Anyone wishing to write a new TV soap has to beign with a focal point for the community. Inevitably, this usually involves pubs ( a la the Rovers Return, The Woolpack or the Queen Vic). Then , in order to prove that your characters are not permanently out of it and alcohol fuelled you add in other places of social interaction. We see Roy's Rolls, the Landerette ( with Pauline Fowler and Dot Cotton), the Post office (with that cockney tart Viv) or a newsagents like the Kabin.
These places play an inherent part in the communities they serve and all facets of life are displayed there. Good, bad, joyful and sad people move through life from childhood to death with it all being discussed in the spirit of good community life in these establishments.
A pal of mine was preparing his Phd thesis on " The role of the Rovers Return in the post war social development of Britain" when, to his horror, he discovered his crusty old tutorial don had heardly heard of Manchester let alone Wetherfield !!!!. He switched damn quick to " why the exclusions from the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834 were delayed until the Settlement Act of 1948" !!!!
The Bar Cultural is, and has been for many years the axis of life in PP. It's run by Merecedes and Monola and they have been joined over the last couple of years by their daughter Denita, who despite gaining a good degree with some post graduate qualification from Oxford prefers life in the Port with Mum and Dad.
Go there at 11 in the morning and it's a hive of local knowledge. Housewives in town are joined by business men on coffee breaks and workmen refreshing before the remaining rigours of the day. Merecedes talks to all, teacloth in hand, polishing the bar . Knowledge is shared widely as to who's doing what, when , how and to whom. There's nothing going on in town that isn't known pdq in the Old Cultural Bar.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, you cannot hope to meet nicer people than this family. Natives from Galicia in northern Spain , they are welcoming to all and you, as an "outsider", do not feel at all inhibited by standing at the bar and absorbing, as best you can given the language problems, all the news flying around you. They've been part of the Port for many years now.When their lease was coming up this year and they looked to return to Galicia with their slippers for retirement, what did they do?
Well, Manola found a partner and opened Os Cachelos restaurant opposite, they renewed the lease on the Cultural , upgraded all the rooms in the Hostal which offer remarkable good value and comfort. Their life rethink says a lot about the Port, in my book.
To many of you January 1st 2002 will not mean much. However, this was the historic day when most of the EU states switched to the Euro. I observed this event from the Cultural and this was a serious challenge to Mercedes and the staff there. It , actually, occurred on Wed 2nd ( Tuesday the 1st being a bank holiday) and being a Wednesday it coincided with market day. Market day is not Mercede's favourite day of the week
(everyone gets really stressed out) and the double whammy of new fangled bank notes and coins on top of the busy market was going to be fearfull for all. Resourceful as ever, Mercedes and Manola had posted up large photocopies of the new notes and coins and scattered calculators around the bar. It was all hands to the pumps and everybody waited with baited breath ready to deal with the mindset of dividing by 300 odd
(which was the entry rate of the peseta to the Euro).
It all went swimmingly and now I often say to Mercedes " Do you remember that morning?". She laughs and says " You wait for your turn!!!".
The rest they say is history, but they are marvellous people.
Give them your support.
BonysLad