Meet Tony, an adventurer with a love of the arts and all things ‘Spain’ who has called Javea home for the last thirty years.
When asked how he first came to Spain, Tony had quite the story to tell. He described a hitchhiking adventure that took place back in 1960. He hitched all the way from Tonbridge, Kent, in the UK, to Bilbao. As if that wasn’t adventure enough, he then went on to buy a 3,000 km train ticket to travel all over Spain.
Tony has led a fascinating life involving trips to rigs while working for Philips Petroleum as the accountant for North Sea exploration. He shared, “To go to work, I had to be swung up on the end of a crane. Later, helicopters were used, which was much more comfortable.” – and I thought that my daily commute to London was bad!
Tony Cabban travelled extensively with his wife Cherry
A keen traveller, Tony, his wife Cherry, and their two girls spent two and a half years in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo). An assignment followed this in Madrid while Franco was still in power, then Barcelona and finally ten years in Brussels. In 1976, on friends’ recommendations, Tony decided to buy a holiday home in Javea. This then became their permanent residence when he retired in 1994. Tony said with a smile, “That was one of the best decisions we have ever made; we love everything about this country.”
Having made Javea his home and considering himself too young to retire completely, Tony embarked on a new career in local politics as a councillor. He said, “I am most proud of having been instrumental in reorganising the rubbish collection system by grouping bins at Green Points.”
Javea Players is one of Tony Cabban’s passions
He and Cherry also became deeply involved in the Javea Players, with him as Chairman and Cherry as director and also acting in plays. His other passion is The Arts Society Marina Alta (TASMA), which he formed with a group of like-minded people back in 2017. He explained, “I was inspired to set up the committee after hearing an enormously inspiring taster lecture from the Arts Society, UK I.” Within a couple of years, they had grown to a membership of 200, with 45 on the waiting list.
Tony Cabban’s recovery plan for The Arts Society Marina Alta
However, it hasn’t always been plain sailing, and the Society suffered due to the combined effects of Brexit, COVID and the economic downturn. As a result, Tony had to take drastic action, which included a cost-cutting exercise, membership recruitment, and reinstatement of cultural trips.
His strategy not only led to the revival of the Society but also earned him a well-deserved Marsh Charitable Trust International Award. Thanks to his efforts and those of the new committee members who joined him, the Society became the hugely pleasurable organisation it is today.
If you are interested in learning more about The Arts Society Marina Alta, visit their website or email: [email protected]
