Pedro understood that the village could not remain as it was – a sleepy little coastal village on the east coast of Spain. He knew that to survive it has to change and embrace modern day living. In his official capacity he encouraged people to open cafes, restaurants and bars. He gave licences to them to operate their businesses and he allowed the foreign tourists to come to Benidorm´s beautiful beaches. He allowed the chic foreign ladies to wear their little polka dot bikinis and he welcomed and embraced overseas investment through tourism.

Unfortunately, the Catholic Church did not embrace this new wind of change in the same manner and Pedro was threatened with excommunication. So what you may say but in those days excommunication did not only mean that you were not longer welcome at the priest´s teas parties but you were not allowed to hold any official office or operate a business.

Rather browned off by this threat, Pedro got on his 50cc moped and went to Madrid. Now anyone who has travelled the road from the east cost to Madrid will know it is no joke nowadays let alone sixty odd years ago.

On arrival in Madrid Pedro headed for the palace where the dictator General Franco had set up residence. He asked to see Franco and was told to “go away” in no uncertain terms but he sat outside on a seat for several hours until a member of Franco´s household gave in and said that if he could wait another half an hour then he would see what he could do to get him an audience with the General. True to his word, he did get Pedro an audience with the diminutive dictator and Pedro told people for year´s to come that he went in to see Franco in a clean shirt but still with the oil from his moped splattered up his trousers. Franco listened intently to Pedro´s story and his reasoning for allowing things to change in Benidorm. At the end of the audience Franco said that he would consider what Pedro had said.

One week later Carmen, Franco´s wife accompanied by the Minister for Governance arrived in Benidorm. Carmen liked the place, she liked what Pedro had done to give the village a new life in a new ear and she became a life long patron of Benidorm. The Catholic church received a rather terse call from Franco “suggesting” that they should forget about excommunicating Pedro for the good of their own health and the little polka dot bikinis stayed.

Benidorm grew into one of Europe´s leading holiday destinations and whether you love or hate the place you have to admit that Pedro Zaragoza the railway porter certainly helped put Spain on the international holiday destination map.