Rebecca Fa shares Old Town memories

Rebecca Fa will be sharing her most recent publication ‘Me Acuerdo: Memories of Gibraltar’s Old Town’ a book which is a collection of memories. Rebecca told Features Editor Gabriella Peralta about her book which records Gibraltar’s living memory and her upcoming workshop as part in this year’s Gibraltar Literary Festival schools programme.

What can the audience expect from your literary festival workshop?

A look at Gibraltar 70 years ago, how Gibraltar has changed today and why it is important to record living memory.

In a nutshell describe your book ‘Me Acuerdo: Memories of Gibraltar’s Old Town’?

It is a shared collection of memories from individuals who grew up in the Old Town from 1950s-70s.

How important is it to preserve Gibraltar’s living memory?

I believe it is an invaluable source of our intangible heritage and adds to the historiography of Gibraltar’s oral history.

How did the project for your book come about?

I have always been interested in oral history and listening to stories from my grandparents of what life was like when they were young. One day I sat down with my grandmother and spoke to her about memories of growing up in the Old Town, an area that was once a hub of activity, and wondered if other members in the community shared her recollections. These generations, whilst they are still with us, remember what life was like in Gibraltar 70 years ago, our customs, traditions, and sense of community, and how different life is today. I wanted to seize the opportunity to capture their memories and their voices on audio whilst also having something tangible like a book that can be passed down through generations, thus passing down their memories and our traditions.

Can you share some anecdotes from the book?

One of my favourite anecdotes was by Tommy Smith who used to live up in Castle Road and played football with his friends in ‘El Barranco’. The ball would fall over the wall more often than not, and he and his friends would shout ‘Pelota Por Favor’ (ball please), to the men heading home from work or stopping for a drink at the Artillerys Arms Café. If the ball was thrown back to them, they would applaud the gentleman, but if it was not, they would make fun of the men. One of his friends’ dad worked in the Public Works Department and they managed to build a fence on the wall so they could be more adventurous when playing football.

I especially loved sitting with Julie Balban, she closed her eyes and was back in Main Street as a little girl where she lived, remembering every shop, person/local character and street name along the way. It was wonderful to see how her memories came flooding back, even bringing tears to her eyes. She told me Toni’s Ice Cream shop, run by a man called Piorno who used to sing opera and give her and her sister the broken parts of an ice cream cone with a bit of icecream.

My grandmother told me about all the ladies who used to clean the caracoles (snails), before Easter in the patio, first with salted water and then fresh water, until the water was crytal clear.

One thing is constant throughout all their stories, that although their world was much smaller, they has wonderful childhoods.

What words of advice do you have for the younger generation?

Learning about our past can be exciting, it can teach and inspire you in your everyday life and make you appreciate what you have today. Take an interest in your family history, be proud of your roots and where you come from, and by learning the family stories, you can be the torch to pass them on.