Thanks to Lavinia and Corfukate for your wonderful stories of days gone by in Corfu.
I have mentioned this on another thread but here goes. I first went to Corfu in 1966 when I worked out there on a motor yacht. King Constantine was on the throne then. We did most of the Greek Islands that year and then returned to the UK for the winter. We went out the next year, 1967, and the Colonels had taken over and Constantine had been dethroned.(is that a word).
Things had changed in Corfu town, soldiers every where, bars told to keep the music down etc.
I don't suppose the rest of Corfu changed must especially in the villages.
I have got a few stories to tell. We got arrested by the police/army, not sure, for something that I am not proud of.(Nothing serious). That is another story.
Alec.
Message posted by Lavinia on 25 April 2009 at 11:39pm - IP Logged
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Alec, you have to tell us more!!! Arrests, in those days, were quite common for very minor misdemeanors weren't they? Singing the 'wrong' songs was a favourite one I seem to remember and certainly got me and my friends into great trouble..
I would love to hear your stories.
Message posted by lesley2003 on 25 April 2009 at 11:56pm - IP Logged
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Vinny (who knows me of days of old)
I went to Corfu 1971 and joined four other girls and we helped run one of the first travel agents on the island. I was met at the airport & taken straight to the office (opposite the new port) to meet the other girls & start my new job. Within half an hour suddenly we were ushered out of the office and plonked into the Ionion Hotel where we had to hide. Needlesstosay, we had no work permits and in those days it was a necessary document and the police had tipped up to check. The first night our boss took us all out to dinner to a wonderful small restaurant (with bazouki) in Kanoni. We were the only girls in the joint with skirts up to our thighs (well at least mine was!!) in so we stood out like sore thumbs. In those days the Greek girls were never allowed out (nowadays they are strikingly pretty with pencil thin bodies). My husband to be had spotted me but through the smoke filled room I could hardly see anyone. Through the corfu jungle drums he found out where I worked and tipped up the next day to ask for a date!!
The rest is history.
I have a zillion stories like Vinny but although tourism does untold damage to a destination Corfu is still an incredibly beautiful place, with breathtaking scenery, the Greeks still love the English tourist and it is safe as bells and I have the best in-laws in the whole wide world!
Message posted by Corfukate on 27 April 2009 at 5:27pm - IP Logged
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To SusieM, and others. I too fell foul of dress restrictions. I had made myself some dresses to go to Corfu with, and of course, they were short, it being the days of the mini. (I also remember seeing a girl I worked with in England, make the first mini length dress we had ever seen, by pulling up her kneelength sweaterdress to her bum, almost, fastening it with a belt, and sashaying around the office).
But I digress. The reason I was in Corfu then, was to babysit my nephew for my sister, while she worked. Came the time for baby to be christened, and we all trooped off to Athens for the ceremony. I was told to either lengthen my skirts to my knees or lower, or not attend. I actually dont remember what happened to me,I did go the ceremony, but in what i cant remember! I remember being very rebellios over it all, and being confined to barracks for a few days!
But the world adopted the miniskirt, and then came the maxi, and the sackdress, and the Aline etc etc!
Message posted by Lavinia on 27 April 2009 at 5:55pm - IP Logged
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Well Susie and Kate (my old friends) that brings back a blast from the past. I remember going to a 21st birthday party at the Savoy in London wearing a short gold and black embroidered tunic and black satin trousers. I was refused entry (even though I brandished my invitation) as trousers were strictly taboo - so I removed them. Then I was swept through the doors (wearing only the skimpy tunic)with great aplomb so was never going to hold back when I got to Corfu! I think many of the older Corfiot generation thought we were "scarlet" women because of our short skirts.........but that is another part of the story of our generation - Swinging London, Ossie Clark, Mary Quant, Vidal Sassoon, Chelsea Drug Store, Valbonne, Kings Road, Bag o Nails etc. etc.... we "old girls" have some stories to tell, don't we??
I agree entirely with Susie about Corfiote girls being "chaperoned" but they usually found a way around it and escaped their chaperones for a few hours when they needed to.
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