“One in five Britons will spend some part of their holidays this year in Spain. Many of them – especially those in their forties, fifties or sixties – will be trying to decide whether to move there permanently. There are now so many Britons in Spain – more than a million, according to some estimates – that some towns have almost become English-speaking.” From The Observer.
Will the last one out of the UK please turn off the lights!?
tostadora
24 Jul 06 at 8:36 pm
It’s musical chairs in Europe at the moment. The Polish are moving to Britian en masse while the affluent British middle classes are exiting by the back door. It seems the grass is always greener somewhere else on this crazy patchwork continent.
I can’t help feeling on balance this current trend is good for British economy and society. It tends towards a younger, more energetic, cosmopolitan and adventurous workforce. Hopefully it also means fewer golf-obsessed, middle-aged, 4-wheel drivers clogging up the arteries of the home counties.
It would be interesting to see a detailed demographic of the British people moving to Spain – to compare the socio-economic type of Brits moving to Madrid, Barcelona or Galicia, with those heading for the Costa del Whatevers.
Having said that, me and the missus are always dreaming about an escape to some bucolic corner of rural Spain. It’s a very seductive fantasy.
ValenciaSon
25 Jul 06 at 12:46 am
There goes the neighborhood!
Brian A
25 Jul 06 at 8:10 am
“Hopefully it also means fewer golf-obsessed, middle-aged, 4-wheel drivers clogging up the arteries of the home counties.”
No Tostadora, they’re still there. Those of us with get up and go got up and went!
Londinense
25 Jul 06 at 2:35 pm
Don’t misunderstand me, but wouldn’t it be easier for Britons to seek a nice retirament place in South Africa, Florida or even Australia or Jamaica? At least, if you have a ‘pupita’, you could speak to hospital staff without problems.
I was last weekend in Brighton and I found this lovely city so chaaaarming and romaaaaaantic. Well, the sand is not so seat-friendly but I mean, now you’ve got the sun and if you miss chorizo, morcilla or the woooooooonderful new wine from the Ribera del Duero (or was Tajo?) that the sympatish guy (sorry, don’t remember the name, aunque me cae bien) from Catavino spoke about in the last Podcast, well, you could always go to Tescos or Sainsburys and get them. Even Mark and Spencers has got a wide range of spanish products.
Guys, there’s no need in moving to Spain, the Fatherland needs you and your children, cuantos más mejor.
If all of you leave in 20 years the UK will be Britpolnigeristan. What a delight!
Matthew Bennett
25 Jul 06 at 3:31 pm
Crikey! That means that the old British people will join the increasingly older Spanish people in a Spain full of golf courses and big houses in a couple of years, all reminiscing in pidgin English or Spanish about ‘the old days’ and how reckless youths and immigrants are ruining Europe.
Stuart
25 Jul 06 at 5:18 pm
Often the grass isn’t only greener on the other side, but has lush forests and rolling hills – at least that’s what I’m discovering.
Tostadora
26 Jul 06 at 12:05 pm
Stuart, are you talking about Galicia or the Lake District here? Plenty of lush forests and rolling hills in both Spain and Britain. Maybe the difference is, there’s actually room to step out of your car when you arrive in the countryside in Spain.
My friends bought a house in Spain too!
2 Nov 06 at 5:54 pm
When some of our friends moved to Spain they found sorting out mortgages in the UK to buy the house there in particular a real hassle. In the end NatWest (see link) seemed to be the easiest for them to use.
My friends refurbished an old Mafia house there
[sorry if this comment appears twice, I pressed back and it said I'd already said it, even though I didn't verify it]
Roberto
29 Jan 07 at 6:18 pm
We need more English teachers so people come on down =P