Border:- La Linea de la Concepcion, Espana.
The Flag of Spain (Espana)
The Border Gates Spanish side 1953
The Border post a few years later taken from the Spanish side, shows check boxes built.
LA LINEA DE LA CONCEPCION, is a frontier town of Spain, it borders Gibraltar, it is situated in the province of Cadiz and San Roque which is in the region of Andalucia.
The Flag of Andalucia
La Linea trades in cereals, fruit and vegetables with Gibraltar. Large numbers of labourers employed in Gibraltar also reside in La Linea they cross the border each morning.
If we were free in the evening we could also walk across the border and go to La Linea this town was also very busy with many bars serving tapas and small restaurants providing good meals until very late. One of the local drinks was "Malaga" quite a strong sweet type of vermouth.
Locals also drank Vino de la Casa, house red wine with lemonade 'Casera" quite a refreshing drink. Another popular drink was "Cuarenta Y Tres" which was around 68% proof spirit, poured over ice in a brandy balloon glass, this was a spirit made from bananas.
Sampling the Cerveza, San Miguel (Beer) at a bar in La Linea
PLAZA de TOROS in LA LINEA de la CONCEPCION
Was Inaugurated/opened on the 29th of May in 1883 by El Gordito, Frascuelo y Marinero.
Often on Sundays there would be various bullfights at the Plaza de Toros in La Linea which always attracted a large amount of people you could either purchase tickets to sit in the Sun or Shade, SOL Y SOMBRE.
Keith Walker & Myself in the Plaza des Toros La Linea 1953
Below: Jose, pouring cerveza, Roy Randall and Mick Moreton
A Fifty (50) Peseta Coin of the Franco Era..
Five(5) Peseta and One(1) Peseta Spanish notes used in 1953
Outside the The Plaza de Toros, La Linea,
Man 'Hombre' selling hats,'somberos' and stalls with drinks
Entry of Matadors into the ring
The bullfighter is in position to drive the estoque (a special sword to kill the bull) down into the bull's back.
The Spanish word for sword in general is espada.
The Bull wanted to Jump the barrier.
The Bull having jumped the Barrier.
Lady -Reajonador on Horseback.
View from Bull Ring looking toward Gibraltar.
The matador is in position to drive the estoque (a special sword to kill the bull)
LA LINEA de la CONCEPCION
In 1952 a young Spanish gentleman "Antonio" crossed the border each day to work in our REME instrument workshop in Arow Street. Over 50 years later I had the pleasure of meeting up with that gentleman, who today still repairs watches, is now married with a family and a Son of over 40 years of age, who works with his father in their watch and jewellery shop in Avenida Banqueta, La Linea. He tells me that the shop will soon be extended toward the corner and also the workshop enlarged.
Antonio Blanca Gomez whilst in London passed his examination for the
British Watch and Clock Makers Guild (Certificate below) this can also be seen in his workshop below. He also worked in the Bulova watch company and received their Certificate.
His watchmakers Lathe is still used today (2006) it can be seen here with all the chucks neatly placed in a white card board.
Antonio jnr, Son to (left) Antonio Snr (Centre) and (right) Antonio Jnr's Son Daniel.
Antonio working at his watchmakers bench the blue machine on the bench on the right hand side is an electronic timing machine for testing the watches.
FROM LA LINEA TO MALAGA
Main road through Estepona, we are on the second coach in the picture
From La Linea it was easy to catch the Bus Coach to MALAGA passing San Roque, Estepona,San Pedro, Marbella, Torremolinos, of course the roads were not very good in the 50's and places like Estepona and San Pedro, Marbella were very small.
View of Malaga from the Gibralfaro. The name comes from Jebel(mountain)+Faro (lighthouse) it had a beacon in ancient times to alert sailors that this was the harbour which is around 425 feet above Malaga City.
The History of Malaga goes all the way back to the Phoenicians, who called it(Malaca)
In Moorish times it was the main port of the Kingdom of Granada
View from Gibralfaro looking toward the Bullring and harbour
We could also go round the Bay to Algeceiras, where ferries went from the Harbour across to Ceuta and Tanger, North Africa.
View to the Harbour of Malaga the square building top left in the picture below
can be seen in the picture above top right
Back in:- LA LINEA DE LA CONCEPCION
We could also go round the Bay to Algeceiras, where ferries went from the Harbour across to Ceuta and Tanger, North Africa.
Algeceiras with a view toward Gibraltar
Out one Sunday in Algeceiras for 'Comidas' Lunchtime, this Bar Restaurant was just by the harbour front.
On one of our visits to Algeceiras, I met a young Spanish Chap, who was an amateur radio ham, I told him I had a friend who was also a Radio Ham in UK, he asked me to his home to look at his station equipment, like many Radio Hams he used the 20metre band.
I managed to locate my UK friends broadcast signal one Sunday, we were able to speak to him. We managed to speak together on various occasions.
This young gentleman introduced me to his sister "Calida" we met on many occasions after, she became my regular girlfriend whilst in Gib.
Later she then introduced her friend to us, a girl called Alegria, we understood this to mean cheerful, the girl that was with me was Calida, well I knew sufficient Spanish that Caliente meant hot, so I thought her name had some meaning like this, we looked it up in our little book, it was “warm”.
My friends girl Alegria certainly lived up to her name Cheerful, she was always laughing, a very happy girl, when we were out and about or in a restaurant she was constantly laughing all the time, we thought this to be the effects of the red vino and casera !!! that she liked to drink.
We could also go over to Tanger (Tangier) by the Trans- Med, Cuidad De Alicante
from Algeceiras, this is the view as we embarked for Tanger
Algeceiras Quay above.
Visit to Tanger,North Africa
Visiting Madrid