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

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On 31st January 2016, my partner and I left Southampton to start a new life as Expats in Gran Alacant, on the Costa Blanca. This blog will document our journey, as we navigate the Spanish system, travelling a path untried and untested. With Brexit looming, political turmoil in Europe, and an unpredictable future, harsh decisions must be made. Illness, family bonds, and a Change of heart all make for challenging times in the life of a 'Roaming Brit!'

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Absent Friends!

26/12/2020

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2020 has been a terrible year. Unable to spend time with family and friends and in tribute to those who have lost their lives during the pandemic, we resurrected our family toast, to drink to loved ones, wherever they are. All of us were together in spirit, as we did our best to celebrate Christmas in a smaller more intimate way. They say a photo can tell a story, well this one records our Christmas, the people who should have been a part of it and a day spent with those closest. A single family unit, support bubble or alone with our thoughts, Christmas 2020 was an altogether different affair!
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Doing The Right Thing!

2/10/2020

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Coronavirus knows no bounds and its latest victim is no less a person than Donald Trump, The President of the United States. When I woke up this morning, the World was just beginning to digest the terrifying news, that the leader of the free World had caught COVID-19. This was dreadful news for America, coming just four weeks before the Presidential election; Mr Trump will now have to self-isolate for fourteen days. Of course nobody can be sure just how this will pan out, but if he recuperates well, he should be back on the campaign trail in a fortnight. Despite my dislike of his policies, I wish him and the First Lady, who also tested positive, well.

It is ironic that a man who constantly criticised his opponent Joe Biden for wearing a mask, is now suffering due to his lack of precautionary measures. This is a man who only recently started wearing a face covering himself and it is likely he has infected others in his Whitehouse team. I find his handling of the pandemic appalling and his reluctance to wear a mask shocking, considering the huge loss of life in the United States. The next week will determine just how bad things will get for the President, he is after all in a high risk category; at 74 years of age he is clinically obese; nevertheless despite this, statistically he is likely to pull through. There is of course lessons to be learned for all of us and the hope is people will finally wake up to the enormity of the threat at hand.

All of us should follow Government guidelines and wear coverings in public spaces. Remaining at a safe social distance is also necessary to stop the spread of COVID and not mixing with other households is a must. I am not visiting anyone now, and I am keeping clear of everyone who I don't personally know. The only real contact I have with people are those I work with and close family, even then I am mindful of the situation we all find ourselves in and keep a safe distance.

I was able to at least see family this week and spent a few hours walking through the cemetery feeding the squirrels with my Aunt, Cousin Rachel and the kids. All of us met outside in order to limit as much contact as we can. As the Coronavirus total continues to rise, I am once again  becoming rather anxious about the difficulties we are now all facing; I want to do as much as I can to protect those around me. I haven't seen my Cousins for quite a while, so it was wonderful to just relax in their company for a short while.

On the theme of 'doing the right thing,' I have continued to get to grips with my health issues, that have become more visible recently. Yesterday I had a physiotherapy session, where I was referred for more blood tests, this time for Rheumatoid Arthritis and Ankylosing Spondylitis. The consultant believes I have symptoms consistent with both conditions and wants to rule them in or out before we carry on with the sessions. These are not diseases I know anything about and for the first time I haven't googled their symptoms. It is important to find out exactly what is happening with my general well-being now, as I approach my 50th year, and I am glad the Doctors are doing what they can to ensure I understand the nature of the pain I am now experiencing.

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Darrell and I are keeping very much to our 'family toast' tradition each week and yesterday we had our usual photo together, taken on different sides of the World. 'Doing the right thing' and keeping our relationship alive under the most difficult circumstances is important, even today. In fact, we have spoken every day this week, which has helped our situation feel more normal.

At our age we are lucky to still have each other and understand the importance of our relationship, now more than ever. This pandemic has indeed been a terrible juncture in all our lives, but for Darrell and I, it has cemented our partnership firmly together. We have overcome so many obstacles during our 25 years together that we aren't going to let a virus get in the way of our happiness. When all this is over, we can at least add COVID-19 to our list of boundaries crossed and struggles conquered. As long as we continue 'doing the right thing' both of us will come together stronger than ever... Just like all of you, but until then we will continue to fight, learning from our mistakes, remembering the good times and always, always looking forwards!

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A Week of Ups and Downs!

2/8/2020

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I've certainly had a week of ups and downs; with face coverings now compulsory across the UK, Sunday has become my mask washing day. I actually have one for every day of the week now, understanding what most people don't, that masks should be washed or in the case of disposable ones, discarded after each use.

Like all of us, I am still trying to get used to the concept of wearing a piece of cloth in front of my face; it isn't the most comfortable of pastimes and is particularly irritating to say the least. Walking around the shop where I work, I also have to wear PPE, along with customers, which is only right. Nevertheless, there are those who refuse to conform to the 'new normal,' which can be pretty disheartening for people like me, who have to work every day. I fail to understand why people would ignore the new rules and regulations and like the vast majority of the public, I am happy to do what is right. In order to avoid a second wave, all of us have to change our lives. Putting on a face covering isn't the most difficult of tasks, when one considers those who have died during this pandemic!

On Monday it was another morning volunteering at Cancer Research, doing my best to sort out the electrical department. I haven't actually been feeling a hundred percent for the last seven days and when I woke up Monday morning I was in two minds, whether to even go in. I knew however, that just being at the shop would cheer me up and it wasn't too long before I started to feel a little better.

Having IBS can really get me down at times, and I knew on Monday that I was starting to get a flare up. Together with the hiatal hernia pain, I really wasn't feeling great at all. The worst part of a flare up is feeling that something more sinister is going on. I had also come to the end of a course antibiotics for another UTI; I guess the digestive issues I have been experiencing over the last few years have come to a head, making me feel down and depressed.

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After speaking to a friend I decided to order a PSA test, to make sure my prostate was working properly. Rather than waiting for the NHS, especially during the middle of a pandemic, I obtained one privately and will take it later on today, once the antibiotics are finally out of my system.

Cancer Research is the one day of the week I can relax and unwind despite the way I feel. Today I am still feeling pretty unwell, but will force myself out of bed tomorrow and once again do the volunteering I enjoy, it's the only thing that takes my mind off my problems and being surrounded by like-minded individuals is the best tonic money can buy.

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Our weekly family toast ended last Thursday, but Darrell and I are continuing to do our own toast to each other. Thursdays have brought both of us closer together, and we both feel it is important to keep that family tradition going. It does seem on the surface at least that this pandemic is winding down, but I have my doubts. The original reason for the family get together each week is still there and I have a feeling it won't be too long before we are toasting one another, in lockdown once again.

Darrell is coping remarkably well in Australia, even as the country enters winter. The infection rate, especially in the eastern states is rising dramatically, on a par with Britain, so it is a frightening time for him and his Mother, who is also doing OK under the circumstances. Thursday will always be a day for Darrell and I to get together and celebrate our years together.

Also, on Thursday My Aunt and I and the kids travelled to Hayling Island to attend a family lunch. Getting onto the Island was a bit of a nightmare as per usual, nevertheless we all had a great day spent with family, a rare thing these days. It's nice to be around lots of children, something I am not used to, but it has become a rather big part of my life. Family has become the backbone of my time back home in Portsmouth and during this devastating period, it has allowed me to form bonds I wouldn't otherwise have had the opportunity to do.

Darrell and I are looking to buy a holiday home on the island when everything returns to normal and have started looking at places near to the beach. Both of us have options open to us, whether here in the UK or abroad, but establishing a base is important as we grow older. In time, we both hope to finally settle somewhere, but I am certainly relishing my time at my Aunts and have no plans to move anywhere else quite yet. When you spend time with loved ones, you realise just who the important people are. Hopefully I will also be able to see my Father soon, when Government restrictions allow.

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....and finally today I took the PSA test that I had bought online, just to put my mind at rest. I was apprehensive at first, but plucked up the courage and after getting blood absolutely everywhere, I managed to follow the instructions to the letter and the results came back negative, thank God.

Tomorrow I have a Doctors appointment to discuss my next move, hopefully arranging to have a scan and endoscopy, so I can finally get to the bottom of what is going on.

It has been a strange old week; more mask wearing, as we move into the next phase of the pandemic, rules and regulations to get used to and welcome contact with family adding an air of normality in this crazy World. Britain does feel a little more like it used to, but none of us can be sure what is round the corner, until then, we just carry on as normal....Have a great week y'all!
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Final Family Toast

26/7/2020

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Thursday was our last family toast; as the World has moved into the 'new normal,' so we have decided to end our salutations together, which have been taking place since 9th April, right at the beginning of the pandemic. As a family, we have all had our ups and downs, coping with the difficulties that COVID-19 brought to us all. We have, however, kept in touch and continued to celebrate the importance of family and friends, even during the darkest of times.

The World, may well have moved into a strange sense of normality, but the virus is still there creating havoc, destroying lives, separating family and leaving destruction in its wake, so we may well be back celebrating once again, sooner than we think. Darrell and I will continue to do our toast together as a family, we are still living apart, unable to see one another, because of this crisis. This weekly tribute has brought Darrell, Mum and me a lot closer, despite the distance between us and it will be a shame to lose that now.

This event has encompassed Birthdays, celebrations, illness, good and bad times and has documented nearly three months when Britain changed like never before. Looking back and this period in history as all of us grow older, will be important for future generations. As all of us age, babies become toddlers and families are reunited once again, we can all be proud of what we have achieved in the face of adverse times.

The television has been full of images, reminding us of the very real threat that continues to this day. We have seen Hospital and care works save countless lives, key workers pushing ever harder to ensure the Great British public are able to carry on living as normal a life as possible, Captain Tom, raise thirty-three million pounds for NHS workers, VE Day, The Queen's Birthday and parents homeschooling children up and down the country; this strange chapter has shown the best and worst of human nature. The photographs we took, had stories of sadness and grief behind faces, left simmering for just a moment, as all of us took the time to put on a smile for the people we love.

A big thank you to everyone who took part in our 'Non Touch Toast,' you have all been great and a fabulous source of support, especially for Darrell and I. We can all see each other in the flesh once again, but the memories of what transpired over the last few months will linger for a long time yet. They say 'a photo can tell a thousand words,' which indeed it can, capturing a moment in time, none of us what to experience again, chronicling the enduring bonds of family, as the World, fell apart, at the seams!

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Photographs of Hope - Family Toast, good to see your faces!

20/7/2020

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Inspirational photographs at a time of crisis, creating positivity for the future!

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Two familiar faces back for this week's family toast. It's been a long time coming, but it's great to see Aunty Sue and Karen back once again.

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Photographs of Hope - Family Toast!

11/7/2020

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Inspirational photographs at a time of crisis, creating positivity for the future!

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We've been doing our family toast for ten weeks now, throughout the duration of the first wave of this pandemic, and like most families we have done our best to keep in touch, despite the difficult circumstances. I still haven't seen all of my relatives, even now, because I don't want to put anyone at risk.

The last time I saw my Father, was in January of this year. It has been hard not seeing him, especially at this time, but I don't feel it is appropriate quite yet. I work in Tesco, a pub and have a voluntary job with Cancer Research, all of which are customer facing roles.  I come into contact with many members of the public daily, that's a lot of people; so I really don't want to put my Father or any other member of my family at risk unnecessarily. I do speak to Dad every week, and he seems to be in good spirits, but this is also a lonely time for him and all of us who are separated.

This week we were able to welcome back Aunty Sue, to our family toast, after a few weeks away. Sue hasn't been feeling on top form recently and decided to take a break. To be honest I don't blame her; there were times I wish I could have just disappeared for a while, hoping this year would just go away, but to no avail. Aunty Sue hasn't been too well and having to shield for weeks on end has taken its toll on her, but fighting fit as ever, she has returned, joining in the weekly toast!

I was reading an article online this morning, talking about living with Coronavirus long term. It looks like it will be awhile before we can all get back to normal and enjoy life as it used to be. Until then, we will have to continue making the best of this situation; our weekly toast will be here for a while yet, which is no bad thing. Family up and down the country are coping remarkably well and all of us have used our ingenuity to focus on the relationships that remain important, despite the distance between us. I guess sometime next year, we will all be able to hug each other once again; until then we have our weekly toast to one another, showing everyone, no matter where they are, that we continue to care about them and lives we share!

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Photographs of Hope - Family Toast: Remembering Great Grandad!

5/7/2020

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Inspirational photographs at a time of crisis, creating positivity for the future!

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During this week's family toast we celebrated Aunty Karen's Birthday and the installation of a new headstone for Great Grandad Thomas and other members of our family from Liverpool. I don't know much about my Great Grandfather and his death in 1930, but have come across various snippets of his life, while researching my family tree. He was tragically hit by a tram and killed at the tender age of 39, leaving my Grandmother behind, who was looked after by other members of the family.

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It has been difficult finding out information from my Grans side of the family, which has made me more determined than ever to continue with my genealogical research. Family have become a lot more important to me during recent times and I think it is necessary for all of us to understand our roots and where we came from. Family stories, recollections from bygone times, rumour and intriguing tales have always been a part of our history. Bringing together all this information collectively and apportioning its relevance to different aspects of my tree has been a salient part of my motivation, in deciphering the clues that make all of us who we are.

As a point of interest, I have included the letter sent to my family after the death of Thomas. My Great Grandfather was blind and this short note has been instrumental in allowing me to piece together just what happened to him and why.

When we make a toast to one another as a family, we also remember past generations and their place within our narrative. I never knew Thomas, but, he has become integral to the search I continue today. His place within the family tree is crucial to the direction I am currently following, as I continue with my genealogical research.

Once again I would like to offer my love and gratitude to everyone who takes part each week, keeping the 'flame of family' burning strong at this time. The people we salute today will be the memories we toast tomorrow!


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Photographs of Hope - Family Toast!

14/6/2020

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Inspirational photographs at a time of crisis, creating positivity for the future!

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Another week another 'Non Touch Family Toast,' celebrating family up and down the nation. As we continue to raise a glass to those we hold dear, we are all reminded of the importance of family. With lockdown rules relaxed this week, most of us are able to spend some valuable time with our 'Social Bubbles.' Nevertheless, the way we live our lives is by no means back to normal, so our virtual get together once a week, remains as important now as it always has been!

Stay Safe!


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Photographs of Hope - Our Family Toast Continues!

5/6/2020

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Inspirational photographs at a time of crisis, creating positivity for the future!

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We have continued with our weekly family toast, despite the end of clapping for the NHS each week. It would have been nice to see the applause continue and I was a little aghast that it was stopped, especially as the good work the NHS does carries on daily. Nevertheless we will carry on celebrating those closest and the joy they bring, every Thursday, until this pandemic takes a final bow!

Family matters more now, than ever!

Stay safe everyone!

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Photographs of Hope - Thursday Family Toast!

30/5/2020

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Inspirational photographs at a time of crisis, creating positivity for the future!

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Another Thursday family toast, giving hope for the future during difficult times. We were once again joined by familiar faces from all over the World, as well as another welcome appearance by Cousin Carrie-Anne, all raising a glass to one another. This is one family tradition, I'm sure we will be carrying on, long after COVID-19 has retreated.

Cheers to family everywhere!

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    51-year-old Author and professional blogger. Expat formerly living in Gran Alacant on the Costa Blanca! Currently, residing in my adopted home of Perth, Western Australia.

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