It has just been announced on the News that spanish banks have failed "the Stress Test"even though the standards were set lower than they should have been.
Now would seem to be a good time to withdraw money from Spanish bank accounts,unless they are guaranteed ,as English banks are now.
Allthough the Catalooonyians do seem to be succeeding in creating stress in English alotment owners,formerly known as Finca's !

The whole story can be found here. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-10732597

The five Spanish banks that failed, out of 27 tested, were regional savings banks, which racked up heavy losses following the collapse of the Spanish property market.

Cajasur was bailed out by the Bank of Spain in May.

But after only 91 banks having been tested we still have a way to go

Well, reports are in that the stress tests are done and Spain did fine! Only five regional savings banks under financed and one of them had been taken over recently by the regulators. I was wondering if anyone was going to put a followup on this after all the Catalan/Spain bashing.

wrote on Jul 25^th, 2010 at 7:42pm:

I was wondering if anyone was going to put a followup on this after all the Catalan/Spain bashing.

Thanks for those comment Bruixot.  I am considering taking the link to this forum off my website as I believe that it will put off prospective visitors (are you listening Nigel ?).  In fact I now call this the moaners and groaners forum when referring to it.

I agree Tony, this country has its problems the same as any other country including the UK.
It appears to me that there are people on here who do nothing but complain, its either too hot or too cold, too dry or too wet, too expensive, (its no dearer than the UK,) and the locals have the gall to want to speak their own language and continue with their own customs.
I personnally have Catalan and Spanish friends whom I would trust  explicitly.
It would seem that some guests to this country have not done their homework before moving out here whilst wearing their rose-tinted glasses, and understandably have had their fingers burned.
And yes there has been some burglaries done by some unsavoury types, ( the house next door to my UK house was burgled 4 times in ONE year!!!!!) and I agree that its very horrible and unnerving to have your hard earned stuff nicked.
I personnally love this country, its people, its culture, its enjoyment of life, its weather and even the pesky flies.
M'encanta catalunya

Hear hear !!  Chuffed that a couple of people have at last spoken up for this place.  You know what they say to the foreigners who live in UK.  If you don't like it you know what you can do.

Well I agree,but I realy dont know about the flies, been back in UK a couple of weeks and still showing the scares of the damm things ,saying that the Scottish midge is a close rival ;D

I often wonder if people's motivation for moving here was to leave the UK... or come to Catalonia... or maybe both.  My Catalan friends utter surprise when I tell them that I prefer the weather (and life in general) here.

Great words Cactus Jack.  Well Done - you have just gone part way to restoring my faith that there are some non-depressives on the Forum. 

At last, some other people on here who really want to be in Catalunya. I dont see living in this area on a day to day basis as any more difficult than living somewhere like the UK. The problems we have also effect the Catalan nationals, for example many of my Catalan friends are also having problems getting cedula's and they live in apartments in the towns. They also frequently get broken into and robbed, and have just as many problems with the red tape of this country as us immigrants, and if you ask them they dont know the laws which affect them on a day to day basis either.

I recently spent 2 days in the UK, travelling from Birmingham to the North east and west. The roads were clogged up constantly, and were a breeding ground for cones. The shops did throw your shopping at you, normally without a bag, and the queues in banks, post offices etc were undiscribable, and dont get me started on the social behaviour I witnessed in the streets.
Please remember why you came here, before posting on here, it is a wonderful place to live and most local people are fantastic, and would do anything to help you.

Photo taken 2 minutes after joining the M1 near Luton on my first trip back to the UK after 3 years...

Welcome to the 'Great British Road Network'..
I prefer driving in Spain any day!!!!!!

---

At last some positive comments, we all get fed up now and again and have a moan  :(. But after spending a week in England I can honestly say , yes I miss my family, yes I miss my friends, yes I miss Primark, but I don't miss the traffic jams, the impatient shoppers and shop assistants or the constant moaning from people that live there. Life here is what you make it, so stop moaning learn the language and get on with it.
Vive catalunya :D

Well Said ClipClop could not agree more ! ;)

I do not post on here as a depressive, or soley just to moan. However I do think people should know how much corruption there is going on before they agree to part with their savings.  Had we known that what the Mayor was allowing was illegal and would lead to trouble with the Regional Government we would not have parted with our hard earned savings.  We did not come as suggested 'with rose tinted glasses' but a lot of people that are living here do not know or understand that they are living in illegal dwellings and at any time could have a demolition order on them. 
We still live in the UK but when in Spain we lead a quite life, looking after the land and would not knowingly do anything to upset any of the Catalan people as it is their country and we should respect their way of life. The majority of the Catalans are very nice polite and helpful people.   
Yes the weather is better than the UK, the roads are quieter, the pace of life is slower and I think it is a very beautiful area around the Ebro region.
Unfortunately a minority of our countrymen have caused trouble in the villages, being drunk, fighting etc,  therefore we can understand that some of the Catalan people have tarred us all with the same brush and would prefer the English to go home.  But this does not change the fact that the local farmers were quite happy to go along with what the Mayor was allowing even though they knew it was illegal and that has brought some undesirables into their villages. 

If anyone is thinking of rushing down to La Caixa to withdraw their savings, I'd just like to say that Spanish bank accounts are guaranteed, I think to 120.000 euros. Enough for most of us I guess!  :)

At last some nice things being said!!!!
I was beginning to think that I was the only British person in Catalunya that liked the place.
"They" always say that its the complainers moaners and 'anti' people that have the loudest voices and are the most heard, well for once we can change that.
If you think that life out here is good, great or even bloody marvelous, then say so!
The world is full of negativity at the moment, and you only ever attract what you give out.
So look at the good things, and think positively.
I went back to the uk for the last 6 months and boy oh boy did I miss Catalunya.
And Nigel I lived less than a mile from Junction 6 M1 for the last  27 years.....its always like that :(
I would happily spend 3 or 4 minutes every day crossing the old bridge in Tortosa than face another day on the M1
AND OMG only €120,000 any one available to look after the rest  ;)

Steve (known as Stebay to my Catalan friends)

BLOODY MARVELOS 8-)

wrote on Jul 26^th, 2010 at 3:59pm:

I do not post on here as a depressive, or soley just to moan. However I do think people should know how much corruption there is going on before they agree to part with their savings.  Had we known that what the Mayor was allowing was illegal and would lead to trouble with the Regional Government we would not have parted with our hard earned savings.

You may not be a depressive but the comments going on here lately have certainly had a depressing effect on myself.
As those who went to their mayor for building permission would they have done the same thing in England if the estate agent had told them to ?   I doubt it.

STILL BLOODY MARVELOS ;D

Difficult But Still Bloody Marvelous  ;D

cactus jack wrote on Jul 26^th, 2010 at 8:54pm:

At last some nice things being said!!!! I was beginning to think that I was the only British person in Catalunya that liked the place. Steve (known as Stebay to my Catalan friends)

I can assure you Steve that you are not the only person that likes this place.  I have fantastic neighbours and when I go into my local bar I am welcomed like an old friend.  But then I have made an effort on my behalf to be friendly and try to learn the language.  How many Brits have I met out here who have said that they would not attempt to learn either Spanish or Catalan -  scores.  Yet back in the UK they would probably be making comments about the immigrants who do not attempt to learn English.

Why anyone should imagine that it is going to be easy moving to a new country I do no know.  It is always going to be difficult accepting new cultures and ways of doing things.  Yet they seem think that they are moving to the 'land of milk and honey' and accordingly leave their brains on their seats when they get off the aircraft.

So come on folks get real and either love it or leave it, but for God's sake quit the grumbling.

Thats the problem Tony for some of those that want to leave now,they can not get a Cedula!
I still like it here,but will not spend the rest of my days here.However our immediate area has changed over these last few years,not so "Sleepy" as before.We even have "Speed Humps" in Reguers high street!   [smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif] [smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif]
                   

Jeff,
Thank you for answering the bank guarantee question.
With regard to the suggestion that some people are "Deppresive moaners"perhaps when you have also been robbed, mugged and generally been treated like dirt,you may have a different opinion !
I would suggest you are the ones wearing rose tinted spectacles,probably because you have a vested financial interest to protect ?
Having know the area for over 25 years,I also freely chose the area,but am very dissapointed how it has rapidly declined and the way that the local Goverment are able to alter the rules to suit themselves.

Fatphil point taken on robbed, mugged although being treated like dirt can surely to be ignored.

But The locals have the right to change the laws and regulations as they see fit? (afterall they elected the politicians )

Brian

I too have been mugged,robbed(several times) and treated like dirt to which I will add assaulted at work but all in the UK! Six peaceful years here now...except for problems from my ex wife and I don't think that's Catalunya's fault. : )
Bruixot

No Comment, Not Allowed to say anything negative about the wonderful life here in Catalunya or it will be censored !!

Two responses too the "no comment" post on this thread. Responses dependent on the censorship being real or imagined.
1. If responses too this discussion are being censored, for anything other than foul language or abusive comments, then any discussion on the forum is pointless.

2.The "No comment" post on this thread seems to be a bit unreasonable coming from the forums self proclaimed "grump" just because some posters here disagree with his/her opinion. None of the "pro" catalunya's posters seem to have spat their dummies or taken their ball home to stop the "anti's" playing.

Bruixot
: )

Yes I agree with Bruxiot. Come on Stuart you can do better than that.
All I wanted to do originally was to balance up the feelings on this forum.
It is a well known fact that the 'Anti's Brigade' and the complainers are always the most listened too, because when people are happy and content with things they dont write about it, they just get on with their lives. But that makes one sided reading for others. (I have just read an article where 60 people complained about an advertisement, which had been seen by several million, so the ad was taken off the air).
A forum is a place where things are discussed and argued over, which takes 2 or more points of view. I certainly wouldn't ever even dream of trying to censor anyone elses point of view, just because it differs from mine :)
Steve

Well I love living here.  Our village is about to start its 'cultural fortnight' and we have a fabulous fira coming up this weekend.  There are  balls amb sopar, theatre, films, a talk on the importance of palm products in the area, a night at the museum, a piano recital, discos, a paella supper, mechanical bull (hurrah no live ones!), a night learning astronomy, traditional singing, cake, the municipal band and trolley racing.   :)  Josep Lleixa Lleixa is a wonderful alcalde and i wouldn't move back to the UK if you paid me.  8-)

Great to hear the positives about Catalunya being brought to the Forum, we are working hard in England looking forward to spending more time in Catalunya, reading all the negativity puts us on edge.
We dont doubt that bad things and corruption are going on over in the sun but trust me it is rife in England too in the rain :-?

I have worked for 2 years here , my boss is Catalan and so is my co worker. They have always been friendly with me, they take the pee out of me when I say the wrong thing, ( which is often!!) But not in a nasty way. We deal with the public and I have to say in two years I have only come across a couple of very negative WE ARE CATALAN people.
When I told them that I was leaving they were very upset and said that I was welcome to come and work there at any time.
I still go in to see them a couple of times a week and they are always pleased to see me. I sometimes see my old clients in the street and they greet me as a friend.
My point is if you are friendly and try to mix with the local people  you will find they are very receptive. :D
Yes I know it must be very stresssful here for people that wan't to leave and go back to England because they can't get a cedula. I feel for these people and hope this cedula nonsense will be sorted out soon. :-[