A fitting accolade for Chronicle’s Alice Mascarenhas

Alice Mascarenhas, the Chronicle’s former Deputy Editor, confessed yesterday that she was “stunned” when told she had been granted a National Honour by the Queen.

For over four decades, Ms Mascarenhas has made a selfless, versatile contribution to the media in Gibraltar, covering community life in all its aspects but with a special focus on culture and the arts.

Through her work, she has helped to project a positive, detailed insight into the lives of others both locally and internationally, recording individual sacrifices and achievements with humanity and deep empathy for her subjects.

She has also mentored and inspired younger journalists, putting the community of Gibraltar at the forefront of all her work.

“I was stunned when I received the news,” she said last night.

“I could never have imagined such an accolade and I am deeply honoured.”

“All I have ever done is my job, to tell the stories of people far more important than myself and present the very best this community has to offer with strong emphasis on what has been important in our past, in the present and into the future.”

“This recognition is not for me alone but for the many people who have been a part of my broadcasting and journalistic career and those who have shared my love of culture and the arts.”

“It also belongs to my father, Manolo Mascarenhas, with whom I wish to share this because I have always felt he should have been a recipient of this award for all he did in defence of the people of Gibraltar in the times leading to and during the closed frontier years.”

“Perhaps a coincidence but it seems fitting that this year the announcement of The Queen’s Birthday Honours List should fall on such a significant day in our history, the 50th anniversary of the closure of the frontier.”

From her colleagues at this newspaper, heartfelt congratulations on a richly-deserved award.