Day 60 - "Golf and Grandmothers"

Spanish Practices - Real Life in Spain

We have reached Day 60 and frankly have had enough, but we are taking courage by channeling my Great Great Grandmother (Pictured in the episode art) This is the story of a British couple behind the police lines in Lockdown Spain, the real story of day to day life under the Alarma.

Find out more: https://www.thesecretspain.com

Here for: Natalie's Golf Conditioning Podcast

Day 60

It is Day 60 of our Spanish Lockdown and we have had enough, enough of the weather, enough of not being allowed, sensibly and with distancing, to live our lives, oh and definitely enough of the stupidity of some Spanish Government Ministers.

Yesterday the Minister for Consumers Alberto Garzón stood up and said that “Tourism is not a strategic sector of the Spanish Economy”. Consequently the Government will not put any effort into starting the tourist sector up again, until next year.

Stupidly putting the jobs of millions of Spaniards at risk. Uncle Alberto also went on to say that it wasn’t important because “the sector only worked for six months a year and then didn’t actually contribute much to the economy for the rest of the year.”

I have to point out to Alberto that I tend to take my summer holidays in the.. well summer and that will be your explanation for why there is an increase of economic activity in the tourist sector during the summer.

It is bitterly disappointing to my friends who work in the tourism industry here along the Costa Tropical. For them during summer they work very long and hard to run their hotels, serve their customers in their bars and restaurants, bringing money into the Spanish economy and employing ordinary working people across the coast here in Spain.

For the record Tourism represents 14.6% of the country’s GDP, it grew last year by 2.4% accounted for 2.8 million jobs and nearly 15% of ALL jobs in Spain ..but I quote Uncle Alberto “It is not of strategic importance.”

Perhaps I have lost something in translation, but I doubt it.

A Post on Facebook from Chelmsford Remembered greeted me this morning with an old picture of my Great, Great, Grandmother – oh my God she looks just like me except I have never worn black crinoline. Or one of those stern Victorian expressions. I am usually a far jollier person than Great, Great Grandmama.

My Aunt May also saw the post, it has been a difficult year for her as my Uncle Thomas died a few weeks ago, they had been together for better or worse at least fifty years, she messaged me:

“I am going out of my head here alone. At the funeral we were only allowed close family, 7 in the crematorium, 2 in the porch six foot apart.

My flowers were cancelled, so the Funeral Directors put a silk arrangement on the coffin. No order of service, no cars, we just had to go our separate ways afterwards, quite depressing.

I take my dog out about 6.30 then call in the Co-Op and get food, then I am in the rest of the day, just keep eating for comfort, no enthusiasm for doing any housework, just trying to keep sane.”

The UK Government, or more accurately the Government that now only seems to control England has listed a set of daft complicated and in some places insane rules for undoing lockdown.

Including the stupidity of this wonderful quote from my Facebook friend Max Ayres:

“Apparently we cannot visit our relative’s homes. But Estate Agents can buy and sell houses. So I put my house up for sale and my Mum is coming for a viewing at five o’clock.”

Day 60 and on a brighter note I edited a wonderful guest for Natalie Lowe’s Pro Fit Golf Conditioning Podcast – Damian Hughes – he was talking about talent:

CLIP ..down to talent 1’03 Golf Conditioning Podcast

You can hear the rest of that Podcast on Monday Morning on The Pro Fit Golf Conditioning Podcast with Natalie Lowe, it is an excellent listen.

He is also right, our dear friend Nick Ferrari is the Breakfast Presenter for LBC Radio, people often say to us what is Nick like in real life? Well he is exactly the same as he is on the radio, just a bit ruder and louder. But he fits the 20 80 talent versus determination formula.

Last year he found himself stranded in France, due to an air strike. He was due to present his Breakfast Show the next morning. He told his other half eff-this I am getting back. He hired a car, drove all night through France and then onto the ferry, arriving at the radio station just in time for his show in London – Determination.

I think it is a quality we are all going to have to channel, if we are ever to break free of the power of ‘R’ the flattening of that curve that will help bring us the freedoms my sister in New Zealand is starting to enjoy. My Nephew has his birthday today and is going out to dinner in Auckland, as today their country reached level 2, well done Jacinda.

Even though Day 60 has probably been our most miserable yet, the windy cold weather, broken sleep, comfort eating, drinking, stupid politicians, .. I think I am going to channel Great Great Grandmama and raise my head and give the world my very best determined steely eyed Victorian stare.