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ALL ABOUT GIBRALTAR www.theolivepress.es the olive press - February 21- March 6, 2013 1 FEATURE/28 ROCK ON... To commemorate 300 years since the Treaty of Utrecht, which formally ceded Gibraltar to Britain from Spain, The Olive Press celebrates the world’s most famous rock 22 Gibraltar special Gibraltar special 2 the olive press - February 21 - March 6, 2013 www.theolivepress.es www.theolivepress.es the olive press - February 21- March 6, 2013 3 through these photos,” enthuses the shop’s proud owner “You can have paella for Luis Mascarenhas. lunch and then fish and “I can’t think of anywhere else in the world which has such chips for your dinner, it’s a wide mix of religions and races in such a small space and I quite a unique contrast.” get a lot of pleasure from taking pictures of life in Gibraltar. As we tick off the Rock’s After centuries of defending itself against attack, “I already have over 200,000 photos available and there are key attractions including as it reaches the landmark 300th anniversary thousands more which are waiting to be archived. Europa Point, the stunning “It’s a huge amount of work, but I love what I do and St Michael’s Cave and The of the Treaty of Utrecht, Gibraltar is focusing on I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else,” continues Great Siege Tunnels, we the 70-year-old, whose collection combines his own are occasionally forced throwing open its doors to business and tourism, photography with archives sold to him over the years. to stop due to the Rock’s Of course no account of Gibraltar would be complete without most famous residents discovers James Bryce mentioning the Rock’s role in military history. Something blocking the road. which a walk along streets including Bomb House Lane, “The apes are undoubtedly South Barrack Road and Naval Hospital Hill ensures you the star attraction here cannot forget. but they can be a bit of The walls of Luis’ shop are adorned with photos of the iconic a nuisance sometimes,” spitfires on the runway during the Second World War, while a adds Dalmedo, with the Nazi zeppelin can be seen hovering menacingly above the Rock. kind of mock disapproval A picture of a meeting between Adolf Hitler and Spanish usually associated with a dictator General Franco - one of the few images not taken loving parent describing in Gibraltar - shows two men who had a vested interest in their naughty child. the Rock. “They’ve been known to Franco later attempted to isolate the territory by closing go into the cafe at the top, the frontier and cutting telephone communication after open the fridges and help Gibraltarians had voted to remain British in a referendum. themselves to ice cream For the 13 years between 1969 and 1982, families and and crisps. friends on opposite sides of the fence were physically kept “They’re certainly not shy,” apart, with only limited means of communication. she laughs, as we watch a car “In the days when the border was closed, families used to of bemused tourists driving gather on either side of the frontier each Sunday and shout off with an ape on the roof time, General Eliot, to find a and another hanging from way of placing heavy guns on the wing mirror. the north face of the Rock, The views from the top of the the network was chiselled “The Nazi leader planned to Rock are truly staggering, out using sledgehammers, NEW crowbars and gunpowder. invade Gibraltar due to its with Morocco looming large to the south, the Costa Eliot was clearly keen to take strategic importance at the del Sol curving away to the personal responsibility for head of the Mediterranean” east, and further still, the the safety of Gibraltar during snow-capped peaks of the his time in charge, reputedly Sierra Nevada. sleeping with the key to the city BATTLE It is from here, atop a gate under his pillow. to one another, catching up on the news and complementing peninsula standing just Prior to the Second World War THE Queen, Winston Churchill and John Lennon. These are each other on how they looked,” says Ajessa Dalmedo from 426 metres high and 5km a further network large enough A just some of the famous faces looking down from the wall of Gibraltar’s tourist board. long, that it becomes to house 5,000 soldiers was dug an unassuming photographic store on Gibraltar’s Main St. “There would have been a lot of Gibraltarians who had married apparent just quite how into the Rock to prepare the The images - all taken during visits to the Rock - form part Spaniards and who were isolated from their extended family. strategic the Rock would enclave for the threat of Nazi of an impressive collection of over 200,000 photos charting “It must have been a very difficult time for them.” have been in times of war. invasion. Gibraltar’s colourful history over the past 100 years. Hitler’s intentions were even more sinister than Franco’s. Gibraltar was first fortified This year the Rock celebrates the Lennon is pictured posing on the runway alongside his new The Nazi leader planned to invade Gibraltar due to its by the Moors in 1333, 300th anniversary of the signing wife, Yoko Ono, after the couple married in Gibraltar in 1969. strategic importance at the head of the Mediterranean. who built a large castle of the Treaty of Utrecht, an A young Queen meanwhile, can be seen smiling and waving But although the attack seemed imminent, the dictator and harbour to keep out agreement which saw Spain to crowds during her only visit to Gibraltar, in 1954. failed to carry out his threat, due to the heavy fortifications unwanted visitors. cede Gibraltar to Britain. Then there is Prince Charles and Princess Diana leaving for surrounding Gibraltar on both land and sea. These defences were later But despite ongoing tension their honeymoon and, more recently, Prince Edward’s visit Today, the only occupying forces are the countless betting firms reinforced in the 1500s between the two nations last year to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. taking advantage of favourable tax regulations, and the hoards under Charles V, who over sovereignty of the Rock, FORTIFICATIONS: But it is the images of everyday residents that offer the most of tourists who descend on the Rock each year. ordered the construction the only battle Gibraltar is Gates, gun intriguing insight into life in Gibraltar. Workers repairing In the past 16 years, Gibraltar has licensed 25 international of a wall to defend against concerned with is the fight emplacements and boats in the dockyard and a horse race on what is now the gaming companies, helping to generate revenue which accounts the threat of pirates. against global recession. solid walls would have airport’s runway, capture a way of life on the Rock which has for nearly a quarter of its gross domestic product (GDP). The most impressive It seems that after centuries made life hard for now largely disappeared. Last year saw three million visitors come to Gibraltar, with up to defensive effort however, of trying to keep people out, Franco and Hitler “Gibraltar is such a fascinating place with a wealth of three cruise ships a day docking here during the busy summer came in the 1700s these days the Rock is far more history, I learn something new every day when I’m looking concerned with inviting them in. months, providing vital revenue to small businesses. thanks to the creation SCENERY: From an old phone box to a view of the Rock A new airport terminal and plans to construct a tunnel under of a labyrinth of tunnels the runway are evidence of Gibraltar’s ambition to attract constructed to defend more airlines and yet more visitors to the British enclave. against a siege by Spanish “People love visiting the Rock, not only for the weather and French forces. but also the unique mix of Spanish and English cultures,” Prompted by a request by explains Dalmedo during a tour of the Rock. Gibraltar’s governor of the Did you know... • The height of the Rock is approximately 426 metres or 1400 feet • The distance between Gibraltar and the coast of Africa is 24 kilometres or 15 miles • The Rock was formed approximately 200 million years ago and is composed of Jurassic Limestone • The UK pound can be used freely in Gibraltar, so there is no need to convert UK notes to Gibraltar ones. However, Gibraltar banknotes are not legal tender in the UK and will not be accepted there • In recent referendums the nearly 30,000 Gibraltarians who live on the Rock voted overwhelmingly to reject any involvement by Spain in their government • Queen Elizabeth II last visited Gibraltar in 1954 • The border was closed by Franco in 1969 and was shut for 13 years, only reopened partially for pedestrians in 1982 before being reopened fully in 1985 24 25 Gibraltar special Gibraltar special 4 the olive press - February 21 - March 6, 2013 www.theolivepress.es www.theolivepress.es the olive press - February 21- March 6, 2013 5 ensure they got their Vitamin D intake. Among the men (and 300 A remarkable 30 mile tunnel women) who lived inside the Rock were clerks, typists You what? network which housed 5,000 and RAF engineers who spent their days assembling Gibraltar tourist office has had some soldiers during the war offers a spitfires on the airfield below. strange questions over the years.