Over the years that we have lived in the Canary Islands, we have seen a rapid increase in tourism. Much of this has been due to instability in some countries following the ‘Arab Spring’ and terrorism. The hugely successful efforts to promote island tourism by the islands’ government has also been a huge success, since there has been considerable financial and professional investment in marketing the islands in recent years. Those who know the islands well, will know that these islands have something to offer almost everyone, from lazy sun-drenched beaches, lush ancient forests to breath-taking landscapes, as well as the opportunity to engage in a wide range of sea-related sports.

The nature of tourism on the islands has changed over the years too. There is now a rapidly growing interest in rural tourism where visitors are content to relax in a rural environment, and well away from the busy tourist centres and ‘all you can eat’ hotels. We are beginning to see the opening of hostels to attract younger visitors on a tight budget, as well as for those who are happy to stay in more relaxed accommodation. Then there is the growing curse of motor caravans.

Personally, I have nothing against motor caravans. Indeed, we owned and used one for several years and had many happy and memorable holidays exploring and relaxing in the islands and highlands of Scotland. Until recently, two or three motor caravans would arrive in our village on Friday afternoons, park close to the sea, and enjoy the local restaurants and bars before leaving on Sunday afternoon. Most were couples and small families from Las Palmas who were anxious to escape city life in a quiet seaside village for the weekend, and many locals got to know these 'visitors from the city’ very well.

Over the last two years, the number of motor caravans has rapidly increased with the last count a few weeks ago being twenty-two units crammed together in a relatively small area. There are no waste disposal or water facilities nearby, and villagers were beginning to express their concerns about exactly where toilet waste was ending up.

There was also a noticeable change in the type of visitors arriving. Families and couples arriving for a quiet weekend from the city were now replaced by larger family units of children, teenagers, dogs and even cats on leads. Huge mobile caravans, usually bearing German and other European number plates, began to appear and stay for a week at a time, and sometimes longer. Often, the accommodation would be supplemented by canopies and a number of tents sited at the side of the road or pathway. Villagers taking dogs for their usual walks were unable to pass through ‘caravan city’ without dogs off leads bursting out of the motor caravans and attacking local dogs. There was a small number of the “We have a right to be here” contingent of unthinking and selfish people who were unaware of the consequences for themselves and others. This peaceful location was being ruined by loud music, barking dogs, the foul stench of barbecues and litter.

Suddenly, without warning, the local authority placed heavy concrete barriers across the road, which prevented any vehicles from entering the area. The move was done quietly without the usual noisy public meeting, petitions or any fuss that we usually have to go through to get anything done. It happened overnight and villagers were overjoyed to see the area return to its usual peaceful state.

There are officially recognised caravan parks with full facilities in the area, so campers are not being denied the opportunity to enjoy a few relaxing days away from home. I suspect that the local restaurants and bars in the village will miss their temporary customers, but most of us will not miss “Downtown”, as it became known, in the slightest.

If you enjoyed this article, take a look at my websites: http://barriemahoney.com and http://thecanaryislander.com or read my books, podcasts and blogs about living and working in Spain and the Canary Islands.
Join me on Facebook: @barrie.mahoney

© Barrie Mahoney 2025

I have never liked gambling or entered a betting office, and I do not buy lottery tickets. Indeed, the only gambling that I confess to was spending a quarter in a slot machine in Las Vegas many years ago, since my fascination with the technology on display in that fascinating ‘hell on earth’ was a temptation that I could not avoid.

My reasons are simple and based upon the Quaker principles that I have always admired and tried to follow, with varying degrees of success I might add. I have always believed that gambling is similar to currency speculation and dealing in stocks and shares; some people gain at the expense of others who often cannot afford to take a loss. I refuse to bet on dogs and horses too, simply because of the cruelty that is always involved when animals are used and exploited for sport. My own dealings with an animal charity in the UK that has a focus on rescuing greyhounds that were of no more use on the racetrack, and were simply disposed of, was just one experience that confirmed my belief. No doubt some will dismiss my views as both simplistic and unrealistic, but we all have moral choices and decisions to make in life. Despite my objection to gambling, I was fascinated to read that I had an opportunity to buy a home in Spain for just 5 euros when a flyer dropped through our letterbox last week.

“This is the opportunity to have your dream home in the sun - for only 5 euros” screamed the headline. This was a raffle offering an opportunity to win a fully refurbished home, with 200 square metres of space, two bedrooms, bathroom, storage room, basement, living room, dining room, kitchen and sun terrace. This lovely residence is set in a pretty village, just minutes from the beach and the mountains. How could I, or anyone, refuse such an offer? Upon further investigation, I discovered that there are 70,000 raffle tickets and if all are sold, the owner will earn 350,000 euros, less expenses, which is not a bad return on a property that I suspect is worth considerably less.

The idea is simple, and is a pioneering business in Spain that is dedicated to raffling off unwanted properties. After the recession, there were and still are many unwanted properties in Spain. Some are mortgage foreclosures that have been reclaimed by the banks, whilst others are properties belonging to those whose circumstances in life have changed, such as redundancy, illness, death of a partner or relationship breakdown. Many people feel trapped in their homes, because they have been unable to sell their properties. Traditional buyers of properties often find it difficult to raise the 20 per cent deposit that banks require for a mortgage, and the lottery idea seems to have created new hope for many would-be sellers, as well as potential buyers.

Raffling off properties seems to be a growing trend in parts of the country with buyers participating from all over the world. The lottery company charges for a personalised website, consultancy, raffle publicity and the legalities of the operation. The winner of the lottery takes the house, and all costs associated with changing the name on the deeds are covered by the owner.

It does seem to be an interesting and creative idea, which has gained the approval of the Spanish Housing and Finance Ministries. Maybe it is not a good idea to invest your life savings in buying tickets, but I guess that the odd five euros can do no harm. If any reader has used a lottery to sell their property, or maybe won their home in this way, do please let me know.

If you enjoyed this article, take a look at my websites: http://barriemahoney.com and http://thecanaryislander.com or read my books, podcasts and blogs about living and working in Spain and the Canary Islands.
Join me on Facebook: @barrie.mahoney

© Barrie Mahoney 2025

It was really good to read in the news this week that the Canary Island of Fuerteventura will once again provide a Beach Library at the beach of Los Pozos. It is a simple concept, users can read books and magazines, as well as participating in a range of activities, such as sports and workshops connected to reading. This library will include books in various languages, and readers can even take their book home with them to finish reading. Exciting stuff, isn’t it?

Wait a minute, isn’t this what we used to have in the UK, but admittedly without a view of the beach? Sadly, the last time I visited the UK, my local library had closed and is now a tyre depot. Similarly, many other local libraries are under threat of either closure or have been handed over to well-meaning groups of volunteers who are responsible for maintaining and funding its continued existence.

I have spent most of my working life encouraging children and adults to read, and hopefully nurturing a love of books, as well as teaching how to access relevant information, which has become increasingly important at this time of ‘fake news’. No, I don’t always mean stuffy old print books, but all manner of electronic media, Kindles, e-readers, iPads and the like. When a gift is required, my first inclination and preference is always to give a good book, rather than a stuffed toy or a computer game. Does it really matter? Have I really wasted my time (and money)? Does anyone value books and read for pleasure anymore?

What is happening to all those wonderful (and not so wonderful) buildings that used to be a storehouse of magic and information in the UK? Figures from 2017 show that around 500 libraries have closed in England, Scotland and Wales. Whatever happened to the idea of libraries as information points, which include access to computers, as well as books? Not everyone has access to, or can afford a smartphone or a computer. Knowledgeable and supportive staff are needed to help the elderly, the homeless, and the disadvantaged to access information. One quarter of all library jobs in the UK, which is around 8000 staff, have disappeared over the last few years. I recall the mother of David Cameron, the UK’s previous Prime Minister, campaigning vigorously to keep her local library open; so maybe it does matter.

“Ah yes”, we are told “this is the result of the recession…” During the same period that libraries closed, around 15,000 volunteers were recruited. As well-meaning as volunteers are, they are no longer appointed to assist full-time, professional staff, but to replace them. As well as exploiting the good nature and willingness of volunteers, it devalues the professionalism and dedication of well-trained, professional and experienced library staff. Presumably, the next step will be to replace full time teachers and nurses with well-meaning volunteers?

When a branch of House of Fraser or Marks and Spencer closes, there is a huge outcry and protests at this “hideous distortion of the High Street”, but is there the same outcry and defence of a local library when it is handed over to local volunteers or, worse still, closed? “Oh, we can get it all on line” is the predictable response, but is this true?

A well-run and well-managed library is of tremendous benefit to the whole community. As well as a providing a source of richness and magic, libraries provide easy and ready access to a confusing world of information. I wonder if any reader has applied for the new Universal Credit? I don’t know that much about it, but I do know that there are many who cannot access the information simply because they do not have ready access to a smartphone or a computer. A library with trained and knowledgeable staff on hand to provide help and advice is essential in assisting claimants to negotiate the minefield of this benefit.

Libraries also provide solid defence against the modern scourge of loneliness faced by many elderly, as well as younger people. It is a safe space that offers shared experiences and a chance to be with people, as well as keeping warm during those cold winter days, and without having to spend any money.

If libraries didn’t already exist, we would be busy inventing them. Thankfully, my experiences in Spain’s libraries tell me that they are mostly valued, well used and comparatively well-funded to their UK counterparts. As for that wonderful Beach Library in Fuerteventura; I cannot wait to visit it.

© Barrie Mahoney 2025

To find out more about Barrie, his blogs, podcasts and books, go to: http://barriemahoney.com/

The cost of living and energy crisis are having a devastating impact upon many families in the UK. My mind turns to refugee families, currently living in hotels and elsewhere whilst their claims for asylum are being processed and I wonder how they cope with many often-unrecognised issues that they must be facing. I wonder how they manage to keep clean, to wash and dry their clothes? Presumably many attempt to deal with their laundry in the bath or sink of a hotel room? What about drying and airing clothes? It must be a nightmare for families with babies and young children to care for.

My mind turns back to the Canarian village where we used to live. Commercial laundries are big business in the village, and there are several that operate seven days a week with their main business being from the hotels in the south of the island, which provide important work for villagers. After all, who do you think washes and irons those blistering white sheets on the beds of all those hotels? It is unlikely to be the hotel staff, and convoys of large vans trundle from the hotels in the south of the island to our village every day of the year. Walking past the entrances to these laundries, I was always greeted with the heady heat and smell of freshly laundered sheets. I used to keep well away from the areas where used sheets and other bedding arrived for processing, as that stench was often very unpleasant.

Do you remember the days when laundrettes were a feature of most UK high streets, or at least within easy access of the town centre? Most seem to have disappeared in recent years, or turned into dry clean only businesses. I have not seen a launderette for many years. For students and those who could not afford an expensive washing machine of their own, laundrettes were a life safer. In the days before a plethora of coffee and betting shops took over the high street, launderettes provided a valuable social experience, as well as somewhere to warm up on a cold day and to meet and chat with other people.

Time has moved on, and washing machines are no longer the major, expensive purchase that they once were, and prices for a good, basic model seem to fall each year, and especially during the winter sales. Even so, there are still many people who have neither the cash, nor indeed a home in which to install one. Even for those that live in towns that are fortunate enough to have their own local launderette, this does not answer the problem for those who cannot afford to use them. It is with this problem in mind that one city council in Gran Canaria came up with the imaginative idea of a social laundry, which was said to be the first of its kind in Spain.

Social laundries already operate in a number of countries. They are created out of necessity and reflect an awareness that society must do whatever it can to help those in need. The homeless, migrants, the disabled and those in great financial need, as well as older people who have nobody to wash their linen and clothes, all benefit from such a service.

In the Gran Canaria social laundry, twenty vulnerable families in the city can now use the facility to wash and dry their clothes twice a week in large industrial washing machines and driers, completely free of charge. It is hoped this scheme will be extended across the entire city. It is imaginative schemes, such as this in the Canary Islands, that helps to provide a welcome and necessary respite for those desperately in need of care and support. Wouldn’t it be a good idea to see similar schemes set up across the UK too? Sadly, given the current blinkered approach to the specific needs and welfare of migrants arriving in the UK and others in desperate need of help, I don’t think this will happen.

© Barrie Mahoney 2025

To find out more about Barrie, his blogs, podcasts and books, go to: http://barriemahoney.com/

During those seemingly endless gloomy, cold, winter days of a few weeks ago, and during those times when the world appears to be going quietly mad, there is one thing certain to cheer us up - ‘a nice cup of tea’.

Those of a certain age will know just how important tea is to the psyche and general well-being of most Brits. Most of us were weaned on the stuff and it runs through our veins in copious amounts. It is what makes Britain great; it is the stuff of Empire, Winston Churchill, Shakespeare, Harry Potter, Hugh Grant and cream teas. Indeed, it is a well-known truism that you are not a real Brit unless you drink at least ten cups of the stuff each day. Any less than this and you are regarded as a fraud and imposter, or maybe even a European, no argument.

During those damp, cold days in the UK, many of us would feel warmed and comforted by ‘a nice cup of tea’. During a crisis, or during those times when it is difficult to know what to say to someone who is ill or in distress, the usual British response is to “put the kettle on”. I suspect that it is one of the few things that unite the people of Britain; forget the Union flag, just bring out the Tetley’s!

There is, of course, the added advantage that as the temperature drops, you might find yourself reaching for ‘a nice cup of tea’, because of the obvious benefits of warming your hands around the cup and temporarily banishing the cold. Recent studies reveal that there is a basic psychological factor when drinking ‘a nice cup of tea’. It makes us feel warm and friendly towards others.

In one experiment, people were asked to rate strangers on how welcoming and trustworthy they thought they were. Holding ‘a nice cup of tea’ made them rate the strangers higher on these attributes, whilst holding a cold drink had the opposite effect. Brits living in Spain should note from this experiment that holding a chilled glass of sangria when meeting strangers is not always such a good idea unless they have carefully thought about the possible dire consequences that may follow such an encounter.

In the study, it was found that those holding hot drinks, such as a ‘nice cup of tea’, were more likely to be generous, and less likely to display behaviour considered to be selfish. Apparently, this is due to strong linguistic and metaphorical links created in the brain by repeatedly using the words ‘warm’ or ‘cold’ to describe personalities.

Several years ago, I was involved in a survey for an expat newspaper that focussed on what items Brits miss most when living in another country. Top of the list was ‘a nice cup of tea’, closely followed by a range of other items, such as pork pies and baked beans. Although I was initially taken aback about the vehemence with which 'foreign tea' was criticised, I was not surprised, because I shared the general opinion expressed.

The consensus seems to be that it is almost impossible to get a decent cup of tea in continental Europe. I know of many expats who make a special point of bringing back teabags from the UK whenever they visit or ask friends and relatives to bring some out for them. The fact that most of the popular brands of tea are readily available from supermarkets in Europe goes unnoticed, with the fanatical claims that "Yorkshire Tea is the best in the world”, when to others it tastes exactly like all other brands available in continental Europe, which I am sorry to say is to me very similar to lukewarm dishwater.

Of course, real tea drinkers complain about the quality of the water in Europe; they will insist upon using only bottled water and certainly never water from the tap. Others complain about the temperature that the water is heated to, forgetting that a kettle is a kettle whether it is bought in Blackpool or Benidorm. Tea aficionados will complain about ‘a nice cup of tea’ being served in a glass cup rather than one of the bone china variety, an unforgivable error in Europe, but forgetting the dubious quality of the chipped mugs that are in common use in cafes across the UK. Others will complain about the flavour of milk (if added), the quality of the sugar (if used) and indeed whether higher temperatures have destroyed the flavour of the tea in the packet before it is even purchased.

Personally, I have come to the view that it is nothing to do with the quality of tea, water, cups or the temperature of the water, but simply because it is European, and this is the real reason behind the Brexit referendum. If the UK Government had appointed a Minister for Tea Drinking long ago, much of the Brexit discussions could have been avoided. In any case, the availability and quality of ‘a nice cup of tea’ in Europe will continue be considered and discussed long after the Brexit negotiations are completed; after all, it is simply a question of priorities in life.

As for me, I gave up being a tea drinker almost immediately upon arrival in Spain, as I could not bear to ruin my tea drinking palate, which I now reserve for special and rare occasions, such as a National Trust cream tea during occasional visits to the UK. At a time of crisis, I resort to a nice cup of green tea, but nowadays I am a confirmed coffee drinker. Maybe I have now formally ceased to be British.

© Barrie Mahoney 2025

To find out more about Barrie, his blogs, podcasts and books, go to: http://barriemahoney.com/