deal, which starts with the 2016/17 season, was announced by GFA General Secretary Dennis Beiso, and Gibtelecom CEO Tim Bristow at a press conference last month.

For many years, this tournament has been known as the Rock Cup, which is a knockout competition between all the Gibraltar Football Clubs and modelled on the UK’s FA Cup.

Gibtelecom will be the Rock Cup’s first title sponsor and Dennis Beiso welcomed the partnership ‘hoping it brings sporting and commercial success’.

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“This is a positive step in the association’s continued growth and development and an excellent opportunity to collaborate with a brand that shares many of our core values.

We are keen to progress commercial initiatives such as these going forward, putting fans at the heart of football,” said Mr Bristow. “This sponsorship is the first step of what Gibtelecom hopes is a long lasting partnership with the GFA, in which we can leverage the combination of Gibraltar football and Gibtelecom’s global communications reach. We are excited about joining the football community at a

time when their success continues to grow, at home and abroad, and look forward to seeing the Gibtelecom Rock Cup winner in future UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) competitions. The local teams and their players’ commitment to success, and their culture of nurturing young talent, are values we share at Gibtelecom.”

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HALF-A-MILLION PASSENGERS RECORDED AT GIB AIRPORT

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ver half a million passengers have flown to Gibraltar this year according to statistics collected by the Gibraltar International Airport between January and the end of November.

Gilbert Licudi, Minister for Commercial Aviation, said that was a bumper year for aviation at Gibraltar International Airport, with double digit growth in every single month this year so far.

A spokesman for GIB said that the record half-a-millionth passenger mark was achieved on Thursday 24th November, where the passenger departed on an EasyJet flight to London Gatwick.

“Airline and consumer confidence in Gibraltar can be clearly seen with these results, with additional capacity

programmed by the airlines being met by passenger demand,” he said.

November was yet another record month at the airport, with 39,351 processed in the month, up 16.2% on November 2015.

Up to the end of November an additional 95,141 have been processed at the airport compared to end of November 2015.

“Breaking the half a million passenger mark was going to be a milestone in the history of the development of commercial development of Gibraltar International Airport and is a clear sign of our progress and capability,” said Terence Lopez, Air Terminal Director at Gibraltar International Airport.

MAYOR RECEIVES BETHLEHEM LIGHT OF PEACE

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he Mayor, Adolfo Canepa, received the Bethlehem Light of Peace last month on behalf of the people of Gibraltar from the Scouts’ Association (Gibraltar Branch), as is now tradition.

The Scouts collected the light from the Movimiento Scouts Catolicos, Delegacion de Sevilla before presenting it to the people of Gibraltar.

“This light has come from Bethlehem and the message is one of enlightenment of mankind and peace,” said the mayor.

“Peace is something which we all need in our hearts. It is my hope and desire that we will have a peaceful Christmas.”

as many people as possible in the peace message. This encourages everyone to actively create peace in their environment by being tolerant towards people of different ethnic, cultural, political or religious groups.

Now in its 29th year, the Peace Light from Bethlehem campaign was originally organised by the Austrian Broadcasting Company - ORF (Linz) - and was part of a

large charitable relief mission - Light into Darkness, for children in need in Austria and abroad.

Since 1986, there has been a great deal of co-operation between Scouts and Guides in many countries which has allowed the light to travel throughout Europe.

The Scouts then took the light on to other churches and places of public or cultural importance – indeed, to anybody that appreciates the significance of the ‘gift’.

The aim of the campaign is to include GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2017

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around town

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2017

around town

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hello there

Kimberly Pecino, 26 John Mackintosh Hall Library Manager

Loly, 65 Handmade Arts and Crafts Association Committee Member

I would like to read more. I know it’s ironic that I don’t have enough time to read at the library, but I am very busy. I like thrillers and books that make you think. They’re the ones that I just can’t put down once I’ve started.

I would like to take some time to redecorate my home from top to bottom. I already have it completely planned out and it is a chance to get creative, but Christmas time is quite busy so I’ll leave it for the New Year.

WHAT WILL YOU DO

Sonya Wednt, 41 Light and Power Shop Director

Nicole Torres, 45 Handmade Arts and Crafts

I would like to travel more. I would like to visit Hawaii as part

I quit smoking last year. This year I’m going to treat myself and take more holidays. I work all year round in the extreme cold or in the blistering heat, so everyone deserves to put their feet up once in a while.

of my bucket list of places to visit. I want to climb a volcano.

Climbing an active volcano on the island would be a dream come true.

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2017

hello there

Kelvin Llambias, 24 John Mackintosh Hall Library Worker

Alan George Wszeborowski, 16 Bayside student Year 12

My resolution is to complete my book before the end of the year.

It is a sci-fi fantasy and I am also drawing my own characters and places. I’ve been working on it for years.

My main New Year’s resolution is to improve in my studies and spend more time with my family. I would like to see my grandmother in Poland because I don’t see her very often. Apart from that, I’d also like to get more involved in charity work.

IN THE NEW YEAR?

Victor, 45 Handmade Arts and Crafts Association Committee Member

Mark, 53 Artist

My New Year’s resolution this year is to try and improve the handmade arts and crafts fair to the best of my ability. I want to help promote this as it is my passion and it is a project that pleases Gibraltar’s community.

I would like to paint more of my colourful pictures that make people happy. I love to help people and seeing people smile inspires me. I enjoy painting flowers because they have all the colours in the world.

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WISHING YOU ALL THE BEST FOR 2017

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@efpg.gibraltar * Please note past performance does not guarantee future returns

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2017

business

HAPPY NEW YEAR? It’s hard to tell...

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n more youthful days, the New Year rooned on a desert island – or, to use the generally meant weeks of ruined modern parlance, you had gone “off-grid”. cheques and letters as I continued, by No telephone, no computer, no television, force of habit, to write the previous no radio, no newspapers, and certainly no year in the allotted spaces. NowaFacebook or Twitter. Then fast days, life is made somewhat easiforward to 1 January 2017 when Useful er because cheques have become you are rescued (or log back on to predictions such a rarity and any mistakes in the grid). “Have I missed much?” may be correspondence can be corrected you might well ask. about as rare by a simple click. This is just as as a winter well because the years now seem It would be difficult to know swallow. to roll by so much more quickly. where to start. Err, that UK referendum thing in June? Well, As the calendar switches over to 2017, it didn’t quite go the way that nice Mr many of us are making – then probably Cameron intended. He has left No 10 (and breaking – our New Year’s resolutions. It is indeed the House of Commons) and the also traditional for columns such as this to UK is set to leave the European Union just look back at the year just gone and predict as soon as the governsomething useful for the 12 months that ment (and the Supreme You want lie in store. Although, if the past year is Court) can work out how. to guess who anything to go by, useful predictions may You want to guess who is PM now? be about as rare as a winter swallow. is PM now? You certainly You certainly May. And the Foreign Secretary is someone So to my review of 2016. Imagine for a May. called Boris. moment that a year ago you had been maGIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2017

Oh, and the US presidential election did not come up trumps for Hillary Clinton (again) and The Donald, that oddly-coiffured property developer off the telly, is about to move into the White House. The Italians also had a big referendum – their PM lost to a comedian called Beppe Grillo and he resigned too – while the President of France announced that he wouldn’t be running again. Meanwhile, lowly Leicester City won the Premiership, Great Britain finished second in the Olympic Games, Andy Murray is the world’s number one tennis player and Ireland defeated the All Blacks.

Bob Dylan is the Nobel Laureate for Literature and scientists have discovered that the moon really is made of cheese.

OK, that last one I may have made up, but you get the picture. No one who had been “away” for the past 12 months would believe a word of what you told them. Six decades of post-war “certainty” seem to have disappeared at a stroke and the socalled Chinese curse that you may “live in 21

business What happened in 2016? Brexit. I will not go into that subject again (at least not this month!) but as a result, the Bank of England reduced rates again – they were halved to just 0.25%. This affects us directly in Gibraltar because we are bound by the same rates, regardless of the state of our local economy. I am not going to tempt fate by predicting the next move for rates, still less the timing of such a move, but they can only move higher, right? Let’s see.

But is “interesting” necessarily a good thing?

Donald Trump, President-elect of the United States

intersecting times” seems to have been fulfilled. But is “interesting” necessarily a good thing?

Sure, it is manna for the insatiable news channels and the slaves of social media but, from a financial perspective, the only certainty about uncertainly is that it is generally not a good thing – and especially not for the markets, be they trading in currencies, stocks or commodities.

As we start to implement our New Year (financial) resolutions, are we likely to experience another volatile year ahead that may well affect our own personal financial planning? I should add that what follows, dear reader, are my personal thoughts and conjectures and should never be considered as advice. Let us look at a couple of areas that are likely to be of continuing interest in 2017.

Bob Dylan, Nobel Prize in Literature

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Interest rates are always my first consideration because they affect everyone, be they savers or borrowers. Last year, I was confident that interest rates in the UK were going to rise from their all-time low of 0.5%.

After all, this record low rate had been in place since March 2009. Readers might recall that during the global financial crisis that struck the year before, the UK “base rate” had been reduced to a tenth of its previous Six decades value in just over six of post-war months. At the time, I “certainty” cannot imagine many seem to have people expected the disappeared lowest rate of all time at a stroke... to persist.

No one who had been “away” for the past 12 months would believe a word of what you told them.

A thought does strike me though. Base rates set at just above zero have been with us for nine years. Most people under the age of 30 will not have borrowed money at so called “normal” levels – or, put another way, these super low rates are fast becoming the new “normal”. If rates were to increase rapidly – perhaps as a result of a currency crisis – then borrowers, be they individuals, companies or governments will need to ensure that they can afford the increased cost of servicing their debts.

Nobody wants to return to those dreadful days in 2008 when asset prices were falling in many countries as banks discovered that substantial parts of their lending portfolios were suddenly “non-performing” or “toxic”.

The other side of the same coin (no pun intended) is the exchange rate. In much the same way that interest rates are important for most Gibraltarians – borrowers or investors – so sterling’s value against other currencies (and the euro in particular) remains a constant issue. There are two sides to this debate and what augurs well for some as the pound rises or falls produces the opposite effect for others. Anyone employed in Gibraltar who lives or spends time in Spain will generally

Beppe Grillo, Italian comedian, actor, blogger, and political activist

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2017

business welcome a rising pound (i.e. which buys more euro). Obviously, this becomes even more significant for substantial purchases such as property. The opposite is true for Gibraltar businesses importing goods from Europe or visitors to Gibraltar for whom a rising pound makes everything more expensive. So, the falling rate in the second half of 2016 has benefitted some and disadvantaged others.

My main concern as 2017 begins is that the uncertainty we have seen around the word in the past few years shows no sign of abating. International events could have enormous consequences for financial markets worldwide. January will see a new US administration installed and later in the year, important elections are scheduled in France and Germany. The political situation in Spain is still The only effectively in deadlock after two certainty elections and a new, third elecabout tion could eventually be needed. uncertainly As I write, questions are also still is that it is being asked about a possible UK generally not general election although this is a good thing. not formally due until 2020.

Theresa May, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

I wish all readers and their families a happy and prosperous New Year.

I don’t have a crystal ball but I predict that 2017 is likely to be just as

interesting – if not necessarily quite so surprising – as the year just gone. And I don’t need a proverb, Chinese or otherwise, to back me up. Just keep watching the news.

Andy Murray, Scottish professional tennis player currently ranked world No. 1 in men’s singles

The falling rate in the second half of 2016 has benefitted some and disadvantaged others.

Ian Le Breton is Corporate Services Director, Sovereign Group Tel: +350 200 76173 Email: ilebreton@ SovereignGroup.com GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2017

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business words | Sylvia Kenna, The HR. Dept.

TACKLING CONFLICT Have a happier office in the New Year

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he start of a New Year is often a • time for making plans to improve; • coming up with ideas for doing • things better; a time to make resolutions to develop and progress.

Conflict can

be positive, it can strengthen relationships...

We decided to start with some reflection first to better identify what actually needed to improve, become better or develop. What we discovered, looking back over the last year, is that the majority of the support we provided to our clients involved supporting them to manage conflict. So, we thought that we would dedicate this page to tips on the successful management of conflict.

If you can manage conflict skilfully the rewards are excellent, you can:

• • • • 24

Gain cooperation from team members Improve performance and productivity Reduce stress and preserve integrity Solve problems as quickly as possible

Improve relationships and teamwork Enhance creativity Increase staff morale If you believe that these are not very important, there is no need to read on.

Conflict can be positive, it can strengthen relationships and give you a chance to learn the views of others.

You won’t be surprised to learn that COMMUNICATION is the key and, if you do nothing else this year, make sure you pay attention to improving your communication skills.

Acknowledge that a difficult situation exists. Honesty and clear communication play an important role in the resolution process.

Make sure you understand what’s happening and be open about the problem.

Let individuals express their feelings.

Some feelings of anger and/or hurt usually accompany conflict situations. Before any kind of problem-solving can take place, these emotions should be expressed and acknowledged.

Define the problem. What is the stated problem? What is the negative impact on the work or relationships? Are The goal differing personality styles part of of conflict the problem? Meet with employees resolution is not separately at first and question them to decide which about the situation.

For example, you have a couple of employees arguing over the desk by the window or maybe you have person is right an employee who is bringor wrong...

Determine underlying needs. The goal ing a personal issue to work of conflict resolution is not to decide and driving the team crazy. which person is right or wrong; the goal is Here are some tips to use if your employees cannot resolve their differences. to reach a solution that everyone can live GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2017

business with. Looking first for needs, rather than solutions, is a powerful tool for generating favourable options. To discover Conflict that needs, find out why people want the solutions they initially proposed. is unresolved Once you understand the advanwill escalate tages their solutions have for them, and cause you can understand their needs.

Find common areas of agreement, no matter how small:

• • • •

Agree on the problem

disruption to those not initially involved.

Agree on the procedure to follow Agree on worst fears Agree on some small change to give an experience of success

Find solutions to satisfy needs:

•

Problem-solve by generating multiple alternatives

• •

Determine which actions will be taken Make sure involved parties buy into actions. (Total silence may be a sign of passive resistance.) Be sure you get real agreement from everyone.

Determine the follow-up you will take to monitor actions. You may want to schedule a follow-up meeting in a couple of weeks to determine how everyone is doing.

Determine what you’ll do if the conflict goes unresolved. If the conflict is causing a disruption in the department and it remains unresolved, you may need to explore other avenues. An outside facilitator such as a mediator may be able to offer other insights on solving the problem.

Coaching may help.

Conflict that is unresolved will escalate and cause disruption to those not initially involved. It will swallow up people’s time in trying to deal with performance issues.

Not managing conflict is not an option.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2017

One of the main reasons we believe that • people avoid managing conflict is they don’t want to deal with An angry emotions, especially anger.

When you meet with someone who is angry, you can effective listening to help defuse this anger. Nevertheless, when anger is directed at you, it is much more difficult to respond definitively, because your own emotions are usually involved.

To be heard - an angry person wants someone to listen to his/her point of view - acknowledge the feelings you hear so that the person knows you person needs appreciate how angry he/she is. to let off steam • To be understood - an angry and release person wants someone to appreciate the anger that how he/she feels - try to empathize may have been with his/her experience so that he/ she feels you understand the situabrewing for a tion, and acknowledge his/her right long time. to feel the way he/she does.

To effectively defuse anger, understand and keep in mind the needs of the angry person: • To vent - an angry person needs to let off steam and release the anger that may have been brewing for a long time - use your communication skills and allow the person to do this.

• To get the listener’s attention - an angry person wants to know that you are paying attention - use your body language to show this.

When you’re listening to an angry person, it helps to be attentive and patient. Keeping in mind that they will become less angry as you let them express themselves. Be sincere and genuine using honesty in your communication. Be calm. Try to remove your own emotions from the discussion. An angry person may say things in the heat of the moment, but you do not have to react in the same way.

Practice the above to tackle conflict as soon as possible and have a happier new year.

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business

URBAN FARMING Gibraltar’s next business sector?

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to grow crops on spaces that are vacant or ore people around the world great news not only for urban designers, unused. These crops can also be grown in are taking a look at urban architects, and building engineers, but also farming, which offers to make for residents and communities that want huge skyscrapers, industrial roof-tops and even in used shipping containers. Indeed, our food as “local” to increase food security and cities around the world are becoming hot as possible. By growing what we want to reduce CO2 emissions Rooftop beds for urban farming, and there is no need near where we live, we deassociated with the daily transgarden plots reason why Gibraltar should not be part crease the “food miles” associated portation of fresh food. with long-distance transportation. can help people of this growing environmentally-friendly reconnect with Gibraltar can be an ideal place trend. Various techniques have evolved for We also get the freshest prothe Earth... growing crops in an urban environment, duce money can buy, and we are for urban rooftop farming. With including: encouraged to eat in season. Anland being in such premium in other benefit of urban farming is that it can Gibraltar, there is simply no land availadd greenery to cities, reducing harmful able for agriculture. This makes Gibraltar Aeroponic plants runoff, increasing shading, and countering completely dependent on imports for One very exciting urban farming method the unpleasant heat island effect. Rooftop the supply of fruit and veggies. With the uses vertical aeroponic gardens, dubbed garden plots can help people reconnect advent of Brexit, and the poTower Gardens, to produce more with the Earth, and gain a greater apprecitential worse-case scenario of Urban farming food quicker, using less space ation for where our food comes from (hint: a “hard Brexit” with restrictions not from plastic packages). presents a unique and water (90% less, according on movements of goods at the to its developer), either as a sinfrontier, developing localopportunity gle unit or with multiple units in Urban farming today is no longer a hobby ly-grown supply of fresh crops to grow crops a large-scale growing operation. practiced by a few dedicated enthusicould be a viable solution, even on spaces that The Tower Gardens, are now beasts growing food for themselves. It has on a small-scale. Imagine going are vacant or ing used to efficiently grow food to the supermarket and buying become a truly innovative field in which unused. at a number of big venues across pioneering ventures are creating real, “Caleta carrots”, “Mid-Town the USA, including Chicago’s robust, and scalable solutions for growing tomatoes”, “King’s Bastion O’Hare airport, Giants Stadium, and the food for large numbers of people directBell-Peppers” and “Vineyard’s Grapes”. UrGoogle cafeteria in “Silicon Valley”. ly at the point of consumption. This is ban farming presents a unique opportunity 26

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2017

business Aquaponics This is a method of combined fish and vegetable farming that requires no soil. The farmer cultivates freshwater fish (aquaculture) and plants (hydroponics) in a re-circulating water system that exchanges nutrients between the two. Wastewater from the fish serves as organic fertilizer for the plants, while the plants clean the water of fish faeces and urine. The net result: a 90% reduction in freshwater use compared with conventional fish farming, and a significant reduction in added nutrients such as fossil fertilizers. Because the fish environment is spacious and clean, the system can be run without pesticides Hydroponic and without antibiotics. farming has Indoor and underground farms

seen a welcome resurgence in recent times.

Thanks to smart LED lighting, indoor and underground spaces in big cities are being converted to “indoor farms”. Be it in disused factories, basements and even office floors in skyscrapers, growing crops indoors is now becoming a popular trend. In Japan for example, in what used to be the vault of a major bank, there is a 10, 764 square foot underground urban farm–“The Pasona Urban Farm” consisting of a hydroponic vegetable field and a rice paddy in the basement of a nine story office building in Tokyo’s central business district. Currently, Japan produces less than one-third of their grain locally and imports over 50 million tons of food annually, which on average is transported over 9,000 miles, the highest in the world. As the crops harvested in Pasona Urban Farm are served within the building cafeterias, it highlights ‘zero food mileage’ concept of a more sustainable food distribution system that reduces energy and

Growing crops in a Tower Garden, LA

transportation cost. Similarly, the numerous old tunnels inside the Rock of Gibraltar can be used as indoor urban farms, making good use of unutilised space. With a total length of over 50km of tunnels inside the Rock, growing crops in these spaces can be a viable business opportunity.

Hydroponics

strengthens particularly in developing countries, pressure on land intensifies. The opportunity to grow fresh vegetables and fruits without soil is becoming not only an advantage, but a necessity.

Urban farming is no science fiction. It is a growing reality and one which may well suit Gibraltar and fit within its environment. Indeed, Benefit Business Solutions Ltd. is already advising a couple of urban farming technology companies on piloting their solutions in Gibraltar. To make this happen locally, formal acceptance of urban farming as an urban land use and its integration into Town Planning and land use plans is a crucial step towards effective regulation and facilitation of the development of urban farming in Gibraltar.

Existing policies and laws regarding urban farming will have to be developed in order to identify and remove unsubstantiated legal restrictions and to integrate more adequate measures to effectively stimulate and monitor the development of sustainable urban agriculture.

The numerous old tunnels inside the Rock of Gibraltar can be used as indoor urban farms...

This is the process of growing plants without soil; using water to deliver nutrients directly to the crop. Hydroponic farming has seen a welcome resurgence in recent times. As the urbanisation trend

Crops harvested in Pasona Urban Farm, Japan

Eran Shay is Managing Director & Ayelet Mamo Shay is Business Development Director of Benefit Business Solutions Ltd. Tel: (+350) 20073669 Email: general@benefitgibraltar.com GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2017

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politics

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2017

life

NEW YEAR NEW DIRECTION Marlene Hassan Nahon - Testing the waters for political change

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political framework, and she was eager ibraltar’s two pillars of political her new movement will attract young peoto discuss the issues on her mind, but I power are being rocked by an ple between their late twenties and early wanted to take her back to her politically independent force thirties because they are the that is aiming to shake ones with the most drive and are charged childhood. After all, growing up “There are in the household of her father, the late Sir the community with a ‘new further invested in their future, many who feel Joshua Hassan, or ‘Salvador’ - saviour due movement’. As tensions flared “These people want to have a disenfranchised to his iconic status as a pioneer of Gibralin parliament, a link in the opsay in which direction Gibralwith our political tar is steering. There are many tarian politics and human rights, must have position’s chain broke away to environment...” had some influence over her. take a backbench view on dewho feel disenfranchised with velopments, but something was our political environment and I brewing. The idea now is to send out the want to spark a movement of like-minded Formative years feelers and gauge the appetite for a new people who want to see something else in party that will seek to demonstrate a new today’s local political scene. The reality is The journey back in time would make way of conducting politics on the Rock. that many people do not feel represented us see things first through the by the two parties on show. innocent eyes of a five-year-old girl “I heard Anyone is invited to step up Marlene Hassan Nahon, an Independent who was buoyed by the buzz in the and give their views, to exsomeone’s shrill house when strangers dressed in MP and the spearhead of this movement, press an interest in alternadoesn’t have average buttoned-up lawyer voice screaming black were roaming around using tive thinking and to stand up ‘Te vamo quemar walkie-talkies. At that point, she had possessing eloquent linguistic expertise on for what they believe in,” she her list of candidates. She’s not excluding la casa’ – we will no idea of the stirring pandemonisaid to me last month after them completely, but she does believe um outside as dozens of members burn your house of the taxi association and their ducking out from the rain Gibraltar has enough of them in politics. down.” and nestling into one of the She instead finds herself most comfortable families threatened to burn their less conspicuous corners of around the average citizen who ‘isn’t in house down due to her father issuSacarello’s to grab a coffee. We were here one of the big three law firms and wants ing ten new mini-cab licences that would to discuss her decision to shake Gibraltar’s their voice heard’. Marlene believes that inevitably increase competition.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2017

29

life

Marlene appreciated quality time with her father

“I remember very clearly when the taxi association went on strike inside the synagogue. My father had majorly stepped up security and I was taken away because there were protesters outside our house.

There were all sorts of threats and I was terrified,” she said pausing to visualise the traumatic event. “When I heard someone’s shrill voice screaming ‘Te vamo quemar la casa’ – we will burn your house down - I ran over to the comforting embrace of my father’s arms. He would just tell me to go to sleep and not to worry and eventually that’s what I did. He was very gentle and calm.”

But she claims that despite being surrounded by these sorts of scenes, politics were always a little on the side-lines at home. Her father was a family man and never made a big deal out of his achievements. To Marlene, the man who championed Gibraltar’s case at the United Nations in the 60s was just her dad whose return she would always look forward to for an opportunity to sit on his lap while he gently caressed her hair as he read his book.

University life

be my shock is someone else’s reality, but and then go straight to university. If we I saw a lot of money being moved around encouraged A-level students to take a year and what it was used for. It was an out, they will go to ‘uni’ with eye-opener to see which countries more developed minds.”

“What’s worked together or against one the point of another. Let’s just leave it there. going back Two days before her graduation, All I can say is that during my time and reminding with this bank, everything was Marlene’s father passed away and she flew back to Gibraltar and cussing done diligently and above board.” immediately to mourn him with in what her family and the local comseems like a Opposing minds munity at large. After a difficult ‘patio vecino period, she decided to return to -neighbour-’ Marlene was an elected member of the UK and work in London. A the GSD opposition party and was fight?” series of colourful jobs ensued always inclined to be a sympathisbefore landing a quirky opporer due to it emanating from her tunity at an auction house and she broke a father’s party. But she said that dad always smile as she recalled a particular show that featured Beatles memorabilia, “You’d get all told her not to be anyone’s cheerleader and, unless she was in the front-line, she these wacky celebrities coming down and should keep her views to herself because spending huge sums of money on these ‘people change, and so do parties’, “It was things. It was very exciting work to be very practical advice. While Peter Caruana honest.” But it was a year later when she was leader I did not think there was much was offered a job to work for an American of a place for me. The man had it covered. private bank called Riggs, formally the I was just picking up nappies and making largest bank in the U.S. capital, to serve in baby food all those years, but I was always the South American and African divisions, keeping an eye on developments. Politics “I would use my Spanish practically all is like a bad habit when you get used to it. day and deal with ambassadors and high There are many admirers of the AACR Hascommissioners from these continents. san ideology within the GSD, so I felt like it Some of them were very high-profile was my natural political home. I ended up diplomats from South American countries whose names you would have heard about leaving because I felt very much alienated by the leadership and its advisers, but I in the newspapers. I felt very comfortable still maintain that the GSD was a success in this environment. It was fascinating to story for Gibraltar and I hold it in very high see the amount of money and arms that regard. I just feel that the party has veered were moved around between countries. from what the electorate expects from it.”

I knew a lot about this stuff, but it is very sensitive information. That’s why I Marlene and Chief Minister Fabian Picardo cannot tell you much,” she said about the were both messengers at Hassans law bank that suffered a number of scandals, firm at one point in their lives and used including housing accounts for two of the to hang out socially. But she said she felt 9/11 hijackers. In the end, the FBI and worried about the way the GSLP were 9/11 Commission stated that the money managing Gibraltar with the incursions was not intentionally being routed to fund that were taking place during the laying terrorists. However, safeguards to prevent this were deemed as surprisingly lax. “May- of the artificial reef in 2013 that sparked

“I didn’t feel that they were being as diplomatic as I would have liked.”

Sir Joshua’s stands on Gibraltar’s sovereignty was unmovable

When the decision as to which university degree to take on came along, Marlene chose to buck the trend and study history of art and architecture at the University of Manchester after toying with the idea of law, “I wanted to do something that I enjoyed, but in reality I needed to break free and live independently. You go from one extreme to the other. In my experience, it was always the mature students who fared better. Gibraltar, generally speaking, does not encourage students to take a year out before enrolling in university. Kids spend 14 years in the school system non-stop 30

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2017

life a furious reaction from Spain and eight-neighbour-’ fight? It is disrespectful to hour-long queues at the frontier, “I didn’t the people of Gibraltar.” Marlene feels it is feel that they were being as diplomatic as ironic that a ‘mini tragedy’ needs to occur I would have liked and I didn’t grow up in before everyone pulls together, rapidly an environment where rabble brushing any differences under the “Gibraltar rousing was the way to do carpet to focus on the big picture, things. I appreciate that the fish“Why must we wait for a black day will be ermen were raking the seabed affected by the to come together when life is so illegally, but I would have gone domino effect, short and we are very privileged in the direction of dialogue until Gibraltar? It is a waste of time.” stemming the end. That is how my father from the did politics and that’s how I plan to do so also. I felt very insecure decision made Big changes and, when Minister Charles Bruover there.”

The movement will push on zon passed away, there was an health issues in the main, but is opening for a candidate, so I felt looking for specialists in various fields in it was time for me to step into parliament.” her bid to give politics that human touch.

Marlene is of the opinion that there are a number of NGOs who do a great job Party Politics within their means, but that is not enough.

Marlene believes that personal acrimony In parliament last year, she spoke about is taking place between local politicians, implementing a structured, multi-agency both inside and outside of parliament that approach to mental health care, similar to is not conducive to proactive and positive the Care Programme Approach used in the politics. No longer needing to ‘toe a party UK. The proposal identifies the need to set line’, she hopes she can bring about a up a direct crisis line for patients and famdifferent air of constructiveness that is no ilies and structure as school-based mental longer ‘blinded by a party mantra’, “I find it health support programme, “There have all quite tiresome and toxic. I am glad that I been a number of suicide cases on the can be free in my conscious and not worry Rock. This is basic stuff. For those who feel about political baggage that requires dedowntrodden, who should they call if they fending against. The only thing we should need help. Right now, they are lost. By be doing is searching for solutions. What’s having a small team manning the phones, the point of going back and reminding and we can begin identifying those who are in cussing in what seems like a ‘patio vecino need of help.”

There are a number of NGOs who do a great job within their means, but that is not enough.

In terms of the recent debate on the regulation of marijuana in Gibraltar (see p. 32) Marlene is in favour of the use of herbal marijuana in Gibraltar for medical purposes, but stops short of fully blown recreational use of the drug for fear that the community might be unable to cope, “When you see supporting evidence that proves that the use of medical marijuana can make a difference to cancer patients, I say of course, there is proof, so why not? It is much more about the stigma surrounding the drug. I wouldn’t open the floodgates for recreational use in Gibraltar.

When you impose legislation, you have to be sensitive as to where society is at that point and how receptive it may be to such a change in legislation. You don’t want the wrong people to take advantage of the situation.”

Post-Brexit era Although willing to discuss many issues, she did not wish to discuss any potential outcomes of Brexit and how Gibraltar should prepare herself in an onslaught of uncertainty, “I am not going to pretend that I have all the answers. Today’s government has a very difficult job on its hands. We don’t even know what the expectations are from the UK. I cannot give a specific opinion when the UK doesn’t have one. Gibraltar will be affected by the domino effect, stemming from the decision made over there. Of course, we have to fight our corner and I will support Gibraltar’s government as well as any diplomatic efforts to take Gibraltar forward. We must do the best we can with the package that we fight for in a post-Brexit world. We have lived through a lot of dark times on the Rock. Spain likes to be belligerent, so what’s new? We just have to stand strong and fight our corner like we’ve always done. It is a time to be united and not divided.”

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2017

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life

LEGALISE CANNABIS ?

A war on people, not drugs

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control every aspect of the manufacture magine row upon row of lush, budthis stage, there is a growing sense that ding marijuana plants, harvested by drug-taking needs to be treated as a health and consumption of drugs? We have tried this since the 1960s and consumption white-coated technicians and education, not criminal justice, has increased. Why don’t we instead take in an innocuous building issue. Earlier this year, Damian Broton’s “The war control away from the criminals and put it around Main Street without on drugs has group ‘Stay Clean’ and the Equality in the hands of government?” fear of a police raid. Tonnes Rights Group presented a Joint Solidarfailed. It has of cannabis are distributed ity Project by the name of ‘Connected to pharmacy-like shops that become a war Health’. Together with ERG Chairman on people…” Felix Alvarez, Damian has been working Obsolete system also double up as rehabilitation centres to treat behind the scenes for a number of years Felix dismissed the ‘Class’ categorisation addiction. An elderly woman, a cancer to set the taboo subject of ‘regulation’ up of drugs as ‘prohibitionist views’ that are patient, arrives on schedule for her weekly for debate, “The war on drugs has failed. outdated and ineffective in the control supply of ‘White Widow’, while another It has become a war on people by the way of illegal substances. He also associates a facility user is called from his seat and welwe criminalise them instead of providing ‘blanketed approach’ to all drugs comed through the side doors for therapy a system of rehabilitation and within the same line and believes “You cannot on an addiction to a harder substance. The showing compassion,” said Felix that with regulation, not decriminext step would be to install a coffee shop who, with Damian, assisted the have the same nalisation, society can protect itself in Casemates serving regulated cannabis government to structure its from the tampering of the produce, attitude and for recreational use and subsequently manifesto commitments that legal approach “It means controlling the substance pumping unfathomable funds into the local looked to tackle a number of to cannabis as in the same way we do for alcohol economy. In the UK, it is estimated that a issues in these areas. “We are and tobacco and anything else. We you do with regulated market could raise up to £1bn a not recommending that people should treat every substance difheroin.” year in tax. It would be interesting to see use psychoactive drugs of any ferently. You cannot have the same how much the Rock could raise? kind. We are actually advoattitude and legal approach to cating health and asking the question if cannabis as you do with heroin. We need we can continue to allow the criminals to Although Gibraltar has not yet reached to base this on hard medical evidence

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life and not on someone’s ideological idea on what should be done. This is the first step.

For decades we have had this blanketed approach and it doesn’t work. How do we deal with drugs in a way where treatment is possible? We are taking a completely different view on this.”

In the past 24 years, Damian has provided rehabilitation support for people from all sorts of backgrounds and believes that an honest survey on cannabis consumption would lead to interesting results. He has noticed through his experience that there are many consumers who, after taking a cocktail of drugs throughout their lives, decide to stick with cannabis after giving everything else up. During the prohibition of alcohol in the United States of the early 20th century, criminals controlling illegal trafficking would push people towards ‘moonshine’ (an illegally distilled homemade whisky that took many forms and was often incredibly powerful). When the law was lifted, people tended to lean towards milder alcohol, “The reason that people choose cannabis is because it is less problematic. But as it stands, it is still illegal. The consumption of the hard stuff decreases with regulation. It is in the interest of the drug traffickers for it to remain illegal. That way, they can push you to the more synthetic stuff to get you hooked,” he said.

Name and shame a former consumer, used his own case as an example where he described regularly Damian says legalisation, decriminalisation receiving prescriptions from two differand regulation can all be ent doctors at the Primary Care summarised under one word, “The Centre for 180 diazepam tablets. ‘equality’. He says this beHe says that the introduction of introduction cause he is concerned about cannabis into healthcare could help of cannabis the labelling of consumers ease cases of addiction to anti-deinto healthcare within society in the media pressants, acting as a much less and, as a drugs rehabilitation could help addictive alternative, “People go to officer, he feels that it is detease cases the Primary Care Centre stating that rimental towards their recovof addiction they have depression and are then ery, “We have labels everyoffered a list of readily available anto antiwhere like alcoholics, addicts ti-depressants. If people only knew depressants…” and chemically dependent. the chemicals and their effects on Firstly, we are people and, if you that exist inside one of these adults wish to do something to their body tables, they might think again about taking that does not harm anyone else, it is really it. We then come to the dual diagnosis of a privacy and consent issue. If somebody depression and addiction to these tablets. wishes to smoke cannabis knowing full This is regulated and it is much worse, so well that there may be good and also we want to work with the centre as well as bad consequences, that is a decision that with Minister Neil Costa – who has shown should solely rest with them.” interest - on these issues.”

In Portugal, individuals found in possession of small quantities of drugs have them confiscated and are then made to appear in front of a ‘Commission for the Dissuasion of Drug Addiction’. This policy has seen nearly a 50% decrease in convictions and imprisonments of drug traffickers from 2001 to 2015, since the law was introduced, “I think the Portuguese system would work here. We will never be able to eradicate the black market completely but we have had our heads in the hole about the subject for the “The reason last 50 years. Without regulathat people tion, the dealers sell to anyone choose cannabis from children to pregnant women. There is no control is because it is and these are the real dangers, less problematic.” but they remain hidden.”

Felix Alvarez and Damian Broton

Connected Health wants to see an open health system that works against stigma and discrimination and is easily accessible. Both project leaders agreed that a ‘wellness clinic’ focussing on sexual health and addiction would be a good start, but they do not want it in some nook or cranny in the hospital. It must be a welcoming atmosphere that encourages people to seek help. The basis of the campaign is that addiction is wide ranging and not limited to drugs, however, they believe that the regulation of cannabis is the first step that needs to be taken in revamping healthcare of these illnesses. Damian, as GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2017

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life tice should be open and the community deserves to know. However, the problem arises when you find a small-time individual who has been picked up by the law and gone to jail for possession of cannabis for personal consumption. They end up in court and have their names, sometimes even their address, in the Chronicle and on GBC. That may be perfectly reasonable in a population composed of 50 million people, but in a small society of 32,000, they are stigmatised and condemned forever.

The individual is labelled as ‘un porista’ – a derogatory term used to describe a marijuana user- and it will affect every aspect of their lives in terms of relationships, employment opportunities and their own confidence as a person.”

Mafia control Cannabis accounts for nearly half the $300 billion illegal narcotics market, and is the drug of choice for most of the “We have and be educated on the Arresting a young person and taking them world’s 250m illicit-drug users. Just a criminal illness of addiction, “As it up to the police station for hours can underworld that across the Strait, Morocco supplies stands, these people get be a traumatic experience for a teenagaround 65% of Europe’s hashish (acis sanctioned by cording to a World Customs Authority arrested, wait for the court er and their parents. Connected Health law…” case to conclude, pay their suggested that the government employed report in 2013) and can be mixed fine and are back on the arrest referral workers specially trained in with anything from powdered milk to street into the same system with no dealing with these cases, goats’ droppings as a way to increase its assistance,” said Damian before Felix “We have which was subsequently weight and subsequent profit. This is the included in the manifesto. ‘local supply’ that Gibraltar, and the whole labels everywhere interjected.

The referral workers then of Europe, receives through the dangerous like alcoholics, approach the individual “One of the problems that I find is cameo ‘cat and mouse’ expeditions exhibaddicts and to see if they would be the way the law allows the naming ited by numerous cartels of drug traffickchemically willing to take part in a of people in the press. I understand ers who operate around the Campo de dependent. drugs awareness workshop that the wider issue is that jusGibraltar. La Linea is a major storage and

Firstly, we are people…”

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life distribution point with regular power boat runs landing on the East side’s Playa de Atunara. Scores of minions rush down the beach to lug numerous kilos of hash back up to a waiting jeep that soon escapes into the labyrinth of narrow street corners nearby. With landings taking place all along the coast, little can be done to eradicate the relentless trafficking, “Every nation that begins to regulate marijuana helps towards breaking the mafia chain. Regulation will not be the answer to everything, but I think it will be a substantial improvement on what we have now,” said Felix. “At the moment, we have a criminal underworld that is sanctioned by law because the criminals are the ones who regulate it.

For those who say that, if we regulate it, we will have a free-for-all, they “I might are quite wrong. We have this in place already. The manufacturing, go and have a sale and consumption of drugs are whiskey, but it in the hands of organised crime.” doesn’t mean Watershed studies

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talk about the medical evaluation or the licensing and distribution. We are aiming to bring in real experts to help us plan this. First, we must provoke and promote discussion, which we have done. We knew that there was a need there. That is why it has happened so quickly.”

The staunch battler for human rights in Gibraltar said that any societal change requires plenty of dialogue and debate to occur before anything actually hapIndeed, the debate has spread like wildfire pens. Felix first experienced this process and local social media groups have seen when pushing for lesbian, gay, bisexual opinions on both sides come to the fore. and transgender rights locally, which took Parliament has taken hold of the issue and over 16 years to come to fruition. Howit will be debated openly with the governever, he is happy to see a willingness to ment’s inter-ministerial committee and the engage on the discussion by the governConnected Health project in ment, especially Minister Costa, liaison to provide the relevant with whom the group will have a “We are local research. There are likely series of meetings with. Further aiming to to be teething problems if this to that, they also welcomed the bring in real proposal goes through and that composition of an inter-ministerial experts to help is why both Felix and Damian committee to tackle the issue. This us plan this.” believe that this needs to be a was one of their recommendations fluid and evolving system that to the government because of the is consistently monitored and updated to complexity and subtlety surrounding these suit the needs of Gibraltar. technical areas, “We are not just going to

that I will become an alcoholic.”

Felix believes that the study of the effect of cannabis on the human mind was obscured for many years through false information and agenda-ridden studies. He said that those conducting the research were seeing it on the evidence of a group of people who already suffered from real mental illness, “They extrapolated that to all of humanity and they had only studied a group of people who suffered from particular problems. We now understand that as an earlier mistake.

People who are not addicted to cannabis but consume are not included in these studies and may not necessarily use it as a ‘gateway drug’. It’s the same situation with alcohol. I might go and have a whiskey, but it doesn’t mean that I will become an

alcoholic. The evidence is just not there to prove that.”

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life words | Nicole Macedo & Elena Scialtiel

BROCCOLI IS BARGAIN Diet for a month, lifestyle forever

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fter the December indulgence in seemingly difficult task. Over 51% of those The organisers of the well-marketed campaign have certainly proved that a rich foods and comfort drinks, that took on Veganuary, continued the most of you may be cruelty-free lifestyle beyond January. vegan diet needn’t be poor, dull, bland, planning a stretch As a way of life, veganism has always or low-calorie; all misconceptions that In 2016, meat eaters tend to have about the veggie of healthy eating to get back adhered to a staunch desire to protect over 20,000 heavy diet. The internet is inundated with in shape for the next cycle of defenceless animals from the inane participants veganised versions of everyone’s favourite over-indulgence and penance cruelty of factory farming and the cut animal between Valentine’s Day and dairy and egg industries. Usually, vegmeals that when executed properly are just products Easter. In its third year now, anism is consciously chosen during ad- as hearty, rich and satisfying as the original from their take on the recipe, but usually with miles Veganuary is coming back in olescence or adulthood, not for health diet... less saturated fat and cholesterol, and a full force in 2017. In a world of considerations but with animals and huge boost in fibre and vitamins progressively growing healthy environment at heart, to distance and minerals. Take Jamie Oliver’s and environmentally conscious folk, the oneself from a society that feasts The challenge of turning completely cold turkey at the expense of fellow creatures. internet is Vegan Shepherds pie for example vegan for thirty-one days is being welWith that in mind, most vegans ban inundated (p. 84), it substitutes the beef mince for a beautifully meaty comed by thousands. The charity pledges all animal produce including insects’, with medley of mushrooms, lentils to change public attitudes, ‘while providing like honey and cochineal colourings, veganised and veg sautéed slowly in wine a all the information and practical support as well as wool and leather from their versions of stock. Despite the preconceived required to make the transition to veganclosets. All the latest trends suggest everyone’s notions of many who remain unism as easy and enjoyable as possible.’ that hemp, cork or wooden soles are favourite convinced by veganism, the diet the next hot kicks. There is more than meals... will not impair your protein, vitaone facet to veganism and to vegans’ In 2016, over 20,000 participants cut min and mineral intake if carried life philosophy, from staunch activism animal products from their diet, including out properly. Beginners should start with and intransigence to laidback harmony meat, dairy and eggs, many with the intenthose dishes they are already familiar with, tion of proving that they could weather the with nature.

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life

friend for more diverse groups of people, it is becoming obvious that the next step will be rights, protection and liberation for our furry cousins - why not be ahead of the curve?’ he says. ‘It is very energy inefficient and with starving people in the world, it makes it very difficult to justify wasting so much food potential along the meat, dairy and egg production chain.’

food move all animal products in everything we use is a futile task. It’s about doing what you can, not doing it all. It will take us all to change, not one person doing everything.’

Traditionally Irish, and so obviously a huge fan of cheese and onion crisps Eyleen Sheil first discovered vegetarianism last year and explore ethnic cuisines that traditionwhen she rescued her puppy and discovally avoid animal products for economical ered the immense joys of animal companor religious reasons. It’s surprising just how ionship, and harsh hypocrisy of speciesism, He believes there is a stigma against vegan friendly most Indian the concept that as meat eaters humans vegans, particularly males, who are and Asian dishes are, using “The next unfairly discriminate against other beings. derided when perceived as ‘weak’ for tofu, bean curd, soy, legumes step will ‘Now I can actually say I love all animals feeling compassion for a cute little and smoked vegetables to be rights, piglet. ‘When I explain the findings of and not be selective about which I choose bulk out their meals, and bacon being carcinogenic as a scientif- to love or not,’ she admits truthfully.’ protection offer protein rich alternatives Coming from a typical meat-keen family, and liberation ic fact, teasers fall silent.’ Since carrot to your everyday vegetables she beams when explaining that her family, sticks are cheaper than steak, he also for our furry heavy meals. friends and boyfriend have fully respected weighs in the economic factor with his cousins...” her dietary change and cater for her when catchline ‘broccoli is bargain!’ a more Although it’s been a slow appropriate and notably less aggresneeds be. ‘Some people wrongly believe development in Gibraltar, with our culture vegans feel they are superior to others. We sive cliché than ‘meat is murder!’ steeped in Mediterranean ideals and actually believe that we are all equal.’ She traditionally meat and fish filled dishes claims that the production of food ‘Veganism is not absolute, it being ever prevelant on the Rock, we eaten by non-vegans is one of the is on a spectrum,’ he tells us.

“No matter asked some very proud and keen vegans biggest destroyers of our planet.

‘I appreciate that sometimes how green your about their lifestyles and how difficult it As a staunch environmentalist, animal testing is necessary is to follow in this part of the world. Ian life is elsewhere, the eco-friendly nature of a vegan in medicine and trying to reShaw turned vegan over two years ago in you are not a true diet falls perfectly inline with her an effort to make a statement on animal environmentalist desire to help protect the earth. cruelty. ‘As we work towards more rights ‘No matter how green your life is if you are not elsewhere, you are not a true envivegan.” ronmentalist if you are not vegan.’

Lentil and sweet potato chickpea stew

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life Veganews blogger Chiara Saccucci deFormer bodybuilder Tasha States struggles She made the transition on her forty-third scribes veganism as ‘a contract to extend when dining out with her parents who birthday and describes it as the ‘best your life span’ noting that being vegan don’t approve her ‘faddy diet’, and finds birthday present ever’, adding, ‘I was totally brings peace of mind, and also herself often arguing her corner unaware of the industry standards, even opens you to a whole new against others who perpetuate though I grew up in a farming area. Things “It makes outlook on life and behaviour. ‘It the stereotype of vegans being have changed massively since then and you more makes you more compassionate ‘feeble hippy tree-huggers’. She the reality of the process a little cute lamb compassionate wants to live her life trying to and empathetic, and truly motiprancing around in a field goes through to vates into doing good everywhere.’ and empathetic, cause as little harm as posget to your plate is something everyone Chiara claims that veganism is sible and to speak for those should face up to. A life is a life, either you and truly increasing at a ‘massive rate’ in who don’t have a voice. ‘I feel love animals or you don’t. Your taste buds motivates into Gibraltar and she hopes for more closer to my pets and animals and chosen ignorance are no excuse to doing good options to start popping up in in general, and my conscience not face the reality of your choices. If you everywhere.” local establishments, ‘there are alis clearer because I have cannot raise it, kill it, gut it, skin it yourself, ready pages on the web for local lessened my contribution to then you have no right to eat it.’ people to find each other, information on global warming and the destruction of rain stores and eateries.’ forests,’ she says. ‘You just do what you The hardest thing about being vegan? It’s can, with the knowledge you must educate not the food, that’s easy. The hardest part On the contrary, Duane Licudi, who turned yourself more about alternatives to daily is knowing that the compassionate, intelproducts, and what’s used where and why. vegan after watching a video about a pig ligent people around you can’t (or don’t For example, I believe that being forced into slaughter, laments that want to) see the connection that hemp could be used a lot more veganism is not as popular in Gibraltar as animal exploitation is cruel and “I believe in the western world instead it is in other places. Feeling very much part unnecessary. Hoping they change that hemp of wool, leather or plastic.’ She of a minority, Duane explains, ‘veganism their minds someday. could be used praises her change in diet for isn’t the norm, and people are conditioned a lot more in having given her more energy to see animals as objects being placed on For those interested in learning the western and better skin, hair and nails. this earth to serve us - the idea of animals more about Veganuary, check out world instead Locally, she believes Gibraltar being sentient beings is not understood by www.veganuary.com for an insight of wool, leather on how to start the transition. To has a ‘healthy community of many.’ Duane takes solace in the thought or plastic.” vegans, with more places ofthat he is ‘no longer complicit in animal meet plant-eaters on the Rock, like fering more choices in food.’ exploitation.’

Vegan Gibraltar on Facebook.

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life words | Elena Scialtiel tamarin photos | A. Baglietto

ME EAT NO MEAT How going vegan once a week for ever is beneficial to heart and Earth

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Eat like a primate!’’ is a new campaign dustrial mentality that it ain’t a proper meal rearing consumes many times more water launched by the Alameda Wildlife if meat isn’t on the table. than growing vegetables. The UN has Conservation Park in conjunction with recently called for a global effort to reduce the Health, Environment and Education meat and dairy consumption. Meat eaters ‘Meat our Challenge: Cut meat, not trees’ in developed countries will have cut conDepartments, to sensitise foodies to is the slogan that raises awareness about sumption by 50% to avoid the worst consustainable farming against deforestation the sacrifice of forests to not-so-greener of the South-American rainforest, natural sequences of future climate change. There pastures and the worrying disproporhabitat to the cotton-top tamare so many aspects to this issue: climate, tion between vegetables and dairy arin, which is virtually extinct in conservation, health, animal welfare etc. production per acre of land one ‘Meat our For this reason, we are teaming up with the wild, and is being gradually unit can produce up to 40,000 Challenge: many different entities to promote the reintroduced there thanks to the lbs of tomatoes, or 53,000 lbs of Cut meat, campaign. Protein can be obtained from efforts of worldwide conservapotatoes versus just 137 lbs of beef, not trees’ tion parks, Gibraltar’s included. many sources other than meat, despite the according to VeganStreet.com. These average Westerner currently eating five statistics have prompted the United times more than advisable. Too Tamarins, like many other primates, are Nations’ call for western much protein has been found to omnivores, and they opportunistically foray countries to discourage the “An estimated promote ageing and increase the birds’ nests for eggs and chicks, and don’t animal protein rich lifestyle 70% of risk of certain types of cancer.” disdain insects, but their staple food is fruit and promote the return to deforestation in and seeds. Similarly, humans have evolved a more natural human diet. the Amazon basin In fact, according to surveys, a into being omnivores, with preference for can be attributed grain and vegetables, hence the Twentyworrying number of people con“An estimated 70% of deto cattle ranching” sume some kind of meat at each First Century Homo sapiens sapiens aren’t forestation in the Amazon being forbidden a juicy steak or a greasy main meal, that is thrice a day and, basin can be attributed fry-up once in a while, but one is also adif that wasn’t enough, dairy or more meat to cattle ranching” says the ‘Meat Our vised to distance oneself from the post-infor snack: who isn’t guilty of having had at Challenge’ team at the zoo. “Livestock

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life One may object that Christians already abstain from meat every Friday and all week except Sundays during certain times of the year like Lent, but the Conservation Park is asking you to take it a bit further, banning all animal products from your table, and that includes fish, eggs and milk, which usually are the backdoor of religious prohibitions. And here, you are advised to do so not just to save your soul, but to save your planet and all the souls that roam it.

least once in their life sausage for breakfast (topped by milk and cereal perhaps), ham sandwich for a ‘light’ lunch, and poultry for low-fat dinner, dotted with yogurt for elevenses and beef jerky for tea?

“Personally, I don’t disdain steak every now and then,” park manager Jessica Leaper says, “but I’ve educated my children to an almost vegan diet, also free from processed food and sweets, and they have ended up craving pumpkin seeds, peanut butter and marmite instead of cake and hamburgers as treats. In our previous open days at the park, we catered hot dogs for snacking, but at the last Halloween’s ‘Boo at the Zoo’ we offered pumpkin soup, and that was well received.”

cus on the quality rather than the quantity of their meat cuts, eggs and cheeses.

In a bid to get us back in touch with our grassroots (excuse the pun), the move aims at benefitting the individual with alternative healthy eating guidelines towards tackling obesity and cardio-vascular disease, as well the ecology, in the etymological sense of the word, of our planet viewed as one entity made of interconnected living beings. This Protein can The consumerist sceptic on the other is not just another ‘animalsbe obtained hand may argue that a 14% or 28% have-feelings-too-you-know? from many decrease in weekly meat and dairy hippy fad’, like denigrators are sources other sadly too fast to mock the consumption worldwide would be than meat... catastrophic for the ranching trade, hard-core vegan movement, but a larger-scaled project but many governments are already taking steps to fund sustainable farming channelled to make the entire ecosystem with better living conditions for cows, hens more functional and fairer for all creatures in the food chain, flora and fauna, without and sheep too often cramped in artificially-lit small enclosures to maximise the drastically uprooting, actually restoring, anyone or anything’s natural eating habits. profits derived from mass production, and there is a steady trend to return to freerange livestock cottage industries that foIndustrially processed food and fast food

Her initiative is not asking anyone to strictly monitor their calorie intake or become vegan for life, as it is understood that this can be a demanding commitment, just to eat more variedly and naturally.

Until Gibraltar has sufficient accessible whole foods at competitive prices, it can also prove a more expensive diet. It is hoped that with this initiative, demand for vegan foods will increase and demand will be met. The population is just cordially invited to ditch the animal protein once or twice a week, or more if possible, for the entire day, whether it is ‘meatless Monday’, ‘Veggie Wednesday’ or ‘Fruity Friday’.

If this happened regularThe UN has ly, it would be like one, recently called two or three sevenths of the world population for a global became vegans all year effort to reduce round (adding to those meat and dairy who already are) without consumption. threatening them with the glum vision of a not-so-distant future when animal protein derives from insects only – as Jessica says: “I tried fried crickets once: like many oriental dishes, the flavour is all in the sauce, yet the crunch and the texture are not for everyone.” It is also hoped that with time, exposure to tasty vegan foods will begin to change people’s food habits, forever.

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life Some may drag their feet claiming that vegan food is bland: nothing remoter from the truth, since the abundant use of spices and flavoursome vegetables add a tasty twist to any dish, as Moroccan, Middle Eastern and Indian gastronomy well demonstrate. Furthermore, it is all about acquired taste and one can quickly adapt and accept new flavours and veer in their direction to the point of silencing cravings for animal-sourced food. You just have to try it to believe it, and if you don’t like one dish, go for the next, because plant-based recipes permutations are virtually infinite, and your B-vitamin and protein intake can be effectively sourced from nuts, pulses, avocados, granary bread, soy, rice and mycoprotein, with no need for synthetic supplements.

are our and the environment’s enemies too, she says, as she welcomes the local Department of Education support for Fruity Fridays in schools, when pupils are encouraged to have fruit for snacks, although peanuts and nuts are still frowned upon because of allergies looming. Besides its preservatives and additives content and the question of its dubious freshness or quality, the processed food readily available at supermarkets is enveloped in layers of cellophane, foil and carton, and wrappings also raise concern, because they produce unnecessary volume of refuse that strains recycle plants.

It’s perfectly OK to enjoy your guilt-free Sunday roast dinner ritual, but for the rest of the week, start with small changes: order the vegetarian option for your fry-up breakfast (or go Andalusian with churros and chocolate), dash soy, coconut, hazelnut, almond, oat, rice or hemp milk But the think-tank behind Industrially ‘Cut it down, help it grow’ processed and in your coffee, soup and roll for lunch instead of sandwich, cheese-free margheriis confident that meatless fast food are ta or ortolana instead of pepperoni pizza, Mondays will spread like our and the tomato or pesto instead of bolognaise wildfire here as they have environment’s and carbonara sauces for your spaghetti, already in Oslo, Norway, enemies... harira, falafel and veg curry for weekend where the Government takeaways and, most importantly, pastel has ruled it compulsory de acelga and calentita any time you feel for restaurants – and if it works in a cold peckish the Yanito way. Speaking of which, climate where traditionally inhabitants are the ingenious Meatless Mob may just expected to be more carnivores since their have something very tasty for you up their fresh vegetables supply is limited, it should sleeve for next summer’s Calentita Street work even better in a Mediterranean conFood Festival – watch this space. text, whose cuisine historically exploits the orchard bounty!

The ‘Meat the Challenge’ campaign is extending an invitation to local restaurants for the introduction of more meat-anddairy-free and vegan dishes in their menus and go ‘commando’ at least once a week, preferably on Mondays, by commandeering their stanA worrying dard menu and substitute number it with a full list of alterof people native vegan dishes from around the world, healthy consume and varied for all palates. some kind of

meat at each

Restaurateurs may hesitate main meal... to adhere to this program, in fear that it alienates meat-loving patrons – and not just on Mondays - but on the plus side, they will be instantly inscribed in the good books of all vegans, locals and tourists, who have a hard time to put together a meal off meaty and cheesy menus, and hence shun wining and dining out altogether, or stick to the few outlets they have already tested as vegan-friendly.

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environment words | Lewis Stagnetto, The Nautilus Project

MARINE NUISANCES The lionfish are coming!

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study, led by researcher Demetris Kletou efore the battles of Lexington and very hard because lionfish do not scare Concord during the American War easily and can give you a nasty sting; the from the Cyprus Environmental research of Independence, the blacksmith tendency has been to do the ‘humane’ lab, determined that the sightings were Paul Revere famously called out thing and return them to the sea. This is sparse and it was unlikely that a viable population had established itself. Noto the towns folk of Boston thought to be the reason they now Lionfish one really knew how the fish got there “The British are coming!”. This exist off the coast of Florida in the alerted the Americans to the as it was expected that the high levels are venomous USA, where six individuals were reincoming British forces before leased in the 1980’s after a disastrous of salinity in the Mediterranean would predators the battles which ensued. I hurricane. form a natural barrier to their habitational which are range. One theory is that the creation of would respond in kind by saynative to the the Suez Canal has opened the door for ing “The lionfish are coming!”.

Not native to the Atlantic, lion fish Pacific Ocean. water exchange between the Red sea and have now spread their territory from Mediterranean which might have brought Lionfish (Pterois miles) are the coast of Florida, where they were lionfish eggs through. They might simply venomous predators which are native to originally released, across the Caribbean have swum through the canal. Either the Pacific Ocean. Members of the scorpiand down to the North coast way, they are here and here to stay, onfish family, they have the worst sting of of Brazil with millions of indiThey quickly as recent observations by Kletou all. Often sought after by tropical marine viduals having been spotted. grow too large and his team have found increasing aquarists for their beautiful colours and As coastal dwellers, they have and consume numbers of breeding pairs. elaborate fins designs, they quickly grow been limited to spreading all other too large and consume all other residents east across the deep Atlantic residents in the Lionfish are prolific reproducers; in the same tank.

Ocean, until now. same tank. they can spawn once every four days and it is estimated that they Only having one large hungry fish in a Off the coast of Cyprus, produce over two million eggs per year. marine tank loses its appeal. Add to that Lionfish were found in relatively small That’s a lot of babies! Further, it has been the fact that cleaning the tank can become numbers around the 1990’s. The scientific

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environment reported that lionfish eggs contain a chemical which deters other fish from eating them. Finally, unlike other species, lionfish can form reproductive groups which really helps to ramp up their numbers.

Recent work by Kletou in 2015, has found that the lionfish have already established these reproductive groups around Cyprus and have extended their range to Turkey and Greece. Following the Florida example, we can expect them to become a dominant species in the Mediterranean within the next decade or so. They won’t just remain here either as they will also extend their range west past Gibraltar and possibly out into the eastern Atlantic coast.

Ok, so we have some One theory Lionfish. Why is this a probis that the lem? In any healthy marine creation of ecosystem, you have the the Suez algae and the herbivorous alCanal has gae eaters. Predatory fish eat opened the the herbivores and the whole door for water system remains in balance. exchange...

Lionfish are predators and hungry ones at that! Some recent research suggests that they can reproduction problem outlined earlier is one example where our type of efficienexpand their stomach up to 30 times its as there is no top down control on their cy would be welcome. Florida seafood original volume. The Florida environment numbers. menus now include these fish as part of has seen a huge increase in algal growth the staple diet and there is no need to because the Lionfish are eating all the feel guilty whilst eating them But there is good news and it Lionfish are algal grazers. In Gibraltar terms that would either; in fact, it’s all for a comes in few parts. Firstly, lionfish mean more seaweed! are extremely tasty. They are also also an invasive good cause. slow moving which makes them species and Lionfish are also an invasive species easy to catch! Historically, we have have no natural The second part to the good and have no natural predators in the been exceptionally good at targetpredators in the news is that the invasion Mediterranean because they are covered ing particular species and catching has only just started makMediterranean... in nasty spines. This only compounds the them until the stocks collapse; this ing it easier to control. It is important that scientists work with governments to implement policies to prevent further invasion of the Mediterranean. Awareness needs to be spread for the arrival of the incoming predators and measures taken to preserve our coastlines equilibrium. I, for one, have my grill and lemon ready to do my part.

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life words | Nicole Macedo

NO LONGER SHELTERED Dystopia and penetrating the journalism industry

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ere it is! Finally, a chance for renewal; beautiful, blank January.

My opportunity to fulfil the initial promise I made myself four That’s months ago to be a fully certainly not functioning and producto say that I’m tive student, existing endedicating any tirely in Franklin Covey’s more time to first quadrant and most my studies. certainly not hiding in my room for days avoiding the cold and money grabbing ways of the big, and now mostly dark city. Alas, the likelihood of me changing my ways is slim.

Habits are a lot harder to break than just giving yourself a good speaking to. I have, however, in the past month, managed to switch up my sleeping pattern from deathly late nights and waking up to sombre sunsets, to tucked up by midnight and at the gym for nine thirty. It is mental how much of a wonder it has been for morale.

Although that’s certainly not to say that I’m dedicating any more time to my studies.

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Early mornings do mean walking through the quintessentially English crispy, frost bitten grass and appreciate the intense biting chill of the glorious winter sun.

It’s not so bad this cold; it reminds you that you’re actually alive, and that your face is in blistering agony. When you are significantly drunk and beginning to slip into the semi-comatose phase, it proves a very welcomed slap in the face, allowing you to stagger to the bus stop and endure the forty-five minute night bus of eternal damnation.

Road, he proceeded to curse death upon every innocent public transport taker that walked past him down the top deck isle.

Only then did it start to sink in that the risk of becoming just another London Evening Standard statistic is very real. Which reminds me, avoid following LES on any social media platform, unless you wish to be routinely reminded of the very serious crime problem that London faces.

My biggest issue with dedication and motivation these days (other than my stiflingly lazy innate demeanour) Early is being very easily distracted. I’ve During a most recent trip mornings do spent the past few weeks living in a home from the joyous mean walking dystopic world of rolling industrial pre-Christmas Oxford Street through the beats and quivering LED lights that shopping dash, I had the quintessentially pleasure of sitting one seat gnaw right through your organs and English crispy, into your inner most being. Having in front of a complete mad frost bitten been a passionate electronic music man on the ever-faithful 453 grass... fan for a few years now, I’ve just now to Deptford Bridge. After discovered that apparently, London threatening his girlfriend is somewhere at pinnacle of the underand children over the phone for the entire duration of the route down Old Kent ground techno scene, outside of Berlin and GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2017

life seasonal Ibiza perhaps. The culture can so a stupor. This was a hurdle I’d masterfully lecture/ discussion/ workshop/ convereasily reel you in and make it impossible overcome back home, after building up a sation with Nick Clegg that the internet for you to leave, particularly, solid reserve of cross community has offered to me. It was in a self-made It seems I’ve when you have equally as eager contacts in our humble media real-estate mogul’s confidence boosting, llanito techno fanatics stood circle. Also, in the first couple of ‘find your own path’ book that I once read found myself by your side the entire time. It years of my media career, the that persistence, bordering on well-ina delightfully seems I’ve found myself a defamiliar group novelty of free booze at receptions tended stalking, is the most assuring way lightfully familiar group of llanito was still fresh, and it is wholeof securing an entry into your industry of of llanito pals pals to coexist with in the big, heartedly easier to make people choice. Whilst I am not about to set up to coexist with like you when you are almost albad city, and I never thought I’d camp outside Nick Robinson’s house, I in the big, bad ways two drinks in. I am not naïve be so delighted by it. As much can appreciate the effort to feed me the city... as I have tried to find common enough to think, by any stretch of motivation I am somehow lacking. It’s all ground with the pastel haired the imagination, that finding my about finding the confidence in yourself to Marxists of Goldsmith’s, it seems I’m better feet in the journalistic universe of London sell your personality and ability to everyoff sticking to what I know best; loud and will be on the same spectrum as my former one and anyone you might meet at any overbearing Mediterraneans, with their experience. such schmooze fest. If that’s a struggle, over excitable nature and blatant disthen there is always our favourite Franklin missal of the awkward, cold politeness of Covey fall-back ‘fake it until you make it’.

Gibraltar was a tough rock to crack. When Londoners. These huge warehouse events we first brought YGTV to fruition, doors draw in droves of London dwelling Spanwere constantly closed in our And so here I sit, emailing up a Whilst I iards and Italians who contribute massively faces, and the former local frenzy, pouring my heart out to unto the warm welcoming aura of the roaring media model of the two most witting electronic music magazines, am itching to techno underbelly of the city. prominent news institutions pleading them to help a poor lowly unleash my on the Rock was all there was journo out with some work. Amidst magnificence Now, the Christmas period has not been room for, for a long time. It was on the British all of this, it’s starting to dawn on entirely made up of hedonistic frivolity. thanks to the persistence and me that I’m very much starting to public, I am Trying to edge my way into writing for big sheer over arrogance of the develop a sense of self-awareness. incredibly city publications is proving a lengthy and higher echelons of the website Apparently, you can survive in the baffled about big city, without the pushy aid disheartening process. Having attended that helped us move into the where to even of your overbearing Gibraltarian multiple cross-university workshops on light. Whilst I am itching to start. media and where the future is heading, I unleash my magnificence on parents. With the New Year comes have been advised to sign myself up for as the British public, I am incredthe acceptance of a new status, many free events and social gatherings as ibly baffled about where to even start. just another starry-eyed student in this possible in order to network myself into So I’ve signed myself up to every free dizzying metropolis.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2017

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2017

life words | Mike Brufal

IBERIAN CONNECTION Robert Capuro - from insurance broker to Canning House CEO

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Canning House consists of the Hispanic obert Capurro, 54, is the Chief ExCanning House, founded in 1943, is the and Luso Brazilian Council and Canning ecutive Officer of the Hispanic & UK’s leading forum for informed comment, Luso Brazilian Council, more popcontacts and debate on Latin American House Ltd. The former is a non-political, ularly known as Canning House. politics, economy and business. It also pro- non-profit organisation registered as a charity. Canning House Ltd is a wholly He is the son of Joseph Robert Capurro motes the languages, culture and history owned trading subsidiary that provides and his wife, the former Mary of Latin America, Spain and Portugal.

Bell, who comes from Devon.

Canning House also helps its business corporate membership services and earns His father Robert was born in BogotĂĄ, the bulk of the revenues that support the decided that members to achieve their objectives Colombia. His sister, Vivien, in Latin America. charity. An example of the charitable work he must be of Canning House is when the British now lives in Somerset. Ralph educated in It is proud to unite a broad and Library had the opportunity to acquire the and Rogelio Capurro were his England...

Canning family archive for the nation. The uncles and Vicky and Maruja diverse community of interests from British Library received substantial grants his aunts. His father was an across the British political, diplomatic, underwriter in both insurance and reinfrom Heritage, the National Lottery and business, academic and cultural estabother Trusts but needed another donation surance and never made his home on the lishment and their Latin American and to reach the amount required to Rock after completing his National Service, Iberian counterparts. Country complete the purchase. Canbut from time to time would holiday there. membership includes the He had ning House was able to give the His work was primarily overseas and he Spanish Caribbean (Cuba picked up a good required contribution. In return, it spent much time in Argentina, Colombia, and Dominican Republic), understanding Spain and Mexico. has been appointed a Patron of the and on the non-Spanish of the insurance British Library. When all is in place speaking side Belize, Guyana, world... next year, then Canning House will Robert was married to Elizabeth and has Suriname and Haiti. This due be able to arrange some Canning three children, Hope (26), born in Spain, to the latter countries being archive events in conjunction with the Daniel (24), born in the Netherlands and increasingly more closely integrated into British Library. the Latin American hinterland.

Amber (14), born in Chile.

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life It is important to understand what exactly the functions of an insurance broker are. In a nutshell, a broker uses in-depth knowledge of risks and the insurance market to design and arrange suitable insurance policies and cover for his clients. He acts as an intermediary between the client and the insurers and will seek cover from a variety of insurers. Commercial brokers deal with high value and more complex insurance cover in areas such as marine, aviation, oil and gas and financial risks. The broker studies and understands the client’s risk profile and will design the insurance coverage in such a way to provide optimum coverage at a competitive premium with terms and conditions that are reasonable and effective. It is the client who employs the broker. It is very much a personal hands-on profession.

with Aurora Williams, Minister of Mines of Chile in 2015

Canning House is named after George Canning (1770-1827), British Foreign Secretary (1807- 1809 and 1822-1827) and briefly Prime Minister in 1827. During his time as Foreign Secretary, he was active and instrumental in helping many of the then Spanish and Portuguese colonies in Latin America to become independent.

This led to a century of close political and economic ties with the region including British investment and firms financing and building railways, energy firms, utilities and financial institutions amongst other activities. In 1808, 40% of British exports were sent to Latin America. By the First World War, 50% of foreign investment in Latin America came from Britain, more than 20% of its trade was with Britain.

Robert entered the company’s history book when he sold the longest bridge to the Guyana Government.

School, Canterbury, and then up to King’s College London University where he studied geography. Whilst he had no preference for which profession to join, the mental decision had been made to work overseas. He graduated in 1983 which was just after the recession and jobs were few and far between. Over the years, thanks to his father’s profession, he had picked up a good understanding of the insurance world which led to a natural gravitation to a job in insurance in the city. His first job in 1985 was as a Branch Insurance Officer in Barclays Insurance, London. After a year there, he had a variety of insurance broking jobs between 1985 and 1997 in London, Madrid, Barcelona, Amsterdam, and Manchester. By 1997, he was an executive director at Willis Ltd.

Today, Canning House runs around 80 events a year, ranging from round table breakfast meetings, talks, lectures and Promotion followed and from 1998-2003 seminars and major conferences. The two Robert was Managing Director of Willis flagship events are the Canning ConferLtd in Santiago, Chile, an insurance broker ence and the Canning Lecture; the latter employing 40 people, placing US$32 milby tradition given by a Latin lion in premiums and generating American or Iberian Head of revenues of US$4 million. Clients It is State or Government. included Thames Water, Codelco uncommon and CMPC (the largest private for any broker company in Chile). During this peIt is fascinating to see how Robto move riod, Willis jumped from 10th to 3rd ert’s career, which has resulted away from largest insurance broker in Chile. in his appointment as CEO just the insurance under four years ago, developed business...

In 2003, Robert moved to Aon Ltd since his schooldays. as director in the Risk Management Division where his clients included Robert, until the age of ten, lived in Granada, TUI, Inchcape, Logica CMG and Colombia where he was born but his BskyB. He succeeded in obtaining ITV and father decided that he must be educated BskyB as clients. in England and he was sent to The King’s 48

Insurers are unique as compared to any other profession. Most businesses work on the principle of Caveat Emptor – let the buyer beware, which means that the buyer alone is responsible for checking the quality and suitability of goods before a purchase is made.

However, this is totally different in the insurance world which is governed by Uberrima Fides – Utmost Good Faith. This legal doctrine obliges the insured to reveal to the insurers any information that might influence the insurers’ decision to enter into the contract and under what terms and conditions. Although there is a tripartite relationship between broker, client and underwriter, the contract is between the insured and the insurer.

Robert, in 1987, qualified as an Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute (ACII) and in 1997 became a Chartered Insurance Practitioner.

It is uncommon for any broker to move away from the insurance business but Robert succeeded in that for the first time when, from 2004 to 2008 he was appointed Director of Sales for Latin America, Caribbean and Spain for Mabey Bridge.

This is a British family owned company that makes modular steel bridges which are a modernised version of the wartime Bailey bridges. He would have stayed longer but alas the company was successfully prosecuted by the Serious Fraud Office for bribing overseas officials, events that took place before Robert joined the company.

This put paid to most prospective government contracts as governments could not be seen to be doing business with a company convicted of bribing officials.

Robert entered the company’s history book when he sold the longest bridge GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2017

life to the Guyana Government. This is the Berbice Bridge which is 1.57 kilometres long with a retractable span allowing ocean going ships to pass through. It opened on the 23 Dec 2008 and links the capital, Georgetown, with New Amsterdam which is 62 miles away. The bridge is the sixth longest floating bridge in the world.

The Mabey modular steel bridges have particular attractive qualities for the governments of emerging countries.

Robert, in In addition to their traditional use 2013, was as military and emergency bridges, headhunted Mabey pioneered their extensive to become use for rural development. They the first Chief combined their manufacturing, Executive engineering and project management of Canning capabilities with long term, low cost with President of Mexico, Enrique Peña Nieto and Miriam Gonzalez Honorary President of Canning House in 2015 financing to enable governments House. to purchase and install hundreds of Canning House has never ignored Gibralacumen rather than a retired diplomat bridges across remote rural areas tar, but to date, as far as Robert is aware, or politician and to move away from the within one to two years. Connecting has not organised any event specifically Director General model with limited exechitherto difficult to access villages to each about the Rock. Robert attended the two utive powers. Five years ago, the Canning other and the countries’ main arteries, day seminar about the Treaty of Utrecht House finances were severely depleted allowed agricultural produce and othorganised by the Spanish Embassy to and the Trustees had to make a decision er commodities to access markets and mark the three hundredth anniversary. whether to close down or find a new way education and medical services to access Many Spanish and British historians spoke, to carry on. The decision was to carry on rural populations. The resulting increase in including Lord Thomas of Swynnerton by making radical changes. It was decided revenues for the government made these (better known as Hugh Thomas). It is the to sell the lease of 2 Belgrave Square back projects largely self-financing as well as intention of the Spanish Embassy to pubto the Grosvenor Estate and rent considpolitically very attractive. lish a written account of the event. erably less space. This resulted in a move to becoming a tenant in No 14 Belgrave Mabey’s greatest success was in the Square.

Canning House does not shy away from Philippines where, during the consecutive controversy. Last year, there was an open terms of office of six Presidents, over 1300 meeting about the Falkland Islands (Las Robert’s prime task is to return Canning bridges were built. A military version of the Malvinas) and taking part were an ArgenHouse to operating profitability on a susMabey bridge is still sold and this remains tine Minister presenting, and the audience an important sector of the market. Robert’s tainable basis. Therefore, it must be run as included a representative from the Falkland a going profitable concern without losing first bridge sale was to Ecuador’s Army.

Islands Government and Foreign Office ofsight of the cultural and social remit. In ficials. It turned out to be a civilised debate the three years he has been in command, In 2008, Robert returned to the City with all the speakers shaking hands with the organisation has been professionof London and for two years became a each other at the conclusion. The purpose alised and now is a provider of specialist Partner in Jardine Lloyd Thompson Ltd in of such a debate is to educate those who services, treating the corporate members the Energy and Marine Division. He was listen to the speakers who then draw more like clients. For the the new business leader for Energy with their own conclusions. broader individual memresponsibilities across Latin America and Robert’s bership and stakeholders in the Caribbean. His main achievement was prime task government, parliament and Robert is prepared to consider holding to obtain Petroquímica de Venezuela as a is to return academia, it is a focal point client.

Canning House such an open event on Gibraltar. The for Latin American and Ibeauditorium holds some 140 people to operating rian themed activities and and guests can attend who are not Willis approached him in 2011 to be the profitability on members. A possible subject might United Kingdom Utilities Practice Leader as interaction. a sustainable be ‘The effects of Brexit on Gibraltar’. well as the United Kingdom Services Pracbasis.

Speakers could be from Gibraltar, All Latin America plus tice Leader. He was very successful and Spain, the Foreign Office and the Belize, Guyana, Suriname, his key achievements included persuading Spanish Embassy. After the speakers have Haiti, Spain and Portugal are members of these companies to become clients; Cenmade their case then it will open for the trica Renewable Energy; National Grid Off- Canning House through their respective Ambassadors and High Commissioners and guests to ask questions and make stateshore; RES Ltd; Nuclear Decommissioning ments. The event has to be balanced. As are treated equally and impartially. That Authority; Drax Power and Affinity Water. said, the larger countries such as Brazil and a matter of course, all Latin American and His clients produced annual revenue of Iberian Ambassadors are invited to every Mexico tend to attract more attention and several million pounds. event. therefore more events. The Latin American Ambassadors meet regularly to discuss Robert, in 2013, was headhunted to betheir shared diplomatic agenda and, where If this idea comes to fruition then this will come the first Chief Executive of Canning relevant and appropriate, Canning House be first time Gibraltar will have been the House. The Trustees were looking for participates and facilitates. theme of a Canning House event. a person with business experience and GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2017

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scene

FUSING CULTURES Driss Alaoui Mdaghri – Come to my Home

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peace through the instruments of politics, n this ever changing world, peace and be reached through art’. For Driss Alaoui comprehension among nations is at a M’daghri, a Moroccan poet, intellectual and but then I understood that only art could breaking point. Right wing politformer minister who spoke at this bring people close to each other.” ical movements have sprung up year’s Gibraltar Literary Festival, “My house to save the Western world from ‘Come to my Home’ is a call for was always Cultural Fusion apocalyptic-like premonitions of mutual cultural dialogue between open and I socio-economic collapse. News musicians, artists, poets and free But it was in his early years where Driss could invite stories pop up on our smart devicthinkers from different faiths and discovered the ‘unfathomable beauty’ whomever I es and television screens, penebackgrounds. The itinerant visual that could be created through the fusion trating our psyche with images of chose. It was arts, poetry and music festival has of different backgrounds. Morocco can hate and intolerance for fellow hube described as a ‘mixed salad’ of culonly natural had seven editions so far (from man beings. The rhetoric emanatCasablanca to Dakar) attracting tures who can trace their heritage back for me to ing from these sources suggests artists from across to diverse sources and it is within continue this the globe. Driss, extreme measures of immigration this concoction that Driss’ parents spirit “Once you the founder of the control, encourages fanatical naallowed a ‘paradise of connectivity’ are living and movement, combines tionalism and gives hate a platform to flourish. The M’daghri family to grow. In this day and age, the challenge the sensibility of an artist, the behaving like would welcome all travellers to to take a stand against discrimination and experience of a troublesome this, you start their home, sharing stories, music, promote collaborative thinking instead of historical period (he was with to understand art and, most importantly, ideas King Hassan II when bullets creating walls of division seems a futile that all humans on how best to get along with one started flying during the atexercise. Is it really possible to imagine a another, “My own life inspires me work in the tempted coup d’état by Skhirat world without frontiers? to fuse cultures and I have always same way.” in 1971) and the interest of a lived with this philosophy,” he said ‘Come to my Home’ provides a counterbal- politician. Following the inciafter reciting poetry accompanied dent whereby an attempt was made on the by a serene blend of traditional music in ance, albeit on a smaller and non-political king’s life, Driss said: “I tried to work for scale, demonstrating that ‘peace can only a concert held at the Garrison Library last GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2017

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October. “In particular when I was a student living with my parents in Rabat, my house was always open and I could invite whomever I chose. It was only natural for me to continue this spirit.”

“You don’t need to understand the language, you just need to open your ears and listen to it.”

Driss and his family were members of the Moroccan branch of ‘The Experiment in International Living’, an organisation formed in 1932 that offers homestays focussing international cross-cultural education for high school students. His home saw an ever revolving door of travellers pass through and stay from six to eight weeks, immersing themselves in the culture and integrating themselves into the family, “There are still people from England and the United States with whom I still maintain contact. They visited my home over four decades ago! These early influences helped shape my life. Once you

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are living and behaving like this, you start to understand that all humans work in the same way.

After spending enough time together, any cultural differences can become more acceptable.”

turned out to be exquisite on the ‘koto’, Japan’s national string instrument, and it was not long before she too was roped into the venture, “She was introduced to the family, we ate together and she had her koto with her. The music she played was beautiful and she had a vibrant energy to mix this traditional Japanese instrument with others from around the world, so we asked her to join.”

Driss keeps up the tradition to this day, often hosting dozens of people under his roof who converse in a multitude of languages about endless subjects of cross-cultural Come to my Home understanding. It was from here that he decided to take the next step and set up The first edition of the ‘Come to my Home’ a project under the auspices of the NGO, festival took its form around Casablanca in La Fondation des Cultures du October 2012 over a ten-day period Monde, which would incorbefore making its way up to MarDriss’ porate all that he had learned rakech, Bejaad, Lucca, Boskoura, and parents under one collaborative finally Rome in subsequent years. In allowed a umbrella. His daughter added each city, different themes were im‘paradise of to the project when she met a plemented from artists spanning every Japanese lone female traveller connectivity’ continent and invited to create music, to flourish... and offered her shelter. She words, pictures and concepts together.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2017

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Activities such as cooking workshops, clearer and you might start enjoying it too. no frontiers in the arts, especially music. It nights spent studying the It is possible to access any type of encourages fusion beyond the melody and stars, bird watching, classes for poetry, music or art. You don’t need a sense of understanding between artists In each to understand the language, you can be a natural occurrence. When the kids to study Indian percussion city, different just need to open your ears and creative juices begin to flow, there is no instruments or painting themes were listen to it.” telling where it can lead you and the conall came to light. Over the implemented sistent artistic liaisons formed during these course of the next few years, from artists collaborative sessions remind us what can a permanent orchestra was ‘Come to my Home’ goes as far be achieved when working together. Why assembled with Badara Seck, spanning every as to deal with the then could these trends not also a Senegalese griot singer, at relations between Eucontinent...

“There are no be transmitted into socio-cultural its helm. He called on musirope and the Muslim understanding? If fusion is natucians worldwide to create a frontiers in the world, migration, terral within music, art, poetry and universal language unrestrained by cultural rorism as well as the meaning arts, especially ultimately between nations, then differences, styles or genres. Driss believes of political commitment and music. It why does society create such a divithat, even when a person might not like the role of the artist in conencourages sion between mankind? These are a particular style of music, if they met temporary society. Driss befusion beyond the questions being asked by this someone who played it beautifully, it could lieves that it is only through the melody.” progressive movement, but they be contextualised and appreciated more this sort of medium that are age-old remarks that still remain easily, “When you sense the emotions a common understanding unanswered in today’s world. and connect with them, things are much between nations can be found. There are

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scene words | Elena Scialtiel photos | Event Focus

ROBIN HOOD & THE THREE KINGS Nadine talks panto and cavalcade

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h no, she didn’t! Oh yes, of thirty-two children and teenagers, a ten- scope to play with wisecracks, twists and she did! After some twenty strong adult chorus and the busy line-up of turns, and extra lines for extra giggles. years spent consolidating the principals, a healthy mix of panto faithfuls pantomime tradition in Gibraltar and newcomers with a varied experience “The story is indeed about the classic with the Trafalgar Theatre in amateur theatre.

Robin Hood who is in love with Maid Group, Margaret Seed has Marion and lives in the woods with the “I took up eventually passed the baton, But Margaret isn’t bowing Merry Men to rob the rich and help the the challenge er… the canvas chair to Nadine out yet: free from directorial poor, but this lot isn’t doing such a good because Gonzalez, who is directing job at it, although they try very hard!” responsibilities, she can focus theatre is what ‘Robin Hood’ this January after on her acting talents and grace Nadine explains. “I’ve modified the script I breathe, so no the plot with the presence of a crash-course in pantology as here and there to adapt it to the cast challenge is too her Wise Woman character who co-director when she played and Gibraltar, and to introduce one-liners Crocodile in ‘Peter Pan’ last year. challenging for answers in riddles to anyone for the teenage members, who are the me there.” daring to quiz her with the future of our group and Gibraltar’s theatre, encouraging them and others “I took up the challenge meaning of life and alia. afterwards to step on stage because theatre is what I breathe, so no “I want to challenge is too challenging for me there” “Don’t mind the director, the keep pantomime actively.”

Nadine says, “but particularly because I pantomime will bring itself alive in Gibraltar want to keep pantomime alive in Gibraltar She has also jazzed up music together,” Margaret used to and nobody and nobody else dared fill Margaret’s preach, and Nadine is confident and choreography, with the else dared fill shoes.” Pretty big shoes indeed, clownhelp of dancer Jade Federico that her cast will pull the best Margaret’s sized perhaps, in terms of expertise and one ever, as they do every year. and a program of chart-toppers shoes.” vision, even for a seasoned actress and The subject, ‘Robin Hood’, has

by Carly Rae Jepsen, Justin fast-learning director like Nadine, thrown Timberlake, Olly Murs and never been staged in Gibraltar at the deep end of managing a large cast Meghan Trainor, just to quote some, that before, and the well-known legend offers

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2017

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And when the curtains fall on the last the audience is guaranteed to sing along, with hectic Saturday marathon sessions performance, a gala night with top although they will have to pay the outmost with kids and adults, to perfect our dignitaries in attendance, the Trafalgar attention to plays on words in the twisting performance.” And to work off the turkey Theatre Group will split in smaller groups of original lyrics. “The script itself often and pudding extra calories, of course! and start rehearsing their entries to the suggests what tracks to use, but they Gibraltar Drama Festival in early spring, tend to be too traditional, so we opted This means the cast will have plenty of in which they are expected to participate for contemporary music that time to tease the audience with with at least one junior and one senior everyone knows and can dance a sneaky preview at the Three “We will th play, to regroup again for the Royal Navy along. In fact, we will invite the January: Kings’ Cavalcade on 5 invite the Drama Festival soon after. No rest for the audience to stand up and dance “We will participate as a walking audience to wicked, or the wickedly funny, especially on the spot, following our chorus’s float,” the director says, “no way stand up and when they have to transition from comedy lead. I am also adding a rostrum we can make it on time to build dance on the to tragedy at their directors’ whim. before the first row, to extend the a truck float, but we want to be spot, following there, all dressed up, handing stage for the dancing routines.” our chorus’s flyers to promote our work with ‘Robin Hood’ runs from Thursday 19th to lead.”

Sunday 22nd January with matinées on kids of all ages.”

Trevor Norton, who is not new to Saturday and Sunday and again the Robin Hood franchise after from 26th to 28th January. Tickets playing Friar Tuck in the original musical There and then, they will sample “It pretty ‘Arrow’ over a decade ago, is back in the some of the most extravagant much remains are priced £6 and £8 for the gala. role he plays best, sensible shoes and costumes Margaret is sewing for a family outrageously preposterous matching them, as she has been doing for the Nadine Gonzalez business on apparel included: the Dame, namely past umpteen years. “I don’t know either side of Courgette, who is the Sheriff’s personal yet what as, but I will dress up too,” the stage...” cook - but a lousy one - as well as the Nadine pledges, “and go along with heroine’s friend and confidante. them.” There is also a bear in the picture, a trained animal like those that Here, Friar Tuck is played by newcomer Pat Middle Ages’ buskers used to show around playing tricks,” and although Nadine Borda who is a worse cook for the Merry dismisses she will allow an actual bear on Men than Courgette is for the palace, Will Scarlet by Edmund Lawson, and Little John stage, she pledges the costume will be as realistic as possible and quite frightening in

by Mario Prescott. Two of the Group’s the iconic ‘Behind You!’ scene. pillars, Steve Lawson and Harriet Seed will go head to head as the Sheriff and Robin respectively, while Daniel-Strain-Webber “In Gibraltar, the pantomime is much plays King Richard and Kathryn Parker loved by everyone, and parents who got Maid Marion. Mellifluous-voiced Alan-aintroduced to it when accompanying their Dale, in this case Anna-a-Dale, is played by sons and daughters are now attending on Anna Felices. their own on a different night than the one their teenage children pick to watch the panto with their friends,” she says. So, it Traditionally a Christmas dish, in Gibraltar pretty much remains a family business on the pantomime has become a way to either side of the stage, with Nadine’s son lighten up the January blues at it runs at Harry manning lights, her husband on hand the end of that month, when not much backstage, and the Lawsons teaming up to entertainment is going on compared to deliver some great humour. Steve is also usually busy Decembers. “This gives us in charge of designing and engineering the time to piece all parts together at the multi-layered sets and wings, with the help Ince’s Hall after the seasonal break,” of Moira Bisset, Marie Wallace and Chris Nadine explains, “when we start complete Nelson. rehearsals and to build up the scenery, GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2017

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music

PUNK & COUNTRY The Undesirables 141

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Would you say that the Undesirables are round three years ago a GibralHow did The Undesirables 141 form? tarian super group was formed within a specific genre?

It was a culmination of tons of ideas that under the name ‘The I had locked away. Nick and I work We’re not really a country band… people Undesirables 141’ to “The together, but we also familiarised with haven’t realised it yet but we are a punk bring a new musical genre with one another musically in our other band more than anything else. Let’s say, old roots to the Rock. The band ‘undesirable’ we’re not exactly playing Kenny Rodgers, band, ‘The Return of the Punk Zomis the person combines punk rock with couneven though we like his music. I’m more bies’. We were mates basically and try music as well as containing who people there was a period where we were into The Clash, Sex Pistols, The Ramones elements of flamenco, rock ignore when individually listening to a lot of music and loads of others within that style. But ‘n roll and blues. With their they go out like Elvis and Johnny Cash. So we it is a mix of genres and we are mostly fast-paced and upbeat tones, on a Friday influenced by the music of Johnny Cash, discussed it and thought, why not?

The Undesirables have already The Reverend Horton Heat, The Old Crow night…” established a strong local fan Medicine Show and many others like base merely three years since How did you come up with the these. I have always done fusion their inception and are looking to step up name ‘Undesirables 141’? and this is no different, but we are their game with a new album as well as “We’re not not producing something that is too The ‘undesirable’ is the perplaned tours to the UK and Portugal. We complicated. Some elements of our really a country son who people ignore when spoke to lead singer and acoustic guitarist music can be seen as having some band… people they go out on a Friday night, Adrian Pisarello on how the band formed the one who never receives haven’t realised strains of country like bluegrass, and its aspirations going forward. o rockabilly. Most of my music the call to a party and is left it yet but we collection is composed of bands like at the back of the line.

There Band line-up: Adrian Pisarello – acoustic are a punk Motorhead, Black Sabbath and AC/ are people out there who use guitar and vocals, Nick Richardson – elecband more than DC, I love rock and roll, so all these you to their convenience and tric guitar, Jonathan Bugeja – banjo, slide anything else.” things make their presence known guitar, keyboard and harmonica, Jason Beli- then ignore you when you in our music. need them. lo – bass and Francis Pecino – drums.

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What does the rebellious spirit found in original punk mean to you?

complicated. It is a bit lighter politically than what I am used to. ‘Aqui nadie se lo traga’ is a bit stronger and is “It’s not It’s not my fault that I was born my fault that about a specific period during the with such a rebellious spirit.

Blair administration where the UK When I was a kid, I loved Greece, I was born was negotiating behind Gibraltar’s the musical, and the badass with such back for joint sovereignty. At the leather jackets that the group a rebellious moment, I don’t feel too comfortwore. That was the origin of my able playing the song as I am in a spirit.” love for classic rock ‘n roll. The period in my life where I am sick of movie also had Elvis’ ‘You Ain’t confrontation. I am more interested nothing like a Hound Dog’ song and this in less serious subjects at this time, like was my introduction as an eight-year-old. I our song ‘Tribute to Quinten’, which is an loved this stuff and the images behind this instrumental that pays tribute to the great music really sunk in with me. Everything I director, Quinten Tarantino. We also have do has a little bit of punk in it. I guess it’s songs that talk about the Rock on the Rock the rebellious spirit inside of me. I like to club and other fun times around Gibraltar, play music that is raw, free and expressive. but they could be applied “One of our to anything really. songs is called What does your music talk about?

Our music is light-hearted and talks about drinking and having fun. We’ve also talked about the fake forms of rock and roll. One of our songs is called ‘Most People like the Crap that I Hate on the Radio’ and it talks exactly about that. ‘Just to Spend Some Time with You’ is slightly political in the way it criticises the long queues between Gibraltar and Spain. It is about the desire to spend time with a loved one who is on the other side of the border but the delays at the frontier make things, let’s say,

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What’s it like in the band room with you guys?

‘Most People like the Crap that I Hate on the Radio’ and it talks exactly about that.”

Normally, Jonathan and I are the first ones there and we catch up on fun stories from our respective social lives. When everyone else arrives, it is quite relaxed as, although we are all different, we are good people and complement one another very well while we have a few drinks and

share a few laughs. It is vital to have that chemistry in rehearsals which can then be translated on stage. By having an excellent connection between us, we are able to expand our creative horizons.

What are the band’s aspirations?

We have modest goals to play locally and across the border every so often. We would like to play in Portugal where we have some connections, but the main goal is to play a concert in the UK. We’re not aiming to play at London Hammersmith, but we have some smaller venues in mind.

We will start recording a full album with ten to twelve songs as from January and will look to bring out a bonus Christmas track for next year. We’ll work with GBC for that. We are also eager to take part in the May Day celebrations like we did last year as well as the Gibraltar Music Festival. All we want to do is to entertain people and provide music that can be related to.

So, all those undesirables out there, maybe cowpunk is the perfect music for you. With local flair and originality, The Undesirables 141 will claim 2017 as their year and aim to become even more prominent in the local music scene.

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Blepharoplasty: for younger looking eyes Do you have droopy upper eye lids or bags under your eyes?

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I am so happy that I have gone ahead and finally done it!

Blepharoplasty is a cosmetic surgery procedure and one that’s increasingly popular with both men and women. One can have an Upper Blepharoplasty which addresses the excess ‘droopy’ skin of sagging upper eyelids; a Lower Blepharoplasty to remove eye bags under the eyes; or a combination of the two.

The natural results give a refreshed and more youthful appearance whilst the fine scars are hidden within the normal folds of the skin.

Read our latest client case studies online.

If you want to find out more, then Dr. Vricella holds free consultations at College Clinic, Regal House, Gibraltar every 2 weeks.

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(+34) 951 276 748 in English

FREE Aftercare Remember, Aria Medical Group also offers free aftercare, with post operative visits in Gibraltar and free revision surgery if necessary.

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leisure

words | Julia Coelho

NEW STAPLES IN THE CLOSET How to build a solid and sustainable wardrobe

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A faux leather jacket f you like to think of a new year as a (or the time and patience) to shop for an new beginning, when could possibly entire wardrobe in one go. This is why A Moto jacket is the perfect addition to be a more fitting time to give your keying in on practical and long-lasting any wardrobe, with the ability to elevate a wardrobe that well-needed boost and basics first makes the entire process much casual outfit to the next level, while also refresher? For a good portion more bearable, and can help putting creating a cool contrast with a more dressy We live in of last year, I felt like I was together outfits a whole lot easier and feminine look. I, personally, love weara fast fashion in general. Stripping your wardrobe in a bit of a fashion rut and ing my leather jacket with my skinny jeans, uninspired for the most part, back to its bare bones is not only age, where band tee and Vans, just as much as I love but having now analysed my we purchase invigorating, but also a great way wearing it over a dainty boho dress - there wardrobe, I came to realise to build a foundation that you can cheap and really is not much that you can’t pair with a something: rarely do I actually slowly grow upon. Ultimately, a good disposable good ol’ leather jacket. invest a little bit more money wardrobe should be made up of a items that in good quality pieces that healthy mixture between trends and The idea that a faux leather jacket won’t are created are sure to last me years and staples. It’s about having a strong last you a lifetime is a misconcepto last us only years. It’s an inevitable reality: base of indispensable tion; there are plenty of fantastic one season.

The best way we live in a fast fashion age, items, and then filling quality ones out there (and probably where we purchase cheap and in the gaps seasonalto build a solid a fair bit cheaper than a genuine disposable items that are created to last ly, with trendy pieces that and sustainable leather one), you just need to know us only one season. But as time goes on, catch your attention. wardrobe is to where to look.

I realise that the best way to build a solid invest in timeless and sustainable wardrobe is to invest in In Gibraltar, our staples classic pieces... timeless classic pieces that can then be are likely to change in the A good pair of boots built upon to create great outfits. summer, but these seven I never used to be a boots kinda girl, classic wardrobe staples will be sure to mainly because I am way too picky when The majority of us do not have the money carry you right through the cooler months.

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fashion it comes to shoes in general. I’ve slowly skinnies that never fail to disappoint. You A little black dress come to realise that there’s no more versa- can’t beat a comfortable and long-lasting Last but not least, the classic LBD. Created tile or durable pair of shoes than pair of jeans that you can team up by the icon Coco Chanel, the Little Black a good quality pair of boots. with absolutely anything to create a It’s about Dress has stood the test of time for its Unlike a trend like trainers, simple and effortless outfit. having a sheer versatility. For me, an LBD is perfect boots can look classy and put strong base of for the days you find yourself faced with together, or, equally, you can indispensable A plain white tee an event that you have no clue how to dress them down with a pair items, and dress for; it’s the perfect piece to make a of jeans. Depending on your There really is anything more statement and look classy, while still ensurthen filling personal style, your perfect pair versatile than a plain white t-shirt! ing you don’t make the classic mistake of in the gaps of boots could be anything from Whether you choose to layer it unbeing over-dressed. seasonally... a pair of grungy Doc Martens der a dainty slip dress, tuck it into to some sexy suede thigh-highs, a leather skirt or let it hang free With these seven simple staples incorbut whatever they may be, invest in a with a pair of funky mom jeans, one thing porated into your wardrobe, (and a few good quality pair that are sure to last you is certain: nothing is more essential to your snazzy bits thrown in between) you’ll be a long time. My personal choice is a pair of wardrobe than this reliable staple. sure to have built yourself a solid Western-style boots, which I feel are more wardrobe for 2017 and perhaps We all know reflective of my personality and style. even more years to come.

A classic jacket how tricky it A perfect pair of jeans We all know how tricky it can be to find the right pair of jeans; it’s often the most common challenge we encounter as women! As someone who has a pear-shaped figure, rare is the day that I am able to find the perfect jeans, but like most of you, I’m sure, I’ve managed to find the shops that stock my absolute favourites over the years. No matter how many pairs of jeans I own, I always go for my trusty black

can be to find A perfectly-fitting and elegant the right pair jacket will never go out of style, of jeans... and is the perfect piece for a seamless transition from a day to night look! While it has the ability to elevate any simple outfit to something that little bit more classy and put together, you can also easily dress it down with some jeans and slip-ons for a perfectly balanced Kristen Stewart-esque outfit.

Stripes It’s simple - you can never go wrong with stripes. Whenever I’m stumped as to what I should wear for a lazy weekend day out, I never fail to opt for my slouchy longsleeved stripy shirt, which I feel adds an effortless yet stylish vibe to any simple outfit. The options are limitless; from a cute crop top, to a boyish button-down shirt, to a simple tank top, stripes are the way to go!

The perfect pair of jeans M.i.h. Jeans Bodycon Skinny High Rise Jeans £205

A good pair of boots Daisy Street - Stud Heeled Ankle Boots £35 Leather Jacket Noisy May - Leather Look Biker Jacket £38 60

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fashion A little black dress ASOS - T-Shirt Midi Bodycon Dress £48

A classic jacket Reiss - Check Pant Suit £235

A plain white tee Levi’s - Perfect Pocket T-shirt £20

Stripes Free People Seamless Bodysuit £58

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sport

TENNIS SENSATION Amanda Carreras - Hitting Aces for Gibraltar

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She finally picked up a racket to compete ennis is a tough sport both, physGibraltar Sandpits tennis courts, that a seriously when she was around seven ically and mentally. It is all about quick-footed five-year-old girl would harry years old (a little late when compared to precise timing in every down stray yellow tennis balls, other professional tennis players who stroke. Being off even switching direction spontaneously “I sometimes tend to start at five years of age). Within a millisecond can be the differlike a sprightly Pac-Man. Carreras’ return to the familiar surroundings of Sandpits, the ence between hitting a winner mother and grandfather were stalsandpits for in-house coach, Lionel Chipolina, saw and producing an errant shot wart members of the tennis club a few games to lose the game. Talent, and would take their eager, soon to potential in the young star and advised her with my former be Gibraltar’s tennis ‘Golden Girl’, mother to enrol her into tennis classes, desire and mind-body skills mentor.” are all components that work “I sometimes return to sandpits for a few to the courts while they trained. A games with my former mentor. If it wasn’t together to enhance a player’s keen runner at that age, and until performance. Being a professional tennis she reached her teens, Carreras took part for him, I wouldn’t be playing tennis now.

I loved the family atmosphere that is player requires dogged determination and in the ‘Town Mile’ race with her mother synonymous with the club.” But it was a will to sacrifice yourself in daily grueland was awarded a cer“It was ling training regimes to become the best. her family, her father to be specific, who tificate on live television, decided to make a move to the UK in Local professional tennis player Amanda “When they gave me the a different 1999 so that he could train to become Carreras has been doing just that for over certificate, I didn’t like atmosphere, 15 years. Now 26 and recently reaching an it. What I really wanted different school a pilot.

International Tennis Federation ranking cawas a trophy, so I threw it and a different reer high of 274 in November last year, her away live on GBC, causing country. It was Flying Solo quite a stir,” she said in growth has been exponential in 2016 as a shock…” she begins to hit top form in what seems a skype interview ahead Amanda was rooted from her comfortof her last tournament to be the best tennis in her career to date. able life on the Rock at nine to relocate of the year that was to be held in Dubai, to Bicester, a small village in Oxfordshire, “My mother was furious with me and I was But, it was some two decades ago, UK, “It was my first year in Bishop Fitzaggrieved to have to apologise to officials.” patrolling the periphery of the courts at gerald School and I had loads of friends 62

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sport ambience around the place really turns fever pitch when a British competitor takes to the court, “Before my first match, I was very nervous. It was building up from the previous day when I was training on the finely cut grass. I had never done this before as I was mostly used to clay,” she said before producing a beaming smile to describe the reaction of the crowd. “They were fantastic in the way that they would turn up to watch every British competitor, and I was no different. I “It was was also on the first court, which is great to win closer to the entrance. It was quite these junior thrilling to say the least.” Unforchampionships, tunately, on both occasions, she but I was more was unable to progress to the next round, but it must be taken into concerned at account that she faced competitors the time with who have achieved a career rankimproving my ing high of 43 and 66 respectively. world ranking.” Carreras was at around 400 when she competed for the first time.

Amanda having a session with kids during a visit to London 2015 before Wimbledon

tournament when she turned 16. In 2008, from my time at St May’s School. To move Amanda became the first non-Spaniard to the UK and not have anyone familiar to win the Junior Spanish Tennis National around apart from my parents made me Championships which helped propel her feel quite alone. It was a different atmointo the Senior ITF Ladies Circuit, “It was sphere, different school and a different televised on one of the main channels in country. It was a shock, but it wasn’t long Spain. My interview came out in Marca, before I overcome those difficulties and fiEl Mundo and some others. However, nally settled.” Carreras’ parents duly signed the Spanish football team won the Euros her up to the Bicester tennis and athletics the following day, so it took a little of the clubs to continue her progress, and she limelight away in terms of media coverage. even took up football, competing in the school league. Her tennis coach was aware It was great to win these junior championships, but I was more concerned at the of her potential and recommended that time with improving my world ranking.” she be transferred to the county tennis club in Oxfordshire, The Oxfordshire Centre, “He saw something “It was one Wimbledon Wildcard in me. There were many raw of my dreams elements that required improveto play in the Every professional player’s dream ment and he had taken me as is to compete in the oldest and Wimbledon far as he could. I needed to be most prestigious tennis tournament main draw...” in the world, the holy grail of the surrounded by better players.

I trained nearly every day at Grand Slam, Wimbledon. Although Oxfordshire where the best in the region she was quite some way away in terms of were rounded up and we also had top qualifying for the tournament by ranking, notch facilities.” Carreras took part in the Carreras was given the opportunity as national junior circuit as an Oxfordshire a ‘Wildcard’ entry in 2012 and again in representative, but was still not taking it 2015. The Lawn Tennis Association, the seriously and remained preoccupied with UK’s governing body, has four Wildcards other sports. At the tender young age of to hand out to the most deserving British 12, she competed at county level both in athletes in that particular year. Carreras tennis and athletics, becoming the chamwas ranked number five in the UK, so she pion cross country runner and winning the decided to give the national coach a call U12 Oxfordshire Tennis Open. The followto let her know that she was interested ing year, after advice from her parents and in applying for the slot, “The Wimbledon her coach, she dropped everything else committee has the final vote, and committed to tennis fulltime. Carreras but this guy has a big say in joined the Mike James Tennis Academy any decision that they make. at RAF Halton in 2003 and was quickly When I received the call, it put through her paces to become serious was an amazing feeling. It about her game. Another move was on the was one of my dreams to play cards in her early career as she once again in the Wimbledon main draw, stepped up a level to train at the prestibut to take part in the qualigious Club De Tennis Saint Boi in Barcelofying stages was still an honna in 2005. After making the rounds in the our.” With the home crowd all junior circuit for a couple of years, Carreras dressed in white, Wimbledon participated in her first senior professional offers a unique feel and the GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2017

Island Games Gibraltar will host the Island games in two years and Carreras is excited to don Gibraltar’s colours, considering that Gibraltar is not an International Tennis Federation member and as such she always competes under the Great Britain banner, “If I am selected,” she said with a very humble tone.

“It would be a nice experience to play in front of the home crowd. I think that this will be the case for all local sportsmen and women as well as the influx of top athletes from all the islands inspiring our youngsters and creating a real buzz around the city. I still have members of my family who have yet to see me play, so that would also be special. I get a lot of support from people back home. When I see the lovely messages on Facebook when someone has posted an update on my progress, it makes my heart melt.”

A 25K tournament in France, 2016

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CONQUERING THE CHANNEL Payas takes on the ‘Everest of Open Water Swimming’

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account so as not to be overwhelmed by t was 6am and the gulls were still distance and waved my hands signalling nesting on the cliff face towering over the official observer to start the clock,” the enormity of the task.

Dover’s shoreline. There, on said Payas prying into the memory a gusty September morning of his achievement where he raised The success rate each English Channel “At one last year, local swimmer Nathan a total of £6,677 for the Calpe swim season is usually less than 50% point in the Payas was about to dive into House charity. “I was able to get for the solo swims and Payas believes swim I had to into a good pace very quickly. Once the wide abyss of the English that it is important to ‘ride the wave’ in face a wall of the body’s machinery becomes Channel to conquer the order to succeed. One must align one’s jellyfish and unfathomable 21-mile-swim to synchronised, it’s incredible how body chemistry with its surroundings and couldn’t see a long you can sustain a high level of France. This was the Everest of become a veritable machine in the ocean. way past.” open water swimming. performance. Swimming in open Consuming a minimal amount of energy water is a spiritual experience in the first four hours, this challenge is for me, like meditation. You are The dark depths of the unforgiving choppy about technique and breathing as well completely immersed in beautiful nature as being in synergy with oneself, “I am waters would provide the setting for and once you achieve a good always aware of the vessels around the brave swimmer who would enter a rhythm you feel quite relaxed me, the chop of the waves, the turbulent, washing machine-like world “The currents and can just keep going”. current and much more. I never let within the deep dark blue. and the time my mind wander off to unrelated already spent in thoughts. I am always thinking of Payas took Dory’s philosophy “It was still night-time as I jumped into the the cold water technique and efficiency, managing from the children’s animation choppy, pitch black water and swam to are your enemies injuries, alternating between power movie, ‘Finding Nemo’, of the shore at Shakespeare Beach, outside at this point.” in the arms or legs and monitoring ‘just keep swimming’, totally the port of Dover. I instantly felt the chill my sugar/energy levels. I look focused on the task at hand travelling through my body but I went on with single-minded determination. In fact, forwards, over the water, quite often so as I knew I was ready for this. I looked to that I maintain the desired course but my family who remained on the boat in the he would only take next 100 metres into 64

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sport also look forwards under water so that I can see, well in advance, a swarm of jellyfish, for example. That is, when I’m not breathing to the side of course”.

Payas used to be a lifeguard in Gibraltar, where ‘rip tides’ can be very dangerous, and said that this sort of thing was typical during his days patrolling the Rock’s beaches. He said that the best way “It is very to deal with it is to try and swim And indeed, this is what deceptive this courageous individual when you see around it, which may mean going in the wrong direction at first. You encountered during his the coastline can cut the total distance that you mammoth effort. The English because it swim by fighting a little against the Channel is filled with a species makes you current, but one thing is for certain, called the barrel jellyfish which think that you you cannot be at its mercy as it are not overly dangerous, but are almost will consume you, but nevertheless can induce a sharp sting similar there.” it must be respected, “It is quite to the common ones found in common to get strong currents Gibraltar. Individually, they are in the home stretch when reaching the a nuisance, but collectively in swarms they nine hours and thirteen minutes. A host French coast due to the shape of the can cause the total cancellation of the of spectators bellowed with cheers of coastline and this can be too much for challenge, “At one point in the swim I had support from the mainland with his family some swimmers as they are already to face a wall of jellyfish and couldn’t see a ecstatic with joy awaiting his return to the way past. Eventually, there was an opening exhausted when they arrive at this point. pilot boat. They recorded a YouTube video You need to leave something in reserve for extending over half an hour, capturing and I was able to squeeze through. They the end and push harder when required. can trap you and you need to channel the momentous achievement on film, “My The currents and the time already spent your way through or get hit. It’s important poor family saw me land in France from a in the cold water are your enemies at this to avoid panicking in these situations. In distance as the boat could not approach point.” some cases you are forced to backtrack the rocky shoreline but it was very slightly before returning on course. I was emotional when I eventually climbed on able to swerve around most of the jellyfish It is very deceptive when you see the board from the sea and embraced them. I I encountered on that day, unlike the first coastline because it makes you think that could not have done it without them,” he Round the Rock I swam back in 2015 you are almost there, but it is not the said taking a deep breath and reflecting when I got hit 11 times, despite avoiding case at all. When you see France and on the whole affair. “The swim also had tons of them on the East Side. Luckily, start to see settlements, there live tracking, so people could there were no jellies in my second Round is still a long swim ahead and follow my progress throughout “One must the Rock, my Strait of Gibraltar Swim, nor most people fail in crossing the align one’s body and it was amazing when people in my double Round the Rock (23km) Swim English Channel because of this. chemistry with approached me to say that they this year.”

Swimmers become extremely its surroundings had been watching me. The tired and tend to increase the support was fantastic and it was and become pace to reach the finish line, but great to smash my initial target Titanic tides a veritable it is normal to get demoralised of £1,500 for Calpe House and machine in the reach more than four times that The tides entering the English Channel can when you see land and not feel ocean.” that you are getting any closer. amount. I had been attracted be deadly. There are places where the tide to the idea of raising funds to will help swimmers and other areas that Although Payas was confronted with even help construct new accommodation for will act as a hindrance. You may think that Gibraltarian patients in London and I am stronger tides at the end, the avid open the swim is nearing its conclusion, when glad that my efforts can now benefit locals water swimmer forced his way through in fact, the tide has suddenly changed in the future.” and touched land for the first time in direction and is now moving against you.

This can result in a further two hours or more to land rather than the 20-minute distance it may seem to the naked/ goggled eye. It is important for the pilot of the support boat to have substantial knowledge of the ebbing and flowing of the tides typical to the English Channel in order to best guide the swimmer. Payas’ pilot was constantly trying to take him North East because of strong tides and actually ended up swimming in a South Easterly direction (due to the strength of the South Westerly tide) in order to reach his landing spot, “Had we not done this, we would have completed missed our target, Cap Griz Nez, adding many hours to the swim. The pilot’s role is very important as they must decide whether you are strong enough to swim in such a compensatory manner or whether the track needs to follow the current more closely adding to the total time in the water.”

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travel

HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE Thumbs up to the Caribbean

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tination, ‘Caribbean anyone?’ Brothers ost of us see hitchhiking as a ‘unique encounters’ is a cultural exchange great danger that will surely of authentic stories that rear themselves in in arms Piotr and Pawel revealed their adventure to me from the more comfortlead to terrible horror movyour subconscious to be relived in future ie-like scenarios. blissful reminiscences. Most drivers ing surroundings of their campsite at the Pincesa Sofia Park just across the border However, in reality, it is not will be surprised and ask: ‘Why? The mission: in La Linea. The Polish brothers, who both that bad at all. You are more Why?’ during such fearful times, to cross the likely to be attacked or robbed terrorists attacks, thieves and high have degrees in mechanical engineering, Atlantic Ocean form part of a hitchhiking community in on a train or a plane than crime rate. Well… for some, the on a vessel from call for travel and adventure is far be murdered by a sociopath their country with a membership matching Gibraltar to the too great to ignore. But for the Gibraltar’s population. They decided to driver hiding an axe under his Caribbean. quit their jobs in May last year to embark car seat. Travelling by public hitchhikers this article will centre transport just doesn’t have the around, they would not limit their on a spontaneous and daring adventure, same exciting tone to it. The prospect of travel to land; instead, they would attempt “We walked to the edge of our town and staring drearily out of the window while to hitch a ride on a boat. The mission: to put our thumbs up,” said Piotr reflecting on his and his brother’s 4000km the scenery passes you by lacks inspiration. cross the Atlantic Ocean on a vessel “A feeling journey from Poland to the However, when hitchhiking, you are testing from Gibraltar to the Caribbean. your limits at every turn and placing yourRock. “It didn’t take long of relief went before we were picked up self well out of your comfort zone. What through us.

We Brothers in arms and taken over 500km to the if the driver doesn’t speak your language? were finally What if your route changes unexpectedly border with Germany.” The A large community of hitchhikers here and it was brothers met an old woman and you arrive at an unfamiliar town with from all over Europe have made great to see the who seemed to pass them no prearranged place to stay? The driver their way down to Gibraltar over majestic Rock.” at first, but before they hung could be anybody in the world, a university the last few months. You may have their heads in despair, she professor, a famous politician, a student noticed some of these turtle-backed pulled over, popped her head or a single mum. These are just some backpackers prowling around the marina examples. Normally, what results in these out of the window and called to them, “At with quirky signs forecasting their des66

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travel the end of the journey she insisted that we take some money. We said no but she said she would be very upset if we didn’t take it. She was a lovely and charming old lady and we’ll never forget her kindness,” said Pawel who kept giving examples of the help they received like their next driver who, this time, turned out to be Polish, “he was driving a minibus and we even fixed his laptop during the 36-hour drive with him. It was a fine arrangement. If someone offers you their kindness, it is only natural to reciprocate those feelings. He took us all the way to a small town in Spain.” At this point, the brothers’ progress came to a halt as they struggled for two days watching car after car pass by ignoring their signs with mocking grins. They eventually “It gives gave in and decided to take a bus to Algeciras. As the Rock came into you faith in view, the brothers jumped with joy humanity to see and celebrated with a can of beer people help you on the coach, “A feeling of relief just because went through us. We were finally Piotr and Pawel travelled 4000 km to arrive at Gibraltar they are kind.” here and it was great to see the majestic Rock. Once we stepped off of the librarians, Kimberly Mass migration the bus, we crossed the border into Gibral- Pecino, assisted me with my English gramThe flow of boat hitchhikers to the Rock tar and went straight to Ocean Village Mamar when writing one of the signs that I and surrounding ports along the coast was rina to get a feel for the area ahead of our would use in the marina. She wished me in preparation for one of the largest cross‘boat hunt’ the following day,” said Piotr. good luck and those moments are really ocean boat migrations in the world. The uplifting. It gives you faith in humanity to Atlantic Rally for Cruises is a ‘must do’ for see people help you just because they are Despite their positivity, the brothers were many sailors, and attracts over 200 boats kind. My brother and I were quite shocked welcomed to Gibraltar with a barrage of and 1,200 people every year to sail 2,700 at just how helpful Gibraltarrain, so their only option was to wait it nautical miles across the Atlantic from ians were. They were super out. Their refuge, and that of many other Gran Canarias to Saint Lucia. The There nice and very interested in us. hitchhikers during the wet period, became boats will typically start to head over were scores We gained quite a reputation the John Mackintosh Hall Library, which around the marina as the served as the perfect place to gather info of hitchhikers to the Caribbean from September onwards with many attending the famous ‘brothers from Poland’, on the internet and contact loved ones flooding the Fort Lauderdale boat show in Florida which was favourable.” Indeed, thousands of kilometres away, “Locals remarinas in at the end of October, or the Antigua acted well to our story and we heard about both of them succeeded in Gibraltar and and show in December. However, finding a vessel just a few a Gibraltarian who helped some hitchhikLa Linea on a there are those who stick around a weeks later and departed in ers become crew members on one ship little longer, but not too long with the daily basis. mid-December with the Rock belonging to an acquaintance of his,” said distance becoming perilous in later imprinting itself within the Pawel before Piotr felt it necessary to pay months due to seasonal change. fondest corners of their memories. tribute to one particular kind lady, “One Antonio celebrating securing passage to Caribbean

© Antonio Fulghieri

Anna, keen to learn about life at sea

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© Antonio Fulghieri aaoutthere.wordpress.com

travel patients should they achieve their dream and she bore an ear to ear smile as she listened to the humming of the approaching electric shaver. Enduring rough seas, encounters with wildlife and experiencing the beautiful endless expanse of the deep wide blue, Antonio and Anna arrived to the Caribbean in mid-December, “It’s great to finally inhale the tropical atmospheres and see albatrosses in the sky as well as huge sea turtles,” said Antonio on finally arriving to his destination. “Now, we will explore the islands and see where it takes us next.”

Playing with fire

Thumb-pointing your way to your next stop is one thing, but when you have some fire sticks to grab people’s attention, it just gives you that little extra edge. Aneta, also from Poland, was taken aback by a fire The hichhikers use notices to convice captains to accept them as crew members, Marina in La Linea and acrobatics workshop she attended in Poland and made conquering the art of As two seasoned hitchhiking veterans had established a tradition whereby any fire juggling one of her life’s ambitions. She with an impressive list of countries under successful boat-catcher would pose in quickly realised that they were a useful their belts, Antonio and a mural painting at the park that tool in her 5000 kilometre hitchhiking Anna, from Italy and Poland symbolised taking the next step “It’s great to journey to Gibraltar and put them into respectively, arrived in in their journey.

The triumphant finally inhale action in the marina as soon as she arrived.

Gibraltar some months ago individual would step onto an edge the tropical After being told of the largescale onslaught to convince a captain to that extended from a life-sized of hitchhikers, she was not discouraged, accept them on this roughly atmospheres and painting of a large cactus and grab see albatrosses instead, she relied on her fire six-week journey. The one of the painted sticks. With a sign simply stating couple felt initially dismayed balloons that would in the sky as She quickly ‘Caribbean?’, Aneta set herself up at the competition they saw well as huge sea fly them to their next realised that at the entrance to the marina in La around them – there were destination, figuratively turtles. they were a Linea and began playing with fire. scores of hitchhikers floodspeaking. Antonio and useful tool in her Just as she was about to pack up ing the marinas in Gibraltar Anna would have their and La Linea on a daily basis - but soon turn yet. Seeing the positive 5000 kilometre at the end of the day, following numerous smiles and compliments, found their spirit as they were made aware energy in the air inspired them hitchhiking but no firm offers, Andrea, a boat of the success stories emerging within the and in the following weeks, journey to captain from Italy but based in small but connected hitchhiking commupersisting with a relentless enGibraltar…

Canarias, stopped and questioned nity. After a tiresome day full of setbacks, ergy, they secured their own her intentions. An excited and they returned to the campsite to scenes of ticket to the Caribbean. Anna eager Aneta tried to contain herself, but elation from a going away party held for a made a pledge to cut her hair and donate knew this was a great opportunity and hursuccessful boat-catcher. The community it to a charity that creates wigs for cancer Aneta was always smiling despite testing waters

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Aneta begins her journey

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travel riedly began explaining her mission. Andrea was impressed by the energy and sheer will that was shown by his soon to be crewmate and, without promising anything, agreed provisionally that she could join him. The following day her dream came true and she got the call from the captain to invite her on-board. It had taken merely three days for her to secure passage to Canarias and from there, she would attempt to find another boat to cross the Atlantic.

But it was not all plain sailing for Aneta as she left Gibraltar in stormy conditions and an overheated engine caused even more trouble, “We were out of oil around 50 miles from Lanzarote, one of the islands in Canarias, and there was no wind. We could not use the engine any more as “I was it had overheated, so extremely we were waiting for relieved when around 36 hours with I saw a rescue little to no moveplane emerge ment,” she recounted over skype safe and from the clouds.” sound on land. “Happily, Andrea had a satellite phone and used it to call Salvamento Maritimo – the Spanish maritime rescue service- before it ran out of battery.”

Andrea just managed to relay their position to the rescue operation before the battery died and Aneta felt a sinking feeling at the pit of her stomach. ‘Did they catch that?’ she asked herself. ‘The radio was a little fuzzy, so maybe they didn’t hear the coordinates’… “I was extremely relieved when I saw a rescue plane emerge from the clouds. It was like an action movie. It hovered around us until the rescue boat arrived, which then towed us into the port at Lanzarote. It was quite an experience for my first sailing expedition, I must admit.”

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Karmen and Bostjan embrace their job for life aboard a luxury yacht

Job for life

of defeat asking around Gibraltar. IronicalSlovenian couple Karmen and Bostjan’s ly, their motivation was not at its highest story is a little different. Their hitchhikwhen they tried something different and ing efforts would be solely put towards half-heartedly approached one of the securing a boat, having arrived to Spain more fancy vessels in the area. But to their on a flight from their home surprise, the captain took a liking to country. Their goal was to them and asked if they could cook, “I cannot experience life at sea before which they could, and traditional believe how landing in South America Slovenian cuisine as well as others this has turned to boot. Karmen and Bostjan found and exploring the continent.

However, with unpredictabil- out and we now a job for life on this boat as high-end ity surrounding this form of chefs for rich clientele and would be have a secure travel, they found a different paid a considerable amount while future and opportunity aboard a luxury sailing across the seas, “Our dream open waters yacht that would host touris fulfilled. I cannot believe how this ahead of us.” ists in cross-ocean excurhas turned out and we now have sions. Following Aneta’s lead, a secure future and open waters the couple attempted to catch a boat from ahead of us,” said Karmen before she dethe marina in La Linea after several days parted with her love aboard a new life.

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travel words | Chris Hedley

TRANS-SIBERIAN RAILWAY From snowy St. Petersburg to bustling Beijing

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be a bit of a wild card, and you’ve nobody inter. It’s not exactly beach You have two options: book all of your weather outside so if it has trains via seat61.com or some other to blame but yourself if anything goes wrong. to be like such website and trawl the internet this, why not for the best looking/cheapest Escape to embrace it to its full extent? accommodation you can get your hands Once you’ve got everything sorted, head the depths Escape to the depths of a on, or book a package tour including to your nearest Primark or, better yet, of a faraway faraway winter wonderland, all transport (including shuttle busses), arctic exploration centre to stock up on winter where white, fluffy snow accommodation, some meals, and your thermal clothing. It’s going to be a cold is abundant and the fields very own Honcho (local guide) at every winter. wonderland, and hills roll on for ever. where white, stop. There are various routes to I’m talking about the famed fluffy snow is choose from with the package Without Saint Petersburg Trans-Siberian railway, a tours, but they come at a price. I abundant... your Russian great way to travel the opted for a package aptly named When arriving into St. Petersburg fluency skills by bus from eastern Europe, world if (like me) you are ‘Vodka Train’ which will set you afraid of flying. Here is a list of do’s and back an eye-watering £2000. to guide please note that the best try-not-to-do’s of an ambitious 6,000 km you, asking estimates of travel time are journey through multiple time zones from Thankfully, there’s always option spurious at best. There are two various snowy St Petersburg to bustling Beijing.

B. Train tickets for the whole route officials for main bus terminals in the city, the are in the region of £500 for a four directions is first one will drop you off fairly berth cabin, add another 50% if you close to the middle of everything; Decisions, decisions futile. want a more private two bed. Add tourist attractions, hotels, on accommodation to suit your Prior to coming away, it’s advisable to restaurants etc. Unfortunately, budget and it’s clear this adventurous trip book everything in advance. For a start, unless you speak Russian, you’ll miss this can be done a lot cheaper. The drawbacks having bookings and proof of entry/exit stop and arrive at the second, further out are that you won’t get your Honcho in each bus station, where the service terminates of each country makes the daunting visa destination, booking accommodation can application process run a lot smoother. and you’ll be forced to get off. Without

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travel

Kazan Cathedral, St. Petersburg

leaving it easier to navigate by boat than proclaims in his finest English: “You must on foot. Not too dissimilar from December visit ze Stroganov Palace!” I love Stroganoff in Gibraltar... and was starting to feel a little peckish so I diligently You arrive made my way there. Arriving If architecture and beautiful people in a station at the palace, I was struck aren’t your thing, maybe you’ll which looks with conflicting emotions. enjoy one of the world’s oldest and St. Petersburg is by far my favourite like what I The impressive, pink building biggest museums. The Hermitage is, European city. The first thing you’ll notice designed for Baron Sergei imagine a of course, another striking building while taking a stroll down the main Stroganov in the 1700’s is boulevard, the Nevsky Prospect, is the bomb shelter (made up of six smaller buildings) sheer size and grandeur of all the buildings, another must see. The Italian to look like... just off the Nevsky Prospect. It influenced (again) interior is just boasts an eclectic range of items most of which were built before the as impressive as its exterior. from antiquity to the modern twentieth century.

Not quite the palace of beefy, day which includes the world’s largest creamy stew I thought it would collection of paintings. I’m not sure how The Kazan Cathedral (rus. Kazanskiy The be, but possibly even better. long it would take to fully explore the Kafedralniy Sobor), an imposing impressive, museum, but it’s certainly more than semi-circle of immense columns, pink building Another thing you’ll notice on the a half day trip. I’d suggest picking up is one of my favourites. Modelled designed for Nevsky Prospect is that everyone a much needed brochure/map from on St Peter’s Basilica with hints of reception and choosing a few points of Florentine architecture, it is one of Baron Sergei is a model. The tall, flawless interest, otherwise you may find yourself many buildings which will leave you Stroganov in women and muscular men roaming the streets made me feel enthusiastically inspecting old Egyptian with a sore neck and an unnerving the 1700’s rocks at the museums entrance, only to short (I’m not), skinny (I am), and sense of insignificance. is another surge through the Renaissance section in ugly (subjective). The history of must see. need of a coffee. the street is interesting in itself, Walking down the road looking from freely roaming wolves and around with a sense of confusion prostitutes, to the street flooding entirely Another must see is the Church of the and amazement, a local stops me and your Russian fluency skills to guide you, asking various officials for directions is futile. I suggest taking a good look at a map before setting off, or (if you have nerves of steel) take a flight.

Stroganov Palace, St. Petersburg

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The Hermitage museum

Saviour on Spilled Blood. The relatively see anything, it’s busy. Coming from a visit to Moscow without seeing the new building finished in 1907 is a breathsomeone who lived in Tokyo, you can bet Kremlin and neighbouring Red Square? At taking sight even for the most your roubles it’s overwhelming. the head of Red Square is the eye-catching hardened atheist. The church Just head vaguely in the right Saint Basil’s Cathedral, made into even You’ll differs from the mostly European direction and hope the flow more of a spectacle when covered in snow. be keen to buildings on the Nevsky of people carries you to your get back Prospect, giving you a taste of destination.

Prepare yourself underground medieval Russia. Step inside for endless mosaics, of which a 45 to check out Outside, from the (surprisingly Go shopping. Buy some food before you minute tour is available for hardmore of those small) building tops hang get on that train unless you want to eat core enthusiasts. packet noodles for five long days. Water, amazing metro hauntingly sizeable icicles. Stand and watch for long enough and beer, and crisps are also available, which stations.

Before moving on to Moscow, you’ll see them come crashing sounds great until the fourth morning it’s worth mentioning that down, shattering into small, nonrolls around and the possibility of getting when you finally descend into one of threatening pieces of ice. These terrifying scurvy becomes a real danger. Keep an the world’s deepest metro systems, you spectacles cause five or six deaths a year eye out for people sporadically appearing arrive in a station which looks like what in Moscow, along with one or two hundred with massive jugs of water to share with a I imagine a bomb shelter to look like if it injuries, beware. You may also see people friend. This is Russia, it’s not water. were designed by a creative mind. Actually, wandering around with a can of beer at these stations did double up as would-be eight in the morning. In Russia, The views are unparalleled. bomb shelters during the cold war. Be sure beer is widely considered a soft These Looking out the window as the to at least visit the underground before drink, although this was officially train rounds a bend is like being terrifying getting your overnight train to Moscow. changed by law a few years ago. in a wintery Harry Potter scene, if spectacles Vodka, on the other hand, is seen the route to Hogwarts was littered cause five or as a problem drink, double beware. with Soviet industrial towns.

Moscow six deaths Between these towns though is a year in After St. Petersburg, you could Once in Moscow, you’ll be keen to get thousands of kilometres of snowy Moscow... be forgiven for feeling slightly back underground to check out more of countryside. Sitting on your bed, underwhelmed by the capital’s those amazing metro stations. I’m sure looking out the window as the architecture due to the buildings they’re great, unfortunately, if you arrive endless fields of snow roll by with your lack of height and complexity. What’s during the morning rush hour, you won’t headphones on is the closest thing to Avtovo Station, St. Petersburg

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Moscow metro station

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Red Square, Moscow

Irkutsk and Lake Baikal relaxation obtainable. To realise this dream, you can’t endure the cold any longer and I’d suggest opting for the slightly more run back to the safety of your den. Do you If you’ve opted for the full package, you’ll expensive two bed cabin smoke? Not anymore, too cold. be welcomed here by a guide and (to share with your friend In Russia, promptly shuttled 65 km away to the Looking out or partner), otherwise you beer is widely By the fifth day, deepest lake in the world, Lake Baikal. run the risk of sharing with the window you’re well and truly Average temperatures here are about considered a in need of a shower, mother and sweet little child. as the train –20°C during the winter but be prepared soft drink...

It’s worth the extra money. some fruit, and a time rounds a bend for anything down to -40. It doesn’t machine to go back really matter at these temperatures, is like being Outside, the temperatures are now five days and get that two anything below about -20 is can’t-feelin a wintery routinely double figures below zero. The bed cabin. Time to get off your-face cold. Fortunately, the Russians Harry Potter train stops about twice a day for you to get in Irkutsk, deep inside the know how to heat a house. Pop to the scene... off and stretch your legs, until you realise Siberian heartland. local shop for a hot coffee and stock Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood, St. Petersburg

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Ice sculptures, Irkutsk

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Lake Baikal

up on some nice real food to replenish your energy for a nice, refreshing early morning swim in the lake. Wait… what?

Yes, apparently some locals swim in the lake through all the seasons. Minus. Thirty.

Five. Don’t worry, for those of you who prefer not to dive into an icy lake, there are traditional saunas in the area. Much better.

for warmth and trying to navigate the month of December, the rebels are known sled without falling off with the remaining as Decembrists. Take refuge from the cold hand. Change and repeat. to learn about Siberian history in Apparently, two pairs of gloves these memorial manors. Accurate Anything are not enough. For another £50 below about recreations of the interior help you have the option to ride a -20 is can’t- represent the life of a Decembrist snowmobile. Same process but in West Siberia in the mid 1800’s. feel-yourfaster and less chance of toppling.

For maximum learning, opt for the face cold. guided tour.

Back in the city of Irkutsk, the Regional Memorial Decembrist Museum is Back outside in the main square, there is a worth a visit. In the early 1800’s, a group range of ice sculptures during the winter. of rebel soldiers protested Nicholas I’s rise Walk, observe, touch with your bare skin to the throne. They failed, and those who and become one with the sculpture. If you weren’t executed were exiled bought the full package at the beginning to Siberia, among other places. of the trip, you will be offered a walking The As this revolt took place in the tour of the surrounding area. This is most

When you don’t go for a swim in the morning, you’ll have time to walk around taking in the lake’s beauty. In the afternoon, you can go for a husky ride which is definitely one of the best experiences you can have. Make sure you pack extra fingers because yours are likely to fall off. temperatures The ride was unadulterated joy for are now three minutes, and the remaining routinely ten or so minutes was spent trying double figures to stuff one hand in my mouth

below zero.

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Chinggis Square, Ulaanbaatar

certainly a worthwhile excursion, giving the hallway and leave a train official to you a strange sense of isolation in this find a new home for everything. Perhaps ‘large’ Siberian city. Being cold keep a couple of boxes of wine for Some enough to freeze the inside of your efforts, after all, it’s a fairly long your nose, warming up with a locals swim journey. post tour coffee (or vodka) is in the lake recommended. through all Ulaanbaatar Another train ride

government palace. Careful on the steps.

Stand next to his statue and marvel at the fact that such a small nation would go on to forge such a colossal empire. Now that you’ve been outside for more than 30 minutes, you might want to nip back inside and grab another coffee (or vodka).

the seasons.

Now a well versed train traveller, you will embark upon a piddly two night journey across the border into Mongolia. You’ve learnt your lesson and bought plenty of food to keep you going over the next few days, but what’s this? Your cabin is full of somebody else’s stuff! Apparently, it’s not too uncommon for smugglers to load your cabin full of fruit and wine to cross the border, presumably to avoid paying tax on the goods. Simply offload the cargo into

Warm up completed. Begin your trek up to Welcome to Ulaanbaatar, home to the Zaisan memorial, dedicated to all the half of the 2.5 million people living soviets who lost their lives during World in Mongolia. In the spirit of the nomadic War II. Conveniently, this doubles nature, the city changed up as the best viewpoint of the city. location 28 times before Walk, This is a great opportunity to put finally becoming the city of observe, that camera you got for Christmas to soviet buildings in state of touch with good use before heading back down dilapidation we know and love your bare to ready yourself for a few nights in a today. Explore the empty, skin and traditional Mongolian ger camp. snow covered streets before heading into Chinggis Square, become one which hosts a large monument with the Terelj National Park to Genghis Khan in front of the sculpture.

This is everything your adventurous winter-y getaway has been building up to. Serene surroundings, snowy peaks, and soured milk treats. Huge snow covered rock formations dotted across the blanketed hills and valleys with picturesque trees and river to match. It really is quite a scene. You can rent a ger (Mongolian yurt) Prince Vladimir church, Irkutsk

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Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

for an average of £40 per night here or you always wanted. After the sledding get it as part of the initial package. As part and snowball fights, pop back down into of the trip, a group of you the valley for a spot of archery are invited into a traditional practice.

The city family ger where you can changed converse with the locals and Mongolia has a long and proud find out more about their history of archery and most location 28 way of life. Except, you can’t of these camps provide all the times before speak Mongolian. In any case, finally becoming equipment you need to hone the they will show you around skills you never cared you didn’t the city of their modest transportable have. Afterwards, you can have soviet buildings a trek around visiting the famous home and offer you food and in state of drink. As the Mongols are rock formations such as ‘Turtle historically a nomadic race, dilapidation...

Rock’ and ‘Monk Reading a Book’. they tend to live off the land.

No prizes for guessing what these The land provides yak and not rocks look like. I think you will have much else, especially in the winter. Warm learnt your lesson from the huskies and yak milk is pretty delicious with some snowmobile. If not, hop on a donkey back biscuits, but have you ever eaten a small to your camp and get straight back into rock made of soured milk? that fire heated ger.

The snow has been falling every day since St Petersburg, this means only one thing; sledding. With a couple of days in the national park, very few people around, and an abundance of snowy hills to explore, why not grab a sled from the main ger and head off to live out the childhood winter

Serene

Head to the nearest surroundings, village to absorb snowy peaks, yourself in the local and soured Buddhist culture. The milk treats. whole area is a tourist spot, but be sure to stay silent in the temples.

Zaisan memorial, Ulaanbaatar

Final Stretch Off to Beijing. The short 30 hour journey takes you through the Gobi desert and stops at the Chinese border for longer than you’d expect. The train track gauges are smaller in China than the rest of Central Asia, the only solution is to lift all the carriages one by one and change all the wheels, makes sense. This makes for quite interesting viewing initially, then you realise the whole process takes three hours and you can tuck into The Odyssey, which you resolved to finish before the journey’s end.

As you shoot off into Beijing, you can rest assured that the temperatures are likely to be a toasty -5 at worst. Now, you can sit back and reflect on the ridiculously long journey you have just undertaken. Why did you sit on a train for so many days?

Why did you endure such unthinkable cold? Because you now have a camera full of memories and a head full of tales to tell of an enchanting land that needs to be experienced first-hand to be fully appreciated.

Turtle Rock, Terelj National Park

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health

PERCEPTION OF PSYCHOTHERAPY When the resolutions don’t stick

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o you decided to give up smoking or can seem impossible to achieve when we It is said that in the USA everyone has a refined sugars, take up the gym or realise that we are essentially stuck with shrink. In northern Europe, if you haven’t healthy eating. But we haven’t seen ourselves and no amount of determination had therapy by the age of 30, people January through and can make us less critical, calmer, more wonder what is wrong with you. Although our New Year’s resolutions active, or beat that chronic sense of still not quite as popular, in the UK, it The New are a distant memory of isolation. is becoming more commonplace for Year is a wishful improvements to our individuals, couples and families to resort seemingly unchanging selves. to therapists when circumstances become momentous My work is in part about developing challenging or people get fed up with the international self-awareness to enable clients to way they are and just want to explore The New Year is a bring about change. People can learn marker of being different and getting something momentous international to behave differently, understand the passage themselves and others in new and new and more satisfying from their life marker of the passage of of time. experiences. time. Collectively, we take more useful ways. Learn to manage stock of the events and their emotions and mental processes accomplishments of the previous twelve more effectively. Also working My therapist is originally from the months. More privately, we look back at with the unconscious, people UK but based in Andalucía. Whilst Setting our lives and assess where we are at, what who engage in psychotherapy, talking about the challenges of ourselves we are grateful for and what we want to will experience changes in working in Gibraltar, she explained a date can do differently in the future. themselves that appear to have that in Spain, people struggle help us focus with the concept of paying for a come about without any effort.

They did have to commit to the our minds to relationship. My impression is that in Setting ourselves a date can help us therapy and attend regularly, focus our minds to bring about a specific bring about southern Europe the general public but it is the process of the doesn’t seem to have grasped the change. Sometimes we do manage to quit a specifaic therapeutic relationship that concept of skilled professionals who coffee or start a new morning regime. change. brings about the most surprising offer reparative relationships.

But just wanting something to change and usually most needed isn’t always enough. Deep change that development in the inner or real self. affects significant parts of our personality Hardly anybody gets all their

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health developmental needs met in their early relationships. Whatever lies unmet manifests in later life in different wishes or behaviours that often don’t lead to the desired result, maintaining our lack of satisfaction or state of Deep frustration. The unconscious is change programmed in relationship with that affects others, through repetition in our significant early years. It then usually requires the help of a trained expert to parts of our re-wire the neural pathways in personality our brains via the process of the can seem therapeutic relationship.

impossible to achieve...

Most of the time what takes place in a psychotherapy session is that the client is listened to by someone who really knows how. It is surprising how few people really listen to others, despite the great need that we have to feel heard and understood. Empathy is another very important element of what a therapist should provide, which seems undervalued in our society today. Clearly, there is a lack of understanding regarding the power of empathy as well as how much we need it.

Lack of empathy causes much ill-health.

Something is usually experienced as traumatic when there is no empathising environment to assist the sufferer in assimilating their experience. The resulting symptoms and long-term effects pose a huge cost to our society, not just in terms of health care but also in other support services that often are required.

In Gibraltar, there is still much stigma attached to issues of mental health.

However, I am aware that increasing numbers of people access talking therapies and many have told me about how they have seen, or go to counsellors. I know that I am privileged to hear these stories because people understand that I won’t judge them and feel that it is something they can talk to me about. But I am just as aware of how they would like me to hold this information in confidence.

Because I know it’s a good thing, I try to encourage people to shirk the shame currently often attached to this method of self-development in Gibraltar. Making psychotherapy more accessible and visible in the community is also helping to address the stigma. Over the last year, I have been working with a local charity to offer group therapy in the community. Some group participants are happy to then talk to others about their involvement and refer others to the service.

An ex-colleague of mine likes to say that what people save on therapy they spend on legal fees. £75 for 90 minutes of couple therapy sounds expensive. But we don’t think twice about paying that for a dinner at a restaurant. The way I think of it is that the alternative of investing in therapy to improve your marriage could be each party paying £200 per hour to their lawyers.

In one particular local case, the cost of a divorce would have bought the individual 20 years of therapy and, Hardly most importantly, saved them a lot anybody of grief.

Another barrier to therapy gets all their is the cost. We are used to spending money on beauty developmental One particular challenge to us, treatments, mobile phones Gibraltarians, as a community is needs met and hobbies. Many of us pay the issue of responsibility. Families in their early monthly instalments to repay are often closer than in other parts relationships. loans for cars, furniture or of the world. Experts in human holiday expenses. Money is behaviour are warning parents of the most universal excuse for not doing doing too much for their children. A result something that one isn’t prepared to, when of increased resources is that many of our there is a monetary cost involved. Change practical needs are taken care of by others can be hard and scary but if there are and the negative impact that can have things that you have been struggling with on children is that it often affects their for some time and aren’t able to change by capacity to take responsibility and develop yourself, investing in yourself could be the a healthy sense of autonomy. In Gibraltar, best use of your hard-earned cash. we are well resourced, which combined with our current systems often leads to people expecting ever increasing desires for comfort to be provided for them.

However, when it comes to dealing with the creation of our health and happiness, we need to work at it mostly by ourselves.

Elaine Caetano is Counsellor, Psychotherapist and Executive Coach Tel: +350 54001238 Email: elainecaetano@ hotmain.com GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2017

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health words | Elena Scialtiel

DAYA’S DIET

Listen to your gut and test the tastes

T

he Gibraltar Health Authority’s Health Promotion Officer and Hatha Yoga therapist Daya Dewfall supShe is a ports the Alameda Wildlife firm supporter Conservation Park’s initiaof nutritional tive to promote Meatless education Mondays, Veggie Wednesvirtually since days or Fruity Fridays (p. weaning...

39) with local restaurants, schools and homes, as she reckons it will be beneficial to everyone’s wellbeing and will also break the cuisine routine towards constructive experimentation with other cultures’ gastronomy.

Daya’s own upbringing wasn’t carnivore-oriented because meat used to be more expensive than today and hence reserved to festive feasts, while everyday meals were mostly vegetarian or vegan.

This taught her to explore different takes on main courses other than chunks of meat and strings of molten cheese, and opened her mind to alternative sources of

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protein, adjusting to the texture of pulses and beans that nowadays make most Millennials cringe.

Without forcing, you should encourage them to try new flavours over and over again, as they may refuse it the first time but later warm up to it.”

She is a firm supporter of nutritional edShe recalls making handmade-spread sanducation virtually since weaning, because early instilling good habits since childwiches for her daughter to take to nursery: hood can be a lifelong success story. She “I used to cut the fresh bread in small portions and arranged the morsels in her admits that it is a challenge, especially in lunchbox. Soon, I realised she often traded western society where salty and sugary her healthy sandwich for her buddies’ processed foods are piling up on stores’ crisps, and I had to allow her snacking on shelves at competitive prices, and peer pressure can influence what type crisps once in a while.” of food a child perceives as ‘treat’.

“I realised Whether it is a question of she often coveting the forbidden fruit or “If your child is a fussy eater, it’s traded her a question of the neighbour’s easier to fix their dinner with healthy chips or hot dogs or whatever grass being always greener, it is sandwich for undeniable that parents canthey enjoy, as long as they don’t her buddies’ not permanently shelter their go to bed on an empty stomach. crisps...” toddlers from the lures of society, But, when educating your chilfoodwise or otherwise, but with dren, you can’t assume a defeatist regards to food, they can indeed break the attitude every time they turn your advice down, and you can’t give in every time vicious circle of anticipating sugary treats they throw tantrums at the dinner table. or fast food as a reward by reinforcing posGIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2017

health itive behaviour with treats other than food, and making sure that snack time always includes something fresh and wholesome yet delicious, from milk and biscuits to a handful of mixed nuts and seeds, or fruit salad.

Of course, the government cannot impose an outright prohibition on fatty food or enforce so-called healthy eating, but it can indeed raise awareness about informed choice with the general frame is that everything is good in moderation.

Daya wouldn’t push youngsters to a totally vegan diet unless they freely go for it, but she suggests a more varied and balanced choice of kids’ meals at local eateries: instead of the usual nuggets and chips or spaghetti and meatballs, it would be advisable to list – as several restaurants already do – half portions of ‘adult food’ As the Health Promotion Officer, Daya for children as well, so holds regular public awareness days they acquire the taste for a on many conditions that can affect “Restaurant balanced meal and still asour health, and she stresses how portions are sociate it with being a treat important a varied diet, balanced too generous for the mere fact they are around the five-a-day rule, is to preanyway, but we vent most of them, especially cardiodining out. tend to clear vascular disease, cancer and diabetes. them off...”

Living longer is a blessing only if one “Restaurant portions are can live better, and the foundations too generous anyways,” for serene senior years are laid down since she says, “but we tend to clear them off because they taste good or we paid for the childhood by learning how to juggle one’s full plate. Instead, you should listen to your rainbow of veggies around one’s busy lifestyle as well as dot it with yummy treats instinct and stop eating the moment you without developing addiction. slow down or rest the fork on the plate for a pause: that is when your stomach is telling your brain that no more is needed She warns, however, that healthy diet is or wanted.” not automatically synonymous with

slimming diet, and if it is true that everyone should adhere to a balanced diet no matter what their body mass is, conversely, one must not turn vegetarian or vegan only in the hope of shedding the stones faster than they can say Za’atar Man’ouche.

Perhaps a sudden withdrawal of animal product from all meals will result in weight loss at first, but when meat is replaced with carbs and pulses, these are very nutritional and their daily intake must be watched. The main benefit of a vegan diet is helping reduce cholesterol deposits in your arteries, as long as you don’t overindulge in breaded, battered and fried delicacies.

“As much as Public Health wants to tackle obesity and encourage sensible weight loss, I’d say that if you are comfortable in your skin, you shouldn’t overly stress about the extra kilos, as long as you can hold up an active lifestyle. It is important to gently exercise daily for at least thirty minutes, even in chunks of 5-10 minutes, and preferably outdoors. Whenever you realise you are short of breath after a brisk walk or a short trip upstairs, it is time you downsized your portions.”

Living longer is a blessing only if one can live better...

On the other hand, Daya frowns on protein-only or soup-only diets: “They are okay for a short period, if you need to rid your midriff of those unsightly lumps and bumps on time to wear that special frock at that special occasion, but in the long term, they can take its toll on your vitamin and mineral levels.”

Daya Dewfall, Health Promotion Officer GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2017

The bottom line to your waistline is: ‘follow your gut’ - and eat to satisfy hunger but not gluttony.

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wine words | Andrew Licudi AIWS

PREMIER GRAND CRUS A brief look at the irrational world of fine wine, modern Rioja and vegan wines

I

you, and perhaps call on you himself. can’t recall the last time I was asked if I called Ho Bryen that hath a good and most had plans for a Monday evening. That particular taste I never met with”. vague, post weekend interThe dinner goes well and over £3000 is lude where we feel incomraised for two local charities. Much to the Thomas Jefferson, third president Collective plete, undetermined, pending, relief of our host, none of the bottles are of America, placed Haut Brion as madness of mostly unresolved, a jittery slot tainted and we indulge in the rare and not the best wine of Bordeaux when, ever hopeful in the week much in common to be repeated pleasure of tasting eight as ambassador to France visited the investors has with that medieval Christian vintages of this most famous of wines the vineyard in 1787. Having bought propelled concept of limbo where poweroldest being 1996 and youngest 1995. six dozen bottles, he wrote to his less souls wait helplessly to see prices of these brother in law Francis Eppes in As anticipated, the wines turn out to be wines... what the future may bring. So uniformly very good indeed. I am Virginia: I was delighted to be invited embarrassed to admit, that much to Without to a Monday evening charity dinner by a “I cannot deny myself the plea- status drinkers, my surprise, I could hardly detect friend who, prompted by a minor health any vintage variation from one bottle sure of asking you to particithese wines scare and conscious of the inexorable to another. pate of a parcel of wine I have would never march of time, decided it would be prubeen chusing for myself. I do it achieve silly dent not to defer any longer the opening I was recently asked by our editor the rather as it will furnish you prices. of some cherished bottles of Chateau Haut a specimen of what is the very if wines like Haut Brion are worth Brion collected over decades when the best Bourdeaux wine. It is of the price. I think that in spite of the price of this First Growth or Premier Grand the vineyard of Obrion, one of the four estab- undoubted quality the answer to that is an Cru claret was affordable, if never cheap. lished as the very best, and it is of the vintage emphatic no. I say this for three reasons. of 1784. the only very fine one since the year Samuel Pepys having tasted the wine at 1779. Six dozen bottles of it will be packed The first is that Haut Brion together with the Royal Oak Tavern in 1663 wrote in the separately addressed to you and delivered to other Premier Grand Crus like Lafite, Lain The Diarist. “drank a sort of French wine Capt. Gregory, who will take care to send it to tour, Chateau Margaux and Mouton Roth82

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2017

wine

Modern wine filtration

schild are traded in much the same way as gold is traded. Collective madness of ever hopeful investors has propelled prices of these wines to levels which are no longer defined by the inherent quality of the liquid and buyers rarely see their purchases, let alone drink the stuff. Millions of pounds of these elixirs lie untouched under the streets of London whilst above, in the hustle and bustle of the capital, pieces of paper change hands denoting that the dusty case of Lafite, Haut Brion or Latour has acquired a new, ever hopeful owner.

The second reason I feel these wines are not worth the money is that many of the ultimate drinkers do so for reasons to do more with status than wine. I don’t necessarily condemn this just as I don’t look down on Ferrari owners, each to their own, but without status drinkers, these wines would never achieve silly prices.

I was kindly invited to a Roda tasting by Patrick Sacarello last week and a very enjoyable evening it turned out to be. I used to be very familiar with Roda as it was a wine we brought to Gibraltar many years ago when my wife Roda is and I run a small wine import undoubtedly a business. Roda is undoubtedly modern version sulphites coming under scrutia modern version of Rioja and it ny. However, we are told that of Rioja and was always intended to be. Romaking wine sans sulphites is it was always das are dark in colour, fruit drivvirtually impossible so we will en and opulent which is achieved intended to be. continue to see warnings from by ripe grapes with high sugar the Surgeon General in Americontent and ensuring long can wine labels alerting pregnant women contact between grape skins and musts about sulphites in wine. Of course, sulphduring fermentation. Some traditionalist ites could be acceptable to vegans though feel that modern Riojas, in their search for the use of bone meal as an organic, natural opulence, sacrifice complexity whilst othfertiliser would not. The reality is that others feel that complexity is over-rated and er than premium wines, most wines have prefer their wines fruity, rich and intense. no animal products so I am surprised that Are you a modernist or traditionalist? producers don’t use this as a selling point.

For this month’s column, I was looking up veganism, that much maligned movement The third reason is that these wines have intent on reminding us of that great inconbeen admired for centuries for a very good venient truth on animal suffering most of reason, at least initially, when fermentaus would prefer to brush under the carpet, tion, cleanliness, yeast activity, bacterial, because my editor asked me if I knew of contamination and so on were poorly unany vegan wines, which I didn’t, but hopederstood. Under these circumstances, the potential for differences in quality between fully, I made some useful observations on what could possibly constitute a vegan one producer and another was huge and any half decently made wine, in what was a wine or, more accurately, a non-vegan wine. Firstly, I could allay her fears relatively small pool of producthat animal bones are not used ers, was in line to acquire cult The gap to filter wines. Probably an urban status and fame which persists between to this day.

Premier Grand myth, however, I could confirm that many premium wines use egg Cru and other whites to clarify wines as well as Not now when technical knowfine wines isinglass, from fish bladders, and how, flying winemakers, consulno longer casein from milk. Not that longtants and modern equipment has justifies the ago blood was also used to clarify made even the humblest wine massive price wines but this is now outlawed by acceptable. The gap between the EU. differential.

Premier Grand Cru and other fine wines no longer justifies the There is a strong move to make massive price differential. As Adam Smith natural wines as consumers want to know famously said “ This is one of those cases where the imagination is baffled by the facts.” what goes into wine with the use of GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2017

Wines to be tried at least once in your life Corimbo 1 2010 (From the Roda stable) Ribera del Duero Sacarellos Irish Town Corimbo is the relatively new venture by Roda in their efforts to get into the lucrative market which is Ribera.

As expected, from a no expense spared bodega, the wine is extremely well made and Ribera lovers as well as modernists Riojans will appreciate this wine. Opulent, expressive, mouth filling, all come to mind when tasting this well-made tempranillo wine. May even satisfy traditionalists given a few years in bottle.

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recipes Recipe by Jamie Oliver

SHEPHERD’S PIE VEGANISED Wholesome and comforting

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

600g Maris Piper potatoes

Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas 6.

600g sweet potatoes

Peel and chop all the potatoes into rough 2cm chunks. Place the Maris Pipers into a large pan of cold salted water over a medium heat. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until tender, adding the sweet potatoes after 5 minutes.

40g dairy-free margarine 1 onion 2 carrots 3 cloves of garlic 2 sticks of celery 1 tablespoon coriander seeds olive oil ½ a bunch of fresh thyme 350g chestnut mushrooms 12 sun-dried tomatoes 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar vegan red wine 100ml organic vegetable stock 1 x 400g tin of lentils 1 x 400g tin of chickpeas 5 sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary 1 lemon 30g fresh breadcrumbs 84

Drain and leave to steam dry, then return to the pan with the margarine and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Mash until smooth, then set aside.

Peel and finely slice the onion, carrots and 2 garlic cloves, then trim and finely slice the celery.

spoons of the sun-dried tomato oil from the jar.

Cook for a further 10 minutes, then add a splash of wine, turn up the heat, and allow it to bubble away. Stir in the stock, lentils and chickpeas (juice and all), then leave it to tick away for 5 to 10 minutes, or until slightly thickened and reduced.

Pick and roughly chop the parsley leaves, then stir into the pan. Season to taste, then transfer to a baking dish (roughly 25cm x 30cm).

Spread the mash over the top, scuffing it up with the back of a spoon.

Bash the coriander seeds in a pestle and mortar until fine, then add it all to a medium pan over a medium heat with a good splash of oil. Pick in the thyme leaves, then cook for around 10 minutes, or until softened.

Finely slice the remaining garlic clove, then place into a bowl with the rosemary leaves, lemon zest, breadcrumbs and 1 tablespoon of oil. Mix well, sprinkle over the mash, then place in the hot oven for around 10 minutes, or until piping hot through.

Meanwhile, roughly chop the mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes, then add to the pan along with the vinegar and 2 table-

Place under the grill for a further 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden, then serve with seasonal greens.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2017

recipes Recipe by Jamie Oliver

RHUBARB CHOCO TART Rich and decadent

INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS

150ml soya milk

Preheat the oven to 180ÂşC/gas 4. Lightly grease a 25cm loose-bottomed tart tin.

4 cardamom pods 4 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon cornflour 250 g dark chocolate (70%) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Pastry 250g plain flour 125g icing sugar 1 teaspoon ground ginger 125g soya margarine (cold) , plus extra for greasing Rhubarb 400g rhubarb 25 - 4 g sugar 1 splash of ginger cordial 1 orange GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2017

To make the pastry, sift the flour, icing sugar and ginger into a large bowl. Roughly chop and add the margarine and, working quickly, rub into the dry ingredients. Add enough cold water so you can bring the mixture together into a ball. Wrap the dough in clingfilm and chill for 30 minutes.

Once chilled, roll the pastry to ½cm thick and line the tin. Trim any excess and prick all over with a fork. Return to the fridge for 30 minutes.

Bake the pastry blind for 15 minutes.

Remove the weight and cook for a further 10 to 15 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.

For the filling, place the soya milk in a small pan with 200 ml water, crush and add the

cardamom pods, and the sugar, then warm over a low heat.

Put the cornflour in a small bowl with a few tablespoons of the warm soya mixture and stir till smooth, then return to the pan, stirring to combine, and bring back to the boil. Remove the cardamom pods.

Snap the chocolate into a bowl and pour over the hot soya. Stir to combine. Add the vanilla extract and a pinch of sea salt, pour into the case, chill for 5 to 6 hours.

To cook the rhubarb, cut into 5cm pieces and place in an ovenproof dish with 2 or 3 tablespoons of sugar, depending on how sharp the rhubarb is. Add the cordial, orange zest and juice, and cover with a cartouche (greaseproof-paper disc).

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until soft but holding its shape. Leave to cool. Serve thin slices of the tart with the rhubarb.

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restaurants, bars & pubs

food & drink directory e to wher drink eat &e Rock on th

Casa Pepe

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

Mixed paellas also available, as well as fish cooked in rock salt, whole suckling pig and baby lamb to order.

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

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

Visit: www.casapepegib.com

The Lounge 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.

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

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Nunos Italian

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

Open: Mon-Sun 1-3pm lunch, 7–11pm dinner Nunos Italian Restaurant and Terrace Caleta Hotel, Catalan Bay Tel: 200 76501 Email: reservations@caletahotel.gi

Solo Bar & Grill Solo Bar and Grill is a stylish and modern eatery — perfect for business functions or lunches — and part of the popular Cafe Solo stable. Serving everything from Goats’ Cheese Salad, Mediterranean Pâté and Cajun Langoustines to Beer Battered John Dory, or Harissa Chicken, and Chargrilled Sirloin Steak.

This is a delightful venue in Europort with a cosy mezzanine level and terrace seating. Well worth a visit, or two! Available for private functions and corporate events — call 200 62828 to book your function or event.

Open: 12-8pm.

Solo Bar & Grill, Eurotowers Tel: 200 62828

Café Solo Modern Italian eatery set in lively Casem a t e s s q u a re .

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.

Café Solo Grand Casemates Square. Tel: 200 44449

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

Open: 7am-midnight Mon-Sat, 9am-midnight Sun. Jury’s Café & Wine Bar 275 Main Street. Tel: 200 67898

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2017

appetite

restaurants, bars & pubs

All’s Well

Traditional pub in fashionable Casemates area. Named for the 18th century practise of locking gates to the city at night when the guard called ‘All’s Well’.

All’s Well serves Bass beers, wine and spirits plus pub fare. English breakfast all day, hot meals such as pork in mushroom sauce, sausage & mash, cod & chips and steak & ale pie plus a range of salads and jacket potatoes. Large terrace. Karaoke Mondays and Wednesdays until late. Free tapas on a Friday 7pm.

All’s Well Casemates Square. Tel: 200 72987

Bridge Bar & Grill Located on the w a t e r ’s e d g e , Ocean Village, just across the bridge from O’Reilly’s. This bar & grill is a fusion of an American themed menu with Tarifa chill out style. Open for breakfast from 9am serving healthy options, freshly squeezed orange juice and Italian Lavazza coffee. Try the spicy Caribbean rum ribs, southern fried chicken bucket, the popular Texas burger or a selection of tasty salads and homemade desserts. London Pride, San Miguel & Carling beer on draught, live sports.

Bridge Bar & Grill Ocean Village Tel: 200 66446

Gibraltar Arms On Main Street opposite the cathedral, enjoy a meal, coffee or a cool beer on the terrace and watch the world go by!

Bar decorated with rare military plaques from regiments and navy ships visiting Gibraltar. Full breakfast menu served from 7am, draught beers on tap include Old Speckled Hen bitter, Murphys Irish stout, Heineken lager and Strongbow cider.

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

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2017

O’Reilly’s

Tr a d i t i o n a l Irish bar with full HD sports coverage and Irish breakfast from 8am (Sunday f ro m 9 a m) .

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.

e to wher drink eat &e Rock on th

Lord Nelson

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.

O’Reilly’s Ocean Village. Tel: 200 67888

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

Star Bar

Picadilly Gardens

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.

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

The Three Owls

Relaxed bar restaurant located near to the Queen’s Hotel and Cable car, it has a cosy garden terrace, which is great for drinks, tapas and food al fresco. English breakfast, tapas, hamburgers, fresh fish, paella by pre-order, prawns, squid, clams and a variety of meat dishes.

Eat in or takeaway. Open: 6:30am till late.

Piccadilly Gardens Rosia Road, Tel: 20075758

Solo Express

The Three Owls is a traditional bar serving best of English beers. Three separate bars/floors: ground floor — big screen TV, pool table, poker machines, bar — open from 10.30am daily. First floor ‘Hoots’ bar, two match pool tables, poker machines, dartboard, bar, open from 4:30pm daily. Second Floor the ‘Nest’ — pool table, poker machine, card table, bar — open from 7pm daily and also at weekends. If you are looking for a sociable game of pool or darts this is the place to be.

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.

The Three Owls Irish Town. Tel: 200 77446 FB: The Three Owls

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

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1 Raj’s Curry House 1 Ragged Staff Wharf, Queensway Quay, Gibraltar Comorant Wharf

3

4

5

6

ZONE: QUEENSWAY QUAY Queensway Road

1

2

QUEENSWAY QUAY MARINA

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Casa Pepe

Queensway Quay

The Waterfront Restaurant & Bar 4/5 Ragged Staff Wharf, Queensway Quay, Gibraltar

Rendezvou Chargrill 14 Ragged Staff Wharf, Queensway Quay, Gibraltar

The Landings Restaurant 15 Ragged Staff Wharf, Queensway Quay, Gibraltar

The Lounge Bar (Lunch & Dinner)

17a Ragged Staff Wharf

18 Ragged Staff Wharf, Queensway Quay, Gibraltar Telephone: 200 46967 Email: casa.pepe.gib@gmail.com

APARTMENTS

2

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The Lounge Gastro Bar 17b Ragged Staff Wharf

(Breakfast, Lunch & Snack)

Queensway Quay, Gibraltar Telephone: 200 61118 Email: info@thelounge.gi

THE SAILS APARTMENTS

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 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

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of all standards/ages/abilities 7-9pm. Tel: 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 from 4 years of age, weekday evenings. Tel: 56000772 or Sally 200 74661.

Rugby: Gibraltar Rugby Football Union training for Colts (w+), seniors and veterans. Play in Andalusia 1st Division. Contact: secretary@ gibraltarfu.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.

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information

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.

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 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.

Emergency Services Emergency calls only: Fire/Ambulance ����������������������������������������� Tel: 190 Police ���������������������������������������������������Tel: 199/112 Emergency Number Tel: 112 94

Non-urgent calls: Ambulance Station ������������������������Tel: 200 75728 Police.................................................Tel: 200 72500 Emergency Nos: .................Tel: (5) 5026 / (5) 3598

ADHD & Learning Difficulties (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) Meetings at Fellowship Bookshop Catholic Community Centre, Line Wall Road. Coffee, chat, books and resources on display. Tel: 54027551 or 54014476.

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

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

Mummy & 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. (Summer Hours 8:30am – 2pm) Tel: 20040006 Email: info@cab.gi or visit at 10 Governor’s Lane. Free & confidential, impartial & independent advice and info.

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

Formed to ease challenges of individuals, families and care partner. Meetings at Catholic Community Centre Book Shop at 7.30pm first Thursday 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 Thursdays at 9pm at Gladys Perez Centre, 304A Main Street, Tel: 54007676 or 54014484.

Gibraltar Cardiac Rehabilitation and Support Group meets on the first Tuesday 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 JANUARY 2017

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

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*DHL Terms and Conditions apply GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2016

3

parenting

WORKING AS A MUM Is it enough?

P

eople underestimate the impact on society expects us to be at home breastfeeding or preparing bottles.” women when we take time out of work to parent. Or, as in my case, choose to juggle parentWhile times may have changed ing with working from home. considerably, it still often falls on “Most women to “manage the house” women who The Chief Minister’s wife, Juschoose to have regardless of the responsibilities she may also carry outside of the tine Picardo recently referenced families have home. It’s a juggling act whether the struggle mothers have in to work twice one chooses to be a stay-at-home comparison to fathers when she as hard as the parent or to return to work. spoke at the Gibraltar Women’s th man...”

Association’s 50 anniversary to celebrate unveiling a statue for As a relatively all women, and commemorating their lives new stay-at-home parent It’s a in Gibraltar’s past, present and future. myself, this time of year juggling act can be incredibly alien. whether one Justine hit the nail on the head “Most December was odd chooses to women who choose to have families have enough. Three years ago be a stay-atto work twice as hard as the man who also I’d have been out for home parent chooses to have a family. And unfortunately, raucous office Christmas or return to for a woman it is a choice we have to make. parties. While granted, the work.

Because our biological clocks are ticking. parties I attended this DeThey tick away throughout our prime working cember were still “messy”, years. During that time our male counterparts treading over soggy Wotsits and Quality are speeding through their professions whilst Street wrappers isn’t the same kind of fun.

96

When January arrives, kids return to school and professionals organise their return to work but try as I might to make plans for the year ahead, with a toddler and a baby it’s often hard to see much beyond the next five minutes. This is when frustration sets in.

I always imagined that given the choice, I would choose to be a stay-at-home parent. However, once I started sleeping better after my first born, I soon found there was an itch that I was desperate to scratch. Like many other mothers, I chose to compromise and work from home, allowing myself the flexibility of working around my family.

At the time I felt bad that being a mum was not enough for me. However, I quickly realised I was not alone feeling like this.

Channel 4 recently released a report on the loneliness of new mums. The reality of spending all day with a baby is not what many imagine. While you may have GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2017

parenting productive and interesting thoughts, they’re lost on a baby. Day to day chores can become monotonous and what is worse, the job of a mother is massively undervalued by those around her and by society.

The internet has afforded mums the flexibility to work from home and choose their own hours and in Gibraltar, it appears to be increasingly popular.

“My day revolved around my little girl who was starting to need me less and less.”

Although while working standards have improved immensely for women, there still isn’t enough flexibility offered by workplaces. Flexi-hours or part-time hours are hard to come by.

Unfortunately, it’s not any easier for those who decide to be self-employed. Etsy shops, multi-level marketing and consulting are becoming increasingly popular options for mothers looking to work around family time. However, it’s near on impossible to “work from home” in Gibraltar as all those who are self-employed require a business license, and a business license requires that you have a premises (unless you can prove that you can operate without one.)

When I discussed the subject with local mums, the response was overwhelming.

No matter what each mother had decided to do, it was something everyone felt equally passionate about. Some mothers are frustrated by the constraints of expensive childcare prohibiting them from working, yet barely scraping by on benefits.

Others shared how they had been offered part-time roles, but with the same workload found themselves working the same full-time hours on part-time pay, often catching up once their children were in

bed. Self-employed mothers talked to me about the hoops they were having to jump through to work from home, something that is relatively simple in the UK.

I slowly started working again, I felt guilty I wasn’t giving 100% at home or at work.

For someone as ambitious as me it was hard to accept. I didn’t realise how much of my identity was While you linked to my work. I am so happy may have I went back. For me, it was the productive best thing I did. My little girl and interesting came to visit me at work the thoughts, other day and the look of pride they’re lost on on her face when she saw her a baby. mummy was priceless!!”

One mother chose to be anonymous but echoed my sentiments “I have worked very hard for ten years to build a very successful career. When I had my baby girl, everything changed. I no longer wanted to work long hours. The money didn’t seem important to me anymore. However, during this time, I felt there was something missing, I realised I was slowly losing my identity, I didn’t recognise myself anymore. My day revolved around my little girl who was starting to need me less and less. I panicked when I realised one day she wouldn’t need me anymore and then what would I do?

Justine Picardo unveilved the Monument to Women

However, it also really bothers me when I hear “I am just a stay-at-home mum”.

There is no “just” about it. It’s a tough job that should be respected more and admired. Whoever you choose to be your child’s caregiver, whether it is yourself or someone else, raising a child is shaping part of the next generation. I can’t think of anything much nobler than that.

No matter whether you’re a working mum or a stay-at-home mum, let this New Year ahead be the year you get the balance you want. Make it a resolution to put your needs at the top of the pile. If you feel guilty, just remember that you need your own oxygen mask on before you can help anyone else.

Polly Lavarello is Editor of Mum on the Rock Email: polly@mumontherock.com Web: www.mumontherock.com GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2017

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1) Edible mollusc (6) 4) Implicit; not spoken (5) 7) Informal greeting (to a tanned bovine)? (3,3) 8) Peaceful (6) 9) See 11) (4) 10) Photograph (or a bullet) to someone’s face (4,4) 12) Agreed; yes (11) 17) State of being a monarch (8) 19) Informally negative (4) 20) Citizens of Baghdad perhaps (6) 21) Country to the east of Scotland which also extends to Russia (6) 22) Samuel Becket’s protagonists were “Waiting for...” (5) 23) Country to the east of 21 (6)

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1) Intestinal infection nearly always fatal (7)

19

2) Very old word for a county, (in Wales),(7 3) Christian worship which is not overly reliant on rituals (3,5)

21

4) Step; footprint (5)

3

5) Author of The Three Sisters, The Cherry Orchard (7)

23

22

first prize: lunch for two at

6) Pact; agreement, usually to make peace (6) 11) & 9) Seasonal greeting to all solvers – I wish you “-------“(1,5,3,4)

Completed crosswords to be returned to the Clipper by 19th Jan

13) Country to the east of 23 (7) 14) Took no noticed of (7)

Last month’s winner:

15) Clarify (7)

Jyoti Sachananbani Euro Plaza

16) Travelling downhill on snow (6) 18) Fast; satirical author (5)

Flight & Cruise Schedule - January 2017 Day Flight

Airline

From

Mon ZB7240 Monarch Gatwick

EZY8901 easyJet Gatwick

BA490 British Airways Heathrow ZB446 Monarch Birmingham 2nd only

ZB064 Monarch Luton

ZB574 Monarch Manchester 3rd only Tue EZY8901 easyJet Gatwick

BA490 British Airways Heathrow

ZB574 Monarch Manchester 3rd only EZY6299 easyJet Bristol th 4 only Wed EZY8901 easyJet Gatwick th 4 only ZB574 Monarch Manchester

BA490 British Airways Heathrow

EZY1963 easyJet Manchester

ZB064 Monarch Luton Thu ZB7240 Monarch Gatwick

EZY8901 easyJet Gatwick

BA490 British Airways Heathrow AT990 Royal Air Maroc Tangier ZB574 Monarch Manchester 5th only

EZY6299 easyJet Bristol Fri EZY8901 easyJet Gatwick

BA490 British Airways Heathrow th ZB446 Monarch Birmingham 6 only

ZB064 Monarch Luton

ZB574 Monarch Manchester

ZB7240 Monarch Gatwick Sat EZY8901 easyJet Gatwick th BA492 British Airways Heathrow 28 only

BA490 British Airways Heathrow Sun EZY6299 easyJet Bristol

EZY1963 easyJet Manchester

EZY8901 easyJet Gatwick

BA492 British Airways Heathrow

BA490 British Airways Heathrow AT990 Royal Air Maroc Tangier

ZB7244 Monarch Gatwick th ZB446 Monarch Birmingham till 8 only

ZB064 Monarch Luton

ZB574 Monarch Manchester

98

Arrives Flight

10:40 10:55 16:30 18:55 19:10 19:20 10:55 16:30 19:10 19:30 10:55 11:35 16:30 16:55 19:00 10:45 10:55 16:30 17:30 19:00 20:25 10:55 16:30 17:55 19:00 19:05 19:50 11:50 14:20 16:30 11:00 11:05 11:10 14:20 16:30 17:30 17:45 18:55 19:00 20:35

ZB7241 EZY8902 BA491 ZB447 ZB065 ZB575 EZY8902 BA491 ZB575 EZY6300 EZY8902 ZB575 BA491 EZY1964 ZB065 ZB7241 EZY8902 BA491 AT991 ZB575 EZY6300 EZY8902 BA491 ZB447 ZB065 ZB575 ZB7241 EZY8902 BA493 BA491 EZY6300 EZY1964 EZY8902 BA493 BA491 AT991 ZB7245 ZB447 ZB065 ZB575

Departs

11:25 11:25 17:20 19:45 19:55 20:05 11:25 17:20 19:55 20:00 11:25 12:20 17:20 17:35 19:45 11:30 11:25 17:20 18:20 19:50 20:55 11:25 17:20 18:45 19:45 19:55 20:40 12:25 15:05 17:20 11:30 11:35 11:40 15:05 17:20 18:20 18:30 19:45 19:50 21:20

To

Gatwick Gatwick Heathrow Birmingham Luton Manchester Gatwick Heathrow Manchester Bristol Gatwick Manchester Heathrow Manchester Luton Gatwick Gatwick Heathrow Tangier Manchester Bristol Gatwick Heathrow Birmingham Luton Manchester Gatwick Gatwick Heathrow Heathrow Bristol Manchester Gatwick Heathrow Heathrow Tangier Gatwick Birmingham Luton Manchester

Arrival

Vessel

ETD Pass

Operator

Capacity

Thu 05, 08:00 SAGA SAPPHIRE

18:00 British

Saga Cruises

700

Mon 09, 12:00 MINERVA

20:00 British

Swan Hellenic Ltd

352

ww.gibraltarport.com

www.gibraltarairport.gi

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JANUARY 2017

El Lodge Ski & Spa C/ Maribel, 8 - 18196, Sierra Nevada, Granada, Spain T (+34) 958 480 600 ellodge.com / reservas@ellodge.com