Gibraltar John Mackintosh Hall by Gibraltar Rock Tours.
The John Mackintosh Hall by Gibraltar Rock Tours.
This week it’s all go with preparations at the John Mackintosh hall for the Elections which take place on Thursday 26th November 2015 in Gibraltar.
The Count takes place there but that’s not the only thing that this hall is used for….. I found out some interesting facts and thought I’d share them with all of you, some of the readers will have already visited the Rock on one of the Rock Tours. The John Mac Hall as we locals call it isn’t a tourist attraction but interesting none the less.
Gibraltar has so many fascinating stories,traditions ,celebrations, places to visit, buildings and history lots of history which can’t possibly fit into a day trip so i hope thatthis blog can showcase some of our many treasures and hoping our clients love Gibraltar as much as we do and keepcoming back to the Rock many times.
If you haven’t visited the Rock yet, and are still undecided i can honestly say you will not be disappointed with everything our beautiful Gibraltar has to offer. We would tolove you to come and Pay us a visit and see for yourselves….so Feel free to stop reading now and book your tour….
The John Mackintosh Hall is the main cultural centre in Gibraltar. It consists of a public library, atheatre, conference hall, and several multi-purpose spaces.The hall was built on the site of the old military Grand Stores as that building had been damaged by the explosion in 1951 caused byRFA Bedenham which killed 13 people.
Its name pays tribute to Gibraltarian philanthropist John Mackintosh, Mackintosh was born on the 15th July 1865 at 22 Prince Edward’s Road to father John Mackintosh – a native of Scotland who had settled in Gibraltar to do business as a general merchant, and mother Adelaide PeacockJohn Mackintosh Jnr grew up to become a prominent and wealthy business man and great benefactor to Gibraltarian society. Throughout his life he always strived to aid the poor, aged and sick. He had a special affinity to help enhance the education of Gibraltarian youth and particularly as stated in his will to promote “the English language, English history and literature.” For this purpose he left in his will in 1938, a bequest to build a place that would strengthen the cultural and educational ties between Gibraltar and the United Kingdom.
The John Mackintosh Hall was opened to the public by the then Governor, General Sir Dudley Ward, on 8 April 1964. The building’s architectural style follows the Mediterranean architectural traditions, with a series of interconnected courtyards where the sunlight and the heat of the summer months is controlled with the use of trees, shaded areas and fountains.
Although it was originally designed as an educational institution specifically for the benefit of Gibraltar’s youth, it has over time been adapted to also cater for various adult cultural events. The library was expanded and the theatre can now host conferences andlectures, besides musical performances.
The two major plays written in Gibraltar, “La Lola se vapáLondre” and “Connie con cama camera en el comedor,” both by Elio Cruz, debuted in the John Mackintosh Hall in 1966 and 1969 respectively.
Today the John Mackintosh Hall is still the main cultural Centre in Gibraltar. It is the home of the Gibraltar Cultural Services offices and sees on average over 100 different events in a year within its different facilities.
If you are in the area you can also enjoy a drink and bite to eat too.
Disabled toilets available.
Opening times from 9.30am – 10pm
