Puntos de vista - a personal Spain blog

The title of this song by "The Eurythmics" (Annie Lennox and David G Stewart) makes a great title for this latest article about the atrocious weather we are currently experiencing in Spain as a whole.

But here in The Serrania de Ronda where I live, in particular.

[Photo of Annie Lennox courtesy of Reddit]    

In our two decades of living here, my wife Rita and I have experienced a few bouts of bad weather, the worst being in 2018.

Now 2026 is coming close to being as bad.

Severe weather warnings have been announced for several days running - Wednesday yellow, Thursday orange, today no warning, tomorrow forecast yellow again!

[YouTube]    

Our house and land

Our lawn is under water. Excess water from the mountains to the north is flowing through my land and into the neighbour's plot. Structural damage is likely.

 My recently erected metal garden shed  has been blown down and the tools and machinery inside waterlogged.

Trees and/or dead branches are likely to fall. In fact, one pine already has in my neighbour's garden.

Water is likely to enter some premises or rise through the inadequate foundations of the houses here.

Two hotels at the bottom of the hill by the swollen river are under threat of flooding.

In fact, I've just learned that the ground floor of the Hotel Molino del Puente, incorporating the bar, restaurant, library and some rooms, is under water.

The other hotel, the soon to re-open (maybe not, now) Don Miguel (formerly Hotel Don Benito) is furiously pumping water out of its cellar, which lies below ground.

What next?

A period dedicated to insurance claims, loss adjusters, clearing up, chucking out flooded items and repairing damage.

For more on this, click here.

[La Razon]    

Further Link

Eurythmics, Annie Lennox, Dave Stewart - Here Comes the Rain Again (Peacetour Live)

© Pablo de Ronda

Pictures:

La Razon, Paul Whitelock, Reddit

Thanks:

Paul Whitelock, Wikipedia

Tags:

Annie Lennox, clearing up, David G Stewart, Eurythmics, flooded items, insurance claims, loss adjusters, Pablo de Ronda, Paul Whitelock, repairing damage, Serrania de Ronda, 

In the last 12 months "The Olive Press" newspaper has gone from strength to ….. weakness. Have they employed Samson's hairdresser, by any chance?

Time was "The OP" was arguably the best of the English-language freesheets circulating in Southern Spain. "SUR in English" was in a period of circumspection and change following the retirement of founder and editor Liz Parry, BEM; The "EuroWeekly News" continued as, a-hem, "The EWN", showing little journalistic class and embracing the vile and abhorrent Leapy Lea as featured columnist.

    [The Olive Press]                                              [Diario Sur]                   [Facebook]

The local paid-for English papers all went under.

Background

So, how did "The Olive Press" plunge from its pinnacle of having regional editions all over the place including Mallorca and Gibraltar, from launching a German language edition and publishing fortnightly, to the "new improved version"?

From January 2026, "The OP" has a fresh clean design, uses better quality newsprint, has gone national and will only be published monthly.

No sign of the German version in the new grand plan.

[Issuu]    

To this keen observer of the news scene, both paid-for and free-of-charge, in paper format or online, it looks like the re-arranging of the deck-chairs on the RMS Titanic as she headed for the iceberg that was to bring her maiden voyage to a sudden and fatal conclusion.

It gives me little pleasure to write this, as I worked for "The OP" in its early days (2008-2009) and it retains a place in my heart and my personal history. I also like the owner, Jon Clarke.

But I wonder if he is now out-of-his-depth?

He sheds staff as frequently as my cats shed fur in the summer.

His journalists are mostly young and inexperienced and quickly move on to pastures newer and greener. His managers and top journalists haven't stayed long either, moving on to bigger and better things. I'm thinking of Ysabelle Bostyn, Andrew Pierce, Karl Smallman, Paul Whitelock and a number of others.

He also lost key backroom staff when he suddenly moved operations from Arriate near Ronda to the Costa del Sol.

So, am I being harsh?

I welcome the re-design - it's cleaner and sharper. But moving to being a monthly means it's no longer a newspaper, instead it's become a monthly magazine.

How do you keep on top of the news when you only come out once a month? The new "improved" OP will miss three weeks of news every single edition.

    Advance notice of the changes      The new "portada"                               The new Olive Press "monthly magazine" 

    [Above photos by Paul Whitelock]

And, by going national, it will lose one of its former strengths, ie being in touch with and part of the local community.

I hope I'm wrong, but I think I'm probably not!

SUR in English and The EWN must be rubbing their hands with glee.

© Pablo de Ronda

Pictures:

Diario Sur, Facebook, Issuu, Paul Whitelock, The Olive Press, Trip Advisor

Thanks:

Jon Clarke, Luke Stewart, Paul Whitelock, Wikipedia

Tags:

Andrew Pierce, Arriate, Costa del Sol, Diario Sur, "EWN", "EuroWeekly News", Facebook, German language edition, Gibraltar, Issuu, Jon Clarke, Karl Smallman, Leapy Lea, Liz Parry, Luke Stewart, Mallorca, Paul Whitelock, Ronda, RMS Titanic, "SUR in English", The Olive Press, Trip Advisor, Wikipedia, Ysabelle Bostyn

I recently wrote a piece in German for my German blog "Alles auf Deutsch" on the subject of interesting quotes and sayings, advice and jokes which appear on fridge magnets, beermats, diaries and greetings cards - in German.

[Wikipedia]    

I thought it would be fun to write something similar in English featuring gems from my collection that are in English.

So, here goes with my "Baker's Dozen" (13).
 

Advice on life and marriage

This wise poem by Wilferd A Peterson was read at our wedding in Maulbronn Abbey, Germany.

It was a bi-lingual service and the poem was read by my brother Simon.

I had read the same piece at his wedding to Marilyn in 2006.

As an interesting footnote, Hermann Hesse, later the author of "Steppenwolf", the novel (not the rock group!), was a pupil at the boarding school here.

This is very witty, and possibly true.

Look at me and Rita!

I love this one! Scrabble makes you feel a lot younger than you actually are!

Beermats, etc

One of my favourite quotes of all time ..... and oh, so true!

That's why I love "The Simpsons". Creator Matt Groening and his fellow scriptwriters "hit the nail on the head" so often.

    [Pinterest]

This essential tool for beer drinkers, a bottle opener, is also an attractive fridge magnet.

In our house it is stuck to the door of the beer fridge.

Of course ..... where else?

Diaries, greetings and postcards

This heartfelt message was posted on the Whitelock family app on New Year's Eve.

Very early, but why not?

This was the message on the cover of a recipe book which I gave my wife Rita for Christmas.

This is a travel diary I gave myself for Christmas this year. I hope to use it often.

My "bucket list" for 2026 consists mainly of places I want to travel to. These include Budapest (Hungary); Canada; Cuba; Galicia (Spain); possibly New Zealand; Peru; and Poland.

Plus a few places I've been to but Rita has not, eg Barcelona (Spain); Cardiff (Wales); Dublin (Ireland); Paris (France); and Prague (Czech Republic).

I've just added Greenland. I want to visit before it becomes the 51st state of the USA!
 

Fridge magnets

I am European. The day in 2016 when the British electorate voted for Brexit was one of the worst days of my life.

And now we've all seen what a disaster that turned out to be under the Tories.

At least UK prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, has taken us closer to the European Union since he came to power.

Let's hope we rejoin at some point.

A hot dog from time to time is a good thing. Not healthy, but comfort food, especially with a tasty sauce like HP or barbecued tomato.

I had a vegan sausage hot dog today, for a change. It was very tasty, but the consistency was odd.

Freshly ground coffee is a must. After my two early morning cups of English Breakfast tea, it's coffee time at Villa Indiana.

We grind our own beans, espresso, and perk them in our rather splendid "De Longhi" cafetera.

Here are two fridge magnets in Spanish that I like. From the local China shop, I think.

"The best grandparents in the world".

I like being a grandad: I have eight grandkids: four English grandsons; and three grand-daughters and a grandson on the German side of the family. The oldest, Anton, is 20; the youngest, Buckley, is two.

I don't hate everyone! Just a couple of people who owe me a lot of money. B*****ds!

Both Brits, a Scouser and a Yorkshireman.

I have a plan to get my money back!

This Spanish iman took my fancy also.

"Indulge a whim, you deserve it!"

Although chocolate spread and an apple are hardly whims, as far as I'm concerned!

Postscript:

I came across these plants in LIDL yesterday.

I couldn't resist the slogans on the pots, so I bought them!

    [Pablo de Ronda]    

Links

“FRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER”

"Signs of the Times" - Deutsche Version

© Pablo de Ronda

Pictures:

All photos by Paul Whitelock, except the German flag (Wikipedia) and Homer Simpson (Pinterest).

Thanks:

Paul Whitelock, Wikipedia

Tags:

51st state of the USA, advice, "Alles auf Deutsch", author of "Steppenwolf", "Baker's Dozen", barbecued tomato, Barcelona, beer drinker, beer fridge, beermat, bi-lingual service,  bottle opener, Brexit, brother Simon, "bucket list" for 2026, Budapest, cafetera, Canada, Cardiff, China shop, coffee time, collection, comfort food, Cuba, "De Longhi", diaries, Dublin, English Breakfast tea, espresso, European, European Union, freshly ground coffee, fridge magnet, “FRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER”, Galicia, German flag, Germany, Greenland, greetings card, Hermann Hesse, Homer Simpson, hot dog, HP, iman, joke, Matt Groening, New Zealand,  Paris, Paul Whitelock, Peru, Pinterest, Poland, Prague, quotes, sayings, Scouser, Scrabble, "Signs of the Times" - Deutsche Version, Sir Keir Starmer, "The best grandparents in the world", "The Simpsons", travel diary, UK prime minister, vegan, Villa Indiana, wedding in Maulbronn Abbey, whim, Wikipedia, Wilferd A Peterson, Yorkshireman, 

What's going on? Everybody's retiring! They may not be leavin' on Peter, Paul and Mary's jet plane*, but they're off!

Since the turn of the year we learn that Peter Jones, the birdman, is hanging up his binoculars; Karl Smallman, doyen of photographic journalism and website building is stepping down; and Paul Whitelock, "Jack of all trades", are all "hanging up their boots".

Peter, Paul and Mary [Wikipedia]    

* see link below

Peter Jones (b. ca. 1949)

Peter has been part of the lives of birdwatchers in the Serrania de Ronda for a quarter of a century.

He has been a columnist for SUR in English, throughout that time.

I know Peter. I can't remember how we came across each other, as I am not a "twitcher", but we've met a few times. He's a near neighbour, so maybe that's it. He's a very nice man.

    Peter Jones (Facebook)

Peter has reached retirement age and has announced that he will retire finally in a year's time, when he and his wife Brenda will move on to pastures new.

Peter writes: "It breaks my heart to now be forced to look far beyond my mountains for a new abode to while away the twilight years. It is a daunting prospect and not a path I could have foreseen or chosen. Where and what will 2026 bring?"

Karl Smallman (b. ca. 1958)

A photo-journalist by training, he brought his skills to the Serrania de Ronda some 30 years ago. He has worked independently, but also for The Olive Press, The EuroWeekly News and SUR in English, where he was assistant editor, when he announced his retirement.

    Karl Smallman [Diario Sur]

Karl has reached retirement age and has decided to step away from his somewhat hectic lifestyle, but I bet he'll still have an important contribution to make to life in the Serrania de Ronda, through his photography and his website www.secretserrania.com.

I first met Karl in a furniture shop in Ronda some 20 years ago, together with his lovely wife Jill.

A few years later, after leaving my stint at The Olive Press in 2010, I worked with Karl on a website called Secret Andalucia, now defunct.

When I contacted Karl in 2015 and offered to contribute articles to his newly developed website Secret Serrania de Ronda, Karl knew what I was capable of and he was delighted to take me on board.

We meet frequently, both at local events, and also as members of the Club de Prensa de la Costa del Sol (Costa Press Club).

Paul Whitelock (b. 1950)

Paul retired early, aged 55, from his career in education in 2005 and emigrated to Spain in 2008.

He had already started writing and had had articles published in The Guardian, North Wales Living, Olive Country Life (Alcala), and, since he moved to Andalucia, The EuroWeekly News, SUR in English, El Hacho Magazine and the website Eye on Spain.

When he first landed in the Serrania de Ronda, he worked for a year at The Olive Press, but now prefers to concentrate on his own website www.help-me-ronda.com and the afore-mentioned www.eyeonspain.com.

    Paul Whitelock [Secret Serrania]

The problem is Paul was also translating, renovating houses, selling houses, gardening and socialising . Now he's seen the light and has decided to retire - ha! ha!

He still interprets and translates, hardly physically demanding, gardens on his own terms, and will still socialise.

But, absolutely no more house reforms, holiday rentals and getting "ripped off" by people who don't pay up!

Links

Leaving, On a Jet Plane ("Greatest Hits" Version)

"Leaving on a Jet Plane" (Peter, Paul and Mary/John Denver) - Classic Song of the Day

Rogues Gallery – the name and shame blog

www.eyeonspain.com

www.help-me-ronda.com

www.secretserrania.com

www.theolivepress.es

© Pablo de Ronda

Pictures:

Diario Sur, Paul Whitelock, Peter Jones, Secret Serrania, Wikipedia

Thanks:

Karl Smallman, Pablo de Ronda, Paul Whitelock, Peter Jones, 

Tags:

Club de Prensa de la Costa del Sol, Costa Press Club, El Hacho Magazine, EWN, EuroWeekly News, Eye on Spain, North Wales Living, Olive Country Life, Karl Smallman, Pablo de Ronda, Paul Whitelock, Peter Jones, Rogues' Gallery, Secret Serrania, Serrania de Ronda, SUR in English, The Guardian, The Olive Press, Wikipedia, www.eyeonspain.com, www.help-me-ronda.com, www.secretserrania.com, www.theolivepress.es