I first visited Spain in 1970, when Spain was a dictatorship under the tight control of General Franco and the Roman Catholic Church. I was 20.
Viewed back then as a fascist country and a strictly religious society, pretty much everything was banned.
General Franco as an old man [BBC]
General Life under Franco
The use of regional indigenous languages like asturiano, balear, Basque, catalan, gallego and valenciano was not permitted.
Basque separatists (ETA) were in their pomp and brutally repressed by Franco’s paramilitary guardia civil.
Their language, known as euskera, also spoken in three French provinces, was outlawed in the four Basque provinces in Spain.
Logo of Basque separatist group ETA [Wikipedia]
The Role of the Church
As far as the Church was concerned sex before marriage was severely frowned on. Young couples were chaperoned. Opportunities to kiss, never mind have sex, were virtually non-existent.
BTW, somewhat hypocritically, prostitution was condoned by the regime.
Divorce was pretty much non-existent and not available to women.
Forms of contraception [Photo: EWN]
There was no contraception available in any of its forms: no Pill, no “johnnies” (Durex), and no abortions.
Me and contraception
In my own personal case, I never had sex with a Spanish/Basque girl in 1970 nor in the years following, up to Franco’s death in 1975.
After three months study at the university in San Seb – I was studying for a degree in Spanish – I worked for three months as a tourist guide, ferrying British and Irish Catholics to and from the shrine of St Bernadette in Lourdes, France.
While these “pilgrims” were letting their hair (and knickers) down in the Basque resort, we took them on various excursions. One of these included a flamenco show, featuring a beautiful 17-year-old Basque girl, Carmen, who was married to her dancing partner Juan and already had twin daughters.
Juan spoke to me in confidence one day. He explained that they didn’t want any more children for a while, lest it should affect their career as dancers.
Knowing that I went regularly to France to collect tourists, he asked me if I could get him “something for the weekend”, as English barbers used to ask you back in those days when the subject of contraception was pretty taboo, even in secular England.
With the help of a French colleague, I managed to get hold of the contraceptive Pill.
My flamenco-dancing “clients” were delighted.
However, a few months later, Juan came to me with a complaint. The pills hadn’t worked and Carmen was pregnant again.
I found out she had been inserting the pills in her back passage. She thought they were suppositories!
Me posing with Carmen in 1970 [Photo: Alberto]
Epilogue
Franco died in 1975, his nominated successor Juan Carlos took over and, together with like-minded politicians, led the country to democracy by 1977.
Spain changed rapidly: regional languages were permitted, divorce became accessible, sex was no longer a dirty secret and chaperones disappeared. Gender equality slowly entered many walks of life.
Juan Carlos being sworn in as King [Adam Smith Institute]
Spain had become democratic and free again after a gap of some four decades.
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Some of us students in the fishing harbour in San Seb in 1970
I am 2nd from left [Photo: Anon]
© Paul Whitelock
Photos and Images:
Adam Smith Institute, Alberto, BBC, EWN, Facebook, Wikipedia
Acknowledgements:
DORFE, EUTG, University of Salford
Tags:
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