Sorry to see today that a long term resident and administrator of CHIFRA has decided the time has come to sell up and return to the UK. I wish you all the luck Dave and totally agree with your reasoning, you join a growing number of people coming to the same conclusion. Nice to have known you and good luck for the future.
Hola a todos,
Well the die is cast and I have now made up my mind to return to the UK
permanently once my house is sold. I have deliberated about this for a
while and consulted with family and friends. I have detailed below some of
my thoughts and the thoughts of others.
Reasons for returning to the UK
1) We are in a pandemic and that has unsettled many people; the feeling of
being locked in and can't get back to your home country whenever you want
has had a huge effect on people.
2) Being absent from family and the not knowing what the future has in
store has made the dream life in Spain feel not so dreamy. Many of the
conversations during those long days of lockdown have included looking at
life and coming to new conclusions about the future.
3) The ability to move to Spain has been reduced by insisting on a yearly
income of around £30,000; of having to take a driving test in Spanish
within six months of moving to Spain and for those under pension age,
having to fund their own health insurance to the satisfaction of the
Spanish Authorities. The significance of these probably means a very much
reduced population of British people although I believe holiday home
ownership will continue to grow.
4) My personal circumstances of being 75 years old and knowing my body has
slowed down and changed over the last few years. As my daughter succinctly
said, “You are still young and fit enough to move yourself and to make new
friends after you move, and neither your son nor I want the job of moving
you when you are not capable”.
5) Learning Spanish has without a shadow of doubt, “Repaid me in spades”
but with my hearing reducing, again I am struggling to keep up.
6) I still drive and indeed, earlier this year, drove for four 8 hour days
to Scotland; but I feel that now I am really too old to continue with such
journeys. If I move to the London area then I will have free public
transport and have no need for a car.
There is no doubt that I have enjoyed the last 19 years of “Living in a
paradise that calls itself Chiclana”. However, I am struggling at times to
“keep up” with all the things I do and know I have to slow down despite the
many calls on my time.
The weather in Chiclana is vastly better than the UK but winters can be
cold and heating these houses albeit for only the two months of January and
February is not easy as they are built to be cool in the long hot summers.
My friend Val in Scotland has a lovely warm house that is easy to keep warm
as my bones age.
Having “contemplated my navel” whilst sitting on a mountain top, I believe
my time in Spain should come to an end and I should live closer to my
family. Having made that very difficult decision, I am now “decluttering”
my house and giving many items away to charity.
I will keep you updated as things move on
Dave Fisher
President
Chiclana Foreign Residents Association
