I have known Benidorm a long time. I never worked in Benidorm but, in the late 60s, I came out several times a year as I had a Spanish boyfriend who was in a band in Benidorm. Among other places they played was Hiotel Torre Dorada and I always stayed nearby at Hotel Gran Delfin. I then met my future husband back in the UK and got married in 1972. We came to Benidorm on holiday that year and several times in the next few years. In 2003 we decided to come to Spain to live. Not in Benidorm but in Venta Lanuza which is not that far away.
What memories. I came here in 1977 intending to spend the summer. Gave out tickets for the disco, Borsalinos(rincón) 47 years later and I'm still here. 🤦♀️💞 Fun times.
Well what a lovley blog and its nice to here the gentalman to talk about what it was like in benidorm in the 70 .Well benidorm is such a lovley place i cannot wait to get back over keep safe and keep smiling
Original Bahamas Talk Of The Town, Talk of The Coast King's. All opposite the Ambassador (Reymar / Rivera) Spent many a late night as a kid in there. In the late 70,s especially Bahamas. Usually asleep on a row of chairs while Mum n dad were drinking great times. That was probably the original strip. Great videos, Lucy..
หลายเดือนก่อน +8
I love Benidorm and I love nostalgia, well it's one of them ones..
Fantastic vlog Lucy ! Went for first time to Benidorm in 1978 and met a girl who was to become my wife in the Commodoro Bar ( seen at 2:26) Married 1980 and Recently celebrated 46 years marriage , went for 3 weeks this January and going back again next February for 3 weeks ! Great memories !! X
first went to Benidorm 1975 there was 24 of us from Newcastle stayed at the pueblo crazy remember big ben tavern western saloon andca nightclub called the Istanbul fantastic times😄😄
Brilliant video Lucy that is sure to make you smile - me and the young girl who is now my wife stayed in the Rio Park in 1976 on our first holiday in Benidorm flying in from Manchester - fantastic times - we have returned many times since but always remember that first time !
Hi Lucy - fond memories of the 70's - my sister -in-law & brother-in-law packed up & left England with 3 little girls & set up the original Beni-Ped hireing mopeds in the new town & their life style/enviroment were totally different also on a financial bases it was cheaper to live here in Spain - their business boomed & they went on to bigger & better thing - I am pleased to say they are still here today
Really enjoyed watching this, they were fantastic times. Great interviews and their memories of those days is impressive and certainly better than mine, guess I spent too much time in The X Bar 😅
Great was in Benidorm 1974/1975/1976 . May and June we stayed in apartments through rose who rented out apartments, we used the staple bar / la cudra / western salon / ex bar / Titos , now and again , remember the Jesus bars . The tapas bars were great and looked after you when you kept going back , our about the Bar Bus Bar out of town when the discos closed . And when that closed went next door to the the one where the taxi drivers were , fantastic time , walk the Levante most days , used to get a bus to villa joyasa , and spend a day there , was there when Franco Died , bars closed all day , and with respect bars complied / at too , great days and regards to everyone who was there during that time ,be good to hear who was there ,
This is Mickey B from the video, yes I have great memories from all the bars you mention, especially 'Bar Bus' near 'Cap 3000' at the back of Benidorm. I still see Brian and Sue from the Ex Bar, they still live in Benidorm...
Hello Lucy, what a wonderdul video watching all that beautiful people telling their experiences about their first time to Benidorm, in such atmosphere of freedom, brotherhood and respect. Wish I could have been there Lucy, to tell you my Great experiences too.
My aunt and uncle celebrated their 50 year wedding anniversary this year, their first holiday in Benidorm was in 1973, been going pretty much every year since then. We are going back out in September.
This is so brilliant Lucy. Never worked abroad but did do seasonal hotel and bar work all around the UK in the late 80s/early 90s from sixth form to all through Uni. Even then, you just basically had to if you wanted money. Worked 3 jobs during term time too. Such hard work but as you see in this video, literally military level camaraderie continues to this day. I honestly don't know when we actually slept! Don't want to be political BUT a certain ❄ generation of Brit youngsters are now too cosy milking the Bank of Mum and Dad and then posing on 'Insta' every summer, rather than gettint down and dirty in Hotels and Bars from The Scillly Isles to Sutherland like we did. Hence the shortfall in seasonal hotel staff in the UK. ....and I'm a couple of generations after these fine folk on your video. ❤ to all of them all regardless.
This video is really interesting, I noticed three Liverpool players from the 70`s in one of the photo`s (Emlyn Hughes, Phil Thompson, John Toshack), thanks Lucy!
I first went to bendorm in 1972 at the Raymar Hotel near the hotel riviera I was 12 first time I came bendorm then came back 75 stayed at tropcana hotel not far from near the buses came back long time didn't recognise it after 40 years I am now in early 60s yes I been traveling around to other places Greece and other places in Spain. But also come back bendorm for fiesta lov it kathy
Brilliant to watch. Wonder if anyone can remember where a high rise hotel that had a massive "thomas cook" sign on the roof was situated? Possibly about 1993😊
Great to see this Lucy. Also seeing some old mates from back then. Still in contact with Michael Briton and Danny Scott ( One of them 🤣 ) plus many more. Saw my smiling face in the photo taken outside the Pig and Whistle back in ‘75 I think. Last trip back was in 2017 from California where I now reside and stayed in the old town which I preferred. Didn’t recognize the rest of Beni though !! It was great to be back after so many years since I had worked there in 73-74-76 and the rest of my visits of just hanging out just making the money last as long as I could 🤣. Must try another trip soon, age is catching up fast 😎 Cheers !!
Great video guys! I could have watched an hour of this! It would make a good tv show idea. Really interesting listening to stories of Benidorm from the 70s
A'reyt Lucy. My first time coming to Benidorm, I got a last minute flight to Alicante. The only one I got short notice was from Gatwick. After standing on a train to London with a large group of Millwall fans who got on at Peterborough, I found myself on a flight with similar characters to the southerners you interviewed. None of them panicked when the plane missed the runway and had to take off and go round. They were a tough but amicable bunch. The only complaint was that we were a bit late.
Brilliant video, great to hear the old stories. I did the same thing on Rhodes 1987 to 1990 and got up to the same things, avoiding the police and stealing toilet rolls, no clap clinic though 😂😂
1st time in Benidorm 1979 (still 70's) some bars were popular but every hotel had "discos" at their pools so a lot of people went around the hotel pool discos like a pub crawl. the "Square" was a quietish street with few bars and 1 down side was the amount of photographers with animals like Chimps, Lion Cubs, Leopard Cubs etc they were pests like the pea men, saw a few bits of trouble with various large groups of drunks but police were pretty ruthless wading in with large wooden stick/ batons there were 2 or 3 different types of police but para-military were the worst causing problems so they could get physical with young tourists. Rumours were that drinks were "watered down" so we all drank Pernod - No Ice with bottles of Sprite on the side, after 2 weeks couldn't touch Pernod again for years, went to Medieval Knights BBQ, Lemon Express Train and had a great time overall. Favourite pub was The Scotsman & Champions and had all the T Shirts from every bar.
I was interrailing europe on a budget in the 70s spent 5 nights sleeping on the beach at Benidorm I would open my jacket in the morning to catch the heat from the sun's ray's and crawl off the beach to a full English breakfast for a few 100 pesetas 😁😎
Oh love this story...Happy days I did this in Salou from1987 to 1989 when Pacha was evolving..I worked giving out tickets ( propping) , waitressing and bar work.. This experience changed my life.. had such fun and met some beautiful people. Salou- Martins Bar, Maidsons, Flower of Scotland and Pacha..❤🫶🏾
Was there August 1975. Rio Park was double booked so Thompson's put us in Hotel Riviera which was twinned with Hotel Reymar. I think those two hotels are now called the hotel Ambassador. Remember the fights with the locals on the junction outside that is now Morgan tavern
That was really interesting to watch, I was really surprised that they were all southerners too!! You should try and make more of this type of content thank you Lucy x
Bloody hell ! I was there for the first time in 1973 staying at what was then called the Orange Park, and the nearest Hotel was the Rio Park !The Square now was then just a dirt track. Opposite the Orange was like a farm type place and I remember getting a very big brandy there for 5 pesetas . My then girl friend and I went horse riding in the orange groves around the Orange n the bloody horse I got decided to bolt like the clappers around the orange trees ffs ! We went on the compulsiry barbecue and got rat a***d . I really remember Evas's disco and wanted to do a bit of DJing lol. There was a bloke that had a small open sided van that sold fruit and veg as cheap as chips on what was then a road along the front. It was parked up where Gemelos restaurant is now. I could go on and on but will not, but Benidorm is a place I have been going to since 73, thats 51 years ,but still love the place.
lovely vid lucy no strip in the 70s when was the strip formed yes and the prices going crazy presedente £600 more for a week same time last year 3rd sep whats going on lucy
There was a huge field behind Don Paco Hotel and not much til you got to Eva's disco the other side - also there was an underground disco on the avenida Mediterranea just beach side of the road - no idea what it was called and also the 007 disco opposite where Robin Hood is now
This is Mickey B from the video, there were 2 discos I remember beach side of the dual carriageway, one was Holidays Disco near the Hotel Don Pancho and the other was Disco Manila nearer the Old Town...
![[TH] 2024 PMSL SEA Finals D3 | Fall | รู้ผลทีมแชมป์ พร้อมตั๋วสู่ PMGC](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/7NxsN0Ch6vk/mqdefault.jpg)
If you worked in Benidorm in the 70s join this group and get in touch with some fellow workers from that time.
facebook.com/groups/benidorm70s
I have known Benidorm a long time.
I never worked in Benidorm but, in the late 60s, I came out several times a year as I had a Spanish boyfriend who was in a band in Benidorm. Among other places they played was Hiotel Torre Dorada and I always stayed nearby at Hotel Gran Delfin.
I then met my future husband back in the UK and got married in 1972. We came to Benidorm on holiday that year and several times in the next few years. In 2003 we decided to come to Spain to live. Not in Benidorm but in Venta Lanuza which is not that far away.
What memories. I came here in 1977 intending to spend the summer. Gave out tickets for the disco, Borsalinos(rincón)
47 years later and I'm still here. 🤦♀️💞
Fun times.
Like to buy you a beer when im out
That was so nice to here about old benidorm in the 70s 😊
This has been my favourite vlog ever, love listening to the old stories from 70’s beni
Glad you enjoyed 😊
Great to see some of my old heroes in a pic, Davey Fairclough, Big John Toshack, Mighty Emlyn and Terry Mac. Cheers.John in Gold Coast Oz.
Well what a lovley blog and its nice to here the gentalman to talk about what it was like in benidorm in the 70 .Well benidorm is such a lovley place i cannot wait to get back over keep safe and keep smiling
Original Bahamas Talk Of The Town, Talk of The Coast King's. All opposite the Ambassador (Reymar / Rivera) Spent many a late night as a kid in there. In the late 70,s especially Bahamas. Usually asleep on a row of chairs while Mum n dad were drinking great times. That was probably the original strip. Great videos, Lucy..
I love Benidorm and I love nostalgia, well it's one of them ones..
One of my fave videos! I was born mid 70s and I loved hearing all the stories ❤
Fantastic vlog Lucy !
Went for first time to Benidorm in 1978 and met a girl who was to become my wife in the Commodoro Bar ( seen at 2:26)
Married 1980 and Recently celebrated 46 years marriage , went for 3 weeks this January and going back again next February for 3 weeks !
Great memories !! X
first went to Benidorm 1975 there was 24 of us from Newcastle stayed at the pueblo crazy remember big ben tavern western saloon andca nightclub called the Istanbul fantastic times😄😄
Fabulous Lucy. Oldie but Goldies.
Brilliant video Lucy that is sure to make you smile - me and the young girl who is now my wife stayed in the Rio Park in 1976 on our first holiday in Benidorm flying in from Manchester - fantastic times - we have returned many times since but always remember that first time !
All these stories should be put on paper and given to a script writer for a film benidorms Saturday night fever
Hi Lucy - fond memories of the 70's - my sister -in-law & brother-in-law packed up & left England with 3 little girls & set up the original
Beni-Ped hireing mopeds in the new town & their life style/enviroment were totally different also on a financial bases it was cheaper to live here in Spain - their business boomed & they went on to bigger & better thing - I am pleased to say they are still here today
Really enjoyed watching this, they were fantastic times. Great interviews and their memories of those days is impressive and certainly better than mine, guess I spent too much time in The X Bar 😅
Absolutely wonderful video. Such lovely people.
One of your best ever!!! ❤️
Absolutely brilliant video Lucy some great stories and brilliant pics ❤
Lucy what a fab video listening to all the old history was so lovely
Great was in Benidorm 1974/1975/1976 . May and June we stayed in apartments through rose who rented out apartments, we used the staple bar / la cudra / western salon / ex bar / Titos , now and again , remember the Jesus bars . The tapas bars were great and looked after you when you kept going back , our about the Bar Bus Bar out of town when the discos closed . And when that closed went next door to the the one where the taxi drivers were , fantastic time , walk the Levante most days , used to get a bus to villa joyasa , and spend a day there , was there when Franco Died , bars closed all day , and with respect bars complied / at too , great days and regards to everyone who was there during that time ,be good to hear who was there ,
This is Mickey B from the video, yes I have great memories from all the bars you mention, especially 'Bar Bus' near 'Cap 3000' at the back of Benidorm. I still see Brian and Sue from the Ex Bar, they still live in Benidorm...
I remember staying at the Rio in 1976 and it was orange groves all around and a market nearby by in the street
Wow love the old stories Lucy brilliant 🍺👍
First visit was in 1978 wife my future wife and her mam and dad, remember climbing over the balcony of the Reymar,to get into her room.
50 of us from Middleton Manchester , came for 3, nights in 1975 : stayed at the Hotel Orange .
So Interesting Lucy. No one can accuse 70's teenagers as boring Stay at homes. We lived. 👍
definitely not 👍
I absolutely love your video's. Keep up the great work 🙂
Really interesting vlog, loved it, bought back memories of the way Benidorm used to be.
😂😂 was in fits with that second bloke. Wonder if he had a bet about how many times he could say "one of them ones" I counted over 15 lol
That's Danny for you... Hahahaha
Hello Lucy, what a wonderdul video watching all that beautiful people telling their experiences about their first time to Benidorm, in such atmosphere of freedom, brotherhood and respect.
Wish I could have been there Lucy, to tell you my Great experiences too.
aww amazing stories x
My aunt and uncle celebrated their 50 year wedding anniversary this year, their first holiday in Benidorm was in 1973, been going pretty much every year since then. We are going back out in September.
This is so brilliant Lucy.
Never worked abroad but did do seasonal hotel and bar work all around the UK in the late 80s/early 90s from sixth form to all through Uni.
Even then, you just basically had to if you wanted money.
Worked 3 jobs during term time too.
Such hard work but as you see in this video, literally military level camaraderie continues to this day.
I honestly don't know when we actually slept!
Don't want to be political BUT a certain ❄ generation of Brit youngsters are now too cosy milking the Bank of Mum and Dad and then posing on 'Insta' every summer, rather than gettint down and dirty in Hotels and Bars from The Scillly Isles to Sutherland like we did.
Hence the shortfall in seasonal hotel staff in the UK.
....and I'm a couple of generations after these fine folk on your video.
❤ to all of them all regardless.
We are Really enjoying this I first came to Benidorm as a 15 year old in 1979, and we keep.coming back , can you do more of these if possible 😊
This video is really interesting, I noticed three Liverpool players from the 70`s in one of the photo`s (Emlyn Hughes, Phil Thompson, John Toshack), thanks Lucy!
I first went to bendorm in 1972 at the Raymar Hotel near the hotel riviera I was 12 first time I came bendorm then came back 75 stayed at tropcana hotel not far from near the buses came back long time didn't recognise it after 40 years I am now in early 60s yes I been traveling around to other places Greece and other places in Spain. But also come back bendorm for fiesta lov it kathy
Great hearing the stories,I didn't discover Beni until early 80s but still love it. Cheers Lucy!
Anyone remember the Duke of Wellington bar?
Yup... Upstairs from the Robin Hood...
Brilliant to watch. Wonder if anyone can remember where a high rise hotel that had a massive "thomas cook" sign on the roof was situated? Possibly about 1993😊
Brilliantly interesting - such a great idea to have these reunions 😊
Nice, greets from Torrevieja
Great to see this Lucy. Also seeing some old mates from back then. Still in contact with Michael Briton and Danny Scott ( One of them 🤣 ) plus many more. Saw my smiling face in the photo taken outside the Pig and Whistle back in ‘75 I think. Last trip back was in 2017 from California where I now reside and stayed in the old town which I preferred. Didn’t recognize the rest of Beni though !! It was great to be back after so many years since I had worked there in 73-74-76 and the rest of my visits of just hanging out just making the money last as long as I could 🤣. Must try another trip soon, age is catching up fast 😎 Cheers !!
Glad you enjoyed and great you spotted yourself on a photo 👍😁 x
Great video guys! I could have watched an hour of this! It would make a good tv show idea. Really interesting listening to stories of Benidorm from the 70s
Omg I remember the old western saloon
Good one👍
A'reyt Lucy. My first time coming to Benidorm, I got a last minute flight to Alicante. The only one I got short notice was from Gatwick. After standing on a train to London with a large group of Millwall fans who got on at Peterborough, I found myself on a flight with similar characters to the southerners you interviewed. None of them panicked when the plane missed the runway and had to take off and go round. They were a tough but amicable bunch. The only complaint was that we were a bit late.
fab 70s intersun hoildays june 1977 magic
Hey Lucy. What a fab video. Brilliant bygone times x
Brilliant video, great to hear the old stories.
I did the same thing on Rhodes 1987 to 1990 and got up to the same things, avoiding the police and stealing toilet rolls, no clap clinic though 😂😂
Know Lucy i am 60 this year 😊 i miss you Lucy 😢
1st time in Benidorm 1979 (still 70's) some bars were popular but every hotel had "discos" at their pools so a lot of people went around the hotel pool discos like a pub crawl. the "Square" was a quietish street with few bars and 1 down side was the amount of photographers with animals like Chimps, Lion Cubs, Leopard Cubs etc they were pests like the pea men, saw a few bits of trouble with various large groups of drunks but police were pretty ruthless wading in with large wooden stick/ batons there were 2 or 3 different types of police but para-military were the worst causing problems so they could get physical with young tourists. Rumours were that drinks were "watered down" so we all drank Pernod - No Ice with bottles of Sprite on the side, after 2 weeks couldn't touch Pernod again for years, went to Medieval Knights BBQ, Lemon Express Train and had a great time overall. Favourite pub was The Scotsman & Champions and had all the T Shirts from every bar.
Really interesting Lucy nice video 😊
I was interrailing europe on a budget in the 70s spent 5 nights sleeping on the beach at Benidorm I would open my jacket in the morning to catch the heat from the sun's ray's and crawl off the beach to a full English breakfast for a few 100 pesetas 😁😎
Brilliant video with brilliant memories. Thanks Lucy xx
Thanks for the video Lucy very interesting
Great video, made me smile. Well jealous of every one of them, looks like they had great times.
Hi Lucy went to benidorm.on holiday 2 weeks in the los pelicanos .1977.😀👍
Loved that... so many stories you didn't hear....or did you😂
Haha some I was sworn to secrecy about lol
Oh love this story...Happy days
I did this in Salou from1987 to 1989 when Pacha was evolving..I worked giving out tickets ( propping) , waitressing and bar work.. This experience changed my life.. had such fun and met some beautiful people.
Salou- Martins Bar, Maidsons, Flower of Scotland and Pacha..❤🫶🏾
Was there August 1975. Rio Park was double booked so Thompson's put us in Hotel Riviera which was twinned with Hotel Reymar. I think those two hotels are now called the hotel Ambassador. Remember the fights with the locals on the junction outside that is now Morgan tavern
Great video Lucy nice to see them all reminiscing about the old days they all seem to have had a great time
Wonderful video Lucy, what a great bunch of people you interviewed..! Similar age to me ! Great Stuff!
That was really interesting to watch, I was really surprised that they were all southerners too!! You should try and make more of this type of content thank you Lucy x
Lucy ❤ best video ever yeeeeehaw
Good vids 😊
Great to hear london accents
Great vid
Bloody hell ! I was there for the first time in 1973 staying at what was then called the Orange Park, and the nearest Hotel was the Rio Park !The Square now was then just a dirt track. Opposite the Orange was like a farm type place and I remember getting a very big brandy there for 5 pesetas . My then girl friend and I went horse riding in the orange groves around the Orange n the bloody horse I got decided to bolt like the clappers around the orange trees ffs ! We went on the compulsiry barbecue and got rat a***d . I really remember Evas's disco and wanted to do a bit of DJing lol. There was a bloke that had a small open sided van that sold fruit and veg as cheap as chips on what was then a road along the front. It was parked up where Gemelos restaurant is now. I could go on and on but will not, but Benidorm is a place I have been going to since 73, thats 51 years ,but still love the place.
Mickey B here from the video, the farm like bar you mention was called 'La Barra del Burro' better known to the English as 'The Donkey Bar'...
I will be 60 this year in 12 October Lucy 😂
Interesting they mention there weren't many northern visitors back in the 70s. Possible down to flight options - if most flights were from Gatwick?
I was on holiday with my mum,dad & Cusin and we was only in benidorm for 2 wks
Wish it was still 70s prices but cheers for the video 😁😎
Hi Lucy Tam from Bathgate here its one of them ones ha ha like urban beach never new it was original western saloon great video
I had a shirt from a club 'You're sure of a pull at the Istanbul'
love it 😂
Great video, great idea.......they were rebels just like you, lol
I remember Teddy's disco just inside old town area in early 70s
Nice one Lucy!👍
I remember when the toilets were down stairs in the Morgan tavern in the 70
👍
i was born in Brnidorm in 1.973, now things r very different😢
I was in school them Lucy
Remember the disco, think it was papa whiskeys 1000 peseta to get in all drinks free also burger roll free.
Do you remember the stero club just up from Vincents old Town. I have postcard promoting El Corral ,Rio Campus .went to Hippocampo. 1969
I stayed in the Agua Athu or something tike that 77ish
Agua Azul, the hotel is still there..
lovely vid lucy no strip in the 70s when was the strip formed yes and the prices going crazy presedente £600 more for a week same time last year 3rd sep whats going on lucy
My wife and I got engaged in the hotel Presidente June1975 going back there June 2025 50 year anniversary.
Woo, well done congratulations. Presidente is probably the best hotel in Benidorm nowadays.
Good shows there👍
fabulous x
my mum and dad had the 007 bar and i can remember in the old town when ETA had a shoot out with the police
It’s ‘wan of them wan’s’😂😂
There was a huge field behind Don Paco Hotel and not much til you got to Eva's disco the other side - also there was an underground disco on the avenida Mediterranea just beach side of the road - no idea what it was called and also the 007 disco opposite where Robin Hood is now
This is Mickey B from the video, there were 2 discos I remember beach side of the dual carriageway, one was Holidays Disco near the Hotel Don Pancho and the other was Disco Manila nearer the Old Town...
Look at the pictures people were a lot slimmer hardly any of those awful tatoos and plastic surgery.
He's great singer but does go on