Rosario worked in Café Universal - I think he was the manager

dancer

This image was taken by a 18 year old American on his senior High School trip in 1961. He was an US Airforce dependent travelling from Kenitra in Morocco to Malaga but says, Gibraltar was the highlight of the trip. I found this image on Flickr and messaged the gentleman, his name is David and was kind enough to message me back to tell me about his visit to Café Universal. I can imagine it was a highlight for an 18 year old to see this dancing girl up on stage performing.

After a tip from Jaime, I recently spoke with David Bentata who remembers Rosario from the bar, apparently David used to live opposite the Universal on Main Street and remembers as a child going over the road to watch the girls dancing through a crack in a door, he says a waiter caught him watching one day, rather than admonishing him for this, the waiter actually opened the door a little wider for him so he could get a better view.

I've been looking at this image searching for Rosario in it, maybe he is sat at the back, if anyone spots him please let me know.

Main Street

Situated on Main St, on the corner of Horse Barrack Lane, "El Universal" was popular with Sailors and locals alike. The earliest dated record I have of the bar existing is an advert from the 1914 Gibraltar Directory. No ad in my copy of the 1953 Directory - I did however find a phone number for bar.

Crest

Letters

Rosario was a keen stamp collecter, I have some old envelopes posted to him and by him which he kept for the stamps, this envelope features stamps from the Queens Coronation in 1953.

Among the envelopes which came into my possesion are some that are still unopened, I have to be honest, curiosity got the better of me a while ago and I couldn't resist opening one of them, addressed to himself the envelope contained small card. It was part of a menu from the Universal, torn to the size of the envelope with a little added bonus, a genuine Rosario Baldacchino original sketch.

Mystery Contents

The date of the sketch envelope is 29 October 1960, I'm not sure if he was drawing a client or maybe a barmaid but I'm fairly sure it wasnt one of the dancing girls. These other 2 envelopes addressed to his home address at Witham's are also unopened and will remain so for now.

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Lots more information on Café Universal and its colourful history can be found on Neville Chipulina's People of Gibraltar blogger page HERE