It Was Spring 1970

By Bob Reed

I  first came to Torremolinos in the early Spring of 1970. I had just graduated from University and was
on a project to see the world.

I had worked as an extra on a film in Mexico and later in Austria and was told that I could work on another film starring Mick Jagger to be filmed in Almeria (Jumping Jack Flash).

I, and my girlfriend, Kristi, hitched hiked down to Spain to wait for the movie because London, where I had gone because the movie in Austria had paid me to return a vehicle from Austria, was too expensive.

We settled in Granada, very close to the Alhambra. I used to do my runs (something ("Footing") that the Spanish thought very strange in those days) around the old palace. The proposed movie was eventually cancelled, and although I did travel to Almeria where the Film "The Horseman" was being filmed, but it was almost finished.

We returned to Granada, and I looked for work. I could find a few hours teaching English, but it wouldn't have been enough to keep me alive. Kristi and I used to have tapas at some little bar where there were a couple of American gay fellows who lived in Granada at the time. We became friends, and when they heard of my predicament they suggested I go to the Costa del Sol, because that is where they said, the English language was valued.

Welcome to the Costa del Sol

So, early in March 1970, Kristi and I traveled down to the Costa. We stayed in some poor little hotel in Malaga close to the train station. I soon learned that if there was any employment to be found, it was not in Malaga, and we would take day trips out to Torremolinos.

I walked up and down the carretera, knocking on any door that looked like they might want some help. In those days, no one, no extranjero, could work in Spain without a work permit. So, I didn't have much luck. Eventually, I applied at the Berlitz language school at the bottom of San Miguel near the tower.

The lady who ran the school was a sweet French woman, Jeanine?---can't remember her name, sorry. She offered me a couple of hours a day teaching English, but once again, I had to tell he that the 150 Pts an hour would not support me. She asked, what else could I do? I said that I had taught swimming in the USA.

She happened to know a Michelle LaCour, a French Moroccan fellow who ran Las Barcas, the beach club in front of Playamar that was just building it's second stage.

She yanked me out of the language school, got into her Mini and we sped down to Playamar. I waited at als Barcas for awhile before meeting Michele and watched as girls and women walked about wearing "Braun" bikinis. These were made of a sort of cheese cloth, almost transparent.

I saw the patrons having lunch at tables, speaking several different languages as the conversation went around from one to another. I knew that If I could do it, this was the place for me! I met Michelle and he was OK with me and introduced me to the American fellow who was the Playamar manager at the time, Richard Kirshman.

Richard said he would hire me for the next season as a swim teacher, but I first had to supply him with some documentation that he could show the Spanish government that made me more hireable than a Spanish citizen, AND that he couldn't hire me at that time. I would have to come back in May, before the season began.

Kristi and I returned to Granada. In May, Kristi got on a train to travel back to London for her return flight. The weather in Granada had been cold and rainy, but the following day was sunny and warm. I checked out of the hotel, walked down to the road to the Costa, bought myself a nata helado, stepped out onto the road and stuck my thumb out.

Take Two: Welcome to Torremolinos
Bob Reed - Swim Races at Playamar 

The ride I got was with some 'suave' guy who wanted to drive the back roads to Marbella. Interesting. I took a bus to Torremolinos and got dropped off in front of the Plaza Gamba Alegre. It was late in the afternoon and hot when I walked into "Harry's bar", then located on the Northern side of the square. Marge, an American woman of maybe late 50's in age was in charge (although Marge being a free spirit and a wanderer, may have been younger).

After months on the road and living in Granada, American music played on a 38 RPM record player was very welcome - the age of Der Kinder von Torremolinos! I only had about 200 Pts but indulged myself with two 15 Pts San Miguels.

Later, I looked for lodging. I found a place on kind of the Western side of Torremolinos, sort of up the hill, calle Huespuedes Antonio, 50 Pts (1 dollar = 70 Pts) a day. 15 Pts extra if you wanted a cold shower.

The next day, I walked down to Playamar and checked in with Michelle LaCour. Oddly, I thought he was surprised to see me. Not good. I had obtained the documentation that Kirshman had requested and presented it to him. He said there was going to be some day's delay as they had to apply to the Govt.

Days led onto a couple of weeks. I had no food. There was a pretty Swedish girl who lived at the same pension and had very blond hair and clear ceylon-sapphire eyes, that would go out at night, eat, and go to bars and later come back with some bread and goodies from her meals, and she would stay the night. Youth!

Eventually, I ran completely out of money. 

I did keep one Peseta as sort of a luck charm. I haven't seen it in years. I talked to the lady who ran the pension, showed her my application papers, and she agreed to wait till I got paid, but showers were out of the question. Further, the bed began to be infected with bed bugs. I went down to Playmar and talked to Kirshman, explaining my eating predicament. He hooked me up with LaCour who had a work crew replacing the palm fonds on top of the casitas and umbrellas. I did that and didn't get any pay but I could eat one mid-day meal with the workers under the Las Barcas swimming pool restaurant, big MF'n 5 gallons of red wine, all you wanted!

So then, one glorious day in late may, the permiso arrived. I walked around the Pool at Las Barcas and explained to the families there what I could do. A German family, although skeptical, agreed to hire me for their 7 year old tall straight daughter, Elisa, I think, who didn't swim. This little girl was not only very athletic but followed instructions to the letter. Lots of residents - potential clients - watched. She swam the 25 meter pool after 5 days of lessons! I never looked back.

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One time some guy comes by the pool at Las Barcas and asks if we---my American roomate, Don Morrison, and I---would like to be in a movie.  Of course, we said 'yes', and this is the result.  (I'm the first fellow, Don is the guy with the elastic thingy).

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/jQmqmRE9uRU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

100 comments:

  1. Try this:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsScA8U417g

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    3. Does anyone recall the daughter of the owner/proprietor of Beachcomber? In the early 80's she actually was a nanny for a local family in the area but her parents worked/owned the Beachcomber in 1983-1984 timeframe? Tom

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    1. 42inblue, I knew Andy very well as I did Suzanne, Michelle and all others there at that time. I married a woman named Heather Lynn Nadeu but do not know where she is now. Do you have Andy's email address as I am sure he remembers me, Chuck Cox

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    2. you married a woman named heather lynn nadeau? How cold does that sound, I´m your son philip and I still can´t believe how little you care about us...Well one thing I can tell you is that she took care of me and michael my brother , all by herself...I can hardly believe what I´m reading , how unsensitive and cold the words I am reading from you...now It explains everything...philip charles cox hopkins

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  6. OMG!!Bob I so remember you and your pals!!We never spoke much not sure if you'll know me!!I was one of the Welsh girls and was in Tina's every night with Madeleine a cockney blonde girl and sister of Pearl from Beachcomer Bar.Josie was the Welsh girl I actually came to Spain with she was like a movie star!!Tall'blonde and very beautiful she put Maddie and I in the shade!!She was seeing a mad Moroccan known as Mich who she eventually married in Britain three years later then divorced quite soon after.Us Welsh girls are known as being really straight even by the Guardia who one night had a complaint about noise as we were shouting across in Miramar to some brits who were leaving in 2 days and had no money for food.We fed them and gave them cab money.Anyway when the guardia came to our door they said!"!Ahh es las chicas de Gales"!! and off they wen tAnother time Mich was in Jockey bar with some off duty cops who didn't know he dated Josie and we came to the lights to cross Mich said" Oh que guapas."And the cops said "son as chicas de Gales'.Anyway not sure if you''ll remember me the only boyfriend I had in those days was Reinze from Fifi's in Playamar he and his family Noel his brother , Queenie his sister all used Tinas they were from Singapore.Maddie dated spanish guys and eventually in around 1980 married a guy from Brazil and lived in a villa in Arroyo til her death 2 years ago.Pearl died 18years ago and Suzanne White Andy's ex died around 6 years ago I think.I saw Maddie every time I visited and we loved to look at old photos and remember those days.I remember cara caballo and Marcus.
    I left in 1973 to live in Madrid with my spanish fiancé when he went to Algiers with his job I went home to Wales and only visited T town on holiday.Josie worked in Piper's as a dancer then Corner bar for Andy,then Beachcomer,Three barrels came next I think?then she just stayed home and looked after Mich.She didn't work anywhere long as she was kinda hot headed!!I remember before I was dating Reinze Kevin and Tina finished and he kept asking me out to dinner!!not likely I thought if she finds out she''ll ban me then kill me!The guys in Tinas gossiped about us cos they couldn't date us and said they thought
    Josie ,Maddie and I were lesbians cos we did'nt sleep around.Truth was we were only interested in being in a relationship we were just nice girls.Anyway I bumped into an old school friend when i came home from living in Spain and married him 8yrs later!!That was 32 yrs ago and we are still going strong.He loves T town since I introduced him to it! there are not many of the old crew around now and every time we go back someone else has gone.We were there 3 wks ago,and in August and May.Easter now is our next trip we hope!!Anyway I wa looking for old pics of T town and came across your posts,read it and thought omg I'm sure I remember this hunky,blonde,tanned god lolHope you read this and it jogs your memory.Take care.Melva

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    1. Sorry to hear about Sue White. Do you know how she died?
      Perla was the girlfriend of Porfirio with whom she had a baby.
      Chuck Cox

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    2. Melva,
      You mentioned the death of Pearl. To me, John Bradley and naturally Porfirio, she was known as Perla. She was Porfirio's mistress even when she worked at the Beachcomber. John Bradley opened the Victoria Restaurant and brought Porfi and Perla with him I had just gotten out of the USAF and ran the Beachcomber for John while he pursued his other interest I.e. The Victoria. This was 1971-72 You mentioned that Perla died. In looking at the correspondence, I think I detect that she had at some point left Porfirio (I'll bet that made Mercedes, Porfirios wife happy). When did that occur? What happened to the child that Porfirio and Perla had? Chuck

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    3. Their son was raised by a stepfather chuck as porfi never acknowledged him.I think porfis wife knew about the long affair which started before porfi even got married but accepted it and got on with her family etc

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    4. Anonymous22 January 2016 at 20:25, Was this Mel, Bob or who?

      Yes, you are right that Mercedes (Porfirio's wife) knew about the affair. So did her brothers!!! Mercedes came to the Beachcomber with her new born one afternoon. Perla was about 7 months pregnant at the time. If looks could kill!!-- I stayed from swaying in the middle of those moments as I thought the eyes of these two women would fry me. Porfirio realizing what was happening did his best to get Mercedes with baby in the pram out of there quickly. Lady Merle Kerridge said just loud enough for John and a couple of other people sitting at the bar to hear, "well, a very interesting moment indeed! WWIII was just prevented!"
      Sad to hear that Harry the law represented Porfirio in drafting the letter to Perla in the hospital. He went down 90 points in character after that!
      Chuck

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    5. It was me chuck,Mel.I never knew of that incident but really shouldn't the 2 women have got the message they were both being played?would never have done for me .Yeh Mercedes brothers used to actually visit clubs with Perla an Porfi quite shocking One of them died in a road accident years back now..Lady Merle was sweet but could be a dragon.And I agree about Harry as we were all friends and he knew the truth. Melva

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    6. Mel, The pic with Porfi and Mercedes in Nuit 2 says it all. Mercedes was really quite innocent to the world. I believe she was about 15yrs younger than Porfi. Yes, you are right about the night life, because on occasion, I would go to the VIP Club with Porfi and Perla circa 4am!

      P.S. That was a good pic of Lew (do you know what year?) It showed his Buddha squat that he picked up in Vietnam. Sometimes he would sit like that at the site in his room for a couple of hours with his eyes closed.
      You are right, one never wanted to be on the bad side of Lady Merle! John lived in her flat, when he wasn't out chasing men.
      Chuck

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    7. Chuck the pic would be around 1970 as kathy had left with Roy Quick by then.I remember Lou doing that pose often too.and what a lovely guy was Monty?I had a problem once with my then spanish boyfriend and Monty followed him into the toilet at Mach one and said don't you ever hurt or speak like that to that little girl again!!EVER!!It worked too but I got shot of him shortly after anywayAlso we used to go to Bosa Nova after the beachcomber with Porfi etc remember that?The owner who is still in t town used to come in and speak with Porfi.I don't know what pic you mean of Porfi and his wife?I do remember when him and josie had a fist fight in our apt in Sirimiri.He told Josie she wasn't a good catholic because of what was happening in Northern Ireland and we were from the uk??Omg!!Josie got up in his face and called him a f ing hypercrite for how he was living a lie with being married etc and he got up and belted her!!she belted him back and Perla and I managed to separate them quite awful at the time.Ahhh!!!those are the days never a dull moment Mel

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    8. Does anyone recall the daughter of the owner/proprietor of Beachcomber? In the early 80's she actually was a nanny for a local family in the area but her parents worked/owned the Beachcomber in 1983-1984 timeframe? Tom

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    9. I was in Torremolinos on honeymoon september 1983 and the Beachcomber was already closed so it's bit earlier I think?.Do you have a name and was this person English?

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    10. I remember Porfi. I was there many times from 1969-71 from NAS Rota. We would go up there to party by the car load. I lost my cherry in Torremolinos. A beautiful Swedish girl I met at Pipers. The Beachcomber was always our first stop when getting into town after getting a room. Me my good friend Greg Bolin would shuttle reservist up there for money. I remember falling for a girl named Maria that was friends with Porfi. She had a baby boy around 2 years old at the time. She also worked at some back street bar I can't remember the name of. I screwed up and ruined a relationship with a Danish girl that I regret. Oh well! Such is life. The places I remember are the, Beer Keller,La Fiaca's,Pipers, and the Beachcomber. There was a place that looked like a cave also. Many others I can't remember all the names. Great times and memories for sure. Wally Z (Ski)

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    11. Wally, thanks for posting. Perhaps you'll get some replies that will fill in some blanks, and elicit more memories that you could post. I was in Torremolinos in 1970, missed 1971, but was back 72 through 78. Maybe we ran into each other? Surely we knew some of the same people....?

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    12. Thanks for the reply. Greg Bollin that I mentioned previously met and married a very pretty Swedish girl named Christina. She worked at the bar that looked like a cavern inside. He persude her for months before she finally went out with him. They had a son and later divorced while in Florida if memory serves me. Greg and I are planning a trip in 2022 as a reunion. Would like to know the street names of some of the 1970's bars/clubs if anyone remembers. Beach Comber, Beer Keller, Pipers etc. I realize many are gone now, but would still like to walk the streets.

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    13. You can do this on Google maps Calle Dona Maria Barabino will take you oast Tina's and up to Beach Comber sq, The BC is now split into 2 bars, one called The Irish Rugby Club, Avenida Palma Mallorca fir pipers and calle Antonio giron/ oasaje gil Vicente for La Fiacre........you are in fir a shock friend.

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    14. Thank you for the information. Will check it out for sure. I've done the Google stuff and it's certainly changed as expected. Can't wait to get there in Sept.

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  7. ps I'm am published anonymous on the other post I made .goldenking is my grandsons name on youtube

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  8. Melva, wasn't it a wonderful time? I'm so glad you posted---more should. The names you mentioned sound familiar, especially little Pearl. I can almost see her in my mind---little strawberry haired girl. You guys were kind of distant from us, as you were looking for relationships---as you said---and knew we were just looking for a night or two of fun. Did Maddie ever work for Andy at Tomcat? Josie also sounds familiar but it's been a long time! I'm glad you are happy and in a lasting relationship. I hope to visit Ttown next year, but we'll see. I'm so sorry about Suzzane White. She was a great person and a wonderful mother. Her daughter, Michelle, as far as I know still lives on the Costa. She wrote me when her Mom died. There are some posts and photos on "Torremolinos Chic" as well. All the best, girl.

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    1. Yes I agree more people should post but not everyone cares i guess?I shared an apartment with Pearl and kept in touch she worked at Malaga airport for years and suffered with asthma when she gave up smoking.I was totally shocked when I rang to arrange a visit and Paco her husband said she had died.Maddie her sister had cancer really bad.They were fabulous,straight warm hearted girls and i loved them I miss them both.Maddies husband Thigs is an absolutely lovely guy he was amazing with Maddie and their daughters.He still works in Brazil but visits 2/3 times a year we sometimes catch up with him but usually miss him.Manolo el moro not Tinas Manolo has a son Sergio who now runs the Galloping Major.Pearl and Maddies family visit there now and then Not sure if maddie worked for Andy don't think so.anyway hope you do get to Ttown the magic is still there just in different places.Take care and than for responding.

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    2. In Spain in the early seventies, being a waiter, especially in a big hotel/restaurant was a very prestigious position. Waiters supported their families and held their heads up high in the community. Some had been waiters for 40 years. In the inner cities of Spain, everything was very much as it had been for the past 100 years.

      Kristi and I lived in Granada for 2 or 3 months. We always ate out as the pension didn't have more than breakfast facilities. Cod, Bacalao, was a good deal cause it provided a bunch of protein for not much money---90 Peseta dinner, if memory serves, with rice/potato and a veggy (70 Pesetas to the dollar). The professional waiter would be thrilled with a "Duro", a 5 Peseta tip.

      We, Kristi and I, traveled down to the Costa usually by hitch hiking. We stopped often in little pueblos where the inhabitants, some of them, lived in little houses that were heated by a wood/coal fired oven that really had no access to vent out of the roof. There was a hole in the roof but no flue. The smoke built up in the houses all winter and the people had a unique orange color. Usually, a "noble" owned the village and the inhabitants had to pay "rent" for their homes or fields. There was normally a stone paved circle somewhere in the village where festivals would take place.

      Difference between Spain and Italy for Hitch hikers: in Spain people would drive by you with the 2 finger salute. I would often stand 6 hours on a highway waiting for a ride. In Italy, if I was standing by a road with my thumb out, some female heads would soon pop out of a window, and shortly, a boy friend's car would pull up and ask where I was going?

      I was working in Trins, Austria, and decided to take one weekend to see Venice. I left town at maybe 6 AM and walked to the road and stuck my thumb out. I got almost there, but a terrible rain storm disrupted my plans. I was standing on the road to Venice in the driving rain. The little rain "men" were standing up about an inch. My wool shirt was soaked as were my leather boots. Traffic was light, but I stood there with my thumb out---what else could I do? There was no hotel or rest stop in sight. Finally, a car stopped. It was a young couple that ran a hotel in a different city than Venice. The road to their city turned off in, maybe 10 miles---rain still pouring down. I told them I was grateful for the ride and would work it out. Venice from the turn off was still 30 miles ahead. When they hit the intersection, they took mercy on me and said that they would take me to Venice---60 miles, back and forth out of their way.

      I arrived in Venice. The rain had stopped, Venice with all the buildings, rain soaked, looked like a bejeweled older, beautiful woman.

      A few years later, after I had worked in Saudi for awhile, I made a trip back and tried to contact them at their hotel to give them some token of my gratitude. The hotel told me that they had moved on and they didn't know where.

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    6. 42inblue3 August 2016 at 10:42
      Andy Carmichael, came to Torremolinos in the 60's. At first he ran a poker game in Carihuela at someplace in an upstairs room and took 10% of the pots---had to pay off the cops. Later, he started a business of selling printed posters, advertisements, etc. He was from England and had a marriage and a child there. In the early 70's, he settled on a girl friend, Sue White, who was a beauty from an English village, and who lived then in apartamentos Miramar. Sue, while young, had moved to Spain with her parents and sister in the early 60's, maybe 50's. She first fell in love with an American sailor stationed in Rota. They married in America, and Sue became pregnant. As she was about to deliver the child at some hospital in the States, her husband visited, but was told the birth was not going to happen that night. He left and attempted to drive home but was killed in an automobile accident---ran into the back of a flatbed truck. Sue gave birth to the child, Michelle, and came back to the Costa to live with her parents. She and her daughter eventually lived the apartment in Miramar above ours. Sue, raised her daughter--the cutest little kid you've ever seen! Michelle still lives on the Costa. Sue, although having an income from the USA because she was the widow of an American sailor, nevertheless was living close to the line. She raised Parakeets---Budruginers in England, for sale. She was still a beautiful woman and often frequented the Corner Bar, which was on the ground floor of the apartments Miramar. Andy and she "went out" for years. Michelle became sort of an adoptive daughter to Andy.

      Andy built his business to be the part owner of "Misol records" on San Miguel, and "Tomcat" a clothing boutique on Calle Cause, among other endeavors. The American sailors from different aircraft carriers who would visit Torremolinos and stop by "Tomcat" wondering if he got the name from the F14 Jets that they carried. "No", Andy would tell them. "They stole the name from me".

      He always had a lot of things going. He had a partner named Hamido, a great Moroccan guy who at first was the manager of the Discotheque, Mach one, an underground place on the South side of the Carreteria, East of San Miguel. I hear he now has a tea bar---still going!

      Later, Andy lived near Playamar, and during some cold winters, Andy and I would play Backgammon and Scrabble and drink Cognac. At the time, there were many break-ins near and at Playamar and Andy had a front door installed that had a steel center and was locked into the floor and ceiling iron frame with bolts. Very cool, I thought.

      When I came back from Saudi Arabia in the early 80's, Andy was living in an apartment in San Pedro de Alcantara and I rented a room from him. It was nice to be near Puerto Banus and the nightlife of Marbella, but I was getting a little too old for all of it. One time an older Arab guy, sitting outside in a chair at a bar that my girlfriend at the time sang at, told me it was time for me to get married and have children. He was right.

      Lately, Andy emails me that he has had business problems and had to let 44 workers in Spain go, for which he feels very badly. He still has business in Bali and from what I know, has moved there now. I think he now has a couple of children from some other woman and has/had a young Russian girl friend.

      The story of the Costa goes on, and the party never ends.

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  9. Hi Chuck, I believe Sue died of Cancer. Her daughter, Michelle, wrote that it was sudden and she went quickly. RIP, Sue---a great lady!

    I do have Andy's email, but don't want to publish it here. Email Alfredo and ask him for my email. Email me and I will send it to you. I hope you are well. Those were some memorable times, eh?

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    1. 42inBlue,
      Yes, they were great times. I along with Lynn lived in Suzannes flat for a while until I got my own, (in Miramar naturally). As far a the story with Lou goes (below) he was a funny guy. He and Mona got Married on the Base in Moron then took a weeks honeymoon somewhere. They came back to T Town and Saturday we all went out and had a great time. We ended up crashing in Monas place. Around 9 Sunday morning, I smelled bacon and eggs cooking. Mona was at it. Lou/Lew was served first. He picked up the plate as Mona was walking back to the kitchen and threw the plate eggs and all at the wall! Well, we just looked at Lew, Mona was in tears crying Lew, "what did I do wrong she said" Lew, said "You scrambled the wrong one!!!!!" Jeez, we did not know to laugh or get the hell out of there! Chuck

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  10. Chuck, good story! As you know, I did not know Lew all that well--just that he was in love with some American girl named Mona that was renting a room from me in Miramar. I know, I said her name was something else in my story about Lew, but I remembered later and was too lazy to go back and change the whole story for the name mistake---there's no "Edit" function on this site. So, maybe it's the same Mona? The one I knew was from Yuma, AZ, about 5'9", dirty blond, with a nice figure. I don't remember her story of how she happened to be in Torremolinos, but after that season I never ran into her or Lew again. She was also the girl that Marcus Miller (of another story on this site) was in love with.

    The story of the beach drowning that I heard was that the police recovered a body that washed up on Bajondillo. They asked Lew's girlfriend at the time to view the body to see if she could identify it and she said she could not. Now, if this was "Mona", she was certainly in Spain longer than Lew, cause if the police had been able to find Lew, there never would have been any suspicion that the body was his. Therefore, Lew and the girlfriend didn't just go to America together. If there was a conspiracy to disappear (and you have to ask yourself, why would there be a conspiracy?) it was certainly a more elaborate plot. Did they just wait for a guy that looked like Lew to wash up on the beach to spring into action? Did Lew just take a flight back to the states and did Mona then wait for the police to ask her to identify the body, hoping they would ask? I don't think Stew has ever been in touch with Mona or Lew since then.

    If you use the simplest explanation (Occam's razor) Lew got drunk and drowned. Mona couldn't or didn't want to positively ID the body---it had been a couple of weeks with the fishes, and like all the stories of people long thought dead surviving---Anastasia, Sundance kid, etc., I think it's probably just BS told for a good story's sake.

    Chuck, there's a photo of a bunch of us, amongst them Sue, her sister, Little Lynn, Marion, Andy, my friend Don, and me on Tina's back patio. It's posted on Torremolinos Chic under Torremolinos nuit 2. Are you in it?

    Cheers, Bob

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    1. Bob, could be as you say, but: Lew was a HF Radio technician, S/Sgt. As the Vietnam war was winding down (he had been there on one assignment) the chances of him getting promoted were very slim. In fact, a promotion for him would mean a desk job, that he absolutely despised! He could sit for hours reading books, but a desk job at a USAF work center!, Not the Lew that I knew. Further years later (around 1982) I went with an Army LTC to a USAF Nuclear Weapons Storage site in Germany where a USAF Chief Master Sergeant named Bristow met me. One thing led to another and he asked if I was ever in the USAF, which I replied yes and as it turned out, he was then a S/Sgt in Seville at the American AB San Pablo. We got to talking and I asked him about Lew. He remembered the name and said for some reason unbeknownst to him, the word was to keep his reassignment (European discharge (similar to the one I took 1 year later)) quiet. He said that he forwarded Lews discharge papers for signature to S/Msgt Saffel at Moron AB (Lews boss) and that was the last he heard of it until the papers came back signed by Lew and Saffel and Lews direct boss T/Sgt Yarborough. So, that is all I know to that story. Maybe Ben Junkin or Danny Lauria (Lews close friends in the USAF) know more.
      Yes, I see the photograph taken from the back yard of Tina’s. I see where the photo credit goes to Bob Reed, whom I have never met, but we certainly did know the same people I see:
      Marion first from left: —She vacillated from the Costa Blanca (Benidorm) to the Costa del sol on an annual basis. She was very nice. She made do with sandwiches which she would sell to the bars.
      Directly to the left of Andy in the blue shirt was Jeff, a partner of Andy.
      To the right of Andy was Sue. Not sure who the girl to the right of Sue. If she was Sue’s sister, I never met her in 3 years, nor do I remember her. It would be helpful if I knew the date Bob took this photograph.
      In the very center in white with the black velvet choke was my ex, Lynn.
      A lot of the photographs were taken by a man named Rafael. Aka Foto Rafael. His business was to prowl the bars from about 8pm until 2am taking pics of the people and selling them the next day or when he saw the people in the pics again. Small man, about 5’2” tall, thin, black mustache and hair. Always wore a suit. Nice guy, always had a smile.
      In a few photos down, from the Galloping Major, is Don Chapin & XXX (forget his name) They were gay. Don in front white shirt smiling, was from the AMC car family. His parents and Board of Directors gave him a lot of money to disappear! Way in the back with sun glasses on is Teddy Black, wife of David Black. Teddy was English. David was a construction genius, who directed the building of South Vietnam, in fact, almost all runways in Southeast Asia had his expertise applied, but he was a tremendous alcoholic! He would spend 6 months in SEA, then six months in T Town drunk! Sometimes for a week at a time!

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    2. so where are these pis please melva

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  11. Further down is pic at the VIP club. 2nd from left is Porfirio followed by his brother-in-law (brother of Mercedes, Porfirio’s wife), and then of course Manolo from the Duke of Wellington.
    A shame there is not a Pic of Harry’s Bar. I met James Michener there when he was writing the novel “The Drifters”. I would sit on the stump of a tree next to him (those were the seats in Harry’s) while he was writing on yellow lined paper and drink San Miguel. After about 3 or 4 pages, he would gather them together and walk outside the bar to the left and pull on a clip that had a string attached to it along with a small ding-a-ling bell. He would clamp the pages and his secretary 3 floors up would pull up the papers and start typing. Michener never used an eraser that I saw! We could hear her typing through the glassless window. I would then listen to Michener and drink my San Miguel. His vocabulary was unlimited, just kept me mesmerized on end.
    I read the mention of Manolo in Tinas. One afternoon, I was in Tinas (maybe 1pm on a Sunday I believe) no one there but Manolo and I. In walks James Coburn (who was in town filming the movie “A Hard Contract” with Lee Remick. Coburn walks just past me and looks at Manolo who is polishing the glasses about 8 feet away. Coburn, says “por favor, passe la botella de Cognac Courvoisier y uno vaso por favor. Manolo, knowing exactly who this was, grabbed the bottle and slid it down the bar into the hand of Coburn. He followed this by a CRYSTAL cognac glass (which Manolo had hidden out of view from the normal customers.) Coburn drank about 4-5 shots left a Mil note on the bar and said “muchas gracias Senor” and left.
    I saw him and Lee Remick at Harry’s annual Bloddy Mary & Bull Shot party on New Years Day. Along with Ty Hardin, Yul Brenner, and this guy named Sergio Leone with an American named Clint Eastwood!! Brenner was interesting to talk to, Remick was still drunk from the night before, as I could not understand a word she said, nor could anyone else. Jack (Big Jack) from Jacks place was doing all he could to get Remick to leave with him. My take, she was not that drunk!
    Funny, no one mentions Malaga John, his girl Gail, and Tom. Frequent visitors at Harry’s
    Great fun T Town.

    Chuck

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    1. omg!!malaga john was a real handsome guy I had a giant crush on him!!his gf was pretty to tho I have a pic with malaga john and big lou on taken at a bbq at harry the bars house will try email it to you chuck as alfredo doesn't have time to post pics do you mean black tom ?he was a real character around that time, melva

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    2. Mel,

      These posts are completely out of order, we have to jump around just to reply.
      Anyway, Malaga John and Tom Gaffney were always trying to show each other who was the smartest. John had a girl friend named Gail. I forget Tom's girlfriends name. Gail used to work at Harry's bar playing records while serving beer. I think she played "Misty Roses" about 1 million times!. I would like to see the Pic of John and Lou. Not sure which house you mean when speaking of Harry. The one he adored most was "Castlillo Bil y Bil (More on that place at another time)on the highway just after La Caliuela(sp). You could see it from the highway just before one got to Benamaldena. Jim Chapin and naturally Don his concubine if you wish bought Harry a speed boat one summer. Harry (his two man crew) would provide para-sail rides along with ski rides to the tourists. He made a fortune that summer. He told me that every other week he would raise prices by 50% and people would continue to pay. I asked him where the "loo" was once and he said go to the left or right, straight or whatever, I did what I think he said and opened a door to a just beautiful naked girl on the bed with a magazine in her hand. She asked "Did Harry send you?" I said "yes", thinking about the loo (dumb me), an she said well come on in! Dumb me, I said thanks and went on my merry way to find a loo!!!
      Chuck

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    3. Totally agree chuck maybe they should start some of the topics again and hope we keep them in order.omg that's is a true t town classic about the girl on the bed.not sure where the house was think it was benalmadena area was so long ago and went to so many parties etc. Mel

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    4. Mel,
      After relooking at the pic of Lew at harry's, that is indeed Malaga John, albeit about 30 lbs less that I knew him Must have been around 69-70. Also, earlier you mentioned black Tom. Yes, I remember him. He was a merchant marine that would stop over in "T" from where ever he had been. We played soccer up at Lee Setemers house on a hard rock infested field. lee and I along with others were always getting cut up by the rocks. Funny guy, with a heart of gold.
      Chuck

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    5. Chuck yeh probably 1970ish the pic of Lew.Black Tom was a real laugh wasn't he?real funny guy Don't think I knew Lee Setemers house.Did go to a villa to play softball and swim and have a bbq on weekends not sure who's house tho?Went with Andy and Avis a guy from Latvia then Andy took us to the English tea house for afternoon tea.The same gang went Sue,Paddy,guys from tina's bar. Mel

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    6. I was an airman from Moron de La Frontera AB in 1969-70 that went to T-town almost every weekend and stayed in hostels or friends apartments. The guys from base would chip in and get an apartment and let girls vacationing from northern Europe stay there during the week and when they came down on weekends party with them. I remember meeting James Michener at Harry's on my birthday, when I turned 21 in December 1970. It was one of my last days in T-town as I was transferred to Germany shortly thereafter. You may remember a Volkswagon Beetle painted with the stars and stripes in town on weekends. That belonged to my friends Greg Kitchen and Tom Chapman. We were all transferred to Germany and we caravanned all along the Costa Del Sol north until we cut in to go through France to Germany. I have lost touch with all my Air Force buddies, but remember some good times in T-town. I knew Marge from Harry's and spent many a night at the Beachcomber too. One night I tumbled down the stairs on my way in and hadn't even had a drink yet! Thanks for the reigniting some old fond memories of T-town and the folks I met there.

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    7. Hi Dan yeh we shared our apartment in Siriimiri with Charlie and Dickie on occasional weekends not sure of their surnames?both wore glasses,and Greg Kitchen lived at our apartment in Miramar at weekends lovely guy.He was dating Gaye then an english lady.All were airforce.ps so remember that beetle!!Thanx for taking time to post Melva

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    8. Hello Greg, Charlie Cox here (aka Chuck and Sgt Cox at the time stationed at the 2186 OL-A Transmitter site at Moron AB

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    9. Lee Hitchens - lhitchens@tds.net7 September 2018 at 17:02

      Been reading these posts for about an hour and cannot stop! I (Lee Hitchens) was at Moron from 4-68 to 4-70 with the 2nd Mobile Comm Grp. If we were not deployed some where we were in T'Town. Like someone mentioned early myself and three others (Jim Lucky, Jim Bennett and Mike Lombardi) kept an apartment just a bit up the hill from the Beachcomber on the right and it was also occupied by some lovely young ladies at all times. Someone mentioned Ben Junkin (Alabama boy who married a waitress at the Beachcomber named Lee from S. Africa - God she was pretty)! Also knew Greg Kitchen quite well. I also met James A Michner at Harry's where we used to play "Gin Rummy"! Man got me hooked on Jameisons Irish Whiskey and still drink it today. I think he and his wife lived in town just up the coast from us (name escapes me). Sex - Drugs - and Rock n' Roll was what was happening in T'Town during those days - Glad I survived - LOL

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  12. Great stories, Chuck! Maybe someday Lew will pop up on this board and tell us all what happened...?

    Meanwhile, I didn't take the Tina's patio foto. I just scanned it and sent it to Torremolinos Chic. I am Bob Reed. The photo, as you thought, was taken by Rafael. I am in the photo, sort of to the back with a ciggy in my mouth talking to some Canadian chick. I am also in several other photos on TM Chic. Were you in the photo? The girl next to Sue is her sister---danged if I can remember her name. I thought her two kids to swim. Many years later, the kids were living in Phoenix and called me out of the blue. I think at least one of them was a Sports bike racer.

    Wonderful that you met Michener!

    I had my first drink in Ttown at Harry's, and later got to know and like Harry a lot, but I didn't frequent the bar much. I guess I was just interested in going where the tourist girls hung out, not the places that were full of regulars. You're right, it's a shame they don't have a photo of Harry's anywhere. I'll look for one.

    I knew a "Big Jack" who was a bartender at Tina's in 1970, but who had become ill in the middle of that season and left.

    I never had the pleasure of meeting celebrities in Ttown, with the exception of Ingrid Bergman---and maybe the English bank robbers.

    Keep posting your good memories.

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    1. Bob,
      By the time I left "T" it was December 71. The Big Jack was an American who did work in Tinas during the day. He moved on to open a bar in Fuengirola called Jacks Place right on the promenade so to speak. Re Lil Lynn, I guess that name came up after I left. She was never known that to me. Sue had a mother who lived in a flat in a high rise about 1 mile before coming into town on the left side when coming from the airport.
      Re Harry: Around 1970, Harry had got out of Harry's Bar and was working at nights in Bar Central (2nd floor). The owner of the Bar had the upstairs built especially for Harry.
      Chuck

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    2. Chuck, you "left" T in 1971? But you must have come and gone later, no? I added a couple of links to articles about Harry (below). I was invited to Sue's parents home for a couple of Xmas dinners. Very kind of them to include me. My memory is that it was a house not a flat. Sue had both a Mom and Dad that lived on the Costa, but they fought all the time. Perhaps the house was the Dad's? Little Lynn was a name that Sue used to call Lynn. Lynn went with some American and had a couple of kids by him---any relation to you?

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    4. Bob,
      I knew that Sue’s father and mother were divorced or separated. I never met him. Her mother used to take care of Michelle on the weekends when we Lynn and all went out together. Sues mother had a flat at the time, so perhaps she either married again or they got back together. Sue never talked about her father to me once!
      Lynns’ child at the time was Michael who was the son of an American had been based in Moron AB until he rotated to the USA Connecticut. His name was Nadeau, hence the name Lynn Nadeu. I met Lynn after they had divorced. I married Lynn and we had a son. We divorced. Lynns parents lived in Fuengirola. He was a retired Shell employee, good guy. Hoppy was his preferred name I believe. As you mentioned, Lynn was adopted, but she had a sister (about 8 years older if I remember correctly). So on the weekends when I would come down to “T” from the Comm site, Lynns mother would take Michael for the weekend while Lynn, Sue and Teasley (Sues boyfriend at the time) would go out together. Later on after Teasley rotated to the USA, Andy got involved with Susan. He lived with Susan, in her flat while he sold Posters during the day. During this time, Paddy (who rented a room from Sue in Apartmentos Miramar) was going out with an American from Oregon I believe (not military). He had come to Spain for 2 weeks and stayed about 6 mos! I never knew Paddy when she was going out with Harry the Law, although I did know Harry the Law. So that was after I left and got out of the USAF. I even worked in the Beachcomber for Porfi and John Bradley for a short while after I got out of the USAF. This was right at the time John was refurbishing the place above the Galloping Major which would become the Victoria Restaurant. Porfi and Perla (Pearl) were the primary servers; while John was the primary Chef until he turned over his responsibilities to someone he trained. John Bradley was a Chef by trade! He had a number of signed certificates stating his full capabilities.
      So now you know.
      Chuck

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    5. Funny, Chuck, the stuff one doesn't know about the people we think we know. I never knew Lynn well. I just knew she was a friend of Sue's, and of course I'd see her around. For example, I didn't know at the time of the photo in Tina's that she had two children. I hope you have been able to keep up with your son.

      Sue would tell me briefly about her Mom and Dad's disagreements. One story I remember is that "Daddy" left the family house in a rage, came back and put a cover over the swimming pool drain on the bottom of the pool and then dumped a bunch of dye in it. Good story, I thought at the time. I, maybe met him once---very cordial thin fellow, as I remember.

      I, too, knew Harry the Law but not very well.

      There was once a framed colored drawing of a family tree that hung in the Bar central. I think the title was "And so it began" and was a delineation of all the expats that had started to live in Torremolinos from the early sixties. I wonder if it's still there?

      Anyway, strange we never crossed paths, or maybe we did but just do not remember. I think at the time of the photo, the guy with dark hair in front left was going out with Lynn. That's why I asked if you were in the foto.

      Do you think "Teasley" was the father of Sue's daughter, Michelle?

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    6. What Stew had to say (I hope I am not violating his confidence) His email address is somewhere on this site. He was inquiring about some of the old Ttown folks.


      Bob
      It makes me wish i were 40 years younger. thinking of Spain i always intended to return but i got married in the Dominican republic to a woman with 3 children so that dried up any vacation money. The children are all married and have children of their own time moves very fast i cant believe it. I knew the A.F. guy that you mentioned. Red faced a bit fat always trying to be a joaker. He was very mean with women maybe that's why his G.F. did not identify him. The English girl Edna was A very good sales lady made good money. She was Jewish from south London. Probably should have married her but was not ready for long term at the time. As for Tina i had a feeling she tended to like women a little much but that's a very British trait. After i fixed her music system she said she wanted to get me in bed but that never happened. Harry was completely crazy in love with her. He would take a case of beer and spend the night in front of her door. She was pretty and talented but seemed a bit odd to me. When i returned to Spain with Federal Electric [part of ITT] I worked in Barcelona and the Belaric islands The job was up grading the Spanish Military's communications System. Bad job low pay but in Spain. One other old flame Helen from the Fat Black Pussycat was one of my favorites. Wonder what ever happened to her. I remember now Little Lynn had 2 children one her first with a A.F. guy real jerk A cooks helper she never married him. The second the guy that worked for me Charles Cox. Pauline had 2 children with Monty. he liked his nick name gave him class with the Brits. Their were other A.F. people that had children with girls living in T-town. Must be a lot of American offspring on the Costa del sol now. Memories come in little Spurts funny how the mind works. Their was a navy guy from rota married a Swedish girl in T-town his name was Roy Russ nice guy but the alcohol got him also. So many faces in my mind with no names but over all i really enjoyed Spain. Would love to visit one last time but I'm not in good enough shape now. Was A friend of Dave Black he told me the whole story on Harry's bar. After the war [WW 2] Dave, Matt Carney and another american [all vets.]got a job building an air strip in Morocco. They visited T-town and decided to start a Bar. Dave had a small Sail boat and was married to a Russian girl Clair. They lived on the boat and Dave built the bar. He called the bar "The Dirty Old Man's" it was in Plaza Gamba Allegre. Harry met Dave there, he was working at Bar Resturante El Bagote as a waiter. They all were friends. Well, Dave went off the wagon too much and since Matt had the controlling interest in the bar, he Hired Harry to run it. Harry had just got kicked out of the Bar central [that he started] by the Spanish owners of the building. And it got re-named Harry's bar. Well I guess that's enough for now As my old brain kicks in on occasion [I no longer Drink] I'll send some more of my memories if they are not too boring.
      Stew

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    7. Bob,
      First, good to see my old boss Stew is back in the loop. Second, I do not know the dark haired guy in the photo at Tinas.
      BTW, with the way this correspondence applies dates and times, where are you in the USA?

      Chuck

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    9. Just one correction to make Sam Omera was the live in boy friend of Gail that you mention working in Harry's bar. I let them stay in my apartment for free! They both went back to NY and split from each other. Sam now [if he is still alive] Resides at saint Ruperts boat yard St. Thomas USVI

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    10. Different Gail maybe?there were lots of people with the same names.Hence Malaga John.Beachcomber John,Harry the bar, Harry the law,Pinball Harry,Little Lyn Dinty Lyn etc etc

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    11. This is a post from "Torremolinos Chic":

      "
      Rolf Rodolfo von Essen
      March 5, 2017 · Lidingö, Sweden ·
      IN SWEET REMEMBRANCE <3 HARRY "THE BAR" HUBERT <3 MY BUDDY

      * August 8th, 1932
      † MARCH 5th, 1993, in T-town (Málaga, AndalucĂ­a)

      One of the first in the group of expatriates, leading their lives in T-town,Torremolinos, who were to be called a "Drifter" by James A. Michener. Harry, of course, in the novel is the barman of The Alamo, in real life the second barman of Matt's bar at the "square of the merry shrimp" in central T-town.

      The first barman was the DOM, so the bar was called the DOM's
      during his management, and when Harry took over, the new name,
      logically, became Harry's Bar. When Matt a few years later was
      forced to get rid of the premises, Harry moved his business to
      Fuengirola, the new haven for expatriates, when T-town went out
      of fashion, and now Harry ran the business himself. A new waterhole for la cuadrilla had been born. That's where Harry ended his days.

      I was in Stockholm, Sweden, that month of February 1993, when I had a phone call:

      - Harry has had a massive heart attack but he arrived at the hospital in time, so they could save him. Now he is all right, I am here with him NOW, would you like to say a few words to him?

      Joe Distler! Of course I spoke to Harry and we talked for some time and of the good ole days, not with one word mentioning his heart failure. He laughed a lot in his characteristic way and sounded exactly like he always did.

      Joe came back on the phone: I am going to stay in town for a couple of days and join him when he is to be dismissed from hospital.

      The "few" days beame 3, 4, one week and I almost forgot that Joe had promised to keep me posted.

      In the morning of March 5th, Joe finally called. His voice was thick with emotion when he told me how Harry and Joe had been preparing Harry's belongings in view of his dismissal. Harry needed to visit the WC, so he left Joe alone in the ward.

      Harry never came back. On his way to, or from, the WC, hospital staff found him on the floor of the corridor with no signs of life. The cardiac surgeons later told me that this second attack was even more massive and his entire system had collapsed. There was no way of doing ANYTHING for him.

      Antonio, Mari-AsĂşn and I had planned to meet on the coast as usual, for the celebration of Harry's birthday in August, a very nice tradition we had. They became devastated when I brought them the news about Harry.

      Rest in peace, buddy!"

      I'm thinking that the reference to the "DOM" was to the original name of the bar, see above, "The Dirty Old Man's".

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    12. Thanx for posting this Bob. A lovely reminder of Harry altho the ending is really sad.Harry was a true gent and very generous.when he had the tiny upstairs bar in Bar Central Josie and I would always call round for a few vinos on him.We also visited his villa with Little Lyn/Sue/Andy/Monty/Malaga John/Big Lou
      etc and had loads of laughs on sunny afternoons RIP Harry Mel

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  13. Harry Hubert:

    http://hubpages.com/religion-philosophy/A-brief-history-of-Spain-Part-Two

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  14. http://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2014/08/08/mapping-the-drifters-free-love-and-the-costa-del-sol-travel-bug/

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  15. Bob,
    Here is the last Pic of T Town that I have. I will send to Alfredo and ask him to post. It is dated 31 Dec 1976. There is John Bradley, the Dutch man from the Galloping Major (forget his name as well as the other man and my date for the evening.) I am the person on the far right in a Grey Suit. I was working in Valladolid at the time putting in Comms for the Spanish Govt to get them into Nato. I went to Harry's next morning for Bloody Mary's and left the day after. Chuck

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  16. Bob,
    I forgot to answer the one question you had "Do you think "Teasley" was the father of Sue's daughter, Michelle"? No, he is not. The father of Michelle is dead, sadly. He died in an auto accident going back to Rota in the early morning hours on a Monday I believe. It was about a four hour drive from "T" to Rota. Sue adored him as when I knew her, she would always talk about him. He must have been a great guy!
    Chuck--I am know as Charles now.
    BTW, I am in Texas, on the coast, about 1/2 mile from the beach on Padre Island.

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  17. Thanks, Charles. The version of Michelle's fathers death as told to me by Andy and Sue was that Sue, pregnant, had moved to the States with her new husband. As she was in the hospital for the delivery, her husband visited but was told the birth was not to be that night. So, he attempted to drive home but was killed in an accident. I think I've told this story before on this blog, but I know it takes awhile to read through all the posts.

    I've never been to Padre Island but have been to Texas often---most recently last May for the marriage in Houston of my oldest son. Great State!

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    1. Bob,
      My recollection must be in error. Did you receive the pic I sent from Alfredo yet?
      Charles

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    2. Not yet. It will be interesting to see. Maybe Alfredo could have a separate section of the blog for photos---sort of like Torremolinos Chic has. I know Melva sent him some photos too. I also think Alfredo is very busy with his day job and family.

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    3. Bob,

      Here is my email address if you want me to send it to you:
      ccox@stx.rr.com

      Charles

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  18. Mel,
    Thanks, great picture. That is indeed Lew! Along with Monty in front with his famous striped pants. Pauline, Monties wife, Harry the Bar (I know the tall guy next to Harry, but forget his name. Patty is sitting on the ground. Lynn is there, I think that is Sue white talking to Andy holding Michelle, but not sure. Looks like Dinty in the background and you Melva, isn't that you? I will email to Bob.
    Chuck.

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    1. Yeh its sue,andy,me then josie on the grass is paddy,some swedish lesbian I forget that guys name next to harry think he was dutch maybe quiet guy but always out dinty wasn't there.glad you got it my daughter had to send it as it wasn't saved to my laptop just in an email omg!!modern technology!
      Mel

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    2. Hi Melva...you mentioned a certain Noel...used to hang out at Noel's bar back in the late seventies. Noel was married to Cecilia, a wonderful gal from Singapore. Their little bar was in a little lane off San Miguel, if I remember correctly. A mostly youngish crowd of back packers hung out there. Wonder what happened to Noel and Cecilia...and to a certain Maria who tended bar...

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    3. Could "Cecilia" have been Noel's sister? Weird family.

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    4. Weird??Why??lol !!Cecilia was Noel's distant cousin.They were a very close family.I remained friends with Reinze[Noel's brother ] for many years and he used to come visit Keith and I in Spain on holiday and also here in Wales.I haven't heard from him for years now and think he may have been sick as he always said we would never lose contact.I did message Noel on fb but as we aren't friends don't know if he got it or just didn't reply. Mel

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    5. Mel, I guess the "weird" was more in relation to the Jimmy Jay comment above, and other's that I have read on this site that say Cecilia was Noel's wife. I never knew Reinze or the mother, but I went out with Cecilia once and she was introduced to me as Noel's sister, not his wife. Maybe later they became man and wife....? Now, that's a little weird, don't you think? I hope your friend, Rienze, is OK.

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    6. Oh I get it .Noel used to fool around a lot and probably introduced Cecilia as many things but they were cousins.Reinze was a little more serious .They did have a sister Queenie she hung out like them in Tina's.Cecilia was much later around 1980's I think? we were there on honeymoon then and met her for the 1st time,their mum was more in the Galloping.she looked amazing for her age and everyone thought she was their sister.Noel married a Scandinavian girl and Reinze married a Scotish girl he brought to wales to meet us.He had daughter and a business in Colchester but sadly we lost touch over the years.Mel

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    7. This was the 70's. I even have a photo of Ceclia, somewhere, sitting on a chair in our Apt in the 70's. Noel hung out in Tinas, and although we were "friends", I really didn't know him that well. He used to visit Boga Boga too. Maybe the bunch of them change names?

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  19. Hi Jimmy I knew noel and his family as I used to date his brother Reinze.As far as I know Cecilia and him wren't married.The bar was near Begonia think it was called The Love affair? it was very popular with young people as Noel was so sociable and very infectious.Noel lives in Scandinavia as far as I know.Haven't heard from Reinze in many years he did pay me and my family a few visits to Wales when we all first returned from t town and when my daughter was small.Nice to hear from you Jimmy and to chat about people that really made t town what it was back then. Mel

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  21. Englishman, Andy Carmichael, came to Torremolinos in the 60's. At first he ran a poker game in Carihuela at someplace in an upstairs room and took 10% of the pots---had to pay off the cops. Later, he started a business of selling printed posters, advertisements, etc. He was from England and had a marriage and a child there. In the early 70's, he settled on a girl friend, Sue White, who was a beauty from an English village, and who lived then in apartamentos Miramar. Sue, while young, had moved to Spain with her parents and sister in the early 60's, maybe 50's. She first fell in love with an American sailor stationed in Rota. They married in America, and Sue became pregnant. As she was about to deliver the child at some hospital in the States, her husband visited, but was told the birth was not going to happen that night. He left and attempted to drive home but was killed in an automobile accident---ran into the back of a flatbed truck. Sue gave birth to the child, Michelle, and came back to the Costa to live with her parents. She and her daughter eventually lived the apartment in Miramar above ours. Sue, raised her daughter--the cutest little kid you've ever seen! Michelle still lives on the Costa. Sue, although having an income from the USA because she was the widow of an American sailor, nevertheless was living close to the line. She raised Parakeets---Budruginers in England, for sale. She was still a beautiful woman and often frequented the Corner Bar, which was on the ground floor of the apartments Miramar. Andy and she "went out" for years. Michelle became sort of an adoptive daughter to Andy.

    Andy built his business to be the part owner of "Misol records" on San Miguel, and "Tomcat" a clothing boutique on Calle Cause, among other endeavors. The American sailors from different aircraft carriers who would visit Torremolinos and stop by "Tomcat" wondering if he got the name from the F14 Jets that they carried. "No", Andy would tell them. "They stole the name from me".

    He always had a lot of things going. He had a partner named Hamido, a great Moroccan guy who at first was the manager of the Discotheque, Mach one, an underground place on the South side of the Carreteria, East of San Miguel. I hear he now has a tea bar---still going!

    Later, Andy lived near Playamar, and during some cold winters, Andy and I would play Backgammon and Scrabble and drink Cognac. At the time, there were many break-ins near and at Playamar and Andy had a front door installed that had a steel center and was locked into the floor and ceiling iron frame with bolts. Very cool, I thought.

    When I came back from Saudi Arabia in the early 80's, Andy was living in an apartment in San Pedro de Alcantara and I rented a room from him. It was nice to be near Puerto Banus and the nightlife of Marbella, but I was getting a little too old for all of it. One time an older Arab guy, sitting outside in a chair at a bar that my girlfriend at the time sang at, told me it was time for me to get married and have children. He was right.

    Lately, Andy emails me that he has had business problems and had to let 44 workers in Spain go, for which he feels very badly. He still has business in Bali and from what I know, has moved there now. I think he now has a couple of children from some other woman and has/had a young Russian girl friend.

    The story of the Costa goes on, and the party never ends.

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  22. Hello, Life is strange. Saw a photo of someone at Tina's on FB and thought I would check if it still existed. I lived in Torremolinos in 1976. So I did a search found an actual FB page and then searched again and found this blog. Read the first post of the Blog and Manolo's name came up....Duke of Wellington...Knew him and Jane well. As I said lived in Torremolinos in 1976...every night Tina's and Hof van Holland (Paco and Maria) . Sometimes Dad's sometimes the Three barrels. James Michener used to write at the bar of both Three barrels and Tina's. Wrote his book The Drifters there. Was back in Torremolinos 1979 to find Manolo had gone to the Duke and that Lazaro was now the Manager at Tina's. Are any of these folks still alive?
    My ex-wife and I used to go to Paco Mena's bar in the village late late (after all the bars closed) and we also used to play bingo in the a couple of nightclubs (thinks Tiffany's and maybe Cleopatra as it had an Egyptian theme) with the locals. Thanks for the memories.

    Posted the above on another post in this blog as well......However thinking about stuff and reminiscing...I came up with Mr. Pronto, the gypsy hair dresser in the Carihuela who dyed my hair blonde, Casa Finlandia, three course dinners for 90 pesetas at the third floor walk-up restaurant, the market, hamburgers at the cook shack just below Tina's.....Holy smokes 41 years ago.

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  23. Thanks for posting.I remember Casa Finlandia.the market is long gone theres a fountain there now.Hamburger Ally is still going.Manolo is retired and a grandad,He did open his own bar up past Tinas but it never really took off.Can't remember bingo at Cleopatras it was a top night club when I worked there.Jesus the owner/manager was a sweet little guy.Leaving for Torremolinos this weekend for 2 weeks will post any news later. Mel

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  24. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  25. Thank you for that. I remember arriving in Torremolinos via France and the coastal highway and missing an American hamburger. I am Canadian and was 21 at the time. Saw Mr. Pronto went in, ordered and met the owner who had been living there for 8 years at the time. Had a great introduction and chat and got questions answered. One was "how come if you have been here 8 years, you are so white with no tan?" He answered, if you are still here in 3 or 4 months time, you will know. I was and I did.........I rented a fully furnished third floor 2 bedroom apartment for $160 per month. Likely be one night now.

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  26. What is your name? Did we ever meet in Tina's?

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  27. Perhaps, but you have to tell us who you are, no?

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  28. Many of we who fell in love with Torremolinos back in the Golden days can relate to this sentiment:

    "He was born in the summer of his 27th year
    Coming home to a place he'd never been before
    He left yesterday behind him, you might say he was born again
    You might say he found a key for every door."

    First 4 lines of "Rocky Mtn High---John Denver---about our time.....

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  29. Im just sitting in work in Liverpool England enjoying reading through the
    pages and looking forward to 5 nights in Montemar and 5 nights in Fuengirola
    from the 29th October.......cant wait to visit Tinas bar and La Cacerola(Manolos restaurant) always feel sad when i walk down San Miguel and look down the empty passageways that were full of bars and shops in the 70s when you guys were there-its even sadder that there is no way these days will ever return.

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    1. You are right those passageways/arcades are ghostly now However the new traffic free high street has thrown a lot of bars/restaurants together. Hope you enjoy Montemarps .Cacerola is owned by Tim and his wife Josepa.Enjoy

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  30. More from Jean-Paul Bauval---working architect during the building of Playamar:

    U really brought me back to old memories and friends ..
    memories of a happy and wonderful time ....here on this coast!

    We flew into what was then Malaga airport..a small villa type building covered in bougainvillea. The whole airport staff was out ..looking at our IOS marked private jet...not seen before in Malaga, I suppose.

    I spent the first 8 months here as a single lad..Pauline and I were married 15th April 1968. We moved into our first villa...in Solimar...the rent was 1600 pesetas a month ..today € 9 a night!

    The villa actually had a fridge, and a leaking roof. There was not much available in those days.

    We met fabulous people..and got really close to the Mesdags...had lovely times together. also we met a bunch of wonderful, colorful, witty lot..we had no kids then. Great times out every night!

    I designed the Mesdag furniture shop..which is now a car showroom.
    Klass (who passed away this year) and Saskia eventually had 4 boys. Taco (Tarifa),Nicolas (Perth) ,Michael (Ecuador) and Sebastian (Bali).

    I and Pauline, my wife, had two 2 girls, both born in Geneva, Katya and Fiona. Both had Bob Reed as their swimming instructor.

    Klass bought a wooden fisherman type boat ...The "San Pedro"...2 tons,35 hp diesel ..I (cheated) and obtained a captain license. We enjoyed fabulous fishing trips, with wives and friends.

    The San Pedro was eventually sold to 2 Hungarian buddies ...and we fished together with them, dozens of times. The catch was grilled at the Marcel chiringuito on the beach. A few years later,the San Pedro,finally sank in a storm.

    Our 2 girls ,and the 4 Mesdag boys went to the English school, Sunny View School of Mrs Pettis, where there were kids from 36 nationalities. All the kids even now communicate in Spanish, and many other languages, Cosmopolitans.

    BIG MIKE...was Argentinian. His restaurant, Los Pampas..where we often ate and spent great evenings.

    Mike Blauhorn, was his name he passed away some years ago..exact date ??

    As for Harry Hubert, do not recall the bloke.

    Eric Denogent 75..is still here but not well,we see him practically every day.
    I will end here and sometime next week will continue.

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  31. Wow, it's a small world. We moved here in 74-75 to Playmar, KAtya bauval was n my class at Sunny View for many years as was Nicolas Mesdag. Many fun memories hanging out at the Mesdags finca in Churriana with the horses etc The Denogents are also friends, Michelle was in the grade above me at Sunny View and the younger brother Marc a couple of years below.

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  32. A day in the life, circa 1970.

    So, you'd get up late cause you stayed up late. Try to shake the cobwebs, get dressed and head down to Plaza Andalusia. A Cafe doble con leche, and maybe Pan cateto--something for breakfast at the Bar Andalusia. Then walk down to Playamar. I had the key for the little gym at Playamar, so I'd open it up and get a little weight workout. Sometimes a few friends would join me. Then I'd head over to Las Barcas, change in a room that used to be a cafeteria for the workers below the restaurant, and hit the pool, ready for my first swimming lesson, usually at 12 Noon. In the season, I would teach 12 one half hour lessons. Then, I would usually hit a little run out through the cane fields, maybe with my friend Don. When we got back to Playamar, we were pretty sweaty and would hit 10/15 laps in the Playamar pool to cool off. Then the long walk back up the hill to town---maybe a lift from a friend. The decision then was: did you want to eat or wait until after the siesta and do it right. If it was eat then, you would stop by the Carniceria and get 100 grams of this or that. Then head back to Apts Miramar for a lovely siesta. Or, head back to the Apt. for a siesta and eat later before you went out. Many wonderful meals at Montmartre, or Normandie, maybe fish and chips, Jacks or Chez Vous, etc, and a nice coffee at the cafe bar at the corner of Maria Barabino. Then up to Tina's. Music blasting, Jasmine in the air, bar crowded, spilling out into the street. Free drinks from Manolo, in return for all the beach work done by Don and Tom. Maybe you'd meet someone in Tina's, maybe not. If not, off to Boga Boga, people waiting in long lines to get in. Walk to the front, say Hi to Juan, the doorman, and be admitted for free cause you had purchased a bottle. The Boga Boga was a wonderful experience, music pounding so that you clothes shook, bar covered with shining brass, maybe a thousand people there for a good time. I'd see my friends, Juan Tejero, and Manolo, the Manager. Maybe, you would meet someone there. If not, I'd head home about 2:30/3:00 in the AM. Sleep like the blessed, get up the next day and do it again. In the 8 "summers" I lived in Torremolinos, I only missed, maybe, 6 nights due to illness. What an unusual time in the history of the earth! How lucky we were!

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  33. Anyone have a picture of the La Fiaca's logo? Greg Bolin are you still out there? Spain 1969-71

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  34. Scroll down the page on this link below Walt,I
    Think you may mean Le Fiacre

    https://www.blackvelvet-torremolinos.es

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for the reply. I'll check it out.

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  36. Where are the pictures that have been mentioned?

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  37. Replies
    1. Thank you for the link. Very interesting for sure.

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