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Tish99

I lived in Malta when I was a child in the early 1960s - my Dad was in the Army and we lived in Paceville.  I am coming for a holiday in Malta and I want to revisit a place I used to swim.  Unless I am getting it confused I think it was called The Point.  It was a rocky beach which had part of a ships anchor at the bottom of the bay.  There used to be 2 places we could jump into the water - big rock and little rock.  Us kids would clamber up to big rock clutching a boulder and jump in and would then plummet to the seabed and could quickly grab the anchor.  Does anyone else remember this?  Or could you suggest another way of finding this out?  I would be really grateful for some help on my trip down memory lane!    Tish

john2011

If the point is Tigné Point, today, you will see blocks of apartments. I think I've seen some kids jumped into the water around here but if the place is the old Fort Tigné, you won't recognize the place. We have all memories, myself also, when we are young. I wish you to enjoy in your poetic and nostalgic quest.

ricky

Hi tish,

welcome to the forum and memory lane.

With a little help from a Maltese friend who was in the British Army I think I have been able to locate the site.

He knew that the British army had officers housing in Paceville which did not really exist in those distant times. He directed me to a spot near the Dragonara Hotel. When you are in front of Portomaso you take the road left ( Triq il-Knisja) and walk down past the Arkadia supermarket and SJI's jazz bar and turn right . There you will find a rocky beach that you might recognize or walk further along the rocks towards the Portomaso Marina.

I talked to a very nice Maltese lady who lives in the house next to the sushi bar opposite the road leading to the beach and she told me that her house had been the Army Mess building and that she found a 120 piece set of crockery when she was clearing out the house. She used to swim there. Now she is in her 80's or so but did not remember anything about rocks or an anchor in the water. But the area was known as the Point.

While visiting today there were a few snorkelers around but after the heavy rain on Monday the water pools on the rocks looked and smelled like sewage! Not a very nice smell. I hope it is cleaner when you go to look.

So it has nothing to do with Tigne Point in Sliema which is a new development and shopping centre on the site of the old Tigne Battery.

Cheers
Ricky

Tish99

Thank you John and Ricky for your replies.  They will give me something to work on.  I will be so happy if I can find and recognise the beach.

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