Revealing Details of Argentine Immigration In 1962

What a lovely film of what Argentina was like all those years ago in the golden age. I hope it could come back.

I have some interesting stories to tell about Adri's grandparents and how they arrived in Buenos Aires, one of which is how her maternal grandmother missed the ship sailing out of La Coruna and had to take another some weeks later.

The ship that she missed sank off the Brazilian coast and many lives were lost.

Here's another film, but from 1977, a year after I returned to the UK, not forgetting that the military junta was in charge at this time, although at first one barely noticed.

Here you see people relaxed and not in a hurry, unlike today.

Quote from Bombonera

You must have some interesting stories Splinter from your younger years in 1970s BA. Long distance travel was so much less of a thing back then and I remember feeling lucky to be traveling into Europe back then. Anything further was definitely beyond my family or anyone else I knew.

When I was seventeen (1975), we lived in a huge house in Martinez which occupied half of the block - pool, sauna, changing rooms, quincho with a huge parrilla, six bedrooms, maids' quarters, three maids, a butler and several bodyguards.

May dad was the British Naval Attaché, so he had a generous entertainment budget for duty free booze, cigarettes, cigars etc etc.

Guests at pool/bbq parties would include Argentine admirals/generals, their families (some not so nice), some of the visiting All Blacks team, visiting HM ships including HMS Endurance, visiting yachtsmen including Tristan Jones, US ambassadors and their families...the list is endless.

At one time I became friends with an Argentine doctor whose mother lived in Sancti Spiritu, near Venado Tuerto an she'd pass by the house to meet me in her blue Renault 12 and I'd drive us both to Sancti Spiritu for her to do her doctor's rounds, stay the night with her family, meet up with gauchos for an asado and generally have a wonderful time.

On other occasions I would catch a bus to said village with a packed lunch and a bottle of wine from my mum and then stay on an estancia for a couple of months learning to be a gaucho, even though I was scared of horses.

Up at 5 am and on the horse until 7 pm except for a siesta after lunch. We even used to round up the cattle, drive then down a dusty track for hours to the cattle market and then enjoy a slap up asado with loads of wine and song. Some pretty girls may have been in attendance, but I couldn't possibly say.

It was the most wonderful two years of my life and, needless to say, a lot more happened, especially after the coup d'état in March 76, but that's another story.

Quote from Bombonera

Wow! Amazing and so interesting. What an age to be experiencing such things; especially with the pretty girls!

No wonder you came back!

Unfinished business, so to speak.

Quote from Bombonera

Funny enough, I worked for the MOD in a civilian role for 18 months, aged 20 give or take. My job was to assign Defence Attaches expenses to the right "vote" as it was called, meaning expense category. Most of them involved cocktail parties which I assumed were held at the various Embassies, but now I guess not. The invitees being other defence attaches from other embassies much of the time as I recall.

You probably assigned my dad's entertainment budget!

Quote from Rice

Also meant to say WOW - the amazing house your family lived in! Have you ever gone back to see if it’s still there?

Yes it is, although some of the block has been sold an another house built.

It's still impressive.