Letters

Thanks to all my friends

Dear Sir,

I am returning to the UK to be nearer my family as I am now in my 80s.

This letter is to say 'thank you' to all the lovely and diverse friends I have made during my 17 years on the Rock. The next chapter of my life is about to begin which is exciting but I go with a heavy heart as I know I will miss you all.  Read more

Fantastic work for this cancer-related charity

Dear Sir,

I am writing to you on behalf of Knitted Knockers Costa del Sol to ask if you would consider to raise awareness of the fantastic work this charity does for ladies who have suffered from breast cancer.  Read more

Big Fish in a Small Bowl

Dear Sir,

There are certain members of our small community who act like big fish in a small bowl. These are the letter writers who wait until a poor guy writes in expressing an opinion on any issue and these know-alls jump in to prove them wrong.  Read more

Vociferous over trivial matters, but silent over giant development

Dear Sir,

Faced with a proposal for a giant development on Top of the Rock within the Nature Reserve I am astonished at the silence of both the Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society (who have over the years been vociferous over far more trivial matters) and the Gibraltar Heritage Trust – who admittedly were also silent on the defacing of a historic building Inces’ Hall.  Read more

Local landlords and old buildings

Dear Sir,

I havn't been in Gibraltar for that long, but I have heard about local landlords getting away with matters which in the UK would cause havoc and headlines.  Read more

Shameful way how refurbishing is being done

Dear Sir,

I am writing on behalf of the tenants of Bishop Canilla House, which is being refurbished by the main contractor Bovis Koala.  Read more

Ironic that it is the EU which is behind clampdowns on piracy or 'card-sharing'

Dear Sir,

Well, at the risk of saying 'I told you so', I told you so.

After years of listening to howls of outrage and whataboutery when I questioned the legality of Sky and other channels being available in Gibraltar, and at little or no cost compared to the UK, there are now outpourings of misplaced entitlement after Sky channels had to be removed by U-Mee and GibFibreSpeed, with one man interviewed on GBC saying: 'We've had it so long, why did they have to do this? That's what gets me angry!'  Read more

Agency workers in the public service

Dear Sirs,

I refer to the ongoing debate on the exploitation of agency workers within the public service. I use the term public service advisably because while there are approximately 32 agency workers in the Civil Service, there are hundreds in the wider public service (e.g. the care agency and other Government agencies and authorities). That is worth bearing in mind when the Government commits itself to tackle the problem within the Civil Service but remains silent in respect of the wider public service.  Read more