I don't know anyone that's gone back but then I also don't know anyone retired/relying on a £ based income. We have noticed a marked increase in work and new businesses starting up (both locally in town and directly through our work)

Yes, could be a long time, but I still wonder will it come back to what it was. Yes, Brits always like their holidays, but Spain is nowhere near the cheap destination it used to be. AS we´ve seen, their way to combat the crisis is to put prices up even higher! Amongst my own friends and family, I know of several that have been to Sharm el-Sheikh this year instead of Spain, and seem to like what they saw. I certainly wouldn't like to go there, but that and Tunisia, Turkey etc keeps coming up when talking about summer holidays. I think Spain will always do well, just maybe not as well as it used to.

Over the last two years I have seen quite a few British families/couples leave the area where I live (mostly for financial/lack of work reasons, but also because of health issues or one partner not being able to settle). In the last few months more houses have sold and the British seem to be being replaced by Scandinavians and Canadian people (the Canadians tell me they had seen a programme featuring our town on TV and liked what they saw!).

It does not bother me at all, as we don't socialise a great deal with British people, it grieves me to see most of them doing nothing with their time except drinking in bars and gossiping about other Brits. There are another two couples about to leave in the next month or two, they have got through all their money doing exactly that so I don't have a lot of sympathy. As previous posters have said they made little or no effort to integrate and although both couples have lived here permanently twice as long as I have, they barely speak a word of Spanish. No doubt they will be better off in Britain claiming benefits and moaning about "the Spanish".

There has always been a high turnover on the CDS even in the boom times. Used to see them all the time when UK house prices rose quickly, off to Spain with the equity, kids in private school, live all year round as if on holiday for a couple of years then back to the UK.

Unless prices in Spain fall sharply or the exchange rate goes back to about 1.65 I can't see many retirees coming. 15 years ago you could have lived reasonably on just a state pension if buying a house outright, not possible now unless never going out. Less retirees = less younger people as most who need work feed off other ex-pats. Seemed at one time as if every other Brit was an estate agent

I'm more Spanish than you.

No you're not, I'm more Spanish than you because I drink in Spanish bars.

Well, I'm more Spanish than you because you socialise with the Brits.

Actually, I'm more Spanish than any of you because I have more Spanish friends than Brit friends.

You're all wrong, I'm more Spanish than you because you all used a Brit tradesman once upon a time and I only use Spanish tradersmen.

Well, I think I'm the most Spanish because I speak more of the language.

I'm more Spanish because I've lived here longest.

I'm more Spanish because I pay my taxes.

I'm more Spanish because you drive a Brit registered car.

Even though we're all Brits it seems we all want to be Spanish.
Anyway, refering back to the OP, I've seen more people going back due to marriages breaking up than finances. Of course, it could very well be that lack of money is the reason for the breakups, but at least seven or eight couples that I know of (mostly Brits, but a couple of other non Spanish nationalities) have split up/getting divorced. Usually kids are involved as well and one half is going home with the kids.
Some may go back to UK and claim benefits (I certainly would be claiming everything I was entitled to) but generally they are all nice people fallen on bad times. I feel for most of them and I'm just glad that I'm not in that position. As for moaning about the Spanish, I can't imagine why they would feel it was the fault of the Spanish.

Not me ,I`m British and feel nuetral about it ,proud for some reasons and ashamed for others , have no desire to be more Spanish than any other expat ,I guess some people are insecure and want to be seen as intergrating better than others.

Todays retirees wanting to move from the UK are certainly much better off and better informed than the olden days.
Many may not even have to sell their UK home in order to fund a purchase abroad.
People will retire abroad at the current exchange rate because despite everything it is probably cheaper (and certainly healthier) living in Spain than in the UK.

There's an old saying about this. Can't quite remember. Something like "when the money goes out the door, the love goes out the window".
That's not like for like. If you want to travel 4+ hours or go on cheap holiday destination in Africa or Asia of course it's going to be cheaper, but it's not going to be Europe.

Funny Usual responses on here for any complaint in Spain. For all they know the poster could be bi-lingual, married to a spaniard etc. I think a lot of these assumptions are made because that is how they are themselves.

I get accused of the wanting to be British and told to go back to blighty with my Brit ghetto mentality.
It is a hoot.

But remember IF YOU TEACH A PARROT TO BARK, IT DOES NOT BECOME A DOG.....

On a more serous note did anyone see the report about a Muslim woman called Fatima who has lived for years in Cunit (an islamic intergration representative) who is being abused and hounded by the Muslim population in her town for not covering her head.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...021205010.html

it seems the whole cumminty has turned their back on her, and are even abusing her children in the street.

The case is in court today

This shows one of the many reasons I personally feel islam has no place in the western world ,it`s just not compatable .

Yes I agree. We had a receptionist in the UK who was a muslim but outgoing and westernised. One day a bearded muslim man came in and berated her for her dress and said she should be at home not working. Shortly afterwards she received a letter threatening to break her legs.

PS...why are we discussing muslims

Well it is quite a big story on the Spanish telly....

In fact it is a little light relief from the Ivonne Reyes-Pepe Navaja story

Ged away! You learn something every day! Africa is not in Europe. Don't think anyone said it was, just that people are considering and taking holidays there instead of Spain. Anyway, "África empieza en los Pirineos", which makes Spain in Africa!

I was always told by northern Spaniards that Africa starts at Granada

But it doesn't matter it's so close I can see it out of my window.