I returned to Gibraltar in 2010, a place I had visited many times over the years but still enjoyed exploring with a camera. The familiar streets, the harbour and the Rock offered plenty to photograph, as well as a chance to see what had changed since my previous visits.
My cousin Linda joined me for part of the trip. It was a pleasure to share some of Gibraltar with her while also having time to wander and take photographs at my own pace. This collection records the places and small details that caught my eye during that visit.
Grand Casemates Square, Gibraltar, 2010. Café tables fill the foreground while a nearby shop displays clothing, postcards and Gibraltar souvenirs beneath blue awnings—a colourful glimpse of everyday life in the busy pedestrian square.
“Gibraltar—Cradle of History” monument, 2010. Standing near the entrance to Gibraltar, the monument presents episodes from the territory’s long history through figures and reliefs representing its prehistoric inhabitants, the Phoenicians, Roman heritage, the Pillars of Hercules, the Great Siege and the Battle of Trafalgar. Gibraltar’s coat of arms occupies the centre above the welcoming inscription.
RAF Gibraltar control tower, 2010. Pedestrians and a cyclist cross the airport runway along Winston Churchill Avenue, with the RAF Gibraltar control tower and airport fire station beyond. At the time, this unusual road crossing was closed by barriers whenever aircraft were landing or taking off.
RAF Gibraltar control tower, 2010. The airfield’s distinctive white control building stands beside the runway, carrying the badges of the Royal Air Force and RAF Gibraltar beneath its glazed control room. From here, controllers managed both aircraft movements and the unusual road crossing over the active runway.
Tower of Homage, Moorish Castle, Gibraltar, 2010. Flying the Union Flag above the northern slopes of the Rock, this massive fourteenth-century tower is the most prominent surviving part of Gibraltar’s medieval Moorish fortifications. Its weathered walls still bear scars from centuries of sieges and conflict.
Flags above the Rock of Gibraltar, 2010. The flags of Gibraltar, the United Kingdom and the European Union fly above a stone viewpoint near the summit of the Rock. In 2010, the three flags reflected Gibraltar’s local identity, its status as a British Overseas Territory and its membership of the European Union at that time. Seabirds circle above the wooded limestone slopes.
Flags above the Upper Rock, Gibraltar, 2010. The flags of Gibraltar, the United Kingdom and the European Union fly above a viewpoint in the Upper Rock Nature Reserve. Visitors enjoy the panorama from the terrace, where a coin-operated telescope provides a closer view across Gibraltar and the surrounding coastline.
The Tower of Homage, Moorish Castle, Gibraltar, 2010. Rising above the trees on the western slope of the Rock, this massive stone tower is the principal surviving structure of Gibraltar’s medieval Moorish Castle. The present tower was largely rebuilt by the Marinids in the 14th century and still bears scars from the many sieges endured by the fortress.
Café in the former Moroccan quarter, Gibraltar, 2010. Customers relax on the terrace of a small tapas bar in the passage near the glass-blowing workshop. This secluded area had previously provided living accommodation for members of Gibraltar’s Moroccan community before being converted into retail, craft and refreshment premises.
Linda beneath an orange tree near the Gibraltar Crystal workshop, 2010. My cousin Linda admires the abundant fruit growing in the sheltered courtyard beside the glass-blowing centre. The flourishing citrus tree adds a distinctly Mediterranean character to this secluded former residential area near Grand Casemates Square.
Rock Gun Battery on the northern summit of the Rock, Gibraltar, 2010. The historic battery occupies the crest above the sheer North Face, with the Union Flag flying over its stone defences. Modern radar and communications towers, together with the protective white radome, reflect the site’s continuing strategic importance for monitoring the air and sea approaches to Gibraltar.
Rock Gun Battery, Gibraltar, 2010. A closer view of the fortified position perched above the precipitous North Face of the Rock. The Union Flag flies above the old stone gun emplacements, while the prominent steel towers carry modern radar and communications equipment—contrasting Gibraltar’s historic coastal defences with its continuing surveillance role.
British Airways Airbus A319 at Gibraltar Airport, 2010. The aircraft stands on the apron while ground staff prepare it for departure, with a Gibair passenger bus and mobile steps alongside. Beyond the airfield, merchant ships wait offshore in the Mediterranean, east of Gibraltar.
Tanker off Gibraltar Airport, 2010. A chemical or product tanker lies offshore in the Mediterranean, beyond the eastern side of the runway. In the foreground, contractors and heavy equipment are at work on airport improvements, while a set of Gibair passenger steps stands ready on the apron—bringing Gibraltar’s aviation and maritime traffic together in a single view.
EasyJet Airbus A319 approaching Gibraltar Airport, 2010. With its landing gear lowered and landing lights shining, the aircraft descends over the Mediterranean towards Runway 27. The head-on view captures the final approach to Gibraltar, where winds flowing around the Rock can create challenging turbulence and sudden changes in direction.
Linda’s easyJet Airbus A319 arriving at Gibraltar, 2010. The aircraft that would later carry my cousin Linda on her return journey approaches Runway 27 from over the Mediterranean, with its landing gear lowered and landing lights illuminated. After landing and a brief turnaround at Gibraltar Airport, it would depart again with Linda aboard.
easyJet Airbus A319 on final approach to Gibraltar Airport, 2010. The aircraft that would carry Linda on her return flight descends towards Runway 27 with its landing gear down. Its slightly uneven wings suggest the crew is making small corrections for the shifting winds created as the easterly airflow passes around the Rock.
easyJet Airbus A319 landing at Gibraltar Airport, 2010. The aircraft destined to carry Linda on her return flight crosses the threshold of Runway 27, moments before touchdown. Its nose is slightly angled into the crosswind as the pilot aligns it with the runway. Airport construction workers watch from the foreground, while a container ship passes offshore in the Mediterranean.
Rock Gun Battery on the North Face of the Rock, Gibraltar, 2010. The Union Flag flies above the historic stone battery, which commands the steep northern approaches to Gibraltar. Modern radar and communications towers rise behind the old fortifications, while gulls circle around the summit in the strong upward air currents.
easyJet Airbus A319 G‑EZBG after landing at Gibraltar Airport, 2010. The aircraft rolls along Runway 27 with its wing spoilers raised to reduce lift and assist braking. It would shortly taxi to the terminal, where it was prepared for the return service carrying Linda home.
easyJet Airbus A319 G‑EZBG taxiing along Runway 09, Gibraltar Airport, 2010. After landing from the east on Runway 27, the aircraft has turned around and is backtracking eastwards along the same strip, in the Runway 09 direction, before leaving for the apron. Construction equipment for the new airport terminal fills the foreground.
Felixstowe House Married Quarters, Gibraltar, 2010. This military accommodation block beside Gibraltar Airport was once home to service families stationed on the Rock. I had stayed here in 1982, making this later view across the runway a personal reminder of my earlier time in Gibraltar.
The Moorish Baths, Gibraltar Museum, 2010. Horseshoe arches supported by brick and stone columns survive within this remarkably well-preserved medieval bathhouse. Built during the Marinid period in the 14th century, the baths formed part of the residence of Gibraltar’s Moorish governor and originally contained rooms for cold, warm and hot bathing.
Hot room of the Moorish Baths, Gibraltar Museum, 2010. Red lighting evokes the heat and steam that once filled this 14th-century bathing chamber. The raised masonry platform formed part of the hot bathing area, while the exposed remains beneath the floor reveal elements of the hypocaust system that circulated heat through the room.
Domed roof of the Moorish Baths, Gibraltar Museum, 2010. Concentric courses of brickwork form the vaulted ceiling of the medieval bathhouse. Built during the Marinid period in the 14th century, the carefully constructed roof covered part of the complex of cold, warm and hot bathing rooms.
Original brick floor of the Moorish Baths, Gibraltar Museum, 2010. Rows of narrow bricks laid in a herringbone pattern form part of the surviving floor of the 14th-century bathhouse. The worn surface and adjoining stonework reveal the practical construction beneath what was once the private bathing complex of Gibraltar’s Moorish governor.
Warning bell from the convict hulk Owen Glendower, Gibraltar Museum, 2010. The bell, dated 1783, was later used in connection with the prison ship Owen Glendower,
which housed convicts in Gibraltar Harbour from 1842. It was sounded whenever a prisoner escaped and the alarm continued until he was recaptured. Many of the convicts were employed on major public works around Gibraltar.
Royal Naval Reserve plotter display, Gibraltar Museum, 2010. A mannequin wearing the uniform and cap tally of HMS Calpe stands beside a naval movement board used to record ships’ positions, speeds and expected arrival times. Commissioned in 1965, HMS Calpe was Gibraltar’s Royal Naval Reserve unit; its original complement included plotters and communications personnel who helped monitor maritime activity around the Strait.
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HMS Calpe Freedom of the City display, Gibraltar Museum, 2010. A Royal Naval Reservist holds the cylindrical presentation case containing the ceremonial scroll. The framed document records the conferment of the Honorary Freedom of the City of Gibraltar upon HMS Calpe, recognising the unit’s contribution to Gibraltar’s defence and marking its 25th anniversary.
Gibraltar Defence Force barrack-room bed layout, Gibraltar Museum, 2010. A soldier’s narrow bed is arranged for inspection, with blankets precisely folded and his steel helmet, webbing equipment, water bottle, mess tins and mug laid out in regulation order. The locker above and polished boots beneath the bed complete this reconstruction of barrack life in the locally raised Gibraltar Defence Force.