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    Forging a new life!

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    R.I.P. Ronnie!

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    Before I write today's blog, I just wanted to comment on the death of Ronnie Corbett CBE.  I have just heard the news, as I was listening to The BBC World Service.

    Ronnie was a big part of my childhood, growing up in the 1970s and 80s.  One of the funniest people on television, he continued his career in the arts and raising money for charity, right up until his death.  

    ​My best wishes and love to his family, friends and fans at this time.  You will be sadly missed by millions!

    New Me!

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    We have been in Spain, exactly two months now and haven´t looked back once.  It has been a very productive time for me, forgetting the past and
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    everyone in it, who caused harm and discord both in our life and of course theirs, dragging us into feuds and drama as often as they could.  For me this is the happiest I have been  for many years and I am determined to enjoy my time here, because this is where I want to be and live my life.
    They are a very welcoming lot here and you can't help but fall in love with this place and everything that comes with it, the people, lifestyle, sun and community spirit.  It is truly a wonderful time to be alive.

    In keeping with my new sense of optimism, I decided to dye my hair.  OK a bit of a mid life crisis, but my grey hair and beard were making me look washed out and feeling old, so a box of 'Just for Men', did the trick.  It really is amazing, just how good you feel after tidying up your appearance and if not looking, at least, feeling a bit younger in looks and spirit.

    ​Personally I doin´t think it looks too bad.  Jamie came in from work yesterday morning, after I had done my hair, not recognising me, calling me mate, so I suppose in that respect, it worked.  Makes me look ten years younger, so I am told!
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    The beaches here on The Costa Blanca are beautiful.  I have stayed in other parts of Spain, indeed the World, but you can´t beat the long stretches of white sandy beaches along the coast line, especially in this area.  

    We spend a few hours there, in Los Arenales, adding to the relaxed feel and air that I am at least enjoying now. A far cry from City life in Southampton!
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    Jamie Hough

    Posted by Luke Martin-Jones on Wednesday, 30 March 2016
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    Beach!

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    It was another hot day yesterday, just as it is today, so we decided to pop to the beach.  People who know me well enough, understand I can´t swim and do not particularly like just sitting around on a pile of sand doing nothing, so to get me there was a chore in itself. Still I took the laptop and did some writing
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    Zest!

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    I finished work at 10pm and we popped out to Zest.  Jamie and Darrell were at Dunbars, when I completed my shift and Jamie was already well on the way to getting smashed.  It doesn't take a lot, though his drinking tolerence is getting better.

    Met some new faces and some old ones in The Square, and as usual had a great night. I left early to get Jamie home, leaving Darrell to chat at the bar!
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    Marmite!

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    Starting up a new side line business, decorating Marmite jars, turning them into mobiles for windows and porches.  A lot of people here in GA, do many different things, as well as their jobs.  A doubt very much I will sell any, and will probably end up, with thousands of Marmite jars and nothing to do with them.  Just another hobby, for me to keep myself occupied, whilst in Spain.

    Anyway, have to go, and get some more rays of sun.  It's been another successful few days for me.  My work contract will be through soon, I've paid for my Social Security number today, which will entitle me to free health care, access to pensions as well as any future benefits.  I'm still enjoying my job at Dunbars, the sun is out and Summer is well and truly here.

    I had forty messages of support over the last few days, from friends in The UK, happy to see us doing well.  It does seem that other people's happiness can indeed breed positivity in others.  People both here and abroad in Britain continue to be a great source of inspiration and we look forward to welcoming many of you, to our new home, this summer!

    Peace and Love!
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    Easter Sunday at Dunbars!

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    Have a double shift today at Dunbars, Easter Sunday.  It´s 5.30pm and I´ve just got home from shift number one and enjoying a few hours siesta, before returning for 7pm.  

    Dunbars put on a great carvery today, and it was a fantastic success. Plates full and stomachs were bulging. Lunch time was a resounding success!
    When I got in for my shift at 1pm, the place was already heaving.  There were lots of happy, holiday faces, in the warm Spanish sun, celebrating Easter Sunday.  

    I love cooking and enjoy seeing the satisfaction on peoples faces, when they have experienced, decent, home cooked food,  
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    There is a lot of preparation involved in creating the perfect Sunday Carvery and everyone at Dunbars have been working hard to offer, what I think is the best Sunday lunch in GA.

    It was wonderful to have such great feedback from everyone who ate at the restaurant.  

    Home made soup or prawn cocktail starter, a choice of three meats, the best roasties in Spain and everything fresh.

    ​If you are about, pop in to Dunbars, seven days a week and experience some of the best food around.  You´ll love it!
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    Hot, hot, hot!

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    23 March 2016

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    Darrell cut Jamies hair, finally, and we spoke to Natalee and our Lee Ralph on Skype.  She will be out here in Spain soon.  Really look forward to seeing her. I know, with all her experience in Hospitality, she can be a great success here!  Also good to hear from Lee and how nothing has changed in Southampton, which is no surprise to us!
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    24 March 2016

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    Darrell and I went out and got a little drunk tonight.  We hadn´t done that in
    a while, so when he picked me up, still wearing my chef´s whites, we popped over to Dicks and had a few too many drinks.  We spent the evening with Barbara, one of the first people we met here in  Spain, she is adorable.  She has been great at letting us know the in´s and out´s of things here in GA, is always honest and will always go out of her way to help new comers.  We appreciate all the help and advice we receive here, because without it, we would be just stumbling on, instead of feeling happy, settled and at peace with where we are!
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    25 March 2016

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    Officially 28 degrees today, though felt much hotter.  Started to create a website for Dunbars, the restaurant I work for in GA.  
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    26 March 2016

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    Wow, it´s been a hot one today.  It was 40 degrees on my solarium earlier.       I´ve just finished the evening shift at Dunbars and worked in the morning as well, after thinking it was Sunday and the clocks had changed!
    I´m really enjoying being back cooking in a kitchen and am getting better each day. It helps when you have good employers and I am already very fond of Mandy, the proprietor and Grandson Reece.  I am working in their family restaurant and it really is a family affair.  They have been very welcoming and perfect to work for.

    I have worked for many organisations in the past, as well as also owning my own business, but have never worked, so close to where I live, employed by a local family.  Initially I had no idea what to expect, but very quickly, I felt completely at home and happy working with amazing people.

    Mandy and her husband are grafters, in every sense of the word.  Mandy works long hours at front and back of house and for that reason, you know you are truly working, with professional people.   

    Loyalty of staff can be a problem here in Spain, with other bars and restaurants poaching staff, so you can understand how weary employers can be, with new comers. Working for six months and having six months off can also be a difficult working practice to get used too, especially coming from the UK.  So you can imagine, how surprised people are, that I am actually doing so well here.  That is mainly due to the nature of all those who work for Dunbars.  They indeed have my loyalty and I look forward to spending the next six months working for them!

    Just a quick blog tonight, as I´m off to bed shortly, I´ll do my best to write as often as I can, although the entries will be a little shorter, with a larger, more comprehensive blog, at the end of each week.  Love to everyone in The UK!

    #stilllovingspain 
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    Dunbars!

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    I have been working at Dunbars, here in Alicante for a few weeks now.  I am enjoying doing what I used to do twelve years ago.  I am working for The Dunbar Family, in their restaurant.  They are great people to work for, honest, up front and a wonderful inspiration, for me, in my endeavours.  I feel proud to be a part of their team, working hard, to produce home cooked, fresh food, from locally sourced ingredients.

    I have agreed to help set up a website for the restaurant, which will be up and running shortly.  I encourage you all to come and sample the food, where you will be offered a warm, friendly welcome, by all the staff!
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    It´s  Time!

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    We have heard from a lot of people since leaving The UK.  Close friends have kept in touch regularly through social media, others, like my volunteers from my old job in Southampton, have written emails and letters and others have rang, like clockwork.  We have also been surprised at the number of people, who we had lost touch with, over the years, living in Southampton, who have contacted us, sent us goodwill messages and rekindled old friendships.

    It has been wonderful to hear from people, we had either fallen out with or moved away from.  These friends are very important to us.  They have reinforced our views, about the reasons we left Britain in the first place.  You see, many of those, who we now have the bonus of talking to again, have specifically told us, that due to the dubious nature, of those we used to mix with, they felt unable to continue with friendships.

    Now under normal circumstances, I would actually be bloody angry with these revelations.  I mean who are other people, to determine, who we can and can not see as friends?  These are not normal times.  We left Southampton, because of some of the worst people you could ever meet.  These were never personal slights against myself and Darrell, but rather a need to remove themselves from associations with people, who quite frankly deserve nothing but our contempt.

    When Jamie decided to come along with us.  He was at a low ebb.  Rather than most of his so called friends encouraging him to move to Spain, start a new life and regain his dignity, there were those, who just wanted to destroy him further, start rumours and mischief and quite frankly, act like the immature children they always were. Very few people, ever tried to help Jamie, just as very few tried to help and encourage us, with our move to Spain.  Even those closest to myself and Darrell, continued to stick the knife in.  Cornering one or the other of us, singly, when they were able, to try and throw a spanner in the works.  These were close and trusted friends, people we had supported over others, offered a roof over their heads and been there for at very traumatic times.  To realise that these individuals were nothing more than opportunists and manipulators was a hard lesson to learn!

    Sadly what happened to us, continues to happen to others.  Natalee has decided to move out to Spain, to start a new life with us.  This was her decision, nothing we had influenced, but a choice she had made herself, for her own personal reasons. We are delighted she is coming here, and after everything Natalee has done for us, she well knows, our home, is always hers, for as long as she wants.  Friends do not judge others, friends accept their friends decisions, friends support one another.  That´s what we do right?

    Yes of course that is what we do for those close to us.  Their happiness should be our only priority, but like us, Natalee has had her fair share of nastiness.  Deleted from facebook, removed from friends lists, ignored and treated with disrespect, and for what? 

    There is absolutely no reason or justification for what is happening to Nat, what happened to Darrell and I or indeed happened to Jamie.  These are selfish motives, from angry people, with jealous minds and a desire to see others fail in life.  Just because they are not here, they hate the fact that someone else, may actually move out  to Spain and might, just might succeed, just as they could have done. The `If I can´t have it, nor should you´scenario.  This just shows them for the people they are, in fact the terrible human beings they always were really, and I was just taken in, to believe them and their motives.

    I would like to thank all those people for offering their support.  From Justin Phillips, who had no reason to say any kind words and who´s encouragement is particulary invaluable, to Gavin Manning, who had not spoken to us in a few years and to Nathan Stephens, who thoughts have been very welcome.  These are people, who literally have no reason to say anything, but they have done and have pushed us ever forwards.

    To those, who have been so disrespectful towards us and our endeavours.  Just think for a minute, what pain and hell we went through for over a year.  In fact on the anniversary of my relapse, the reverberations of that time are still being felt. You just remember what you claimed to be and offer and then justify your appalling bahaviour, not only to myself and Darrell, Jamie and Natalee, but also to every single person, who we supported over you.  How wrong we were, once again? How wrong Jamie was? How wrong was Natalee? how wrong were we all? Especially how wrong was I, to ever think you were anything but genuine?  Finally, it´s time to say goodbye, finally it´s time to lay you all to rest!

    ​Peace and Love always!