An article in Wednesday’s edition of the ‘The Guardian’ describes Gibraltar as “a miraculous survivor in these days of international financial turmoil and sweeping recession, thanks to a sinking pound and an economy that grows at a rate comparable to that of China.” The author Giles Tremlett calls The Rock “a tiny, sun-baked strip of land on Europe’s southern coast”. Basically he’s saying that it is a shopping haven where Spaniards come in search of cheap cigarettes, booze and sex. All available here but wait in line.

The hack scribbler writes: “Spanish shoppers cram the Morrisons aisles, looking suspiciously at such quintessentially British foodstuffs as Marmite, baked beans and hot-cross buns, but snapping up everything from cheap milk to rice.”

Meanwhile Chief Minister Peter Caruana is quoted as saying that if Gibraltar “were a sovereign state we would be 13th in the world in GDP per capita.”

“That would put it above Canada or Switzerland. Growth will slow with the global recession,” he said, “but will not stop.”

Caruana is the least unpopular politician in Gibraltar (by a nose) but that isn’t saying much and as with most things he’s probably wrong with this one too. Still, St Crispin and TheEye will be in a Gib bar in late April so get your requests for tickets in early to avoid the rush…