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so it was the english wot done it !
so it was the english wot done it !
digging a bore hole for me near messines...the drilling rig went thru several stratas of copper ore..the young German geology student who was working on the rig advised me that just over the border on almost the same lattitude was where the Rio Tinto firm had their mines (yes THE famous Rio Tinto company)
interesting to read the influence of the company who "colonised" the area..seems that these English were the first to build a golf course and footballl team in spain
extract as follows from web site on area
For all this, the region was inexplicably abandoned after the Roman era and in time was all but lost to collective memory, until it was rediscovered in 1556. It was, however, to take until 1724 for the mines to be reopened, and even then frustration and inefficiency dogged their exploitation. Fed up with this situation, the Spanish government finally sold the mines to a British syndicate in 1871 for a sum well below their real value. In true Anglo-Saxon style, the company's British managers soon had the mines running at full steam, making this one of the most important sources of copper and sulphur in the world. Also true to form was the way in which they built Bella Vista, a purpose-built village for British employees only. Known as the 'colonia inglesa', the British style houses, neatly trimmed gardens, tennis lawns and social club of Bella Vista can still be visited. This 'British' village in the middle of the Andalusian countryside also features a Presbyterian Church and mining museum. Several kilometres away is the Spanish town of Rio Tinto, built to replace an older settlement that was swallowed up by the mine's expansion.
In its heyday, the Rio Tinto Mining Company was quite an innovator. The football pitch and golf course built here were among the first on the European continent, and the half-timbered bungalows built for company employees at the Punta Umbria, on the Huelva coast, are the forerunners of the modern Costas
also there is this extract from a travel guide
TRAVEL FEATURE
Spain’s First Game:
Golf in the Huelva Area
HUELVA, Spain -- a Spanish province whose coast opens onto the Atlantic, whose development of tourism has, until recently, lagged behind all other Spanish coasts and whose history is flavoured by anomalies and vivid colours. This lovely, slightly old-fashioned province is historically rich, with evidence of Neolithic settlements and artefacts from the Bronze age. It is from Huelva that Columbus set sail on his first, slightly off-course visit to the new world and it is in Huelva where Spain’s first game of golf was played, naturally on Spain’s oldest course. Incidentally, this course is located at the site of the oldest mines in the world - the Minas Rio Tinto.
British mining engineers introduced various aspects of their culture to Huelva when they arrived in the 19th century. The company lost no time in creating their version of a Victorian England on Spanish soil. An English Club, an Anglican Chapel, a football pitch and a nine-hole golf course constituted the engineers’ ‘neighbourhood’. Although the lay of the land was vastly different from England and the weather infinitely more agreeable, the place was soon transformed into a second home. At the same time, the mining company established its presence in the city of Huelva, Rio Tinto's export harbour. The Rio Tinto pier is among the city's greatest architectural monuments.
The Mining Company legacy to its hosts is lodged at the Museo Provincial de Bellas Artes, where findings from the Rio Tinto area distinguish it from any other.
Originally named ‘North Lode Golf Club’, the miners’ golf course was semi-rustic, meaning that only the greens were regularly seeded. With the departure of the engineers at the end of the 1800s, the course was closed. It reopened in 1992 under a new name: Club de Golf Corta Atalaya. Today, it is an agreeably playable 9-hole course, regarded by players with affection, as well as being integral to the preserved Victorian community
interesting to read the influence of the company who "colonised" the area..seems that these English were the first to build a golf course and footballl team in spain
extract as follows from web site on area
For all this, the region was inexplicably abandoned after the Roman era and in time was all but lost to collective memory, until it was rediscovered in 1556. It was, however, to take until 1724 for the mines to be reopened, and even then frustration and inefficiency dogged their exploitation. Fed up with this situation, the Spanish government finally sold the mines to a British syndicate in 1871 for a sum well below their real value. In true Anglo-Saxon style, the company's British managers soon had the mines running at full steam, making this one of the most important sources of copper and sulphur in the world. Also true to form was the way in which they built Bella Vista, a purpose-built village for British employees only. Known as the 'colonia inglesa', the British style houses, neatly trimmed gardens, tennis lawns and social club of Bella Vista can still be visited. This 'British' village in the middle of the Andalusian countryside also features a Presbyterian Church and mining museum. Several kilometres away is the Spanish town of Rio Tinto, built to replace an older settlement that was swallowed up by the mine's expansion.
In its heyday, the Rio Tinto Mining Company was quite an innovator. The football pitch and golf course built here were among the first on the European continent, and the half-timbered bungalows built for company employees at the Punta Umbria, on the Huelva coast, are the forerunners of the modern Costas
also there is this extract from a travel guide
TRAVEL FEATURE
Spain’s First Game:
Golf in the Huelva Area
HUELVA, Spain -- a Spanish province whose coast opens onto the Atlantic, whose development of tourism has, until recently, lagged behind all other Spanish coasts and whose history is flavoured by anomalies and vivid colours. This lovely, slightly old-fashioned province is historically rich, with evidence of Neolithic settlements and artefacts from the Bronze age. It is from Huelva that Columbus set sail on his first, slightly off-course visit to the new world and it is in Huelva where Spain’s first game of golf was played, naturally on Spain’s oldest course. Incidentally, this course is located at the site of the oldest mines in the world - the Minas Rio Tinto.
British mining engineers introduced various aspects of their culture to Huelva when they arrived in the 19th century. The company lost no time in creating their version of a Victorian England on Spanish soil. An English Club, an Anglican Chapel, a football pitch and a nine-hole golf course constituted the engineers’ ‘neighbourhood’. Although the lay of the land was vastly different from England and the weather infinitely more agreeable, the place was soon transformed into a second home. At the same time, the mining company established its presence in the city of Huelva, Rio Tinto's export harbour. The Rio Tinto pier is among the city's greatest architectural monuments.
The Mining Company legacy to its hosts is lodged at the Museo Provincial de Bellas Artes, where findings from the Rio Tinto area distinguish it from any other.
Originally named ‘North Lode Golf Club’, the miners’ golf course was semi-rustic, meaning that only the greens were regularly seeded. With the departure of the engineers at the end of the 1800s, the course was closed. It reopened in 1992 under a new name: Club de Golf Corta Atalaya. Today, it is an agreeably playable 9-hole course, regarded by players with affection, as well as being integral to the preserved Victorian community
Last edited by martin on Fri Apr 28, 2006 9:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
forgot to add the link (see below) ..to think football, sherry, golf, port all down to the English
fútbol is the national governing body and it organizes La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spain national football team. Modern football was introduced to Spain in the late 1800s by a combination of mostly British immigrant workers and visiting sailors and Spanish students returning from Britain.
The oldest football club in Spain is Huevla Recreation Club, formed on December 23rd 1889 by Dr. Alexander McKay and British workers employed by the Rio Tinto Company. Although Gimnàstic de Tarragona was formed in 1886, the club did not form an actual football team until 1914. The first official football game played in Spain took place in Seville on March 8th 1890 at the Tablada Hippodrome. Huelva Recreation Club played the Colonia inglesa sevillana, a team made up of workers from the Seville Water Works. With the exception of two Spanish players on the Huelva team, all the players on both teams were British. The Seville team won 2-0
In the Basque Country during the early 1890s, British shipyard workers and miners formed Bilbao Football Club and Basque students returning from Britain founded the Athletic Club in 1898. This early British influence was reflected in the use of English names such as Recreation Club, Athletic Club and Football Club.
also check this link
http://www.andalucia.com/province/huelv ... o/home.htm
fútbol is the national governing body and it organizes La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spain national football team. Modern football was introduced to Spain in the late 1800s by a combination of mostly British immigrant workers and visiting sailors and Spanish students returning from Britain.
The oldest football club in Spain is Huevla Recreation Club, formed on December 23rd 1889 by Dr. Alexander McKay and British workers employed by the Rio Tinto Company. Although Gimnàstic de Tarragona was formed in 1886, the club did not form an actual football team until 1914. The first official football game played in Spain took place in Seville on March 8th 1890 at the Tablada Hippodrome. Huelva Recreation Club played the Colonia inglesa sevillana, a team made up of workers from the Seville Water Works. With the exception of two Spanish players on the Huelva team, all the players on both teams were British. The Seville team won 2-0
In the Basque Country during the early 1890s, British shipyard workers and miners formed Bilbao Football Club and Basque students returning from Britain founded the Athletic Club in 1898. This early British influence was reflected in the use of English names such as Recreation Club, Athletic Club and Football Club.
also check this link
http://www.andalucia.com/province/huelv ... o/home.htm