British Summer

[WetSaw]

Having left 8 years ago I've forgotten when summer starts in England. I got off the plane at Gatwick yesterday to 13°C and rain, I suddenly remembered why I left!
The only positive is that everywhere is lush and green....

 

[Andy Allen]

What British summer ?..

 

[Spud]

It's been poor so far hope it improves soon

 

[Andy Allen]

I spent £300 on my motorcycle 4 weeks ago...new chain , sprockets ...mot ect
And I've still yet to take it out !!

 

[Time's Ran Out]

But that's why you came - to appreciate the decision you made 8 years ago!
Who in their right mind would want to spend their life sitting in the sun with a cold beer and their feet plodging in the Mediterranean.

 

[Andy Allen]

Having left 8 years ago I've forgotten when summer starts in England. I got off the plane at Gatwick yesterday to 13°C and rain, I suddenly remembered why I left!
The only positive is that everywhere is lush and green....

What's it like working in Spain?
Do you speak the language , is there plenty of work ? Do the locals welcome you or do you just work for x- pats.
Is Britain coming out of the EU going to effect you.

 

[WetSaw]

So many questions!!

I've been lucky to find myself a little niche and have a handful of expat owners with holiday homes they come out to 6 or 7 times a year. I do all of the maintenance, repairs and try to preempt any possible problems so they don't have to think or worry about anything. I also do other work in between that.
I speak enough Spanish to get by with day to day life, builders merchants, plumbers merchants, my Oncologist etc but I wouldn't be able to have an in depth political discussion!
I have no problem with the "locals" as we try to mix in, speak to them in their own language and give them work. All of my work is for expats.
The EU question is a bit of an unknown but there are international statutes in place and obviously a vast number of EU nationals living and working in the UK so I can't see anything changing. There will clearly be new rules/laws if or when the UK leaves but they should only apply to new migrants not applied retrospectively.

 

[Andy Allen]

Thanks for that...
Find it very interesting making the move to a different country and setting up on your own.
My old apprentice lives and works in Germany now....loves it, went out there doing the ' auf wiedersain pet ' thing and never came back...married a German lass got a family , house , speaks the lingo.
I talk to him on Facebook, he says he would never come back here to live....sometimes think he got the right idea myself..

 

[Colour Republic]

I found the builders merchants out near you to be a bit of a nightmare, they just don't seem to stock much and it's not like the UK where if you go on to an industrial park you'll find a plumbers, electrical, timber merchants etc etc in one area, they are spread out all over the place unless I was looking in the wrong places?

The builders merchants in La Cala don't stock anything and about the best place I could find that had a selection of stuff is run by ex-pats which was AIM builders out near Marbella, past that I found myself using the DIY stores like AKI and Leroy Merlin, which has to be said are better than the likes of our B&Q, homebase etc.

Or maybe like I say I just didn't find them, knowing you're just up the road in Mijas (beatuiful little place BTW) where should I be using?

 

[Marvo]

I was back in the UK over Christmas for a few weeks and I found it very claustrophobic and oppressive. It's a very different kind of life with small houses and doors and windows closed, security and surveillance everywhere. I left there in the early 80's and lived in the US, South America, North Africa and eventually South Africa. I've still got a house in the UK but probably only been back half a dozen times for short visits since I left and have no desire to live there.

**edit** reading the post back it sounds a bit harsh and wasn't meant to. No disrespect to everyone in the UK.