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At first this was really thus. The center of the large city happened
laughs it and it began to form in the environs of the Great one Via. The banking establishments, the offices, the offices and consultations
of the vizcaínos professionals were based in the new Bilbao helmet. At that time the commerce of the Old, flourishing Helmet at
first, began to experience a reduction in its importance.
The factors that motivated this loss of customer were logical inherent to the
development of the capital vizcaína. People went less to the Old Helmet because the "center" was had displaced. The purchases became in
the new commerce that was arising with the growth of Villa. New systems of sales, impelled by the arrival of new
generations of retailers marginalized to "the traditional" commerce that the
employees of Bilbao carried out.
The a little dark stores, cradles in a small and faithful particular customer of each business
allowed the subsistence of the Old Helmet, but it maintained it in a stagnation
within languid levels of commerce. On the other hand the Old Helmet, left by the local and provincial authorities, was degraded more and
more. Their streets before animated life centers were decaying. Their buildings dyed by the smoke of their factories
were losing attractive enchantment and.
The traditional places by the abandonment, the mattock and the blindness of all were lost. In most
of the cities the same happened. But then one began anywhere in the world to become
aware from which the old helmets of the large cities it was necessary to harness them to keep them like
witnesses from the evolution of the city.
This way the association arose the 25 from April of 1969 "Old
Helmet"; like a romantic organization that maintained the traditionalcenter of Bilbao so and
as had been from its foundation, avoiding its progressive
deterioration. Jose Luis Salazar, the enamored one with the cradle of Bilbao, was the
one that more persistence put in maintaining to romantically alive the Old Helmet. To
maintain, for the future, that still alive Old Helmet, but with multitude of excuses,
was his first goal.
To the original idea to maintain the center alive the most innovating retailers of the zone were united at
first. Soon this small group order to begin an enormous task that has taken to the
Old Helmet from its agony resurging illogical if there were not half-full east
group.
The commerce, that is what more life gives a place was removed from its
atony. In spite of the distrust that in principle offered an idea that "" did not persecute spirit of
personal profit between its creators, the retailers put hands to the work of an
enthusiastic way.
If traditionally the commerce of the zone were small familiar industries,
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In addition, the Association
"Old Helmet", that had been born like a preservative organization of the surroundings from an almost
ecological point of view, became pioneer of those of its sort in the Basque Country and Spain, and
motor of ideas, directed initiatives and ctivities to develop the vitality of its zone. The same
difficulties let it grow, they gave experience him, and they directed it to its
present state. What was born as bastion in defense of the Old Helmet has
become paladín of its progress.
Today a young Association of Neighbors has been united to the fight
for the improvement of the zone. Y both groups struggle from two almost superposed areas, the commerce and the
itizen movement, to arrive at a better development of the heart of Bilbao.
Although still they are left things to do: peatonales, authentically peatonales
zones, improvements in the facilities of the district etc., the Old Helmet is algid in a while of its
life.
The improvements carried out from the
Association of the Old Helmet have returned to put the Old Helmet in the first place of the Bilbao
commerce. The activities promoted by the association as much from the
city-planning point of view (illuminated and it improves of the
streets, cleaning, more...), like work and promotion of cultural actions
partner good in the sport slope (Old Helmet in ice hockey, soccer and Week of
the rural sport) or other fields, like the promotion of the Old Helmet by means of aids, the classes of
euskara that are distributed from the seat of the association, to the creation of this
magazine Egun n bond of relation between the Old Helmet and its clients and friends of Biscay and everybody.
Still they are not all the covered goals. The desire of the Old Helmet
in becoming the vital center of Bilbao implies other many things that already are in the mind of the people who want
it. n addition to commercial center, day to day is become more and more the cultural,
host center of associations like Euskaltzaindia and regional
ssociation of Txistularis of Bilbao, centers and societies and
"txokos" that so rooted are in our customs.
And little by little this Old Helmet, does forgottenso just a short
time and not known of people, it is becoming the place of meeting and the center of appointment of Bilbao. And if Seat
New is center motor of those appointments (incomparable the popular spectacle which
between its arcs Sunday is developed in the morning), other zones are frequented by the
young people who meet to speak, to sing and to touch the guitar.
The atmosphere, miscelánea of
types, ages and colors, of its zones of txikiteo. the Old Helmet difference of other commercial
centers by the "heat" that lock up their streets; by the human treatment client to client, friend to
friend; because their streets are to us as familiar as those of the corner of where we come, and
because the friendly and calm climate which it breathes itself there helps us to save of the
activities and the haste to us of century XX, although it only is during
awhile. |
Old helmet
Heart of Bilbao
