Barrie Mahoney's Podcast: Recent Episodes
Barrie Mahoney
'Twitters from the Atlantic' is a quirky and amusing weekly blog by author and international columnist, Barrie Mahoney, about an expat's perspective of life from an island in the Atlantic Ocean. For more information, go to: www.barriemahoney.com
I am not a great lover of things nautical; after all, I tend to get seasick when having a bath if the water is too deep. However, the recent announcement of a new ferry service from Las Palmas in Gran Canaria to Huelva in Peninsular Spain, with a journey time of just over one day, as compared to nearly three days on the alternative service, set me thinking about a once-beautiful ship now lying off a beach on our neighbouring island of Fuerteventura.
www.barriemahoney.com and www.thecanaryislander.com
I miss books! One of the most difficult things that I had to do when we left the UK for Spain was to cull my collection of books. We could neither afford to transport them all, nor was there going to be enough storage space in our new Spanish home to accommodate them. Book lovers will know the feeling, I am sure, that books become like old friends - always there to provide words of comfort and support in times of difficulty, laughter as well as endless sources of wisdom collected over the years. In the end, I had to make a decision and most of my collection of books found their way to the Salvation Army shop at the end of our road. It was heartbreaking. Even so, I just could not part with some of my earliest childhood memories and so some of my favourite children’s books are still stored in a box in my elderly Aunt’s garage in the UK.
www.barriemahoney.com and www.thecanaryislander.com
"Despite all the positive aspects of living in the Canary Islands there are, as in all things in life, a few negatives too. One of my main irritations is slow delivery of parcels, which is often due to the Aduana (Customs) process. Even though the Canary Islands are part of Spain, and within the European Union, we are outside of both for the purposes of taxation. This state of affairs is of great benefit to residents and visitors alike, who can buy all the luxury goods they can afford whilst on holiday, and pay only 5% IGIC (local tax) instead of IVA or VAT in Spain of 18% and in the UK at 20%. However, there are downsides too..."
www.barriemahoney.com and www.thecanaryislander.com
Lighthouses and Lime Kilns
"There are many lighthouses in the Canary Islands and locals and many visitors will know that there is a particularly fine one at Maspalomas in Gran Canaria. The lighthouse, or Faro in Spanish, helps sailors to navigate their ships and is an integral part of sea-life. Usually, they are cylindrical towers with a light on top, and emit a fixed sequence of beams that is unique to a particular lighthouse. Built in 1980, the Maspalomas lighthouse is still operational and, for those who like full details, provides 3 white flashes every 13 seconds. Before lighthouses were invented, sailors were warned of hazards by the lighting of fires along the coastline..."
www.barriemahoney.com and www.thecanaryislander.com
"Living in present-day Spain and the Canary Islands, it is often hard to remember that Spain has only relatively recently emerged as a successful and fully-fledged democracy after years of fear and repression under the hated Franco regime. As the last remaining statue, erected by Franco during his dictatorship, was recently removed from Barcelona, most Spaniards look to a time when a thick line can finally be drawn under this black period of the country’s history. It is credit to the strength of personality and character of its people that Spain has achieved so much since the dictator’s death, and although not always a popular concept with the British, it must be said that membership of the European Union has also been instrumental in the country’s transformation from fascist dictatorship to a highly successful democracy..."
www.barriemahoney.com and www.thecanaryislander.com
The Canary Islands have a richness, colour and diversity that are probably unequalled in most parts of Europe. No, I am not talking about the flora and fauna of these islands, but its people. Here you will find people of all colour, faith and no faith, straight, gay and transgendered. In the main, all rub along happily with each other and this is one of the many reasons why I adore these islands so much. The islands offer a culture of ‘live and let live’ with tremendous energy, vitality and enthusiasm - feelings and impressions that are quickly sensed by our many thousands of tourists to the islands and why they return year after year. www.barriemahoney.com and www.thecanaryislander.com
"As much as many expats such as myself enjoy living in our newly adopted countries, it is strange what we miss from our countries of origin. Lemon Curd, Persil tablets and Branston pickle are just a few of the items that I know our friends beg visitors to bring when they visit. For me, it is Marmite, mince pies and ‘J’ cloths that ensure that our visitors receive a particularly warm welcome. I also miss BBC radio news, as well as radio drama."
www.barriemahoney.com and www.thecanaryislander.com
One of the many things that I enjoy about living in the Canary Islands is a decent cup of coffee. Gone are the days when “a cup of instant” seemed to be the norm, and I still shudder when I return to the UK for a brief visit. A visit to one of the relatively new, and supposedly trendy, overpriced coffee shops is, for me, an ordeal best avoided. A quick visit out of sheer desperation during a frantic shopping expedition led me into one of the many branches of ‘Costa Lottee’ that are opening up in all of the UK’s High Streets - after all, it did offer “Free Wifi Connection.”
www.barriemahoney.com and www.thecanaryislander.com
"Over the years these values have been recognised and supported in most civilised societies, who have felt that a collective investment in children is an investment in society as a whole. Sadly, as we have seen with the increase in tuition fees in the UK and the erosion of the principles of “free education for all”, these values appear to be under threat or, depending upon the colour of your politics, are requiring “readjustment to meet changing fiscal needs.”
www.barriemahoney.com and www.thecanaryislander.com
"There are references to Carnival in the Canary Islands' government records as far back as February 1556, but the fiesta has grown from strong influences from South America and the Caribbean, as many Canarians left the islands after the Spanish Conquest seeking work or their fortunes in the newly discovered lands of the Americas. Some islanders were forced to leave their homes in the Canary Islands by the Spanish government as it wanted more people to settle in the Spanish colonies in the Americas. Over the years, many islanders returned to their homes and brought with them many traditions from these newly discovered countries..."
www.barriemahoney.com and www.thecanaryislander.com
"As with many things, the Spanish do this in another way, and maybe this illustrates just one side of the Spanish psyche that I find fascinating, charming, and often amusing, in my adopted country. A new craze by Spain’s anti-bank protestors is sweeping the nation. As an alternative to the angry UK’s direct-action protestors that are engaged in street violence or fire bombing offices, angry citizens in Spain are calling into banks and dancing a live flamenco show, complete with anti-bank lyrics before disappearing as quickly as they arrived..." www.barriemahoney.com and www.thecanaryislander.com
"Like so many who had gone before us, often tempted by the warmer climate and lower cost of living, we decided to sell up and move to a country that we both already loved. Spain’s Costa Blanca was to become our new home, together with our loveable yet self-willed corgi, Barney, and later to be joined by a ‘fruit bat’ called Bella..."
'Letters from the Atlantic' - ISBN: 978 184 386 6459. Publication: 25 January 2011. Available now for pre-order from Amazon, WH SMith, Foyles, Waterstones and all good bookshops.
www.barriemahney.com and www.thecanaryislander.com
We stood in white-faced silence as the woman vet continued to tap enthusiastically on her keyboard, whilst making that sharp sucking in of breath sound that I do so detest in Spain - it always means trouble. We then entered the fantasy and frightening world of surgery - complete with anaesthetics, drugs, treatment and recovery times. Did we also want specialist heart and blood tests before the operation? she barked. We were told that this was essential in case Bella was not fit enough and would die during the operation.
www.barriemahoney.com and www.thecanaryislander.com
Gay Pride is always a huge event in Gran Canaria – after all, it is the second largest Pride event in Spain and one of the biggest such events in the world. The very first Gay Pride in Maspalomas took place in May 2001 and we have seen the festival get bigger and better each year. Each year thousands from the gay community worldwide, have fun in the sun, culminating in the shows and street parade of the big weekend. This year’s Pride also will be a week of parties, cultural events and shows. Those tourists and residents who are new to the island may well be asking themselves, “What is all the fuss about?”
www.barriemahoney.com and www.thegaycanaries.com
Who likes trifle? It is strange how the Christmas and New Year period reminds us of times past. I guess that as we get older, incidents and memories that seemed so unimportant and irrelevant to us years ago, gain in both colour and importance as time passes. For me one of these delightful memories is my Mum’s Christmas trifle.
www.barriemahoney.com and www.thecanaryislander.com
Tradition has it that on New Year’s Eve in Spain and the Canary Islands, twelve ‘lucky grapes’ known as ‘Uvas de la Suerte’ grapes have to be eaten around the stroke of midnight. It is important to eat one grape at a time with each stroke of the clock and, of course, washed down with liquid refreshment, usually a lively Spanish bubbly wine called Cava. It is believed that this tradition came from ancient wine growers; well, after all it does fuel the sale of grapes on New Year’s Eve doesn't it?
www.barriemahoney.com and www.thecanaryislander.com
My first encounter with ‘The Big Beast’ came shortly after moving into a new housing development in the Costa Blanca. Obtaining a reliable electricity and water supply were both considerable challenges, but none more so than getting a telephone. I recall standing in endless queues with other equally frustrated expats of all nationalities, and sometimes the shop closing before anyone was available to attend to our needs. I have witnessed grown men cry with anger and frustration at the sheer incompetence of trying to get a telephone line installed. www.barriemahoney.com www.thecanaryislander.com
The Flor de Pascua, or poinsettia, is an essential part of Christmas in the Canary Islands and they grow wild, mostly on the northern slopes of the island, but are native to Central America. The Aztecs put the plant to practical, as well as decorative, use and from its bracts they extracted a purplish dye for use in textiles and cosmetics. The milky white sap, today called latex, was made into a preparation to treat fevers. www.barriemahoney.com www.thecanaryislander.com
"I have watched neighbours struggle and become obsessed with the after effects of red rain in the Costa Blanca. At first it was rather amusing to watch the frenetic activity on neighbours’ patios after a rain storm. Patio furniture, tiles, steps, banisters and balustrades all had to be carefully washed and scrubbed within minutes of the rain stopping. After all, this red dust from the Sahara was pretty powerful stuff and it seemed to get into places, cracks and crevices that you would not think possible."
www.barriemahoney.com
It is easy to understand the fascination of many Americans with these small volcanic islands just off the coast of Africa. More than two hundred years have passed since the arrival of the Canary Islanders in Louisiana. However, Spanish surnames are plentiful in Louisiana as well as in other states, and their descendants still treasure the unique heritage of their brave ancestors from the Canary Islands.
www.barriemahoney.com
Agatha Christie visited the Canary Islands in search of a tranquil and recuperative environment to help her calm a troubled mind. In February 1927, at the age of 36, she visited the Canary Islands to recover from a number of events that had taken place in her life and were having a serious impact upon her mental health.
www.barriemahoney.com
Do you receive endless email spam messages advertising all kinds of competitions, pills and potions and, in particular, Viagra? The Viagra ones are particularly sinister, I find. After all, do they know something that I don’t? They are, of course, easily dealt with by using the delete button, and some email providers also provide very sophisticated software that will weed out some of the most annoying and offensive messages and blast them into the ether. Sadly, it is a fact of modern day living that most of us are bombarded with all kinds of advertising, junk mail and unwanted phone calls. www.barriemahoney.com
The Canary Islands have a strong place in history in setting the centre of world time. Imagine the prestige (and confusion) if the world’s clocks were set to Canaries Mañana Time and not Greenwich Mean Time!
www.barriemahoney.com
I like eating bananas and, since coming to live in the Canary Islands, I am now a passionate advocate for this humble fruit, which, incidentally, is also called “the fruit of the wise”. From a health point of view, it really is a wonderful addition to the weekly shopping list, as it contains vitamins and minerals essential for the human body.
www.barriemahoney.com
Cows do it. Horses do it. People do it after drinking lager, or while eating a spicy curry. We all pass gas and lots of it too.
www.barriemahoney.com
As much as I love visiting friends and family in the UK and Ireland, the necessary air flight fills me with dread, which is why I avoid this tortuous ordeal as much as possible. No, it is not the actual flying part, nor the possibility of catching pig flu from all that recycled air, nor being crammed into airport buses and queues and not even the major airports’ policy of processing passengers like sardines. No, my horrors begin when packing my suitcase, or several in my case, a week or so before the trip...
When I moved to the Costa Blanca, I recall being told by one consular official that, “The Brits come here to die”. I quickly discovered that nothing could be further from the truth...
www.barriemahoney.com
Do we ever really know our neighbours? From a quick glance at the rotary clothes dryer, we know that the lady of the house next door has a liking for daring red underwear, and that the gentleman of the house likes to use his power drill early on a Sunday morning.
www.barriemahoney.com
Yes, it turned out that our new postman had just been appointed. I asked what had happened to our previous postman - a very nice man who was also a part-time drag queen by night. Maybe he had deserted his postal deliveries permanently in favour of the bright lights and a wardrobe of new frocks, wigs and feather boas?
www.barriemahoney.com
I know from my previous work as a reporter that many expats quickly become frustrated by the antics of some of the state monopolies in Spain. Dealings with the Town Halls, water and electricity companies, Correos and Telefonica - to name a few, can become incredibly frustrating experiences and can be the stuff of nightmares. With most of these companies, I still get the feeling that they think that we are here for their benefit and not that the other way around. The situation is very similar to that in the UK 15 to 20 years ago, when the then UK monopolies maintained a similar arrogance towards their customers.
www.barriemahoney.com
Since arriving in Gran Canaria, I have been fascinated and impressed by the politics of the small municipality of Aguimes, of which Arinaga is part. Locals tell me that, in the time of General Franco, Aguimes was one of the few municipalities in the islands to put two fingers up to the fascist dictatorship in Madrid and continued with their fiestas and other celebrations as normal. These flamboyant events had been generally banned by the General and his regime at the time - and totally contrary to the Canarian spirit. By all accounts, this local opposition was mostly ignored and the locals were able to get on with their fiestas as normal. The group in power in the Town Hall at the time were mostly young idealists of communist/left wing socialist persuasion and it is these young “firebrands” of yesterday who continue to advise and mentor the new generation of politicians in the municipality.
www.barriemahoney.com
I have always been of the opinion that we are born as either golfers or dog walkers. Sorry, I can already hear some of you complaining, “But I play golf and I have a dog!” Well, maybe, but perhaps one takes clear precedence over the other? Personally, I am a dog walker and not a golfer. Maybe this is in much the same way that most people tend to prefer cats to dogs or dogs to cats. It’s all about personal preference and, more often than not, whether we were brought up to love and respect animals during childhood, and whether we come from cat or dog families or maybe neither.
Synopsis:
Prior’s Hill in the early 1980’s seems like a tranquil rural idyll, with its picture postcard cottages, small village school and church. James Young, the new head teacher of the village primary school, soon discovers that beneath the surface there are some difficult challenges to overcome. He must contend with demanding parents and local politics, as well as the steep learning curve that comes with his new position. While struggling to hold together his team of teachers and deal with various tasks that aren’t in his official job description, James must also find the time and energy to maintain his relationship with his beloved partner. Ultimately he is faced with the most difficult questions: Can he live up to everything the school and community expect of him? Can he deal with the tragedy that is thrown at him just when everything seems to be working so well? What steps will he take to resolve all these challenges?
In an original and thought-provoking novel, Barrie Mahoney paints a vivid picture of the complexities of life in a small English village, as well as providing an insight into the challenges faced by gay, professional men at a time when prejudice and the threat of AIDS loomed large.
Journeys and Jigsaws ISBN: 9781843865384 Publisher: Pegasus Elliot MacKenzie
About the author:
Barrie Mahoney worked as a teacher and headteacher in the south west of England, and quickly fell in love with the area. Later, he became a school inspector in England and Wales, and had the privilege of visiting many different schools. Barrie’s work in schools enabled him to witness many amusing incidents, and to listen to children’s views about life and the world in general. A new life and career as a reporter in Spain’s Costa Blanca, led Barrie and his partner to launching and editing an English language newspaper in the Canary Islands, where he now lives enjoying life in the sun as a writer and author.
www.barriemahoney.com
Synopsis:
Prior’s Hill in the early 1980’s seems like a tranquil rural idyll, with its picture postcard cottages, small village school and church. James Young, the new head teacher of the village primary school, soon discovers that beneath the surface there are some difficult challenges to overcome. He must contend with demanding parents and local politics, as well as the steep learning curve that comes with his new position. While struggling to hold together his team of teachers and deal with various tasks that aren’t in his official job description, James must also find the time and energy to maintain his relationship with his beloved partner. Ultimately he is faced with the most difficult questions: Can he live up to everything the school and community expect of him? Can he deal with the tragedy that is thrown at him just when everything seems to be working so well? What steps will he take to resolve all these challenges?
In an original and thought-provoking novel, Barrie Mahoney paints a vivid picture of the complexities of life in a small English village, as well as providing an insight into the challenges faced by gay, professional men at a time when prejudice and the threat of AIDS loomed large.
Journeys and Jigsaws ISBN: 9781843865384 Publisher: Pegasus Elliot MacKenzie
About the author:
Barrie Mahoney worked as a teacher and headteacher in the south west of England, and quickly fell in love with the area. Later, he became a school inspector in England and Wales, and had the privilege of visiting many different schools. Barrie’s work in schools enabled him to witness many amusing incidents, and to listen to children’s views about life and the world in general. A new life and career as a reporter in Spain’s Costa Blanca, led Barrie and his partner to launching and editing an English language newspaper in the Canary Islands, where he now lives enjoying life in the sun as a writer and author.
www.barriemahoney.com
My Podcast Alley feed! {pca-f89d4e100b0de9b17bdb5d3f34d117aa}
'Twitters from the Atlantic' is a quirky and amusing weekly blog by author and international columnist, Barrie Mahoney, about an expat's perspective of life from an island in the Atlantic Ocean. For more information, go to: www.barriemahoney.com
'Twitters from the Atlantic' is a quirky and amusing weekly blog by author and international columnist, Barrie Mahoney, about an expat's perspective of life from an island in the Atlantic Ocean. For more information, go to: www.barriemahoney.com
'Twitters from the Atlantic' is a weekly blog by author and international columnist, Barrie Mahoney, about an expat's perspective of life from an island in the Atlantic Ocean. For more information about Barrie's work go to: www.barriemahoney.com