A VERY CRISP & SUNNY MANILVA ON FRIDAY AT THE START OF THE WEEKEND;

FRIDAY 3rd / DECEMBER 2015.

We were up early this morning and after a quick breakfast we shot out on our travels down to Sabinillas for our weekly shopping, the ‘Ferrari –Red Fiesta’was in fine form as went down through the vine fields with the ‘ Blaupunkt’ Radio/ CD player on full blast with some ‘Creedence Clearwater Revival’ The sun was out and the sky was blue, over night a little breeze had got up so it was crisp to start but then warmed up later; over the weekend its fine & dry with sunshine and next week is starting to look settled.

I called into the bank for some cash and Brenda popped into the ‘English Bookshop’ for the local paper and some more Xmas cards before we hit ‘Mercadona’ for a large pre-xmas shop; we then drove along the coast past the sparking Mediterrnean to Sotogrande as we decided to go to ‘Iceland’ for our main Xmas shop! We are now stocked up and could open a small general store!!

After unpacking back at the house where ‘Chispa’ was waiting for us I made a fresh batch of my now famous ‘Minestrone Soup’ as it that time of the year; I’ve used nearly twenty different Vegetables,Beans and Pasta together with my Tomato salsa,a rich Chicken & Vegetable stock and lots of secret ingredient’s! 

For our supper this evening we are having a whole ‘Rodaballo -Turbut’ baked in the oven and garnished with fresh local Gambas, the fish counter skinned, gutted and cleaned the fish for me, we are having some very nice Baby New Potatoes in their skins with Garden Peas and lots of Lemon wedges! I will fillet the Turbot when it comes out of the oven this evening after cooking – a Xmas treat! See below before it went in the oven!

See below two pictures of the 'Beatles' one of them very young and one with the original drummer Pete Best!

And the latest new Bronze statues at the 'Pierhead' Liverpool by the artist Adrian Edwards at the 'Castle Fine Arts Foundry' and donated by the 'Cavern Club'!

Now for rather sad news, ‘Castle Radio FM 89.2’ is sadly having to go off air and close down by the end of the month. The owner Andrew Charles had told me that he was having some financial difficulties  when I was talking to him, he has been trying to find some Backers, new Sponsor’s and Advertisers – but with no luck it seems! Its a great shame as he and his wife have worked very hard and long hours over the past 4 years and have given the local community a excellent radio station based in the heart of Manilva in ‘Castillo de la Duquesa’ and playing a terrific mix of excellent music with local news & weather details, topical programmes etc.

Andrew is a real character and I must thank him for giving me the experience, that I really enjoyed, of broadcasting live from the studios with my one hour long show on a unpaid voluntary position basis, sadly it will go down in history as the shortest radio career ever! My ‘Motto’ for the day is ‘Never say Never Again’ !! Watch this space.  'Sir' Malcolm will return !!

Thoughts for the Day; See above.

..