Only Joe King

By Joe King

Well. Life is a drama, isn’t it? However, mundane you think your life is, or has been, it’s still a drama whether we’re talking about “The Archers” or William Shakespeare; “Emmerdale” or George Bernard Shaw; “Eastenders” or Oscar Wilde.

As for me, ever since I played Joseph in the nativity play at my primary school, drama has played a significant part in my life, already seven and a half decades long.

William Shakespeare [Wikipedia]

You’d have thought that after playing Jesus’ father, the only way would be down, but not so …..

School years

I wasn’t involved in drama activity in either of the two boys’ grammar schools I attended. I was too busy playing sport.

So life was drama-free.  Or was it?

An adolescence spent with my parents' unhappy marriage as a backdrop was never going to be without its dramatic side. Mum hospitalised for a year; my younger brother and I raised by our gran during that time; my dad struggling to cope with the impending breakdown of a second marriage; a sudden and rushed move to another town 50 miles away; the trauma of settling into new schools; a fire; a second house move; a complicated love life; a flirtation with the Pentecostal Church. 

A psychiatrist would have had a "field day".

Hele's School, Exeter as it was [Exeter Memories]

University came along at just the right time, or did it.....?

University

My first year at university was a complete and utter drama. I was still an evangelical Christian at that time which marked me out as a "bit of a freak" amongst my fellow students. I was so fervent that it affected my studies.

I dropped out at the end of that year and, aged 19, I was back home with mum, dad and younger brother (Mum was well again and had decided to stick with dad and keep the family together). As for me, I got myself a job in a small supermarket. 

So, I was pretty "washed up" at 19! All the academic potential I had shown down the "swanny"!

Salford University main building [Media City]

Eventually I came to my senses, negotiated a return to university and in the summer before re-joining my course I went off to Germany to work and get my German back "up to scratch".

Back at uni in October 1970, I joined the drama society in order to meet some girls. There weren't too many members of the female species at my university (Salford - a new-ish technological university) and I knew that drama is more popular with girls than with young men.

That was true and my plan sort of worked, although I didn’t manage to “get my leg over.”

I had a part in “The Fireraisers” (“Biedermann und die Brandstifter”) by Swiss playwright Max Frisch and ended up having a short-lived relationship with a beautiful Welsh girl who used to do my make-up.

Then I went away on my year abroad, so that "petered out" naturally.

[Poster courtesy of Unrestricted View]

Eccles

Around the same time, an older friend, Dave, a music teacher, persuaded me to go along to the Eccles Drama Soc. I got a part in “A Christmas Carol” (Charles Dickens) and was terrible. I kept "drying" (forgetting my lines).

Salford (continued)

When I came back from six months in Spain and six months in Germany, I saw a young girl in a Shakespeare production at the new University Adelphi Theatre, which had been built while I was away.

Jeryl had come to my attention in the Student bar (she was a bit loud!) and I was intrigued.

Moving forward a few years, Jeryl, from Luton, became my wife!

But, once again, I'm getting ahead of myself.

Adelphi Theatre [University of Salford blog]

Teacher training college

At Sheffield City College, where I went to do a postgraduate teaching qualification, I joined the Drama Group, partly because I’d developed a taste for acting and because, as I'd found at university, more girls have amateur dramatics as a hobby than young men.

I played Teddy, Miss Brodie’s lover, in “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” by Muriel Spark. I was also the male lead in a film we made of “Riders to the Sea”, by Irish playwright J M Synge.

After the “wrap” of “Jean Brodie”, ie the after-show party on the last night, I was seduced by a very sexy young teacher trainee who was in the cast. My first-ever “one night stand”.

Dame Maggie Smith as "Jean Brodie" [Rotten Tomatoes]

Schools I taught in

St Nicholas RC High School in Hartford, Northwich, Cheshire

St. Nick's was my first school as a qualified teacher.

I was only there for two years but performed in a couple of staff/student productions of Gilbert & Sullivan operettas, “The Pirates of Penzance” and “HMS Pinafore”.

Great fun!

[Poster courtesy of Genius]

Cardinal Langley RC High School, Middleton, Greater Manchester

My over-riding memory of dramatic activity here was the number of “affairs” being conducted amongst members of staff.

On the real drama side I appeared in a staff play (I forget the name) and a staff/student musical where I ended up ad-libbing with the audience, getting them to join in the singing.

St Aelred’s Catholic High School, Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside

Once again quite a bit of “’Ow’s your father” going on amongst the staff here.

I confess that I succumbed to the temptation for a while.

[Wikipedia]

Swinton & Pendlebury and Salford

When my girlfriend Jeryl and I moved in together in a flat in Salford, we joined an "am-dram" group in Swinton & Pendlebury. We ended up getting very involved. Apart from acting, I was chairman of the committee for a while and Jeryl was Hon Sec.

During that time the group  was renamed SPADES – The Swinton & Pendlebury Amateur Dramatic and Entertainment Society.

A highlight was when we took our production of “Jock on the Go”, a musical play based on works by Arnold Bennett, to the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester.

I got to sing in this fantastic theatre-in-the-round in the old Manchester Stock Exchange!

Royal Exchange Theatre [Photo: Loads To Do]

Stockton Heath and Warrington

When we moved to Thelwall near Warrington (Cheshire) we continued with SPADES for a while, but the travelling became too much, so we looked for drama opportunities which were more local.

We joined the Playmakers of Stockton Heath. The standard of acting was pretty high. Jeryl and I were now married, but still childless, so we had plenty of time to indulge our hobby.

Jeryl soon became one of the leading actresses and played the lead in a number of productions, including the matriarch Bernarda in “The House of Bernarda Alba” by Lorca.

She also directed some great successes. She was especially good with Alan Ayckbourn plays.

I also picked up some good roles, including Biff in Arthur Miller’s “All My Sons”; Donald in “Blue Remembered Hills” by Dennis Potter; Becket in "Becket" by Jean Anouilh; King Henry II in "The Lion in Winter"; and The Emcee in “Cabaret”, my favourite part ever.

Our whole family, ie Jeryl, me and children Amy and Tom, appeared in “Lark Rise to Candleford” by Flora Thompson in around 1990.

[Photo courtesy of Wikipedia]

Salford Players

Jeryl and I were occasionally “poached” by Salford Players, a semi-professional outfit just down the road.

I had some great roles there, eg in Terence Rattigan’s “Separate Tables”; “Events While Guarding The Bofors Gun” by John McGrath; and “Oh! What a Lovely War!” by Joan Littlewood and her Theatre Workshop.

(Sir) Ben Kingsley was a member of Salford Players before he became famous.

[Poster courtesy of amazon.com]

Altrincham Garrick

We also appeared a couple of times at another semi-pro group in Altrincham, where many “resting” professionals ended up.

Many years later our son Tom Whitelock, who went on to become a professional actor, appeared at “The Garrick” a few times.

A highlight was his performance as Guy in “The Full Monty” by Simon Beaufoy.

[Poster courtesy of ATG Tickets]

First Marriage

My first marriage was a drama from start to finish, yet it lasted 30 years. There was never a dull moment!

North Wales

My first relationship after my divorce from Jeryl was a huge drama. The stage we performed on was a beautiful cottage in a stunning village in North Wales overlooking the island of Anglesey.

But it was never going to last …..

Second marriage

My second marriage, now in its 15^th year, has also not been short of drama.

Wife number two is Rita, a feisty German, whom I met in Ronda (Málaga).

We still live just outside the "Ciudad Soñada" ("City of Dreams" - Rilke), and our relationship is so "dramatic" it would make a great “soap”!

    Me and Rita at the beach [selfie]

London

Tom Whitelock, my son, studied at Rose Bruford Drama College where he appeared in a number of productions including Chekhov's "Three Sisters".

He started his professional acting career touring schools running drama workshops. He appeared in London fringe productions including "A Clockwork Orange" by Anthony Burgess; "Yerma" by Lorca and several pantomimes.

He got a great gig at Shakespeare's refurbished Globe Theatre beside the River Thames, appearing in The Bard's "Romeo and Juliet".

Tom finally broke through into The West End when he won the part of Pete Quaife, bass guitarist of "The Kinks" in the musical "Sunny Afternoon". Eight live performances a week for 12 months!

    Tom in "A Clockwork Orange" [Action to the Word]  Tom as Pete Quaife in "Sunny Afternoon" [West End Theatres]

Since Covid-19, when Bojo The Clown (prime-minister-at-the-time Boris Johnson) shut theatres down, theatre work has been harder to come by. 

Despite the fact that I live in Spain, I've managed to see Tom in all these productions.

Ronda

I joined a local drama group during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Proyecto Platea was great fun, but I found it too much of a challenge and too time-consuming.

Now I just go to watch their excellent productions, whenever I can.

Epilogue

So, my life has been a drama in more ways than one, but it's been great.

I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

Later this week we're off to see our favourite local actors from Proyecto Platea (qv) in "Bodas de Sangre" by Federico Garcia Lorca at the Vicente Espinel Theatre in Ronda.

©  Only Joe King

Links:

08 EU V24 B2 16x9 VO1 - An acoustic version of "Sunny Afternoon" by the show's West End cast

Photos and Images:

Action to the Word, ATG Tickets, Exeter Memories, Facebook, Genius, Loads To Do, Media City, Paul Whitelock, Proyecto Platea, Rotten Tomatoes, Royal Exchange Theatre, "Sunny Afternoon", University of Salford blog, Unrestricted View, West End Theatres, Wikipedia, www.amazon.com, YouTube

Tags:

"A Clockwork Orange", Action to the Word, Amy, ATG Tickets, "Bodas de Sangre", Bojo The Clown, Boris Johnson, Covid-19, “Eastenders”, “Emmerdale”, evangelical Christian, Exeter Memories, Facebook, Federico Garcia Lorca, Genius, George Bernard Shaw, Jeryl, Jesus, Joe King, Joseph, Kinks, Loads To Do, Media City, nativity play, Only Joe King, Oscar Wilde, Paul Whitelock, Pentecostal Church, Pete Quaife, Playmakers, Proyecto Platea, Rita, Ronda, Rotten Tomatoes, Royal Exchange Theatre, Salford Players, Salford University, "Sunny Afternoon", SPADES, “The Archers”, Tom, Tom Whitelock, University of Salford blog, Unrestricted View, Vicente Espinel Theatre, Warrington, West End Theatres, Wikipedia, William Shakespeare, www.amazon.com, YouTube, 

áéíóú

“My true love said to me: four calling birds…..”

I must have mis-heard, I thought it was “calling four birds”. I did call four birds (ie women), cos I was "de Rodríguez" and feeling a bit lonely.

Who were these “birds”?

First of all, I tried a divorced/widowed English lady who has a house in Montejaque, but she’s not resident here and was in the UK.

Shame, as I really fancy her and she knows it.

She says that if she had been in Spain she would have accepted my invitation….. Mmmm!

Next, I tried a divorced Irish lady, who IS resident in Ronda. She had written on Facebook that she would be on her own on Christmas Day. But she politely declined my invitation.

That’s also a shame because I fancy her too and I told her so some while ago over a coffee. She said she was flattered, but nothing ever came of it.

I guess I’m too old for her. 10 years age difference isn’t much though, is it?

My third attempt was with a Spanish neighbour who has broken up with her fellah. He prefers to live in Madrid with his mother (who mentioned Oedipus?). So, they are no longer an item.

She’s a teacher, so well-to-do here in Spain. She’s spending Christmas Eve with her family in Grazalema (Cádiz), where she is from, but said she’d be back in Fuente de la Higuera for Christmas Day and could perhaps come.

Trouble is, I don’t have her phone number to confirm it. She is not aware that I fancy her.

My fourth possible Christmas Dinner companion is my next-door-neighbour-but-one. She’s been a widow for some dozen years following the premature death of her husband after an accident at work. Her name is Mercedes. [I always wanted to have a Mercedes – Behave yourself! I’m talking about a Mercedes-Benz car. I worked as a translator for the luxury car company in Stuttgart 50-odd years ago]. Being local, she told me she will be spending Christmas with family in Ronda.

A fifth possibility to invite for Christmas Lunch is a Geordie divorcee who has lived for many years in Spain, including Cantabria and Benalmádena. She has now fetched up in Ronda.

I’ve met her for coffee a few times and we get on really well. There is no sexual attraction between us, but we’re aligned politically, and we enjoy each other’s company.

I haven’t rung her yet.

All the other women I fancy are:

1. Married
2. Much younger than I am
3. Don’t fancy me back
4. Are Hollywood stars and therefore out of my league

Plan "B"

I’ve invited two “new” Spaniards to join me. They are employees at my local, where they live in, in the hotel.

This hotel is going to close its restaurant on Christmas Day, so this couple have nowhere to eat and no kitchen where they could prepare something. Most restaurants round here don’t open on Christmas Day.

“New” Spaniards?

She is from Uruguay and he is from Argentina. They’ve been in Europe a while and have no desire to return to South America, where many countries, including Argentina, are problematic, if not downright dangerous.

I helped them apply for Spanish nationality earlier in the year and their Spanish passports came through this week. So, we have something to celebrate – and not just Christmas.

Sadly, they have declined my invitation.

A Spanner in the Works

I learned yesterday that my English pal who has half shares in an Estate Agency here, although he lives in England, is coming out on Boxing Day.

He’s booked into the local hotel. He could stay at my place, surely?

Endword

It looks like I shall definitely be “home alone” on Christmas Day.

The first time in 74 years.

But it’ll be good. I’ll make sure of that!

Check out my planned Christmas Meal (link below).

Roast turkey with all the trimmings?

Nope!

© Diary of a nobody

Links:

Advent - in Spain

Christmas Parties in Spain 2024

De Rodríguez – at Christmas?

Wham! - Last Christmas (Official Video)

Photos and Images:

5 Minute English

Autobild

Bookywooky

Facebook

FreeImages

Hotel Ronda Valley

MetroFamily Magazine

Wikipedia

Tags:

5 Minute English, Advent - in Spain, Argentina, Autobild, Benalmádena, Bookywooky, Cádiz, Cantabria, Christmas Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Lunch, Christmas Parties in Spain 2024, De Rodríguez – at Christmas?, Diary of a nobody, divorced Irish lady, Facebook, "Four calling birds", FreeImages, Fuente de la Higuera, Geordie, Grazalema, “home alone”, Hotel Ronda Valley, Joe King, Madrid, Mercedes, Mercedes-Benz, MetroFamily Magazine, “New” Spaniard, Oedipus, Ronda, next-door-neighbour-but-one, resident in Ronda, South America, SLK, Spanish nationality, Spanish passport, Stuttgart, teacher, Uruguay, Wham! - Last Christmas (Official Video), widow, Wikipedia

This weekend has been a disaster!

On Friday I didn’t win the Christmas hamper at my local bar. I haven’t won it there since 2011!

On Saturday I didn’t win the raffle at the local craft market in Ronda either!

And, later on Saturday, Tyson Fury lost his World Heavyweight boxing title fight.

On Sunday I didn’t win El Gordo – well, I didn’t buy a ticket ….

And tomorrow my wife is leaving me …..!

Christmas Hamper, Hotel Ronda Valley

I chose two numbers, 50 and 51, our birth years. I thought one of them was sure to win.

Nope!

Craft Fair Raffle, Mercadillo, Convento de Santo Domingo

I managed to get two good numbers, 6 and 8, both numbers of houses we own in the area. Once again, one was bound to win, I thought.

Not so!

I found a lovely Christmas present for the missus, Lovely Rita.

Heavyweight Boxing Title Fight, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

The Gypsy King, Tyson Fury, is 6’8’’ tall and weighed in 55 pounds heavier than his Ukrainian opponent, Oleksandr Usyk, who beat Fury on points back in May to take the title and inflict Fury’s first loss as a professional.

Well, Usyk did it again on Saturday night, winning the verdict from all three judges.

El Gordo, Sorteo de Navidad, Lotería Nacional, Madrid

I couldn’t buy a ticket anywhere on Saturday evening. Every outlet had sold out. So, I didn’t win that either.

My wife is going to leave me tomorrow (Monday)

But only for a week. Rita is going to Germany to spend Christmas with family. Three children and four grandchildren.

"Why are you not going with her?" I hear you cry.

Click here to find out why: 

Christmas "de Rodríguez" - Rita’s alternative Christmas Dinner

© Only Joe King

Links:

De Rodríguez – at Christmas?

... de Rodríguez? - Secret Serrania de Ronda

My week “de Rodríguez” is over

Photos:

Al Jazeera

El Pais

Facebook

Insurance Insider

Murcia Today

Ryanair

Tags:

Christmas Hamper, Convento de Santo Domingo, Craft Fair, de Rodríguez, El Gordo, Eye on Spain, Gypsy King, Heavyweight Boxing Title Fight, Hotel Ronda Valley, Lotería Nacional, Madrid, Mercadillo, Oleksandr Usyk, raffle, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Secret Serrania, Sorteo de Navidad, Tyson Fury, Ukrainian

That’ll be a first. My first ever Christmas on my own! In 74 years! What’s going on? Has my wife left me?

[Photo courtesy of Karl Smallman, www.secretserrania.com]

My Christmas History

As a young boy at home in north Devon, Christmas Day was spent at home. In three different houses in Barnstaple and two in Exeter, East Devon. (We moved house a lot, when I was a kid!)

Boxing Day was usually spent with friends or relatives.

When I was a sixth former aged 16, I spent Christmas working as a waiter in a hotel in Newton Abbott, South Devon. It was a temperance hotel, so no alcohol, not even in the gravy nor ladled over the Christmas pud!

I shared a bedroom with a permanent member of staff, who turned out to be a ‘queer’ (this was when homosexuality was still illegal, and the term ‘gay’ was not yet in use). The term ‘queer’ is no longer politically correct, as it was back in the 1960s.

    [Photo courtesy of Adobe Stock]

Nothing happened, of course,but it was an eye-opener for this boy who’d led a very sheltered life.

As a university undergraduate and subsequent postgraduate, I always returned home for Christmas.

In my third year I brought my girlfriend down to Devon to meet mum and dad. Dad was smitten with Jeryl, whom I married in 1975, after I had finished my studies and started work as a teacher.

After that we sort of alternated between her parents and mine, until we bought our first house, in Walkden (Greater Manchester) in 1978 and began hosting duties.

We moved to Thelwall, Warrington (Cheshire) in 1980 and more often than not spent Christmas at home, especially after our children were born in 1983 and 1987.

We had bought a timeshare on the Isle of Arran (Scotland). We chose Christmas Week, so for several years we enjoyed a Scottish Island Christmas.

By now both our mums were widows. My mum Vera moved up to Thelwall in 1990 to be near her grandchildren, and Jeryl’s mum Jean lasted until 2000.

    Auchrannie Resort, Isle of Arran [Facebook]

In 2001, Jeryl and I bought our first property in Spain, an apartment in Ronda (Málaga), which we named Piso Blanco. In 2003 we bought a second one, a house to renovate. We called that house Casa Blanca. So, we enjoyed a couple of Spanish Christmases.

    Piso Blanco, Ronda [Paul Whitelock]

In 2005, after 30 years of marriage, Jeryl and I divorced, I retired early from work, and I spent the next couple of Christmases in North Wales at the house of my new girlfriend Maude.

    Minffordd, Bryn-y-Maen, North Wales [Rightmove]

We split up, however, and my dear old mum offered me a home with her back in Thelwall. We spent a couple of Christmases with my brother Simon in Yate (S. Glos) until I met Rita in 2008 in Ronda. Rita is German. We “jumped the broom” in 2010.

    Tunstall Villa, Latchford [On the Market]

I had just bought a house in Latchford, Warrington, when I met Rita. I hosted one Christmas there for my two kids, Amy and Tom, their mother Jeryl (my ex-wife), their partners, Paul and Su, and my mum Vera.

Since 2008, Rita and I have celebrated Christmas either at home in Ronda or at Rita’s daughter’s, Katrin, in Germany.

Why “de Rodríguez” in 2024?

    [Photo courtesy of Wordpress]

Quite simply because we now have a kitten which we cannot leave. We’re not prepared to put her in a cattery, and we won’t find anyone to house/cat-sit at Christmas.

So, I shall be all on my own-ee-oh; footloose and fancy-free! Yippee!

I’m looking forward to my week alone. There are no Christmas lunches on offer that I am aware of in any local restaurants, so I shall enjoy roasting my own turkey with all the trimmings. Not forgetting my Christmas pud. With flaming brandy, of course!

I shall decorate the house a bit to make it a bit more Christmassy and, if I get any, open my prezzies.

  "De Rodriguez" [Photo courtesy of El Mundo]

I can watch “The Great Escape” and “Home Alone” on the telly and go to bed and get up when I want. I can’t wait!

Only 40 days to go till Christmas!

© Only Joe King

[Photo courtesy of Freepik]

Photos:

El Mundo

Facebook

Freepik

Karl Smallman

On the Market

Paul Whitelock

Rightmove

Wordpress

www.secretserrania.com

Links:

... de Rodríguez? - Secret Serrania de Ronda

My week “de Rodríguez” is over

Piso Blanco, Ronda

Sunday – de Rodríguez!

The Building History of a 72-year-old DIY Fan

Tags:

Barnstaple, Boxing Day, Casa Blanca, Christmas Day, Christmas pud, “de Rodríguez, Devon, Exeter, footloose and fancy-free, ‘gay’, German, Germany, “Home Alone”, homosexuality, Isle of Arran, Jean, Jeryl, kitten, Manchester, Newton Abbott, Piso Blanco, politically correct, postgraduate, ‘queer’, Rita, Ronda, Scotland, “The Great Escape”, Thelwall, timeshare, turkey with all the trimmings, undergraduate, Vera, Walkden

According to the Cambridge English Dictionary, serendipity is the fact of finding  interesting or valuable things by chance. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary goes for the faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for. Only Joe King experiences serendipitous events quite frequently. This happened to him last Saturday.

Ronda and the barrio

I popped into Ronda around mid-day on Saturday to run a few errands, promptly got distracted and ended up in Barrio San Francisco at Bar Ambigú to do a book swap*.

Then I headed to the Ruedo Alameda, the pretty square just outside the muralla (Arab city wall) on the southern edge of Ronda, the Ciudad del Tajo. This is the location of a dozen bars and restaurants.

I wrote a review of the culinary offer in the barrio as my first ever assignment for The Olive Press, when I joined the staff of the free English newspaper way back in 2008 when I finally emigrated to Spain. Wittily titled “The Streets of San Francisco”, you can read a more up-to-date version via the link below.

However, 16 years on, there have been a number of changes. Four new places have opened, three have changed ownership and two have closed. I've updated the article a few times, but I guess another revision is due soon.

I digress. “Where’s the serendipity?” I hear you ask.

Serendipity in San Francisco

Apart from the four books I got at Bar Ambigú, which I regard as a serendipitous event, what happened next falls into the same category.

I called into Cervecería El Bandolero, one of the more recent new  places to open and a welcome addition to the San Francisco offer.

El Bandolero is run by Rafael and his uncle. I knew Rafael when he was my next-door-neighbour-but-one after my then wife and I bought an apartment, Piso Blanco, in the barrio in 2001. He was also a trainee waiter/barman at a bar in the square which has long since  been demolished.

I used to frequent this bar - its name escapes me - back in the day to use their public telephone to phone home whenever I was in Ronda on my own, which became increasingly often. This was after I was sent on “gardening leave” from work prior to being made redundant.

23 years later Rafael is a grown man (“grown” is the wrong adjective, as he is still tiny, around 5 foot two) Rafael is married with a son. He still lives in the same house. I don’t – I sold Piso Blanco in 2019.

“Do you know Justin?” asked Rafael, “He lives near you down in Fuente la Higuera.”

I do know a lot of people after all these years living in the area, but Justin…?

“He’s from South Africa but has lived here for years. He’s joint owner with Joaquín of Bar Restaurante La Plaza, the bar two doors down from El Bandolero.”

Rafael took me along and introduced me to Justin Hindle originally from Durban.

We didn’t know each other, but we did a quick catch-up. He has a house near mine near La Legión, but doesn’t live there. He prefers to rent a flat in town and earns a good supplementary income renting his house in the campo.

His wife Ana is a Basque and she is an English teacher. She has a languages academy in Ronda called The International Classroom, located on Calle Lorenzo Borrega. Justin and Ana have three kids who attend primary school in Ronda.

Bar Restaurante La Plaza was clearing up after the lunchtime session, so I left them to it, retrieved my car and went up to Ronda town centre to go to the cajero at CaixaBank in Plaza del Socorro.

Ronda, Ciudad Soñada

After withdrawing some cash, I noticed that nearby Bodega El Socorro’s door was open. This bar has been shut for at least two years, so I decided to check it out.

Bodega El Socorro has changed hands and has been refurbished. The new socios are Juan and Miguel, both 30 years of age.

The tapas menu looked good. [Note: Must take “Lovely Rita” there sometime soon.]

The group of five rondeños also prsent in the bar were clearly enjoying themselves. One of them, Paco, was due to retire in two weeks; his grumpy friend, Manuel, has a couple of years to go before he can “hang up his boots”.

The womenfolk, two wives and a friend, were all younger, as is the tradition here, so they won’t be finishing work anytime soon.

Fuente de la Higuera

Home time, I headed for my domicilio, stopping briefly at my local, The Ronda Valley (née Don Benito). There was a guy there who looked familiar. It turned out that Víctor is an animal inspector, and we had crossed paths a few years previously.

I chatted for a while with Víctor and his mates, but when the conversation turned to politics and they admitted to being franquistas, ie supporters of General Franco (dead, by the way, for nearly 50 years), I took my leave and joined some English “fascists” who were sitting outside on the terrace.

Despite their appalling views on politics they are good friends of mine, so we try to avoid talking politics, since I really have no truck with people who support Donald Trump, Boris Johnson (Bojo The Clown), Nigel Farage, Genghis Khan and the like.

Home for dinner and to reflect on my serendipitous Saturday.

© Only Joe King

Links:

Back to the "Streets of San Francisco" - Help me, Ronda (help-me-ronda.com)

FORGOTTEN ANNIVERSARY: Spain's General Franco died 45 years ago (secretserrania.com)

Meet Secret Serranía blogger Paul Whitelock - Secret Serrania de Ronda

The other "Ronda valley" (eyeonspain.com)

Photos:

Careers in Government (main photo)

Facebook

Karl Smallman

La Cazalla de Ronda

Trip Advisor

Acknowledgements:

Eye on Spain

Paul Whitelock

Secret Serrania

The Olive Press

Tags:

Ana, Bar Ambigú, Bar Restaurante La Plaza, Barrio San Francisco, Basque, Bojo The Clown, Bodega El Socorro, book swap, Boris Johnson, CaixaBank, Calle Lorenzo Borrega, Cambridge English Dictionary, Cervecería El Bandolero, domicilio, Donald Trump, Nigel Farage, Genghis Khan Don Benito, Durban, Ciudad del Tajo, El Bandolero, English teacher, franquistas, free English newspaper, “gardening leave”, General Franco, Joaquín, Justin Hindle, languages academy, “Lovely Rita”, Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Olive Press, Only Joe King, Plaza Socorro, Rafael, Ronda, rondeños, Ruedo Alameda, serendipitous Saturday, serendipity, Super Saturday, South Africa, tapas, The Crazy Guy, The International Classroom, The Ronda Valley, “The Streets of San Francisco”, Víctor

By Joe King

When I was a young lad my dad used to take me with him to his barber’s in Exeter (Devon) where we lived for a "short back and sides". When I was 14 or 15, I was allowed to go on my own. On that first occasion “flying solo”, as he was finishing up, Arthur asked me: “Something for the weekend, son?”. I didn’t know what he meant, so I politely declined. I later found out what he meant. Back then in the 60s, the barber’s was where men bought their “johnnies”; no blatant displays in the chemist’s like nowadays nor machines in pub toilets.

When I went away to university I grew my hair long and sported a rather splendid black beard, so no hairdresser required.

Early years

Before leaving for Spain for the first half of my year abroad, I got my hair cut short, then not again for ages, so I headed off to Germany for the second half once again with long hair.

After graduation, I went “smart” again for my PGCE in Sheffield, which included two teaching practices, so I thought I shouldn’t scare the natives.

So, my experience with barber’s is limited. As for Spain, where I spent a lot of time and where I now live, my visits to the peluqueria or barberia have been few and far between.

Iñaki - San Sebastián

My memory is hazy, after more than 50 years, but I’m pretty sure I had a haircut in the capital of Gipuzkoa back in the early 80s.

Then my wife took over.

From 2022 onwards I reverted to adolescence and grew a ponytail and a long beard and considered getting a tattoo and earrings (male menopause?), but I don’t like suffering pain, so rejected both.

Antonio - Frigiliana

50 years later I needed a trim, while I was on a mini-break in Frigiliana. My regular hairdresser, my wife, was away in Germany, so I popped into the only barber’s shop in the casco antiguo of this stunning pueblo blanco near Nerja (Malaga).

José did a good job of tidying my head up; I still had the ponytail, which I was keen to retain.

Lorena – Málaga

Last year we spent three days in the capital. It was the monthly dinner of the Club de Prensa Costa del Sol, of which I am a member, so we decided to make a mini-break out of it.

On the afternoon before the dinner, Rita announced that she wouldn’t be attending the dinner UNLESS I GOT MY HAIR CUT. I believed her threat, so off I went to the hairdresser around the corner from our hotel.

Lorena was a “looker” with tats and piercings and lots of chat. She did a great job, she even gave me my shorn ponytail, which had fused together, as a souvenir.

José – San Rafael, Ronda

I’d spotted this barberia in the San Rafael district and called in on the off chance, He had a gap right there and then before his next appointment. He was very attentive, kept checking exactly what I wanted and did a great job. Just 8€.  I gave him 10.

When I tried there again last Thursday evening he was fully booked, all day Friday also. He doesn’t open on a Saturday morning.

Hernán – Calle Lauria, Ronda

I needed a cut before a trip to Germany for Christmas. I tried a few places – all busy, but Hernán fitted me in. Great. Also 10€ with tip.

Vicki's Academia de Peluqueria y Belleza – Calle Pozo, Ronda

I had been invited to the confirmation of the son of a Spanish friend, so I wanted to be smart. I fancied being trimmed by a lady again, so went to Vicki’s hair salon. I didn’t get a lady, but Hugo, a young lad who turned out to be a trainee.

He was extremely diligent, even trimming my eyebrows, the tufts growing out of my ears and washing my hair to get rid of the hairs.

“¿Que te debo? I asked, after he finished “hairdrying” my shirt which had got wet during the washing.

“Nada”, he replied. You get a free haircut if it’s a trainee.

I tipped him generously instead (5€). He seemed surprised but was clearly grateful. Me too.

Conclusion

Hair care is not a problem in Spain. There are lots of salons in Ronda and also when we go away. And cheap!

© Only Joe King

Acknowledgements:

Facebook

Hey Joe

Paul Whitelock

Tags:

Antonio. barber, barberia, barbero, Exeter, Frigiliana, Guipuzkoa, Hernan, Iñaki, Jose, Malaga, Paul Whitelock, peluqueria, Ronda, San Sebastian, short back and sides, Paul Whitelock, Vicki

By Joe King

From Orson Welles’ infamous War of the Worlds radio broadcast to Richard Dimbleby's Panorama TV programme about spaghetti trees, we British have always been suckers for a good April Fool prank!

In this article, Joe King lists a selection of famous pranks that have hoodwinked the people over the years.

Background

April Fools' Day or All Fools' Day is a holiday celebrated in a number of countries on April 1st, although not in Spain, where the equivalent is el Día de los Inocentes, celebrated on  December 28th, the date which somewhat bizarrely commemorates the slaughter of new-born male babies by King Herod following the birth of Christ.

April 1st is marked by the perpetration of hoaxes and other practical jokes of varying sophistication on friends, family members, enemies, and neighbours, or sending them on a fool's errand, the aim of which is to embarrass the gullible.

The earliest recorded association between April 1st and foolishness can be found in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales (1392).

Celebrated April Fools’ Day pranks         

•            Alabama Changes the Value of Pi: The April 1998 newsletter of New Mexicans for Science and Reason contained an article written by physicist Mark Boslough claiming that the Alabama Legislature had voted to change the value of the mathematical constant pi.

•            Left-Handed Whoppers: In 1998, Burger King ran an ad in USA Today, saying that people could get a Whopper for left-handed people whose condiments were designed to drip out of the right side.  Not only did customers order the new burgers, but some specifically requested the "old", right-handed burger.

•            Smell-o-vision: In 1965, the BBC purported to conduct a trial of a new technology allowing the transmission of odour over the airwaves to all viewers. Many viewers reportedly contacted the BBC to report the trial's success.  In 2007, the BBC website repeated an online version of the hoax.

•            Tower of Pisa: The Dutch television news reported in the 1950s that the Tower of Pisa had fallen over. Many shocked people contacted the station.

•            BBC Radio 4 (2005): The Today programme announced in the news that the long-running serial The Archers had changed its theme tune to an upbeat disco style.

•            Death of a mayor: In 1998, local WAAF shock jocks Opie and Anthony reported that Boston mayor Thomas Menino had been killed in a car accident. Menino happened to be on a flight at the time, lending credence to the prank as he could not be reached. The rumour spread quickly across the city, eventually causing news stations to issue alerts denying the hoax. The pair were fired shortly afterwards.

•            Phone call: In 1998, UK presenter Nic Tuff of West Midlands radio station Kix 96 pretended to be the British Prime Minister Tony Blair when he called the then South African President Nelson Mandela for a chat. It was only at the end of the call when Nic asked Nelson what he was doing for April Fools' Day that the line went dead.

•            Jovian-Plutonian gravitational effect: In 1976, British astronomer Sir Patrick Moore told listeners of BBC Radio 2 that unique alignment of two planets would result in an upward gravitational pull making people lighter at precisely 9:47 am that day. He invited his audience to jump in the air and experience "a strange floating sensation." Dozens of listeners phoned in to say the experiment had worked.

•            U2 Live on Rooftop in Cork: In 2009 hundreds of U2 fans were duped in an elaborate prank when they rushed to a shopping centre in Blackpool in Cork believing that the band were playing a surprise rooftop concert. The prank was organised by Cork radio station RedFM. The band were in fact just a tribute band called U2opia.

•            Cellphone Ban: In New Zealand the radio station the Edge's Morning Madhouse enlisted the help of the Prime Minister on April 1st to inform the entire country that mobile phones were to be banned in New Zealand. Hundreds of callers rang in disgruntled at the new law.

•            In 1962 the Swedish national television did a 5-minute special on how one could get colour TV by placing a nylon stocking in front of the TV. A rather in-depth description on the physics behind the phenomenon was included.

•            In 2004, British breakfast show GMTV presented a story claiming that Yorkshire Water were trialling a new 'diet tap water' that had already helped one customer lose a stone and a half in four months. After heralding the trial as successful, it was claimed that a third tap would be added to kitchen sinks, allowing customers easy access to the water. Following the story, Yorkshire Water received 10,000 enquiries from viewers.

•            In 2006, the BBC reported that the door to No. 10 Downing Street, the official residence of the Prime Minister of the UK, had been painted red. They showed footage of workmen carrying a red door. Red was the official colour of the political party which formed the government at the time. The same story was also reported in the British newspaper, The Daily Mail which credited the new design to someone called “April Fewell”. The door is in fact black.

•            In 2008, the BBC reported on a newly discovered colony of flying penguins. An elaborate video segment was even produced, featuring Terry Jones (of Monty Python fame) walking with the penguins in Antarctica, and following their flight to the Amazon rainforest.

•            Coldplay to back the Tories - On April 1st, 2006 the Guardian journalist "Olaf Priol" claimed that Chris Martin of rock band Coldplay had decided to publicly support the Conservative Party leader David Cameron due to his disillusionment with previous Labour Party prime minister Tony Blair, even going so far as to produce a fake song, "Talk to David", that could be downloaded via the Guardian website. Despite being an obvious hoax, the Labour Party's Media Monitoring Unit were concerned enough to circulate the story throughout "most of the government".

•            Google announces a joint project with the Virgin Group to establish a permanent human settlement on Mars - http://www.google.com/virgle/index.html. This operation has been named Project Virgle. The announcement includes videos of Richard Branson (founder of Virgin Group) as well as Larry Page and Sergey Brin (the founders of Google) on YouTube, talking about Virgle.

•            Assassination of Bill Gates: In 2003, many Chinese and South Korean websites claimed that CNN reported Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, was assassinated, resulting in a 1.5% drop in the South Korean stock market.

•            www.howstuffworks.com does an annual bogus article. In 2006, it was "How Animated Tattoos Work"; in 2007 "How Phone Cell Implants Work"; in 2008 "How the Air Force One Hybrid Works"; in 2009 "How Rechargeable Gum Works".

But, my favourite of the lot was San Serriffe.  The Guardian printed a supplement in 1977 praising this fictional resort, its two main islands, Upper Caisse and Lower Caisse, its capital, Bodoni, and its leader, General Pica. Intrigued readers were later disappointed to learn that San Serriffe (sans serif) did not exist except as references to typeface terminology.

***

Have a nice day!  But watch out!  Pranksters are all over the place! 

© Joe King

Acknowledgements:

BBC

LookatBowen.com

medium

Paul Whitelock

Rockarchive

Wikipedia

Tags:

10 Downing Street, 2007, 2008, 2009, Alabama Changes the Value of Pi, Amazon, Amazon rainforest, April 1, April Fewell, April Fool, April Fools’ Day, Assassination of Bill Gates, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 4, Bodoni, breakfast show GMTV, Burger King, CNN, Canterbury Tales, Cellphone Ban, Chaaucer, Chris Martin, Coldplay, colony of flying penguins, Conservative Party, Daily Mail, David Cameron, Día de los Inocentes, diet tap water, Edge's Morning Madhouse, General Pica, Google, Guardian, "How Animated Tattoos Work", "How Phone Cell Implants Work", "How Rechargeable Gum Works", "How the Air Force One Hybrid Works", Joe King, Jovian-Plutonian gravitational effect, King Herod, Kix 96, Labour Party, Larry Page, Left-Handed Whoppers, Lower Caisse, Mark Boslough, Media Monitoring Unit, Microsoft, Monty Python, Nelson Mandela, New Mexicans for Science and Reason, New Zealand, Nic Tuff, Olaf Priol, Opie and Anthony, Orson Welles, Panorama, Pi, Project Virgle, RedFM, Richard Branson, Richard Dimbleby, sans serif, San Serriffe, Sergey Brin, Sir Patrick Moore, Smell-o-vision, South African President Nelson Mandela, spaghetti trees, Swedish national television, "Talk to David", Terry Jones, The Archers, The Today programme, Thomas Menino, Tony Blair, Tories, Tower of Pisa, U2 Live on Rooftop in Cork, U2opia, Upper Caisse, USA Today, Virgin group, WAAF, War of the Worlds, Whopper, Yorkshire Water, YouTube

By Joe King

In the musical “My Fair Lady”, by Alan Jay Lerner and Friedrich Loewe, Professor Higgins, played by Rex Harrison, sang: “The rain in Spain stays mainly in the pl-ai-n”.

I’m not so sure whether that's the case at the moment, since it’s now raining big-style here in the mountains of the Serranía de Ronda in Andalucía. To be honest it’s raining everywhere in Spain, even in the Balearics and the Canary Islands.

But that’s good, as it hasn’t rained much round here in the last five years: the reservoirs are empty; rivers have dried up; crops have suffered; and, Heaven forbid, golf greens are turning brown.

That’s why the locals call this period of inclement weather “buen tiempo” (good weather). Why? Read on to find out.

Our Climate is Changing

We are all aware of climate change. We know that the Arctic and Antarctic ice is melting fast. Some forecasters have predicted that the Seychelles and other low-lying island groups will disappear as the ice cap melts. What about the Netherlands, where most of the country is below sea-level, protected from the sea by dykes?

We also know about desertification. Doom-mongers reckon that southern Spain will turn into a desert within 50 years. Blimey!

The climate here in Andalucía has certainly changed in the 15-plus years I have lived here. The largest Spanish region has lacked rainfall for the last five years, more or less. The embalses are nearly empty. There are hosepipe bans; water in some Costa del Sol towns is turned off at night; hotels along the coast have been banned from filling their swimming pools; and what about the golf courses that are abundant round here?

It's a real crisis: the latest olive harvest was poor and there are concerns about the quantity and quality of the 2023 vintage among the owners of the Ronda wine bodegas.

                                                                                                                    SUR in English

"Good" Wet Weather

So, the heavy rain we have been experiencing is more than welcome. Hence the description of the current weather as “good”.

Certainly, my fruit and veg are benefiting hugely, as are my lawns.

Shame about the Semana Santa (Easter) processions. Up to now only one of the nine scheduled pasos has managed to get out. The weather forecast for Good Friday doesn’t look promising for the processions either.                                                                                                                                              Secret Serrania

So, the rain in Spain?

At the moment it’s falling everywhere, on the plain and in the mountains. In some regions the rain is falling as snow or hail.

The high mountains around here are covered in snow, eg Sierra de las Nieves, Sierra de Grazalema and Sierra de Libar.

Yesterday in Montejaque (near Ronda), 960 metres above sea level, we had a hailstorm. ¡Vaya!

©  Joe King

Links:

The rain in Spain... (secretserrania.com)

Acknowledgements:

Pinterest

Secret Serrania

SUR in English

Wikipedia

Tags:

Alan Jay Lerner, Antarctic, Arctic, Balearics, below sea-level, bodega, Canary Islands, climate change, desert, desertification, dykes, Easter, embalses, Friedrich Loewe, fruit and veg, hail, ice, ice cap, Joe King, lawns, Lerner and Lowe, Montejaque, My Fair Lady, Netherlands, olive harvest, Pinterest, Professor Higgins, rain in Spain, Rex Harrison, Ronda, Ronda wine bodegas, Secret Serrania, Semana Santa, Semana Santa processions, Serranía de Ronda, Seychelles, Sierra de las Nieves, Sierra de Grazalema, Sierra de Libar, snow, SUR in English, Wikipedia 

0,0; 1; 7; 10; 12; 18; 42; 43; 51; 56; 60; 70; 80; 103; 108; 501; 1615; 1866; 1885; 1888; 1895; 1906; and 1925

By Joe King

A surprising number of drinks, alcoholic and non-alcoholic, have a number in their name. From cerveza 0,0 (sin) via 7-UP lemonade to 1925 lager.

Here’s a light-hearted look at all the ones I can think of, mainly Spanish products, but also from the Caribbean, Chile, France, New Zealand, North America, Peru and Scotland.         

                                                                                                        Photo courtesy YouTube

0,0

This is cerveza sin (alcohol). These days, I guess all European brewers have this disgusting product in their repertoire. I hate the aftertaste, and the higher price, compared to beer WITH alcohol.

No. 1

Pimms No. 1, to be precise. Only for posh people in England, I reckon, although I have tried it and like it and I am NOT posh.

7

I guess we’ve all drunk 7-UP in our time. Produced by US giant PepsiCo, it’s similar to rival Coca Cola’s Sprite, a lemonade.

But they are not equivalent. When my son was quite young, he was diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder), which caused him to lack concentration, to be anti-social and naughty. Our specialist informed us that it was a condition that was made worse by chemical additives in food and drink – E numbers.

By cutting out these colourings and additives from his diet, combined with brain exercises, we managed to hold the condition in check, until it largely disappeared in adulthood.

So, the only drinks possible for Tom as a child and a teenager were water, milk and 7-UP! which, back then, was advertised as containing no added preservatives. Sprite, on the other hand, is riddled with these “poisons”.

This caused a a problem whenever we came to Spain, as the Spanish regard the two drinks as equivalents. If the bar or restaurant sold Pepsi products, no problem, but if the establishment was contracted to Coca Cola, they just served Sprite.

Try explaining to a Spanish waiter about ADHD, at least back at the end of the 20^th century. It’s a bit like trying to explain that vegans eat no animal products, yet they still used to serve my vegan stepson, Johannes, salads with tuna and boiled egg.

No. 7 is also a whiskey from the Jack Daniels stable in Tennessee (USA).

10; 12; 18

These numbers refer to the years a whisky is allowed to mature before release. I spotted an 18-year old single malt in a local wholesalers priced at 800-and-something euros a bottle!

42

42 Below is a vodka from New Zealand.

43

Cuarenta y tres is a Spanish liqueur with 43 natural ingredients which is produced in Cartagena (Murcia). I’ve never tried it, but it is everywhere. When I was a student living in Spain, my fellow female students used to like it. (I think it’s a girlie drink – am I allowed to say that?)

51

This number has been chosen for two completely different spirits from two different countries.

Firstly, it is a pastis, an anis-based aperitif from France. Distilled by the French company Pernod of Marseille, it refers to the alcoholic strength of this yellow-green liquid.

I have to confess to a liking for “un pastis”, a small amount of the spirit topped up with water. But I haven’t had one since the last time I was in France, some dozen years ago.

51 is also the name of a cachaça, a distilled spirit made from fermented sugarcane juice, originating from Madeira but transferred to Brazil. It is widely available in Spain. I’ve never tried it, and probably never shall.

56

Jägermeister is a German digestif made with 56 herbs and spices. Developed in 1934 by Wilhelm and Curt Mast, originally vinegar manufacturers, it has an alcohol by volume (ABV) of 35%. The recipe has not changed since its creation and continues to be served in its signature green glass bottle. It is the flagship product of Mast-Jägermeister SE, headquartered in Wolfenbuettel, Germany.

I always have a bottle in my drinks cabinet, although I haven’t personally drunk it since my twenties.

60, 70 and 80 Shilling

These are generic names for types of ale produced by many breweries in Scotland. The 'shilling' designation refers to the amount of duty paid on different strength beers. The higher the number, the stronger the beer.

Types include:

Scottish Light (60 Shilling): Although rare, this style is experiencing a bit of a renaissance. It’s often only available in casks. These beers are weaker, sweeter, and darker than modern-day English beers.

Scottish Heavy (70 Shilling): Also known as Scottish Heavy, this beer falls into the same category. It shares characteristics with the Scottish Light but has a slightly higher gravity. These beers are clean, malty, and finish dry, with occasional hints of peaty earthiness (smoke).

Scottish Export (80 Shilling): The Scottish Export is richer and stronger than the previous two. It boasts a deep amber colour, moderate bitterness, and a clean, neutral finish.

In summary, these Scottish ales are malt-forward, low in hops, and distinct from their English counterparts. Their unique flavours and historical context make them a delightful choice for beer enthusiasts.

103

Ciento tres is an economy coñac, brandy, in Spain, distilled from sherry by the Osborne group in Jerez de La Frontera (Cádiz). That too is available everywhere in Spain, like Guinness is in the UK and Ireland.

108

This is a non-alcoholic drink made by Seedlip. So, not for me!

1615; 1866; 1885; 1895; 1906; 1925

These are all alcoholic drinks that bear the date of first manufacture.

Pisco 1615 is a colourless or yellowish-to-amber coloured spirit produced in winemaking regions of Peru and Chile. Made by distilling fermented grape juice into a high-proof spirit, it was developed by 16th-century Spanish settlers as an alternative to orujo, a pomace brandy that was being imported from Spain.

1866 is a premium brandy from sherry producer Osborne in Jerez de La Frontera (Cádiz).

1885 is another premium brandy produced in Málaga by distilling DO Málaga wines. A bottle costs a mere 129 euros!

1888 is a premium rum distilled in the Dominican Republic by the company Brugal. Also out of my price range.

1895 is a whiskey from Jack Daniels of Tennessee (USA).

1906 appears on the labels on bottles and cans of a premium lager brewed by Estrella Galicia, up in the northwest of Spain. It refers to the year the brewery was established in La Coruña. A lovely drink.

1925 is the date which appears on a premium lager from the Alhambra brewery in Granada and is the year that the factory opened there. That too is a very drinkable beer.

© Joe King

Acknowledgements:

Cervezas Alhambra (Granada)

Coca Cola

Estrella Galicia (La Coruña)

Osborne (Jerez de la Frontera)

PepsiCo

Pernod

Wikipedia

YouTube

Tags:

7, 7-UP, 42, 43, 51, 60, 60 shilling, 70 shilling, 80 shilling, 103, 1906, 1925, ale, Alhambra, beer, brandy, Brazil,  cachaça, cerveza, Chile, Coca Cola, coñac, duty, Estrella Galicia, Gonzalez Byass, Granada, Jack Daniels, Jerez de la Frontera, Joe King, La Coruña, lager, Madeira, Marseille, New Zealand, orujo, pastis, PepsiCo, Pernod, Peru, Tennessee, whiskey

By Only Joe King

Only Joe King is an alias for Paul Whitelock, but we reckon most EOS readers will have worked that out. After all, Paul hasn't really tried that hard to keep it a secret.

Paul has several other noms de plume on Eye On Spain, depending on the theme of the blog.

ONLY JOE KING

A light-hearted look at life in Andalucía and Spain in general; its good points and its bad. This blog doesn't pull any punches.

Only Joe King didn't really want anybody to know anything about him. That's just gone out of the window, BTW.

He's blogging because he thinks he has valid things to say. He hopes readers appreciate the pun in the name (Only joking!).

MY COVID-19 DIARY - MARCH 2020 TO DATE

The coronavirus pandemic has hit the world hard, with over 120 million global victims.

I am British, married to a German and we live in Andalucía in the Serranía de Ronda.

This blog contains articles i've written since we both caught Covid-19 at the beginning of 2020. It was a weird life of curfews, lockdowns, masks, hand gel, rules and regulations and, for those of us who were affected directly, the vicious after-effects of the virus, long-covid, bereavement and financial ruin.

I started this blog in the aftermath of our personal experiences with the Coronavirus. Hopefully it has run its course, ie both Covid and this blog.

SPANISH MATTERS - A BLOG IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH FOR THOSE LEARNING THE LANGUAGE

This blog is entitled "Spanish Matters", because it does!

Matter, that is.

If you have committed to living in Spain, in my opinion you should also make a commitment to learn some Spanish. Your life will be enhanced.

So this is a blog about matters Spanish, as well as promoting the notion that Spanish does indeed matter.

The blog contains articles in both English and Spanish. Don Pablo hopes it will be helpful to those learning the language.

The name Don Pablo betrays my origins as a former Spanish (and German) teacher in the UK.

This blog will continue to be added to from time to time.

HOW TO ..... ?

This blog is intended to be helpful to English-speaking foreign residents in Spain by explaining "how to ... " do certain things.

The Crazy Guy has lived in Spain full time since 2008. A fluent Spanish-speaker he reckons he knows his way round the bureaucracy, the indifference and sometimes downright rudeness of "funcionarios".

The Crazy Guy is known amongst the Spanish where he lives as "El Loco", largely because, despite his advanced age, he's always on the go, doing this and that. The Crazy Guy hopes his "How to ..." articles will be helpful to others.

PUNTOS DE VISTA - A PERSONAL SPAIN BLOG

Musings about Spain and Spanish life by Paul Whitelock, hispanophile of some 45 years and resident of Ronda in Andalucia for the last 15 years.

This is my main blog, indicated by the number of posts I have made, already in excess of 100.

SERRANÍA KITCHEN - RECIPES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

This blog contains a selection of recipes from all over, in particular from Andalucía, Asia, England, Germany and the wider Mediterranean area.

Contributors include Rita Drechsler, Jovan Le Knorz, Madita Schröder, Carolyn Emmett, Simon Whitelock, Julie Wilkinson and Paul Whitelock, who are mostly members of the same extended Anglo-German family. Rita and Paul live in the Serranía de Ronda in Andalucía. Madita and Jovan live in Baden-Württemberg, near Heilbronn, Germany. Carolyn and Julie also live in the Serrania de Ronda and Simon lives near Bristol, UK.

THE CRAZY GUY

The Crazy Guy is known amongst the Spanish people where he lives as "El Loco", largely because, despite his advanced age, he's always active, doing this and that. So, he's "The Crazy Guy".

This blog is about some of the things he's been getting up to lately.

The Crazy Guy (El Loco, according to his fellow villagers) likes to keep busy. He hopes readers of this blog find his experiences interesting. He has another blog on EOS called "How to .....?" which offers advice on how to do things here in Spain, based on his experiences.

THE CULTURE VULTURE

A blog about cultural things: art, music, dance, literature, film and theatre.

The Culture Vulture enjoys the good things in life. These include art, music, dance, film, theatre, and books.

THE CURMUDGEON

The Curmudgeon is a miserable sod. He likes to have a moan. He tackles subjects which many foreigners living in Spain agree with but are too polite to say anything about.

The Curmudgeon is now in his early 70s now and has lived in the Serrania de Ronda since he was 58.

THE HISTORY MAN

This blog contains interesting facts about the history of Spain and things Spanish.

The History Man discovered Spain some 50-odd years ago and he fell in love with the place. He has been resident here for 15 years and takes a keen interest in all things historical, geographical and cultural. He is blogging because he hopes readers will find what he writes interesting.

THE SPANISH FLY - TRAVELS IN SPAIN AND BEYOND

The Spanish Fly is a nom de plume of Paul Whitelock who first visited Spain at the age of 20. Now more than 50 years later, he has been to most parts of the country, including nine of the 12 islands. He has owned property in Andalucía since 2001 and has lived in the region for the last 15 years. This blog is a travelogue about some of the places he has visited.

The Spanish Fly writes keenly about his travel experiences in Spain and beyond. He hopes you enjoy sharing his journeys and are inspired to make similar ones yourself.

***

EPILOGUE

So, now you know. All of these blogs are written by li'l ol' me, Paul Whitelock.

I hope you enjoy reading them. Please feel free to comment.

© Paul Whitelock

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