Update to this post: if you’re interested in some live action heritage, Mtarfa, home of former British barracks and military hospital, is holding its annual historical enactment day on Sunday 16th October. Military vehicles, weapons, reenactments and more, all taking place at venues around the town. Read up on British heritage below…

Malta attracts a lot of tourism from people who were stationed here with the British forces, as well as from their descendants. Living memory stretches from World War II until the last naval bases closed and the British forces left in 1979. To help them and anyone else interested in exploring Malta’s 160 years of British rule, we’ve listed the main places and museums that recall British heritage, or rather rule of the islands. We also note the British-influence on current-day Maltese life, from language to driving on the left. For a potted history of Malta under British rule, click here.

Just as in 1940 – the Lascaris War Rooms with original code-breaking machines and maps

But you don’t have to visit museums or go out of your way to discover the British military or architectural history. Simply walk the Victoria Lines defences for some fresh air and views. Play spot the red phone box or postbox – good one to do with kids. In Valletta, hunt out Strait Street with its old music halls that were so popular with British forces up to around the 60s. Or see if you can find a notice for a Victory Kitchen.

For Kids
Don’t think that British military history is just of interest to older generations. I’ve had groups of kids enthralled by the Aviation Museum, Malta at War Museum, Lascaris War Rooms and Fort Rinella. Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna runs the last three, and specialises in British historical sites and in bringing the British era alive. It’s amazing how many hours you can spend at Fort Rinella where, in theory, there’s just one enormous 100-tonne gun to see! The Lascaris War Rooms in Valletta, a war-time bunker command and control room, was a kiddy hit with its British version of the German Enigma machines and enormous maps.

British Heritage visible today

There’s a strong affinity between the Maltese and the British. It’s an easy place for Brits to visit, what with English a joint official language and widely spoken, driving on the left, cups of tea with lots of milk, and familiar names around – from shop fronts to street names. Battered old vehicles still on our roads, like Bedford vans, Ford Anglias and Triumphs, can take you back to ’50s – 70s Britain in a flash. Then there are red post boxes (good examples in Valletta and on the Sliema front) and red telephone boxes (again, in Valletta) which are often more common there than on British streets.

British Architecture
When we think of historical buildings in Malta, we tend to think first of the defences and architecture bequeathed us by the Knights of St John. But the British era left a significant mark too – sometimes altering or adding on to the work of the Knights, but also developing afresh. The colonial housing and barracks at Pembroke, the Garrison Church (now the Stock Exchange), in Valletta and the elegant Chamber of Commerce building in lower Republic Street, also in the capital, are examples of notable British architecture – practical but nonetheless with architectural merit. Tigne’ Point has incorporated the arcaded barracks into its development near the Point shopping centre, and you can easily spot Victorian influence in the massive, gothic-style building near Balluta Bay, and in the house on Mdina’s main cathedral square.

Museums with British or wartime exhibits
National War Museum, Fort St Elmo, Valletta: the place to start as it focuses on the two World Wars. Displays the George Cross awarded by King George VI to Malta for the islands’ bravery in WWII.
National Maritime Museum, Birgu Waterfront: This vast museum housed in the old British naval bakery traces Malta’s sea-faring history from Phoenician times to WWII and beyond. Mock-up of a naval waterfront bar, uniforms, navy photographs, letters and memoribilia galore.
Malta at War Museum, Birgu: this new museum, housed in 18th century barracks, tells of the daily hardship and suffering of the islanders during WWII. Malta at War Museum, Couvre Porte, Vittoriosa: Tue – Sun 10.00 to 17.00hrs. Guided tours and film shows on the hour.
Aviation Museum, Ta’ Qali: a veritable treasure trove of memoribilia of the R.A.F. in Malta, and Malta’s wartime air defence. Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire in aviation sheds. Great for kids too!
Lascaris War Rooms, Valletta: one of only four WWII military operations rooms remaining, it opened recently again after renovation and is now a fascinating insight into not just WWII operations but also NATO and the Cold War period. Run by Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna, an NGO restoring and reviving ex-British military sites. Lascaris War Rooms, Lascaris Ditch, Valletta: Mon – Sun 10.00 to 17.00hrs. Guided tours and film shows on the hour.
Mgarr Second World War Shelter: Located under Il-Barri Restaurant, this is one of the largest underground shelters on the islands. Recently restored and open to visitors, it shows the hard life in the shelters for the local farming community. Open: Tue – Sat: 9.00am till 2.00pm; Sun: 9.00am till 11.00am

Forts, Barracks & Fortifications
Pill boxes & Gun Posts: these dot the skyline of Valletta’s perimeter. There’s a pill box now turned cafe-snack bar on the corner of Marasamxett and St Sebastian Streets just before the War Museum. If you do a harbour cruise or get under sail, you’ll see just how many concrete pill boxes there are still preserved around Valletta. For anti-aircraft gun posts, a good example is through the car park at the end of South Street, Valletta, overlooking Marsamxett Harbour.

Fort Rinella, Kalkara
Built in 1878, this is the world’s first mechanical fort and a rare remnant of British military engineering. It houses what was the world’s largest gun – the 100-ton Armstrong, which was placed to protect Valletta’s harbours. Weird, strange and incredible. The tour includes ‘living history’ demos. Open: Tue – Sun 10.00 to 17.00hrs. Historical re-enactment displays at 14.15hrs. Visit the first Sunday in May to experience the gun’s huge blast – the only day a year its fired! Click here for a preview!

Victoria Lines
This line of inland defence – built up with walls, forts and batteries – runs along a natural ‘great fault’ some 12km, in effect dividing southern and northern Malta. The fault has proved a natural defensive ridge since prehistoric times, but it was under British rule in the mid-1870s that it was fortified more extensively. Forts along its length include Fort Madliena, Fort Binġemma, and Fort Mosta – which is open to the public. Join one of three tours Mon-Fri; 09.30 – 12.30.

Pembroke
This area of Malta, just north of the Paceville/St George’s Bay area was the base of British military life in Malta, with its officers’ mess, barracks and married quarters. A drive around Pembroke gives you old, crumbling barracks, those put to new uses, as well as Australia Hall – still standing though somewhat derelict, but once an entertainment venue and cinema built in 1915 – and a host of wonderful street names like Alamein, Normandy and Anzio.

Auberge d’Angleterre, Birgu: first home of the English Knights of St John in Malta before the Order moved to Valletta. Today, it’s home to Birgu Libary. You can pop inside the courtyard and view, but it’s not an official tourist sight.

Outdoor Sights

Dockyards: all the Three Cities area is of interest as the heartland of Malta’s naval history and maritime trade. Good to view from across Grand Harbour, and Upper Barrakka Gardens.

Garden of Rest, Floriana or Msida Bastion Cemetery, or ‘the Protestant Cemetery’: wonderfully tranquil spot with great views of the inner reaches (Msida Creek) of Marsamxett Harbour. Well tended, open to the public. Read the gravestones. Even holds concerts!

Queen Victoria statue, Palace Square Valletta
Victoria Gate, Valletta

Old Saluting Battery: Sited below Upper Barrakka Gardens, Valletta, the battery not only has the Grand Harbour views, but also offers a chance to learn how cannons worked and were fired in days gone by. Saluting Battery, Valletta: Mon to Sun 10.00 to 13.00hrs. Firing of Noon-day gun at 12.00hrs.

Sir Alexander Ball memorial, Lower Barrakka Gardens. Great views from these gardens out to sea and over the Fallen Soldier and Siege Bell memorials. Sir Alexander Ball was Malta’s first British Governor.

George Cross commemoration plaque on the Palace, Valletta. The Cross itself and King George VI’s message are on display in the War Museum (see above).

St Paul’s Anglican Cathedral, Valletta

Kenuna Tower, Nadur, Gozo: one of three semaphore towers built by the British in 1848 on the cliffs near Nadur.

Ta’ Qali & Hal-Far airfields: the Aviation Museum, Ta’ Qali, is the best source of information on airfield history.

Pole Dance, the fusion exercise

Pole dancing is a great fusion of dance, fitness, acrobatics, gymnastics. It can be sporty, sexy, artistic or simply funny and enjoyable. Pole fitness is suitable for all genders, shapes, ages and fitness levels and is a great calorie burner. You burn up to 700 calories an hour; more than you do swimming, running, cycling or with Zumba.

In addition, it’s a full body workout helping you to strengthen all parts of your body and tune up most of the muscles. Pole Dance could also be much more than just exercising – it could become a way of life like it was in my case.

Pole fitness, a way of life

After giving a birth to my second child and gaining almost 20kg extra weight, I’ve started to search for different ways of training. Having some years of ballet dancing and sports experience, I could not see “new me” in the mirror and had to find a way to get back my good shape. I went to various gyms, tried different fitness classes, but everything was pretty boring and not really inspiring.

Pole Fitness was also on my list, but I wasn’t sure if I was ready and strong enough; plus, I had a lack of self-confidence. My husband supported me and insisted I attend at least one class. He booked my first level course in one pole dance studio in Vienna where we were living at that time. The first three classes were incredibly hard for me and I was ready to quit, but I had great support at home. So, from that moment on, I got stronger and stronger with every class and fell in love with pole dance.

Pole Fitness in Malta

After moving to Malta, I was a bit frustrated at first that pole dancing and pole fitness was almost non-existent. However, I continued to train visiting the few available classes, I bought a pole and trained on my own as well as visiting different workshops of famous pole athletes in Malta and abroad.

I felt the need to share this unforgettable feeling of the excitement of pole dancing and also the fabulous results it has, so I decided to open a new pole fitness studio in Qawra, St Paul’s Bay, called ‘Pole Fairies’ Fitness Club. I was so confident that I decided to compete in International Dutch Pole Art Championship in October 2015 in the Netherlands and was the first professional pole dancer ever representing Malta in international pole dance competitions. Other participants and even judges were really surprised to see Malta participating in the contest. Even more surprising was my 6th place among almost 30 great pole athletes worldwide.

The best motivation for me is seeing my students progress, gaining self-confidence, strength and easily overcoming different life challenges. Pole Fitness can become very popular in Malta as the Islands are known for their open-mindness and love of expression. I’ve found students ready to try something new and spend quality time on their new sport. Pole classes could be a great idea to combine socializing, training, having fun and building self-confidence.

Further Info on Pole Fitness in Malta

Poli’s Pole Fairies Studio runs group and private pole fitness classes, stretching & flexibility classes and post-natal fitness for mums and babies.

Web: Pole Fairies Fitness Studio
Phone: 79612276
Email: polefairies@gmail.com
Facebook: PoleFairiesMalta
Instagram: @polefairiesmalta

Photo Credits: Vladimir Sumovsky

Worse was yet to come though. For the first time, we decided to send our son on the school van. But his name wasn’t on any van list, and yesterday, the first day back, he got left stranded at school sans van pass, van number and still without his name on the list.

Ah, the joys of the grand return to school in Malta after the long summer recess.

There’s nothing so far in my preparations for back to school that’s so very different from those parents anywhere in Europe face. But, hang on, yes, there is a one glaring difference – I’ve had a month more than many of my European counterparts to get to grips with book lists and buttons. Because Malta gives its kids a whopping three months summer holiday; this year’s was 13 weeks +. The holidays are so long in Malta that it’s been known for some teachers to get seasonal jobs as cabin crew  – Air Malta’s difficulties put paid to that little earner though.

My question to Malta’s educational powers that be is why do our kids go back so late when countries equally as hot have their school kids at their desks from early September?  Only one school in Malta I know kicks off at the beginning of September, because it follows the International Baccalaureate curriculum and needs to. It copes.

The answer, I am told by a man in the know, is that a collective agreement with teachers a good few years back, if not decades ago, has enshrined this three month vacation.  Teachers got a good deal and there isn’t any indication this situation is likely to change for years. Meanwhile, we all know, educationalists too, that the short school year, among the shortest in EU countries, means our children have to cram, cram, cram to get through the curriculum.

The tradition has put paid to a more paced development for our children, both social and academic. Some would argue that the summer holidays more than compensate and that not all learning is done in class. But Malta has a very traditional, exam-led system that puts a lot of pressure on kids. Alternative or more imaginative learning is not order of the day. And parents tend to put pressure on children to perform, from very young ages too.

So, parents out there contemplating an expat move to Malta, be warned, especially if you are both working parents and don’t have convenient family around to lend a hand with childcare.  Summers are long, very long. Not just hot!

Perhaps that’s the lesson in all this. Malta’s long summer holidays prevent the “whining school-boy, with his satchel…creeping like snail unwillingly to school” (to quote Shakespeare’s As you Like it‘). And to steal from Shakespeare again, you could say there’s method in this madness after all.

Addendum: apparently Bulgaria sees 16 weeks school summer holidays! And the UK’s kids aren’t ‘Uber’ performers despite having the shortest summer holidays in Europe.

Inland Malta and Gozo are all too often relegated in tourism promo to panoramic images showing steep, slopes stepped with rubble walls, and vistas taking in Mdina or Citadella. But there’s so much more to notice in the detail of the Islands’ countryside that many camera lenses overlook.

At long last, we’ve a frisson of chill in the air and good walking temperatures. Autumn into winter is the ideal time of year to head inland to glimpse another side of the Islands; one of small-holdings, farmers, fields and produce. You’ll come across folk pottering along on pony and traps, the lone figure hoeing away mid plot, and tumbled-down, ramshackle stone huts of all kinds used for implements, and even as weekend retreats for locals.

This small snapshot of rural life was along a single stretch of country path. The small-holding was closed for the day. But the wood pile was fresh, stacked ready for the open-air oven. Pass by on a Sunday and it’s likely the owners would be roasting lunch. I’ve experienced the smell of outdoor ovens in action and there’s nothing better to whet the appetite! These age-old ovens beat the Jamie Oliver promo-ed ones as their years of use give a deep, rich, smoky aroma to anything baked within.

See what you come across on a walk, photograph it and feel free to place it on our Flickr group here.

Photos: Liz Ayling

Malta Air Show is for kids of all ages

My father always made more noise than us kids. Years later, he found an ally in my father-in-law, a former RAF and BA pilot – in the rare occasions that they meet, they get all smug and giggle about young airmen’s antics at RAF Luqa in the 1950s. I didn’t know my father-in-law to be as a kid, but probably I’d have wanted to be him too, just as he is in the photo below.

Lionel Ayling, Bomber Squadron, Thorney Island, 1950.

Malta’s love affair with flying machines did not stop with the closure of the British forces military base in 1979.

The annual Malta International Air Show weekend is 24 & 25 September, 2016 at the Malta International Airport in Luqa (Hal-Farrug road entrance). For €8 an adult (tickets valid one day only) and free for kids under 14, you get a great family day out: there’s always a static and flying display (details here). The planes start arriving earlier in the week, and if you’re keen to spot them flying in, see the arrivals schedule.

All editions of the show see a static display of aircraft and helicopters. The programme is still formative so check online nearer the date for full details.

A highlight of course in previous years has been the RAF Red Arrows team. Main airborn displays are usually around mid afternoon on both days but do check online for precise times. The flying displays are being held over Smart City, so go there for the best of the views; it’s free!

Events like the air show also bring out the picnic crowd. Summer is officially over, the kids are just back to school but still in relaxed mood. Parents with cameras and videos can get to munch ftiras, meet old friends and scream louder than their kids. So even if you do end up hanging around for the next fly-past, the airshow is a great opportunity to do some serious people watching and catch up on all the gossip against a soundscape of jet engines. And get your photo taken with some flying aces who are hanging around outside their aircraft happy to have a weekend off duty, so to speak.

Do note the quite precise and strict entrance details and advice about parking and using public transport. The event draws the crowds, so to ensure you have a smooth ride there and back, do check the Airshow website info for public transport and parking info.

Malta has experienced a huge rise in foreign residents in the past few years. Though they can manage well with English, it is generally not the same case with Maltese; although some newly-arrived expats do make an effort to learn Maltese as the language of their new host country.

There are numerous English language schools around Malta, but no similar outfits teaching Maltese. At Bir Mula Heritage, we’re trying to fill in the gap, but in an informal way. Our aim is to make learning Maltese fun, especially as our course targets adults who most likely arrive tired for the lessons after a day at work.

Why not in Maltese?

A bit of background on the Maltese language

A major factor in integrating successfully in a foreign country is learning its language. Malta is formed of a small archipelago, but it has a millennia-old language all its own. In the last three decades, Maltese has suffered from major setbacks. Most of the local mass media uses forms of pseudo-English and –Italian either to impress listeners or due to a lack of knowledge of Maltese. And of course, a lot of our media consumption is in English whether delivered on internet or TV or as films.

To make matters more complicated, Maltese productions reflecting Maltese culture and language have become fewer in number. TV presenters frequently use a Maltese which lacks the right grammatical construction and often fails to use actual Maltese vocabulary. All this makes it more difficult for both Maltese, and therefore for foreigners too, who wish to learn the language and its grammatical patterns.

On the other hand and unlike other languages, as for example English, French, German and Spanish, Maltese is not heard nor spoken on the mass media of other countries around the world. There are only a few radio stations which transmit ethnic programmes in countries where Maltese communities migrated and settled during the 19th and the 20th centuries.

Maltese Language Course Outline

Through its endeavour to improve the community, Bir Mula Heritage is offering a course of 14 sessions of 2.5 hours weekly. Participants are not compelled to sit for any type of formal examination but mostly to have fun in learning. The course includes another 35 hours of individual study and conversation sessions intended to aid the participants to improve their Maltese practically.

By the end of the course, participants should have acquired a basic knowledge of the Maltese language for everyday life and have developed the ability to listen to, speak, read and write Maltese to a basic grammatical level. The course covers enough Maltese vocabulary and grammar to help you survive on the street, on shopping errands, while at work, during leisure and other occasions.

The course is ideal for adults living or staying in Malta and Gozo. Sessions are every Friday 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. starting on September 16. Any extra sessions held beyond the 14 weeks will of the course be free of charge.

Tuition language: the course tuition is in English. Participants must at least be able to communicate in simple everyday English.
Venue: the course runs in a social history museum at 79, St. Margerita Street, Bormla (Cospicua).
Attendance: all participants attending more than 80% of the sessions and presenting homework exercises as requested will be awarded a ‘Certificate of Attendance’. Assessment is based on active participation during the lesson, in conversation sessions and homework.

Further details

Contact John Vella on info@birmula.com or tel: 99273276. See also the course listing on our site.

Ħudu gost! (Have fun!).

Anyone who has holidayed in continental Europe in August, especially in cities, will know that many bars and restaurants are shut, sporting notices such as ‘Ferie’ or ‘in Vacanza’ in Italy, for example. Just as tourists arrive, those who should be making a buck out of them choose to go on holiday too.

So, what does Malta do?

What to Expect in the August Shutdown

The next two weeks are Malta’s peak summer holiday time. Families increasingly holiday abroad, but there is still a tradition of taking a holiday rental in Malta, usually somewhere like St Paul’s Bay or Mellieha. Some are lucky enough to a second home in Gozo, or even abroad (certain patches of Tuscany and Sicily are now hot spots).  Yacht and motor boat owners do some island hopping around Malta, where they move their patio chat with neighbours to the water. Sharper sailors, weather permitting, cross over to Sicily.

Mid August sees a change in the weather to humid, sweaty, still grey days that promise rain from humid, sweaty days that don’t offer any relief. We can see the odd freak flash flood storm as a taste of autumn rains to come. It’s not rained yet this summer, but it’s known as a changeable time of year. Wind won’t bring lower temperatures, just more dust! The shallow reaches of the sea can be somewhat ‘slimy’ as still waters are streaked with diesel from boats and algae blooms. Again, this August has seen clearer seas than ones of past years though thanks to a colder longer spring.

But back to business, rather than holiday weather…

The summer recess in Malta moves in mysterious ways. We might not have ‘Chiuso per Ferie’ on our windows as our Italian neighbours do, but the habitual two weeks’ shutdown does leave its mark. Here’s how:

The good news

Everything a tourist needs stays open. Local businesses know that this is the time of year to make almost all their profits if they rely on tourist bucks from sun, sea and sand seeking visitors.  Few of the habits of Italian restaurateurs here.

The bad news

If you’ve moved to Malta recently, you might not know that a lot of firms – even those in service industries and some retail businesses – will be firmly shut for at least a week either side of 15 August.  So, if you forgot to order that spare part for the washing machine, you’ll have to wait till well after the 15th. Even then, next deliveries after the summer recess can take often until end September or longer to materialise in Malta. You will notice too that supermarket shelves may run out of favourite brands as shipments slow in August.

Although Malta has a dwindling number of manufacturing plants, the tradition of closing up the office still holds even if a firm doesn’t have a production line. The knock-on effect of the shutdown ripples through the economy. We’ve said before that the public sector is hard to reach on the phone after 12.00 from mid June to mid September, but I doubt you’ll get anywhere until September if you try to call a government office now with a query.  We might be proved wrong of course!

The other bad news is that we are all left to battle for the best places on the beach, best restaurant tables and best parking places as the islands teem with holidaymakers, locals and visitors. For some insane reason, we like to take our holidays now, altogether in a pressured two weeks. Malta’s schools don’t go back till around 26 September, so we’ve plenty more time to take a break.

A hand-picked selection of award-winning shorts from BERLINALE, TORONTO, ROTTERDAM, LOCARNO, CANNES, SHEFFIELD (festivals) can be enjoyed over Friday and Saturday, with Sunday night focusing exclusively on short films for kids, aged between 4 – 13.

Giant effigies of Pope John Paul II, smashing of ceramic frog statuettes, free falling through space, a most unusual menagerie of animals where fish can’t swim and possums can’t run… these are just some of the wondrous visual delights to be enjoyed with films sourced from North Korea, Chad, Myanmar, Georgia, Belgium, Poland, Romania, Hungary, Algeria, Portugal and Malta, running alongside works from the UK, USA, Canada and Germany. 

Four hours of programming will provide a mixture of documentary, fiction, drama, comedy and experimental shorts running over two nights, with a second experimental screen, Neck of the Woods, running simultaneously. 

This year’s jury consists of producer Katryna Sammut Tagliaferro, actor Paul Portelli, writer Alex Vella Gera and filmmaker Joe Spray who will decide which film will receive the Golden Dot Award. 

There is also an audience award in which members of the public vote, so be sure to cast yours!

The infamous Kinemastik Afterparty will be happening right there at Garden of Rest on both Friday and Saturday nights. This year, our eclectic bag of troubadours consists of Dean (Mute/UK), Capitol K (Loose Meat/Whipped Cream Records/Total Refreshment Centre/UK), Uncle Al (Uncle Al’s Records/The Go-Off/UK), Steph VR (Le Gun/UK), TVM(BE/MT), Jon B (PMP/Valletta) and more.

We would like to thank our sponsors: Malta Film Commission, Malta Tourism Authority, Aldo, Marks&Spencer, AP and Din l-Art Helwa.

Further Info

Programme details and directions on how to find the venue, visit www.kinemastik.org.

How to get there (map)