Bloody freezin’ innit?

Sometime those clear skies particularly in winter make the days colder and to be fair as today we step into February I think January 2017 has been the coldest for some time. Not least the snow seen on the beach in Malaga, shock horror and awe. A sad sight looking at the parasols on the beach snow covered straw far removed from the sun kissed oiled body beautiful. Lucky the parasols in Catalan Bay and Camp Bay are long removed apparently their owners don’t need to reserve a place in the winter?

Closer to home is the cold chill of Brexit with our Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister making the trek to Brussels to keep our foot firmly wedged in the door of European free movement. Of course finally the Spanish came out from under the shadow of Señor Margallo and did a little nudging of their own once again making it plain that it won’t be easy for us. Cheekily using Theresa’s own phrase “Brexit means Brexit” too. Even Nick Clegg, recently commented that Margallo was “a right pain.”

We know that this is par for the course, we have been here before although the world has shifted since 1969. Post the Great Siege (1779-1783) we seemed to get on fine, hunting together, horse races, including a nice track where our current runway stands, family picnics for those of us through marriage with family in Spain, there didn’t seem to be much between us. Until politics took it’s grip and Spain fell under the spell to grasp some symbol of unity. What better than reclaiming territory for bringing people behind a government and to be fair each of ours seem to like reclaiming it from the sea on a regular basis. However the Spanish don’t seem to have quite come to terms with the full gamut of democracy. Ensuring your population has employment and travel without harassment for instance. Whatever the historical gymnastics I would have thought close cooperation with a neighbouring country that employs more than 7000 people from your country, spending money in your country, assisting the economic survival of that area, would mean good relations far outweigh any need to draw an imaginary line on a map. Which to be clear neither community either side of that imaginary line feel is relevant to those us us living today except when calling for political unity or knocking bad news off the front page of a newspaper.

So for the near future it seems our weather may get warmer but our relations could get colder, unless someone in Westminster or Cortes Generales  political office see sense. Yes I agree highly unlikely.

Acquarius