Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

I was a child in central Scotland and there were parks and play areas for children everywhere. If we saw a suspicious strange adult lurking around we would go after them and give them a good kicking.

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

No you probably don´t remember it that way.

But you probably had a garden and did not live in a flat, and most English gardens (ours included) had swings, slides and sandpits etc.

The reason that there are loads of play areas around where you flat is in the city centre, is that children need somewhere to play and in the absence of a garden, that was the solution.

Anyway I personally would rather see children in the garden playing naturally with siblings or friends, that see the stifled play that you see in Spanish city play areas, where the parents have to sit and watch them.

The whole situation seems unreal to me, the children, especially only children, seem to have to be pushed into playing, and there are so many children around that they may only see once or twice a month, so there does not seem to be any friendships formed.

The UK garden situation is a lot better, other friends around to play and deeper friendships formed as they see eachother in a more "exclusive" environmet and have the freedom of the house and garden to roam around.

When visiting Spain as a child, seeing my cousins in Coruna who lived in flats, to me they seemed to be taken out for a "play" rather like taking the dog for a walk, at a set time, and for a set time, because mother had to prepare dinner and could not sit all afternoon in the play area.

I hated it, because I was used to playing with my friends in the UK, in the back garden, if we wanted to go to my bedroom, then up we went, my mother, was around but not sitting on a bench watching all the time, with a group of other mothers/fathers all doing the same thing.

One thing that strikes me as being odd, is that I never see Spanish children going to play in other friends flats/houses in the cities, it is either in the play area with a parent on watch or not at all.

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

I would not have expected any less of you.:rofl::rofl:

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

In some respect, all these things are true. Although actually it is a great environment for a 2 year old, not so much for a 6 or 8 year old, but then they are the ones normally playing in the squares with all their friends

The problem with gardens is they are lonely if you don't have friends close by, but they have their advantages too. We spent most of our time playing football in the street, but parents dont let their children do that now

In Spain it is difficult to get invited into another family's flat as an adult never mind a child, probably because most people live in poxy small flats with no spare room (except for us of course ;) ), but on the other hand there are so many shared public spaces. And most Spanish cities are very condensed so in effect everybody lives centrally and can walk most places.

The UK suburbs are a whole different matter and nobody could spend an evening in the drunk infested city centre where I grew up

I am not anti-UK, there are bits that I miss. We are lucky enough to work from home, so when our children are a bit older we may go and spend a month or so in the summer living in my old town so they can get a different perspective on life

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

This was much like my childhood, our first house was great,long back garden with a tyre swing, paddling pool, and a big shed (where the monster live) Our neighbours who were also our cousins had the same sized garden and had a sand pit and a slide.

We seemed to spend half of out time mid-air being passed over the fence from one garden to another. Then add in the other kids that you used to turn up and I don't know to this today how my Mum coped. Playtime was usually over by the time Dad got home from work. You say about the parks in Oviedo, this is just good town planning, but it happens in cities in the UK as well. The hour they can stay out till is a lot to do with the weather, clearly these kids are not out in howling gales at 9pm.

When we moved to another house with just a small background we were a bit older and like you the street became the playground along with any other space we could commandeer.

Which is why I have challenged people on here who rabbit on about Spains family values, it's a myth. They are no stronger, no less passionate than any other nation on earth.

Out of interest do the Spanish kids that live in the big houses with the large gardens and swimming pools in the suburbs get driven down to the parks/squares to join in the communal play or do they stay put, invite friends round or whatever?

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

I am glad I read this for it makes me more determined to move to Spain. Far to much negativity in this post. However the post title does give a clue as to the nature of comments I would expect to read.
Maybe I should start a post with a title of "Why do you want to leave the UK?" :p

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

Oh, how I hated that time of year! I used to say I felt like a mole. I found it literally depressing, too.

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

Looking back on your childhood, does the word young thug spring to mind?

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

Yes it does. I'm an old thug now with medals for fighting for my country to keep it safe for the cowards who are too scared to speak up unless they're hiding in cyberspace.

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

Or one titled "What is your idea of "living the dream". There are so many different opinions on here about what constitutes that. MANY people who say that the life we have is definitely not their idea of living the dream. (we're living very frugally after coming unstuck in the middle of the nose-dive of the pound) But for, I think it might have been Dick who asked what you can get here that you can't get in the UK. My day, apart from my working hours which were short due to the August heat, (Oh yeah, you can't get that in the UK) consisted of Watering the garden. (Wouldn't have to do that very often in the UK;-)) With a watering system (a what?). Shopping, Piel de sapo melon for 49cents a Kilo (can't get that in the UK) seeing a woman shopping in Lidl and Mercadona with 2 donkeys to take her shopping home (Priceless! -never seen that in the UK) Home for a swim in the warm (unheated) municipal pool at a cost overall of 50 cents a visit. (Can't get that in the UK) Home for Home-grown proper tasty tomatoes Boquerones and a Tinto de Verano made with cheap but good quality wine and bagged ice (never seen any of that in the UK though it may exist now) followed by a bowl of cucumber and orange water ice, on the patio under a swing seat Canopy but in the lovely bright sun (you don't get much of that in the UK) Then a Siesta (you don't do that in the UK) a lukewarm shower (You wouldn't want one of those in the UK) Some colour identification work and photography (wayyy more difficult in the UK) And evening meal on the patio.

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

Well we have had about 8 weeks of sun here this year...ok.probably a one off but I am getting fed up of it . Was happy when it has been drizzling for a change today. watering the garden has been driving us crazy, no automatic irrigation here like Spain:lol: Also had our own pool in Spain, not that I wanted one here, we actually turned down a few properties because they did have pools. I thought who wants a pool in the UK. used to think it was a bit of a hassle in Spain just for 4 months use. Did feel a bit envious when I heard a splash from next door though this month:(

Siesta...well you can get that in any country can't you if you don't work:confused: Never had one myself, always feel like shit after an afternoon sleep, takes me hours to liven up:lol: I think you can get most things in any country, except perhaps peace of mind and security.

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

I get the idea of a Siesta, however for us its just a complete change mentally and physicall.

When it hit 30deg in UK a couple of weeks back for me it was too hot too work inside, I have a lot of IT giving out heat and that plus the Sun too made it difficult, although I did not sleep I did go out and sunbathe from about 1-5pm and just worked round it, so I can see in a hot country why its helps to have that.

I don't think my body would ever get into the pattern of having siesta but if you can work round it, then it is a welcome break from the heat if you work inside, or even outside.

My usual hours of work - my choice is 10am to 8pm, so I can make time up, but in UK I have deadlines to meet which a siesta would kill, unless I planned ahead the night before.

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

I posted "Who Needs Spain" thread Angie, simply intended as a light hearted reference to the UK Summer this year, no more than that, though quite a bit more became of it eventually.

I can pick you up on one of those straight away. I was having regular Siestas for many years before I lived in Spain.
I took a tip out of old Churchills book, he reckoned an hour in the afternoon was worth two on a night and it worked out even better than that for me, enabling me to carry on working through most of the night when needs be or occasionally having a late one on the tiles and still being fresh next day.

Trouble is now, I'm getting to the stage where I sometimes need two Siestas a day. :zzz::zzz:

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

I'm not sure about the family values thing. Spanish families rely and need their extended family because they must help out in terms of childcare or providing food etc if someone is having a hard time

The suburbs here tend to be very small, just the odd urbanisation on the edge of a city of village, I don't know what the practice is. My wife had friends who lived in these urbanisations when they were teenagers and they hated it. Living in the middle of a city is brilliant for teenagers as they can stay out as late as they like, go to the bars and parks etc and at least in Oviedo, never feel unsafe. And in the day, they can walk back from school, go to the library, shops etc, so they can be autonomous without relying on mum and dad and the car

Re: Would you go back to the UK ?
 

Not sure what C'mans rambling on about, but the vast majority of Spanish live in towns and cities amongst endless thousands of soul destroying dated apartment blocks the like of which were mostly knocked to the ground years ago in the UK.
Even a second rate scruffy UK housing estate with its gardens and open spaces as well as parks etc must be a million miles better than living cooked up like battery hens in some of those crumbling old Spanish apt blocks.
No wonder the Spanish kids are so desperate to get outdoors and create mayhem in the local church square most evenings.