Next time you are driving along the country roads of the Alpujarra, spare a thought for Antonio Mingorance Gutiérrez, whose untiring work to maintain the network over the last 47 years (on 24hour call out) is worthy of recognition. In fact, that is exactly what he will be receiving in the form of an official homage, when he finally retires at the end of April. Part of this homage will be the renaming of an old and well-loved roadside spring/fountain in his honour. The Fuente is on the Pampaneira road (in the Puntillón area).
Antonio, who was born in Lanjarón 64 years ago, started off his working life as a road labourer on the 1st of April 1963. He had to make his way to his ‘stretch’ of road (Venta de las Angustias to Haza de Lino) on his bicycle – that’s a lot of uphill peddling – to earn his 30 pesetas a day (18 centimes). From these times, he worked his way up to become head foreman of the 370 kilometres of road contained within the Alpujarra.