Jo Ward - page 12

There has been an Irish presence for many years, noticeable by the fact that one of the main streets here is named Irish Town. Although the origins of the name is sometimes in dispute, it is thought that the original Irish residents were women immigrants who came to Gibraltar in late 1727 and early 1728 to provide company for the troops stationed in the military barracks that formed part of the compound where the lower military Irish ranks were housed. 

With a strong community of Irish people living and working on the Rock, we find out what brought four Irish expats to Gibraltar and ask them about their impressions of their new home. 

Michelle Lawler

I was born in Carlow in the South East of Ireland and came to Gibraltar from Scotland to work as a physiotherapist on a two year contract. I had always wanted to live in the sun and I actually didn’t know anything about Gibraltar, but because the qualifications you get in the UK are equivalent to here I applied for the job not thinking I’d get it – and here I am almost two years later. Although I am unsure if my contract will be extended, I hope I will be able to carry on working in Gibraltar because I have liked it since I first moved over; one of the reasons being is that the team I work with are really welcoming. If there is one thing that I would miss most about living here it would be the work/life balance. The weather is so fantastic you can go out after work, especially in the winter, unlike the north of Scotland where it gets pitch black at 3 o’clock and all you could do was come home from work and cuddle up on the couch. 

On the day of my arrival in Gibraltar, I went to Morrisons wearing my Carlow county GAA football shirt. A guy stopped me in the aisle because he recognised the shirt (he played for the Gibraltar Gaels) and he then introduced me to other Irish expats. There is a strong Irish community here and if I ever feel really homesick even just talking in the same accent to them gives me a sense of being at home. 

One of the things that appealed to me when I came over was the proximity of Spain. At weekends I am always keen to find new places to visit and recently I celebrated my birthday with two friends by taking the bus to Torremolinos and staying in an Airbnb. Recently I came across a Facebook page offering random adventures and I joined a group that regularly take part in different activities, including scuba diving in Gibraltar and a sunset sail in Sotogrande. 

When I first moved over, people told me that I would either love Gibraltar or hate it because it is such a small place and it can feel confining. Carlow is the second smallest county in Ireland and it also has a very small town where everyone knows each other, so it has a real sense of community, and I think that is why I like Gibraltar so much, because it is a bit like home. 

John Paul Thornton

Originally from the countryside surrounding Belfast, I came over to Gibraltar eight years ago previously having moved around quite a bit, going from Scotland to France and then to London, and I lived with my wife in Blackpool for thirteen years where she was a nurse. I was a photography student, but I now work for Image Graphics and in my spare time I play with the Gibraltar Gaels football team. We train on Wednesday nights in Devils Tower Camp training ground and we compete against teams from the Costa del Sol and Sevilla. Sport always brings expats together, and although people may support different teams within the English Premier League a group of us meet up quite regularly to watch games, often at The Liffey Sports Bar in La Linea. I am also part of an Irish Folk group in which I play the mandolin, guitar and the bodhrán, an Irish drum, performing in Gibraltar as well as along the coast. There was an influx three or four years ago of Irish coming to live in Gibraltar, so there is a big Irish community here now. 

What I love about Gibraltar is the weather – you don’t have to go on holiday to be on holiday – and you can get out of work and go straight to the beach. The people are very friendly, and the food is really good and as I am a big lover of wine and cheese that helps as well. 

I don’t think I would ever move away – it would have to be something really disastrous for that to happen. My wife and I got married during our time here and our daughter was born here, she is coming up to her fourth birthday now, so she is well settled down and I like my life in Gibraltar.

Niall Durnin

I come from Dundalk, half way between Dublin and Belfast just on the border, so I am used to borders! Having worked in the gaming industry in Dublin, I had always been interested in coming to Gibraltar and whilst on holiday in Spain a good few years back I spent a couple of days here with my wife, who is also Irish. When the offer of a job came along with a good salary and an attractive lifestyle, I realised that I didn’t want to go back to work in the city and the size of Gibraltar appealed to me. 

We live in Gibraltar and it is nice to be able to walk to work every day instead of commuting, it makes a big difference, and although I only came for a year or two, I am still here five years on with no plans to return home. 

There were no St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in Gibraltar this year and the Irish community would normally meet up then or if there was a big football game on, but I am mindful of not getting sucked into an Irish expat bubble because otherwise I wouldn’t get to meet people from other nationalities. We know the bars and restaurants to go to if we want to meet up with other Irish expats. 

Apart from the weather, I like the size of Gibraltar. It is just easy to get around and because I am from a small town it is not a shock that everything is not available that you may find in a big city, and you don’t miss what you never had, so although the pace of life is a bit slower, it is a bit like Ireland where everybody knows each other. 

The ease of access to Spain is something that I like, especially as I play in a golf society, but more often than not we like to spend our weekends in Gibraltar and we enjoy going out to eat a couple of times a week. Gibraltar has the advantage of being English speaking and we have met lots of nice people here, with many of our friends being Gibraltarian, and after five years I may not be a local yet – but I am getting that way. 

Sean Mullan

I like to describe myself as a bit of a ‘crisp packet in the wind’! I was living in Liverpool before I decided to move here, but I have never really stayed in one place for very long and I create my family wherever it is in the world that I am. I was born in Belfast and it was a new adventure to come to Gibraltar where I have found a sense of community and inclusiveness with friends, work colleagues and locals, and this has encouraged me to stay and build a life in Gibraltar. 

I have been working here in the gaming industry for the past two years, and no matter where I have worked there has always been an Irish contingent. We just sort of gravitate to each other because it is a little bit of home, so if I go out with work friends there will always be some Irish expats within that crowd. 

Gibraltar is a lively place with a vibrant night life and great restaurants and bars and I try and get in on that as much as I can. I have a friend called Paddy who lives in Gibraltar and we meet in Irish Town, we dress in green and we make our way over to O’Reilleys for a beer and we always have a great craic, just as we would as if we were back home. 

I do like to see the world and I have done a great deal of that already – but I have found such a sense of community in Gibraltar that even if I had to stay here for the rest of my days it wouldn’t be such a bad thing. Everyone is so nice and because most of the Irish expats are in the same boat we have a common understanding of taking care of each other and making sure that we spend time together, because if you are here by yourself you have got to make your family your friends and your friends your family. 

Culture and tourism often go hand in hand, but individually both have a huge influence on the local community. Jo Ward talks to two Government Ministers to find out what impact Covid-19 has had on these two sectors in Gibraltar and what people can look forward to in the future.

Culture

Prof John Cortes MBE is the Minister for the Environment, Sustainability, Climate Change, Heritage, Public Health and Culture, which seems like a huge undertaking, but it is clear that he is passionate about each of the departments that he is responsible for. 

Asked what sort of effect the coronavirus pandemic and resulting lockdown has had on culture in Gibraltar, Minister Cotes says that the cultural world has been very active but in a different kind of way. “It stopped one form of culture which is that of performance with audiences, such as musical, drama, and dance, but it also had the effect of curtailing the activities of performing arts and dance academies, so that has been a negative, but on the other hand a lot of these cultural groups have been working even during lockdown,” he states.  The Minister explains that dance schools have been giving both one-to-one and group lessons via Zoom or Teams, and musicians have been performing and putting their work online. “In fact some local groups that hadn’t played together for many years were able to link up via the internet and play together.”

Gibraltar has a large and thriving artistic community and artists have been pro-active in producing new work, some of which has been inspired by Covid-19. “During critical times, culture becomes even more important,” Minister Cortes says, continuing “and I know that writers have been writing about their experiences and I wouldn’t be surprised if we have a few publications, plays, etc. written by local writers which are inspired by Covid-19 and the way that we have had to adapt and change.” 

The Minister agrees that the lockdown situation has had some hidden benefits. “It has made a lot of us think about how we live and how perhaps we should live, and although it has curtailed a lot of cultural events and performances that the majority of us enjoy going to, had this happened without the internet it would have been a very different experience,” he comments.  Gibraltar Cultural Services run cultural activities on behalf of the Ministry for Culture and have been able to provide virtual exhibitions, competitions and to organise activities for young people who haven’t been able to go to school for months.  “People may say that culture has no importance, but I think it is the very opposite,” Minister Cortes says. “It gives us an anchor and an identity and I am very proud of everybody in the cultural world in Gibraltar – not just how they have survived but how they help us survive through difficult times.”

Music Festival 

Unfortunately, decisions had to be made early on in the year to cancel several events which, in hindsight, proved to be the right thing to do, one of which was the Music Festival. “Hindsight is a marvellous thing of course, but it was a very difficult decision to take, especially as it was made during my first few months as Minister of Culture where I was really looking forward to all these sorts of things, but clearly it was the right decision,” Minister Cortes explains. “We are looking forward to reviving the Music Festival next year, along with many of the other performances, events and activities that our society is so well known for, but in a different form to the old one which is something we were already moving towards anyway.”

National Day

Something that everyone in Gibraltar looks forward to is National Day, celebrated on the 10th September each year. The Minister confirms that sadly National Day this year cannot be celebrated in the traditional way with large gatherings.  “Families will of course make their own arrangements within the public health guidelines, but the official events will be different. There will be the usual boat procession and the Castle will be lit up with the national colours, but the events themselves, both cultural and political, will be replaced with broadcast and streamed performances and messages,” he tells me. 

Literary Festival

Another favourite, the Gibraltar Gibunco International Literary Festival to be held in November, will take place as a virtual event that people will be able to log in to. 

Event led tourism, of which the Literary Festival is just one example, is something that has become increasingly successful in bringing visitors to Gibraltar, but it has also taken a hit during lockdown. “I meet regularly with the Minister for Tourism to discuss this sort of thing and we think that carefully planned and structured event led tourism can have a future even through Covid-19, provided it is done in a responsible way with smaller numbers and with more of the usual precautions we all know about ,” the Minister confirms.  Many of these activities and events, such as the Gibraltar Snooker Open, the Darts Open and the World Pool Masters have already taken place or have been postponed and will take place in the virtual sphere at a later date.

As an amateur performer himself, Minister Cortes knows how frustrating it is for people who want to perform and who aren’t able to get on stage in front of an audience. “If all goes well, hopefully we will be unlocking the Rock over the next few months – better times are around the corner!”

Tourism

As a top leisure and tourism destination Gibraltar is unique in many ways, but the coronavirus pandemic has also highlighted how crucial tourism is to the local economy. 

Vijay Daryanani, Minister for Business, Tourism and Transport, confirms that the pandemic has dealt a very important blow to the tourism industry, as it has everywhere else in the world. “We were not able to welcome visitors to the Rock and consequently this has had a very serious effect on those working in the industry,” he states. 

The lack of tourists coming to Gibraltar has meant that restaurants and shops struggled to keep afloat; with many businesses having to rely on Government aid.  “For the Second quarter of 2020, the Government has provided financial assistance through the BEAT Scheme.  We have paid the wages of all businesses who have qualified for this scheme and we have also waived all commercial rates and rents on Government Property.  At the same time, we have recommended private landlords to give a 50% reduction on rent, and we have deferred utility charges and PAYE/Social Insurance.” The Minister for Tourism went on to state that for the third quarter of 2020, they have introduced a new scheme, BEAT 2.0.  “This scheme has provided a grant to all those businesses who qualified for the earlier BEAT.  We have reduced rates by 50%, rent by 25% on Government owned property and recommended private landlords to do the same.” 

“I think we have put forward an excellent package and I know this has been a life saver for most businesses,” the Minister comments. 

Looking to the future, how does the Minister think businesses will adapt? “Clearly the pandemic has changed the world and in many ways how we do business. Those in the tourism, leisure and hospitality sector will have to rethink how they provide their products and services and whether or not the target market has changed,” he states. “I’m confident that, as is always the case in Gibraltar, businesses will adapt and respond proactively and innovatively to move forward.”

Flights

It was a lifeline that British Airways continued to fly into Gibraltar at a time when many flights were cancelled around the world. High on the list that everyone wants to know about is the future of flights to and from Gibraltar. What can people plan for, and with Christmas on the horizon, will families be able to be together? Minister Daryanani says his hopes are very positive. “EasyJet have also now started to resume their services to Gibraltar and I’m sure that as we work through these troubled times we will find ourselves in a position that we were in previously, enjoying a great range of destinations from the UK and Morocco.  We are always looking at new routes and speaking to new airlines to attract them to Gibraltar.”

Asked if there could be any reason for flights to stop coming into Gibraltar and what reassurance he could give to people booking holidays, the Minister agrees that the airline industry is very changeable and in the circumstances we have faced this year it is difficult to predict what may happen from day to day. “However, I can reassure anyone wishing to visit us that we have the highest levels of protocols in place. We are in constant contact with the airlines and the tour operators serving Gibraltar and we have an excellent relationship with them. This enables us to keep a track of all that is happening in the industry.”

What about the decision to ban cruise ships to dock in Gibraltar? Was it the right course of action? “Any decision taken to protect the community and the future of our people is the right decision to make,” he says. Minister Daryanani goes on to comment that he is eagerly awaiting the resumption of calls by cruise ships to Gibraltar. “They will be welcomed in the same way as in the past, enjoying legendary Gibraltarian hospitality, but having said that – the safety and security of our people is paramount.”

In an attempt to attract visitors from Spain to come and spend their money in Gibraltar, the Tourist Board ran a very vigorous marketing campaign across the border including radio and television, online advertising and some in-print advertising. “This has been very well received and has given Gibraltar great coverage in southern Spain,” he says.  “It is heart breaking to see an empty Main Street so I’m definitely looking forward not only to the day when Main Street becomes as busy as it used to be, but also that all our visitors can enjoy the wonderful products that Gibraltar has to offer as a tourism destination, of which we are very proud.”

It’s difficult interviewing a comedian, especially when it’s Billy Pearce, because you can’t stop laughing as he peppers the conversation with jokes during our Zoom chat. 

Often referred to as a national treasure in the UK, Billy Pearce has won just about every comedy award going, including a British Comedy Award for ‘Top Theatre Variety Performer’, solo comedian of the year, and best television comedy newcomer at the London Palladium. Billy, dubbed West Yorkshire’s King of Panto, has been making people laugh for over 50 years. The consummate entertainer started his performing career in his home town of Leeds where his mum owned a dance school. “The Jean Pearce School of Dancing was probably the biggest dance school in the UK and mum acted as an adviser for the kids who went on to appear on Junior Showtime, a variety show for children on television, and she was responsible for giving many of them their first start in the business, including stars such as Joe Longthorne, Rosemarie Ford, Mark Curry and Bonnie Langford.” Billy explains. 

“The dance school was always short of boys because they preferred to play football and rugby rather than appearing in the shows, so I used to get dragged in to help out,” he says. “The first time I went on stage was as a 6 year old at the Empire in Leeds, when I played a Siamese twin in The King and I, and from there I went on to appear in all the musical shows such as Oklahoma! and South Pacific.” 

Although he loved appearing on stage, Billy never imagined that he would still be working in the entertainment industry all these years later. It was whilst he was working as an apprentice in a foundry that fate intervened and set him off on a different show-business path. “I was hit by a car when I was on my motor scooter that resulted in some terrible damage to my body, but it also made me change my priorities,” Billy says. 

After a spell working behind the scenes as a stage hand, Billy teamed up with a friend from the dance school and together they went on to become Butlins Redcoats, following in the footsteps of so many stars of stage and screen. Cue a joke: “At Butlins we used to catch people climbing over the fence and then send them back to finish their holidays!” 

“We could both sing, tap dance and play guitars,” he states, “and then when we returned to Leeds we started playing the working men’s clubs, mainly performing musical numbers, but when the resident band didn’t know a song, I would fill in with a bit of comedy.” Billy tells me that was when he found that he liked making people laugh. “I would do more and more comedy and then one day I woke up and somebody called me a comedian! I still don’t really think I am a comedian – I am more of a comedy entertainer – comedy is hard and it’s a serious business being funny.” 

After a couple of years doing the clubs, Billy went out on his own. “It was a very difficult decision for me because I’m not the most confident person in the world – but it took me 16 years of hard slog learning my craft and then in 1986 I went on New Faces.” Billy made it to the final and then found himself touring with Danny La Rue, appearing on numerous TV variety shows in the late 80s and 90s including Tonight at the London Palladium and he became a mainstay of panel shows such as Through the Keyhole, Blankety Blank, Talking Telephone Numbers and You Bet as well as taking part in three Royal Variety shows and five children’s Royal Variety shows. 

Most comedians spend a lot of time travelling and Billy is no exception. Cue another joke: “I have an international agent – that means I am out of work all over the world!” More lately, Billy has been touring theatres with his one man stand-up adult comedy shows, some of which can last up to two and a half hours. “In the clubs I do about an hour and a half and hit them as hard as I can and run – so I tend to do a bit of everything. I have been lucky that my career has been so varied,” he admits. 

Lockdown for Billy was spent at home with wife Kerry, a former dancer. “Having to stay in isolation has taken the pressure off me,” he tells me. “When I am working I get up in the morning and already start panicking about the evening. It’s like a roller-coaster of adrenaline, so this has been like being on holiday, but I am getting itchy feet now and can’t wait to get back to performing.” Billy says that he has been full of mixed emotions. Joke alert number three: “It’s like watching your mother-in-law driving off a cliff in your brand new Mercedes!” 

That joke is reminiscent of the one-liners used by British stand-up comedians such as Les Dawson. So what does Billy think about today’s alternative comedians? “Comedy has changed; it’s more observational now rather than jokes and a lot of it is not my cup of tea,” he admits. “I am more of an old fashioned gag man, delivering one liners in a similar way to Tim Vine, although I have written some observational comedy and I am proud of that.” 

Billy says that he admires anybody who can get up on stage with a microphone in their hand and entertain people. “It is a very tough wage and I can only put it akin to boxing without getting physically hit – but you are in a way, because it is so brutal,” he states. “It’s like being thrown to the lions sometimes – I have been booed off walking on – only kidding!” 

During his career Billy has been lucky to work with some wonderful people, many of whom became great friends such as John Inman and Lynda Bellingham. “Years ago I was in a double act with my girlfriend at the time. We were absolutely broke but we managed to get a week’s work in a variety show at the Whitehall Theatre in Dundee,” Billy says. “On the bill was a mind reading act called the Amazing Margoes (a really miserable old couple), who stood in the wings and watched our act every night but never said anything. On the last day I was summoned to their room – I was terrified. Mr. Margoe asked what we were doing after the show had finished its run, and I explained that we were out of work and didn’t have an agent. He put a piece of paper in my hand; it was a long list of agents and bookers, and told me to mention his name when I called them.” The upshot of the story was that Billy says he turned out to be a wonderful man with a kind heart. “You can’t judge a book by its cover!” he laughs. 

Known for his cheeky face, his big grin and high-pitched accent (you may remember his “Hiya kids” catchphrase), Billy says he is a Yorkshire man, bread and buttered. “I know I’ve lost my accent since I went posh, but I’m proud of being from Yorkshire!” Is he always a laugh a minute? “I am just the same as a lot of my comedian friends – we all have our demons,” he comments. “I still get terrified before I go on stage even after 50 years and I get so angry with myself. Sometimes I will say to my wife that I don’t feel very well and she’ll say it’s because you are working tonight.” Billy knows that he is luckier than some. “I have a lovely family and plenty of people around me and although it has been difficult in lockdown it hasn’t been too bad for me because I have a big garden, but if you are on your own and don’t know where your next gig is going to be and you have been used to going out working all your life making people laugh, then it can get very dark.” 

At the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, Billy and England and Yorkshire cricketer Adil Rashid took time out of their own self-isolation to film a series of short video clips to reinforce the importance of the Government message to stay at home, protect the NHS, and save lives as part of Bradford Council’s campaign to reach out to every part of the community with key public health messages. 

Although Billy has been busy doing podcasts, sending birthday messages to fans and taking part in the online digital version of the Bradford Fringe, which he says has opened up a couple of new doors for him to do some serious acting work, it is panto which is his true love. “Oh no it isn’t, Oh yes, it is!” 

“I have done panto at the Bradford Alhambra for the last 21 years and this year should have been no exception, but we are still waiting to hear if it will be allowed to go ahead,” he explains. Last year it was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs with Step’s Faye Tozer and Paul Chuckle and to put it in perspective as to how much panto means to the local community, Billy says that it took over £2 million at the box office. “It’s amazing how many people are on the payroll and how many in the area rely on panto for their livelihood.” 

This year it should be Sleeping Beauty and Billy is waiting for the bones of the script to come through his letterbox. Over the years, he has established a fair bit of creative control over the panto, drawing on his vast experience to get heavily involved in the writing process. “I write a lot of the funny stuff, but I do that when I know who else is starring in it so that I can beef up their parts to suit their personality.” 

Has Billy ever played the Dame, I ask? “It has been mentioned a couple of times but I always steer away from it when possible – although it may have to come in to play at some point. I am usually the central character and principal boy such as Buttons or Aladdin, but now I am getting older it doesn’t sit right!” 

As he approaches 70, the veteran performer says that has no plans to slow down or hang up his microphone any time soon. So what does the future hold for Billy? “Retirement would drive me bananas and working is always something that I look forward to and the adrenaline keeps me young – I’m 95 you know!”

As you walk through the streets of Gibraltar you will have noticed more and more a proliferation of murals and paintings on the sides of buildings or in underpasses. Maybe not so much graffiti, but more like artwork that makes you smile, inspires you or lifts your emotions. 

Drawings on walls first appeared thousands of years ago in caves and were then used by the Ancient Romans and Greeks. The word ‘graffiti’ was originally a technical term for the ancient handwritten inscriptions, either electoral propaganda or general graffiti, that were scratched into plaster found in the ruins of Pompeii.  Fast forward to the 1920s when street art started showing up in New York in the 1920s where gangs would graffiti their ‘tags’ on public property or the sides or trains.  

Most of us have heard of Banksy, the British “guerrilla” street artist who has achieved international fame through his controversial, and often politically themed, signature style stencilled pieces and whose works have been sold for millions of pounds. But decades before Banksy became infamous, American artist and social activist Keith Haring was daubing the New York subway system with chalk drawings in the 1970s and 80s. Haring’s artwork began showing in galleries, and he is now regarded as a leading figure in the New York East Village art scene. Look out for his vibrant, colourful and bold images featuring barking dogs, flying saucers, hearts and Mickey Mouse. 

Banksy’s success was built partly on his anonymity and the myths that built up around him, but French artist Blek le Rat, whose real name is Xavier Pro, claims that Banksy may well have plagiarised his work and that he invented the life-sized stencil technique that Banksy would later use to make his name. There is no doubt that some of the images used by Banksy, such as rats, and life-sized images of men and soldiers, were initially found in Blek le Rat’s work. 

So how is street art different from graffiti? Both can be executed without the permission of the owners of the buildings or properties that they use to put their artwork on. Traditionally, graffiti artists would make work that used to be considered vandalism but in recent years they have used their art to make a point or send a message that will make people stop in their tracks and to provoke discussion. 

Street art is more a form of art expression, sometimes commissioned, often portraying complex and beautiful scenes and is something which has become an integral element of contemporary art and has rooted itself in communities.

Have you noticed that Gibraltar has been looking a little more colourful over the past few years? Back in 2017 the Government introduced a street art / graffiti initiative as part of its urban regeneration programme with the aim of revitalising areas that required redevelopment and was an attempt to improve the physical appeal of building façades with a popular form of public art. 

Artist Ben Eine who had made a name on the London underground graffiti scene for his multi-coloured letter prints was the first to kick start the scheme with his street art mural on the wall at Ince’s Hall Theatre where the words ‘That’s Entertainment’ are painted on the building’s façade.

Another initiative by the Gibraltar Cultural Services was a competition for local artists in 2018 to create murals to decorate some of the streets around town. Eleanor Taylor Dobbs won the opportunity to undertake a mural lining the wall of Fountain Ramp. Eleanor collaborated with children to complete the work, inspired by ‘A Book Called Hope’ by Quentin Blake and John Lennon’s song ‘Imagine’, which explored concepts of freedom and justice.

A second street art mural by Eleanor Dobbs together with Jessica Darch entitled ‘Old Soldiers View’ adorns Prince Edward’s Gate. The work depicts a landscape of ruins, defences and distant views and was inspired by the multi-layered history of Gibraltar as if perceived at the Gate in 1790.

You will surely have noticed that the tunnel by Irish Town and Chatham Counterguard has been transformed into a calm paradise and lets you escape the hustle and bustle of the city centre with a mural entitled ‘Make a Wish’ by Geraldine Martinez. Some of the mural is in black and white – representing pollution – but it then takes you through into a kaleidoscope of colour with a child who invites the passer-by to take a mindful moment and make a wish. Geraldine completed another mural recently, on the wall of the Queensway Nursery and will also be creating a mural on the Department of Education façade called ‘Touch the earth gently for all is connected’.

The Tunnel leading to the Alameda Gardens has a work entitled ‘Young Explorers’ by Paul Bush that was inspired by his sense of childhood wonder at the Botanical Garden that he grew up near and is his depiction of the landscape and wildlife to be found there.  There is no doubt that the murals have enhanced the environment and made the streets of Gibraltar more welcoming and walkable to not only those who live here but also to visitors and tourists. 

Graffiti and street art can be controversial and prompt discussion, but they can also tell stories that combine history and present-day culture, acting as a direct comment on the local environment and society and bringing communities together.  Make sure to have a look at Gibraltar’s street art as you wander round town. 

Jo Ward talks to two friends of Gibraltar, both of whom have appeared at the Gibunco Gibraltar International Literary Festival in the past, about what they have been doing during lockdown and how new and unexpected avenues of opportunity have arisen. 

Author and publisher Christopher Lloyd is well known to many children, parents and teachers not only for his series of ‘What on Earth?’ books, but also for his exuberant storytelling of fascinating facts that make learning fun.

Normally travelling the world giving talks and lectures (he should have been in Australia and South Africa in May); Chris tells me how life has taken a different twist. One of the things that came along was the opportunity to record an audio version of his book ‘Absolutely Everything’. “There are different ways of trying to process knowledge about the world and it is lovely being able to explore some of those. When I am writing, I try to imagine that I am reading out loud to a child because that is such a natural way for them to receive information, and this book lends itself perfectly to that.”

Something that Chris says will quickly overwhelm his life is a new venture. “My little publishing company signed a partnership last year with Britannica, known for the ‘Encyclopaedia Britannica’,” he explains. In 2012 Britannica gave up printing books to put the whole Encyclopaedia online. “They have realised that in a world of fake news, printing books that fascinate children and appeal to their natural curiosity is a really important part of their development.” Chris and his team have been busy working on building a whole list of ‘What on Earth?’ books, but also on a new imprint – Britannica Books – which will launch this autumn.  “This will be the first new ‘Britannica Children’s Encyclopaedia’to be produced for a generation,” he states. “The beautifully illustrated books will consist of a large volume with eight chapters, going from the beginning of time to the present day in a big overreaching story.”

As if that weren’t enough, Chris has become involved in a new project to create a national online school in the UK. “This is about trying to connect what children do at school with what they can also do at home and to enable the learning experience to be not something that is physically limited by the school proximity and resources,” he tells me. The project will connect children with parents and industry experts to give them a real sense about careers and will show them the different opportunities and possibilities that can develop from whatever fascinates them at an early age. “Most importantly it will connect children with other children so they learn, inspire, criticise and communicate with each other,” Chris says. 

“Children are interested in different things and if you tell a child that they are going to learn something because it says so in the curriculum, their motivation levels are way down,” he explains. “If you ask a child what interests them and, for example, they say penguins and they go on to do a project about Antarctica, about ice, read and create poems about penguins or do maths through penguins, the child’s motivation is much higher because they have a stake in the choice which they don’t normally get.”

“This paradigm has been missing from traditional education, but I do think there is now a tremendous potential to unleash some of that, and maybe we will look back and see lockdown as a moment where culture and behaviour was forced to change,” Chris comments, going on to say that he is full of optimism for the future of education. “The great strength of our species is how adaptable we are – we adapted to the ice ages by learning how to light and control fire; we adapted to climate change 10,000 years ago by learning how to farm and produce food in a new way rather than just relying on hunting, and we will adapt again, and adaptability in children is the best thing they can learn when they are young because who knows what the jobs of the future are going to be.”

Lockdown has meant that Chris has been able to enjoy family time with his wife and two daughters at their home in Kent. “Apart from my undertaking twenty-four years’ worth of gardening in 3 months, we are very lucky to go walking in the countryside with our dogs, have picnics and BBQs and we even had a little rock concert here in the garden – we warned the neighbours, put up the big screen and  speakers – and had great fun!”

At the 2017 Literary Festival, Chris presented a new timeline book called “The Story of Gibraltar” and worked with some of the teachers here to show them how to integrate the story into history lessons. “I do hope that I can come back to Gibraltar and talk to you about all the exciting projects I have been involved in since then,” he says. 

Tim Bentinck aka David Archer from BBC Radio 4 series, The Archers, came to Gibraltar last year to talk about his autobiography ‘Being David Archer – And Other Unusual Ways of Earning a Living’. 

Tim tells me he has been very fortunate in that he has been able to work from home in North London. “I’ve got a little studio downstairs underneath the front steps where I am able to do recordings,” he says. These have included audio books, Automated Dialog Replacement (ADR), and a couple of audio dramas – Dr. Who and Space 1999. “I’m busier than ever!”

When it comes to The Archers (celebrating its 70th anniversary this year) due to lockdown restrictions, large cast recordings with interaction between multiple characters had to be scrapped in favour of monologues recorded at the actors’ homes. Tim’s character David Archer was the first voice to be heard.  “For the first time, listeners get to hear what the characters ‘really think’, he says. “As actors, we’re always after the sub-text – what we say is not necessarily what we mean. Now, what we think is not necessarily what we say!”

These internal thought processes have enabled the listeners to get inside the head of the denizens of Ambridge as never before. “One revelation that came out is that David Archer plays the guitar, which I think might have been mentioned about 30 years ago,” Tim explains. “The idea is that he has got a guitar in the attic which he’s always wanted to get out and go down and play at the village pub, The Bull, and now on Facebook; they have been calling him Disco Dave!”  Luckily, Tim can play the guitar, which is evident by the Fender and acoustic guitars visible on the wall behind him during our Zoom call. 

Tim has a long list of theatre, television and film credits to his name, and was in the middle of filming a big HBO series called The Nevers, an upcoming science fiction drama television series created by Joss Whedon of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Marvel films fame. “Unfortunately, it packed up because of the pandemic,” he states, “but hopefully we will get going again in the future.”

The pandemic is revolutionising the world of performing arts and looking forward Tim knows that for TV and theatre, the ‘new normal’ will be very different to how it has been. “How can you film a realistic drama where people have got to remain two metres away from each other – you can’t have intimacy, or people close to each other – it is going to be very weird,” he comments. He is also very concerned about what will happen to theatres when, and if, they are able to reopen.  “You can’t have a theatre which is half empty; the idea is that when you are on stage performing to a packed auditorium there is an atmosphere, that’s what theatre is all about.”  

There is no doubt that the coronavirus crisis has hit the industry in unprecedented ways and Tim says that many of his actor mates are currently out of work.  “The only people in the acting profession who are still working are those who are doing voice over work,” he remarks. “I do lots of dubbing and post-syncing and recently took my first foray out into the wide world and went into a studio – and there I was in a recording booth and I looked through the window and there was the engineer in another room, and the director was in another room with the monitor directing me – so it can be done, and what is really interesting is that people are finding ways of making this all work – to begin with they said ‘we can’t do this’ – but they have found ways.”

As with many of us, Tim has had time to expand his cooking skills. “I have always done a very good Spaghetti Bolognese and I have now extended that range to Chilli con Carne,” he laughs. “The upside of all this is that it has been really lovely spending time with my wife Judy and son Jasper, not having to rush off to work and then not seeing each other until the evening – with never a cross word being spoken.”

As our chat came to an end, Tim’s parting comment was: “We had such a lovely time in Gibraltar and the people we met were great, so I do hope that we can come back again in the near future.”

“Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.” – Thomas Merton

Art has always been known to stir up emotions and some of us may have used it as a healing tool to soothe our souls and lift our spirits. How many times have you been engrossed by an artwork that has evoked strong emotions and given you a new insight into your way of dealing with issues in your life? 

In recent times, art has become even more important for some of us than ever before. It can take us out of the ‘new normal’ and into a world full of possibility. It allows us to explore and move around freely in ways that we may not physically be able to, giving us the opportunity to connect to other worlds; foreign countries; times gone by and, sometimes, the exotic and impossible.   

Lockdown has given some of us the opportunity to discover latent artistic talents, spurred on in many cases with inspiration from artists such as Turner Prize winner Grayson Perry in his Channel 4 show ‘Grayson’s Art Club’ where viewers were encouraged to send in art they had made on a theme he had chosen. 

Gibraltar’s own Christian Hook painted singer Will Young in Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Week, a lockdown edition of the competition he won six years ago, during which budding artists were given the chance to paint a different celebrity from home during the live weekly paint-along. 

Art can also be a reflection of the artist’s struggles and internal conflicts and this is especially true in times of crisis when they turn to their craft to articulate their feelings. 

Karl J Ullger is a well-known local artist who has always found art to be cathartic, but even more so recently.  “I’ve been fortunate during this period to be working assisting the GHA and HMGoG along with another 4 designers and creatives to design and develop an awareness campaign in regard to the Covid-19 pandemic,” he says. “It is very gratifying during such difficult times to be able to contribute and play a role whereby I can use my creative strengths in aiding the Government and to help people combat this virus locally.”

Karl explains that he has been in full creative mode producing sketches and paintings. “Even though I am known for my landscapes, the work produced during this period has been in response to the pandemic and looking closely at portraiture commissioned by clients.” One of these paintings is titled Covid19: The Carrier which Karl says is more of an adapted illustration where we see a young child in army gear with a lollipop in the back pocket and a distressed teddy bear hanging from the back pack. “The child soldier is holding a balloon-like object which is clearly representing the coronavirus. The ink study represents how children are and can be societies’ carriers of the virus, yet the teddy and lollipop represent innocence and naivety in this very warped time. My idea is to develop this into a painting dominated by very subtle greys/ earth tones.”   

Another popular Gibraltarian artist is Gerry Martinez, whose murals can be spotted around town.  “I have felt in control during lockdown and I am convinced that it is due to art playing such a pivotal role in my life,” she says. Gerry has been giving weekly art classes online with the Youth Service, attending online life-drawing classes with the Fine Arts Association, and has created a new mural at a local nursery. Her entrepreneurial spirit doesn’t stop there and she has also found time to co-create a new business supporting local artists and artisans. “Life would be dull without art,” she comments. “Spending at least once a week doing something creative is so therapeutic mentally; you are present in that moment (and nothing else matters at that point in time), you can make mistakes where there are no consequences, you can be yourself where there is no judgement and for me it is an extension of my mindfulness and meditation practices.”

Gerry says that being creative makes you think ‘outside the box’ and it has allowed her to be flexible and adapt to these challenging times. “I recommend everyone (especially the cynics) to try a creative hobby; you will be surprised with what you can get out of it and there are numerous online tutorials out there too, so there are no excuses not to try something new.”

Twitter or Instagram: @ullger_art  / Facebook: Karl J Ullger Artworks Facebook: @geraldinemartinezart 

Lockdown may have given us challenges to overcome but it has also given us the chance to bring about positive changes in our lives and those of our family. Obviously our first priority has been to stay healthy, but for some of us the restrictions have also given us the precious commodity of time. We’ve had to re-shape our lives and get the cogs of our brains turning to think of things to help us survive, thrive and find inspiration at the most unlikely of times.   

We’ve turned our hands to doing things that we didn’t have time for before and that includes learning new skills and flexing our creative muscles. Immersing ourselves in hobbies has proven to be good for our mental health and I know that stripping back two dining chair seats, replacing the webbing and upholstering them has done wonders for my sense of achievement. Whilst that may not be everybody’s idea of fun, there are plenty of other activities that have been keeping idle hands busy.

A little creativity each day can go a long way towards happiness and satisfaction. Google Trends data looks at how popular a topic is over a certain time period and it comes as no surprise that searches surrounding home baking have featured highly recently, with the shortage of flour and baking powder in our supermarkets bearing testament to this. According to a study published in the Journal of Positive Psychology in late 2016, cooking or baking can make people happier, not only due to the therapeutic effect on their own wellbeing at having created something, but also because they know that the end product will be enjoyed by others. 

What we can take from all this is that without lockdown, would we have gone out of our way to discover something new? One thing is certain, it has made us realise that what is important are our relationships with family and friends and that is definitely a positive. 

It is with some amusement that I have seen family members who would never previously have been seen with a paint brush in their hand, or who have never picked up a pair of secateurs before, taking up new pastimes and finding way to stave off boredom and get their creative juices flowing. 

The other benefit of home confinement is the result it has had on balconies, terraces and patios around Gibraltar, now bedecked with plants and flowers. Friends who I never thought of as green fingered have become keen urban gardeners, sowing seeds in pots or window boxes that will eventually provide them with a small crop of fruits and vegetables. Chili peppers and tomatoes are ideal for hot balconies and peas and beans just need something to grow up, like trellis or netting, so as well as being delicious and healthy, gardening can have therapeutic restorative powers on our wellbeing. 

Maybe you’ve found your inner poet or have started to dabble in creative writing. Online video tutorials, courses and resources have come into their own and made learning new skills accessible. Stimulating our brains with mind-boosting activities is important to our mental health because if your mind is not stimulated it could lead to depression. Taking time out to listen to music releases endorphins in our brain and can lift our mood. Something that has helped me through isolation has been listening to podcasts. Although I admit to not having been a dedicated podcast listener before lockdown, I am now hooked on my daily fix that can range from comedy to history or from current affairs to celebrity gossip.  

Surviving family life under lockdown is another challenge for some, and for others it is a hardship not to have their families living with them.  Family life has gone through a major upheaval over the past few months, but it has meant being able to spend more quality time together. Home schooling may not be your forte, but learning about nature or getting crafty with the kids can be educational and fun. When going outside isn’t an option, getting creative by building a den is a simple thing to do and can be easily achieved with a sheet or cloth over a table or some upturned chairs, bedecked with cushions and maybe some fairy lights. We’ve had many a video call with children inside dens where a tea party has been taking place attended by a menagerie of stuffed toys.  

For older family members and friends who are isolating in different locations, connection has been maintained via online games and quizzes.  In fact, we are probably getting in touch more than we ever did. Humans are by nature an incredibly social species so social isolation and staying away from one another has been a tough task to fulfil. 

What we can take from all this is that without lockdown, would we have gone out of our way to discover something new? One thing is certain, it has made us realise that what is important are our relationships with family and friends and that is definitely a positive. 

Imagine having the opportunity to go behind the scenes at the theatre, discovering backstage secrets and becoming immersed in the magical atmosphere as you watch the performers from the wings.

Hetty Backstage is the first of six books for children written by local author Lowri Madoc. Reading is an important part of a child’s development and when they invest in a character, there is no doubt they will go on to read the subsequent books in a series. Hetty Jones is one of those characters.

As the daughter of actors Ruth Madoc, fondly remembered as the Chief Yellowcoat Gladys in Hi-de-Hi and more recently as Daffyd Thomas’s mother in the second series of Little Britain, and the late Phillip Madoc, known for his numerous television and film roles including the German U-boat captain in Dad’s Army, Lowri Madoc has drawn on her childhood memories of following her famous parents to theatres and venues around the UK. 

Arriving in Gibraltar twenty years ago with plans to stay for only two, Lowri built up a successful career, met her husband Brendan on a blind date and went on to have three children here. “Life has been good to us but, like many ex-pats, we really miss our families back in the UK,” she says. “Mum is 76 now and living in Wales and she is still active, so the lockdown restrictions have hit her hard, but she is very positive and we are both ‘glass-half-full’ type of people.”

Born in 1974, Lowri and her older brother Rhys lived in St. Albans, Hertfordshire. “Mum and Dad divorced in 1981, although they still adored each other and it was always really amicable between them,” she says.  In the books, Hetty is the child of divorced parents, something that Lowri hopes that children who are in the same situation will identify with.  

From the age of 12, Lowri attending boarding school from Monday to Friday and remembers being picked up at the end of the week to visit her parents in the various venues that they were filming or appearing in. “I didn’t appreciate it at the time, but looking back now as a parent myself, I realise that it was a really great childhood.”Hetty is named after Lowri’s great grandmother and her surname Jones is a nod to her father’s real name. “He had to change his surname to Madoc because there was already a Philip Jones in Equity.”

The idea for the Hetty series of books had been in the back of her mind for some time, but it was whilst volunteering in the library at the Loreto Convent and looking at some of the early readers for children aged between six and seven that Lowri realised her stories would be particularly suitable. “It’s about giving them a sense of achievement when they are reading; helping to instil confidence in young readers, and my books are colourful, straightforward stories, each one taking place in a real setting.”

Hetty Backstage is set in a theatre at the last technical dress rehearsal before the opening of a performance. “When I was growing up I was allowed backstage,” Lowri states, adding, “but I was also very much aware of where I could go and couldn’t go, what I could and couldn’t touch.”  That discipline is echoed throughout the book, but Hetty’s adventurous character takes her off on a journey of exploration and she ends up in her favourite place – the chorus girls dressing room. 

“Although I never wanted to be on stage I would watch from the wings with utter admiration as my parents performed,” Lowri says. “Particularly when mum was in panto and I would yearn to be one of the children in the cast.” Lowri tells how sometimes one of the nicer wardrobe ladies would allow her to join in and there were occasions when her mum, who always played principal boy, would be singing a love song to the female lead and she would suddenly see Lowri’s face peering out, dressed up in costume as a bird or some other character. “I loved the smells that emanated from the hair, makeup and props departments and watching the smoke machines – all those things that added to the special ambiance backstage, and I have included all those elements into the Hetty books,” she states. Although she didn’t follow her parents into acting, after university Lowri went into stage management, got her Equity card and then went on to theatre management,working in London’s West End. 

The cover illustration by talented young artist Eve Leoni showing Hetty peering out from behind stage curtains perfectly defines the character. “That is the sort of art work I would love to have done if I was brave enough to do the cover,” Lowri says, “but I have contributed two or three of my own little sketches in each chapter.”

Details of where to buy Hetty Backstage can be found at R&D Publishing on Facebook (www.facebook.com/rdpublishing) and Lowri will have copiesfor sale in Gibraltar. It will also be available for purchase on Amazon, on Kindle and in a really nice family touch; Lowri’s mum Ruth will be narrating the audio book.