Well, the weather was patchy but a 10-hour lunch (is this a record?) at the Casares chingurito was distinctly sunny.
Hurrah, the Stop and Buy shop has opened and it's like walking into the shop at the end of my road here in London, even down to 10kg sacks of rice. I hope they get a market (main competition is Morrisons in Gib, say year-round English residents) because so useful for walking-distance hot bread, milk and teabags. We topped up our Spanish phone there, too. Miguel Alonso who was a bit of a general wheeler and dealer and fixer around Galera Park was managing the shop but has got a hotel job out of the area.
Our development empty properties have apparently been reclaimed by Caja Sol abd we are hoping they will start paying community charge because the developers didn't. Which meant the community was trying to make the place look nice on only a third of the necessary contributions. Our gardeners have had to be cut back to just gardening and not communal cleaning. Our AGM is early August (usually only five people there!), hopefully with more payments coming in from the bank (if they cough up) we will be able to cut the monthly charge a bit . All changes have to be agreed at the AGM only.
We are just worried bank will do a fire sale and sell off to people who don't care much about how the place looks (there's already been an old mattress left on one walkway). I'm coing to propose the community has a few more lifestyle rules like they do in American communities. But how to enforce? The law in Spain is slow and rather pitifully patchy. (I'm going to put a general forum note up about the so called 10-year new build guarantee to see if Maria lawyer has any comment/good news)
I know one householder has had to hand back keys. And several tenants moved out because cheaper rents nearby. €650 month for nice places. (Ouch, I know, Rob)..
No talk of crime in our community (except the new flats nicking community water and electricty). Fingers crossed.
New Mercadona very handy and not badly priced compared with big Super Sol in sabinillas. Still LOVE the food at the Casona, best pizzas and pasta. And it is beautiful where we are. Went riding up in the campo beyond the motorway toll booths. It is sensationally beautiful. Have faith!