Thanks to Tony out in Australia for sending these fascinating photos to publish.
He came across our site while he was searching for some info of Lloret back in the 50s & 60s, part of his email can be read at the bottom of this post. So in return for me trying to help find some information for him I asked if he would send some of his photos, the first of which are here. I thought it would be a good idea to first publish the ones which recall the journey Tony and his family had to endure to reach Lloret. First of all they flew from the UK to Perpignan, (no jets in those days!) pass through customs, then travel the rest of the way by bus. I should think the cost in those days would have been far more than it is now....even without Ryanair !
Tony's email....
Background first: my father was an exec with first Airwork, then Tradair, charter airlines that (among others) opened up the tourist trade from Southend into the Costa Brava. That meant that I spent many childhood holidays from the UK in Lloret when it was truly a fishing village.
We used to land at Perpignan, then bus over the border to Lloret. We routinely stayed at the original Costa Encantada, which was run (owned, I think) by the Drets family, headed by Antonio Drets. (I may have the spelling wrong.) I think he might have been mayor at some time, and I later heard stories about a scandal involving the family, but that may have been scuttlebutt. He had a family of all daughters – I can only recall the names Maia and Mercedes.
We used to walk from the hotel to the beach, through fields in which local farmers grew crops of peanuts. I have some photos – not many beyond close-ups of family members, but some capture the atmosphere of the place and the time. I also have one scrappy pic of the old hotel – and would love to see some better pics, if there are any. I find it hard to believe that no old tourism literature survives, but sadly the emails I’ve sent to the current hotel have been ignored, so either they have no information or don’t want to be connected with the old place. Perhaps you can help me there.
