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18 Saturday Oct 2025
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Tag Archives: Gibraltar
3:24 (2016) I wondered if there were any vacant apartments?
07 Friday Oct 2016
Posted in Gibraltar, Memoirs of Gibraltar, travel, tripadvisor
For some reason I have a very poor recollection of what used to be behind Edinburgh House (apart from the sea) or even what was further down Queensway after the NAAFI (perhaps we never went that way, I don’t know) but I definitely didn’t expect to find what I did find.
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As I strolled past what I think used to be the NAAFI but now looked like some massive great multi-story carpark under construction it almost felt as though I’d left the Rock transcendently and landed in the middle of a city somewhere.
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At some point during my walkabout I came to the conclusion that there must have been some sort of land reclamation because not far down the road I was greeted by literally dozens of high-rise apartment blocks that were definitely not there in my day.
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Although this abstract image of a million (slight exaggeration) triffid-like buildings reaching up to the sky (like something out of War of the Worlds) seemed alien to my mental image of Gibraltar there was something about it that worked; their newness struck a chord with me and (sort of) modernised Gibraltar in my mind.
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My memories and recollections were more of the old town and its steeped history that included the Moors, the Spanish and the British all fighting each other for ownership but of course that was a long time ago and naturally if the Rock was to survive world progress it had to move on. The fact that this massive colony of high-rises were separate from the old town pleased me; the back streets were sacrosanct in my mind and (as far as I was aware at this point ) were still very much there.
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In order to move on more homes needed to be built and with land being of a premium the only space left was up. Just walking among the high rises reminded me a bit of Hong Kong which (also strapped for ground space) built upwards. I got that about Hong Kong. I guess as I walked around the high rises I ‘got it’ about Gibraltar too.
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Finally after scouring the area I came across that new Morrisons I’d been looking for – and that’s not all I came across. Just off the car park to the supermarket was what looked like a fairly new hospital (St Bernard’s I think). It all started to make sense now. If I retired to Gibraltar I’d probably rather like a Morrisons and a hospital on the doorstep of my luxury apartment; even if I hadn’t yet retired and lived in Gibraltar I’d still like those things nearby. In my day it was Liptons on the Main Street and RNH on the other side of the Rock. I loved the progress and wondered whether the locals did. While I was at it I wondered if there were any vacant apartments for sale or rent. With that thought I went into Morrisons to buy my semi skimmed milk.
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3:22 (2016) Old sailors never die, they just fade away.
04 Tuesday Oct 2016
Posted in Gibraltar, Memoirs of Gibraltar, ROYAL NAVY, travel
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I don’t know how long I’d been wandering around Commonwealth Park (and I didn’t care) but finally, somehow, I managed to (very reluctantly) drag myself out of it. Any other day I could have stayed there till the sun went down but on this occasion I’d been specifically despatched on a mission to find this new Morrisons (I’d heard all about) and to not succeed was unthinkable – even a fate worse than death!
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(Queensway, I think)
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When I came out of the park onto the Main Road I wasn’t totally sure where I was because I didn’t recognise the high-rise apartments or the carriageway but eventually I made the decision that I must be on Queensway; I also had a feeling (in my water) that I needed to go right (not left) even though there was a roundabout in the road I didn’t recognise either. It wasn’t long though (maybe about 50 yards) before I knew exactly where I was.
(The Bus Station which I think used to be the Royal Naval Caravan Site where we lived)
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After passing what looked like a bus station – which I’m sure used to be the Royal Naval Caravan Site where I used to live (although I wasn’t sure) – I found myself looking across the road straight into the main gate of the Rooke Site, formerly HMS Rooke.
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(Rooke Site, formerly HMS Rooke)
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For a minute I couldn’t move, I couldn’t even breathe, I just stood there gawping at a massive lump of my military history, worse still (or better still) my emotional history (if there is such a thing). As I looked past the Main Gate at the buildings within the complex I swore blind I could even recognise what I thought was my old office, even my old desk, although on reflection that may have been my mind playing delusional tricks on me . At some point (in a lucid moment during my day dream) I realised one of the Gate Guards was looking at me as though I was Gibraltar’s Number One Enemy and so decided I’d better cross the road and explain myself.
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(Old sailors never die, they just fade away)
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Face to face with the Gate Guard (the first of many real live Gibraltarians I would meet, speak to and become friends with during my stay) he began a conversation before I could even open my mouth. I must have looked as though I was frightened of being in trouble for spying on the barracks or something and so he said to me “Don’t worry, I know what you want. Many come here all the time to visit the old place. Many old sailors. Today this is Police buildings. Would you like me to take your selfie here?”.
“Yes Sir, thank you” I replied, “I would like that”.
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3:21 (2016) Just when I thought Gibraltar couldn’t get any more beautiful…
02 Sunday Oct 2016
Posted in Gibraltar, Memoirs of Gibraltar, travel, tripadvisor, Uncategorized
Sometime, late afternoon, I felt a prod in the ribs and woke from my semi-slumber to hear Carol saying she was going for her afternoon nap and could I wake her later with a cup of tea – after I had been out and found some semi-skimmed milk. “There’s a new Morrisons somewhere Alan, they’ll have it and you know you like to explore” she said, and then she was gone.
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Although Carol has always enjoys an afternoon nap (when she can get one) I’ve never liked sleeping in the daytime and then waking up to go to bed, it makes me grumpy. On top of which I was quite happy to shove off into the unknown to find this new Morrisons; I had a feeling it was somewhere down by those new high-rise apartments on the other side of Edinburgh House and so (after I’d opened my other eye) I got myself together and headed off in the general direction.
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Turning right as I left the Bristol I crossed over the road (briefly turning back to glance at the Cathedral and promising myself to visit it soon) and a few seconds later I realised (with mouth open) that Morrisons wasn’t the only new thing to have been built in Gibraltar; I could hardly believe my eyes when, after I’d walked through an archway, l was confronted by the most beautifully designed outdoor space complete with lake, bandstand, lawns and all manner of trees, shrubs and flowers complementing the lovely stone ornaments and plaques. Somehow part of me was expecting to see concrete steps leading down to the old Fleet Pavillion site but what I discovered was the new Commonwealth Park and was totally blown away.
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Standing on the balcony surveying the park was almost as though I’d climbed out of a wardrobe and landed in Narnia; in fact for a minute I had to look back just to check that the archway wasn’t a wardrobe door. Soaking up the whole environment of the park with the new high-rise apartments as its backdrop was almost like standing in New York’s Central Park, only a million times better. From the balcony down to the park level was the choice of a lift or steps which I thought was brilliant for people with dodgy knees (like mine) although not wanting to miss any of the ambience I took the steps.
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Although I was on a mission to find the Holy Grail (the new Morrisons) I wasn’t about to just bypass such a gorgeous place without at least doing a couple of circuits and getting a closer look; just at the point I thought Gibraltar couldn’t get any more beautiful I was delighted to be proved wrong.
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3:20 (2016) Nirvana didn’t come close
01 Saturday Oct 2016
Posted in Memoirs of Gibraltar, travel, tripadvisor, Uncategorized
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It must have been somewhere around 1pm when I finally arrived back at the Bristol Hotel to be greeted by Carol, Sheila and Joe who had all had a very relaxing morning around the pool. My timing couldn’t have been better really as they had all decided they would like a lunchtime stroll down Main Street to find either a sandwich or a panini to take back and eat beside the pool; not being someone who needed telling twice I was delighted to join in the forage because I was certainly ready for something to eat. I also quite liked the idea of taking a sandwich back to eat beside the pool as I quite fancied chilling out with a dip after lunch.
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It didn’t take long to find a sandwich/pastry take-away shop (resembling a sort of UK Greggs type place) and it wasn’t long before we all decided it would become our regular pit-stop because the food was excellent. I don’t remember the name of the place but it’s just down Main Street from the Bristol, on the left before Marks and Spencer and I can highly recommend it.
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Back at the hotel we all sat around the pool eating our food as I shared stories about my morning, and they shared stories about theirs. Naturally my morning had been the most physically active but with regard to enjoyability my feeling is that we were all very much equal; the morning around the pool in the warm sunshine had been very relaxing and restful for them all and after the morning I’d had I decided I’d like some of that for myself during the afternoon.
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With lunch over I got myself a sun bed, towels and a book (given to me on a recent visit to my hometown Newcastle as a gift from an old Royal Navy comrade, John) then lay down looking up enjoying the view of a palm tree in the blue sky; it wasn’t long before my eyes closed and I was reliving my morning for a second time in wonderful day dream. Nirvana didn’t come close.
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3:19 (2016) Ceremony of the Guard Mounting
30 Friday Sep 2016
Posted in Gibraltar, Memoirs of Gibraltar, travel, tripadvisor
By the time I got down to Convent Place quite a crowd had gathered and although I was vaguely aware of the Ceremony of Guard Mounting it had been so long since I’d been a spectator I couldn’t remember too much about it. What I did know was that I was going to be even later (than I’d initially anticipated) in getting back to my travelling companions at the Bristol because there was no way I was going to miss this event.
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(The Angry Friar)
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Almost as though by fate I found myself (once again) standing outside the door to the apartment above the Angry Friar – the apartment I’d applied for back in 1976 but which the Navy wouldn’t let me have (see 2:8) because it didn’t pass their inspection. Looking at the door I recalled how absolutely gutted I felt back then and yet today I felt a certain endearment toward it that it has somehow managed to secure itself a very unique place in my life story. I can never walk past that door without recalling the day I walked through it.
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(The Governor of Gibraltar)
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As I mingled with the crowd I noticed that most people were holding a leaflet and so I stuck my neck out and asked a nice roving policeman for one – he kindly obliged and purloined one for me from somewhere. As I stood in the crowd reading my leaflet I noticed people coming out onto the balcony and it wasn’t long before it was crowded with dignitaries including the Governor himself. The Ceremony began with soldiers marching out in ceremonial style and taking their place in the square; after a dialogue between the Governor and the Officer in Charge of the parade it wasn’t long before the military band arrived to the crowds delight.
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Although the pomp and ceremony was wonderful to watch (particularly with me being ex-military) I also loved the way the steeped history of how the Royal Gibraltar Regiment keeps the Rock and her residents safe was illustrated; I also loved how the changing of the guard took place to the wonderful music (including By Land and Sea) of The Band and Corps of Drums of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment.
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I felt very lucky to have caught this ceremony (almost by chance) after already having had such an amazing morning on the Med Steps, in Alameda and gate-crashing Trafalgar House. When the ceremony ended I finally set off for the Bristol Hotel to meet up with Carol and our friends for lunch with quite a few tales to share with them.
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3:18 (2016) Walking down Main Street could almost have been as though I was walking to work.
29 Thursday Sep 2016
Posted in Gibraltar, Memoirs of Gibraltar, travel, tripadvisor
(Trafalgar Cemetery)
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After leaving Trafalgar House I passed by Trafalgar Cemetery (which is steeped in history) and although I was dying to go in (bad joke) I decided I really did need to press on and meet up with Carol, Sheila and Joe at the Bristol – heaven only knows where they thought I was, I seem to have been out hours. And so with enormous self-discipline I walked past the cemetery and through the archway onto Main Street promising myself I would be back to visit the cemetery later in the week.
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On the other side of the road I spotted Inces Hall and paused awhile to reflect. We’d been to quite a few functions there, notably the one I remember most was a concert by an Irish Trio called the Bachelors which I wrote about earlier (see 2:33). Looking at the building it was nice to see it was so well looked after – it looked as though it had just had a fresh coat of paint – and (by the look of the posters outside) it was also still very much a ‘happening’ place for cultural events.
(Inces hall)
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A little further down the road was Sir John Mackintosh Hall which I’m not sure if I remember being there in the 70s and wondered if it had been built since? It looked very modern. From where I was standing I saw what looked like military personnel in white uniforms gathering outside the Hall in preparation for an event. As I got nearer I looked through the windows of the hall and saw there was a library and other facilities such as reception rooms for corporate events; I got the impression (as with Inces Hall) it was also a cultural establishment but on a slightly posher scale? The military personnel I’d spotted from a distance were a band who were indeed getting ready for an event and so I thought I may just hang around a while to see what it was.
(John Mackintosh Hall)
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Looking down Main Street towards Convent Place seemed so familiar and as though time had stood still; as I walked down the road it could almost have been as though I was walking to work from Trafalgar House to HMS Rooke.
Looking closer I noticed quite a crowd beginning to gather in Convent Place and realised straight away what the military band were preparing for; they were getting ready for the Convent Guard Mount (just when I thought my day couldn’t get any better!). Somehow I had a feeling I was going to be even later back to the Bristol than I thought I would.
(Looking down Main Street towards Convent Place)
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3:17 (2016) “Hey, remember me?” It’s good to see you again.
28 Wednesday Sep 2016
Posted in Gibraltar, Memoirs of Gibraltar, travel, tripadvisor
After leaving the Alameda I came down into the car park by the cable car terminal and saw (directly in front of me) a very familiar building, my old home Trafalgar House.
To my left were the apartment blocks by the Fire Station where one of my readers (MG) recalls lovely memories of having lived there as a child particularly with having the Alameda right outside her door; what a blessed childhood! From where I was standing I could only imagine the views from the apartments which must have been awesome; from one side there is the Alameda and the Rock and from the other side (there must have been) sea views over Rosia?
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(Cable car and the Rock)
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Passing the cable car terminal naturally brought back many lovely memories of trips up the Rock with the children to see the apes and I know Carol, Sheila and Joe all wanted to do the trip during the week and so I checked out times and prices. I often say that if you didn’t go visit the apes during your stay then you didn’t ‘do’ Gibraltar. (It’s unthinkable).
(Looking up at my old apartment, Trafalgar House)
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As I finally approached (what I tend to call) Trafalgar Island (because the road goes completely around it) I looked up at the old place with both affection and thanks (really) because although we lived high up in Number 10 Trafalgar House, climbing the steps to our apartment were a small price to pay to have my family with me earlier. Although I knew full well where the entrance was I deliberately took the long way round the ‘island’ (clockwise) just to touch base and sort of say to this lovely old building ‘Hey,remember me? It’s good to see you again’.
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After walking completely around the building I finally arrived at the entrance which was almost opposite the Trafalgar Cemetery. The first thing I noticed that had changed was that there was now a locked outside door where there used to be an open lobby – you may recall (see 2:16) I wrote about that lobby and an incident that happened when Carol and I returned from our night out at St.Michaels Cabin – there was also a new shiny brass plaque by the door.
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As I stood looking at the door from a few yards away a man came out and walked off in a hurry; as he did so I noticed the door was closing very, very slowly and on the spur of the moment (as if by instinct) I shot forward and slipped inside before it closed behind me.
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Inside, my heart was pumping because part of me knew I shouldn’t be in the building as it was clearly private to residents only but the temptation to revisit had just been too much. For a while I stood frozen as I listened to hear if anyone else was moving around until I finally convinced myself it was safe to move. I quietly began climbing a set of steps that I recognised until I literally got myself outside the very door of my old apartment (terrified that the present resident might just open the door and ask me what I was up to).
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Fortunately no-one did come out and for a wonderful five minutes I was back there at my apartment in 1976 with my family chatting to other residents across the inner triangle where we all had a washing line. No amount of money could have bought that experience for me and I don’t imagine any amount of explanation from me would ever convince my readers or anyone else how much those five minutes meant to me.
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Although a part of me could have stayed there all day I knew I had to go and somehow managed to slip out of the building as quietly as I’d slipped in. Before walking on a took a quick selfie with the brass plaque and then crossed the road towards the Trafalgar Cemetery.
As I looked back I almost felt the old place say thank you. So I said it back out loud. “Thank You”.
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3:16 (2016) Alameda Children’s Garden
25 Sunday Sep 2016
Posted in Gibraltar, Memoirs of Gibraltar, monarch airlines, travel, tripadvisor
I’m not sure how long I’d sat pondering in Alameda but eventually I just stood up feeling very relaxed, refreshed and happy that over the coming week I would be able to explore the gardens more leisurely when I didn’t feel so pressed for time. At the back of my mind I was aware my travelling companions (Carol, Sheila and Joe) might be holding back on going for lunch (pending me getting back) and so I thought I’d better hoof it back to the Bristol.
(The lovely Dell in Alameda Gardens)
(Gibraltar’s Castle and keys emblem)
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In good faith I headed off toward the main entrance (near the cable car terminal) although (as many people who know me would agree) I’m very easily distracted and would be the first to put my hand up and admit it. I hadn’t gone far when I came across the footbridge by the beautiful Dell – and for me to not stop and admire the Castle and Keys on the lawn and the lovely water fountain would have been a travesty! From what I’ve read online recently the Dell has become an increasingly popular wedding location and I’m not in the least bit surprised; I don’t think I’ve ever seen such beautifully greener grass anywhere (maybe New Zealand at a push) and the sound of the water from the fountain just gives it all that lovely Zen finishing.
(The Welcome sign to the Children’s Garden)
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Dragging myself away and over the footbridge I turned left to go down to the lower lane where the playground is/used to be (at this point I didn’t know if it was still there or not) and spotted a new Children’s Garden on the bend. Craning my neck to look between the bars of the fence for a better view I was totally captivated and rewarded with lovely views of a delightful project; local children who were members of their own Garden Club were growing herbs and vegetables and heaven only knows what else all of which were labelled and flourishing. As I looked between the bars of the fence I felt like a child looking into Santa’s Grotto. It was lovely.
(The lovely Children’s Garden complete with scarecrows and Bee Hotel)
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From what I could see the children also made crazy pavement and risen garden areas with their own very unique scare crows – one of them, made from plant-pots, looked like something out of a TV show that was on on in the 60s (Bill and Ben the Flowerpot Men). And just as I was thinking that it was one of the most magical things I’d ever seen I spotted their ‘Bee Hotel’ and was totally hooked. I loved the whole concept so much that I decided there and then it was an idea I would be taking back to the UK for the children I work with professionally. A ‘Bee Hotel’. Priceless!
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I’m not sure how I finally managed to drag myself out of the lovely Alameda but at least I knew it wouldn’t be 40 years before I got back…it would be tomorrow 🙂
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3:15 (2016) A single picture (in Alameda) can speak a thousand words
24 Saturday Sep 2016
Posted in Gibraltar, Memoirs of Gibraltar, travel, tripadvisor
Slipping down left from the Main Road into Alameda Botanical Gardens was (for me) like walking into the garden of Eden; the minute I entered it was almost like arriving on a different (though very familiar) planet. If there’s such a concept as a ‘place’ being happy to receive an old friend then the way I felt needs no explanation; it was almost as though I was having a telepathic two-way conversation with the trees, the bushes, the cacti and the shrubs. We were all welcoming each other. Especially the Wonky Tree that looked as though it was bending down getting ready to whisper something to me.
(The Wonky Tree)
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Just a few yards in and the sound of traffic was replaced by a very beautiful silence, a silence I hadn’t heard since 21 November 1976 (see post 2:59) when the only sounds to break the silence then were the sounds of our children playing on the park (for the last time before we flew back to UK). Walking down into the hub of the gardens was both astonishing and thrilling. It was astonishing because it felt as though I’d never been away and it was thrilling because wherever I went within this gorgeous labyrinth I knew exactly where I was. Although there had been new developments (that I was yet to discover) fundamentally (to me) the only change I detected was that it was ever more tranquil and beautiful.
(Sometimes words are not necessary)
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I could tell you that Wikipedia says the gardens were commissioned in 1816 by the then Governor of Gibraltar General George Don so that his soldiers had somewhere recreational to go when off duty and that local people could enjoy the outdoors and be protected from the extreme sun. But you can easily read that for yourself (along with the history of the Rock, it’s politics and other statistics of general interest). However if I had anything at all to say about George Don’s vision and the creation of the Alameda (speaking as an apolitical, yet pro-British non-Gibraltarian) it would be – thank you.
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Sometimes I think words are not always necessary, and (as the old saying goes) a picture can speak a thousand words. When I look at some of the many photographs I took as I walked through the Alameda I don’t think anything I say today could add to what they say. This enchanted corner of this enchanting Rock enchants all who encounter it all on its own without any help from anywhere. What I did know was that during my seven day stay (in addition to whatever else I did) I would visit the Alameda every day.
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Although I didn’t have a lot of time – having spent the whole morning on the Med Steps – I was happy enough to take a seat and at least spend a little time with ‘my old friend Alameda’ and for us both drift away into our world, if only for a while.
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