The Windmill / ir - Raddiena at Zurrieq Road Birzebbuga

I can tell a long story about this location. First of all the windmill (called 'raddiena' in Maltese) is located in a very pretty vegetable farm that the Vella family owned for a very long time. I knew the family very well. During the last few months of 1940 while WW2 was on, my parents rented a house next to the Vella farm.
A very shallow creek runs through the farm and the soil is very fertile.










The finished job. A neat looking rubble wall. Most likely many hundred years old.





Another view of the 'raddiena'. Actually this is a wind driven devise drives a pump that pumps up bore water. I would say its been there since the 1920s. Still going strong.

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The " Tank Trap "

I'm sure not many people at Birzebbuga today do remember the "Tank Traps"
When you look at the above picture you notice that at the end of the rubble wall there is a slight curve. As you go past that curve you come in-line with the banana tree where the road is straight. This short section of road goes over a small creek. Going back to 1941 the 2nd year of WW2 in Malta the Island was being threatened by a German Army invasion. The British and the Maltese Armies were making preperations for such an attack. As Birzebbuga was a most likely area where an invasion by sea could take place, the military wanted to cut off all roads leading out of the village. The three main roads were Birzebbuga Road / it-telgha tal - Geru, the road that leads from Kalafrana Road to Hal Far and the road (shown in the picture) that lead out of Birzebbuga to Zurrieq. At each of these three roads the Military selected the narrowest section of the roadway and created/ built 3 Tank Traps.

They dug a large hole in the roadway very deep down in the limestone rock. These holes were about 20ft deep and the full width of the road. The hole was about 30 ft long and these holes were covered by thick wooden planks strong enough to allow heavy truck to drive over them.

The plan was that in the event of an invasion, the thick wooden planks would be removed and if the German tanks tried to drive out of Birzebbuga and towards Hal Far or Bir id - Deheb they would fall down in these traps and making the road unusable.

These "tank traps" were still to be seen after WW2 ended/ Eventually they were all filled up with rubble and the roadway rebuilt to normal.






End of the road for this tank. This is what happens when a tank falls in a tank trap. The ones in Malta were rectangular large holes dug deep in rock.





Workmen on the job of repairing the old rubble wall. In Maltese this type of wall is called 'hajt tas - sejjieh'.

The Birzebbuga Bus Terminus / IL - Venda tal - Karrozzi

This photo was taken in 2002. One can only see six buses / coaches. Many years ago the Terminus used to be full of buses, as many as twelve or more. Lovely and well looked after buses in a tricolor of sky blue with a red and white stripe. Buses used to park in the square and in nearby streets. It was a totally diferent scene from today. The sign on the sides of the buses used to be VALLETTA - KALAFRANA but everyone knew them as Birzebbuga buses.

Not a 'lovely' Pretty Bay scene - its olden days

Hard to tell what year this picture was taken. Has to be c1930 or a bit earlier. An old bus can be seen and some cars are parked in front of ''Cherries''.
I can easily see the vegie & fruit shop that was called ''ta Anni tal haxix '' meaning ''Anne's vegie shop''. next to it is the old ''shoemaker shop'' that belong to a man named Djonis.
There must have been very rough seas hitting the wall against the roadway as could be seen by the damage. Also one can see the ''fanal'', the kerosene burning lamp-post. These used to be lit up every evening and would be blacked-out within minutes.

Birzebbuga of old times ~ c1952

An aerial view of Birzebbuga period c1952. Going by the shadows it seems this photo was taken early in the morning. At left the Claridge Hotel can be seen, the Government School by the corner of Zebra Street was still there, later replaced by the Sea Breeze Hotel. The place that was called 'The Villa' nowadays called 'Cherries'can be seen and many trees around the building. No TV antennas in sight as TV was still a few years away. Note, not a square inch of sand can be seen in the Bay. This is a lovely picture of Birzebbuga.

BIRZEBBUGA ~ 1929

This part of Birzebbuga sea-front as was in 1929. Most likely photo taken in winter. No beach lovers or boats in sight. At left of photo shows the corner of the main beach road and Addolorata Street. The CENTRAL BAR is on that corner. What is interesting is the two small buildings at the front by the sea edge. These could have been boat houses. I think I do remember one of them still standing during the late 1930s.

A Birzebbuga street going down to Pretty Bay..

This location is the intersection of Birzebbuga Road and St Catherine's Street.

Laetitia's pictures ~ Summer of 2007

St Phillips Street Birzebbuga.

A street that I know very well. It has changed a great deal since 1955. During the 1940s and 1950s it was only 2 blocks long. St Francis Xavier Str divided the 2 blocks. During WW2 two bombs fell in St Francis Xavier Str. One of them right on the corner to St Phillips Str. About 5 houses were destroyed and another 5 badly damaged. Another bomb fell at the top end of St Francis Xavier Str opposite where the Spiteri family lived.


I just about knew every family that lived in St Phillips Street.
I remember these families: Vella, Micallef, Muscat, White, Zahra, Semini, Debrincat, Sacchett, Sultana, Bonnici, Gauci, Schembri, Gelarda the midwife, Baldacchino - ta-gogo family, Gatt family, Bugeja family, Camilleri family and others.

During the war there was a Goverment Air Raid shelter right at the top end of St Phillips Str opposite where the Vella 'ta L-Isla' family lived. All these families used to go down this shelter during the air raids and sleep together in the shelter.

The Street looks very bright and clean today and new families have settled there, along the extended street which now has about eight blocks.

Need help from Birzebbuga

I am hoping Dina or Leatitia can help me. I am creating a page in another Site but shall also be shown here. The subject is:


"The old Bars of Birzebbuga "
This is about the Bars that existed from 1930 to approx 1960. I think I know most of them, like the name of the Bar and the person / family who operated the place. I already have a list. I can recall the location of two or three Bars but I have forgotten the names.
So I need someone from Birzebbuga to do some research for me. I would be very obliged for your help. I shall give more detail.

BIRZEBBUGA pre 1920 -

Location ~ What used to be back in olden times.

1 and 2. This spot is on the corner of New Street. As you can notice it is only a ground floor building. During the 1930s and 1940 it was a 2 level building. On the corner was Joe's Bar and next door was the barber shop of Toni Brincat. Upstairs was the billiards club that had 2 balconies and it was the home of St Peters Football Club. It still is St Peters F.C. Club today 2007.
3. The large frontage place used to be called "il - Villa / the Villa". Belonged to some well to do people uptown. Was only occupied during the summer months. When WW2 started in early 1940 the place was taken over by the English Army and was used as an Army H.Q. for the West Kent Regiment and the Devonshire Regiment. Was handed back to its owners c1945.
4. This spot has always been the Birzebbuga Police Station. However during the war years the Police moved up to Zurrieq Road in part of a large building that was used as a winery. The nickname of the family that owned this winery was ' ta - Tira '. The Police moved back to the main road c1945.
5. This house / villa at this location was also used as a summer residence. During the 1990s it became a branch of the Mid-Med Bank.
6. This large house / villa was also a summer residence. we used to call it " id - dar tas Sur Wig ".
7. I can see a person, a human being by the tree. Seems he / she has the whole place to himself / herself as no other person is in sight.



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The floods of 1952

This is Birzebbuga main road of Pretty Bay in 1952. I was in Australia and these pics were sent to me. The Birzebbuga bus is No 1771 and behind the bus is the bus terminus and St Phillips Street. In the 2nd house door from the right lived the Genovese family. They were our friends. That block of houses are now gone.


In the lower picture, the car belonged to the Vella family, nickname "tat-Titu" who lived in Zebra Str. The flood water always very bad in Zebra Str must have pushed the car right to the low wall of the street. Maybe Dina and Laetitia parents do remember this event.

Old times fun days at Birzebbuga beach.

This location is near the old Claridge Hotel, presently (2008) a new building is being built. The small concrete jetty was a favourite spot for young and old and for those who could not swim it was the right spot to dangle your feet in the seawater.

Pretty Bay showing off its new sandy beach. 2003

A totally different scene in 2003. Pretty Bay just looking pretty.

A Birzebbuga Line Bus in the old colours of pre 1970

These were the Birzebbuga buses but the route-line was named 'VALLETTA - KALAFRANA'
At certain times of the day the bus coming down from Valleta used to end its trip at Kalafrana Royal Navy Base and at Hal Far RAF Airport and Workshops.

I'M ON THE JOB

Call again anytime ~ Your'e most welcome.