Background

Hello everybody and thanks for reading this blog!

It is basic to explain the background of the creation and management of the businesses of my grandma. My grandparents came form humble families, and they got married in 1959 (Franco was rulling in Spain), and since that moment they moved together to a working class neighborhood in Palencia.

My grandparents' wedding.

The first two years my grandma worked only at home raising some animals to eat and sell, while my grandpa, Julián, worked as a glazier in a business that used to sell glasses as windows to building contractors. But in September of 1961, with a baby son, they decided to reform the garage of their house and convert it in a fish shop. She had less problems than expected to be a businesswoman, probably because in their working class neighbourhood there were a lot of women working in "home business" too, so they were respected despite the fact of the women has less rights than the men, but it seems that as the women used to be so hardworkers in the neighborhood, they earn this deserved respect, breaking that classical image of the woman as a housewife who has to stay at home.

El Cristo neighbourhood, Palencia, 1960

After almost 7 years, with two children, and having lost another one, they had to close de business in the summer of 1968.

Avenida Santander, Palencia.

In January of 1973, with the little money they had saved in the las years, they decided to buy a shop and an atelier in another neighbourhood (a mid class one) and create their own glassware, taking advance of the experience of my grandpa working the glass, and of my grandma managing business. 

The first 4 years were so difficult, but later everything was better for them.