National Day In Gibraltar
If you are looking for a good bit of national pride, some patriotic belief, a strong dose of loyalty to Great Britain and the Crown and a damn fine party then look no further than the streets of Gibraltar today. For September 10th is National Day – a Bank Holiday to commemorate the day in 1967 when Gibraltar voted by Mugabe-like proportions (12,138 votes to 44) to reject any sovereignty with Spain – joint or absolute.
You could argue that the vote in November 2002 to defeat Jack Straw’s smoke filled room stitchup with Spain to give the Rock away (17,900 votes to 187…it still sounds like a poll taken in Harare West constituency) deserved another Bank Holiday but we aren’t that greedy. For the past fortnight the flags have been going up, covering the outsides of tower blocks and shops to compliment the flags which fly all year round anyway. All day and night the streets will be filled with people dressed in the national colours of red and white and the live music in Casemates Square is still going on at this late hour. TheEye helped setting up for the music today and will be in the crowd for the rallies and political speeches which will last all of the early afternoon of the 10th.
Anyone looking to join TheEye for a beverage should email the address in the sidebar with contact details and will be guided to the appropriate bar in the Square.
After the speeches, 30,000 red and white balloons representing the local population will be released and the festivities kick in. For those who like them, Status Quo will be performing in the evening outside in Ocean Village. For anyone who doesn’t want to spend £70 on a seat then they’ll be audible for a square mile anyway.
Gibraltar is proud of its status as a self governing British overseas territory. Long may it continue and our motto stay true: Nulli Expugnabilis Hosti – Conquered By No Enemy. Happy National Day, one and all!
Surely that’s not the multi-storey car park ASE? Some reasonable bars in the square though I admit.
That was uplifting – wish I was there! Cheers.
Guest, it’s an archive snap and not one of my photos but I think its the inside courtyard of one of the ex-MOD blocks down in Rosia. They’ve all got strong tenants associations and always put on a good display.
Thanks LSP. Blogging may be slurred for a day or so!
What a fine sight indeed, I wish the country the spawned the flag could take a bit more pride in it. For the less audacious stuff, I hear the Spanish are getting bolder by the day and was that EU cock-up averted (you know the one where they assumed authority over Gibraltar but then Britain told them to F of)?
Sad I cannot be with you (two visits a years seems not to be enough).
Have a swift pink gin for me old chap
Cheers, 13th Spitfire. And no, every UK govt department is blaming the other in signing away our territorial waters to the Spanish eco-police. The UK is taking it to one of the EU courts, but you’re on shaky legal grounds when your objection to EU legislation is “oh bugger, we didn’t read that bit”. In the meantime their navy fast patrol boats are testing our resolve and are chased off by the Royal Navy every now and then.
There’ll be other times soon, St C.
Hopefully we’ll be propping up the mess in HMS Rooke before Christmas.
Oh Bugger… am I to understand those departments have Labour people are their helms?