That was immediately my thought, reading about the decline and death of everything that made Britain Great although knowing that isn't me-me's background.
Remember back in the mid to late 70's when we had 3 day week, the industrial heartland was laying off, the Daily Mirror had front pages with heavy black lines around more companies closing.

I remember the way towns had one or two major manufacturer's. Places like Watford for the printing, Welwyn Garden City for Murphy (who in 1962 IIRC laid off 50% of the workforce the week before Christmas). And it happened several years later when ICI closed their plant leaving only admin offices.

The old saying then "If X feels a chill the whole town catches a cold" (or similar) applies to Spain as much as it did back then.

Regrettably we can't get in the way with our experiences, Spain has to feel the pain itself and find its own way out of it. Although I was new to the country I had hoped that the Rajoy government would have ways out but sorry to say they just seem to be the same old same old.
This leaves the people to do the best they can and there are some out there who are trying very hard and need every opportunity but also the support.
Even if it is only that of jaded expats.

Don't mention Liverpool right now. IT IS NOT A GOOD TIME

I see the similarities to Liverpool.

I was talking about the town where Franco was born Ferrol.

2 shipyards, having been through various name changes.

BAZAN. Astano. Izar. Navantia.

So Spanish companies go out in the Brave New World, fight for and win contracts involving International Consortia
NATO decides that they need to replace their 40+ year old building in Brussels, Spanish companies get contracts.
But due to cost over-runs for whatever reason they don't get paid

http://www.ideal.es/granada/20140504...405040126.html

This doesn't help anyone.

Andalusia tourism year 2013 ended with a 4.5% increase in overnight stays compared to a 1.9% rise in the national average. Of these, 5.7% were international tourists, up from 3.9% recorded nationwide rate, while domestic tourism was the only community that grew 3.2%, compared with a fall of 1.6 % on average. Thus, Andalusia has placed among the top twenty destinations in the world.........

http://www.ideal.es/granada/20140507...405070050.html

IIRC there were two major industrial cities in the 80s that successfully overcame the decline of old industries. Glasgow and Bilbao - although things are not always 100%, they both managed to build a reputation as tourist destinations, which they didn't have before.

Yes despite of everything!

I hever never been to Glasgow and probably never will. And Bilbao is one of the ugliest cities in Spain. Stick something shiny in it and the tourists flock there!

Agree on both Cities

Me too, Thumbs up, although I did have a unforgettable night in Bilbao once.

The only good thing about either of them is that there is some lovely countryside not too far away, otherwise I can't for the life of me imagine why anyone would want to live there out of choice.

Actually I've found Bilbao to have its own beauty and character. You can be in a busy city street, looking up at farmland on surrounding hills. Plus there are some incredible bridges and you are not far from the sea, nor indeed from some incredible countryside.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/ci...staurants.html
As for Glasgow it's probably my second favourite British city.

As the UK has been dragged into a Spanish topic again, it might be worth noting that unemployment in the UK has never at an time in the last half century reached even half of the catastrophic percentages now seen in Spain !


Going back to the very worst figures in the last hundred years and during the Great Depression, the figures were still less than those in present day Spain !


Just though it might help to put in true perspective the seriousness of the situation in today's Spain, as I get the impression on here that quite a few folk even now haven't fully grasped the true reality of what has occurred and just how long and difficult the road back is likely to be, especially in the present day competitive world marketplace with everyone scratching around desperately in all directions for a bite of cheese and so many of them already light years ahead of Spain.

Actually the international economic body Markit sees it somewhat different (I linked above)

The EU, IMF both state that unemployment figures won't drop below 20% for years.

As for UK. Just think, if four thousand people a week didn't come to live in UK we would have full employment

If many of the UK unemployed were as qualfied and skilled as the immigrants, were as flexible and hard working plus took the jobs that immigrants do THEN WE WOULD HAVE FULL EMPLOYMENT.

An 18 year olf with no qualifications living on a sink estate cannot fill the job that a Spanish nurse does.