Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

Ahh Now you've hit on my FAVOURITE sunject (That typo was an accident. but I've left it deliberately)

I'm always taking photographs and comparing colours as part of my job and you would not believe how different colours appear in a nice diffused Spanish light than in a grey British light or under synthetic lights . And how much more information a Camera can get down! In England I had to have a powerful light rig which we invented for the job to try to get authentic colours and to eliminate shadows. We brought it with us but it's never been unwrapped! I just have a table with a white cloth on in my light well. Point, Macro, click! I have much longer possible photographing hours and the colours need so little tweaking now to be authentic which is important in my work.

I believe Van Gogh would have cut his ear off (or gouged his eyes out) much sooner if he'd stayed in Holland!:lol:

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

Changing to the European time would not increase the number of daylight hours in the UK in the winter it would mean however that we would not have that silly difference of 1 hour.
Companies in mainland Europe open and close earlier than their UK counterparts giving them an advantage when it comes to intertrading and communication..
It is not all bad though in the UK summer nights stay lighter for longer.

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

No it wouldn't change daylight hours but there would be more dark in the morning when I am in bed and I would get an extra hour daylight in the evening.:lol:

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

I'm a point and click hobby photographer, though I will spend an extra 20 Euros or so to get a half-decent camera. About the light quality.

I don't have an artistic eye and it's pretty meaningless to me, but I had read about many painters having come to Altea because of the light quality. So we visited the highest point of the Old Town and took a few photographs.

Once those photographs were placed in an album among others taken elsewhere, you could immediately see the difference, the magical light quality of Altea. I've got no idea how it has come about.

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

Some of us have to work for a living, so get up in the dark and get home in the dark.

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

A lot of things mean differences aren't as great as before. You can get Spanish tapas places (of varying quality) in the UK, you can buy baked beans at Iceland in Spain, and the football games from each country can be viewed in both. Communication is a lot better nowadays, and people can see each other 1000s of miles away via Skype and other web tools. I'm personally headed back to Madrid for job/money reasons, and I'm sure other people are headed in the other direction. But you create your own environment wherever you end up. If you like the outdoor life you can do it either in Spain or in the UK. Is there anything (apart from being able to go to a bullfight) that you can do in one country that you can't in the other?

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

Sure, in Spain I can take my little boy into any restaurant I like, even late at night, whether it is fairly posh and expensive, or not

And I have 5 or 6 play parks to choose from within a 5 minute walk from my house where all the neighbourhood's children are playing until 10pm at night. I'm not sure that the UK has that kind of environment?

Lots of things are so different between the two countries

However, in a way you are right in that people can create a British environment in Spain in certain areas. Although that would be much more difficult for a Spaniard in the UK, perhaps you could do so in certain parts of London.. almost. I dont think there are any Spanish schools in the UK

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

Well we can take our grandchildren into English restaurants and they even have a children's menu. At least six children's parks or play areas near us with proper play equipment. Do the children play out until 10 pm at night - fortunately no - they are usually in bed by then which gives us some adult time and peace and quiet.

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

I think you are out of touch with the UK children are allowed in pubs and restaurants.(Unfortunately) Even the Ritz! There are also loads of interactive museums etc. for kids. Plenty to do in bad weather, in Holland too and I expect every other country!

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

I can't say I agree with you. There are plenty of parks in London (both the larger public ones, and smaller play parks near to residential areas). Ok, so some parks will close at 5pm during winter months... but otherwise I don't see that much difference.

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

Agree, some are kids eat free too. Our Spanish neighbours children were given supper at 9pm and put to bed before they ate. Not much sense in dragging 6 year olds out of bed at 8am when they didn't get to bed until 11pm or later:blink: Not all Spaniards live like campesinos!

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

I live in the middle of the city. Most kids, even babies are still out and about at 9pm especially in the summer

Yes I am a bit out of touch with the UK. Yes there are lots of parks in London, but I dont remember many having play equipment. And I never ever saw a child at the restaurants we went to. Not once. They were limited to children themed restaurants and chain pubs

Amazing what can change in just 6 years!

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

This bucoolic view of UK parks full of children on swings enjoying themselves in safety and security may be true during the day time in some areas .But ask any sensible parent would they go into one in certain areasduring the day or later in the day and after dark anywhere and they would loolk at you is if you had just landed from mars.
Most families still do go to the places CM describes above simply because of the value they offer.
" Children in the Ritz " probably Russians.

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

It is more like what you can forget in 6 years, or not have noticed 6 years before.

Also you must take into consideration that if you now have a child, you tend to notice other peoples children too and are drawn to the places where people take children, the same happens when you have a dog.

That is human nature.

As you probably had no interest in children before you had your own, they were sort of invisible.

As you say you did not see any swings and such in the parks because it does not look too good if a lone man seems to be seeking out kiddies play areas, so subconsciously they were not places you wished to go.

A test of the theory is, ask a non smoker where a tabacconist is and they will usually be stumped, whereas a smoker could point out quite a few.

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

Yes there is some truth in that. In some ways what I compare now is with my own childhood which 25 odd years ago

In any case, I should just say that Spanish cities are great for kids because every spare bit of land has a playpark on and every square has children playing football, skipping etc while the parents have a beer, dinner etc

I dont remember the UK being like that when I was younger