This monthly car-boot sale has gone from strength to strength in a very short time, with demand for stalls exceeding supply and necessitating a waiting list for spaces to be reserved. However, one Spanish lady (who shall remain nameless) apparently decided that none of the rules (most of them imposed by the Ayuntiamento, mainly for elf ‘n safety reasons) should apply to her.
Up she rolled to the last event, complete with her merchandise, demanding to be admitted and allowed to set up her stall. The doughty stewards – all volunteers from the International Club, who are there at 7.00am on a Saturday morning – politely informed her that all stalls had to pre-reserved and therefore she could not be permitted to set up shop. So far, so good, you think. But, nooo.
What did this lady do? She called the Local Police and complained! Ah, the plot thickens; this lady is well known locally as being something less than a shrinking violet when it comes to demanding attention. So the Locales, knowing her and not wishing to get involved, promptly called the Councillor in charge of the project, Sr. Gustavo Aybar.
Upon being rousted from his bed at 8.00am, Don Gustavo, to his credit, launched himself down to El Parque immediately. Having been harangued by the lady in question for several minutes, he then told the volunteers, “Oh, let her in”. Thereby, at a stroke, flouting his own regulations. Oh, well, squeaky wheels and oil and all that. This little comedy will henceforth be known as: The Rumble at the Rastro.
Anyway, the event will continue on the first Saturdays of June and July, before taking a break in August and September (due mainly to volunteers not being available). It remains one of the most successful partnerships ever between the Town Hall and the International Community, and has already raised a goodly sum for local good works. The waiting list for stalls continues to grow, as does attendance. Plus, every local merchant I talk to points to increased pedestrian traffic and business – it gets people out of their houses and around town. May it return in the autumn!