Remember Sundays back in the sixties? I remember as a kid in Liverpool that Sundays were synonymous with a long lie in, boys brigade bands, trips out over the river to New Brighton, watching the only man with a car in the street washing it, quiet roads with slow Sunday drivers out for picnics, women cursing at the roast going cold waiting for the men to get back from the alehouse which supposedly closed at 1 o'clock, and if you ran out of anything, tough! There were no shops open.

Ah yes, those days are gone, well, all apart from here of course, for that's a picture that can be painted here today. Andalucian Sundays for me bring back memories of those special by gone, quiet lazy one-day off a week routines when everyone could escape from the hustle, bustle and noise of the six day working week. If there's one thing you notice here, Sundays are for dressing up, going to church, hitting the beach, long family out to lunches' followed by a quiet evening in the local Venta. The only other places open aside from eateries are the garages, just about everything else unconnected to the tourist trade outlets is closed, especially inland. It's a scene far removed from the so called normal working day of rest' which is sadly all but a thing of the past in Britain.

We had few communiqué's from Spain and assumed the holiday tenant's had moved in, this was subsequently confirmed by the agreed amount of money being deposited in our bank account. Still, I had an uneasy feeling as if we'd made a mistake like it was something we had agreed to but were not sure. We informed Mark of our date for return and looked forward to meeting with them all again. We had saved enough along with the rental money to contemplate having air conditioning installed, something we believed to be essential. We arrived back and were immediately surprised to find the weeds growing unchecked around the fruit trees and the honeysuckle bush out of control. After entering the villa we were at least happy with the interior of the building as it appeared clean and tidy.

Although we tried to get in touch with Mark and AE, we were told that everyone was busy but would be in touch before we left. Strange!

Rocco however was on hand and came round at our request to assist on planning for a number of jobs we had chosen to get done within the next twelve months. Firstly, he put us in touch with an electrical company who could sort our air conditioning at a reasonable price. The actual units we had fitted were combined cold and hot units, ideal for the winter and summer alike. They would take up all of our budget for this year but they came promptly the day before we left and had them fitted, tested and up and running in all the bedrooms before leaving. I tell you they worked for 14 hours straight without a break until the job was done and cleaned up before they left. Good job and worth every penny to this day.

Also that day, Bob Coath arrived from AE with the man we now knew to be Andy, our designated villa manager. He stated everything had gone well and that the people who had rented were more than happy and may come back again. I mentioned the fact that I was not happy with the state of the grounds on our return only to be told that they were sorry but work had piled up and they had not been able to do it but at the same time stating it would be fine in the future. Also, we were actually using our water straight from the town supply as they had also not got around to replacing the water pump as yet but again promised it would be done by our next visit. I made it clear I was unhappy but stated I would continue to use their services until my return. At this time we were paying around 150 euro's a month for their services, which was quite expensive even back then, so we needed to know we were getting value for money.

The week so far had been uneventful as the weather was still very warm so overall we had enjoyed a week of chilling out and revelry Spanish Costa style.

There was only a short break between that time and the November when we returned. I was still not happy with the explanations and excuses given by Bob about the inferior service and was certainly unsure of how competent this Andy was.

The pre Christmas trip always brought the inevitable shopping list of good wine and cheeses for the festive period. That and a trip to Gib' for a couple of tax free bottles and the odd bag of leather goods for the family always went down well.

Which was more than could be said for the state of our villa. On arrival we were once again met by overgrowth, weeds and dead foliage. Rubbish was blowing around in the wind and the driveway was a mess. I asked Rose to wait at the door while I inspected the interior. Because I had my doubts as to the integrity of whoever we were dealing with, I had set a number of telltale traps', to discover just what had been going on in our absence. After checking around I finally came to the unmistakable conclusion that someone had been using our property either to live or stop over in, which confirmed my suspicions.

I was angry but not surprised and intended to sort it out the next day. I was pre-empted however by a visit from Bob and Andy early the next morning, all smiles and handshakes. I decided to put to them my suspicions after discussing the lack of work that had taken place.

I have to say I could not believe the impudence of these people as they set about immediately listing the work they had supposedly done and presenting me with an itemised bill for around 600 euro's!

I took the list and read with amusement mixed with anger at some of the things for which I was being billed. That 90 euro water pump had now been charged to the tune of 380 euros while a further 180 had been charged for garden upkeep. In fact, as I looked around to question the point as we sat there surrounded by Triffids', he informed me that the growth had only sprouted up in the last 24 hours! Even Rose burst out laughing at that.

But Bob was serious. As he continued to list minor work I held up my hand and calmly stated that from that minute, I would no longer be employing Aztec Estates and that I wanted them to leave. It was obvious to both Rose and I that they were less than happy with my decision. I stood up expecting trouble, though Bob insisted all they wanted was their money and they would go. I showed them a copy of the estimate for the pump, and, unbeknown to them, I had checked the pump room that morning and had indeed found a new pump installed, but lying next to it was a number of my tools and my hacksaw, broken!

They both stood like dummies staring at each other as I asked them to explain my observations. I also pointed out that I believed someone had been living in my property to which they very uncomfortably denied, so it was down now to what happened next?

Rose took me to one side and pointed out they still had a set of keys and that we had to be careful as when we left as god knows what might happen. A drawback of buying somewhere so far away unable to keep tabs.

I agreed overall to pay 400 euros for the pump, and the upkeep fee for one month which they reluctantly agreed on. However, they would not get a penny until I got all the spare keys.

Next day we went down to their office and paid the amended bill, collecting our keys in the process. Before I left the villa that morning to go to their offices, I had tried to contact Mark to try and ascertain what was going on. I mean, he had been our contact and so called friend from the start, not Bob. There was no answer on his home or mobile phone and he was not at the office either. I took the keys, said goodbye and intimated I'd doubt if we would ever meet again, oh, and they could be sure I would tell others of my experience with AE. There was little reaction so we left out of pocket and again with no one to look after our villa.

We tried to contact Mark and Sally a number of times over the festive period on our return to England albeit unsuccessfully, to try to just talk and re-establish an acquaintance, after all, before this episode they had both done and helped us so much. It was sad because even today, we are still of the opinion that Bob Coath, like many ex-pat businesses out here, tried to make a quick buck as soon as possible without delivering the service and by employing people who where less than industrious. Because of this association with Mark, we lost a friendship.

During one of our visits the following year, we found the office of AE had closed down in Alhaurin and Mark's home and mobile numbers discontinued. There was no reply from the e' mail link on the website which also remained unserviced. I discovered from a mutual friend only a few days ago that Mark and Sally returned to England after apparently having problems with the tax office.

I also discovered Bob and Cathy Coath also sold up and returned to England later the same year to take up market trading as before.

Apologies to anyone who has that particular association or company name now, I refer only to the time some years past when the aforementioned names were incumbent some five years ago or more.

Useful tip
If you're looking to start a business venture or work for an employer whereby sales or marketing needs to be canvassed for, then don't give a second thought to stepping on anyone else's toes, patch or established area. The Spanish have a different ethos or take on gaining a business advantage. They see all and everything as fair game and are known to pull the rug out from beneath their own family members, not just unknown competition, to get business, a contract or sale. This is done without remorse or bitterness with rivals enjoying a beer or social get togethers in the understanding that that's the way business is done. Take it before someone else does or take it from them. Not the British way perhaps but we're not in Britain.

Useful hint
Sounds like common sense I know, but shop around if you have the time, especially if you're looking to move here, and I mean for everything. There are large department stores here now that were not when we first visited. Markets are more common throughout the Campo townships with one on somewhere near or around us almost every day. We brought a number of goods out with us but now you can get everything without exception here including British foodstuffs and goods if that's what you require. And watch for the shopping malls that have sprung up as well. They are huge with numerous outlet stores as well as the many new DIY centres that have also become popular with the Spanish. Some of them are so big they make your local B&Q or Do It All look like a corner shop.

But whatever you do, if the store you are in has a checkout like our local supermarkets for example, or you are behind someone in a queue in the open air market, be patient! The Spanish have a habit of enjoying a good natter with each other while paying and bagging up thinking nothing of recounting the family history in conversation for that month. Frustrating I know, but no one will take a blind bit of notice if you hum and har or sigh a lot, and anyway, if you're living here, you shouldn't be in a hurry anyway, mańana!

Spanish facts
Football matches played in the main Spanish leagues are well attended and relatively cheap. Last year when Malaga were in division one, a ticket to see a premier game cost around 22 euros (about £15) even against Real Madrid!

Charlton Heston, who recently passed away, played the part of El Cid in the movie of the same name, a true 11th century hero of Spain whose real name was Rodrigo Diaz.

In 1588, the Spanish Armada sailed for a jolly boys day out to invade England, being soundly beaten by some of my ex shipmates and the typical English weather, hoorah! (Though I tend not to mention this too much!)

Useful phrase
(If you're feeling ill or unwell, Spanish people will always stop and help, so don't worry, just ask!).
Could you help me? I don't feel well, I'm dizzy, I'm a diabetic/I have a heart condition/I have asthma. Call an ambulance'.
Spanish: Podria ayudarme, no me siento bien, tengo mareos, soy diabético/soy enfermo cardiaco/soy asmático. Llamen a una ambulancia.
Pronounced: Pohdreeah ayoodahrmay, noh may see-ento be-en, tengoh marayos, soy dyabeticoh/soy aynfermoh cardiaccoh/soy asmaticoh. Yamayn a oonah amboolanthia.