The disaster for many was the disruption and possible termination of British TV on the Costa Blanca. I decided to give up British TV some time ago. I mean how many times do you want to see Open All Hours and Only Fools and Horses? The system has always been a bit dodgy and it appears that Sky have finally got fed up with being ripped off and have pulled the plug.
Doubtless some entrepreneur will come up with a solution in the meantime. 1,000s of the special aerials, known here as fish fryers (like the tool used for scooping out the fish and chips from the oil) are sitting idle along with all those new flat screen TVs.
Sorry folks, I am really not being smug - I have in the past paid my dues to the TV bandits. A second win for me this week was the excellent news that you now only need to contribute 30 years to qualify for a full UK pension. Unless the small print - ‘only those reaching State Pension age after 6 April 2010 qualify’ excludes you. Unlucky, I hope you are not without TV as well!
This week I am soltero (single) as my mujer (wife) has disappeared to friends in Barcelona for a few days. But to be honest I don’t mind having the place to myself for a while. I watched Man U clinch the Premiership (on Spanish TV!) without having to explain the offside rule again and I didn’t have to be worried about Ronaldo getting his kit off and displaying the perfect six-pack. Well it’s OK for him, he doesn’t have to work for a living.
Another treat was going to see my mate who owns an English butcher’s shop. You can’t beat his prime pork sausages and the pork pies are not bad either. Now don’t get me wrong, I enjoy Spanish food, but just now and again I like to lapse back into those old habits.
In my last blog I promised to share some Spanish tax information with you, as now is our annual tax return time. Well the good news rolls on - my tax bill will not break the bank. Whether you are resident, or a non-resident Spanish property owner, it really is advisable to pay your Spanish taxes. Also it is the law! Remember to have the benefits (i.e. Capital Gains Tax) you need to be tax resident. Just having a Residencia is not enough.
And the bad news? Only that my Euromilliones lottery ticket failed again. So I had better get on and do some work. Well, after a coffee.
