London 1976-81

I worked at the London Clinic for two years and managed to find a accommodation in Camden Town in a nice house, 336 Camden Road.

I sold my car as I could not park it anywhere and bought myself a bicycle. During this period I continued going to English classes and my commitment to survive and improve my knowledge never left me. Other people at the Clinic or at the Hospital had different agendas and accepted cleaning jobs to enhance their pay. I had no family commitments and no need to do this. At the Clinic we had weekly pay and meals included during our working hours. This allowed us a good living and I managed to make some savings for a rainy day. I visited my parents every year in Spain and kept in close contact with my family who was faring well.

This was a good time I was by now 29 years old. My marriage intentions had always been non existent, and the idea did not rob me anytime.

Celines and I decided to look for a house and get a mortgage. (Now, in 2010, that we are suffering the global crisis I realise how wise it was not to give anyone asking for a mortgage more than three times their salary) By doing this the allowance left was just enough to survive if one was careful. Through my landlord, Mr Sarkas who was a developer, builder etc. a house was found in the vicinity of Camden Road. A freehold detached house with three floors .The purchase prise was 6000 English pounds. An elderly lady was a sitting tenant in one of the flats and the banks wanted the whole amount for this purchase. We could have put together 3800 but the rest we could not find anywhere. (This house today in 2010 is worth more than a million pounds, and the sitting tenant died two years later. Such is life!)

Assessing my life I could draw a good balance. I had been in the country 12 years and had had several jobs that gave me confidence and the ability needed to continue in my line of work, catering or domestic service. I had been on a dream holiday to Italy, I had most years a month holiday with my family, I had learnt to drive, I had bought a car, I had savings and I had found a place to leave separate from my employment. Life was much better than 12 years earlier when I left Spain with very few skills, no money or prospects.

From the London Clinic a friend of mine Marta and I, decided to postpone work and develop our Spanish education a bit further. At week ends we worked in a Wimpy Bar in Oxford Street and attended Spanish classes full time Monday to Friday for a year.

The work in the Wimpy was badly paid and we did our best to survive with tips. Customers eating in Wimpy Bars are not very prosperous and their tips were meagre, but 12 hour shift paid off, and we managed to pay our rent and had enough coins to put in the electric meter with the tips collected on Saturdays and Sundays.

We passed our "Graduado Escolar" similar to GCSEs in England and then looked for employment once more. We landed a job in St Pancras´ Hospital in the "CSSD" department. Central Sterile Supply Department. We worked from 7 to 3 and we had a good relationship with many English colleagues and a sympathetic Manager J.S St George.