Recently, Elizabeth and Barry Hitchins contacted us to ask if we would be interested in some old photos of Lanzarote that they had taken in the 1970s – and the photographs that they sent to us were fascinating.
The Hitchins came to the island to visit Elizabeth’s parents, who owned one of the Los Caletones apartments. Elizabeth tells us that “The island only had three hotels when we first came and only one road from the very small airport, water was delivered by lorry once a week and there were many electricity failures!”
Barry and Elizabeth’s young sons can be seen in several of the photos, clearly enjoying the golden sands and blue seas at Playa Blanca and Papagayo. Elizabeth says, “The boys are in their 50s now, and we’re in our 80s.”
Skytrain
In 1979, the Hitchins went to the airport to catch a flight home to find one of budget-flight pioneer Freddie Laker’s DC-10 Skytrains waiting on the tarmac. The plane flew to Fuerteventura to pick up more passengers before returning to Britain.
Elizabeth also mentions that the family saw a disused Lockheed Constellation aircraft at that time.
This early four-engine passenger plane was abandoned on Lanzarote after suffering engine problems on a flight from GuineaBissau to Lisbon in 1969. It remained there for several years, and at one point there were plans to move it to Puerto del Carmen and convert it into a bar.
The plane became a relic, where children played in and on it before it was eventually destroyed by a fire. One of the plane’s engines remains on display outside the Airport Museum.
Photos
1.) Arrecife. Calle Real
The main difference between then and now is that Arrecife’s main shopping street has been entirely pedestrianised. Other things have not changed – the San Francisco Cafeteria/Churreria remains open today, always busy.
2.) Arrecife Gran Hotel
The Gran Hotel before it was burnt out in 1994, photographed from Arrecife’s pier.
3.) Papagayo
The Hitchins boys at Papagayo.
4.) Papagayo road
The road to Papagayo may not have improved much, but the means of transport certainly have.
5.) Fariones
The Fariones Hotel dominated Puerto del Carmen’s Old Town area.
6.) Playa Blanca
Playa Blanca has also changed utterly in 50 years.
Do you have any old photographs from your first visits to Lanzarote? We’d love to have a look at them, and with your permission, talk you about them and publish your photos in future magazine editions.
If interested, please get in touch via email: editorial@gazettelife.com
