Category: Luke-martin-jones-awards

Luke Martin-Jones Awards - Blog Topic Of The Year!

11/1/2018

2017 was a great year for ‘Spanish Views,’ thousands of people read my blog every week; a vindication of all the hard work both myself and others have contributed to! Personally I have put in a lot of sweat, blood and tears, working up to eight hours a day; dedicated to writing about issues that are important to me. These subjects can be wide ranging and diverse, but they are consequential to my new life in Spain. When I started blogging in 2015, I concentrated on the difficulties behind my relocation, to the other side of Europe and the significant events that shaped my destiny, giving me the opportunity to move to Gran Alacant. As a writer, I tend to blog about all aspects of my life as an Expat, living on the Costa Blanca. Current affairs, especially about Brexit and my years living in the UK, also feature throughout ‘Spanish Views.’ I have also moved my website forwards, by including posts from guest bloggers and interviewing those who have played a role in my successes and been there during difficult times, as well as other bloggers and writers, who are making an impact both here and abroad! Together, all these categories form the website, I am proud to call my own.

In today’s entry I want to talk about the topic, that remains important for my readers; the one aspect of ‘Spanish Views,’ that continually generates interest from you. I get more messages, emails and comments about ‘Oxfam and bullying,’ than I do on any other subject. My first blog Bipolarcoaster, evolved because of my own experiences, at the hands of bullies working for Oxfam GB. Nearly three years later, I am still discussing this very difficult, rarely talked about problem.

On average I receive up to forty emails a day; eighty percent of those are from people dealing with bullying, in their daily lives, all suffering but wanting to talk to others, who they feel can help them dealing with this trauma. I remain shocked at the stories I hear, but heartened that these brave people, continue to come forward and ask for advice and support. Of course I am only a blogger; I am not a counsellor or helpline; I am just another victim in a long line of victims. My credentials consist of nothing more, than no longer being afraid of the bullies and an inbuilt ability to talk about my difficulties. Bullying remains a terrible indictment on the society we live in. In 2018 we are still picking up the pieces, mending broken hearts, dealing with depression, self harm and a lack of self esteem; all because we can’t stop the bullies in their tracks. It is true I was tormented at work, but most of my correspondence involve younger voices, dealing with daily abuse at school; all because those in charge of our education and welfare systems, can not face up to the abuses on their doorstep. Bullying starts here, left unchecked It will adapt and evolve, exploding into our work life, Bullies who get away with their crimes, become the sociopaths and psychopaths of the future; this is the end result, that I am dealing with today.

I write and campaign against bullying because readers ask me to. Without your positive input, I would not always have the stamina to relive my own personal journey, dealing with the after effects of aggression. Bullying has impacted my life for many years; it still does today but only because I am trying to help those suffering. I no longer consider myself a victim; strong enough to face what happened to me and most importantly able to write about dark times in this blog. You have been judge and jury and voted with your comments, using my encounters as a reference point, in which to explore your own, very real obstacles. It is of course heart wrenching to read your stories, detailed in the emails you send on a daily basis; they are however an important aspect of this blog. The challenges you face, not only provide me with material, to work with but also offer an insight into bullying from another’s point of view. This is extremely helpful and enlightening for me, also coming to terms with my own perplexities, two years after my problems ended!

I am awarding ‘Blog Topic Of The Year,’ to all those who have and continue to suffer from bullying; whether at school, in the workplace or in their home environment. Keeping their stories alive, so others can learn from their experiences is a rewarding part of ‘Spanish Views.’ I agonised as you did, I cried in the same way and I understand your pain; I am also grateful you continue to use my websites as tools to help you work through your own anxiety.

Thank you for all your input in 2017, If you have any questions, want to express an opinion or wish to contribute in some way, please don’t hesitate to contact me. ‘Spanish Views,’ is looking for writers and guest bloggers to compose articles on subjects that my readership find important. If you have a story to tell, that could help others overcome their hardships, send me a message today. There are many victims of bullying who need your help; you could be there, when no one else is.

Blog Topic Of The Year

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Luke Martin-Jones Awards - Supermercado Of The Year!

4/1/2018

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The second Luke Martin-Jones award, is for 'Supermercado (Supermarket) Of The Year.' In the UK, I had my favourite supermarket, the one I used to shop in every week. Like most people, I am a creature of habit, preferring one shop over another, for no particular reason, other than I use it week after week and have become comfortable frequenting its isles. In Spain I shop as I do, for very different reasons. Of course, I have to like the supermarket, where I am spending my hard earned cash, but my overriding concern is about cost. How much I spend on groceries each week is far more important now, than it ever was in the UK; bargain basement shopping is a must; most of the time!

I have just got back from doing the weekly shop; for a change we went to Carrefour in Santa Pola. To be honest, I was in there for about twenty minutes and had only put two items in my trolley; I just wasn't happy spending money in there, Everything was overpriced and just not what I was looking for. Let me try and give you an example; I wanted to buy a 'Gâteau des Rois,' basically a cake ring for 'Día de Reyes' or Kings' Day. In Carrefour they were 12'99€, a lot of money for a cake. In Lidl they were selling them, for the bargain price of 4'99€; that's a huge difference, for the same product.

Whenever I go into Lidl, I can always guarantee, their prices are lower than anywhere else, no matter what I am buying. For everyday staples; bread, milk, cheese and eggs, you simply can't beat the value. When I look back at my life in the UK and the vast amount of money I used to spend on shopping each week; usually about 150 pounds, I shudder at the quantity I used to throw away. I would eat maybe three quarters of what I bought, discarding the rest. Unlike Britain, Spanish supermarkets don't compete against each other in the same way; there are very few '3 for two' or 'buy one get one free' offers on items, consequently, we are not persuaded to part with money, we can't afford. These types of promotions, offer false economy and were always responsible for the products I threw away. In Spain items are much cheaper to buy than the UK in any case, so I tend to just shop for necessities each week, avoiding the pre-packaged, ready prepared, processed meals, that always have a price premium. The reality is, I avoid convenience, in favour of traditional home cooked food!

I am of course familiar with Lidl, living in the UK; oddly enough I never used to shop there, when I was based in Southampton. Today I use one of the continents favourite supermarkets, because they offer a product range I am familiar with, at a price I can afford, without the frippery and useless items, other establishments push to their customers. With low prices, I only spend about 60€ a week; actually today I spent 46€; the money I have left over, I can save or use to have a meal out. Now I live five minutes walk away, I can shop everyday if I wish, cutting down the waste even further; not that there is much anyway!

So there you have it, my choice for 'supermercado of the year' is Lidl. Remember this is only my personal preference, you may think differently; please do let me know your views, as I know you will!

Supermercado Of The Year

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Luke Martin Jones Awards - Car Of The Year!

3/1/2018

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The 'Luke Martin-Jones Awards,' will be a new regular feature of 'Spanish Views.' Here I will be highlighting the best of Gran Alacant; offering online awards for the great and good in my life, over the last year. There will also be a few less than perfect awards, for those who deserve to be highlighted, for their poor performance and lack of dedication. In the main however, I want to keep this a positive reflection on the things that held myself and Darrell together over the last twelve months and continue to allow us to live our life in Spain, without the disappointments of the past.

My first award, is for 'Car of the Year;' a tongue in cheek homage to our old banger that gets us from A to B everyday, without which we would be both walking up and down all these hills and mountains, making life that much harder. Here's hoping she carries on working after this entry. Judging on past experience, as soon as I say anything good about someone or something, the opposite tends to transpire and I am left eating my words.

Meet Bernadette, Bernie for short. She reminds me of the nurse, in the Catherine Tate sketch show, in more ways than one. The name was born because, Bernie literally is debt free, we actually own the car outright. For once in our lives, we have no credit, or car loan and no debts. Bernie is the only asset we have, but that's cool; the less baggage you have around your neck, the easier it is to move on when you have had enough.

We have had this fine example of an Opal Corsa, since we moved to Spain in 2016, acquiring her from a Lady in the pub in March 2016, paying the huge sum of 450€. I'm not sure she would even be salable in the UK, but in Spain, Bernadette is a desirable family hatchback, that so far, touch wood, has been a lifeline to the outside World; well the World outside Gran Alacant. I believe she was born in the mid 1990s, making her over twenty years old and still working as hard as the day she was born, without any problems.

The exhaust sounds a bit like the one attached to Onslow and Daisy's car, from the popular television series, 'Keeping up Appearances,' smoking on occasion, as loud as a sports car, without the performance. Despite this she still works. Like anyone of a certain age, left drying in the sun day after day, she is cracking and peeling. If the sun causes this much damage to a cars paintwork, imagine what its doing to your face. If Bernie ever has a wash; from a garage only; it's illegal to wash cars in the street here in Spain; a shed load of dark blue paint comes off with it; just adding to the character, the substance that keeps the car going, when everything else has failed.

Even when Darrell was in Australia, Bernadette never failed. She was used by our neighbours for a seven month period; If my memory serves me right, the car broke down on one occasion; even then it was nothing serious. At the time, it also passed its ITV (MOT equivalent) with flying colours, as it also did in November of this year, with no major or indeed minor faults; this old car just keeps on going!

On a final, serious note, it is essential to have a car, living in Gran Alacant. The geography of the area is such, that one would be walking long distances, just to get to a shop. The bus service can be sporadic; I have often been left waiting an hour for a bus; and the taxi service, is practically not existent in this urbanization, with drivers having to come from Santa Pola, charging a premium, before they even get to Gran Alacant. The public transport situation is terrible, although fares to travel remain very reasonable. We are both lucky enough now, to be living within walking distance to the town centre, so Darrell only needs the car, to get him to the airport and back; about a fifteen minute journey, four days a week. As long as Bernadette holds up just long enough, for Darrell to return to the UK and buy a new car, she would have done her job. Cars are very expensive in here; thankfully we have been lucky enough to own a reliable vehicle, in which to spend our first few years, living in Spain.

Car Of The Year

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From a new life in spain, to an old life in britain, 'roaming brit' documents uncertain times!

Luke Martin-Jones Awards - Blog Topic Of The Year!

Luke Martin-Jones Awards - Supermercado Of The Year!

Luke Martin Jones Awards - Car Of The Year!

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