Single women bussed into Spanish town to combat wife shortage
Inspired by a classic Hollywood western, dozens of single women have been bussed into a small Spanish town in a desperate attempt to stem a severe bride shortage which is threatening to decimate the local population.
In scenes reminiscent of the 1951 film ‘Westward the Women, starring Robert Taylor and Denise Darcel, bachelors in the town of Candeleda are being introduced to women from Madrid.
The small town of 6,000 on the banks of the picturesque Lobera River, hosted a weekend fiesta to welcome 68 women for a meet-and-greet with the village’s single men.
Ancient cave paintings show Candeleda has been inhabited for some 5,000 years, and resident Jose Miguel, 67, said he would
In scenes reminiscent of the 1951 film ‘Westward the Women, starring Robert Taylor and Denise Darcel, bachelors in the town of Candeleda are being introduced to women from Madrid.
hate to see its population dwindle after such a long history ‘I’ve checked out the few widows and single women here,’ said Miguel.
‘I signed up for this to meet new ladies and to hopefully show them the beauty of my town.’
The group, Asocamu, was set up in 1995 to promote rural re-population by organising parties for single men and woman, but Spain’s painful financial crisis and the lure of city jobs has made the need more pressing than ever, Manuel Gozalo, one of the organisers, said Sunday.