The Bela Romão Country Club, Fuseta, was the appropriate setting for an evening of ‘Pirates and Smugglers of the East Algarve’ last weekend.
A three-course meal was served, centred round a talk by Chris Wright on piracy and smuggling in the Algarve dating back to the 17th century. A hundred years ago when Olhão youngster Manny Zora became involved in smuggling it was on the very stretch of coast overlooked by the country club.
Zora, who went on to become the top rumrunner on the east coast of America during prohibition, eventually taught John F. Kennedy to sail before returning to Olhão where he died in 1979.
Tales of smuggling allied prisoners-of-war across the Guadiana River during WW2 added extra interest. Ann Denman and Paul Shawe were judged the ‘Best Dressed Pirates’ and each received a bottle of Hendrick’s gin, often touted as the king of gins.
