Escap

For the last few weeks it has been "heads down" try to drum up more work projects, so I have had less time to keep up to date with my blog. I am feeling a little guilty about this as I know some of my far flung relatives use the blog to keep in touch.

There is such gloom on all the news programmes currently - will the euro zone survive? will Greece default? will Italy go bankrupt? etc etc etc. Yesterday we had three separate protest marches taking place in London, at least they were predominantly peaceful but still it is hard not to get depressed - hence the photo above. Although I seem to be working just to pay the mortgage on our Spanish property, on grey days like today it cheers me up to know I can escape sometimes.

I have been promising for ages to show you all more of the property we renovated in Ibi [a town inland from Alicante in Spain] where we created an apartment for ourselves, an apartment for Brother and Sister-in-law, and two apartments for holiday lettings. It was a real labour of love and now, at last, we have started to have guests come to stay and received some great reviews on Trip Advisor.

For next season we have been approved by a company called Tots to Travel as ideal for family holidays and we are hoping this will lead to more bookings. We really love having people to stay especially as everyone who has come so far have loved Vista Alegre as much as we do. It is always interesting to meet new people, last Summer we had two families come from Holland who were delightful guests. If all our future guests are as nice we will be very lucky.

We are going out as usual over Christmas and the New Year period and two friends who regularly join us have signed up again. Luckily I booked and paid for our flights and car hire a few weeks ago before the new round of economic gloom hit the headlines so we are going whether we can afford it or not!

If anyone else wants to escape - get in touch.

City of London Protests

Travelling to see clients in Central London yesterday I passed the Protest Camp at Finsbury Square and also the camp below the steps of St. Paul's. Big signs saying "Capitalism doesn't work there is another way" - but no signs saying what the other way actually is! Don't get me wrong peaceful protests like these should not be banned but I worry that whenever a spokesperson for the protest groups is interviewed they do not come across coherently.

What is the alternative? Communism didn't work, fascism didn't work - just hitting out at Capitalism as all bad, to my mind, is so narrow minded.

What is bad is GREED - ethical capitalism is what we need and it can be achieved.

We have a great deal of hypocracy in our country, people scream about the high salaries paid to captains of industry but not about the obscene wages paid to footballers.

Any new ideas out there?

The Conference Season

We have just completed the Autumn round of Political Party Conferences. I have watched as much as I can take of speeches from Lib Dems, Labour and lastly Conservatives. In these tough times I find myself being hyper critical of the rhetoric.

I will keep my comments brief:- Clegg [Lib Dem and Coalition Deputy PM] having a tough time explaining to his party members that being in Government is not as easy as they think. You can promise the earth when you have no chance of getting into power, because you know you'll never have to deliver!

Milliband [Labour] the younger getting booed by some of his own party [not a good look], saying sorry for past huge mistakes and banging on about "values" and succeeding in upsetting the unions whose votes helped him into Leadership over his own far more able older brother. [It can't be easy being their Mother.] Somehow he just hasn't got it, his speech writers must be tearing their hair out.

Cameron [Conservative] the PM has grown more confident and this shows in his presentation. He has managed to hold the Coalition together [just about] and is sticking to his guns on the economy although it is not an easy sell to party delegates and the country as a whole. Some good common sense policies were outlined but we want to see less talk more action.

We are living in difficult times but I can't help thinking that the "doom and gloom" merchants in the media are not helping. I am not sticking my head in the sand but I do believe a little optimism and confidence goes a long way. I am determined to be positive [I just hope that doesn't become my epitaph.]

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Just when you least expect it Summer returns! Today in London the sky is deep blue, the sun is shining and the temperature is around 27 degrees - heavenly. The grumblers are already saying "it won't last, we'll have snow in October" etc etc. Why can't people just enjoy the moment. I was so lucky to spend my Summer holiday in Spain and have had an entire month of sunshine but London had a dreadful August so this is a real treat.

Tomorrow is the Jewish New Year and so I am taking this opportunity to wish you all whatever your religious or non-religious persuasion A HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR. After the Synagogue services we will be celebrating with family [lots of food of course this is, after all, a Jewish festival].

Being AWOL

I have to apologise for being absent without leave for the past month - but in Spain my blogging is severely restricted by the cost of having to use a dial up "dongle" method to use the internet.

For those of you who believed the early forecast of a long hot summer [at one time the word drought was even mentioned] and stayed for the wettest August for years I won't make it worse by writing about the superb weather we had in Spain. Sufficient to say on the night we flew home we went from 32 degrees down to 16.

I came back to a heavy first few days of work but I should be able to get back to my usual blogging routine soon.

Meanwhile I hope you are all OK and I look forward to catching up with my reading.

Summer 2011 Spain

Sorry I have been out of touch for a week or so. Crazy busy with work before departing for Spain on 19th and up to my eyes since I have arrived preparing Vista Alegre for our summer guests.

The weather, apart from one superb downpour yesterday which only lasted about one hour and watered in all our new plants, has been perfect.

The whole estate looks beautiful even if I have to say so myself. We have cleaned all the sun loungers and set them up round the pool. The Man has taken more photos for our web site which we will load on when we return.

Our first guests arrive from Holland on Friday next and will be staying for three weeks so we are trying to get all our jobs done before they arrive. Gates have been installed round our private garden and we have spent most of today putting canopy shades up over the barbeque area. New signs are being placed at the junction with the road and also on the beginning of our driveway to make it easier for guests to find us, so you can see it's all go.

I hope all of you are enjoying the holiday season too.

Masia Mum as London Tourist Guide

For the past 3 days we have had our lovely neighbour from Ibi in Spain staying with us with her 11 year old son. The trip was a special treat for his good efforts at School this year so he was having a trip, a chance to see some of London and have his Mother all to himself. This is particularly important as our neighbours have a disabled daughter who requires a great deal of care and attention and, as regretfully is unavoidable, this means the other child does not always get a fair share. He is a sweet boy who is devoted to his little sister and accepts that that's life.

So, this trip was very exciting for him. It was full of firsts - his very first flight on an aeroplane, his first experience of the London Underground, a trip on the London Eye, a river journey from Waterloo Bridge to the Tower of London by Thames Clipper, an authentic Indian Meal in Brick Lane in the heart of Whitechapel and that was only Day One!

The weather let us down on Day Two with some very heavy rain showers which meant we saw most of the major sites through the top front windows of a Red Double Decker London Bus from Kensington Palace in Kensington Gardens, via Hyde Park Corner, Westminster Cathedral,Westminster Abbey, Parliament Square, Downing Street, Trafalgar Square, Royal Courts of Justice, Fleet Street, St. Paul's Cathedral, the Bank of England before ending up at Liverpool Street Station. Time to eat and recover in Pizza Express - the favourite restaurant of my Grandson No.2 who accompanied us on the day trip.

Umbrellas up again we headed back into Oxford Circus by tube to brave the madness that is Hamley's Toy Store after which we were thoroughly exhausted and headed towards the home of The Daughter for a light supper before travelling home.

Today was their last day here so we took it easy and stayed local before taking them to the Airport. All in all a very successful trip - I have earned the ultimate accolade of being called "a really cool guy" by my young spanish friend. Because I know London so well I did manage to save them quite a bit of money by knowing which off-peak travelcards to buy and which river boats gave discounts etc etc., not to mention my free London Guide services!

I am now intending to put my feet up and have a lazy weekend.

Born Again Volunteer

I've decided to "put my money where my mouth is" so to speak. I recently blogged about my concern on literacy levels and my support for the movement to encourage volunteer reading help in schools. Well I volunteered! I filled in the emailed application form and I have been contacted for interview in a couple of weeks time. Provided they give me a seal of approval and my police check [necessary when working with children] passes muster I will have to attend a two day training course in September after which they will let me loose in a state school somewhere not too far from my home in North London. I will have to commit to a year [school terms] of volunteering up to a maximum of 3 hours a week.

Three hours a week will not be that easy to fit into my working life but if I can organise each of the hour and a half sessions at the start of the day then I can go on to see my clients and work on projects.

I've done a lot of volunteering in the past working in youth clubs and it is probably about time I got involved again.

Who is deprived?

I have been thinking a great deal today of my Mother and Father as 31st May was their Wedding Anniversary. They had a long and happy marriage of over 40 years before my Mother died suddenly in 1979 in her early seventies. They never had much money but were never in debt. They lived within their limited means. They never owned their own home but always rented. But one thing my sister and I never lacked was their love and support. They always made time to help with our education - we both could read before we started Infant School [who taught us Mum and Dad], they encouraged us to work hard and value education. Those were very different times when children were allowed to play outside, travel to school by London Transport [what not chauffeured door to door!!]and if you needed to make a telephone call you used a public telephone box. But, believe me, we did not feel deprived.

What children suffer from now is a far more worrying deprivation - their parents' time and attention. Children are not only starting school unable to read but leaving primary school still unable to read. Of course the teachers should be able to achieve success in school classes but nothing substitutes the benefit of encouraging reading at home. Without the ability to read a whole world of knowledge is shut away and as I tell my grandchildren "Knowledge is Power".

The Best Laid Plans

The best laid plans of mice and men...............
I had my next couple of months organised workwise, or so I thought. One of my major projects was due to complete by 1st June - now, through no fault of mine, it will be postpone until June 27th! Worse yet, a project due to commence on site works next week with a completion end of the first week of July has had a legal hitch which, although not a deal breaker, will delay [yes another one] the finish date as far as my work is concerned until late July or possibly early August. Now this is a problem as, in order to get the best possible flight deals and believing [foolishly as it has turned out] that my Spring/early Summer projects would be finalised I booked my outward journey to my place in Spain for 18th July.

It now looks like I will be doing a little extra flying in order to come back to the UK to supervise the final move before returning to continue my annual hols.

This is the first year I have tried to get away for a longer spell and it seems doomed. If I can't even manage to get longer holidays then retirement looks even further away. Still it is nice to be wanted and considered indispensable.

WOBS ON THE WEB

Just a quick post to let you know that, after suggestions from friends, I have started a new Blog Wise Old Birds [wiseoldbirds] to channel the gained wisdom of my and my friends and fellow bloggers mature years. Not "Grumpy Old Women" which is not a flattering title but "Wise Old Birds" or for short Wobs on the Web! Why not be the first to visit and add a word of wisdom.

Meanwhile back at the ranch.......Work has been rather busy of late as I am in the process of relocating two major charities and up to my eyes in legals, office fit-outs and furniture sourcing. The current spate of exceedingly good weather has made dashing around London, as I do, very pleasant. I am a train, tube and bus users and a fast walking pedestrian and it is always great not to have to worry about getting drenched by showers in the process.

We had a lovely day yesterday with The Daughter and Grandchildren and my mutual Grandmother [The Daughter's Ma-in-law] who all came over to us for lunch and tea. The children were expecting what they call a "Sleep-over" and got a bit tearful when they had to leave. We saved the day by booking one for next Saturday night when we will try to get the other two Grandchildren over as well - I know you all think we must be certifiable but what the hell!

All of the family have been very affected by a recent very severe accident to our good friend and mutual Grandfather [The Daughter's Pa-in-law] who has been hospitalised with a spinal injury. He is in the best possible hospital [RNOH] and receiving wonderful care but it will be a long haul and all the family can do is visit and try and encourage his fighting spirit. Bad things do seem to happen to good people.

Envy OK Jealousy Bad!

During my 10 day break in Spain I have watched with increasing depression the various 24 hour news channels. The world is not a very stable place at the moment but that accepted I cannot understand why the British, in particular, seem to want to focus on the doom and gloom.

When did we become such a nation of moaners? If anyone makes a successful career for themselves or whose business is doing well there are so many jealous comments. People seem to begrudge anyone else having more material wealth no matter how hard they worked to achieve it or from how deprived a background they have risen.

Other countries I have visited [particularly the US] celebrate success and yes, perhaps envy those who achieve it, but do not begrudge them their success. This mean spirit does not bode well when we are, as a nation, going through tough times.

I am determined personally to applaud those who have worked hard and have the comfortable lifestyle and monetary cushion to ride through recession. These are the people who can create jobs and many do, also many of these people contribute vast sums to the less fortunate via charity donations and their own grant giving trusts.

Passover in Spain

Sitting at my beautiful Indian Writing Desk at my Spanish Masia looking at over our land with the sun shining and the sky a stunning deep blue - heaven! We arrived early yesterday after one of those ghastly, up at 2.30 am, early flights. But now we are here it was, as always, worthwhile.

This trip it wil be mostly just me and The Man, The Daughter and her crew are in California [Universal Studios, Disneyland, Death Valley Ranch, Yosemite, etc.] and our only visitors will be Big Sister and Brother-in-law who are arriving tomorrow for 4 days.

Tonight is the beginning of Passover and the first of two Seder Nights where traditionally families gather together to read the story of the Exodus from Egypt. Tonight we are going into Alicante to attend a Communal Seder with the small Jewish community in the area. We went to one of these about four years ago and found that in addition to the locals it was quite an international gathering with attendees from Britain, France, Belgium, Holland, and America swelling the ranks.

Tomorrow when our visitors arrive we will go to another Communal Seder slightly further away along the coast towards Valencia. This means I can be realy lazy

Humour

Travelling today on a very crowded Circle Line train in the evening rush hour my mood was lightened by a Tube Driver with a sense of humour.

For those unfamiliar with the London Underground Lines, the Circle Line does what the name suggests - goes round in a circle. So there we were waiting to leave Edgware Road Station when over the tannoy comes "This is a Circle Line train via Baker Street, Kings Cross, Liverpool Street, Tower Hill and Victoria back to Edgware Road - anyone who has nothing better to do is welcome to come for a circular ride with me". I laughed out loud, and another lady passenger near me smiled. Everyone else - no reaction! What a load of dreary, boring people. What has happened to having a sense of humour?

The Bedroom Chair

Why does The Man assume the attractive white chair we have in our bedroom is for his personal use as a depository for all the clothes he cannot be bothered [his version "needs first thing in the morning"!!] to hang up or put away in drawers or straight into the laundry basket? I have been battling for years to wean him off this habit. No matter how often I tidy up, the chair gets refilled.

Now we have our property in Spain he is taking the practice to international levels. I created a writing table within our bedroom which naturally needed a chair [hard to write or type standing up]. Within days he had appropriated said chair for the usual purpose. I protested that it was bought to match my writing desk and he was not allowed to leave clothes on it. Next thing I see a folding black plastic chair brought in from the store room placed in a corner rapidly disappearing beneath trousers and tee shirts etc. every night.

I know I cannot/and do not expect my bedrooms to look like a Elle Decoracion photoshoot but if anyone has a cure please respond.

The Killing is over!

After watching the final episode of the excellent Danish Detective Series last Saturday to which, I admit, I had become addicted to the extent that I haven't accepted an invitation out for the last 10 weekends [the length of the series run]I thought my TV selection would revert to searching for a programme actually worth watching.

Just when I thought I could reclaim Saturday nights they announced that a new series of "Spiral" [a French Detective series also on BBC4] would begin in the same slot from this coming Saturday. I discovered this in its first series, watched the second series and I know will be glued to my screen for the forthcoming third! Like "The Killing" this French programme was clever, very well acted, with an intelligent script and devoid of the excess, unrealistic glamourisation of most of our home grown product and with the exception of "The Wire" the US imports.

The Bookworm

All last week for a half hour TV slot every evening they celebrated National Book Week by inviting two people [I suppose to generalise one could call them celebraties but actually it was a very varied selection of authors, actors, sportsmen/women] to bring in and discuss their favourite books.

It was quite fascinating and made surprisingly good TV as the idea was to select books which were important at various stages of their lives.

It got me thinking which books I would have chosen. For first childhood choice I was drawn back to "What Katy Did" or "Little Women" which I remember reading over and over again when I was at Primary School. I learnt to read very early and always have been a fast reader, my local library couldn't believe how often I came to change my books.

In my teens I read "Exodus" in one very long night because I just couldn't put it down. I have worked my way through most of the classics but the object of the TV programme was to try and pick the really significant reads.

I discovered that to be truthful it wasn't always the prize winning novels [The Booker, Costa etc etc] that made the lasting impression. "Fever Pitch" made me laugh out loud in a crowded tube train, "Perfume" was another through the night read and any of Sharon Penman's historical sagas can find a place in my holiday case.

Last year I read Stieg Larsson's Millennium Triology "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo", "The Girl who Played with Fire" and "The Girl who kicked the Hornet's Nest" one straight after the other. I was hooked from the second chapter in the first book.

At the end of the programme the contributors were asked for a book they considered their "guilty pleasure" - for me that could be a really good thriller, one that kept the reader in the dark too, working out the clues along the way, something by Lee Child or Karen Rose.

This book selection business is tough, I keep thinking of other books I ought to include and I could definitely not pick just one as my favourite so it was lucky I wans't invited on to the programme.

I am signing off now to go to bed and read a few chapters of my current book which is actually a prize winner, "The Finkler Question" - I haven't made my mind up about this book yet. I didn't particularly like Part 1 but have now progressed to Part 2 and it has improved. I am not sure it is as good as the hype.

Any book recommendations always welcome.

Busy Days

The last few days have been rather hectic, it's the grandchildren's half-term so we helped out with an overnighter for the two eldest on Wednesday and they stayed here all day Thursday. We love seeing them but it does mean some late night work to catch up. Gluttons for punishment [not really the right expression] we now have the youngest two here tonight [Saturday] on what they like to refer to as a
"Sleepover". We are taking them to their other Grandparents tomorrow afternoon for a Birthday Tea for their Daddy and then back home they go with The Daughter and the Birthday Boy.

In the middle of all this I have been trying to start a new marketing operation for our property in Spain to try and see if we can interest magazines or film makers in using our estate. We did have a Spanish music video shot on the property which went well and it is something I'd like to pursue. Anyhow it is certainly worth a try. On the holiday rentals side we only have one week still available in August and hopefully some of the other enquiries will firm up into definite bookings. Don't forget if any of you are interested fellow bloggers get special rates!

Online again

Much to my relief I now have my broadband connection sorted! The Man and I decided we could no longer wait for Talk Talk to get their act together and using a dongle [a ridiculous name isn't it?] was just too slow so we have gone Fibre Optic. Virgin Media cabled us up and we can now use the internet at the speed of light apparently.

Seriously it will be great to get online when I need to and keep in touch promptly.

Apologies to anyone who I haven't responded to over the last 6 weeks while all this broadband nonsense has been going on but from now on I have no excuses.

Cosmopolitan Viewing

Last night we watched the DVD of the film "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" the original Swedish version with subtitles. I always feel it is the mark of an excellent foreign language film when you forget you are reading subtitles because you are so absorbed in the action. I have read all three books in this trilogy and can heartily recommend them and the film did not disappoint. They had to concentrate on the central story with less side characters involved than in the book which was understandable as it was over two and a half hours long even in this version.

The Man are I are getting very cosmopolitan in our TV and DVD watching lately. Apart from the Wallander series [Swedish version again] and an excellent French detective series called "Spiral", we are totally hooked on a Danish Detective Series called "The Killing" it is on BBC4 on Saturday nights from 9pm - 11pm. There are 20 episodes which they are showing in sets of 2 - I have to admit that I am trying to avoid invitations to go out on Saturday nights for the next few weeks, it is that good.

Four Hurrahs!

Continuing with my decision to remain optimistic and as the good Old Pythons sang "Look on the bright side of life". This week has started well, yesterday we overcame lengthy delays on the legal side of a project and finally completed, got the keys to the building and commenced the fit-out - hurrah! Today the weather was distinctly milder by December and January standards positively balmy, the sun shone and blue sky was spotted - another hurrah! I had a very successful day helping two of my charity clients purchase some superb secondhand [though you would never guess it] office furniture at very very reasonable cost from one of my secret sources - yet another hurrah! Finally travelling back to the office between 4 and 5pm and miracles it was still daylight [we have got passed the shortest day of the year], so Spring is on the way - a final hurrah!

A Jolly Sunday

I have written in the past about my particular love of Afternoon Tea, mostly enjoying the treat in a restaurant or hotel that specialise in the traditional fare. However when The Man and I decided we hadn't seen some family members for a while we decided to throw an Afternoon Tea at home. Numbers were around 13 adults and 4 children - a fair crowd so it had to be buffet table style. As usual we made far too much food, the table was positively groaning. Sandwiches [egg, smoked salmon, tuna, cream cheese and chive] - crusts cut off of course; sun-dried tomato palmiers; scones with jam and clotted cream; apricot palmiers; pavlova and a very naughty chocolate cake. All our guests did their best and were very appreciative but frankly we had to hand out doggy bags and freeze half the chocolate cake.

Still it was a very jolly afternoon, the grandchildren hadn't all been together for a while and do so enjoy seeing each other. Granddaughter No. 1 had helped with the preparation and written the Menu on cards and Grandson No. 2 was on his best behaviour and decided to be the waiter for our elderly relatives bringing them a selection from the table so they wouldn't have to get off their seats. Granddaughter No.2 provided entertainment with renditions of her favourite Disney songs whilst wearing her Sleeping Beauty dress [I think I have mentioned before her current obsession with dressing as a princess] and finally Grandson No. 1 who now at the almost teenage age of 12 has entered the "Kevin" years still managed to eat the largest slice of my chocolate cake and pronounced it as good as his favourite Pizza Express chocolate cake [there is no higher praise].

Spread a little happiness

Why is it that January and I'm afraid even the imminent month of February always seem to bring such doom and gloom? Frankly I am seriously thinking of not reading newspapers or listening to the almost 24 hrs of repetitive news fed to us by TV and Radio.

When the weather is cold and grey with, as we had yesterday in London, the bone chilling drizzling rain then I need something to smile about. I grabbed a truant hour in my business day yesterday to pay a quick visit to The Daughter and Granddaughter No.2 in West London. The beaming smile and skip and hop of delight from the three year old when I was spotted through the front window was well worth the detour. So I watched Beauty and the Beast for an hour and was serenaded by my little princess with all the songs [which she knows by heart and insists on singing] and then instructed to help her put on her "Belle" dress [a Disney fancy dress costume we bought for her every increasing collection of dressing up outfits] at the exact moment in the film when the character changed into her ballgown. Escapism at its finest. A lovely cup of tea made by The Daughter and then I was on my way duly uplifted and able to cope with a long business meeting which ran into the evening and ended up with a long tube journey home.

I think we should all make an effort to find time for a little happiness - for ourselves and to spread around.

I arrived back in time to watch the second half of the TV programme DIY SOS - the team completely redesigned and practically rebuilt the home of a young lad who had been paralysed and brain damaged in a Rugby Game. He had spent a year in hospital and could not come home to his loving family until the house was adapted. The team not only created a ground floor suite for the young lad by building an extension [in seven days!] but also redecorated the entire house for the Mother and two other children. Of course this was a big job and they were flooded with help from local tradespeople, fundraisers, friends, neighbours, the lad's school chums -it was so wonderful to see such community spirit and kindness. Why don't we hear more about that on the news?

A Good Week

I have been very busy workwise this week charging around London visiting Clients on existing projects and having meetings for potential new work. In these difficult economic times it certainly brings a little cheer to have confirmed work [and therefore fees] on the horizon.

Another excellent piece of news is that we have just received our first confirmed booking for our holiday apartments on our property in Spain. Two Dutch families are coming for three weeks from the end of July. They sound really nice and I do hope this will be the year that our vacation properties take off, we love our property in Spain but income from the lettings will help keep expenses down.

Still, no thanks to Talk Talk, working online via a Dongle so until on broadband proper my posts will have to be short and sweet.

Broadband Rant

This is going to be a very brief post I am afraid as I have been struck by the dreaded Broadband cut-off!! To precis a very long and very frustrating story, on my return from Spain I found that "Talk Talk" my internet provider had taken it upon themselves to decide I wanted to cancel my connection WRONG.... Phone calls to Call Centres in Manilla, then after much research for UK numbers, customer service [now that really is a joke] in Chiswick, Suffolk, Glasgow - you name it we've spoken to them. Apparently in this age of advanced technology they are unable to reconnect me until the beginning of February. I am now using a dongle just to be able to keep the business and personal emails coming in and out. It is beyond frustrating. OK rant finished.

Belated Happy New Year to you all.

Normal Service will be resumed

Today Tuesday 4th January most of my clients in London are back at work while me and The Man still have two more precious days in Spain. I have been very lazy about writing my blog during this break, my one excuse is it is more expensive going on line via "the dongle" and wifi.

So this is just a brief note to say normal service will be resumed from Friday onwards back in the UK.

Our friends flew back today so it is just the two of us now, the house to tidy up and lock away possibly until April [at the earliest]. We will be seeing a few of our Spanish friends before we leave and catching a few warm rays of sun to set us up for January and February back home.