RAY WILCOX -´WORKING TITLE´DUE THIS YEAR - Blog

I couldn´t love you more

4/25/2021

It was a year on 31 March since
Margaret´s Mum Helen passed away. On most days there is something which will remind us of her. I have often said that Helen, or Mother Bear as I nicknamed her, was more of a mother to me than mine ever was.

We watched the funeral of Prince Philip, a perfect example of state craft.

I recently heard that an old friend of mine in HM Prison Service, Alex Smail, passed away recently.
We first met at HM Prison Parkhurst in 1976 and subsequently worked together at HMP The Verne and HMP Birmingham. A popular, nice man. RIP.

As I mentioned earlier we are fortunate to live in a region in Spain which currently has the lowest Covid infection incidents. We have recently been informed that restaurants and shops will stay open until 22.00 from Monday 26 April. The curfew still begins at 22.00 so there could be some confusion there! Time will tell.

Just been informed that I will receive my first Pfizer jab next week at Centre Llunatics in Denia followed by the second next month. A friend asked if they had named the centre after me...

Our weather has not been typically Spanish, so far this year. This has been the coldest April many can remember and more rain is on the way.

We have still managed to get out for some splendid meals one of which was to celebrate Margaret´s recent birthday. With David and Eileen we went to Casa Lili near Moraira. Because of Covid restrictions we could only dine in the afternoon and leave the restaurant by 18.00.

Margaret has completed a set of very special quilts and wall hangings for a dear friend. You can see them on the Artwork page. I have been working on both writing projects but also, and for me something totally new, I´ve been setting some of my favourite poems to music. One in particular,
I Couldn´t Love You More, is sounding good and has Margaret´s approval. Works in progress!

Recently received a message from Peter Atkinson a former colleague in HM Prison Service. Peter was Governor of HMP Acklington when the Service was a system to be proud of.

The grassed area in front of our terrace now looks like a market garden with all manner of herbs and rhubarb sprouting nicely due to the variable weather. Margaret is I/C and I do the menial tasks such as watering and removing unwanted bugs. Despite all the wonderful flavours on offer we still manage to put dinner together without remembering to add what is growing nicely outside!

More next time.

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A day in the life

12/20/2020

No one could have predicted what would happen as we moved into 2020. The major event, for us, was when Margaret´s Mum Helen passed away on 31 March aged 90. The cause was Covid 19. Margaret had managed to see Mum a couple of weeks before she passed.

I first met Helen in 1984 and I would soon start to call her Mum. She was a feisty Scottish lady and I was lucky to know her. Many of you will know about my feelings for my own mother. In the 36 years that I knew Helen she was more of a Mum to me than my own ever aspired to be. Thank you.

At the beginning of March we went to the O2 in Greenwich to see a charity concert for the Royal Marsden Hospital. We were lucky to see great performances from Eric Clapton, Yusuf Cat Stevens and many other great musicians. The concert was well attended. I wonder how many of our fellow concert goers are still around to talk about it.

We had arrived back in Spain, from seeing Mum, on 15 March the day after the lockdown came into effect.

There was never any confusion about what was expected from us when the pandemic hit Spain. The instructions were clear and the police enforced them when necessary. During the early days of the pandemic I was stopped three times at police roadblocks. Each time I explained why I was traveling and the police were courteous and clear with their instructions.

We, and I speak for our friends in Spain, have been constantly appalled by the lack of positive direction from Westminster and the couldn't´-care-less attitudes displayed by so many across the UK. As I´m writing this the pandemic is, once again, on the rise in the UK and the press are reporting that there is the possibility of a Tier 4 being introduced to the present Tier 1, 2 and 3 system. Going from bad to worse.

I remember watching a UK news report about a large gathering of people on the beach at Bournemouth sometime during the worst days of the pandemic. A fit looking young guy was interviewed and asked if he wasn´t concerned about contracting the virus. His answer was ´ I don´t know anyone who has the virus so I can´t get it.` So many people still seem to have this attitude or just don´t care. There are, as we have read, those conspiracy theorists who are still banging on about
how Covid 19 dosen´t really exist, just bad cases of the flu! They are probably also members of the Flat Earth Society.

Margaret and I have followed all the rules, particularly wearing masks, and have moved through the lockdown very well. We are both avid readers and have also used our time writing and building amazing quilts and wall hangings. Margaret has lost a considerable amount of weight and I´m at my fighting best. Because of the sensible approach to the management of the pandemic we have still been able to enjoy our visits to great restaurants and to walk the many roads and alley´s of the lovely village where we live.

Our friends have, like us, done everything expected of them and are all fit and well. What more can you ask?

Christmas Day will be bitter sweet for us because Mum would have celebrated turning 91. We hope to visit the UK at the end of March next year and spend time with Margaret´s brother Ray and his lovely wife Pam. We would like to revisit Japan and Canada but who knows what the next year holds.

Stay safe and enjoy a sensible Christmas and New Year.

glory days

11/19/2020

Since my last blog update in August we have continued on the pandemic road. Our beautiful corner of Spain has experienced a low rate of deaths due to Covid 19. The wise heads have put this down to the fact that we observe social distancing and wear masks everywhere when we are away from home.

We are presently under a midnight to 06.00 curfew and the restaurants and cafe´s have limited table space. We have not found this to be a problem. I watch the goings on in the UK and sometimes it seems as though we are on a different planet. Time will tell if common sense will finally take a firm hold of the disbelievers and idiots in the UK.

Margaret and I have been avid followers of the Presidential election in the USA. I´ve got a vivid imagination but I would have been hard put to come up with some of the stuff that has been going on. We have visited America three times in recent years and would have made it a fourth if Covid hadn´t stopped us. We like the country and the people and hope that the darkness and insanity of the past four years will finally be lifted when Joe Biden takes over in January ably assisted by Kamala Harris. Let´s hope that the UK takes the opportunity to elect a new leader at the first opportunity.

We were having coffee in the shopping centre near where we live when we saw a friend we hadn´t seen for a couple of years, Back in 2011, Ian and his partner Lesley Sharrock were responsible for setting me on the path to writing my first novel. Sadly, Lesley passed away and Ian is now not enjoying the best of health. It was good to see him and remember some of the times we shared. We really hope that the future is kind to him.

The first Thursday in September saw me speaking to the lovely members of the Vall del Pop U3A. I spoke about my time in HM Prison Service and how the pandemic will have effected life in prison. I thoroughly enjoyed the couple of hours and thanks to Bob Welham for his welcome.

We have been out and about and have found some restaurants which are new to us. Let´s hope that Christmas will have some semblance of what we have come to expect. Governments across the world can issue advice and orders but, at the end of the day, it is down to the individual to make it work. Let´s hope we see some real improvement in the situation before we welcome in 2021.

Stay safe.

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man of the world

8/15/2020

Peter Allen Greenbaum, known professionally as Peter Green, passed away on 25 July aged 73. He was an English blues rock singer/songwriter.

I saw Peter when he played with John Mayall but, sadly, not when he founded Fleetwood Mac. In the 70s and 80s he suffered from periods of mental illness and destitution.

His playing was superb, spare but full of emotion. He was highly rated by his peer group which included Eric Clapton.

Life has been returning to what has been described as the new normal in La Xara. Our local restaurant Replanell has reopened under new management and is, so far, OK.

We have been taking trips into Denia and Javea for shopping and restaurants and it is sad to see that a number of businesses have not survived. As we have moved into August the traffic has increased and so has the ´creative`driving. Certain areas in both towns are to be avoided.

We celebrated my 71st with a visit to Posedonia restaurant in Javea. Food and service was, as usual, great.

The lockdown has given us the opportunity to really investigate our village. So many back roads and paths leading to parks and fields. At the moment the temperatures dictate that walking around the village is really only sensible early or late. When we move into September the temperatures will be more manageable. Our village really is lovely and we are fortunate to live here.

At this point in time we have no plans to venture outside of Spain so our globe trotting has been put on hold.

This is an excerpt from the UK Government´s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE).

´The term 'lockdown' should be banned, as Leicester locals describe feeling like 'lepers'

The word 'lockdown' should be banned as the UK moves towards tackling Covid-19 with a more local approach, it's been urged.

There are concerns the word, which so accurately encompassed Britons' lives for months, is associated with 'punishment' and 'blame'.

The Independent Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Behaviours (SPI-B) 'strongly recommend national government, PHE, the media and others cease using the term "local lockdown"' and instead switch to 'area of intervention'.

The sub-committee of SAGE added: 'The language of a "lockdown" is inherently punitive. It is critical to start to reframe the issue by moving away from this punitive language as well as from an overall punitive approach.

'Areas experiencing the reintroduction of restrictions should not be subject to "blame".'

Leicester was the first area in England to go into a 'local lockdown' on June 30 because infections soared well above the average.

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you´ve got a friend

7/4/2020

The pic on the left is a nice shot of our dear friends David and Eileen Stringer. Back in 2014 they were very supportive with my first effort at writing a novel. Since that time I have been able to rely on them for help with my poor attempts at punctuation. One of the strengths in our relationship is the acceptance of advice and criticism in the knowledge that it is sincerely given. We regularly solve the world´s problems over tostada con tomate. Lovely people.

Here in Spain we are in the phase where daily living is starting to adapt to the new normal. What has most impressed us is that there is no moaning about wearing a mask or social distancing, people just get on with it because they know it makes sense. The information filtering down from central government is easy to understand and follow. I have been stopped a number of times at police road blocks. The officers have been polite, helpful and are clearly in charge of the situation. We have got to really know our neighbours and they are content with how the situation is being managed. The big fear is that the arrival of tourists will make a relatively stable situation unstable. Only time will tell.

The situation in the UK is a major embarrassment to us and many of the other expats we know. Why so many people are putting their lives at risk is beyond understanding. As I´m writing this the pubs are reopening. The UK Prime Minister is obviously out of his depth and the country is paying the price particularly the brave police officers who are being treated like rubbish. We hope that positive change will come in the not too distant future before irreparable damage is done.

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times like these

5/8/2020

It has only been a few days since my last update. Thankfully, the Covid-19 situation in Spain is gradually improving. We were allowed out, as a couple, last Saturday for the first time since 15 March. People here follow the official guidelines and are reaping the benefits. We are saddened when we read the UK newspapers and listen to the UK news and hear about people who don´t seem to care about their safety or that of anyone else. It just dosen´t seem to make sense. Would they jump off a cliff if told to do so? Maybe...
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all things must pass

4/25/2020

This year started in a positive way for us.

During the first week of March we had tickets to see a charity concert at the O2 arena
to raise funds for the Royal Marsden Hospital. Margaret had also procured tickets to see the Tutankhamun exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery.

We stayed at an hotel in Depford, South London. This is an area well known to me from my childhood. Peckham, where I was born, was rough but Depford was the pits. I didn´t recognise it. It had definitely been gentrified. On the day of the concert we travelled to the O2 to get an idea of the layout and where the restaurants were. We visited the NOW gallery which is opposite the Os entrance and saw the most incredible piece of art called Slices Of Time. There is a pic on the Pics and Poems page.

The concert was excellent and we had great seats courtesy of Margaret. The artists who stood out for us were Cat Stevens, Mick Hucknall and, of course, Eric Clapton.
The major disappointment, for us, was Van Morrison. His performance was poor and he came across as a miserable old git who didn´t want to be there.

The weather had started to take a turn for the worse when we went to the Tutankhamun exhibition in West London. It was great seeing the real exhibits but we felt that they could have been displayed to better advantage. Also, crowd control was poor and the Gallery was like a rabbit warren.

Over the four days we were in London we used the Underground system extensively and it was a nightmare. Covid-19 was lurking in the background but, at that time, not being taken seriously.

A week later, on Friday 13 March we flew to Manchester en route to Warrington to see Mum in Westy Care Home. We were lucky to get a couple of hours with her as the place was implementing isolation procedures.

The following day we checked to see the status of our flight back to Spain on the Monday and it had vanished! Margaret got straight on the case and managed to get us on a Ryanair flight on the Sunday evening from Liverpool Airport. We had two of the three available seats left.

Ray and Pam, Margaret´s brother and sister-in-law were a massive help by following us to Manchester Airport on the Sunday lunchtime, where we dropped off our hire car, and then took us to Liverpool Airport. When we boarded the plane we found that we were amongst only 26 passengers who had turned up for the flight! Once in the air the crew said that we could sit where we liked. Weird. Pic on the Pics and Poems page.

On arriving in Alicante we were hurried through the airport without the need to show passports or any form of ID. Spain was now in lockdown from the day before, 14 March. We have been subject to lockdown regulations since that date. The Spanish authorities have our admiration for the way that they are handling the crisis. Only one person out of the house at any one time, same applies in a car. The police are courteous and in charge.

We regularly watch the UK news and are saddened to see the way that people are flouting the rules. If the UK were on a war footing and bombs were being dropped we wouldn´t see pictures of people sunbathing in parks or having BBQs in the street! This situation is worse because we can´t see the enemy.

We are glad that we are here where the rules are plain and not up for interpretation.

Our next trip to New York was scheduled for the first week in April and last for 17 days. This was cancelled and rescheduled for October. We are having serious doubts as to whether this will happen.

Lastly, on 23 April Lucinda Clarke, writer, and I were due to speak to a group of students at a language college in Valencia about the process of writing a book. Hopefully, this will be rescheduled to a future date.

As I mentioned earlier, Mum passed away on 31 March and her funeral was held on 15 April. Thanks to Ray and Pam for keeping us up to date with arrangements and for ensuring that the day was as they and us wished it to be.

A big, big thank you and love to David and Eileen for their presence albeit by phone.
Our thanks and love goes to Ray and Pam, Lindsay and Mel, Jenny and Willi, Kryshia and Brian, Mandy, Fee and Mark, John and Kate, Jane and John, Avonia, Hilary and Steven, Flash and John, Jenny Lewis, Tim and Josie, Sheila and Tony, Hazel and Phil and Ken and Sylvana.

Special thanks to Katya and the staff at Westy Hall Care Home in Latchford near Warrington.

Here, there and everywhere

1/1/2020

Since June we seem to have been chasing our tails. It has been incredible difficult to plan ahead too far.

We were enjoying coffee and tostada with David and Eileen when my phone burst into life. Westy Hall Care Home calling. The conversation was not good. Mum was on her way to Warrington General Hospital after falling in her room. The hospital confirmed that she had sustained fractures to her hip and arm,
Serious stuff for a lady due to celebrate turning 90 on Christmas Day.

The following morning Margaret spent time on the phone discussing Mum with the doctors at the hospital. Soon after we were looking for flights to the UK. Mum recovered incredibly well. She really is one tough lady and I´m proud to say that she has been more of a mum to me than mine ever was.

We seem to have spent most of the year either planning to go to the UK, being there or having just got back. Many, many hours spent in departure lounges. Ug!

Other business matters in the UK also took up time. It was good to see Avonia and Ray and Pam. A big thanks to David and Eileen, KTF and My Brian, Jane and John, Jenny and Willy, Sylvana and Ken and Mandy for positive friendship during 2019. Also festive greetings to Hilary and Jenny in the UK and Eric in the USA. Also, all the staff at Westy Hall Care Home for looking after Mum. Thank you.

Also in this busy year we managed to go on our first cruise and took in many of the Caribbean Islands we had read about. The ship and facilities were as expected, but, package holidays are not for us.

In December we spent three days in Warrington, mostly with Mum, and then headed for Jersey in the Channel Isles where we spent a peaceful and super Christmas. We spent our honeymoon in Jersey in 1986 so it was good to visit most of the island again.

Lastly, the image below is of a collection of 70 poems I put together to mark my reaching the age of 70 in July. Friends have been very positive about the collection. I still have a few left if you are interested.

I wish you all a peaceful and prosperous 2020.

Good To Me as i am to you

6/30/2019

So, so much to report since 5 March.

David and Eileen Stringer have been a constant support throughout and our love and thanks go to you.
As I mentioned on the Home Page, much of what we were doing was centered on or related to Mum. We visited Warrington twice and enjoyed time with Margaret´s brother Ray and Pam. We also managed to fit in a four day break in London. We stayed in Covent Garden, an area which had passed me by when I was growing up and dossing in Central London. We enjoyed great meals at the Loch Fyne restaurant and the highlight was seeing the musical, Tina Turner Story.

We are blessed with amazing restaurants on the Costa Blanca and we have enjoyed them in the company of David and Eileen, Jenny and Willi, KTF and My Brian. Peter and Anne, Doug and Deidre and Ken and Sylvana.

On the ´we didn´t know that Ray was into the posh stuff ´ front, Margaret and I went to the Altea auditorium to see Madam Butterfly and thoroughly enjoyed it. Over the past few years we have been regular visitors to both Altea and Teulada auditoriums to see operas and ballet, so there!
And no electric guitars, whatever next...

Speaking of guitars, I recently had the opportunity to lock plectrums with Willi. We bashed away and produced passable versions of Knocking On Heavens Door and 500 Miles. Nice.

A few days ago I had a delightful conversation with Jennifer, a lady I last spoke to over 50 years ago. Congratulations on the good news.

I have mixed feelings about the whole social media thing, but being reconnected to friends after many years is a plus.

As I´m writing this I´m listening to a special radio show that I presented on TotalFM on 12 April 2015. So much has happened since then...

On Wednesday I was approached by a news team from a Spanish TV station and asked if I would like to comment on how Brexit was going and the possible effects it could have on expats. I did.

Last but not least. Yesterday, we had afternoon tea with David and Eileen on a beautiful boat moored on top of a mountain near Villalonga. I kid you not...

More next time...

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The Way It Is

3/5/2019

5 March 2019
Mid December saw Margaret and I off on our next adventure to Montreal in Canada. We had the most incredible time and, yes, it was bloody cold.

Our hotel was great, with the advantage of being connected to the the miles of underground shopping malls and walk ways. As usual, we were out and about and were thankful that we had taken Jane and John´s advice about buying cold weather clothing.

On Christmas day we walked the streets and headed for Mount Royal in temperatures of minus 15 degrees. We enjoyed an incredible Christmas dinner of Afghan food. On Boxing Day we saw a performance of Cirque Du Soleil, which originated in Montreal. We had a great day out in Quebec and were lucky to have a tour guide who was really on top of his game. On the Thursday after Christmas we went to the Notre Dame Basilica and experienced an incredible light show. Canada is an amazing country and I´m sure that we will be going back.
On our return to the UK we went to Warrington to spend time with Margaret´s Mum. Since our return home to Spain the time has literally flown by. We have more short trips planned for the near future and are looking forward to our Caribbean cruise with David and Eileen in November.

Just to take a step back to the New Year. Margaret and I promised each other that we would share our time with people like ourselves, who would enrich our lives and, hopefully, we enrich theirs. I think that we have just about made that promise a reality.

More next time...

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