Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

The weather is not perfect anywhere. But here you can be sure that overall you get more sun for your 'buck'. The crime IS lower except in the places where criminals congregate...mostly around the easy money;-) Tourist and expat areas are always going to be a target in any country just because they're like open wallets to criminals. The reason there is (generally) less crime in the Spanish towns and villages than there is in similar sized towns and villages is because there is a greater sense of community. The regular coming together for community events is what promotes this. Neighbourhood watches don't have to be 'set up' they're a fact of life. Let's hope the Spanish never lose what we English come for!

Some of the English expat groups, notably the Costa Esuri Ayamonte people seem to be achieving a community feeling. Well done them. Anyone who wants to avoid the village feel. Fine, your choice. But don't expect a community to look after you if you deliberately set yourself apart. No man is an island!

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

Most expats in Spain prefer Spanish winters to summers, the summers are too hot and dangerous to our sensitive northern skins. We don't have a killer heatwave where I live at the moment, but it's uncomfortably hot.

We spend July and August in the shade as much as we can, the shutters are half down and fans are whirring away in most rooms (we don't get on with air conditioning).

I remember making a pact during a particularly hot and dry summer, in '93 or '94, with a neighbour that we would dance outside when the rains came. We did.

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

I am not sure which year it was either but probably the same one. I lived in Eastbourne and it was roasting and one of my neighbours danced in the street when the rains came.

Rosemary

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

Daughter of friends of ours by their own admission gets around £1,200 in benefits a month, plus her wage which is quite substantial. Husband has never worked, not sure what is wrong with him. They have the usual trappings, huge TV, full Sky package, the two adults and two teenage kids have the latest mobile phones, computers, they run 3 cars, visit her parents in Portugal, live on junk food and takeaways, and guess what, they are struggling! Of course there is some genuine hardship (been there) but many are simply living above their means.

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

Sounds like they have a great quality of life - watching TV and eating junk food :rofl:

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

"£1,200 in benefits a month, plus her wage" - sorry someone is telling porkies unless you include rent, council tax in this. If she's earning then that will have an effect on the benefits - unless of course she' not declaring.

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

Well there was one in the news this week, can't afford to take a job because she would be worse off. She gets £1600pm. Sure it includes HB and council tax but it's still generous.

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

You'd be surprised how much money you get just for having children.:eek:

https://www.gov.uk/child-tax-credit/what-youll-get

And then of course the other Benefits on top of that.

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

No doubt there are many that would be worse off with a job than without (in the UK), but I think it's probably the minority. It makes for good headlines, though.

But much of Europe is not dissimilar. I know of plenty of people in Germany that are not of retirement age, but no longer work because they're better off to live on benefits and quietly work black (all have kids, by the way).

And in Spain, well, many, many people work black whilst claiming benefits. That's quite normal and hardly newsworthy.

Socialism: Love it, or pay for it.

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

Nope - I love the summers - the winters are too cold and wet. If I had the means I would move south in winter - at least to the Canaries.

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

And the kids get benefits for ADHD! I'd never heard of it, much less that it was a payable benefit! :frown: They are what I would describe as naughty, typical teenagers, no better, no worse, but a benefit for it, come on!

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

Can I ask a question to those guys that are retired or not working,

Is the winter sometimes a issue because it does not go quick for you and you have climatised so you don't maybe feel the same as a tourist would in Jan & Feb, but then I have read that tourists have been cold where they live with no insulation in their walls.

The Winter I hope for me I think it will fly by so unless it is depressing clouds and a lot of rain I don't think I will really notice it ???

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

You get climatised. Yes. We have about 2 months of winter hell here (Feb, sometimes March), which equates to daytime temperatures in the teens, and night temps in the single digits. Occasionally even zero in the wee hours, which for us is hellishly cold.

February for us is a month of clouds and damp. Seems to go on forever. It's very depressing.

Yes, you'll notice, and it won't take long for you to become as wimpy as the rest of us.

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

It is fine up to January and then I get quite depressed as we can get loads of rain January/Feb/March and get stuck indoors. House gets cold and damp. Dressing gown on over clothes in the daytime to keep warm.

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

It varies. Sometimes long stretches of the Winter are wonderful - the last one was lovely here until March which was horrible - torrential rainfall from start to finish and it only gradually got better through April as well. But for two winters in a row prior to that there was constant rain from December through March.

I get bored and fed up with it.