Spanish Eyes, English Words

I was interested to read that almost 90,000 Brits left Spain to return to the UK during the last year. People leave for various reasons - unable to hold down a job or make a busines work, the high cost of being self-employed in Spain, the death or severe illness of a partner, missing the family. However, I have noticed that, at least among the people I know, moving to Spain seems to be a temporary measure rather than a permanent migration.

In the last few weeks, several of our friends have made the move back to the UK, and another couple are planning to go back in a couple of years or so. It seems that nobody except us is prepared to actually stay here. Even then, Tony has said that if anything happened to me, he wouldn't stay in Spain. He can't speak Spanish, and although he can drive, at 80, he doesn't feel confident enough to drive himself around all the time. And since we've been here, I've dealt with everything, so he wouldn't have the faintest idea how to deal with the bank or sort out the Suma payments on the car and house, or the annual community fees.

It seems to me that people cherry pick the bits of Spanish lifestyle that attract them, but basically recreate their English life in the sunshine, so that when problems arise - as they do wherever you live - they feel that the only way they can deal with things is to head back 'home.' Spain has never become their home - it's just a stopgap for a few years, and I think that's why so many people are heading back.

I get a bit sick of people blaming Spain for their decision to move back - prices are going up, property prices are falling, unemployment is high, we're not getting as many Euros for our Pounds as we used to. The thing is, Spain is not alone in this. We have lived through a worldwide recession, and now that things are improving slightly in Spain, life should become easier for a lot of people.

A couple of friends who we have stayed in touch with have said that once the novelty of spending more time with their families and being understood everywhere they went wore off, they started to remember why they'd left the UK in the first place, and they wish they had given it longer before deciding to move back. The trouble is, we always think the grass is greener somewhere else, but more often than not it's more a case of selective nostalgia. I for one consider Spain to be my home now, so you won't see me featuring in any of the statistics.

After living in our casa for just six years, Tony has finally worked out how to tune in the radio to an English speaking station on the Costa Blanca. So for the past few days, we've been listening to TKO, because it plays the type of music we like, rather than the (c)rap that some of the other stations play.

This morning, while Tony was in sanctuary in the shed, and I was doing the Poop Patrol after our Pooch Paddy, Tony called me over to listen to the questions in the quiz. He couldn't get any of them right - no change there then - but he thought I might know one or two of them. The questions were:

What sort of train is mentioned in the Ojay's 1970s hit?

Who played the title roles in the remake of the UK tv show Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)?

Who asked the questions on the quiz Going For Gold?

Much to Tony's chagrin, I knew them all, and to add insult to injury, I also guessed that the Mystery Voice was Patricia Routledge. Well, I am a former Mastermind finalist, and obviously I haven't lost my winning touch.

Now there was a prize for the winner - three prizes actually - so on the principle that you have to be in it to win it, I called in and transmitted my answers to presenter Dennis Christian. I knew I had a full set, so there I was, in the prize draw for the first time on TKO. At 12.30, the winner of the first prize of a Sunday Lunch for two at Clapton's Bar and Restaurant Quesada was announced.

Who do you think it was, boys and girls? I'll tell you - it was Yours Truly, ringing in for the first time, and walking off with the prize. Who says there's no such thing as a free lunch? Can't hang around, although I'd love to talk more, but I need to book my table at Clapton's. The name sounds familiar. I wonder if Eric is doing the cooking? Maybe he's got fed up of touring with his guitar and fancied a career change. I must remember to ask when I book!

By the way, the answers were: Love Train: Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer: Henry Kelly. How many did you get right? Were you in the draw with me? It was a good day for Algorfa, because Margaret won the third prize. Sorry, I can't tell you what it was, as I was still pumped up from hearing my own name mentioned!