A Story from Glendon

The stories which people are sending in seem to be very popular judging by the comments which are been left, here we have another story today from Glendon and again it involves a gun!

I worked in Lloret 1972/3, Las Cuevas/Western Saloon/La Cala/Londoner/ Also DJ Garbi Park Disco around April 72. End of the season 72 October I was working the top Bar at the Londoner, around 9pm a big Spanish guy started ordering brandy (103 Black if I remember correctly), as the night came to a close around 2am, I gave him his bar bill..,he pushed it back to me, I started to cash up the till, he asked me to give him the takings for the evening, I said no thinking he was a little drunk and tried to have a joke with him, he then pulled a pistol from his belt and threatened to shoot, not at me, but anybody who was ready to confront him (I dived on the Floor under the bar), within a few minutes a large black Limo pulled up outside the bar where Edgar Bach then one of the owners was whisked away, the Guardia then turned up and escorted the gunmen out of the bar, the staff had a nightcap in silence trying to make light of the incident. The next day I was walking to work and I saw two Guardia parading up the main drag, I recognized one of them was the gunman from the evening before, he looked at me nodded his head, with a certain smirk on his face, of course this was in the reign of Franco, when I understand that no Guardia could do no wrong, I wonder if Alan (A.A. Excursions) remembers the incident.
Has anyone heard from the tall  Guy Louis from Liverpool,he was somewhat older than us at the time,but as mad as they come,or even Chris who managed many of the bars/Clubs for Edgar/Geoff. Fond memories  of my time in Lloret.

Photos from Doug Tappin

 

I have another new batch of photos this time from Doug Tappin who is now living in Nerja and was working in Lloret during the 70s at PPs disco.... I'm told by Lee who sent in the photos on behalf of Doug that he never shuts up about it!

We have another regular reader of the blog who worked in Lloret (in the 80s) Brian who is now living and running his own bar in Nerja these days maybe you 2 should meet up and you can both have a good chat about your days in Lloret!

(The photos have somehow come through in reverse so apologies for that)

Sue Vale's pics

 

Back to 1971 with Sue's pics today which feature the Western Saloon

Ricky's Bar Closes

Ricky in Blanes has taken the sad step and decided to close his bar in Blanes....Heres a personal message from Ricky which he recently placed on his website-

AS OF EASTER THIS YEAR ,RICKY´S WILL BE CLOSING IT´S DOORS  AS I AM LEAVING THE BAR AFTER 25 YEARS.

THIS IS A PERSONAL DECISION AND I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR THE SUPPORT AND FABULOUS  TIMES I HAVE HAD IN THE BAR DURING THIS TIME.

I  WILL BE STAYING IN BLANES BUT AFTER WORKING NEARLY EVERY NIGHT FOR ALL THOSE  YEARS , I DON´T WANT TO LEAVE THE BAR IN A COFFIN AS I AM SURE MOST OF YOU WILL APPRECIATE.

LIFE GOES ON AND LASTLY A BIG THANK YOU TO MARGARET FOR PUTTING UP WITH ME....

ONCE AGAIN THANK YOU .....

Rickys latest photo from the bar taken yesterday with Andy and Billy.

I'm sure we all wish Ricky all the best and good luck in what ever he decides to do after he closes.

A photo from Suzie in Texas!

Suzie has recently sent in this photo of her boyfriend which was taken outside Texas in August 1979, I dont think any of our readers will remember Steve pictured here as he only spent 1 night in Lloret but the story the photo is amazing!
Suzie is now living in Texas...(USA not the bar!)
(Thanks for sharing this with us Suzie!)

There is a little story behind the picture as wrote by Suzie...

As I mentioned, Steve (the guy in the picture) was backpacking across Europe
in August 1979 with one of his friends and spent a day and a night in Lloret
de Mar.  They partied at the Texas Saloon that night and since he was from
Texas everyone at the Saloon was talking to him and buying him tequila
Shots :-) (that's one part of the story)

Part 2.
I was traveling in Europe in July 1979 and spent my 19th birthday in Lloret
de Mar, among other pubs and bars, I also ended up at the Texas Saloon.

Part 3
Steve and I have been together for 5 years now and we were looking through
some of his old pictures and found the one I sent you... that's when we
figured out that we were there only a week apart - me in July and he was
there in August 79.  Too funny - our paths almost crossed 30 some years ago,
before we knew each other - at the Texas Saloon in Lloret de Mar :-)
Happy Springtime to all the Lloret de Mar folks :-)

Another story from David

Thanks again to David the ex Thomson rep, our resident story teller!

 It’s the Thomson man again.
This month’s story!!! WHO SHOT THE DRIVER?
Being a rep was fun but there were drawbacks and one of them was having to take a coach nearly every week to the BBQ.
The first 10 weeks were ok but the fun wears off watching people be sick and you having to remain in some decent state having to hunt down the “Out for the count” no shows on the coach at the end of the evening.
Well this week was the same as any other, the BBQ was over and hundreds of people were searching for their particular numbered coach from the 17 parked together.
The drivers always stood by the doors to give out plastic bags to those who for sure weren’t going to make it back to Lloret without being sick and try to ensure the right hotels got on the right coaches while the reps rounded up the bodies in corners!!
This night one of the drivers knew the man accompanying this rather drunk young lady was Spanish and had not come on the coach. As the coach was completely full he told the young Spanish guy he couldn’t get on, after a short confrontation the Spanish guy said he was Guardia Civil and flashed his badge, the driver said it didn’t matter the coach was full and he couldn’t get on. The Guardia was obviously on a promise and he really kicked off, the driver ended up physically ejecting him from the coach when the Guardia produced a pistol and shot the driver.
Well you’ve heard the expression “Stuff hitting the fan” that was nothing to what then ensued, the Spanish guy ran off, the other drivers dropped everything trying to help their colleague and some hunting for the Spanish Guardia, singing on the buses had stopped dead and eventually 17 rather quiet coaches went back to their resorts many to Lloret.
THE OUTCOME.... The Guardia disappeared as he was instantly transferred down south, so they said, the driver spent some time in hospital but was able to return to work a long time later, most driver from Pujol coach company drove around with the Guardia photo on their dashboard threating all sorts. I did bump into, several years later one of the drivers in Malaga and asked about the incident and he said they never did find the Guardia, the driver was ok still able to work albeit reduced distances. This of course was in the mid 70s when Franco was in power and the Guardia were all powerful.
More later if you liked it?
Regards David

A few more from Maureen

Its a long time since I published any photos from Maureen, so here we have a few taken when she was taking photos herself at the barbeque.

 Photo above - Maureen with Louie &Jimmy(1976)...getting a lift to the BBQ?

Maureen and Sue...run out of film? :-)