Feature - page 30

Staying up to date with local and national news is important, especially during such challenging times as dealing with Covid and now, the frightening situation in Ukraine.

However, experts say over-consumption of the news can take a toll on our physical, emotional, and mental health. It is essential we learn how best to navigate the 24 hour news cycle whilst protecting our mental and physical wellbeing.

Our social media absorption begins, all too often, from the moment we wake up, until our head hits the pillow at night. Given the circumstances, however, we’re prepared to let the matter of screen time slide on this occasion. After all, the sheer gravitas of what is unfolding, is within all of our remit to try and understand and get a handle on, as much as is humanly possible.

There is certainly one thing we can do, to help strike a balance between the need for insight and understanding, and self-sabotage by scrolling.

That one positive action we can make, according to experts, is to avoid  our phones for the first hour after waking. Even if that is the only step back from social media we take all day. Immersing our just-woken-up brain in the deep end of news, emails and notifications, can have far-reaching implications for our concentration. It can also impact our productivity for the rest of the day.

The reason for this is that when you first wake up, the brain switches from delta waves, to theta, to alpha and then beta waves, but by immediately looking at our phones, the theta and alpha stages are bypassed, and we’re neurologically straight into being wide awake and alert.

Jo Wheatley is a Master Accredited Emotions Coach.  Jo states ‘We are not immune to the stresses of others, even if they are geographically a distance away. As human beings we are all connected; in a sense what one feels, we all feel. We empathise with others. If someone in your visual field is anxious and highly expressive — either verbally or non-verbally — there’s a high likelihood you’ll experience those emotions as well, which may negatively impacting you. In such a highly connected world, we need to find ways to regulate our emotions and maintain stability for our emotional wellbeing and ability to function.  We are programmed to look for threats in your environment. With over exposure through 24 hour news cycles let’s consider what you can do to help your own wellbeing.

Here are some practical suggestions:

1.
Accept it is happening. Denial takes more energy. Talk to others about your feelings. Find people in your life who you can do this safely with. 

2.
Note the positive signs of your feelings. You are compassionate and have values. This is a good thing.

3.
Connect with nature through watching the tide roll in and out as it has for centuries or watching the grass move in the breeze. Take in deep breaths and connect in the here and now moment. Enjoy the grounding effect. Bare feet on grass or sand can be really helpful to help ground you. This sense of the strength of the repetition in nature and what nature has witnessed and endured for years can give reassurance that a healthy equilibrium will once again be found.

4.
Be kind to yourself by recognising the positive impact of even the smallest actions. Know that you are enough. You do not need to be perfect. You are not responsible for what is happening in the world.

5.
Identify an activity that brings you release for the emotional pressure you may feel. This may be a crafting activity that absorbs your attention, reading, gardening. This may be your safe, balancing space.

6.
Be aware of your triggers and limit your exposure to them. For example situations that have a negative impact on you e.g. limit watching the news, take news apps off your phone. Create boundaries so you are not constantly bombarded with negativity.

7.
Focus on the positive effects of stress. Stress can led to you deepening relationships, give you heightened awareness of life, stimulate, new perspectives, a greater appreciation for life or even connect you to a sense of meaning, and clarity on your priorities.  

8.
Exercise has many benefits including endorphins. Engage in exercise that you enjoy. This can lift your mood as well as having other health benefits.

9.
Start your day with a gratitude journal. Write three things you are grateful for in the world. Perhaps extend the gratitude to others, for example send an email to someone that you want to recognise.

10.
Create some positive affirmations. Perhaps put them on notes where you’ll see them regularly – screen saver, post it on your mirror. Affirmations could include: I am enough. I am safe. Things will get better. I am ok. 

Recognise that compassion fatigue is normal and a valuable reminder to be kind to ourselves so we can top up our own container in order to be able to continue to be able to support others.’

Points to help:

• Trying to strike a balance between being informed by news media and not becoming overwhelmed by it is difficult—especially during a global crisis.

• A constant stream of sensational or “disaster” reporting, whether you are exposed actively or passively, can elevate stress levels and trigger symptoms like anxiety and trouble sleeping.

• Effectively managing your media consumption can help you stay up to date while also reducing your stress.

Jo Wheatley, Master Accredited Emotions Coach www.jowheatley.com and coach trainer www.igcompany.co.uk.

It’s hard enough to start a football team from scratch, it’s even harder to do in the middle of a Global pandemic. But that is what John Gontier did, when he executed his plan for the first women only football team in Gibraltars known history. Now, this couldnt have been done without the much help starting with player recruitment by the players themselves, especially Lauren Tomsett and Amanda Jackson along with our current coaches Ernest Tomsett and Anthony Celecia not forgetting all others who have contributed to our making.

With the desire to unite the female community and serve Gibraltar. Gibraltar Wave is committed to positively impact and develop women`s football, empower women, and build community through this beautiful game. Gibraltar Wave is not only Where girls are encouraged to play the game, but they are also given the platform to thrive and to perform with much assistance from all concerned at the Gibraltar FA. We believe the game we love has the power to be a force for good.

This community feel was felt from day one and was dedicated to paving the way for women of Gibraltar to have a wider avenue for a healthier lifestyle for body and mind through sports. Gontier had the challenge of not taking a single player from any of the other four teams in the women’s league but to work on bringing back and bringing new players to women`s football. The goal is to develop women’s football on the Rock, not delude the product by taking players from the other teams. The current 24 players in the team are either completely new to football or have not played football for a few years. 

The team took a step by step approach to it’s creation. The first was to make it’s debut as a Futsal team and then grow into the team that we all know as the Gibraltar Wave FC. 

The team had some success in it’s inaugural Women’s League season as well as in its first futsal season but especially made a splash at Beach Soccer where the family and fun feel of the club helped win its first trophy in it’s short history winning the only Beach Soccer Charity Tournament. 

Gibraltar Wave has been approached by so many girls and women wanting to join that rather than making one strong team for the recently started futsal league, we have decided to continue giving chances introducing new players to football by registered two teams, Gibraltar Wave Blue and Gibraltar Wave Yellow.

As a result of winning the The Beach Soccer Charity Tournament the team has been invited to participate in the Euro Winners Cup the UEFA Champions League of Beach Soccer taking place in in June 2022 in Nazare Portugal and broadcast to a worldwide audience.

Beach Soccer is a spectacular newly Olympic sport that most contributes to a healthy body and mind due to its energetic characteristic and played on a surface associated with paradise, holiday and relax. It is also the cheapest sport to play as it’s played barefoot while the bonus comes in the way of a foot massage while playing!

Gibraltar can take advantage of it`s Eastern and Sandy Bay beaches plus the good weather to work at becoming one of the top nations at Beach Soccer. Also, Gibraltar can be a great venue for top events as it`s probably the only place on earth where you can go from the airport to the hotels, beaches, stadium, shops and even a nature reserve all on foot. This is of great convenience and saves logistic costs and headache.

Football and especially Beach Soccer isn’t just a game. It’s part of life, it’s part of growing the community. 

The most difficult task has been to get sponsors on board. Softi Wellness Gummies and http://peak-mockgbr.biz/ along with blocksport.io who are building a wonderful App for the club are kindly contributing to our growth as well as the moral support of Eco Wave Power who are producing electricity from Waves here in Gibraltar. To be able to take the girls to the UEFA Beach Soccer Champions League, we do need good brands to get involved. 

Join us on our journey. 

We know that exposure to poor air quality outdoors can cause a variety of health problems and can increase the risk of respiratory infections, heart disease, stroke and lung cancer, but what about indoor air quality? Poor indoor air quality has been linked to sick building syndrome, a term used to describe situations in which building occupants experience health issues that appear to be linked to time spent in a particular building, where no specific illness or cause can be identified, and these health issues often get better after you leave that building. 

Air pollution has financial implications for the economy and in the UK it is responsible for six million sick days annually, as well as impacting employee wellbeing and productivity. 

According to the NHS, symptoms of sick building syndrome can include: drowsiness and headaches; blocked or runny nose; dry, itchy skin; dry, sore eyes or throat; cough or wheezing; rashes; tiredness and difficulty concentrating. 

Poor indoor air quality is generally caused by a lack of adequate ventilation or poorly maintained air conditioning systems. Sick building syndrome occurs more often in open plan offices and one of the problems is that unlike outdoors, where you can taste and smell it, you often can’t detect polluted air indoors. 

It’s not uncommon for employees to be sitting in an office where the windows are kept shut all year round. Employers have a duty of care to improve air quality and protect employee health, but how can you enjoy a better quality of life with clean ambient air, whether at work or at home? Firstly, keep your home and workplace clean, free from mould, dust, allergens and pollutants that could spread through the air. 

Consider using eco-friendly cleaning products that do not release harsh chemical compounds into the air and use air cleaning devices such as air purifiers that decrease the dwell time of virulent aerosols and significantly reduce the amount of pollen, inhalation allergens and other pollutants in the room air.

Many offices are now allowing essential oil diffusers to be used as long as the oils that will be diffused are approved by everyone in the office beforehand. The correct choice of oils can help people to focus and can reduce stress.  

Observing proper ventilation is important and if it is possible, turn off the air conditioning system, open the windows and allow the outdoor air in. 

Indoor plants are another excellent way to improve air quality in the office and at home without taking a lot of time and maintenance to keep them thriving. Not only good to look at, they help promote indoor air quality by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen into the air.

Remember, breathe clean air and feel well. 

The arts Society Gibraltar welcome Antique Roadshow Expert

Jo Ward talks to Marc Allum ahead of his lecture for The Arts Society Gibraltar on Wednesday, 20th April. 

Marc Allum is a very eclectic person who derives his ideas, style and taste from a broad and diverse range of sources that make up his varied collections of antiques and collectables. It is no secret that Marc has a passion for classic cars and we talk as he has ventured out to his barn to start up his 1956 Citroen. “It’s such a lovely day so I can start to get the cars out of mothballs, and then I am going to head into Bath – where there is a brilliant exhibition of Tudor portraits,” he says. 

Growing up in Coventry where his father was a trainee surveyor helping to rebuild the city, especially museums, Marc says that it was a fascinating place to be.  “We then moved to Kenilworth, which I think of as home, and it was when I was about eight years old that my interest in antiques started,” he states. “Even though my parents didn’t particularly like antiques, they did enjoy taking us out, and Warwickshire was a very rich county for stately homes and country houses.” 

Marc say that one of the first places that made a real impression on him was Snowshill Manor in Gloucestershire. “I never looked back after visiting it and was inspired by the collection of Charles Paget Wade who was the most eclectic collector, and I took a leaf out of his book and followed suit.” Marc goes on to say that he was mesmerised by a collection of Japanese armour. “I fulfilled my ambition to own a similar item and one of my most treasured possessions is a suit of early 19th Century Samurai armour which I have in my home, and it is the one that features on the opening titles of Antiques Roadshow,” he says proudly. 

By the time he was a teenager, Marc was ‘a mad collector’ going to local auctions and starting to buy and sell a bit. Did his peers think he was a bit strange?  “Well, I don’t think I was a strange boy, I had the same kind of interests that boys have, but I started playing the guitar when I was about 14 and then, of course, all I wanted to do was collect guitars.” 

Marc is still obsessed with guitars and tells me that in the last two weeks he has bought three. “I just ran a fabulous guitar sale last week and I had one guitar that made £132,000 – which was pretty amazing – so it is funny how those childhood interests follow you through life.” Stating that he was very much an ‘Indie kid’ – “I was really into that post-Punk revolution” – his musical tastes have become more varied. “I’m as likely to put a bit of classical on, or a bit of hip-hop, Kate Bush or whatever takes my fancy – but considering my age I still like quite raucous music,” he laughs. 

After completing a degree in English and Media, Marc decided that even though he was mad about antiques his career would be music based. “I got a job as a trainee sound engineer for Phonogram in London and after a year and a half I realised this was not the right course for me so I left and signed up with a new Sale Room in London – Roseberys – where I eventually became a shareholder, and we grew the company enormously until by the time I was 40 I literally ran out of steam,” he explains.  Marc and his wife Lisa moved to France, bought an old chateau, restored it, and watched their daughter grow up. “We ran art and antiques courses out there – but during all that time I was also jetting backwards and forwards doing the Antiques Roadshow.” Known as the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow expert on all-things miscellaneous, Marc has appeared on the show for over twenty years. 

Having been an Arts Society lecturer for the past five years, Marc is a keen supporter of the organisation which he thinks is enormously important. “Not only is it a socially good institution that brings people out and gets people together, but in more recent years it has such a varied offering with something for everyone,” he says.

“There is always new content to add in to my talks, and if you watched the Antiques Roadshow on the 27th March you will have seen an amazing object at the end of the show,” he divulges. “It is such a quirky and rare thing that I will have to include it in my lecture.”

Find out more when Marc presents ‘The Antiques Roadshow – Behind the Scenes and the Great Discoveries’ for The Arts Society Gibraltar on 20th April. 

Wine Tasting

The illustrated talk is generously sponsored by the Sovereign Trust Gibraltar Ltd and Sovereign Insurance Ltd. Prior to the lecture there will be a presentation from the Sovereign Art Foundation – a charitable organisation founded in 2003 to recognise, support and promote contemporary art talent and to bring the therapeutic benefits of art to disadvantaged children. This will be followed by a wine tasting from Howard’s Folly vineyard in Portugal. The wine sold from this vineyard goes towards supporting the Art Foundation.

The event will be held at the Garrison Library, with doors opening earlier than usual at 6pm for Sovereign’s presentation. Marc Allum’s talk will commence at 7.30pm. Guests are welcome – £12.00 at the door.

www.theartssocietygibraltar.org

It could have been done around 1905 if you had “connections”.

Those who worked in the Dockyard remember the railway that ran from Ordnance Wharf down to the South Mole, connecting the Ragged Staff Magazine to the wharves and serving almost all the buildings in the complex. Before Queensway was a public road, the railway ran along the side of the road to the North Mole and out along it to the various jetties. It also went south from the Dockyard, climbed up a ramp and tunnelled under the south entrance, then through a cutting, past the “100 ton Gun” and into the Victualling Yard. It branched off through a tunnel to the Cold Meat Store in North Gorge and to an electric lift at the bottom of the cliff to serve the Naval Hospital. It also ran through the Rock using the Admiralty, or East-West, Tunnel reach the Oil Tanks on the east side.

When the Dockyard area was extended in the 1894 to 1907 period it was built on reclaimed land outside the Line Wall, all the way from Waterport to the South Mole. Both the North and South Moles were extended and the Detached Mole built at this time. The materials used to reclaim these areas, for the various buildings and to make the concrete blocks for the Moles came from quarries on the east side of the Rock. Sir Herbert Miles Road was originally the route of the railway that ran from the Oil Tanks to the Devil’s Tower. At the Devil’s Tower was a block making yard that had a railway across the isthmus to, a jetty on the west side. Here the concrete blocks were loaded onto barges to be taken out to the Detached Mole. Those for the North mole went across Bayside on a timber viaduct to the Devil’s Tongue and out to be placed in the North Mole and it’s Jetties.

The huge yellow machines seen working on new roads and construction projects these days didn’t exist when the Dockyard was extended.. Men used picks, shovels and dynamite to dig holes and little trains hauled by steam engines moved soil and rock away to fill areas to be reclaimed, temporary tracks being moved as needed. Horses were too slow to move over 120, 000 blocks from the Devil’s Tower yard out to the Moles and wharves, as most of the blocks weighed four tons. They would have had difficulties moving the 8, 300 in the 20 to 40 ton weight range used in the Detached Mole.

So, until after the Second World War, trains could puff along from the North Mole, through the Dockyard to the Victualling Yard, hauling coal, stores, food and munitions for the Navy. Extension of two of the dry docks just before WWII needed stone to make concrete, so the railway was extended through two new tunnels into the existing Europa Quarry in Camp Bay.

The railway was two parts in the early 1900’s. The permanent Admiralty Railway ran from the Rosia area through the Dockyard, branching off to the Oil Tanks via the East-West Tunnel, then along the reclaimed land outside the Line Wall and out onto the North Mole. The temporary lines started at the Waterport end of the North Mole, crossed Bayside by a timber viaduct and ran eastwards along Devil’s Tower Road to the block making yard by the Devil’s Tower. It turned south through Puente Basura Quarry, on the east end of the North Face, after the Catalan Bay Quarry, behind the village. It continued southward to the sand pit dug in the east side slopes and then to Monkey’s Alameda Quarry where it joined the line through the East-West Tunnel.

The railway never ran any passenger trains, not even for workmen. It did have three or four “Inspection Carriages” to take the high and mighty on tours of the works. These were unlikely to have been the usual opulent victorian railway coaches, probably little better than roofed four wheeled trucks with seats, befitting a works railway whose track was only one metre gauge. The permanent Admiralty Railway would give a reasonable ride, the temporary track much more “rock and roll”. When the Moles were complete the block yard was demolished and the quarries closed, then all connecting temporary tracks were removed.

So, Yes, you could have gone round the Rock by train, even pulled by a locomotive named “Rosia” or “Calpe”. Most of the 17 engines just had numbers but four were named, the other two called “Catalan” and “Gibraltar”. It was only possible for a couple of years but you would have had to have the right friends – and some stamina to endure the trip at the 7mph maximum speed.

What is “Heritage”? 

An opportunity to preserve a relic
of Gibraltar’s industrial past

I had seen a photo of `the one remaining wagon of the Dockyard railway’ in a magazine article published in UK about four

years ago. Much to my surprise it still survives in the same place in Caramel Laird’s yard, and I was lucky enough join Dave Eveson when he went to have a look at it last month.

John Murphy had taken Dr. Darren Fa, of the Gibraltar Museum to see this Box Van some time ago. They both felt it was a unique relic of Gibraltar’s industrial past. It may not be what is normally taken to be “heritage” but represents something that many in Gibraltar saw during their work in the dockyard and with which visiting ships crews’ could have been familiar. The Museum probably cannot finance the restoration as there are many demands on its available funds.

What exactly is it? A metre gauge goods truck. It is a smaller version of the closed trucks that were seen on UK railways until recently. It is, in effect, a robust softwood timber shed, with a curved roof and a sliding door to each side, on a steel chassis that runs on four flanged wheels. The timber body is 13′ – 6″ long by 6′ – 6″ wide and 6′ – 6″ maximum height. On its chassis the van stands

9′ – 3″ high from rail level. It has a simple lever operated hand brake acting on one wheel. It is likely to be over 65 years old and details suggest it is not one of those supplied before the First World War. It worked on the Dockyard system up to the 1968 closure.

Despite looking scruffy due to peeling paint, rusting ironwork, missing one door and having lost

most of the tarred canvas roof waterproofing it has lasted very well. As the van will be a static exhibit there is no need to overhaul the wheels and their bearings or to refurbish the body to accept the needs and stresses of operational use. The chassis seems to have only moderate surface rust to be cleaned off before painting. The missing door is a simple framed piece of carpentry that only needs to be fixed in the `closed’ position. There is some repair and replacement needed to the framing but the floor and side boarding appear sound, only needing preparation and painting. The roof boarding seems sound only requiring a waterproof covering.

As far as can be ascertained the work needed to prepare this van to be a static exhibit is therefore mostly cosmetic.

This practical aspect of the preparation presupposes the present owners will donate this wagon to The Gibraltar Heritage Society for preservation. There is a need to approach the owners with a viable scheme to convince them to part with it. Much exploratory work is in hand, such as the search for a suitable site, resourcing materials, skills and a location to carry out the renovation. Then there is moving a three tonne mass of 25 cu in volume, mounting it on a plinth and ensuring its care in the future.

Heritage Society members, particularly John Murphy and Dave Eveson, have worked towards

the acquisition, restoration and siting of this historic artefact. It would be sad if, surplus to the owners present needs, this one remaining goods van was just broken up to get it out of the way.

What is needed now is confirmation from the Gibraltar Heritage Society that a Preservation Plan can be prepared. This will give authority to those negotiating to make this van a static exhibit.. Should the project prove to be a viable and appropriate task for the Heritage Society, it would be good to see an item from Gibraltar’s industrial past displayed to remind us of just how extensive and important that past once was.

Local bluechip firm MH Bland has recently purchased carbon offsets in order to operate more sustainably.

The transaction was made from World Kinect Energy Services via Gib Oil to offset their expected 2022 emissions from their marine vessels.

The deal forms part of the MH Bland Group’s efforts to become one of Gibraltar’s leading carbon-neutral companies. It’s hoped that this latest initiative will also inspire other companies in Gibraltar to decarbonise, and cements Blands’ reputation as being at the forefront of environmental and sustainable projects.

MH Bland Chairman Johnnie Gaggero said, “As directors of our diverse group of companies, we are conscious of the effects industry can have on the planet. Throughout our 210-year history, we have adapted to evolving technologies and trends.

This newest commitment by MH Bland Marine Services ensures that we continue to do our part, on behalf of future generations, in becoming a more sustainable and environmentally friendly company. We encourage others to follow our example, and we hope to announce further initiatives for other entities within the group in the near future.”

Gibraltar business’ are at a heightened risk of cyber attack security expert warns

Governments, defence and security experts and this author have warned for weeks that Britain, the US and the EU should brace for a wave of crippling malware attacks. In the UK the Home Office, GCHQ and the National Cyber Security Centre have all issued warnings and guidance to businesses to “bolster their online defences.” Furthermore, in an announcement on 21 March the US President Joe Biden warned the United States of the risks posed by cyber-attacks and that they would be “consequential” and were “one of the tools [Putin] is most likely to use.” He urged business leaders to strengthen their companies’ defence systems immediately as a cyber war was “coming.”

But why would a war between Russia and Ukraine result in cyber-attacks on the UK, US & EU?

 From a strategic perspective, there is a significant risk that Russia will continue to create instability in the “West” and specifically the UK to distract focus and attention away from the situation in Ukraine and onto closer, acute problems at home. Today this is easier to achieve virtually by means of cyber-attacks.

Critical National Infrastructure should be relatively hardened to attacks, and they will, more than ever, be at a heightened state of vigilance. The cyber attackers know this and thus will be looking to find less obvious routes to target critical infrastructure potentially through businesses that are suppliers to the critical infrastructure and easier to hack. No business will want the association or ignominy of being the weakest link. 

Businesses should make themselves as hard to hack as possible at all times, but more so now than ever. A security programme cannot be established overnight, but the best time to start is today. CSS Platinum can help. In the interim, heightened vigilance and discipline is critical to defending against a cyber-attack.

At minimum, business and individuals should consider the following:

• Communicate with your staff and families so they understand the risk and practice increased vigilance.

• Resetting passwords in case they may have already been breached in historic breaches and are enabling cyber-criminal access to your web portals and email accounts – this is the single greatest defence tool and should not be overlooked.

• Think twice before opening or clicking links in any suspicious, or even non-suspicious emails.

• Implementing Multi-Factor Authentication wherever possible.

• Ensuring that software upgrades and patches are up to date.

• Dusting off, reviewing and rehearsing incident response plans – so you know how to respond swiftly to any attack and can minimise their potential scope and scale.

• Ensuring that all critical information is backed up, off-network in case of a ransomware attack.

Cyber security and resilience is now and forevermore a life skill and one that everyone should take some time to learn. As the adage goes, prevention is always better than cure. Act now, rather than experiencing regret later.”

Be Disciplined, Be Hard to Hack, Be Safe.

Michael Wills is co-founder and chief data officer for CSS Platinum.  For further information on the company and the services it provides to Gibraltar businesses and the international yachting industry, please visit https://cssplatinum.com and/or email support@cssplatinum.com.