Malta’s oldest person turns 109 today 

The granddaughter of Malta’s first prime minister, Joseph Howard, Grace Gatt celebrates her 109th birthday today. Born in 1916, she is a remarkable, jovial and indomitable woman. 

Her mother, Adelina was the sister of Sir Arturo Mercieca who served as chief justice of Malta between 1924 and 1940. 

Although she is not related to my family, I always called her Aunty Grace when I lived in Sliema, not very far from her home in Stella Maris Street.

Grace Gatt turns 109 today.

She and her husband, Effie were very close friends of my parents, Mary Rose and Fritz. I have fond memories of them regularly meeting at my parents’ house. She had two sons, Edgar and John. Effie was secretary to George Borg Olivier while he was prime minister. 

Gatt is an opera enthusiast, and one would often hear an operatic piece wafting through her house. She is also  a very cautious person, something that might have contributed to her longevity. She believed in moderation and did not take unnecessary risks. Up to a few years ago, she had a fantastic memory and would recall events and persons in great detail of times long gone.

Throughout her life she was the queen of her kitchen. She lived in her own house until she was 95 and now lives in a nursing home. She truly embodies the quality she was named after. 

As her day of reckoning draws near I salute this amazing person. I and many others will definitely miss her once she is gone.

Tony Zammit Cutajar – Lija

Noah’s Ark in Gozo

I wondered whether the suggested probability that Noah’s Ark was built in one of Gozo’s hilly locations (January 23) was an early April’s Fool story.  If not, this fable from the Jewish bible needs to be recognised for what it is – one of a series of tales invented to depict the special relationship Jews claimed they had built up with their God.

The authors of the Jewish bible cannot be blamed for not knowing at the time that all plant and animal life (including human species) had gradually evolved over many millions of years and had not been suddenly “created” in their “immutable” present form.  

Some forms of life had also come and gone, such as the dinosaurs – don’t ask me what was the point of their coming into existence and then extinction.  

Human authors of a few thousands of years ago cannot be blamed for modern science rendering some of their claims obsolete. 

Albert Cilia-Vincenti – Attard