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I grew up in a rural area in North Devon (England) where I lived in three different houses between the ages of nought and 14. I remember that my Dad, from rural South Wales, always had either a garden or a big allotment. Here's my story of how I went from being a novice English gardener to an apprentice Spanish jardinero, despite the challenges: hot sun; ice cold winters; heavy rainfall; pests; exhaustion; poor quality soil.

Spring has arrived in southern Spain at last, albeit a bit later than normal. Or has it? At the spring equinox days and nights are each approximately twelve hours long, with day-time length increasing and night-time length decreasing as the season moves forward to the summer solstice. The weather had improved - the rain had stopped and the sun was out - so it was time to start planting.

Water is essential for life and for living. Without water our land turns to desert, crops don't grow and we have nothing to wash with or to drink. Hygiene goes out of the window. What's more, water does a lot of damage - to infrastructure, buildings, crops, and it can kill! So, what's been happening lately in Spain?

Of the four patron saints' days in the British isles, I think St Patrick's Day in the Republic of Ireland is the most celebrated. St Andrew's Day in Scotland, November 30, comes second and St David's Day in Wales, March 1, comes in in third place. The English don't seem too bothered about St George's Day, which is "celebrated" (not) on April 23.

​The heavy rain and thunderstorms of the last couple of weeks, combined with a lousy infrastructure has left whole areas of the Serrania de Ronda flooded, with roads blocked by rockfalls and houses soaked, gardens waterlogged and frequent power cuts. ​Worse still, a major rockfall has blocked the main route from the Costa del Sol and the towns of San Pedro, Marbella and Estepona to the capital and main town of the Serrania, namely Ronda.

According to the highly regarded British newspaper, The Guardian, Spain is “a progressive beacon in dark times”. In an editorial published on Wednesday 26 February 2025, the paper claimed that Pedro Sánchez’s Socialist-led government has welcomed immigration and boosted public spending, with stellar results. Read on to find out more.

International Women's Day is celebrated annually on 8 March as a focal point in the women’s rights movement. IWD gives focus to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against women. ​This important day is celebrated throughout the world, on Saturday 8 March. Read more:

I first visited Spain in 1970, when Spain was a dictatorship under the tight control of General Franco and the Roman Catholic Church. I was 20. Viewed back then as a fascist country and a strictly religious society, pretty much everything was banned, including all forms of contraception. What's that got to do with suppositories? Read on to find out!

The Olive Press has recently published an article about five less well-known places away from the popular big cities, like Barcelona, Granada, Madrid, Málaga, Sevilla, and Valencia. The choices are good ‘uns. I’ve been to all five. Here’s what I think:

Local council mayors can earn good money these days. Previously, being mayor was a voluntary role and an honour. Whether they were effective is another matter. Surely, it’s right that the “chief executive” of a council with a budget to manage is regarded as a professional who should be paid.

Since my recent review and cull of this website, www.help-me-ronda, more issues have come to light. I shut down the WhatsApp link some time ago, because it became unmanageable. In the light of further feedback and discussion about the Facebook link, I have decided to axe that also.

It’s some 15 months since I started my website www.help-me-ronda.com. It has grown and grown and is a pretty comprehensive one-stop-shop” for information about all aspects of life in the Serranía de Ronda. It’s time for a review of the website, it’s aims and objectives and its fitness-for-purpose.