The Christmas cards being sent by the Office of the Prime Minister this year are the result of the artistic

talents of students in

the fourth, fifth and sixth year at the Immaculate Conception Primary School in Cospicua.

Yesterday morning, the students visited Dr Gonzi at his offices at the Auberge de Castille. They thanked him for giving them the opportunity of sending their creations to Maltese families and beyond our shores, as the Prime Minister also sends seasonal greetings to foreign dignitaries. The six paintings used for the cards were painted by the children during an art lesson one afternoon, said headmistress Phyllis Falzon.

Ryan and Naomi, the two students who read a short speech, said this was an historic achievement for their school that filled them with confidence, as their work is being appreciated. They thanked their teachers for all their help and said they were very interested to see how their drawings would look in print.

The Prime Minster said that, following his visit to the school last month, it was the children’s turn to visit him at his place of work. He said he was very impressed by the degree to which the school is environmentally conscious and by its progress within EkoSkola. He added that he was also impressed by the school’s motto – “We strive continuously to better ourselves” – something to which all Maltese should aspire.

After group photos were taken, the Prime Minister acted as a guide as he showed the children around the auberge. He showed them the room where the Cabinet meets and explained that it is full of portraits of all the Prime Ministers of Malta. Then he moved on to his personal office, at which point it seemed that the youngsters finally lost all their shyness as they began firing questions: “What are your hobbies?”, “What time do you start work?”, “Which is your favourite football team?”, “What time do you go home?”, “Do you take a break?” and “Where are you from?” Dr Gonzi patiently shared the lesser-known details of his life with the overtly curious children.

The prime minister said he usually arrives at Castille at 9.15am and works until 1pm, when Tony the messenger brings in lunch, which he will have prepared. He takes an hour’s break, during which he watches TV, and then gets back to work at 2pm. He said he is back home by 10pm. However he does not always stay at the magnificent auberge, as he makes a lot of visits around the country, as well as attending Parliament.

Dr Gonzi loves fishing and constructing computers from parts he orders over the internet. However, since becoming Prime Minister he has not had the chance to enjoy either of his hobbies. He added that he loves football – a statement that was met with a great ovation from the boys who began asking which were his favourite teams. Dr Gonzi said he is a fan of Valletta FC, Liverpool FC and Inter. He explained that he comes from the capital city and has been an Inter fan since he was six years old. As far as Liverpool is concerned, Dr Gonzi said he took a liking to the Merseyside team because when he was a young boy, their goalkeeper was named Lawrence (Tommy Lawrence).

The Prime Minister told the children that his family hails from Vittoriosa and Kalkara, but he was born in Valletta and now lives at Marsascala. At this point, headmistress Phyllis Falzon pointed out that Dr Gonzi’s great-uncle was the Archbishop of Malta. The prime minister added that his grandfather Lorenzo was a famous composer, but “alas, the later generations do not demonstrate such musical gifts”, he added.