SILH (6) Lets Build a Bar!

“Remember when you were young, you shone like the sun.”                                                      Shine on You Crazy Diamond – Pink Floyd – 1975

Music was a fundamental part of our trip and the ‘Floyd’ got an enormous amount of play, but back to the story line. Javea was becoming a bit of a holiday, the fishing was scarce, the Master and John were enjoying hobnobbing with local dignitaries and Maggots and I were running a little wild. It was around this time I discovered that Maggots’ real name was Mudguts (some family name given to him as a tot because he ate mud) of course when pronounced by an Australian it sounded like maggots. In regard to the lack of fish, we discovered that some years ago it was popular to throw dynamite into the sea and scoop up the dead fish, a process known as Blast Fishing, which may have had an affect on the wildlife environment.

We were considering moving on when Laurie and Ronnie informed us that they needed to convert the storeroom of the Cave Bar into a small restaurant preserving the cave theme throughout. The Master was an electrician amongst many other things, John had been a building inspector back in Oz and so, with two willing labourers a deal was done. I don’t know if you have ever built a Cave theme restaurant, but the materials are slightly different to standard buildings. This involved a lot of chicken wire, paper-mache and plaster.

Source: Zillow Digs TM

We created the shape of the Cave walls and ceiling with the chicken wire, inserting electric cables and light fittings accordingly I really hope none of you are Health and Safety Inspectors 😲, but it was a long time ago. The chicken wire was then covered in paper-mache before being painted.

The seats along the rear wall were constructed with concrete by Mudguts and I, with the inscription, ‘Mudguts and Lucky Legs 1976.’ I wasn’t always the Adonis you see today and John gave me the nickname ‘Lucky Legs’ meaning lucky they didn’t break 😀. We were paid for our labours, given a flat to stay in and had all our meals cooked by our employers.

Mudguts and I had our wages withheld, we were still on the naughty step and not to be trusted with money. One day, with the Cave Bar complete Mudguts and I were sent for groceries, a safe enough task you would think but sadly not. The weather had been inclement and so the local fishermen, who had become our very good friends, were in the bar and not on the ocean and we had to pass the bar to get to the grocery shop. Mudguts and I could see no harm in a beer and a game of Spoof.

Source: http://www.robsworld.org

Source: wikinut.com

Spoof involves placing three coins behind your back. Everyone stands in a circle and simultaneously produces a closed fist with either one, two or three coins in that fist. Each participant takes a turn at guessing how many coins there are in total. If you guess correctly you are out and the last man standing buys the drinks.

We we’re very good at this game and several hours later emerged extremely intoxicated, revolution was in the air, this was Spain after all. To start our revolution we thought that it would be an excellent idea to lie down in the road and bring the traffic to a halt. We were escorted home by the Guardia Seville. If there’s a worse place than the naughty step we were on it. Although Franco was no more, Spain at that time was still very much authoritarian and we had been warned of the possible consequences of our behaviour by our elders several times.

But we had no fear, at eighteen you have that immortal persona and we had explained to our elders, if we ever arrested, we would demand to see the British Consulate. Later in the trip I was to discover this wasn’t an option offered by Spanish police in 1976. To say the Master and John were a little irate at our escapade may be an under statement. But they grovelled on our behalf, paid a fine and took the news that we were to leave town by sunset quite well. The Master announced it was time to head for Cadiz and the ferry to Gran Canaria. We bade farewell to our friends in Javea and the two vans headed south. 🙂