Gibraltar’s representation at the Labour Party Conference continued yesterday evening with the Gibraltar Reception hosted by the Chief Minister Fabian Picardo and featuring a keynote speech by the UK Minister for Europe and the Overseas Territories Stephen Doughty MP.
Europe Minister David Lidington issued the following statement on the eve of the day that marked the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht anniversary:
“I send my greetings and best wishes to all Gibraltarians on this day of commemoration. For over 300 years the UK and Gibraltar have shared a proud and lasting history. We should take pride in the fact that the people of Gibraltar are and wish to remain British.
During the Rotary Club’s annual Presidents’ dinner held at the Rock Hotel recently, the presidency was handed over by Jennifer Stentiford to Lyana Armstrong-Emery.
The evening was inaugurated by a fanfare played by Band Sargeant, Mark Alcantara, Bugler from the Royal Gibraltar Regiment dressed in full regalia. The event was attended by Health and Environment Minister Dr. John Cortes, as well as Reverand Scott Brown and maria Vasquez of the San Pedro Rotary Club.
Gibraltar is slowly rising to the heights of becoming a household conversational topic in 1.32 million homes around the UK. The Channel 5 commissioned eight-part programme, Gibraltar: Britain in the Sun was last week counted as the 10th most watched programme on the channel.
The series has opened up the country to such famed local personalities as Gibraltar Chronicle photographer, Johnny Bugeja and Head of Ape management, Dr. Eric Shaw and is pulling in fairly mixed reviews. Online blogs have criticised the show for being ‘slow-moving’ with ‘unnecessarily drawn out story lines’.