The Gibraltar Magazine March 2019

March 2019 Vol. 24 # 05

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WOMEN LEADERS & STARTUPS

NEONS AND NUDES

SUPERNATURAL SCULPTOR

A WEEKEND IN WALES

EVACUATION EXPERIENCE

ISLAND GAMES EXCLUSIVE

Our team of barristers and solicitors have over 25 years of experience in dealing with a wide range of disputes including high level commercial litigation, constitutional matters, as well as actions against various governmental, financial and banking institutions.

Phillips are pleased to offer you a free 30 minute consultation to determine how we can assist you in solving your legal problems.

Trusts • Employment • Commercial • Family • Private Client • Public Law • Criminal • Medical Negligence • Personal Injury • Ship & Yacht Registration • Landlord & Tenant • Financial Services • Wills & Probate • EU Law • International Private Law • Conveyancing

www.phillips.gi 292A Main Street, Gibraltar • +350 200 73900 • info@phillips.gi

PETER SCHIRMER

from the editor

MARCH ISSUE EDITOR’S NOTE

C

an you believe it’s March already? 2019 is flying by in a blur of tinsel, heart-shaped cards, and Easter eggs. We’ll be stocking up on beach towels and frozen Sun Tops before we know it!

March is a lovely transitionary month as spring is sprung, but it is particularly special for those of us of the homogametic sex, as it plays host to both Mother’s Day and International Women’s Day. In keeping with this theme, Denise talks women, mentorship, work culture and start-ups (p. 26), recognising the balance they bring within our society.

On the cover we have four lovely local ladies, each inspirational in their own right. Read more about our cover girls inside (p. 36).

LIFE DOESN’T COME WITH A MANUAL, IT COMES WITH A MOTHER.

Following the well-attended annual International Chess Festival at the Caleta Hotel, we have some interesting chess pieces to accompany our regular back-page chess column. Read about Anna Cramling-Bellon paving the way for young female chess players as she follows in her parents’ footsteps, leaving a string of triumphed amateur championships in her wake at just seventeen (p. 63).

Also in sport (albeit rather more physical than mental), we have an International Island Games exclusive for your eyes, as organiser Linda Alvarez dishes the dirt on ‘Super Sunday’, Summer Nights-style entertainment, and single-use plastic (p. 53).

Dipping a toe into the vast pool that is Gibraltar’s history, this month we are gifted with a personal first-hand account of what it was like to be evacuated from the Rock, before returning four years later in 1944 (p. 41).

We’re pirouetting into March with not one but two dance features; Gibraltar is well-known for its talent in this field, not least because of all the hard work put in by groups such as Stylos Dance Studios (p. 56) and Yalta Dance Studio (p. 66).

x Happy

Mother's

And lastly, is luring wild sharks towards a tourist filled cage a step too far, or has it a net positive outcome once all is considered? Best to play on the safe side (phew) (p. 49).

That’s all from me this month. Now go and spoil your mums!

Day x

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

Have you thought about a loan with the Gibraltar International Bank?

Are you planning a wedding or celebrating an important life time event?

Let us help you make your dreams a reality For faster loan approvals please apply via our website www.gibintbank.gi

traditional banking with a modern feel gibintbank

@gibintbank

www.gibintbank.gi | +350 (200) 13900 | Gibraltar International Bank Ltd, PO Box 1375, Ince’s House, 310 Main Street, Gibraltar GX11 1AA Gibraltar International Bank Limited is authorised and regulated by the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission. Company Registration Number 109679

EDITOR: Sophie Clifton-Tucker editor@thegibraltarmagazine.com DESIGN: Justin Bautista design@thegibraltarmagazine.com

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REPORTER: Victoria Locke SALES: Advertising Team sales@thegibraltarmagazine.com DISTRIBUTION: DHL martin@matrix.gi ACCOUNTS: Paul Cox paul@thegibraltarmagazine.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Denise Matthews Eran and Ayelet Mamo Shay Jorge v.Rein Parlade Andrew Licudi Chris Hedley Resham Khiani Julia Coelho Joe Gingell Lewis Stagnetto Molly McElwee Elena Scialtiel Jeremy Gomez Peter Schirmer Richard Cartwright

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Sophie Clifton-Tucker facebook.com/gibmag/ twitter.com/gibmag instagram.com/ thegibraltarmagazine/ The Gibraltar Magazine is published monthly

by Rock Publishing Ltd Portland House, Glacis Road, Gibraltar, PO Box 1114 T: (+350) 20077748 E: editor@thegibraltarmagazine.com Š 2018 Rock Publishing Limited.

All rights reserved.

No part of this periodical may be reproduced without written consent of The Gibraltar Magazine. www.TheGibraltarMagazine.com Magazine & website archived by the British Library

est member Lilo, the new WCP of the A

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content

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85 83 33

60

8 Hello There: What's the most important thing your mum ever taught you?

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The Legend of the Gaseosa Colorá

10 What’s on?

60 Climate Change and

Crowdfunding

12 News

63 Cutting Teeth on a Pawn

16 Around Town

66 Performing with Yalta Pons

BUSINESS

LEISURE

18 Property Investment Abroad:

Malta

69 Dr Chatbot Will See You Now

22 The Power of Prediction

75 Travel: A Weekend in Wales

26 Women Leaders & Startups

80 Wine: Grape Expectations

30 Fireside Chat:

Hon Albert Isola

REGULARS

LIFE

84 Recipes: Fruity Rocky Road & Chickpea Caesar Salad

33 The Abortion

Support Network 36 Cover Girls 38 A Zookeeper’s Diary: Rabbits 41 My Evacuation Experience 45 The Supernatural Sculptor 49 Shark Diving

71 Fashion: Neons and Nudes

89 Guides 90 Information 91 #GibsGems 93 Clubs & Activities 94 Schedules 96 Coffee Time

SCENE 53 Island Games Exclusive 56 It’s a Coco Life 58 Gibraltar Chess Festival

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FRONT COVER PHOTOGRAPHER: DAVID RODRIGUEZ (DRODPHOTOS.COM) MUA: DEEPAK RAMCHANDANI & LAURA PONCE ESPAÑA AT SM SERUYA MODELS: (CLOCKWISE) KARIMA BEN RAHMOUN, MARLENE HASSAN NAHON, NURIA HARJANI, HANNAH PILCHER

hello there

WHAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING

YOUR MUM EVER TAUGHT YOU?

Maciek Zelazny, 30

Julia Grant, 30

Visual Manager, Marks & Spencer.

Graphic Designer, Image Graphics.

My mum always told me “Remember it’s always better to listen first before you speak, because you can always learn something new when you listen.”

Mum taught me so many vital things through her example. Most of all I’d say she taught me to be strong, to persevere, to love unconditionally, and to be relentless in the pursuit of my happiness.

Ivanka Pazio, 28 Sales Assistant, Searock My mother told me, "All good deeds (just like bad ones) come back to us with double strength. Good or evil the world will repay you sooner or later in some form."

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Cupcake Picnic Grant, 3 Professional Cuddle Monster Mum taught me to be as adorable as possible at all times, which includes wearing cute outfits, snoring loudly and definitely not pooping on the kitchen floor! Pug’s sake :(

Marie Fredriksson, 29 Player experience, 32Red. She taught me "Sometimes you have to bite the sour apple" or "Take the bull by its horns". Basically to stay strong.

Lorraine Laguea Blagg, 50 Director of NP Estates.

My mum always taught me to follow my dreams and to never give up. To treat people how I want to be treated and to always de respectful.

satire

THE LEGEND OF LA GASEOSA COLORÁ The tragic news broke mere days into 2019; our beloved additive-laden Gaseosa Colorá would be no more. LND travelled to the Llanito Archives and the Llanito Museo of Carbonated Drinks to learn the elusive beverage’s history and give it the send off it truly deserves.

ditch behind the brewery. In the 1800s, the company changed hands and evolved once again, becoming the ‘Brand 5’ we have known and loved de toh la vida. It was then that the recipe stabilised, becoming the iconic kind-of sorta raspberry-ish (or maybe cherry?) flavour of Gaseosa Colorá.

Around 100,000 years ago the first Llanis of the caves, the Neanderthals, created a ‘red drink’ they would clink over the campfire after a hard day’s hunt or forage. Some historians believe this drink was brewed from the blood of their enemies. Other historians say it was probably just made from berries and accuse those other historians of watching too much Game of Thrones . Either way, after hours and hours of flipping though, gasp, books (!) our investigators uncovered old colour photographs of cave paintings depicting these red drinks. To our astonishment, the cave artists had rendered what could be interpreted as bubbles rising through the red liquid, suggesting an early form of carbonation. Another photograph captured what appear to be blueprints for some kind of bespoke container. Above the crude plans for the screw-top cap, proto-marks can be seen which experts told us read: “Brand 1”

During the Second World War, it was this iconic and somewhat confusing flavour that the Llanito evacuees longed for far from their new homes abroad. To help boost morale, the Brand 5 factory blacked out their windows and worked overnight over many weeks to mass-produce a year’s worth of both the clear and red gaseosas. These were then shipped across the world to Madeira, Jamaica, London and almost every other location the evacuees found themselves in. Tragically, many of these shipments were intercepted by the enemy, leaving desperate evacuees to keep calm and get wasted on flat sangria. Bootleg beverages emerged from enterprising evacuees in Jamaica, and even became quite popular with the locals, who were constantly subjected to assertions “Que no es igual” and “You have to come to ARE Gibraltar to taste the proper gaseosa”.

Over millennia, the beverage evolved. Brands 2 through 4 each featured a different, highly guarded recipe that most believe consisted of whatever berries happened to be growing in the GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

As you drink the last drops of our beloved Brand 5 and toast to its long, storied history, do not lament its demise on our Rock. Instead, celebrate the tongues it has tingled, the emotions it has stirred and the cheap wines it has diluted.

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what’s on WHAT'S ON? MARCH 2019

For further information please contact 20052126 or contact finearts@gibtelecom.net

Gibraltar Scrabble Club Both Worlds' Reception 2pm

27TH FEBRUARY TO 8TH MARCH

John Mackintosh Hall, 9:00am–9:30pm For further information please contact Gibraltar Cultural Services at info@culture.gi

For more information, please all Vin 200 73660 or Roy 200 75995

22ND FEBRUARY TO 5TH MARCH Music Session with Luke Bossano Rock on the Rock Club, 5.00pm to 7.00pm For more information or to book your place please call GCS Cultural Development Unit on telephone 200 79750 or email info@culture.gi

26 FEBRUARY TO 8TH MARCH Gibraltar Festival for Young Musicians J ohn Mackintosh Square 9.00am - 9.30pm For further information please contact Gibraltar Cultural Services at info@culture.gi

26 FEBRUARY TO 2ND MARCH Kim-Peter Waltzer-Girda Exhibition Fine Arts Gallery, Casemates Square, 10:00pm–6:00pm

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For more information or to book your place please call GCS Cultural Development Unit on telephone 200 79750 or email info@culture.gi

WEDNESDAY 6TH MARCH

FRIDAY 1ST MARCH

John Mackintosh Hall,

Tour of the Northern Defences

6.00pm to 7.30pm

Landport Bridge, 5.00pm For more information and to book your place please call 200 42844

FRIDAY 1ST MARCH Drama Workshop with Daniel Strain Webber 6.00pm to 7.30pm For more information or to book your place please call GCS Cultural Development Unit on telephone 200 79750 or email info@culture.gi SATURDAY 2ND MARCH St Andrews Craft & Collectors Fair St Andrew's Church, 10.00am to 2.00pm

TH

6.00pm to 7.30pm

Story Construction Session with Stephanie and Lee Dignam

John Mackintosh Hall, TH

'Getting to Know' Guy Valarino live chat & music session John Mackintosh Hall,

Young Art Competition 2019 EVERY TUESDAY

MONDAY 4TH MARCH

Entrance is £1 and all proceeds go to the Church Restoration Fund.

Stalls available at £10 to include table and cloth.

For further information please contact +350 54023166.

For more information or to book your place please call GCS Cultural Development Unit on telephone 200 79750 or email info@culture.gi Creative Writing Workshops led by Jackie Anderson Westside comprehensive School Organised by Westside Comprehensive School, for their Year 11 students Fine Arts Association Portrait Session Fine Arts Gallery, Casemates, For more information and to book your place please call 200 52126

THURSDAY 7TH MARCH World Book Day 2019 John Mackintosh Hall, 10.00am to 6.00pm For more information or to book your place please call GCS Cultural Development Unit on telephone 200 79750 or email info@culture.gi

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

what’s on 18TH MARCH TO 23RD MARCH Drama Festival 2019 Ince's Hall Theatre, 8.00pm For more information or to book your place please call GCS Cultural Development Unit on telephone 200 79750 or email info@culture.gi

25TH MARCH TO 29TH MARCH Childline blue week For more information visit www.childline.gi

TUESDAY 26TH MARCH Back to Basics - Gardening Workshop John Mackintosh Hall, 6.30pm to 8.00pm If you are interested, you can secure a place online with buytickets.gi at £10.00. For more information on this event, please see The Gibraltar Horticultural Society Facebook Page or contact us via email at ghsmember@outlook.com

29TH MARCH TO 31ST MARCH World Pool Masters XXVI Tercentenary Sports Hall 1.00pm to 11.30pm For more information or to book tickets visit www.buytickets.gi

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

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news FINSBURY TRUST LAUNCHES ‘FITNESS TOGETHER’ INITIATIVE Finsbury Trust have launched a ‘Fitness Together’ campaign in aid of Kids Come First in order to raise funds and awareness for the charity through the hosting of a number of well-being events and challenges throughout the year.

Kids Come First is a local registered charity established to raise funds for children in need. The charity works closely with the Care Agency and takes referrals of children who need support.

Finsbury Trust’s first fundraising initiative is a weekly fitness club, whereby all members of the community, including beloved pets, are invited to run, jog or walk a pre-determined route at their own pace. Participants are asked to make an anonymous donation to join, with all funds raised collectively donated to the charity.

Benjamin Hassan, Director at Finsbury Trust, said: “The initiative is born out of desire to foster a ‘socially responsible’ company that also promotes ‘fitness together’. The program serves to raise awareness and funds for kids in our community who without such funds may not have an equal footing to those who have more fortunate opportunities.”

Mr. Hassan added: “It is our belief that ‘Fitness Together’ brings insight into these areas of need within our community and also serves to empower participants to attend to their own well-being, all whilst bringing about some positive change to our community”.

This ‘Fitness Together’ club takes place every Tuesday at 7.00pm at Eastern beach. For more details on the initiative, please email admin@ finsburytrust.com

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

news ‘FAST TRACK’ CERT CII The University of Gibraltar, in collaboration with the Gibraltar Insurance Institute (GII) and the UK Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) has launched the second 'Fast Track' study programme for students to obtain the Chartered Insurance Institute, Certificate in Insurance (CERT CII) within just under 6 months. The course commenced on 7th February and will see CII Tutor Alison Cooper (FCII Dip PFS) visiting Gibraltar on a monthly basis to deliver the face to face training sessions. The CERT CII 'Fast Track' course comprises: IF1 - Insurance, legal and regulatory; IF3 - Insurance underwriting process and IF4 - Insurance claims handling process. 9 students are currently enrolled in the full study programme and another 6 have selected individual modules.

The Gibraltar Insurance Institute (GII) is delighted that the 'Fast Track' courses have been successful and grateful to local facilitators, such as the University of Gibraltar, for their role in introducing support programmes to GII members and the insurance industry in Gibraltar.

Anyone interested in enrolling in individual modules can contact the University of Gibraltar by calling: (+350) 200 71000 or emailing info@unigib.edu.gi. Full course details can be found online: unigib.edu.gi/courses/ professional-courses/cii-fast-track

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 MARCH 2019

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news

CHILDLINE BLUE WEEK Childline will be organising their annual Blue Week from Monday 25th March to Friday 29th March 2019. It is Childline’s hope that the Gibraltar community comes together to raise the much-needed awareness and funds for Childline’s fight to end all forms of cruelty to children in Gibraltar, as has been the case in previous years.

With a shockingly high 292 contacts on the Helpline last year and 98 Call-outs to assist young persons who have been detained by the police, Childline’s services take a crucial position in the local community.

This year Childline will focus on reaching out to the community and making Gibraltar aware that they do not only support young Children, but have a wide range of services that can offer support.

Childline’s Chairperson Annie Green said: “We want to make the general public aware that Childline takes a supporting role for those who contact us. Our main focus is to listed to people and encourage children to talk. We inform about ways that our users can contact other agencies or inform children on how to approach their parents, family members or teachers.

Often, because our service is con-

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

news

fidential and we do not pass judgement, just talking to us about their feelings can go a long way for children.

Children often want to talk to their parents, but sometimes need a little encouragement in taking the actual first step. We are here to give them that encouragement.

We also receive many calls from adults who are concerned about children. This can vary from a parent who needs a little support and motivation with regards to parenting, or someone who is concerned about a child in their community.

Blue week takes an important part in spreading awareness for Childline. Every year we are in awe of the support given by the schools, local businesses and the community. Many people participate in Blue week by way of sharing our Facebook posts, donations or by participating in our #8008 challenge - where schools and companies come up with innovative and creative ways to promote Childline’s Helpline number “8008” and post the picture on Social Media with hashtag #8008challenge.

Our team can’t wait to see all the pictures for this year!”

If you, or your company, want to participate in this year’s Blue Week, you can contact Childline via manager@childline.gi.

If you need support or are concerned about a child, you can reach Childline’s confidential service daily from 5pm to 9pm on their Freephone 8008, WhatsApp 5800288 or via Live Chat on their website www.childline.gi. You can also reach Childline via email help@childline.gi.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

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around town

GIB TALKS 2019 © HM GOVERNMENT OF GIBRALTAR

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

around town

GIB CHESS 2019 © DAVID LLADA & JOHN SAUNDERS

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

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business

PROPERTY INVESTMENT ABROAD Part IV: The Republic of Malta.

M

alta has arguably got one of Europe’s fastest-growing housing markets.

The total market increase over the past ten years has been over 51%. The Maltese housing market experienced increases during the worst years of the global recession including 2008 onwards until 2014, when the recession started fading away.

If this is compared to other European jurisdictions like Italy, Greece or Spain where the market correction has been very considerable, the final property growth figures in Malta are very positive, to the extent of having surpassed Hong Kong over the last years.

Malta is a historic island located in the centre of the Mediterranean in between Sicily and North Africa, some 80 km south of

Messina and 333 km North from Tripoli in Libya. It has a mild Mediterranean climate with over three hundred days of sunshine per annum. The three islands include Malta, Gozzo, and Comino. The country has been ruled by a succession of different powers including the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, Sicilians, Spanish, Knights of St John, French and finally the British. A little culture of each of these powers has been left on the island like in most Mediterranean countries and jurisdictions, including Gibraltar, to where a considerable number of Maltese emigrated over the past few hundred years.

It then became The Republic of Malta in 1974. It is now a member state of the Commonwealth of Nations and the United Nations having joined the European Union in 2004 and the euro currency monetary system in 2008. It has gone from strength to strength since then with a very healthy economy and a growing property market.

A little culture of each of these powers has been left on the island.

Malta was granted independence by the United Kingdom in 1964.

Why is Malta a growing market which at present shows little signs of slowing down?

There are many reasons for this, and these are complex and somehow unusual.

I can name some of the most important factors which have made Malta and its property market consistent, strong and growing.

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property

economy is forecast to grow over 5% as well, a slight reduction in real growth.

An attractive taxation system which is lower than in most other EU jurisdictions.

Much like in the case of Gibraltar, there is no capital gains tax on property. But there is a flat transmission tax payable by the seller which at present stands at 12%. This tax does not exist in Gibraltar but does exist in most European jurisdictions and it is normally considerably higher.

These are as follows: A booming economy based on tourism and recently on the great efforts of the Government of Malta to turn its Islands into a major Financial Services Center and an Internet Gaming Hub. Malta´s Economy grew 7.9% in 2014, 2015 and 5% in 2016. The amount of growth in 2017 was 6.6% and in 2018 6.2%. These are very positive figures. In 2019 the 20

҇​҇ Like in Gibraltar, there is no

gift or inheritance tax in Malta.

҇​҇ Stamp duty is a fair 5%.

Higher than Gibraltar but lower than in other European countries.

҇​҇ And what other expenses

does a property buyer have?

Notary fees which range between 0.50% and 0.75%

҇​҇ Lawyers fees which amount

to about 1%.

҇​҇ The agency fees are paid

by the seller as in Gibraltar.

Normally 3%.

It is quite clear that as far as charges are concerned it is not expensive to purchase a property in Malta.

How about rental yields. Are they good? At present a well managed property yields about 4.5% per year. But there are certain conditions that apply to property owners from abroad. A property owned by foreign investors needs to be registered at the Hotel and Tourist Board. Furthermore, conditions apply, and should the case come up, must be checked by your appointed solicitor or estate agent.

What about residency status? The Republic of Malta has established an Individual Investor Program for foreign investors which at the GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

property

time of publication of this article include full residency status and citizenship. Malta does not object to dual nationality status. The conditions are probably stricter than in other EU jurisdictions like Spain, Portugal or Greece.

In Malta, in order to meet the eligibility criteria, you must:

҇​҇

Make a contribution of €650,000 to the Maltese Government, which is deposited in the National Development and Social Fund.

҇​҇

Either lease a residential property for a minimum of €16,000 per year, or purchase a property valued at least €350,000.

҇​҇

Acquire €150,000 of Government Bonds/securities listed on the Malta Stock Exchange

҇​҇

You must keep the property and bonds for at least 5 years.

Similar to us, Malta has an increased number of foreign workers

Similar to us, Malta has an increased number of foreign workers, the difference being that they are full-time residents keeping the rental market on the move.

euro mark so it would probably attract the very rich only. All this said, it seems to have worked well and there are many investors who have opted for this program.

On a visit to Malta when we asked the Portuguese sea captain about the place, he simply turned to us and explained: “Es como Gibraltar a lo bestia!” - Just like a huge Gibraltar!

And what are prices like in Malta? €4,600 per square metre upwards is the answer. A 3-bedroom compact apartment can set you back between €140,000 to €400,000 and more. Prime property is considerably more expensive and old restored palazzos or sea-front property can reach millions of euros. Much like in Gibraltar, space is limited despite the fact that Malta has 3 islands and is considerably larger than Gibraltar. But so is its present population which stands at about 450,000 inhabitants.

JORGE V.REIN PARLADE MBA Business Consultant +350 54045282 jorgeparlade@aol.com

This is close to the one-millionGIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

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business

THE POWER OF PREDICTION Of all the global technological advancements and innovations unfolding in real-time, big data in conjunction with predictive analysis have the power to become a game-changer for many businesses.

P

redictive analytics is the process of analysing historical and current data and applying advanced statistical methods and analytical tools to make reliable predictions about the future. In a business context, predictive analytics often involves the creation of a predictive model used to exploit patterns in historical financial information, customer data, and other third-party data sources to identify risks and opportunities.

In most applications, predictive analytics involves first identifying a business problem and identifying what kind of data is needed to help solve the issue. Next, data must be collected and prepared for analysis. Once the data is prepared, the analyst will use a variety of data mining, machine learning, and statistical techniques to uncover numerical patterns and relationships between variables.

This information is then used to create a model that can be used to make reliable predictions.

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WHAT AMAZON AND NETFLIX KNOW ABOUT US

recommendations for current and future purchases.

The most extensive use of predictive analytics is in e-commerce. It is primarily used for predicting what visitors want to buy based on their demographic and psychographic profiles. Using the combination of visitor information with their browsing and purchase behaviour, companies are able to increase engagement by delivering highly personalized, highly targeted content and advertisements.

Netflix, another forerunner of personalised product recommendation, utilises predictive analytics to deliver highly relevant content to users.

Netflix gathers data on users’ preferred genre, ratings given, views, surveys, and other actions to predict and recommend movies and shows. According to the company, 75% of what people watch on its platform can be traced to its personalization efforts.

Netflix utilises predictive analytics to deliver highly relevant content

Amazon’s growth is fuelled by their ability to use data to build a complete picture of their online visitors and then predict customer purchase.

It has seamlessly integrated its predictive technology into every aspect of the purchasing process, tracking visitors’ behaviour from the moment they log in, in order to make effective

BOOKING A HOLIDAY AT THE BEST PRICE The travel industry is notoriously competitive, with volatile peaks and troughs in demand and many low-margin routes. This can leave travellers in the dark, unsure of the best time to book. Sometimes it’s better to book ahead, at other GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

business

times it’s better to wait until closer to the date of departure.

Travel app Hopper stays one step ahead by predicting future pricing patterns and alerting travellers of the cheapest times to buy flights to their preferred destinations.

It does this by watching billions of prices every day and, based on historical data for each route, anticipating how the trend will develop. Users can then set up notifications to remind them to book when these price drops happen.

OPTIMISE MARKETING STRATEGIES Knowing where to spend your advertising budget is essential, but so is knowing where not to spend it. Predictive analytics allows companies like Under Armour to hone in on the areas that will deliver the greatest returns, and reinvest budget that would otherwise have been spent inaccurately.

Artificial intelligence is used by Under Armour to perform tasks such as sentiment analysis and social listening to understand GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

what customers think of the brand, and where the gaps in the market are. This has led the company to focus on becoming a digital fitness brand, an initiative that has seen it carve it a new niche in a saturated market. Under Armour produces physical fitness products, but also apps and wearable devices to tie the offline and digital worlds together. The more people use the products, the more data Under Armour can gather to improve its offering.

indicates how likely a customer is to make additional purchases.

If you know which customers are more likely to return, you can target them with personalised marketing campaigns, like special rebate and discount offers or specific product or service recommendations. Providing personalised messages can help foster loyalty and keep customers away from your competitors.

RETAIN CUSTOMERS

Employee turnover creates significant direct and indirect costs related to training, lost knowledge, and decreased productivity. As such, improving retention is a primary objective for many HR departments. Through predictive analytics, companies can identify which employees are most likely to leave, allowing them to proactively ensure that those who are most valuable are satisfied and appropriately incentivised. HR departments already have much of the data required to apply predictive analytics in this context, including level of pay, tenure, performance level, attendance records, and

Predictive analytics can help you not only attract new business, but also help you retain the customers you attract and convert your firsttime sales into recurring revenue.

To apply predictive analytics for customer retention, companies first need to collect data on their customers, including details about the products and services a customer purchased (e.g. price, brand), demographic and geographic information, and whether they are first-time or returning customers. By applying predictive analytics to this data, you can produce a ‘score’ that

RETAIN EMPLOYEES

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business

history of promotion. Some companies even incorporate socio-demographic information and employee commute time data into their predictive models.

ERAN SHAY, Managing Director & AYELET MAMO SHAY, Business Development Director of Benefit Business Solutions Ltd. (+350) 200 73669 general@benefitgibraltar.com

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Predictive analysis can also empower many public sector organisations, from assazisting hospitals in predicting numbers of returning patients to guiding mass transport operators on traffic patterns and passenger volumes, along with helping utility companies to better prepare for surges in demand.

Having consulted a number of businesses on the implementation of predictive analysis, our firm has witnessed first-hand how any voluminous amount of structured or unstructured data could unfold in exciting ways and directly impact our lives, making effective use of precision technologies.

Such precision technologies give us incredible insights into the process and decision-making ideologies, ultimately resulting in a massive increase in productivity with a drastic cost reduction.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

Need to get to Malaga Airport?

Daily airport shuttle to Malaga Airport Gibraltar to Malaga Airport daily shuttle now available

ÂŁ25.00 one way | ÂŁ45.00 return

Blands Travel are now offering two daily shuttle services to and from Malaga Airport

Gibraltar Midtown Coach Park to Malaga Airport 07:30/14:30 hours daily Malaga Airport to Gibraltar Midtown Coach Park 11:00/20:00 hours daily

To reserve your shuttle please contact: (+350) 2005 0932 or travel@blandstravel.com

WOMEN LEADERS AND STARTUPS Women in Gibraltar, mentorship, work culture and start-ups.

BY DENISE MATTHEWS

T

his year, the International Women’s Day theme is #BetterForBalance.

Recognising women, their contribution, what they achieve and how they bring balance within our society - more specifically in our community - is always something to celebrate. In May 2017 during the Fireside Chat with Professor Daniella Tilbury she said that women provide an alternative way of taking organisations and businesses forward, and without this alternative way of thinking, her opinion is that they will lose out.

It is a fact that the number of female-owned firms and startups is on the rise, which is having a positive effect on global revenue generated. A report commissioned

by American Express showed women launched 1,821 net 26

new U.S. businesses a day from 2017 to 2018; the number of women-owned businesses has increased nearly 3,000% since 1972. In fact, the Small Business Association reports that women own slightly more than 8 million small businesses, according to their 2018 Small Business Profile.

There are various reasons for this; some of them are educational attainment, global legislation and mentorship which encourage women into entrepreneurship and not stereotypical paths. In conclusion, Women are a big demographic in business.

Mentorship Programme. The programme begins with a pilot scheme with a duration of three months. Mentors and mentees are invited to register their interest at equality@gibraltar.gov.gi. When we mentor, we identify hidden talent. Teaching allows young women who come from different circumstances the opportunity to apply hard work and drive - things that can’t be seen on a CV. It gives those who may not come from affluent families with deep pockets a chance to go above their lesser-known degrees. When we take the time to teach, we give qualities like gusto and grit a chance to win out over pedigree and polish. Lastly, we create a work culture with varying

women provide an alternative way of taking organisations and businesses forward

An initiative to support this was launched by The Ministry of Equality on September 25th 2018 with the Women’s

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

business

perspectives and knowledge, which is crucial to creating wellrounded work. So not only is mentoring essential, but also for other female entrepreneurs it is important to hire smart women and then nurture the underdog who shows potential.

Some of our local bodies, for example the Financial Services GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

Commission, have adopted an equal and diverse work culture. The GFSC is a forward-thinking and equal opportunities employer.

For them, a diverse workforce brings great value to an organisation, promoting growth in skills and talent, and creating a work environment that allows employees to feel confident in their ability and achieve their best. Over 55% of the GFSC’s workforce is made up of women, with 80% of the senior management team and 63% of the management team consisting of women.

Equality is at the heart of their work culture and aims to cater for their employees’ differing needs. The HR policies

have recently been updated to allow for flexible working arrangements and recognising the importance of finding a balance between spending time with friends and family and having a successful career. They offer ‘Shared Parental Leave’ that provides flexibility and choice to new parents - the policy also covers surrogacy and adoption.

Supporting their employees, and prioritising diversity and equality, provides the GFSC with a happy and effective workforce. This in turn helps them achieve their mission to deliver world-class financial services regulation in an effective and efficient manner.

On a more personal level there are the views of prominent women in our community. Nyreen Llamas stepped out of a secure legal career to lead as the Chief 27

business

Strategy Officer of MoPlay, an online sports betting and gaming operation newly licensed in Gibraltar and with a live offering since August 2018.

Before joining MoPlay, she was a partner at Hassans International Law Firm, and has advised on many aspects of corporate, commercial and private client work. She believes that the aspiration to have a work/life balance is not the right way to approach life as a working mother. Nyreen believes that it is better to take life full on, accept that not absolutely everything will be done perfectly, but to try your best at absolutely everything you do professionally or personally, enjoy it and don’t take life or yourself too seriously! If you enjoy your life, however busy it is, you have a healthy perspective on the future and balance in your horizon. Her advice: “It is very important as a working mother, to find something to do (even if it's 30 minutes every other day)

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where you are not working and not a mother – either a sport or hobby being recommended.”

When we mentor, we identify hidden talent; we give qualities like gusto and grit a chance to win out over pedigree and polish.

Another personal perspective from a woman in the hospitality business - Kerrianne Massetti: “I am a working mother, or a tired coffee addict, who now spends life rushing around trying to sometimes type basic English as I have not slept 4 hours straight in over a month. After 6 months since being classified as a ‘working mum’ (which I sometimes still don’t quite believe) I am finally getting into the swing of things after an overwhelming start.

There was the guilt of leaving my baby, but then again, it is nice being at my desk interacting with clients and not singing The "The Wheels on the Bus" 1000 times a day. The key to my sanity is my flexibility at work and a great support system at home. I am lucky enough to have a partner who is supportive of me growing on a professional level as well as a great family unit. I believe it’s important for a woman to have a great network to be able to develop within her career, which is why I wanted to launch an exciting project on the Sunborn.

In conjunction with One Media & Events and Women in Business, we will host a forum dinner for International Women’s Day this March, celebrating diversity and people who are succeeding in their jobs, and inspiring others to achieve their goals.”

For more information about this event contact: kerrianne.massetti@ sunborngibraltar.com or call 200 16939.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

www.gibraltarlawyers.com

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For further information contact: info@isolas.gi

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business

FIRESIDE CHAT: THE HON ALBERT ISOLA Denise Matthews sits down with the Hon Albert Isola to talk about family history in politics, gaming, regulation, startups and blockchain.

BY DENISE MATTHEWS

B

‘

egin as you intend to continue’ - this is the motivation driving the monthly events, as Startup Grind Gibraltar’s first event of the year secured the Hon Albert Isola as the first guest speaker of 2019. Gibraltar has seen a boost in the set-up of new business, but also startups through DLT Regulation, which has been a combined effort of his Ministry, Gibraltar Finance led by senior executive Paul Astengo, and the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission.

The positive economic impact and potential of creating the right environment has increased the awareness and value locally towards tech and startup industries, so as part of the Fireside Chat the discussion focused on career, politics and what’s in store with Minister for Commerce Hon Albert Isola.

Having a long line of family history in Gibraltar politics, his 30

grandfather was a member of the Executive Council in 1944. The early days of local politics was something he grew up with, and this evidently motivated a career as a politician alongside legal work. Albert Isola comes from a traditional family of lawyers, with businesses in Gibraltar since 1892. In 1963 and 1964 Peter Isola was in opposition and Sir Joshua Hassan, the Chief Minister,

was an old rival, yet the two men put their differences aside when General Franco began his onslaught on Gibraltar. They made two trips to the United Nations with Sir Joshua Hassan to plead Gibraltar’s case.

During our Q&A session (which is available to watch in full at youtu. be/I6b9hsUpWf8) we discussed Gibraltar’s tremendous political GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

business

and economic success, his role in Financial Services and Gaming and the importance of creating the right environment for innovation and startups locally.

There has been a flow of new products during his term in office overseeing the introduction of several important and forwardthinking initiatives, for example insurance-linked securities, with the very first transaction involving local gaming company Lottoland - one of the more successful startup gaming models in the world nowadays. More recently, the work from his Ministry has seen Gibraltar globally identified as a blockchain hub. In the traditional economy and systems of business, applying strict regulatory controls has proved logical and successful. However, emerging blockchain technology is disruptive and innovative, GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

meaning that any attempt to govern it must be equally innovative. However, he feels that there is no doubt that key players leading legitimate blockchain projects will endeavour to at least meet the standards of regulators when it comes to important risk-related issues like Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti Money Laundering (AML).

Technologies in Education (NTiE) group, a joint effort between the Gibraltar Government, the University of Gibraltar along with some of the leading new technology companies based in Gibraltar, took place in parallel to the jurisdiction setting out the landmark blockchain regulation.

I’m very proud of the progress that has been made in these areas, as we gear up for another stellar year of blockchain innovation.”

One of these joint efforts are the workshops being offered by the GSX Group Blockchain Innovation Centre bic.gi which held the second workshop on 28th February at the University in collaboration with Coinsilium.

The work from his Ministry has seen Gibraltar globally identified as a blockchain hub.

In his blog, the Minister wrote: “Regulation has just been one strand of focus for Gibraltar in the jurisdiction’s emergence as a blockchain powerhouse during 2018. As a jurisdiction, we have always felt that educational development should progress in tandem with regulatory advances. The launch of the New

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life

THE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK Meet the woman aiming to make abortion accessible to all Gibraltarian women.

BY MOLLY MCELWEE

T

he first time I spoke to Mara Clarke, it was May 2018, and the Irish abortion referendum was the focus of our conversation.

The vote was a couple of weeks away and the country stood on the brink of repealing the Eighth Amendment and effectively opening the door to legalising abortion in the country. Prochoice campaigners had been building their case for decades; momentum was swinging their way at last.

In the shadow of this wave of momentum, women continued to quietly make their way to England from Ireland for abortions. Over 170,000 are known to have done so since 1980, often alone, often in secret. As they have been exiled and pushed from their homes, one woman has offered an outstretched hand to them for almost a decade.

That woman is Clarke, founder of charity the Abortion Support GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

Network (ASN), but she is far less sentimental about the work she does. “Direct, practical, support, because there but for the grace of God and a credit card go I,” she says of the financial aid the charity offers to Irish women, as well as Northern Irish and those from the Isle of Man, seeking abortions in England.

And now, 10 months since our first conversation and Ireland voted to repeal the Eighth, and two months since abortion was officially legalised up to 12 weeks in Ireland, Clarke and the ASN’s time has freed up somewhat.

But that does not mean they have any intention of slowing down. It seems that wherever the law denies women, and pushes them out of their own country or homes in desperation, Clarke wants to be the safety net to get them to their destination.

As from February 14th, ASN has announced that they will now be offering their services to women in Gibraltar, in a move that throws a spanner in the works of this country's fiery abortion debate.

Over 170,000 are known to have done so since 1980, often alone, often in secret.

As a reminder, the law does not allow abortion in Gibraltar except in cases of the mother's life being at risk, and comes with a hefty potential life sentence if broken.

The government put forward a draft bill in September last year, to propose where changes could be made to launch our archaic legal 33

life system somewhat closer to the 21st century (i.e. in cases where the mother's mental or physical health is at risk or in cases of fatal foetal abnormality or severe disability). But alas, Brexit and bumbling pro-life opposition keeps the advancement of female rights pretty far down the political agenda (especially in an election year).

(from October to December) the ASN provided £300 in grants to those seeking abortions, in 2018 they gave more than £90,000. But as they have grown, the original intention

ASN has announced that they will be offering their services to women in Gibraltar

And so enter Clarke and the ASN, a practical interim solution offered to Gibraltar's women with unwanted pregnancies until the law catches up.

Clarke, 46, a native of Illinois, USA, has long been an abortion activist. When living in New York City in 2002, she read an article about women travelling to New York for second trimester abortions because of restrictive access in their own states and decided to offer to put them up in her home.

Cut to 2009 and now living in London, she discovered there was no longer this kind of aid for women coming to the UK from Ireland. “I was like wait a minute, if the UK Department of Health is saying 5,000 women a year are giving Irish addresses, then that means there are 500, or 50, or five women who aren’t coming because they can’t afford it," she says. "So myself and a couple of mates said let’s do this thing.”

That idea expanded from providing a place to stay to travelling women, to offering financial aid for the procedure and travel, as well as organising appointments. That first year 34

of aiming to help any one person that "slips through the cracks" by offering a nonjudgmental, anonymous service has remained unchanged.

Over nine years they have funded part or all of abortion and travel costs for 1,359 clients, and helped hundreds of additional women access abortion by giving them information on the least expensive methods of abortion and travel, and also provided details on the reputable online providers of safe but illegal early medical abortion pills. Their grants have ranged from £6 to more than £3,000 per client, and Clarke says the smallest amount should be just as striking as the largest: “How effing frightening it is that somebody took a £6 donation from us, and legitimately thought that if they showed up at a clinic £6 short they would get turned away – that is crazy.”

numbers, removing financial barriers women face when accessing abortion is the main aim of the ASN as they enter the muggy waters of Gibraltar's abortion debate - no matter how many or how few need it.

"We don’t have a measure of success, in that we don't need to help a certain number of women in Gibraltar get abortions," she explains. "I don't care if it's only five women that we help. Our goal is simply to be a resource for people who want abortions and can't have them because of money. ‘I can’t afford an abortion’ shouldn’t be the only reason somebody becomes a parent."

It is a move even pro-life campaigners will find difficult to argue with

And despite their impressive

Abortions in Spain can cost up

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life to £800, not including travel expenses, and numbers provided by an Algeciras clinic suggest at least 30 women a year are travelling for the procedure. The ASN's aim is to give the option to those who don't have hundreds of pounds in disposable income.

The charity has consulted with the local Pro Choice and No More Shame groups to give them the best idea of the needs of women in Gibraltar. The service will be accessible via a helpline, in which case-by-case decisions will be made on care, be it travelling across the border or flying to the UK or even the Netherlands, where the ASN have strong links with clinics, for terminations.

As well as financial aid, the ASN is taking a different approach with Gibraltar than they have done with Ireland and areas of the UK. Because of the restrictions

placed on medical practitioners when it comes to abortion advice here, the ASN will also be funding counselling services over the phone with the British Pregnancy Advisory Service. She says as well as it being a financial decision, it is also just "more humane". "For us it's much better for people to have that before they get on a plane, have their consultation and then be like, 'Actually, I want to continue the pregnancy,'" she says.

"It is ridiculous for the only option women in Gibraltar have is the internet [to access advice]. I think it would be irresponsible for us to offer one [abortion funding] without the other [counselling services]."

It is a move even pro-life campaigners will find difficult to argue with (though they will surely try their utmost), as the

ASN attempt to offer a complete service that the Gibraltar Health Authority fails to.

Clarke and I speak (and I write this) ahead of the ASN announcing their expansion into Gibraltar, but she anticipates backlash to their cause, as "that is the nature of activism". However, the ASN's tongue-in-cheek press release, playing on the Valentine's Day date of the announcement ("Roses are Red, Violets are Blue/ Ireland has safe legal abortion/ So we’re expanding to help Malta and Gibraltar too!"), echoes Clarke's lack of concern towards critics.

And for those who say the service won't work, that people don't or shouldn't need it in Gibraltar?

Clarke replies: "I can guarantee our phone will ring."

Photos © Emma Campbell Photography

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

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COVER GIRLS HANNAH PILCHER Director of Operations (GFSC)

Hannah Pilcher is Director of Operations at the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission (GFSC) and a mum to two small children.

“This is my tenth year at the GFSC and I’m very proud to work for and help lead an organisation that has always supported women in the workplace and provides flexible working patterns for parents and carers.

I recently read somewhere that ‘women are expected to go to work as if they do not have children, and have children as if they don’t go to work’.

In order to have a successful career and a healthy family life I believe you need two things: a flexible employer with a great team, and a strong support network outside of the work space. I'm very

36

fortunate to have both and I wouldn't be able to manage all my priorities without my husband, family, teachers and the GFSC. My twenties taught me that it is ok to ask for help, whether it be at work or at home. It takes a village to raise a child and my ‘nearest and dearest’ support network to help me balance work and play!”

KARIMA BEN RAHMOUN

Secretarial Assistant to the CEO (Gibtelecom) Karima Ben Rahmoun is a multi-lingual Gibraltarian Muslim woman of Moroccan origin, a wife, and a proud mother of one.

“Having completed a psychology degree at the University of Plymouth I decided to pursue a career

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

life in England, where I was employed at Airbus UK. After five years of living in the UK working in the logistics field, I was missing family back home and felt it was time to move back and see what life had in store for me on the Rock.

The summer of 2013 was when I first applied to my current role, and six years later I am still going strong as Secretarial Assistant to the CEO. This role involves providing extensive administrative support to the senior management, including event organising; diary planning; travel arrangements; record keeping, as well as other more intensive duties. I believe a certain kind of drive and determination is of essence in making a difference in such a demanding role: selfmotivation is key!

In a world dominated by the opposite sex, women have had to make their own way in the world by standing strong, united and fighting for what they believe in. A strong woman is two things: a believer and a fighter. Strong women believe in whatever it is they choose to believe in by letting that faith guide them into taking the right steps and also into fighting for rights they should never have to fight for in the first place!”

MARLENE HASSAN

Politician and Founder of Together Gibraltar Marlene Hassan Nahon grew up at the epicentre of frontline political life. She has been an Opposition member of the Gibraltar Parliament since 2015, and is a mum of four, as well as a History of Art and Architecture graduate with a Post Graduate diploma in Journalism.

“I recently launched a new political party, ‘Together Gibraltar’. It is the first time in Gibraltar’s democratic history where a party has a female leader with representation in Parliament. I am both proud and ashamed of this reality; proud because of course, it is about time that more women take on a frontline political role and provide a more balanced gender representation in Parliament, and ashamed that this hadn’t already happened till the year 2018 and that there are currently only two women within the seventeen members in our Parliament. I believe that female representation is crucial for a

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

fair and just society given that our understanding and management of topics and issues derives from a naturally different perspective to our male counterparts.

I initially joined the political sphere because of my passion for public service and social justice. For me, being a politician means that I can help to shape and develop our society into the future, and that is something that fulfils me and gives me a real sense of purpose. I have three daughters and one son, and it is crucial for me to leave them with a lasting impression of what it means to challenge the status quo and contribute to your society, particularly by helping the vulnerable and those in need, to have the right framework for a better future.”

NURIA HARJANI

European Business Development Manager (Intercash) Nuria Harjani has specialised in business development and sales projects over the last eight years, and is currently the European Business Development Manager at Intercash.

“Progressing from selling arts and crafts to neighbours at just seven years old, to working in a fast-paced sales environment in the family business, to being heavily involved in business development and advisory in the Fintech and Finance industries, I now have extensive experience in my career to date and understand what it takes to be successful in the sales world.

I’m passionate about what I do, and believe my talent lies in instilling confidence in the consumer whilst making them thrive along-side my enthusiasm. There is no limit to what young women in our community can accomplish.

In order to be a strong woman, I believe you have to empower and encourage one another, be it through struggles or successes, and drive each other to greatness. One must never doubt that they are valuable, phenomenally powerful, and deserving of every opportunity in the world to pursue their dreams.”

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life

A ZOOKEEPERS DIARY Our monthly spotlight on the superstars at the Alameda Wildlife Conservation Park… and their keepers!

T

he AWCP is home to a collection of exotic animals, many of which were rescued from the illegal pet trade. In its early years, the park also became a drop off point for all manner of unwanted exotic and domestic pets. Over the years, members of the public have brought in anything from prairie dogs to guinea pigs. The Wildlife Park most recently took on a Savannah monitor lizard that is nearly four feet long and was kept in someone’s bedroom!

In a bid to discourage people from keeping pets they cannot handle, the Wildlife Park no longer accepts unwanted pets from the public. “As long as we are seen as a solution for re-homing pets then some will continue to buy exotic pets, believing they can off load them onto us when things 38

get difficul,t” explains Jessica, the AWCP’s manager.

Over the years, many unwanted pets have been released by unscrupulous pet owners into the Nature Reserve, into the Botanic Gardens and even the Commonwealth Park, from iguanas, terrapins, to snakes and more commonly, rabbits.

Lilo, th e newes of the A t member WCP as pets. Rabbits are the third most abandoned animals in shelters.

The AWCP urges people to either resist the temptation to own a rabbit or to adopt. Another option is to buy an annual pass and visit the AWCP regularly to see and pet the AWCP rabbits instead!

Since 2012 the rabbits and guinea pigs of the AWCP have been cared for by Hannah Edwards.

Hannah joined the park as part of the Government Scheme. A keen horse rider and dog lover in her own time, Hannah loves to be around animals.

Although most have been re-homed with help from the Gibraltar Veterinary Clinic, some of the rabbits became residents and now form part of the petting area of the zoo, along with a 9am - Rabbits tend to make small collection of guinea 12 a lot of mess. If you have pigs. The idea behind this 11 1 a rabbit as a pet, unless area is that visitors are 10 2 you can manage to able to pet the rabbits 9 3 litter-train your rabbit, (if the rabbit allows) and 8 4 then be aware: you will hopefully can reduce 7 6 5 spend a lot of time picking the need to keep rabbits

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

life up droppings! One of the first jobs for Hannah at the AWCP is to clean the rabbit and guinea pig area. Being the first area of the zoo, it is important this area is kept neat and presentable and it’s important to provide fresh, clean bedding regularly.

RABBIT FACTS:

12pm - Second feeding time.

The rabbits at the AWCP have a diet of fresh vegetables, weeds and grasses with unlimited access to hay throughout the day. They are also given one small feed of alfalfa rabbit food. Hannah distributes the food at different times throughout the day, so they don’t get bored.

Rabbits can live 10 years or longer, so make sure that you’re ready for the level of responsibility.

11 12 1 10 2 9 3 8 4 7 6 5

Many people think that rabbits are less of a commitment than dogs or cats. However, rabbits need even more attention and space than their feline or dog companions.

They’re prey animals.

Rabbits who are sick or in pain will hide it as much as possible.

Natural ranges for rabbits in the wild are between 4 and 9 acres. So small cages sold for rabbits in pet shops are just not adequate for adult rabbits.

Rabbits are relatively common household pets but the level of care required to keep them is often little understood. They are not great house pets, although they can be trained to use a litter tray. They tend to bite through cables and can be quite destructive when bored. Male rabbits can also become quite territorial and aggressive when not given space. One of the problems encountered at the wildlife park is trying to integrate new rabbits to a group, as this usually leads to aggression and sometimes a splintering of the whole group.

2pm - Their nails and teeth never stop growing.

Like humans, rabbits’ nails grow constantly and need a trim about every six weeks. Unlike humans,

11 12 1 10 2 9 3 8 4 7 6 5

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life rabbits’ teeth grow constantly!

This makes it imperative that your rabbit gets unlimited timothy hay and wooden toys to chew on. At the Wildlife Park, the rabbits are regularly provided with natural sticks and browse to chew on.

Hannah also health checks the rabbits and Guinea pigs, paying close attention to their teeth and nails.

One of the problems encountered in Gibraltar is the release of rabbits into the Nature Reserve and into the Botanic Gardens.

In the nature reserve there is a fragile population of European rabbits. Domestic rabbits released here will breed with these wild rabbits which is detrimental to the European rabbit population in Gibraltar. As part of a greater scheme to introduce more wildlife to the Upper Rock, a collaboration between the Government’s Department of the Environment, GONHS and the Gibraltar Nature Reserve Management Team has introduced wild rabbits in areas including Windmill Hill, Upper

Rock fire breaks and near Bruce’s Farm. Never release any pet; invasive species are responsible for the loss of native wildlife and disrupt the local wildlife Invasive species introduced from captivity (usually the illegal pet trade) are a huge problem for native wildlife around the world.

The AWCP is currently working with a project in Brazil dealing with a more exotic problem than the domestic rabbit. Common marmosets are found throughout South America but have recently been accidentally introduced in areas where fragile populations of other marmosets exist. Common marmosets are hardy and gregarious creatures that thrive near human settlements and have driven out local marmoset species from already fragile forest fragments. They have also begun to hybridize with them, something that has a devastating impact on the endangered species survival. You can read more about this project in next months’ ZooKeeper Diary.

Last year the Gibraltar Government published a bill to amend the Animals and Birds Act, which proposes “significant” changes in law for the protection of animal welfare. The maximum penalty for cruelty to animals has also been increased to five years’ imprisonment on indictment.

The AWCP hope that this act will see a reduction in abandonment and mistreatment of animals in Gibraltar.

Think carefully before buying any pet: Adopt, don’t buy! Be responsible and prevent unwanted offspring by neutering. If you must own a pet, be a responsible owner!

The AWCP is currently looking for homes for two rabbits abandoned in the Botanic Gardens. Please contact us you are able to provide an excellent forever home or foster home. 200 64273 / info@awcp.gi

Cut out our

Mum s

Go F ree AWC P

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‘Mums Go Free’ pink heart to stick on your Mother’s Day card. Present it at the AWCP reception on Sunday the 31st of March for your free visit!

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

history

MY EVACUATION EXPERIENCE Joe Gingell recounts a period of his childhood when he and his family were forced to leave their home on the Rock, before finally returning four years later in 1944.

BY JOE GINGELL

I

was two years old when we were evacuated, and most of what I know about my family’s experience about the evacuation is from what my mother told me, and from my research.

My family, like many others, was evacuated to French Morocco.

In Casablanca we were accommodated in a shabby place called Luna Park. After a few days we managed to find better accommodation. When we were about to buy some household goods, the news got around that the Gibraltar evacuees had to leave French Morocco within twenty four hours.

Being two years old entitled me to sail on the liner Athlone Castle, which was much larger than any of the cargo ships which sailed in convoys. However, for the sake of travelling in the same ship as my aunt and my three cousins, my mother and I opted to travel with them on a cargo ship.

under attack.

After landing, we went through a cleaning and disinfecting process and then placed in trains to take us to London. As soon as we arrived in London, I was diagnosed with

We were carried like the proverbial tinned sardines

A couple of weeks after returning to Gibraltar from French Morocco, we were evacuated to the UK. GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

We left for the UK on Tuesday 30th July 1940.

Our cargo boat was the Brittany, and we were carried like the proverbial tinned sardines. Some of the evacuees said the cargo ships were more ready for the scrap yard than for anything else. The food on-board was revolting and my mother was seasick throughout the 16-day journey to Liverpool.

As described in my book We Thank God and England, all the ports were

Arrival in the UK 41

history measles and was immediately taken to a hospital. My mother had to look after my two brothers and couldn’t accompany me in the ambulance. It was quite a trauma for my mum!

The unfamiliar environment, the air raids, the climate and the separation between loved ones made it very difficult for the evacuees to settle down in London. On one occasion, when rushing to down the escalators in the underground, the blankets with which my mother was carrying me became entangled in the electric steps and we rolled all the way down. Luckily we didn’t get hurt.

After about a month in London the evacuation centre where we were accommodated - the Reglan Hotel, near Russell Square - was bombed.

It wasn’t completely destroyed, but it was rendered unsafe and we had to be transferred to the National Hotel next door. As a result of the transfer, the National Hotel became overcrowded and some evacuees had to be sent to other centres. We were sent to Lancaster Gate where there were many antiaircraft guns mounted. My mother used to say that the firing of these guns was unbearable. We stayed there for a very short period and then transferred to Whitelands College in Putney.

Shortly after arriving at Whitelands in May 1941, the bombing started to ease. By then many of the evacuees began to do their best to adapt to the new situation. Even then there was still the anxiety of not knowing how long the separation would last, and what would be the outcome of the war itself.

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The Ragland Hotel after the bombing.

People helped each other and there was an atmosphere of companionship in case of difficulties. Shopping was mostly done in groups in order to make it easier to find goods, which were scarce. If any of the evacuees knew where to find these items they would tell other evacuees in the centres.

There were also the bus routes to learn. On one occasion, my mother along with another evacuee got lost in the smog, but were soon directed by a policeman to the nearest bus stop from where they were able to get to Whitelands.

The Whitelands College was a beautiful place surrounded by open fields. Within the campus there were many apple and chestnut trees. Around the perimeter fences there were plenty of mulberries and strawberries. I remember getting all my clothes stained with the mulberries.

There was a football ground where many evacuees from different evacuation centres played football. By then I was already three years old and remember attending the nursery and then my first years at school within the building. From my bedroom window, I recall watching

The air raids, the climate and the separation made it very difficult to settle down in London.

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history the open fields where there were horses and people working in a nearby farm.

On the 19th February 1944 in the early hours of the morning, Whitelands was hit by incendiary bombs. It was very cold as it was snowing slightly. I was nearly six when we learnt that the building had been hit. I remember that the corridor was very badly lit and there was a lot of smoke, but it didn’t take long to get out of the building. My mother covered me with blankets and placed me near a tree a good distance from the burning building. I distinctly remember that from the spot where my mother placed me, I could see the flames behind the bare branches protruding from the roof and some of the windows.

In the meantime, my mother and my two older brothers went to salvage some of our belongings in the two rooms allocated to us.

Fortunately, there were no casualties in any of the bombing incidents affecting the evacuation centres.

After a very long while, an army type lorry arrived and took us away. I discovered from my research that many other evacuation centres had also been bombed during that same night.

We left Peckham Rye and were then transferred to the York Hotel just off Oxford Street. One afternoon when we are about to have tea, there was suddenly a huge explosion. All the windows were shattered and we found ourselves lying on the floor and the room full of dust. My mother, who had just gone out to get something to eat with the tea, came rushing back. During my research, I found out that the flying bomb had hit Goodge Street Station in Tottenham Court Road, killing one of the evacuees living at the York Hotel, Mrs Laura Fernadez (nee Sodi). Shortly after this flying bomb incident, our name

I remember getting all my clothes stained with the mulberries.

During air raids my mum never took us to the shelter. We sat in the corridor away from the windows.

I remember that during the air raids, the window panes vibrated with the sound of the explosion of the bombs and shelling from the antiaircraft guns.

The shelter at Whitelands was underneath the tennis court, where if you stood right underneath, you could hear people playing. It was perhaps for this reason that my mother considered that the Whitelands’ main building offered better protection than the roof of the shelter. The other reason for not going to the shelter was that there was an elderly lady who was wheelchair-bound who lived with her daughter in a room opposite ours. My mother said that she felt sorry to leave this elderly lady alone with her daughter in the corridor when the rest of the evacuees had gone to the shelter.

Evacuees in Jamaica

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We were taken to a monastery at Lancaster Gate where we were given some hot drinks and then slept for the rest of the night. The next day we were taken to a place called the Camberwell Institute for the destitute in Peckham Rye. I recall that the building consisted of two large rooms with two rows of beds in each of the rooms, similar to a hospital ward in the old days.

The rooms were lit with very small gas lamps fitted on the wall above the beds. I remember that out of curiosity, I touched the lit gauze in the lamp. The gauze was so fragile that it disintegrated completely. I also remember that my mother used to tell me that the bombing at Peckham was so intense that representations were made to the Ministry of Health to take us somewhere else.

Shortly after, our name came up on the notice board for repatriation.

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history came up on the notice board for repatriation.

I think it was about the end of June 1944 when we left London from Euston Station. We were waiting for the train when the air raid siren was sounded; we quickly took shelter in the nearby underground.

After what seemed to me like an endless train journey, we arrived at Euxton, a village near Chorley in Lancashire. We alighted from the train and walked across a field to the huts where we were going to be lodged. The place consisted of rows of some sort of bungalows on the outskirts of the town not very far from the railway lines. Some of the evacuees, such as my mother,

Along the journey, a submarine suddenly emerged out of the water creating a lot of panic among the passengers. However, very soon the passengers were put at ease when it was known that the submarine was friendly. During the journey, there were the occasional drills to prepare for any eventuality that required the abandoning of the ship. Fortunately, the real need for this drill never materialised.

The Stirling Castle arrived in Gibraltar on Tuesday, 1st August 1944 berthing in the Dockyard alongside the three-legged crane.

We remained on board until the next day. It was very hot that

The window panes vibrated with the sound of the explosion of the bombs and shelling from the antiaircraft guns. managed to travel to Preston for the shopping goods that could not be obtained in the village. We stayed there for a few weeks.

About mid-July 1944 we left Chorley by train bound for Glasgow. On arrival we were taken by bus to Greenock. Before boarding the ship, we were given something to eat in a place that looked to me like a hanger. I recall I had porridge with salt instead of sugar, as we normally have it.

I must have been very hungry because I ate it all. We then embarked on the Stirling Castle when, well into the open sea, I remember seeing camouflaged war ships in the distance sailing in the same direction as our ship. I found from my research that the warships were the cruiser HMS Argonaut and the destroyers, HMS Wakeful and Wager.

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night and many of the passengers remained on the upper deck for most of it. Many of the children also remained on the upper deck, playing until very late.

After disembarking, the passengers were taken to their respective place of abode in army lorries.

When the army lorry arrived at Main Street by the Cecil Hotel,

there were a few men waiting for their families. One of these men came and lifted me from the lorry. I looked at my mum, who immediately exclaimed: “He’s your dad!”.

When we settled down in the hotel with our luggage, father took us to the Grand Hotel where he had ordered a special lunch for us. The dining table was dressed with a bowl of grapes and a sugar melon - ready sliced - capturing my attention, as I had never seen these fruits before!

From the special lunch at the Grand Hotel, I remember being visited at the Cecil Hotel by very close friends of my family. This family, just like my family, had also been repatriated earlier than other groups of evacuees when the war was still going on, and remember that there were lots of sailors and soldiers everywhere along Main Street.

Purchase Joe’s book We Thank God and England by contacting him on +350 54034345 or at joegingell@ gibtelecom.net. All proceeds are being donated to the Gibraltar Alzheimer’s and Dementia Society and the Gibraltar Mental Welfare Society.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

art

THE SUPERNATURAL SCULPTOR Helsinki-born Finnish artist and sculptor Kim-Peter Waltzer-Girda returns to the Rock for an exclusive exhibition at the Fine Arts Gallery organised

by Rock Prom (Gibraltar) Limited. In the past he has worked with such names as Lego, Marimekko, Martela, and even the Valamo monastery.

We sit down with Kim-Peter to chat about inspiration, technique, and the supernatural…

BY SOPHIE CLIFTON-TUCKER What led you to the world of sculpting?

K-P: I was seven when I started this. I was inspired by the paranormal activity I was experiencing. I started to have these feelings that something was watching me... Something spiritual. Using this connection, I took hold of the clay and started sculpting. It was as though I was taking creative instructions from something other-worldly, which were then channelled through my hands to my artwork. This continues today; when I take a piece of clay or start to draw I don't know what's coming.

of the kiln (glass oven). Every colour develops at a different temperature, as glass is an amorphous material.

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What is the creative process like for you?

When I’m creating, I feel the back of my head getting hot. My friend, who is also an artist, suggests that I’m a dry shamanist; my gate to the spiritual world is open.

When I'm sculpting I believe I'm using some sort of latent skills or powers. There's something cryptic that opens when I start to create. The work is teaching me. My hands get instructions from the creating process, which has no beginning and no end. For that reason, no one piece can be replicated; always unique. I have to be humble with the process.

How long does it take to produce each piece?

They are produced in my own glass factory – Doomwatch – and can take up to 28 days to produce a piece. There is a computer acting as the ‘brain’

I don't want to copy and paste my art.

You get a feeling as to what kind of colours you want the piece to have, but the mixture is always a surprise at the end. That is what makes them unique, like life itself.

It’s an immersive experience, working with every area of the clay. I trust my fingers because they know exactly what kind of forms are needed, like I am 45

art

creating some sort of organism.

A pathologist once said my sculptures are anatomically true; perhaps there is an animal which we don't yet know about that looks like one of my creations!

When I was young I enjoyed studying frogs and fish; I was so interested in what was happening in nature and the processes involved. I enjoy exploring something that is near us but also very hard to catch, like interesting creatures underwater.

What can we expect from your exhibition?

I don't normally do exhibitions as I believe pieces of art are sacred things. I am orthodox myself, and since I was young I have firmly believed in God. So this is a special event.

I wanted to use my art as a tool 46

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

art to understand deeper issues. If nobody understands them now, perhaps they can understand them in 800 years. I’m not so much of a contemporary artist; I have my own mission. I’m not trying to please everyone with my works – and that can sometimes be part of the issue. I’m also not interested in fashion or fads; I’m more about the spiritual field.

It is my aim to wake people up to find their inner souls, and to encourage people to access their own peace and power. But I give no instructions with my sculptures. They must be felt by the viewer.

What would you like to tell the people of Gibraltar?

I welcome you to come and interact with the sculptures. I want you to find the inner power of yourselves by looking at my art, to sponsor and uplift the energy present in humans, and to give you the possibility of getting to know yourself, as life is a mystery.

The audience is in the main role; I'm not giving any guidance. I think the exhibition will give good vibes and good energy.

Who is your inspiration?

Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Salvador GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

Photos © Pasi Haaranen in Doomwatch Waltzer Art Studio

I really like it here. It’s like a fortress, full of nature which we must protect. I also love the monarchy, and hope to give one of my sculptures to the Queen one day. I will be gifting one to His Excellency while I am here. I really respect a strong leadership; I’m a little bit old-school that way. I’m not in a contemporary fuss, and that's why I use these materials, and thousand-yearold techniques, but with modern tools.

Dali… but now I feel they're not on the same level I am trying to reach, so perhaps my real inspiration is God. The more you read about artists you like, the more you find go things you don't like. When I was young I needed idols but now not so much anymore. I respect all masters, but I know their limitations.

Picasso said primitive art is the ultimate target. You have to go straight to the source.

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environment

SHARK DIVING Is it ethical?

BY LEWIS STAGNETTO, THE NAUTILUS PROJECT

T

he last decade has seen an encouraging rise in eco-tourism, resulting in all sorts of new environmentallydriven industries, bringing many financial benefits to the surrounding regions. To a large extent, this has driven down the scourges of poaching as many people prefer to see animals in their natural environment rather than at a zoo. The rise of digital cameras has fuelled an increase of images on social media alongside many majestic wild animals. Shark diving in particular has become progressively popular as people come face to face with their deepest fears. But is luring wild sharks towards a tourist filled cage a step too far, or has it indeed a net positive outcome once all is considered?

In the interests of impartiality, I feel obliged to declare that I have done a fair amount of shark diving with one notable exception – never in chummed* water and always without a cage! *[Chumming: Luring various animals, usually fish such as sharks, by throwing ‘chum’ (bait) into the water, which then attracts

the fish - particularly the sharks, owing to their keen sense of smell.]

I started as a young snorkeller exploring Gibraltar’s coastline.

I sometimes caught a glimpse of blue sharks in the periphery; an outline was all I ever saw and they never hung around. At that impressionable age it was a scary experience and, on many occasions, I would haul myself out onto the urchin-covered rocks expecting an imminent attack. It never happened. Given time, my confidence grew to the point that I even revelled in the moment.

the water with them. I descended to the bottom of the tank and my heart rate increased with my nerves. You cannot bluff a shark in this department and consequently my elevated heart level peaked their curiosity which brought them in closer. In turn, this did nothing to alleviate the nerves and it took many dives before remaining calm was mastered and the training was complete. I loved every minute of it.

With time I grew to realise that part of my original training was as much to acclimatise me to the sharks as it was them to me.

Much like a dog might be curious when you have a friend around the house for the first time, sharks tune into our cardiovascular rhythms and can use it to identify someone new.

Sharks have electro-receptors which can pick up the beating of our hearts...they become very frisky when divers drop in the tank with food!

Years later, I joined the London Aquarium and as a diver in the Pacific tank, had to undergo training with various shark species at close quarters. Sharks have electroreceptors which can pick up the beating of our hearts and I vividly recall the first time I slipped into

Sharks in an aquarium environment tend to lack the levels of iodine than their 49

environment wild counterparts receive and consequently tablets are added to the food in order to supplement it. These medicated fish cannot be thrown into a tank of sharks in hope that they all eat one each.

This results in a need for divers to get in the water with food, and target feed the sharks individually.

Not for the faint hearted, as they become very frisky when divers drop in the tank with food!

simultaneously very popular with humans. By way of an example, people love cetaceans and although whaling has taken its toll on many species, the recovery of the humpback whales is a perfect anecdote. It follows that by getting people engaged with sharks through these interactions that the will to preserve them will increase. I would suggest that shark protection has increased precisely because of research programmes which have required divers to get in the water with sharks at some point or another. There is only so much that can be done through tags and cameras; firsthand observation is ultimately key.

more appealing. Given the level of fear our species has of these animals and the damage we are still presently doing to their wild populations, I believe that it is extremely important for people to see them in the wild. On balance, the loss of sharks would be catastrophic!

These interactions certainly help to replace that fear with curiosity, and even respect

By contrast, wild sharks are often enticed close to the cages of tour operators through the chumming of the water. The cages are filled with tourists eager to grab an iconic shot of themselves with the shark and there is some evidence to suggest that the association between chumming and divers might be teaching the sharks to identify humans as food. The Shark Concern Group based in Cape Town South Africa have been reported to say that "It is not a good idea for humans to taunt an apex predator by throwing food and blood into the water. It is no surprise that human interaction is leading to more attacks.". It is claimed that South Africa have seen an increase in the number of shark attacks in coastal areas close to where such excursions frequent.

But an under-represented aspect is the quelling of the innate human fear we all have of sharks.

These interactions certainly help to replace that fear with curiosity, and even respect for species that have been around for hundreds of millions of years.

It is no coincidence that some of the best protected species are 50

Further, turning poachers into game keepers has seen an improvement to the abundance of animals in reserves within Kenya. It has also brought a way of earning a sustainable living for many impoverished regions.

Evidently, removing commercial fishermen and turning them into tour guides in a marine protected area will surely follow a similar success path.

Ultimately, I found my time at the aquarium to be a self-conflicted one because holding these majestic creatures captive seemed far from ideal, both from a shark/ human interaction perspective as well as a welfare one. However, it became very apparent that many people would never even see these animals without the aquarium and hence it can be argued that it is a necessary evil.

Once I had come to terms with that, the idea of observing them in their natural environment became

PHYLUM: Chordata

CLASS: Chondrichthyes

HABITAT: Marine and riverine aquatic environments

DIET: Heterotrophic

INTERESTING FACT: Sharks have existed for over 420 million years. That is longer than land vertebrates!

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

Island Games’ dolphin mascot says NO to single-use plastic.

scene

ISLAND GAMES EXCLUSIVE

BY ELENA SCIALTIEL

ceremony, when a sample will be handed to Guernsey, the 2021 host,” Linda says. “Our fountain will feature as a centrepiece the statue of our mascot: a dolphin, made with recycled plastic and material.”

Intro.....

BY

U

nder the slogan ‘clean seas are our future’, all local venues for the NatWest International Island Games sporting events will feature a freshwater fountain where athletes and officials will be able to refill their purposelyissued aluminium containers to help curb use of single-use plastic on campus, organiser Linda Alvarez tells of one of the jewels in the crown of this year’s edition, proudly hosted by Gibraltar.

After all, participants are islanders who live out of the oceans and

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strive to keep them clean from manmade pollution. The Island Games, with twenty-four islands taking part, are not just about sports and competition, Linda points out, but also about friendship and culture.

More culture surrounding the Games is scheduled for early July, with a special edition of Calentita night on the 5th, the eve of the Games’ official opening, followed by an exhibition of memorabilia, medals and newspaper snippets about Gibraltar’s participation in the Games. All wrapped up by a week-long art residency, encouraging islander artists to work together at cutting-edge multidisciplinary projects spanning from performing to fine arts and literature.

1,800 athletes and 300 officials will ‘invade’ Gibraltar from 6th to 12th July.

“Every island in attendance will bring water from their shores and pour it in the ceremonial fountain.

All waters blended in one will circulate in it until the closing

“Minister Dr John Cortes is hosting a seminar for the Islands’ politicians before the games to discuss environmental issues,” Linda reveals.

Furthermore, commemorative stamps and coins are being minted, as a collectable souvenir, 53

sports and to circulate well after the Games are over.

“Casemates Square is our hub for the duration of the event, with a stage where medal-awarding ceremonies will take place nightly, followed by Summer Nights’ style entertainment for locals and guests.”

Spectators’ admission to all matches and races is free. “Come and watch sports that you might have never seen before,” Linda invites Gibraltarians to go cheer their teams. “Or help out; it is our idea that the whole of Gibraltar is

"Every island in attendance will bring water from their shores and pour it in the ceremonial fountain. It is our idea that the whole of Gibraltar is engaged one way or another." engaged one way or another.”

In this social media savvy era, nothing really happens if it isn’t posted on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, so the committee has already set up accounts which will stream some events live. GBC’s coverage throughout has been secured. Linda expects extensive international media interest too: “This is a good opportunity to put Gibraltar in the spotlight and be proud to prove to the world and ourselves that we are indeed capable of organising such a major event, despite our small size, as in fact we are one of the smallest ‘islands’ to ever do so.”

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A retired teacher, Linda has been involved in the Island Games since 1987, and the Commonwealth Games since 2016.

She first participated as part of the Gibraltar’s badminton team in Guernsey 1987 for the Island Games.

“I moved to Gibraltar in 1985, and being a keen sportsperson, I joined the badminton team, and later the pool team,’ she says. “I played netball, tennis and badminton at university, while my interest in pool was sparked by a competitive boyfriend of mine, who wouldn’t be content with playing just for fun, so, being a very competitive person myself, I was prompted to pursue pool until a few years ago.”

She spent many years as president of both the pool and badminton associations.

She describes herself as a ‘born organiser’. “My whole

life, besides teaching, has been dedicated to sports, and now that I am retired, being on the Island and Commonwealth Games committees keeps me focused and active and makes me feel valued. Having no children or grandchildren to look after, these games are my babies.”

Last year, she took the youth team to the Bahamas for the Commonwealth Games, and later she flew half way around the world with the Senior Team to Brisbane. “Travelling has made me forge long-lasting friendships.”

In 1993, Linda was appointed Island Games secretary and later chairperson, and she has been organising or taking Gibraltar teams to the hosting islands since.

“When the Minister for Sport Steven Linares first approached me with the notion that Gibraltar was bidding to host the Games on the Rock in 2019, I first pictured it would be the end of me, but after a good deal of sleepless nights, everything fell into place and took shape beautifully, thanks to the Government support, building new facilities, and of course thanks to private sponsorship and GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

sports the closest possible to their competition venues.

The Games are featuring a variety of sports: judo, sailing, badminton, tennis, table tennis, basketball, pistol, rifle and clay shooting, cycling, athletics, triathlon, beach volleyball, ten-pin bowling, squash and swimming.

an amazing team of volunteers working with me.”

Longing for these facilities to be ready in time to apply the finishing touches, such as furnishings and wi-fi connection, to the ‘Games Village’ at Europa Point, Linda is adamant about the legacy this mammoth project will bestow on Gibraltar, as a destination for sporty tourism, for athletes to train in a cosy and warm environment, which is partly happening already, but could expand in the near future.

“Some teams travel far and wide to reach the Games’ venue. Those from the Falklands travel by military plane to Ascension Island, where they then fly to the UK and continue to Gibraltar. Before a new airport was built in St. Helena’s, they had to reach South Africa by ship to catch a plane there,” Linda explains. “All athletes must sustain expenses from their pockets or through sponsorship and governmental grants, as all participants are strictly amateur. Some will fly chartered, especially the shooters, as carrying sports guns on a regular airline can prove difficult in some countries.”

They had to reach South Africa by ship to catch a plane there

1,800 athletes and 300 officials will ‘invade’ Gibraltar from 6th to 12th July, mostly from the British Isles (Guernsey, Jersey, Isle of Wight, Isle of Man, Shetland Isles, Orkney, Western Isles, Alderney, Sark, Ynys Mon) but also from St. Helena’s, Bermuda, Cayman, Falklands, Rhodes, Menorca, Greenland, Faroe, Hitra, Åland, Gotland and Saaremaa.

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Brexit remains a dark horse in this race, as the Scandinavian teams will access Gibraltar via Malaga and they have been alerted about possible delays at the border.

Once in Gibraltar, athletes will be accommodated at local hotels, Europa Village and other premises,

“Cycling, marathon and triathlon happen outside any sporting venue, on the open road and at the beach, so we have to provide for safety and security for both the athletes and the public. We have already carried out a test triathlon and will later in the year put on cycling test events,” Linda explains.

On what she calls the ‘Super Sunday’ (7th July), the eastern side and Europa Point will be cordoned off to regular traffic to allow for the competitions to take place, starting from triathlon at Eastern Beach in the early morning, and culminating with a cycling road race in the afternoon – extra stamina required.

Two hundred local athletes are participating in the Games, and the committee has recruited a small army of volunteers to help with practicalities arising, “We are still calling for attachés, available all week long to work with a particular island and deal with their needs and requests,” Linda calls for all hands-on deck. “We expect university students, back for the summer holidays, to be working with us also.”

Volunteers can express an interest through their website: gibraltar2019.com.

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dance

IT’S A COCO LIFE Making song and dance about the fashion revolution.

BY ELENA SCIALTIEL

S

tylos Dance Studios are presenting their new original show at the John Mackintosh Hall during the first week in April, involving close to one hundred dancers aged three years and up, aerial routines, handmade costumes and classic songs.

‘Coco’ is the brainchild of young school co-director Lauren Montero who is a staunch Coco Chanel fan, to the point she named her Pomeranian after her (or better said, after the dog the stylist got her signature tag from).

Lauren’s been for a while musing about collating a tribute to the innovative thinker and feminist icon who freed women from corsets and got them into trousers and separates.

Together with her mother Lillian, Lauren has researched Coco Chanel’s life to stage its salient episodes in the context of the turbulent era she lived, between two world wars, and to recreate a sepia Parisian atmosphere with a selection of French songs

by Edith Piaf, Cirque du Soleil, and others, on whose notes the 56

school’s dancers will perform their routines in genres spanning ballet, jazz, hip hop, contemporary, aerial, acrobatics and song.

“We are alternating instrumental and flamboyant music by contemporary composers, adaptable to the story, like for example a song from Les Misérables used to portray the choral war scene,” Lillian says. “Of course this is taken out of context, but it is still about tragedy and France, and it sets the mood poignantly.”

“Visually rich and musically catchy, this is the success story of someone who suffered harsh setbacks but never stopped believing in herself – and so doing, she revolutionised costumes for women. She brought fashion down from the pedestal and made it affordable, wearable, comfortable to working women in the constraints of war,” Lillian says. “We will portray Coco’s professional success as milliner and seamstress, woven with her tempestuous personal life, from her orphanage beginnings to the bereavement behind the invention of the LBD, her iconic little black dress.”

They are ready to put together a storyline entirely told through dance performance.

After a few years without confronting themselves with the demands of an original production, the pair reckoned that they are ready to put together a storyline entirely told through dance performance, without narrators or dialogue filling the gaps, in the purest style they are appreciated for. And if this story is challenging indeed, it is also rewarding for the intricate choreographies that will see up to twenty dancers on stage at one time.

And if cabaret days are what earned young Gabrielle her moniker Coco, for she sang about her pooch Coco, according to the politest version of the story, a cabaret-like atmosphere is also one of the highlights and surprises in Stylos’ show, featuring a genre GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

dance

One must respect the glass and handle it correctly.

seldom displayed in Gibraltar, and made even more spectacular by the ‘acro’ routine.

Coco’s father committed her and her sister to an orphanage when their mother died prematurely.

There, Coco learnt to sew and at eighteen she moved to Paris, boarding at a pension and making ends meet through her sewing skills and, determined to make a name for herself and showcase her talents, she surfed the nightlife. At the cabaret she met and fell in love with a soldier, an event central to her life and poetically recounted on stage by the academy’s star dancers.

by the refinement of duets and solo scenes. With few weeks to go to curtains up, the producers are still keeping under wraps the identities of the dancers cast in the protagonist’s role, young Coco and adult Coco, as well as the male dancers who will duet with her as love interests.

“We have good budding talent at the school and we aim to train employable dancers, so we teach them to be always ready on their feet, one show after the other, whether dancing will be their profession or not - this way we promote valuable skills applicable for any job. A production this size is perfect to showcase everyone’s talent and to motivate dancers to excel.” the directors claim. Shortly after it, dancers are bound to Los

Coco moved to Paris determined to make a name for herself.

Stylos started rehearsals by diving head first in perfecting the large group dance routines, followed

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Angeles and Disneyland where they will probably showcase Coco’s excerpts.

The most welcome feedback is when male spectators (usually the dancers’ relatives) congratulate them, since some men are sometimes known to drag their feet to dance shows. “When they tell us they thoroughly enjoyed it, and perhaps return to the next one, it really means we’ve done something right.”

Stylos’ academic year will draw to a close with their in-house choreography competition, in which students direct their own dance routine, showcasing their creativity, because they are first and foremost artists.

Tickets priced £15 are available from buytickets.gi. Performances start at 7.30 on 3rd, 4th and 5th April at the John Mackintosh Theatre.

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chess

THE GIBRALTAR CHESS FESTIVAL

The ancient game of chess has showed itself to be a sport where progress was still being made over a thousand years after its conception. This was clear in the beginning of 2019 as the Rock hosted the world’s best performers in the 17th annual Gibraltar Chess Festival.

BY JEREMY GOMEZ

O

ver the course of the ten-day tournament, a new champion was found and the focus was on the future of sport on an international level. This year, the classic game of chess has made some significant moves forward and this took centre stage during the last two weeks of January at the Caleta Hotel.

Firstly, the Gibraltar Masters’ top ranking was taken by fresh blood as the young Russian Grandmaster, Vladislav Artemiev, took on the Chinese Grandmaster Yu Yangyi and won in an impressive show of mastery. Vladislav made a strong first impression on the Rock in winning the £25,000 top prize on his debut entry to the Gibraltar Chess Festival.

Beyond gaining a new title holder, attendees of the festival were also able to consider which way the next few years in the chess were going as during the Q&A; those present were treated to a frank discussion by some of the chess world’s best and brightest. The panel was hosted by the tournament director and English Grandmaster, Stuart Conquest. Stuart was joined by the international master from Luxembourg, Fiona Steil Antoni; the French Grandmaster Maxime VachierLagrave; a woman’s Grandmaster from Indonesia, Irine Kharisma Sukander; Alejandro Ramirez, a Grandmaster born in Costa Rica; and the English Grandmaster and FIDE Vice President, Nigel Short.

The panel considered various

matters affecting the chess world and what they envisioned the future would look like.

The main points of discussion were women in chess and the big strides that women have taken in the world of chess in recent years.

Antoni noted that the main issue

The main points of discussion were the big strides that women have taken in the world of chess

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

chess

how different tournaments schedules have an effect on the quality of the chess being played and how the classic version of the game, and its sometimes controversial variants, can be played in such a way that the numerous tournaments around the globe all have a unique quality.

One quality that Gibraltar is popular for is it being an open tournament, where players of different rankings and expertise can challenge one another, which occasionally leaves room for some interesting surprises.

One quality that Gibraltar is popular for is it being an open tournament

Interestingly, the panel discussed GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

Battle of the Sexes returned for another year. This year, the women conquered the men with a valiant victory of 2 - 1 played on the oversized chess board. And who knows, with such a great display of chess mastery found on our shore last month and the chance of a female world chess champion becoming increasingly possible, maybe we could find her in the coming years at the Gibraltar Chess Festival.

With all the challenges and high-stake competition that this two-week festival contained, there was still room for fun as Gibraltar’s famous 59

Photos Š David Llada, Niki Riga and John Saunders

now is to encourage more female players and how that should be made a priority. One audience member noted, in discussion of the possibility of a female world champion, that it was all a matter of statistics and with the increase in the number of women competitively playing the sport, the future does look positive.

The panel also discussed FIDE and the recent changes in the leadership of the organisation.

Nigel Short expressed his concerns about the direction where the previous leadership was heading and how he and the current administration have overcome great challenges in the hope of making progress for the sake of the sport.

Satire

CLIMATE CHANGE AND CROWDFUNDING Crowdfunding to save endangered species, and Zeus turns his mind to climate change.

BY PETER SCHIRMER

‘

What on earth is a snow leopard?’ Zeus had to raise his voice by several decibels to be heard over the shrill buzz of the sleek mixer/blender which was Hera’s latest electronic culinary aid. It was voiceactivated, and - merely by using her mobile phone - she could switch on a pre-set operation ‘even while doing the weekly shopping at a supermarket’, she had announced proudly, reading from the handbook which accompanied the new gadget.

‘But you never set foot in a supermarket – either Hebe or I do the weekly shop at Morrisons,’ Athena protested.

‘Anything you buy is via the

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Internet... from one of those king-size warehouses that are bringing high street retailers to their knees.’

‘Well it’s so much easier, dear.

And doing it my way you don’t have to stand queuing for ages while some stupid mortal buying a tube of toothpaste, keys the wrong code for her credit card into the saleswoman’s cash register and has to start all over again,’ the Mother of the Gods had retorted.

a week ago. Now. soothed by the mixer’s buzz which so irritated the rest of the Olympian family, Hera smiled happily as she watched rainbow layers of fresh fruits being bent, chopped and whisked into a strawberry-tinted sludge.

The ergonomic couch was a recent Ikea addition to his ‘comfort zone’.

The brusque exchange had been

‘Did you say something?’ she called through the kitchen hatch to her husband. Zeus was sprawled in the television lounge watching Skye Atlantic from the ergonomic couch which was a recent Ikea addition to his ‘comfort zone’.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

satire ‘I asked what a snow leopard is.’

‘It’s an endangered species of big cat found above the snowline in mountainous parts of the Orient,’ Athene answered the question. (Enraged by the glut of plastic rubbish polluting the world’s oceans and by Poseidon’s reluctance to do anything about it, the Goddess of Wisdom had watched every Attenborough TV film and was now widely versed in the creatures heading for extinction.)

‘But why your sudden interest in an animal you can neither eat nor any longer emulate?’ said Hera - waspish as she recalled her husband’s dalliances while masquerading as a bull, a stag, and – of all his idiocies – the swan which seduced Leda, the Aetolian princess who was to become Sparta’s queen.

Then her mood perked up as she remembered his return to Olympus smelling of swamp and with his beard a tangle of muddy feathers.

‘I can save one for £3 a month, according to one of those adverts.’ Zeus gestured at the 52-inch flat screen TV in front of which he spent almost as much time as did Athene on her everGoogled Apple iPad. ‘There’s also a cuddly toy – whatever that is – and regular updates on the progress of my own snow leopard.’

‘Their pelts are so rare that they fetch huge prices... more or less worth their weight in gold.’

Although Artemis had swapped her golden bow for protest banners calling for women’s rights and gender equality, she kept abreast of the shape and fortunes of her old occupation.

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‘But, Pops, a few quid, even a few hundred quid isn’t going to alter the fate of a single animal... and anyway, most of the cash these charities collect is swallowed up by advertising and administrative costs.’ Artemis shook her head sadly.

‘Telecasts are littered with that sort of advert,’ added Poseidon, perched on the lintel of the French window opening onto the penthouse’s main patio. ‘You can save a rhino for £3 a month, or an elephant - both much bigger animals than any of the cat species, large or small. Why, for your real money’s-worth you could spend your £3 a month on saving a whale.’

‘Over-worked donkeys come even cheaper,’ said Hebe looking up from the electronic version of The Times crossword and always impishly ready to stir any family discussion into an argument ‘You can help save one of them for as little as £2 a month. Of course, they’re not as visually pleasing as a leopard or cheetah, and have none of the impressive presence of an elephant or a rhino.

‘There’s probably even a charity targeting three-legged injured crocodiles or chameleon’s in need of new tails. And what about greyhounds no longer able to chase mechanical hares around Harringay Stadium, or grey squirrels. Mind you, if you want to save those rodents you’ll have to act fast. I see that London’s chefs in boutique restaurants already have them on their menus.’

‘You could probably find enough of these endangered or damaged creatures targeted by charities

to establish your own zoological garden,’ added Hermes as he finished fastening strips printed with the curious Gibraltar PO motto “you promise, we deliver”, to the wings of his sandals.

‘You could crowd-fund the project. Become a 21st Century Noah... change the shape of mortal history... even make the Guinness Book of Records.’ said Athena.

‘You remember Noah, surely, the “Mad Carpenter” from over Palestine way who built the boat to save the animals from the Great Flood,’ she prompted.

For a moment Zeus frowned in thought, then looked up smiling: ‘That was when Poseidon lost his temper in one of his clashes with the Tritons and pinched a couple of my best thunderbolts.’ He chuckled. ‘Couldn’t handle them properly and when he chucked them missed... Instead of hitting a Triton, struck the wall between the Pillars of Hercules. Knocked a ruddy-great hole in it and let the Atlantic pour into the Med. ‘Yes, I remember, from Olympus we could see the tidal wave swooshing towards the bit they called the Bosphorus.’ He stood up, stretched, and sauntered across to the French window, warming to the memory.

‘You really messed up there, boy’. And he dug Poseidon in the ribs. But it would be fun to see something like that again.

Wouldn’t it? I wonder how...’ and a beatific smile touched his lips.

‘Climate change...’ said the Father of the Gods. ‘Climate change.’

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CUTTING TEETH ON A PAWN A good start for a chess prodigy?

BY PETER SCHIRMER

A

s a two-year-old toddler, Anna Cramling Bellon knew how each chess piece was moved on the 64 squares of the black and white board, and a year later she had grasped the rules of the game and had begun to play. A three-year-old infant prodigy?

Perhaps. But something probably to be expected from a baby girl who, instead of a typical ring, chewed on a large ivory chessman as her first teeth came through...

Then, too, the fact that both of her parents were Grand Masters – her father a five times Spanish champion, and her mother a Swedish chess ace – may have contributed to Anna’s infant skills.

“It’s probably something in my genes,” Anna, now 17 and winner of a string of amateur championships, says with a GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

remarkably diffident smile.

With parents Pia Cramling Bellon and Juan Bellon, Anna was a competitor in this year’s Gibraltar Chess Festival – an event she first ‘attended’ as a three-month-old babe in arms. “We couldn’t find a suitable baby-sitter so we brought Anna with us to Gibraltar,” Pia explains. The couple – both professionals of the game – have competed in every Gibraltar international chess tournament since its inauguration by Brian Callaghan 18 years ago.

a glum Juan Bellon – although Spanish chess champion – told Pia that he was drawn to play against Russian Grand Master Viktor Korchnoi in the first match and expected to lose.

“Although Korchnoi had lost all three matches against GM and World Champion Anatoly Karpov, he had come close and was a ten-time candidate for the World Championship,” Pia explains.

Instead of a typical ring, she chewed on a large ivory chessman as her first teeth came through

They first met in 1984 at a Swiss invitation contest between 24 of the world’s leading players, where

“He was downcast about his expectations playing Korchnoi and I tried to reassure him about his chances – it was far from a romantic start to our relationship. As it turned out he won that match. We had a 63

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drink to celebrate his win, but that was that.”

For the next year, while travelling extensively to international chess tournaments the couple continued to “bump into each other,” Juan Bellon explains.

“My home was in Spain, when I wasn’t travelling, and Pia’s was in Sweden.”

Surprisingly, though both were GMs and played professionally in a string of international tournaments, the couple seldom met across the chessboard.

“We still seldom play against each other, though we jointly analyse games that we have played... and, of course, when she was smaller and had not begun competing we played simple, straightforward 64

games with Anna.”

“I can’t remember the first game I won – or, at least, that they let me ‘win’,” says Anna, smiling.

In 1985 Juan invited Pia to accompany him to a tournament in Cuba in which she wasn’t playing.

“And that was it. We fell in love.” Pia grins, remembering.

“Chess certainly brought us together – but as partners rather than competing opponents.” And though Juan is slightly higher up the ladder of international rankings than Pia, there’s probably less than a rung in difference, and the two vie with

each other to claim that the other is a better player And, in a quick-fire ‘game’ on the balcony of the Caleta Hotel - played for the couple to be photographed together - Pia forced Juan to resign after some ten moves.

“But I had the advantage of playing white, and we weren’t playing against the clock,” she explains. White always makes the first move.

“Chess certainly brought us together – but as partners rather than competing opponents.”

All three agree that anyone hoping to become a professional player, “the earlier one starts, the better”. But though, on that basis, Anna should be heading GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

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to become wold champion, she is not sure if becoming a chess professional is the route she wants to take.

Like many teenagers she is uncertain what she will do, or even what courses she will follow at university, her next step. “But I shall always play chess.”

“I started late and was already ten when I learnt how to play,” her mother admits.

Although chess has always been popular in Swedish schools – with as many as 1,000 boys and girls competing in any of several school tournaments – it was not until her older brother joined a chess club that Pia became interested. “But by the time I had learned how the pieces moved and began to grasp GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

the strategies, I was hooked.”

“Spain, like Sweden, is very fortunate in having a strong presence in schools,” adds Juan.

“There is great respect for the game.” And it’s a claim that attendance at this year’s Gibraltar tournament underscores, for the Rock’s neighbour provided 31 of the 250 of the world’s top professionals taking part – an impressive line-up among the 92 grandmasters competing in the ten-day event. (A 28-strong Indian contingent was second only to Spain in number.)

When they first got together, the couple made their home in Spain, but for the past five years have lived in Sweden – when they’re not travelling to far-flung tourneys and international competitions.

“A bit like gypsies – always on the move,” one of them quips. “But in some ways we’re very different,” Pia tells me as Juan lays the black king on its side, acknowledging defeat. “Other than chess, he likes to watch sport [a keen soccer fan] while Anna and I prefer to take part in a range of sporting activities.”

But after a brief return to Stockholm the three are off to international competitions again.

And though none won a major prize this year, Pia – who last year took home the £15,000 that goes to the top woman player – Juan remain in the top professional echelon while Anna continues to make her mark among the amateurs.

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

PERFORMING WITH YALTA PONS About half a dozen dance groups grace our entertainment venues all year long - that’s year after year after year - doing their thing, putting in many hours of rehearsal for little or no remuneration. But for some, it’s not an issue. It’s called having a strong vocation – something Yalta Pons knows plenty about.

BY RICHARD CARTWRIGHT

A

mongst the dance group or academy directors, for me, one name instantly springs to mind – Yalta Pons. Since the early 90s she and her dancers have been there, omnipresent supporting charities, performing at Summer Nights, Calentita, Miss Gibraltar Pageants and other shows of every shape and size, whilst putting on their own productions for families and friends: Yalta Pons it seems, simply can’t say no!

“I can’t help it, I’m always on the go, totally involved not just producing dance routines but also designing outfits, searching around for the right materials, describing what’s needed to our costume maker in Spain as well as meeting with the different show producers to discuss what’s required for any particular production.” This lady

is full of energy, leaving no stone unturned. I write up on many of the above mentioned shows for local magazines and witness that her dancers’ performances are always different, the choreography is fresh and innovative. Leit Motif, Urban Dance and now Yalta Dance Studio (YDS) to the present,

"The choreography is fresh and innovative. I don’t run out of ideas because I feel I’m a creative junkie!" never attend competitive festivals or dance contests. “No, never dancing for competition,” the dance director confirms. The group’s name changes have simply reflected the different styles of

the time, ending with what Yalta calls, ‘Contemporary Fusion’, which illustrates what Yalta Dance Studio performs today, keeping their approach and technique distinctive.

“My inspirations for my pieces can come from anything: a song, a painting, an object or even an incident – anything - and I don’t run out of ideas because I feel I’m a creative junkie!”

Drama Teacher Lionel Perez and dancer Alfred Ramirez (both passed), are responsible for Yalta’s love story with dance and performance in general... “That’s right, they were my mentors. From a very young age I always felt creative. I joined the Alpha Group when I was nine; we had a closed frontier at the time and MTV was the ‘in thing’ but I’ve always preferred the musicals and loved 67

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watching dancers like Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire. Later I went off to university and graduated in Dance and the Creative Arts.

I then spent some time in the US doing some casual work here and there and then returned to London where my agent offered me some weekend work – for one weekend – in Greece!”

Yalta however, ended up staying at the other end of the Mediterranean dancing in the sun, spending two years in Greece working in music halls all over the country backing Greece’s top singing stars: “It was a great experience moving at a very fast pace, but what I really wanted to do was start my own dance group at home. It was 1995 so I came back to Gib, sold ice cream and took on other jobs earning some cash to keep me going. Slowly I got started with other dancers and formed Leit Motif.” And the rest, as we know, is history.

On top of all the above, I feel Yalta has gone the extra mile: “Yes, you could say the ethos of dance and becoming a dancer is that you have to be skinny, but I’ve never had a problem in this industry not being skinny, so I don’t turn away bigger girls, boys and girls who 68

may be tall or not so tall who want to join my team, and those with special needs also.

We take on all characters.

Personality is what needs to be brought out and have individuals treated with respect, not constantly telling them off in a nasty way which can lead to them being scarred for life.” Yalta tells me people can sometimes be cruel but slowly audiences have come to accept their performances and dancers too, lose their inhibitions as they’ve earned more respect whatever their shape or size.

Inclusion and integration is the way of the world nowadays and Yalta champions that development. “Parents are great and the kids are sensible,” Yalta confirms. A lot of the kids’ time is spent at shows and rehearsals, and parents are grateful, not least for keeping them away from spending all their spare time on their PlayStations and mobiles!

The YDS director never sleeps it seems. She works in Spain with her team, has won prizes, spends time teaching in Andalucia and as a consultant to the industry in the hinterland and sometimes pops off to Madrid to judge shows. Closer to home Yalta has a close relationship with Academia Nando Perez and Eva Sanchez in La Linea. But evidently, the dance choreographer and director feels there’s still not enough on her plate! Yalta has won the Miss Gibraltar Pageant tender and is set to produce the show and all that it entails to be staged in a few months’ time on June 1st.

“Oh yes, we’re planning a great show revamping the whole event concentrating on ‘local’, which is what I believe in.”

All in all, Yalta Pons asserts there’s generally a good standard of dance on the Rock: “It’s an expensive business; I must have in the region of at least a hundred different outfits at home which of course have required to be made up and paid for, thanks to parents and whatever we receive from performance fees, which increasingly we expect, especially as everyone else receives fees for sound and lighting and so on.

But we also do a lot for charity and that’s not a problem. We love what we do”

"I must have in the region of at least a hundred different outfits at home."

Someone who plays an important part in Yalta’s work and her life is her husband, Darion Figuerero.

He works quietly behind the scenes – in fact I only met him for the first time recently... “He is great, we work together, offers ideas and helps me a lot,” Yalta acknowledges, “We do things together and feed off each other.

He’s wonderful support.”

And so the dance goes on! Yalta and her group are certainly kept busy. Ambiente is what they strive for in their performances, and that they clearly achieve. She’s approaching half a century and the choreographer/performer/director herself is still dancing!

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leisure

DR CHATBOT WILL SEE YOU NOW Can machines potentially help cure depression?

BY RESHAM KHIANI

A

rtificial intelligence is the latest new way of tackling mental health and is now being developed to be able to detect psychiatric problems like depression, obsessive compulsive disorders, and anxiety just by talking to you via an app or a ‘bot’ - yes, that’s right, they can diagnose and predict mental illnesses by just talking and listening to you. A strained health system for health professionals has opened up a new channel: apps for digital healthcare. This method takes communication to the next level and allows the individual to talk about the way they’re feeling, if, and when, they want - and with no human interaction. With reports from the British Medical Association warning that thousands of people with serious mental health issues are waiting up to two years to GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

receive specialist support, an alternative means to dealing with this situation is emerging.

The stuff we see in science fiction movies about artificial intelligence (AI) has turned from the fiction of yesterday to the fact of today. Mechanical therapists aren’t as far-fetched as you might think. In the 1960s, Joseph Weizenbaum of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Artificial Intelligence Laboratory developed ELIZA, a chatbot that could emulate the conversations of a psychotherapist through a question-and-answer system where a patient would type questions into the system and

ELIZA would just answer. Fast forward ten years later to the 1970s and PARRY was created by psychiatrist Kenneth Colby. The computer program successfully impersonated a paranoid person to the extent that it succeeded in fooling expert psychiatrists who were not able to differentiate the computerised version of the person from the actual patient!

They can diagnose and predict mental illnesses by just talking and listening to you.

Since then, there has been a growing number of sophisticated technological methods that are bringing AI into the mental health mainstream. One such app, the brainchild of Stanford psychologists and AI experts, Woebot, combines machine learning and natural language processing (NLP) to analyse 69

leisure a person´s mood and offer them appropriate therapy. The emotionally intelligent chatbot Wysa, developed by Indian entrepreneurs Jo Aggarwal and Ramakant Vempati, uses AI and NLP techniques to track users’ emotions by acting as a virtual mental wellness coach. And finally, Coignant, developed in Singapore, integrates face-to-face therapy and aims to prevent mental illness relapses by monitoring existing patients and assisting them with therapy goals. Pattern recognition in AI can apply to mental health assessments. For example, voice recognition, data input by the patient, and computer analysis of the data, can detect specific mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, and OCD. Woebot, an app launched last year and is free to download was designed by the American psychologist Dr Alison Darcy to offer advice, based on the principles of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, in response to text conversations. According to their website, one user says, describes the interface as being “a bit like Whatsapp”, with an automated chatbot asking how the person is feeling and what is going on in their lives. In response to statements, Woebot makes suggestions about what the person could be suffering from and encourages the patient to take action through self-reflective tasks, such as “writing out lists of what is bothering me”.

When it comes to allowing others inside our heads, especially when talking about such sensitive matters, most of us only crack open the door for a select few, likely close family members or trusted psychologists. But if you were really struggling, would you 70

consider sharing your innermost thoughts with a robot? Could involving AI in something as potentially delicate as mental health pose any threat? Health

that most bot overtly state that it is not human is definitely a positive as this could be an effective way for encouraging people to open up as it eliminates

care organisations distrust AI because they don’t always understand why it reaches the conclusions it does and the lack of face-to-face support is so important. In turn, a wrong decision based on “bad” information can lead to a serious health outcome. One of the most commonly experienced symptoms of depression and anxiety is feeling alone, or not understood by others, however, perhaps talking to a real person can make a person feels embarrassed or worried about any associated stigma. This is where ‘therapy bots’ come in. Designed to offer accessible, convenient and (often) free help, they aim to remove barriers to treatment. The fact

the fear of judgement.

Innovative technology is offering new opportunities to millions with different mental health conditions especially to a generation that, at a touch of a button, can get inexpensive counselling. This message is clear though: people should not solely rely on therapy bots, or use them for more serious or long-term issues. What it does mean, however, is that these services can be used in real moments of need. The benefits of these methods need to be carefully balanced against their limitations as the long-term effects of AI for is yet to be thoroughly tested, but the initial results seem to be promising.

Artificial intelligence has turned from the fiction of yesterday to the fact of today.

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fashion

NEONS AND NUDES With the arrival of a new season comes a rush of fresh trends for the taking, and I must say that spring 2019’s line-up does not disappoint.

BY JULIA COELHO

O

n the SS19 catwalks, a certain oxymoronic laidback elegance weaved its way quite subtly through many shows, often manifested in simple-yetstructured silhouettes, perfectly complemented by soft and delicate tones. On the other hand, many shows were brilliantly eclectic and bursting with energy and colour, showcasing a variety of bold prints and vibrant accessories. In summary, there’s something for absolutely every sartorial preference this season, from the most minimalist styles right up to that which will suit your most daring fashionistas.

Whatever you think you may want this spring, these upcoming trends will have you covered.

LEOPARD PRINT Let’s just get this out of the way! Anyone could have easily assumed that animal prints had absolutely reached their peak this GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

TOP: CROSS BODY BAG IN NEON ORANGE,NEW LOOK, £12.99

LEFT: ASOS DESIGN - BIAS CUT SATIN MIDI SKIRT IN LEOPARD PRINT, ASOS, £30.00

BOTTOM: SLINKY MIDI BODYCON DRESS WITH COWL NECK IN LEOPARD PRINT, ASOS, £25.00

year, but, alas, it is my duty to report that, according to the runways, as well as the seemingly unwavering high demand from the consumer, leopard print is standing its ground for spring and summer yet again!

What has changed slightly is the aesthetic, making way for a more demure and elegant style than we’ve seen before.

Dainty leopard print midi skirts have been all over the place recently, so keep your eyes peeled for more refined and neutral pieces.

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NEON

LEFT: ASOS DESIGN - RIB JUMPER IN NEON STRIPE, ASOS, £22.00

Appropriately reflective of the 1980s comeback, the runways were teeming with highlighterbright colours this season. This is probably one of the most prominent trends of the year, and definitely, the one that has been latched onto most quickly by bloggers, street style personalities, and highstreet shops alike.

BELOW: CORDUROY PINAFORE DRESS, BERSHKA, £19.99

RIGHT: HIGH NECK NEON BODY, NOISY MAY, £18.00

It can seem like a pretty daunting palette to tackle, but if you’re not quite ready to dive in head first, there are definitely subtle ways to style it out. Pair a neon green tee with muted tones like a pair of black skinnies for a fun pop of colour, or better still, introduce it into your wardrobe slowly in the form of bright accessories.

Think blush, biscuit, oatmeal, camel

BEIGE & SAGE GREEN Sticking to the topic of colour and palette, one of the stand-out trends for spring/summer 2019, already proven by its immense social media coverage over the past couple of months, is simply beige - or shades of it; think

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blush, biscuit, oatmeal, camel, and basically any other names we can conjure up for it.

Head-to-toe tonal dressing; layers of soft colours dominated the runways, and in stark contrast to neon, is a trend that translates VANS OLD SKOOL CREAM FLORAL TRAINERS - £70.00

seamlessly into our everyday lives. It is a palette that inherently looks expensive, and, most importantly, is elegant and stylish without being difficult to execute. The key is to make use of different textures and mix various tones to avoid drowning yourself in one colour.

On a similar note, if you’re not into the neon green trend, you’ll be happy to know that there’s another green on the scene. Sage is this season’s key colour to experiment with. Some are calling it seafoam, others mint or pistachio, but either way, expect to see this subtle and soothing pastel tone all over the highstreet in the next couple of months.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

fashion water with something as simple yet eye-catching as a snake-print box bag.

From printed belts and handbags, to smart boots and tie-waist shirt dresses, these prints add an effortless touch of glam to any look, but equally inject a cool grungy edge, if that’s your preferred style.

Either way,

It’s minimalistic and classic, yet eye-catching and youthful

TOP: ASOS DESIGN - SNAKE PRINT WRAP MIDI SKIRT, ASOS, £28.00

MOCK CROC/ SNAKE From leopard and zebra to dalmatian and even cow prints, it seems that the fashion industry has made its way through the entire animal kingdom over the last few seasons. But winter allowed us a cheeky peek into the new addition to the line-up. It’s the year of the coldblooded creatures; snakes and crocs!

It’s the year of the cold-blooded creatures; snakes and crocs!

While obnoxious and in-your-face, yes it’s easy to go all out with this print, but equally, it's also possible to merely dip your toe into the

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

Just as it doesn’t necessarily have to be “boho”, tie-dye also isn’t always a loud print, especially if you counterbalance its innate busyness with a muted colour palette to complement. From cropped shirts, to cute co-ords and oversized tees, it’s a perfect print to throw on without much thought, and still look effortlessly stylish this spring.

TOP: MOC CROC CROSS BODY WITH CHAIN IN GREEN, STRADIVARIUS, £17.99

the high street is positively jampacked with snake and croc print pieces; simply take your pick.

TIE-DYE Tie-dye made a surprise appearance in many recent collections, but this year, the styles on offer are looking a little more modern and fashion-forward, and less... Coachella.

POLKA DOTS

Florals might be most people’s go-to spring print, but this year they will have a strong contender with polka dots; a classic print that keeps coming back year after year to prove its longevity.

It’s minimalistic and classic, yet eye-catching and youthful, perfectly versatile, and looks good on everyone! A monochrome colourway seemed to be the designers’ top choice this year, but if the high-street is anything to go by, you can expect to see polka dots in all manner of styles, accessories and colours.

ASOS DESIGN - BOXY TOP WITH CONTRAST BUTTONS IN SPOT PRINT, ASOS, £28.00

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A WEEKEND IN WALES* *Or several weekends, if you’d like to complete the whole itinerary…

BY CHRIS HEDLEY

H

owling winds and torrential rain battered the clifftop in South Wales. A flash of lightning followed another as the thunder continued to roll over the luscious green countryside. A fifth-century baby is born in the violent tempest and dies over a hundred years later on the first of March. Nowadays, his life is commemorated on the day of his death each year by pinning daffodils to your lapels and putting leeks on the menu, as many communities celebrate the life of the Patron Saint of Wales, St David.

Why daffodils and leeks?

It’s an interesting story.

Apparently the Saxons decided to invade the Welsh lands one day; the Welsh caught wind of this, and both sides prepared for battle.

The problem was that without the internet in those days, or any kind of postal service, establishing a dress code was a tricky concept and, consequently, both sides turned up in remarkably similar attire. David, a well-respected monk by then, noticed that this was causing a rather sizeable issue, and knew exactly what to do. Without hesitation he plucked a leek from the ground and instructed the soldiers to stick it in their helmets in order to distinguish themselves. This ingenious bit of sartorial advice caused the Welsh to win the battle, and the leek was adopted as a national symbol. The daffodil? Apparently it’s just a bit similar to the flower of a leek, and easier to find.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

What do you do on St David’s day then?

Visit Wales of course. Giant dragons parade through central Cardiff on the first of March along with various theatrical groups.

The BBC National Orchestra of Wales accompanies the dancing dragons and the whole thing is finished off with an ethereal version of the Welsh national anthem.

Elsewhere in the country similar celebrations are held, as well as pub concerts and servings of traditional Welsh dishes such as bara brith (currant bread) and Welsh rarebit (a cheesy toasty snack).

He plucked a leek from the ground and instructed the soldiers to stick it in their helmets

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What do you do when it’s not St David’s day?

The country has many things to offer. The capital itself has an eclectic range of activities to sate all tastes. The castle is conveniently located next to the city centre, allowing you to combine your cultural and consumerist desires in the same afternoon. Spanning one hundred and thirty acres behind the castle is Bute Park, which makes for a pleasant amble through the flora and offers many an Instagram opportunity from the bridges over the river. From the park you can take a boat taxi to Cardiff Bay and eat in one of the plethora of restaurants overlooking the water.

Torchwood fans will want to take a stroll on the boardwalk and visit the Ianto’s Shrine.

In case you didn’t already know, rugby is big in Wales. March sees Wales competing in the six nations tournament, so if you’re in town when Wales have a home game, buy tickets. It’ll be worth it.

If not, the Millennium Stadium is always hosting various concerts, 76

so be sure to check out what’s on.

Enough about Cardiff. What else is there?

Literary buffs will want to stop in the little town of Laugharne, complete with quaint houses, a castle, and the river Taf. On the Taf estuary, you’ll find The Boathouse, where Dylan Thomas lived out the remaining four years of his life. Even if the historic residence of the famous writer doesn’t interest you, The Boathouse is a picture of serenity with its views of the estuary and the many breeds of birds fishing for their next meal. It was this scene that inspired the poem ‘Over Sir John’s Hill’.

Further west of Laugharne lies the popular seaside town of Tenby, with its stretching, sandy shores and medieval town walls. Castle Beach, reduced to a small cove at high tide, provides a flat, clean walk along the golden sand for the family to enjoy at high tide.

It’s also the departure point for boats to Caldey Island, primarily inhabited by monks, steeped in

religious history, and complete with a thirteenth-century chapel and a sixth-century Oghma cross.

The beach, defensive walls, and tourist shops of Tenby are all parallels you can draw with Gibraltar, but not the only parallels. There’s also a network of underground tunnels ripe for your exploration – allegedly, one of which was used to aid the escape of Henry VII to Brittany. The main thing Tenby has, to the delight of visiting children, that Gibraltar regrettably doesn’t: a Dinosaur Park.

This year, the northern seaside resort of Harlech is hoping to usurp the increasing tourism in New Zealand, specifically, Dunedin’s Baldwin Street, by taking the crown for being the world’s steepest residential street. Measurements have been taken, results are pending. Get here before they build a port for cruise ships to dock, decorate the roadsides with superlative signs, and build a £90,000 public toilet.

A precipitous road is not all GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

travel

on offer. Whether you’d just like to paddle along and take in the surrounding scenery, or hurl down some white water on a raft tour, you’re bound to find something you like.

Sounds exhilarating.

Too exhilarating.

What else is on offer?

Harlech has going for it. Yes, there’s a castle. Yes, there’s a beach. Yes, you can pay a small fee and be given a hard hat and torch to explore the nearby man-made caves, Chwarel Hen Llanfair Slate Caverns. Like so many other cavernous attractions, these passages don’t have any fluorescent lighting or other such gimmicks, so you can experience the tunnels as the miners did.

Further into the depths of the Snowdonia region, you can opt to raise your heart rate a little with an array of water based activities GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

The don’t call Wales ‘The Land of the Keen Walker’ for nothing... or at all. But they should. Snowdonia is home to tallest mountain in Wales, aptly named Snowdon.

There are numerous paths to the top, and each trail has its own sense of tranquillity with views of the rolling green countryside below, all ranging in length and difficulty to give you plenty of options depending on your experience and inclination.

The route along Crib Goch is considered the hardest with some pretty daunting precipices, which have claimed a few lives along the years. It also sees more rain

than most other almost anywhere else in the UK to make things nice and slippery. Maybe stick to one of the seven other routes on offer if you’re not feeling all that adventurous.

You can also visit some smaller, though no less scenic, mountains in the Brecon Beacons. Centrally, Pen y Fen and Cribyn are much quieter hikes than Snowdonia. If you’re looking for isolation, you might find yourself for hours on end without spotting another person. To the west, the Black Mountain Range, one of Wales’ most isolated and wild areas, is a spot where you can stumble across remote lakes and be miles away from the nearest town at any given point.

Over to the east are the similarly named Black Mountains, not to be confused with the Black Mountain Range. To add to the confusion, the Black Mountains are home to a peak named ‘Black Mountain’.

So now all that’s left to do is finish the paragraph without saying ‘black’ or ‘mountain’. After all the walking you’ll have done, you can 77

stop for a tipple in The Skirrid Mountain Inn (saying ‘mountain’ doesn’t count if talking about pubs), which also lays claim to being the oldest pub in Wales.

The area is home to a plethora of little villages and hamlets as well as the small market town of HayOn-Wye, home to over twenty bookshops, which explains its nickname ‘The Town of Books’. And with the word ‘mountain’ only appearing two times after pledging not to mentioned again (now three times), there’s a small summary of what’s on offer in the Brecon Beacons. Mountains.

your friends, even if they can’t surf, as the surrounding scenery often makes quite the backdrop as you enjoy your mid-afternoon picnic. Once winning the coveted award from BBC’s Britain’s Best Beach, Three Cliff Bay is one such spot, named so for the three pointed rock formations protruding from the cliff on the eastern side.

Five hundred yards from the shore lie the ruins of Pennard Castle. Cardigan Bay in the West provides a nice reef break, and the chance of surfing alongside one of the local bottlenose dolphins.

There are plenty of other spots for experts and beginners alike, some busier and more popular than others, but each with their own unique pull. Just drive along the coast and look out to the water to find yours.

The beach, defensive walls, and tourist shops of Tenby are all parallels you can draw with Gibraltar

Lots of walking. I don’t like walking. What other activities are popular in Wales?

There are a number of spots along the Welsh coastline that are not to be missed by the avid surfer. Bring 78

I’m rubbish at surfing. Are there any decent pubs?

Yes. Loads. The heyday of Swansea’s infamous Mumbles Mile has passed, to the dismay of the city’s past university students.

With drinking culture having changed over the past decade or so, the (not quite) mile of pubs is but a shadow of its former glory.

Not unsurprisingly there are a number of revered watering holes in the capital, but you’ll be hard pushed not to find a centuriesold public inn tucked away in the valleys.

Sounds great. How do I get there?

Don’t you have to pay to get in?

Flights from Bristol are fairly cheap. From there you can take a two-hour bus to Cardiff. If you’re driving, you no longer have to pay to cross the Severn Bridge!

You know when you’re in Wales because it starts to rain.

Is it always raining in Wales then?

Yes. GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

+ 350 20 067469 | info@ifai.gi | w w w.ifai.gi

We are moving office in March to midtown.

All contact details and office numbers will remain the same.

we’re

moving

GRAPE EXPECTATIONS Verdejo: Make or Break?

BY ANDREW LICUDI DIPWSET

B

oquerones stuffed with mussels sounded ghastly, but I was wrong - they were spectacular. In fact, they were not ‘stuffed’ at all, but two individual fishes wrapped round the stuffing and deep fried.

Four of us were having lunch at The Ocean and we agreed that it was just as good as a red mullet dish we had tasted years before, when we had holidayed in Scotland and dined at the Michelin starred Martin Wishart. Since then we held the red mullet dish as one of the best fish dishes we had ever tasted. The boquerones were a hard act to follow and the Dover Soles, ordered as mains, turned out to be unremarkable.

To accompany the fish a bottle of Palacio de Bornos purposely selected so we could mull over the latest fad in wine – Verdejo.

My last recollection of the exuberant, Richard Sanz was Richard handing round small glasses of intensely purple tempranillo straight from the barrel in the wine region of Toro.

Toro was considered by many as the ‘next big thing’ in wine regions and even Vega Sicilia, perhaps the most venerable of Spanish wine makers, had just claimed a stake there with their Pintia wine project. For Richard and his family Toro was also a new venture well away from Verdejo and Rueda. At that time, few Toro wines existed but with the success of Ribera del Duero, Toro was considered near enough physically to be described as another expression of Duero wines! Richard, excited at the possibilities of this new

region, told us their new wine would be called Orot which, he explained, was Toro spelled backwards. My lack of enthusiasm must have shown as I suggested that given the choice I would steer away from a name where rot was so clearly prominent. It was too late as the name had been registered and labels printed.

Earlier that year Richard had visited Gibraltar when we had arranged a tasting at our small shop in Queensway Quay. We had started importing Palacio de Bornos Verdejo, Richard’s family wine from the now wellknown region of Rueda - home of Verdejo an ancient grape variety now highly fashionable.

Orot, he explained, was Toro spelled backwards.

Driving up the A7 from Madrid

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wine it takes about one hour thirty minutes to Rueda, the town after which the wine region is named.

At 700m in altitude the region has cool nights, ideal for night-time harvesting minimising the risk of spoilage and oxidation. Verdejo, a grape variety, grown in Rueda for centuries, stayed under the radar until Marques de Riscal, in 1972, started making and selling Rueda Verdejo. A new age of white wine making in the area was born.

wine writers, mayhem follows.

Land prices rocket and all and sundry will start new projects – nobody want to be left out in case this promising new region turns out to be another El Dorado.

Soon the public will hear about this wondrous new region and its wonderful wines and before our eyes a new fashionable wine or grape variety is born.

Initially demand for the wines will exceed supply and prices will rise. That is until new plantings come of age, modern techniques are introduced and production increases dramatically. The new region, previously almost unknown, transforms itself into a volume producer where quality is overshadowed by competition exacerbated by ever decreasing prices. Serious wine makers in the

A new age of white wine making in the area was born.

It strikes me that wine producers share some of the qualities of lemmings. Whenever a ‘new’ wine region is ‘discovered’, usually by a lone winemaker who manages to attract high scores by one or more

15/20

Marquez de Caceres Verdejo 2017 Very pale lemon colour. Quite watery on the palate. Simple. (tasted the following day the wine had improved suggesting it may be better after another year in bottle.

This may confirm the view that Verdejo has ageing potential).

Marquez de Riscal Rueda Verdejo 16/20 £8.50 The Cellar Pale Gold. Quite exuberant, refreshing, grassy with tropical fruits.

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The best wine I have tasted from Rueda, so far, is Naiades Verdejo 2012. I tasted it blind and thought it a very good wine fooling me into thinking it was not Spanish. Its fermented and aged for many months in new French oak - something which would be uneconomical for the bulk of Rueda’s whites. The wine itself is very intense, attractively bitter and sufficiently complex to make the grade as a quality white. We have come to think, for good reasons, that Spain is

Finca la Colina Rueda Verdejo 12 Euros

15.5/20 (Hipercor)

Gold in color. Subdued and slightly bitter but not in a nice way. Watery finish.

Disappointing.

17/20

Naiades 2012 Verdejo. £18.00 (Online UK) Pale Gold. Quite aromatic on the nose.

Elegant and complex with a good finish.

Protos Verdejo 2017 £6.50 The 15.5/20 Cellar Pale gold. Gentle notes of lychees.

Quite grassy. Not very complex.

region, intent on making quality wines, are then damaged by the region’s new-found image as a volume producer of inexpensive, quaffable wines. Many will leave the D.O., meaning they will no longer sell their wines under the region’s name but simply sell their wine as ‘table wine’. Many believe this is happening in Rueda.

16/20

Palacio de Bornos Verdejo £7.40 Lewis Stagnetto Pale gold. Very exuberant. Definite tropical notes including pineapple.

Reasonable finish.

Not sure how well it went with our fish.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

wine

a red wine country, with few note-worthy whites. As I wrote last month it’s simply a function of climate. It would seem that all the great white wines of the world are grown in climates considered the limit at which grapes can be grown. Chablis with its frosts and hail or Mosel which only manages because of its steep slopes facing the sun and the warming effects of the Rhine.

Rueda’s climate is continental and does suffer from colds and frosts but daytime temperatures rise steeply as the sun makes an appearance. So, what do Rueda’s Verdejo taste like? Verdejo is aromatic with bitter notes of grass, lychees and other tropical fruits, and can easily be confused

with Sauvignon Blanc which Rueda also grows in abundance.

It remains to be seen if Rueda’s better wine makers will succeed long term. Selling Rueda Verdejo at premium prices £20 and above will prove difficult as in the mind of the consumer Rueda is an inexpensive white wine region.

Unlike red there is nowhere to hide when making whites, with many resorting to over-oaking or aromatic grape varieties hoping to overcome the inherent climatic hurdles facing top-notch white wine makers in warmer climes.

These challenges are worldwide and not just in Spain.

The wine itself is very intense, attractively bitter and sufficiently complex

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

Richard Sanz and his father eventually went their separate ways and Palacio de Bornos is now owned by others. With his brother and sister, they have a new venture called Bodegas Menade. They have left the D.O., I believe, and now sell their wines simply as table wines. Their Menade La Misión, a barrel-aged Verdejo was awarded 92 points by Parker and sells for around £20 a bottle. The Wine Society, probably the best wine merchant anywhere and considered ‘truffle hunters’ when seeking wines, stock two of Richard’s cheaper wines, and that’s saying something.

It would be great to go back to Rueda and visit Richard, taste la Misión and see his new venture.

Richard has a knack of making everyone feel special… and that is seriously cool.

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recipes Recipe by Mama Lotties www.mamalotties.com Find this Recipe and more in their Mama Lotties: 100 Everyday Recipes Cookbook

FRUITY ROCKY ROAD

Prepare yourself a snack that you can enjoy on the go. This recipe is all natural and quenches that afternoon craving when you’re looking for that little sweet treat without the guilty feeling at the end. Packed with protein and fibres to keep your belly happy.

INGREDIENTS 150g Fresh Cranberries 100g Pistachios 100g Almonds 35g Cocoa Powder 150g – 200g Coconut Oil 100g Granola and Oats 50g Dried Apricots & Sultanas or use Mixed Peel METHOD 1.

Spread the pistachios and almonds out on a baking dish and transfer this over to the oven under a medium heat to toast for 5 to 10 minutes.

2.

Pour the cranberries in to a pot and boil them for 10 minutes, whilst the nuts are toasting. After 10 minutes remove the nuts from the oven and drain the cranberries to remove the water.

3.

Now blend together the cranberries and coconut oil and slowly add in the cocoa powder at the same time.

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4.

Once smooth, transfer to a large bowl and add the nuts to the bowl, the mixed peel and apricots and the granola.

5.

When everything is mixed

well, line a square baking dish with greaseproof paper and squish everything out evenly.

Then place in the freezer for a few hours to stiffen, remove 5 minutes before serving and cut into small squares.

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

recipes Recipe by The Gibraltar Vegan instagram.com/thegibraltarvegan

CHICKPEA CAESAR SALAD Roasted rosemary and garlic chickpeas with creamy lemon caesar dressing.

This month both international Women’s Day and Mother’s Day are celebrated. For those of you who want to cook or help the children cook to show the females in your life you love them, be it your mother, wife, girlfriend, daughter, sister, best friend, even your wonderful mother-in-law, this recipe is easy, can be made in advance and dare I say it – darn tasty!

This makes enough for 2 adults.

Creamy Dressing (I filled the 540g jar the chickpeas came in).

INGREDIENTS 1 cup cashews 1 ¼ cup of water 2 lemons ½ bulb of garlic

5 tsp wild rosemary

6 tbsp nutritional yeast

100g salad mix (I used rocket and lamb’s lettuce)

2 tbsp wholegrain mustard 5 tsp capers Roasted Chickpeas INGREDIENTS 1 jar/400g of chickpeas 3 tbsp olive oil (or your preferred oil) 4 tsp garlic powder

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

1 small handful of dried cranberries 1 small handful of mixed chopped nuts METHOD 1.

Drain and rinse the chickpeas.

2.

Place on a baking tray and cover in the oil.

3.

Sprinkle the garlic powder

and wild rosemary over the chickpeas and blend well so they are all coated with the mixture.

4.

Roast in an oven at 200°C for 20 minutes.

5.

Place the lettuce, cranberries and mixed nuts on the plates, add the chickpeas and dress with the creamy lemon caesar dressing.

6.

Check the viscosity of the dressing and add more water if need be.

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VICKY’S NATURAL KITCHEN DELI FOODS & CATERING GOURMET . FRESH . DAILY VIBRANT HEALTHSUPPORTIVE FOOD.

Gothenburg, Sweden, cooking demonstrations and Brighton, and Sweden.

After working on her own for 22 years as a health-supportive private chef and caterer, she then set up the deli, where she runs outside catering, teaches classes, hosts private chefs-table events, and provides handy Grab ‘n’ Go lunch options.

YOU’RE IN GOOD HANDS

WHAT’S ON OFFER?

Vicky Bishop, the ‘TV Chef’, has been working in the food industry as a chef for 28 years.

The deli caters to the general public as well as to corporate clients; corporate entertaining for people who want to buy in, or drop-off platers from the daily food menu, canapes and salads, and private events.

Health and wellbeing is at the

She has worked abroad in a number of capacities: Gibraltar Abroad - international food festival, Passion for Matt in

heart of what they do, using wholefoods to give you that much-needed energy boost to carry you through the remainder of your day.

EVENTS & SPECIAL OCCASIONS It’s not just your lunchtime fix that Vicky has covered; she has also worked for the VVIP 2017 MTV Gibraltar Calling (where her team fed 1000 people a day over the course of the festival), big bank inaugurations, Princess Beatrice’s 19th birthday party, private catering for Mel C, and private work for Prince Andrew to name but a few events.

The deli houses a private

upstairs dining area called Natural High, where you can sit and enjoy your lunch. It is also available to rent for a private chefs table seating up to 18 people, with a fine dining menu available. Natural High is available to cater for private parties or intimate corporate events.

THE HEALTH FOOD SCENE IN GIBRALTAR Focusing on health-supportive natural foods and nutritionally balanced lunches is at the core of what the deli does. It is important to have a lunch that’s balanced, and not too high in carbs, as it sets you up for the day. These days, there is much more research into the second ‘brain’ - your gut -

and its connection to mental and emotional wellbeing and stability. Vicky provides her clients with a good base, a hearty middle-of-the-day meal, so when they get home they can have something lighter before bed, safe in the knowledge that they have hit their health targets for the day.

Another string to this deli’s bow is the way they assist people with a host of dietary requirements. Gluten-free, lactose-free, nut, soy, and grain-free; they cater for all, while focusing on balanced, heavily plant-based food. Fresh ingredients are sourced every Monday from local suppliers, and the meals are prepared on-site from scratch, from their tomato sauce to their chilli jam!

Prices are in keeping with the current market, with Grab ‘n’ Go Boxes and Hot Meal of the Day with accompaniment starting at just £6.90. Their best-seller is the torta acelga, if you can get your hands on it - it flies off the shelves every day!

Keep up with Vicky via her show Vicky’s Natural Kitchen viewable on catchup.

For enquiries, call 200 43392 or visit 37a Engineer Lane. Email her on admin@vbc.gi or visit her website at www.vbc.gi,

SOVEREIGN CORPORATE SERVICES Establish and Support your Business Market Entry Corporate Insurance Packages SOVEREIGN PRIVATE CLIENT Family Office Wealth Management Asset Protection Insurance SOVEREIGN RETIREMENT PLANNING Global Personal and Occupational Pensions

SovereignGroup.com To contact us email: gib@SovereignGroup.com or call +350 200 76173

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

restaurants, bars & pubs THE LOUNGE

SOLO BAR & GRILL

ALL’S WELL

Stylish Lounge Gastro Bar on Queensway Quay Marina serving best quality food prepared by passionate, qualified chefs.

Popular quiz on Sundays from 7pm and a relaxed friendly atmosphere. A separate Lounge Bar Area serving a wide range of hot drinks, wines, beers, spirits and cocktails at reasonable prices, with large TV’s for sports and events coverage.

Solo Bar and Grill is a stylish and modern eatery — perfect for business functions or lunches — and part of the popular Cafe Solo stable. Serving everything from Goats’ Cheese Salad, Mediterranean Pâté and Cajun Langoustines to Beer Battered John Dory, or Harissa Chicken, and Chargrilled Sirloin Steak. This is a delightful venue in Europort with a cosy mezzanine level and terrace seating. Well worth a visit, or two! Available for private functions and corporate events — call 200 62828 to book your function or event.

In the fashionable Casemates square stands Gibraltar’s last historical themed pub, named for the 18th-century practice of locking gates to the city at night when the guard called ‘All’s Well’. Their food menu caters to all cravings; whether it’s fish and chips, a homemade pie, or maybe even a delicious sharing platter, they have it all. All’s Well have an amazing range of bottled beers as well as being the only pub in Gibraltar to offer craft beer on tap. Happy hour is daily from 7-9pm. Large terrace. Karaoke Mondays & Wednesdays until late.

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

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

All’s Well, Casemates Square. Tel: 200 72987

CASA PEPE

NUNOS ITALIAN

CAFÉ SOLO

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

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

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

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

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

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

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

Café Solo Grand Casemates Square. Tel: 200 44449

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

Business Information Financial Serv. Commission Tel: 200 40283/4 Chamber of Commerce Tel: 200 78376 Federation Small Business Tel: 200 47722 Company Registry.Tel: 200 78193 Useful Numbers Airport (general info.) . Tel: 200 12345 Hospital, St Bernards. . Tel: 200 79700 Weather information. . Tel: 5-3416 Frontier Queue Update Tel: 200 42777 Gibraltar Museum Tel: 200 74289 18/20 Bomb House Lane 10am-6pm (Sat 10am-2pm). Admission: Adults £2/Children under 12 - £1.

Exhibitions also at Casemates gallery.

Police 200 72500

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

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

Gibraltar Public Holidays 2019

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.

Good Friday

New Year’s Day Commonwealth Day Easter Monday

Monday 1st Jan Monday 11th Mar Friday 19th Apr Monday 22nd Apr

Workers Memorial Day Monday 29th Apr May Day

Wednesday 1st May

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.

Spring Bank Holiday

Monday 27th May

Queen’s Birthday

Monday 17th June

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

Late Summer Bank Holiday

Monday 26th Aug

Gibraltar National Day Tuesday 10th Sept Christmas Day Boxing Day

Wednesday 25th Dec Thursday 26th Dec

SUPPORT GROUPS ADHD Gibraltar adhdgibraltar@gmail.com facebook.com/ADHDGibraltar/ Alcoholics Anonymous meet 7pm Tues & Thurs at Nazareth House Tel: 200 73774.

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

Meetings at Catholic Community Centre Book Shop at 7.30pm first Thur of each month. Tel: 200 51469 Email: copeadsupport@hotmail.com

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

Dignity At Work Now Confidential support and advice for those who are being bullied at work.

Tel: 57799000.

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.

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

Childline Gibraltar confidential phone line for children in need. Freephone 8008 - 7 days a week 5pm - 9pm Citizens’ Advice Bureau Open Mon-Thur 9:30am-4:00pm, Fri 9:30am- 3:30pm. Tel: 200 40006 Email: info@cab.gi or visit at 10 Governor’s Lane. Free & confidential, impartial & independent advice and info.

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Gibraltar Cardiac Rehabilitation and Support Group meets on the first Tues of every month at 8.30pm at John Mac Hall, except for Jul & Aug. Gibraltar Dyslexia Support Group 72 Prince Edwards Rd Tel: 200 78509 Mobile: 54007924 website: www.gdsg.co.uk Gibraltar Marriage Care Free relationship counselling, including pre-marriage education (under auspices of Catholic Church, but open to all). Tel: 200 71717.

Gibraltar Society for the Visually Impaired Tel: 200 50111 (24hr answering service).

Hope miscarriage support Tel: 200 41817.

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

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

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

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

Tel: 200 42581 (24 hrs).

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

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

NON-URGENT CALLS: Ambulance Station 200 75728

BY ELIZABETH MCCARTHY

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

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

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AFTER-SCHOOL LESSONS

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AND YOU COULD WIN A HUNGRY MONKEY VOUCHER!!!

Last month's winner: Lynne Winch hungrymonkey.gi | info@hungrymonkey.gi | +(350) 200 78814 /hungrymonkey.gi/

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

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 the 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: Hip-hop/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 the preservation of Rock’s transport/motoring heritage. Assists members in restoration / maintenance of classic vehicles. New members welcome. Tel: 200 44643.

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

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

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

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

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, monthly, 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’Reilley’s 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

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

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.

Cheerleading 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’ cricket- league & 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 Ice Skating: Gibraltar Rock Stars Figure Skating Club lessons every Tuesday evening & Saturday morning, all levels including adults. Contact grsfsc@gmail.com or 58700000 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 the 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 throughout 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 caters for all ages from 4 years old to veterans (over 35’s). It organises competitions and sessions for Juniors; 4 x Senior Clubs; Veterans team; Touch Rugby and a Referees Society. Email admin@gibraltarrfu. com or visit www.gibraltarrfu.com Sailing: Gibraltar Yachting Association junior/ senior competitive programme (April - Oct) Tel: Royal Gibraltar Yacht Club at 200 78897.

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

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

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

Commercial sports diving schools available.

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

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

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

Tue, Wed, Fri: 7-10am, 12:30-5pm. Sat: 3-5pm.

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

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

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

93

information

CRUISE SCHEDULE 2019 ARRIVAL

VESSEL

ETD

PASS

OPERATOR

CAPACITY

Sat 02/03, 07:30

CORINTHIAN

17:30 American

Travel Dynamics International

114

Fri 08/03, 08:00

MEIN SCHIFF HERZ

18:00 German

TUI Cruises

1912

Fri 15/03, 07:30

CORINTHIAN

18:00 American

Travel Dynamics International

114

Sat 16/03, 07:30

CLIO

18:00 American

Grand Circle Cruise Line

89

Thu 21/03, 08:00

MEIN SCHIFF HERZ

18:00 -

-

Sun 24/03, 07:30

CORINTHIAN

17:30 American

Travel Dynamics International

114

Mon 25/03, 07:30

CLIO

17:30 American

Grand Circle Cruise Line

89

Thu 28/03, 08:00

MEIN SCHIFF HERZ

18:00 -

-

-

Sun 31/03, 08:00

MEIN SCHIFF 2

18:00

-

-

-

26 Jan ‘19 – 04 Mar ‘19

DUTY PHARMACY OPENING HOURS

12 Mar ‘19 – 18 Mar ‘19

Monday to Friday (7pm to 9pm) Weekends & public holidays (11am to 1pm & 6pm to 8pm)

19 Mar ‘19 – 25 Mar ‘19

For updates, check facebook.com/PharmaGuide

26 Mar ‘19 – 01 Apr ‘19

-

Waterport Pharmacy

Unit 14, Crown Daisy House 200 68323

Wesley Pharmacy

99 Main Street 200 67567

Trafalgar Pharmacy

8-50 Main Street 200 71710

Calpe Pharmacy ICC

9 Main Street 200 45039

CHESS PUZZLE ANSWER: with 1...Bxc4 2Rxc4 Rxb2 + wins.

94

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

information

FLIGHT SCHEDULE MARCH 2019 DAY

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

FLIGHT NO.

AIRLINE

FROM

ARRIVES

FLIGHT NO. DEPARTS

TO

EZY8901

easyJet

Gatwick

11:00

EZY8902

11:30

Gatwick

BA492

British Airways

Heathrow

12:20

BA493

13:10

Heathrow

BA490

British Airways

Heathrow

16:30

BA491

17:30

Heathrow

EZY8901

easyJet

Gatwick

11:00

EZY8902

11:30

Gatwick

BA492

British Airways

Heathrow

12:20

BA493

13:05

Heathrow

EZY2245

easyJet

Luton

15.55

EZY2246

16.30

Luton

BA490

British Airways

Heathrow

16:30

BA491

17:30

Heathrow

EZY6299

easyJet

Bristol

19:30

EZY6300

20:00

Bristol

EZY8901

easyJet

Gatwick

11:00

EZY8902**

11:30

Gatwick

BA492

British Airways

Heathrow

12:20

BA493

13:10

Heathrow

BA490

British Airways

Heathrow

16:30

BA491

17:20

Heathrow

EZY1963

easyJet

Manchester

16:55

EZY1964

17:35

Manchester

EZY8901

easyJet

Gatwick

11:00

EZY8902

11:30

Gatwick

AT990

Royal Air Maroc

Tangier

12:00

AT991

12:50

Tangier

BA492

British Airways

Heathrow

12:20

BA493

13:10

Heathrow

BA490

British Airways

Heathrow

16:30

BA491

17:20

Heathrow

EZY6299

easyJet

Bristol

19:30

EZY6300

20:00

Bristol

EZY8901

easyJet

Gatwick

11:00

EZY8902

11:30

Gatwick

BA490

British Airways

Heathrow

16:30

BA491

17:35

Heathrow

EZY6299

easyJet

Bristol

19:30

EZY6300*

20:00

Bristol

EZY8901

easyJet

Gatwick

11:55

EZY8902

12:25

Gatwick

BA492

British Airways

Heathrow

14:25

BA493

15:15

Heathrow

BA490

British Airways

Heathrow

16:30

BA491

17:20

Heathrow

EZY6299

easyJet

Bristol

10:55

EZY6300

11:25

Bristol

EZY8901

easyJet

Gatwick

11:15

EZY8902

11:45

Gatwick

EZY1963

easyJet

Manchester

11:30

EZY1964

12:00

Manchester

BA492

British Airways

Heathrow

14:25

BA493

15:15

Heathrow

BA490

British Airways

Heathrow

16:30

BA491

17:30

Heathrow

AT990

Royal Air Maroc

Tangier

18:55

AT991

19:45

Tangier

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1. Fastener on clothes (6)

4. Bar snack; fruit (6)

2. Changes (5)

9. Underwater missile; large bread roll (7)

3. Made a great effort (7)

10. See 22 (5)

5. Cardinal number; rowers in a boat (8)

11. Start especially if an attack (5)

6. Handicaps illegally e.g. a racehorse (7)

12. Blotchy (7)

7. In the latest fashion (6)

13. With no exceptions (4,3,4)

8. Takes to use by force (11)

17. Specimen (7)

14. Southern state of USA (8)

20. & 1. Hero of Gone with the Wind (5,6) 25

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

& YOU COULD WIN

22. & 10. Actor who played 20 & 1 in the film version (5,5)

16. Trades illegally; barriers (6)

23. Male chicken (7) 24. Van Gogh’s Night (6)

19. Gambling card game (5)

25. Property; type of car (6)

21. In cricket a run scored without the bat (5)

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SUDOKU

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

CHESS COLUMN BY GRANDMASTER RAY KEENE OBE One of the prime mission objectives of Brian Callaghan OBE, the driving force behind The Gibraltar Chess Festival, is to celebrate and promote female chess. In 2018 top honours were gained by Swedish Grandmaster Pia Cramling, who went through unbeaten, scored 6½/10 and earned the magnificent prize of £15,000 for the best women’s performance. Pia’s style is steady and resilient, rather than flashy, and this game is typical of her solid approach.

White: Miguel Garcia Black: Pia Cramling Gibraltar Masters 2018 Sicilian Defence 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Nc3 d6 4 d4 cxd4 5 Nxd4 Nf6 6 Bc4 Qb6 7 Nb3 e6 8 Be3 A popular variation of the counterattacking Sicilian Defence

It is natural to occupy the c-file with a rook, the c-file being Black’s home territory in the Sicilian Defence.

28 ... Bc6 29 Qg3 Bb5 This bishop pin is now overwhelming.

17 Qg3 0-0 18 Nb3 Qc7 19 Bd4 g6 20 Rae1 e5

30 Rf5 Bxc4 31 bxc4 Rxc4 32 Ref1 Rxe4 33 Be3 Rxe3 34 Qxe3 gxf5 White resigns.

Apparently losing a pawn but the tactical resources of the position uphold the balance for Black.

PUZZLE

21 fxe5 Nh5 22 Qe3 Correctly avoiding the over eager 22 exd6 as after 22 ... Nxg3 23 dxc7 Nxf1 Black is better.

22 ... dxe5 23 Bb6 Qd6 24 Na5 Ba8 25 Nc4 Qe6 26 b3 Nf4 27 a5 Nxd3 28 Qxd3

Back to play. This position from Pigott-Dvirnyy, Gibraltar 2018.

White is clearly in desperate trouble.

His development is lagging and his king is horribly exposed along the a- and b-files.

How did black finish off?

A fatal mis step. 28 cxd3 is still equal.

8 ... Qc7 9 Bd3 a6 10 f4 b5 11 Qf3 Bb7 This position represents a standard scenario in the Sicilian.

White has ambitions on the kingside while Black reacts on the opposite wing.

12 0-0 Be7 13 a4 b4 14 Nb1 Na5 15 Nxa5 Qxa5 16 Nd2 Rc8 Answer on page 94

GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

97

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GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE MARCH 2019

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