“There are people wishing I would die so they could become millionaires.” At 74 years old, Gastón Castelló spoke without biting his tongue in INFORMACIÓN about the anomalous situation he was experiencing in those days of 1974. The Alicante artist claimed to receive daily offers for his works, even for the most unknown ones, – “whatever it may be”, they told him -, with the sole objective that they would revalue themselves when he died. Castelló confessed to this newspaper that recently a man stopped him on the street saying that he had a painting of his that he didn’t know about. “He was one from my childhood and he had no quality whatsoever,” said the artist. “That doesn’t matter, you’ll see how worth millions when you die,” the neighbor snapped. Like this one, there were several anecdotes in which future buyers even confessed that they did not like his work. Oblivious to that unexpected noise, Castelló had several projects on the table; the first, the edition of a book with his illustrations. Furthermore, he was immersed in a large mural of which he did not give too many details. “I don’t even want to say where I’m working because if they find out, they’ll come, step on it and make a mess of me,” he joked. Castelló would still live 12 more years, to the impatience of those speculators of his art.
The composer José Tomás with his eight-string guitar
While Castelló was preparing that almost secret mural, the city of Alicante was preparing to host the sixth 500-kilometer night rally. The departure would take place on Paseo de Gómiz, where no more and no less than 10,000 Alicante residents would gather. The winner would be a Porsche 911 driven by Asturian Julio Gargallo, who raced under the pseudonym Roter Fogel and whose co-driver was Ignacio Lewin, who would later be famous for serving as presenter on Canal Plus’s El Día Así. The poster for that rally that ran through our roads also had elite names. Salvador Cañellas and Juan Carlos Pradera, both riding a Seat 1430, completed the podium. A legend, Antonio Zanini, finished fifth in the same car.
The bullfighter Angela riding a horse.
In those days, those from Alicante could also witness live the latest work by the composer José Tomás, one of the greatest guitar masters of the 20th century. The Alicante artist then inaugurated some musical days at the University with his now famous eight-string guitar. “It is ideal for performing baroque and Renaissance music,” defended José Tomás, who was also a professor at the Conservatory, when asked about this peculiarity. The performance would revolve around works by Narváez and Moreno Torroba.
Belleas during an act in 1974
Another spectacle, bullfighting, was also debated that week, since a report from the Pyresa agency stated that 21% of Spanish society were very interested. However, there was some discouragement due to “the lack of new values with sufficient attractiveness.” The province of Barcelona was the least interested and the bullfighter who enjoyed the most popularity was Paco Camino, ahead of Viti. However, the news that affected the people of Alicante was the battle in which the popular bullfighter Ángela Hernández was immersed, whom, by the way, the journalist who signed the report referred to as “nice and beautiful” before any other adjective. about his profession. The fact is that the bullfighter wanted the National Bullfighting Regulations to authorize women to bullfight standing. At the moment, the law said: “Women are absolutely prohibited from taking part in bullfighting festivities, although they may carry out the fight on horseback as bullfighters, but without setting foot on the ground to finish off the bull.”
Puebla de Rocamora was absorbed by Daya Nueva.
All that commotion was mixed with the absorption of a municipality, that of Puebla de Rocamora, by that of Daya Nueva. It was at the request of the absorbed party, since it only had nine houses, five of them uninhabited. In total, 13 people who recognized that they had done the best once the matter was closed, with the presence of the Civil Governor included. This is what journalist González Pomata told us, who knew the province better than anyone. In Elche, the neighboring city, they were shocked by a fire in the Filardi shoe factory. The losses were estimated in the millions. And in Guardamar del Segura, the inauguration of a giant hotel, the Tío Chus (later known as the Campomar Residence), was being finalized. It was a large building, owned by Jesús Vallejo Lobato, which had a thousand comfortable seats. Among their claims: air conditioning, party room, shops… Although they had only given it three stars.
Nighttime 500-kilometer rally filled Paseo de Gómiz with audiences
Already counting the days for the big Alicante festival, each Hoguera presented the beauties and ladies who would be its candidates in an election that would soon take place in the Teatro Principal. Inmaculada Beltrán, from Calderón de la Barca, would be chosen the following month. Although this is another story.
