|
Patrick Middleton offers an invitation to visit Gibraltar. Think about it
I was back in Gibraltar the other day, a non-specialist adjunct to a
group of UK financial journalists invited to spend a few days on the
Rock. It was my second visit within three years and once again I
wondered at the fascinating variousness of this British Overseas
Territory. Just 6.5 square miles in area, with a population of 28,000
(plus around 160 Barbary apes), it’s one of the most interesting
corners of Europe and is worth a small chunk of anyone’s time.
Gibraltar’s history goes back a long way but for the British (or EU)
visitor it really begins in 1704 when the territory came under the
authority of the Crown, a circumstance notoriously resented by the
Spanish ever since. The population always surprises newcomers, a unique
mixture of Genoese and Maltese, Sephardic Jews and Indians and a
sprinkling of others, including some old British families. The culture
of the Rock reflects this diversity in many ways, from architecture to
music, from religion to cooking. There’s also a very varied economic
base: from financial services, now supplemented by online gaming, to
marine services and, of course, tourism.
“A surviving scrap of Empire”
Visitors often say Gibraltar is unlike anywhere else they’ve visited.
It’s also, of course, one of the remaining “pink bits” on the map, a
surviving scrap of the once vast British Empire, and that’s how its
people want things to stay. Asked to vote on the issue, 98 per cent
opted to remain under the Crown. That’s why I suggested to the
Commonwealth Club that it was an ideal venue for their next outing.
They thought this an interesting idea and they’re looking at the
possibilities at the moment. For some, it could be just a chance to
encounter the heritage and history of this unusual place along with its
natural attractions (vegetation, birds, dolphins and, of course, the
apes). But more: in conjunction with the Gibraltar Tourist Office,
there would be possibilities to look at particular aspects of
Gibraltarian life: the yachting industry, financial services, religion
(including a visit to the cathedral where Fr Ken Letts was recently
installed as a canon), small businesses. And don’t forget shopping:
although part of the EU, Gibraltar has no VAT so on Main Street there
are bargains galore.
If the Commonwealth Club decides to go ahead with a visit to
Gibraltar, details will be available from secretary George Kasiliyake.
From Reporter 111 - Oct/Nov 2005
Trackback(0)
 |
Travel 
TrackBack URI for this entry
Subscribe to this comment's feed
Show/Hide comments
Show/Hide comment form