Hi to everyone in salou. My wife and i are planning to move out to salou from the uk in may with our 2 year old son. what i want to ask the people who use this forum is do you think it is a safe option to move out there with the current recession crippling the uk and spain? I have applied for a few jobs out there as my wife has to. we visited cambrils and stayed at the esmeralda apts and we had one of the best holidays ever. but now we are gonna do it for real and move out there. advice from all the people who have been out there a long time working and living.thanks

An honest answer ? Don't do it. It's probably not what you want to hear but I know people who have been here for years who have no work lined up for this season. If you were coming as a couple or on your own I wouldn't hesitate. However, given that that you have a young son to take care of I just don't think that now is a good time. Perhaps you could reconsider when things get better globally. But even then, make sure you have plenty of cash behind you along with a plan B, C, D and E. It's not all that it's cracked up to be and the grass is very rarely greener !

Ignoring the recession a lot depends upon you and your wife's skills.
As with any total move whether it be within the UK, to Spain or across the planet to New Zealand these are one of the most if not the paramount success factors in the deal. Without going into detail on these skills it is extremely difficult to give an answer

thanks kay and av kid. my wife and i have both been in pub management and pub tenancies for last ten years so we are highly qualified at bar work. my wife has also worked as a teaching assistant in schools in the uk.hopefully these skills will help us find work out there.

It will be worth you both learning Spanish (and a bit of Catalan while you are at it) particulary the wife if she is going into teaching.
If you have made your mind up to go as the reply implies then I would start tomorrow if you have not already done so. BBC have some good self tutorials as a starter for 10... check out www.bbc.co.uk/languages/spanish/

i have been learning spanish now for just over 4 months.the wife needs to pull her finger out a bit more.thanks again av kid

hi, I agree with kay, to be honest with a small child there is no way I would even consider moving to spain (or any tourist resort) right now, if things do happen to go wrong, which I hope they don't, you will get no help from the spanish government as you do in the uk, you can only claim benefits if you have worked for a minimum of 6 months, and to claim benefits in the winter you have to have worked 6 months on a contract (I doubt you would get that right now) to apply for benefits, really reconsider and leave it until things pick up, it's a great place to live when you are free and single without a care in the world but when you have children to consider you do get more help in the uk when things do go wrong, which could be highly probable in this recession. hope you make the right decision.

I wouldn't do it at this time.

Lost.

I would not recomend you move to Salou with a young child.. It is so hard. We loved living in Salou but the work was hard very hard 7 days a week for 6 months then 6 months off. You have to make enough money in the summer to do you the winter months. The wages are not very good but when there is no kids its not a big deal you can just get on with it. We had children and it was just not worth it. You have to know Catallan probably more so than Spanish. Salou is still very much still part of my life I visit very often the friends I made while I lived there. But I will never move back to live. Whatever you decide to do best of luck to you.

Please think very carefully, and dont do it, we moved to Salou 18 months ago in the Dec with our 8 year old, and we were both in the pub trade, and found no work until the April, so you will need enough money to support yourselves until you eventually find work, it took us 10 weeks for us to get our child in school as all the schools in Salou are full, and they really dont care if you send your child to school or not, we had to go to tarragona to insist on a school placement, then we were only offered the private school, not much good if you only have 6 months work a year, after a year of working 7 days a week for 6 months then 6 months of next to nothing, 400 euros month social money we came to the conclussion you can not live on sunshine alone and we came back to the uk.
We sold our home for a new life and now we have nothing as we spent most of our money just to survive in Spain.
Good luck in what ever you decide

if we both get jobs for the coming season what do people think then? our plan was for my wife to work during the day and me at night or even vice versa so we can still manage the little one.i am not planning on selling my home or anything as i am a pub manager at the moment in the uk and my home is rented out which i was still going to do while i lived out in salou.i appreciate everyone who has contributed comments so far it really is making me think about it?

Cash is good on average 7 day 8 hour shift in restaurant for 6 months you earn the equivilant of 600 euros upwards a week clean in your hand,when taking all benefits into consideration good money .

******* hell Billy, where do you work ? Are there any vacancies ?

i am a ex worker in salou i think you should give it a go out there, i lived there for 6 years and to be trueful it is hard , harder in winter but im sure you will find a job somewhere. salou is a nice place to live , give it a go you can always go back to the uk good luck.

really reconsider, you are a pub manager, you have a great job already, why jeapordise that with a child to consider?? I think you are mad and am afraid to say you will regret it if you decide to move to salou the way things are at the moment, most pub owners are menaging themselves as they can't afford the staff so you will be lucky to find a well paid job, I personally think you are mad to even consider it right now, sorry to be so blunt but that is my honest opinion and those who disagree should think about what they say as there is a child to consider here, not just a couple out for an adventure, just please really think about this before you listen to the positive comments, if it was not a recession i would say yes, go for it but no way right now, stay in your job and think yourself lucky you are in a good job right now, wait for things to pick up then try it.

I have to add my support to those who have said 'DON'T'. It is not financially viable at present, and might get even harder. It would be total folly to take the risk, as others have rightly said, with a young child involved. Apartment rental is very expensive, and also quite difficult to obtain. Six months off might sound idylic, but it is VERY hard to get through without an income. This winter, there have been fewer than ever jobs to earn a bit of money from, and you will be in trouble, if you don't have at least 1000 pounds per month for a whole year SPARE to bring with you. Just remember this...1500 euros clear a month, for 6 months, is the same as 750 euros a month over a whole year. OK, you will get assistance from the Social Security, providing you have at least 180 days employment on contract. But, with the prospect of a difficult year, and fewer tourists, the chances are you won't get a full 180 days this year anyway, because businesses will shut before 31st October, if there is nobody here..so you will be stuck with nothing, then.
Seriously, don't do it. Not worth it, honestly.IMHO.
If you are planning on arriving in May anyway, you WILL be too late to get 180 days contract. IF you still want to come, leave it until next year, and you should arrange to be here at least a month before start of Season, in order to be sure to get work from 1st May. That way, and providing you are kept on until 31st October, you will have the requisite 180 days for Social Security help.

Craig.... please consider Sage's comments with a lot of thought. Sage has been in Salou for many a year (don't mention the war!) so his advice is sound.
Major advice is that you need a job by 1st May for at least one of you. If you cannot get this then you will miss out on financial Winter support.
Two years ago the Winter was OK in Salou... suffice to say that there was a lot of punters coming there for ciggys/baccy. That was when the exchange rate was 130+ euros to the £/Pound. The last few months it has been almost equal ... so the streets of Salou have been mostly empty (apart from the odd weekend) of spending Brit's. Last Summer/Autumn was not that brilliant so it has been a particulary hard Winter for the establishments that have stayed open.
In summary I think you are 4 to 5 months too late for 2009. Use 2009 and early 2010 to introduce yourself. Get a job lined up for 1st May 2010 and take it from there. Learn Spanish, get a grip of Catalan, get to know the good employers and not so good.... and then enjoy the Summer of 2010!

Okay just for you kay i will break it down(monthly).Basic wage 1200,tips 300, bonus 200,dole 400,food and drink 300,total =2,400. My advice to the person thinking of coming over to live would be to wait a year or two unless they have some savings to fall back on,but having said that there is always a big demand for experienced responsible bar managers as there is a big shortage of people like that in salou.New schools have been built to cope with salous growing population and apartments can be rented all year round easily as long as you get them before the start of the season .A decent two bed will cost about 500 per month.Final thought why not make a short visit first and introduce yourself to the local barowners

not sure if its just me being a bit thick Billy, but the figures you have quoted may be correct individually but only cover a 6 month period for wages, tips and food,then another 6 months for the dole and the bonus will depend on the contract you have signed.

I hope I havent confused things more.

Can I add my opinion that anyone, particularly somenone with a young family, would be foolish moving from UK at the moment as work is almost non existant even if you are known in Salou.

As a barowner I can say that we will not be looking to take on any extra summer staff at least until June and that will depend on how trade is by then.

Sorry this is not a good response. Normally most of us would say - yes come and give it a try - but in this financial climate think very hard.

Yes joan they are figures for a 6 month standard full contract the dole you get during the winter but its part off the package and as you dont have to sign on (apart from once when you finish your contract)people are free to go back to the uk and work or sign on or get casual work in spain .Many do this ,others dont its a choice they have,but still very well paid ,i dont think uk waiting staff earn 600 pound a week p.s dont learn catalan just basic spanish is enough although many locals cant speak any after 20 years.

I mentioned Catalan for Craigs wifes benefit. If she cannot get work in a bar and wants to be a teaching assistant some the schools in Salou/Cambrils have Spanish/Castilian as their third language.
Catalan and English being one and two!
Just thought that if they are in learning mode a bit of Catalan here and there would not go amiss. Another string to the bow in hard times

sorry to be picky Billy but the figures I have come up with based on your "average" figures are as follows

wages 1200
tips 200
food 300
____
1700 x 6 = 10200

dole 400 x 6 = 2400
_____

12600 divided by 52 = 242.30

I have not included the bonus which is actually holiday pay because it depends on the wording of the contract. Some people will receive the money and others will receive time off.



admittedly this sounds a good wage and one you should be able to live on. Unfortunately I dont think these figures will apply this year.

I doubt people will have the money to be as generous as normal with tips. Not all bars and restaurants have provided food and drink for free in the past so I would imagine there will be less this year.

As far as the dole is concerned, the workers do only have to sign on once but they should be available for work and can be called to attend job club at any time. If they do not keep an appointment made by the Social Security their benefits are stopped immediately.

i must have been doing the wrong work for the last 22 years! And some people on here attack Musicians/entertainers as being overpaid? 600 euros a week? Hmmm.
Anybody want to employ an ex-musician/entertainer for these figures? Should have done it YEARS ago No expensive equipment to maintain,replace,carry round and set up, no Jeep to carry it around in, no petrol bills, etc etc...
Gissa a job!!
Anyway, the 'bonus' (Finiquito) is a fallacy, in most cases. Most employers pay it added in to the monthly payment, to make the monthly wage look bigger than it is, and don't pay it as a lump sum at the end of the Season. (Caveat emptor! Or rather employee )

to be honest I would not take any notice of Billy's figures, they are completely unrealistic and apply to a very small minority, and when times were good! you cannot rely on the bonus because you do not have a clue what it will be until the end of the season, thats if you even get one, the same goes for the tips, the food and drink you do not get paid for, you just get those free whilst you are at work, and not everyone gets a 6 month contract to receive full doll money, so I would say nowadays, I would probably halve the initial amount of 2400 net a month, that is the more realistic figure you are looking at.

Ok we could go on for ages pulling my facts apart bit by bit but they are hard facts lets explain it again for the slow ones(some figures could be slightly higher or lower i am using examples of recent experience (2008).WAGES.1200(TOT 7200) legal entitlement at end of season 1200 for ayudante will be more if you are down as chef or waiter and not just ayudante.Tips 300(1800)FOODDRINK 300, yes its obviously not cash but is worth 300 at least a month ,as you dont need to cook at home and buy food. DOLE 6X450 = 2700 GRAND TOTAL = 14,700 DIVED BY 6 =2,450 PER MONTH . Just like to add joan is correct that things wont be like that this year until economy recovers but thats how it was for me last year.AV kid i see what you mean with the catala but you dont need it to be an english teacher and wouldnt get a job in a school teaching any other subject unless you spoke catalan like a native and to sage you are right some bosses do rite the bonus into the wages but its a small minority.

Thank you Billy. But the original post came from somebody asking for advice as to whether they should make the move to Salou. They would be new, they would not receive the top wages and they would be unlikely to get a contract in their first year, especially as things are at the moment. So whilst you may be correct in your calculations (which I do not agree with but that's just an opinion) I would suggest that we are all agreed that for a young couple with a child to consider, a move to Salou may not be for the best at the moment. Or am I missing something ?

billy, no one is slow, it is just that no one agrees with your figures apart from you, to be honest they are completely unrealistic and pulled out of a hat for a newcomer you never mentioned the doll in the first post so you have just added that in to make your figures add up (I bet you spent ages trying to squeeze in some figure or the other to get to that amount)The only people that receive that sort of money in salou are ones who have been here for years and are right in with the owner or run the pub and are helping themselves to the tips and the rest!
the finiquito, is nearly always added into the monthly wage and when you are a newcomer the owner just classes that as part of the wage anyway, I just think your initial post may give false hope to a lot of people wanting to work in salou. Newcomers, take no notice of these figures, and if billy is so sure, ask him to find you a job with those rates of pay, you will be waiting a long time!

Billy, the mistake you are making is by dividing the sum total by 6, not 12. You can't include the Social payments into your calculations, because they are only available in the winter. So divide your figure by 12, not six, and that is your total income per month over a year. Unless you decide to go back to the UK,continue to claim the Social whilst you are there, and work the winter in the UK, or claim the dole there too. That is wrong, and unethical, and illegal,although I don't doubt that many do it. If you are in the UK, earning or claiming unemployment benefit, why the hell should you be able to claim the ayuda here??? And the Governments aren't so stupid not to realise it is going on, and there are new measures in place to prevent it. If you are caught, you WILL be made to pay it back, and you will also find it difficult to return to Spain in the future.You would certainly face charges of fraud, both here and in the UK.Quite rightly too, IMHO.
It is not a piggy-bank for people to get their money back. It is to help those who have no alternative source of income during the winter HERE. And the more that goes out of Salou , or Spain for that matter, means less for the deserving here.
The online signing-on is also very clever. Anybody who renews their claim from outside Spain will be caught, and their payments stopped. It is very easy to check where the online claim has come from.And then, their details will be logged at the airports etc, and they will be detained at the borders/airports.The ONLY right anybody has to claim back their Social Services contributions is if they are genuinely unable to work, and actually LIVE HERE.
I make no apology for being so critical of this behaviour, because it is selfish and WRONG.
Flame away if you like, I don't care. I KNOW I am right
And just one more thing..one of the reasons why Ryanair have to be so thorough in establishing WHO is flying to Spain, is this. If you DO decide to fly back for a day to claim your Ayuda here, the record of your flight is now available for the Social Security Offices to align with your claim for Ayuda. You have to ask permission to leave Spain during your unemployment period, and if you DON'T do so, they will know who is cheating .With the onset of computer capability, they don't need everybody to be checked as they disembark. One person on a computer terminal can cover the whole passenger list in minutes.Then it becomes cost effective to regulate the Laws. And they are doing so every day, more and more.So.fair warning. If you DO commit fraud, they are more and more likely to catch you.
If you should take the attitude that 'it is only 2400 euros', try multiplying that by 1000 people doing it.That amounts to nearly 2.5 million euros in ONE winter going out of Salou. That is a LOT of money going to people who don't legally qualify for that entitlement.

thankyou Sage for your thorough explanation of the facts and figures. I did try but I am not as fluent as you. Hopefully your explanation will be clear to everyone - it is perfect to me.

My son aged 23 works as a waiter at Loch Fyne. A sort of up market fish and chip shop restaurant chain. They have many outlets in the UK... the one he works at is mid-range within their empire.
He is on the current UK minimum wage of £5.73/hour. His tips are taxed if put on a credit card and surprise, surprise not taxed if given in cash. Last week he earned on average £13 per hour with tips before tax. He worked 45 hours and earned just under £585 of which around £180 will not be taxed putting his gross pay above £600.
That is how... even in a recession, a waiter can earn close to or above £600 in the UK. Quite obvious that tips are the key factor in all this. Contrary to what a lot of people say Brits are quite good 'tippers'

Jane you must be reading another thread on my first cash breakdown dole is included. Anyway for my final comment on the thread is that all i can say is the figures quoted are correct for me from summer 2008,and the person intrested in coming here to live sounds very experienced and therefore will get a good job as there are very few professionals in salou so good luck and go for it,but make contacts this year and make your move next year when things have hopefully of picked up.

Forgot to mention i agree with you sage its very wrong that people abuse the system i dont but was pointing out many do and all they do is ring a friend in salou and they sign on for them via there computer ,secondly i doubt ryan air are helping the spanish government clamp down on dole cheats i think thats definately linked to catching the ************* .I say good luck to the ************* as although i am a non smoker its nothing short of scandlous what the uk goverment tax on fags. the swear filter blocked out ciggy smuggglers.

the wife and i are gonna have a bloody good think about it but i think the inevitable will happen.just want to thank everyone for the advice be good or bad.you really do have friends in salou!

craig, it depends on where you live at the moment, if you live in an idyllic spot in the uk in the country and you run a lovely village pub with a great school, then DO NOT MOVE, however, if you live in one of the top 10 worst places to live in the uk, full of crime and terrible future prospects for your little child, then salou will seem like paradise to live in, where do you live by the way?

re last statement

Sorry, but let's be realistic not if you haven't food in your mouth and a roof over your head. Next come safety and security......

.... then social and belonging, then ego and lastly self actualization.

Lost

re last message,
how very deep lost, do you choose to live in salou or the uk?
It is not a case of ego or anything similar, I would say 90% of the time the only reason people choose to move abroad is because they are not happy living in the uk, otherwise they would not consider moving, it is just a straight forward comment and question, I wonder what your reasons were to moving to salou, if you live there?
plus I never said move if you do live in a run down area.
just look around in salou and ask people why they moved to salou? I have asked most of them and as I say 90% of them say it is because they did not like the area they lived in the uk, I am sure craig would not want to jeopordize his situation if it is a safe one for his child, this is why I ask the question, he must have his reasons for wanting to move, I assume he is not happy where he is living, otherwise no one would give up a manager position with a 2 year old in a recession, for a bit of sea and sun, so don't get too deep on us, it is just a question. makes you sound quite clever though

Does everything always have to turn into a petty argument whenever somebody has a different opinion ? It makes us look like a bunch of f**kwits.

KAY, IN REPLY TO YOUR LAST NOTE,

...say no more

I'm sorry but I have no idea as to the point you are trying to make ? I simply asked if it was necessary for everyone to start arguing. The post of mine that you have quoted is not in any way argumentative.

hi ex worker we live in a town called darwen which is 4 miles from blackburn and 7-8 miles from bolton. i am darwen born and bred but over last 5 years the drug popoulation in this town has probably gone from 10% to something around the 85% mark.darwen used to be a lovely town until the drug dealers from nearby manchester and liverpool started getting a grip of the place.makes it so much hard work having to watch who is sniffing **** up their noses when the good people want to have a nice quiet drink enjoy their day with no worries......but how can you? when this country is so over run with cocaine and other substances. i do not want my 2 year old son being brought up in a lifestyle of drugs, drugs and more drugs. i have been a publican for over 10 years now and this is the worse i have ever seen it. we keep a real tight ship in my premises but even if i had eyes all over my body i would not catch everyone........for the real reason my wife and i want to move out to spain especially salou.we both feel that we are at a time in our lives when its time to do something with our lives rather be stuck here in the uk doing same old same old day in day out.we are both looking to try a different culture in salou which we love loads after visiting 2 yeras ago.we fell in love with the place we really want to make a go of things out there regardless that we have a 2 year old in tow. our little boy is our world and we would not throw him into something we did not think we could make a success of and hopefully achieve.the recession in both parts of the world i admit does not help our cause but i really think we could become a pivotal success in salou.i have never wanted anything much in my life but salou is the place i need to be right now............

My suggestions would be as follows:

Stay where you are right now. work and save every penny you have, and then arrange to come to Salou during January or February, on your own. Meet as many of the bar and restaurant owners as you possibly can. Get to know them, and the workers too. Spend some time looking around for accomodation for the summer, and book it, if the empty streets and closed down Bars haven't put you off. You have only seen one side of Salou...the 'busy' side. Whilst you should only book it for the summer period, with an option to extend the agreement,you would at least establish some kind of 'history' with your Landlord, and that would stand you in good stead for a longterm rental agreement.
You could also look into a babyminding facility for your son, should you require it during your first season. remember, flexibility of hours is a neccessary requisite for working here, and it would be useful knowledge to have.
BUT, paramount to ALL this is the fact that, if you give up your job in the UK, and then find you don't think it was all you expected, or you just can't manage to get through the winter, you will be stuck between a rock and a hard place, because you wouldn't have a job here, OR there. And probably little money to survive on.
In 3 or 4 years, when your child is ready to go to school, you might just find that Salou and other places will have degenerated into the same 'substance-users' environment. Salou isn't devoid of its drug users OR pushers. It will be the same story in almost any place in Europe, unless the Governments take off their kid gloves and start to REALLY deal with it.
And to finish, I will reiterate strongly here, that I think it is a very bad idea to come and expect to be able to stay and survive the coming winter. Unless you look for work in Andorra, and that means MORE upheaval for you and your family.
It is fairly obvious that you are enamoured by Salou, but you don't know anything really about what it takes to live here all year round. Opportunities for your child, as he grows up, to find a profession will be extremely hard, unless by that time he is fluent in Castellano AND Catalan, and even then there are strict limitations on opportunities.
My final word is..DON'T. Not now.

Please, keep it clean and friendly.
No need to get nasty.

I was prepared to take your comments with a pinch of salt, but now it appears you are no more than a fool.No doubt you are writing your ill-considered nonsense safely ensconced in your armchair in the UK right now? You write utter rubbish sometimes, and that sadly detracts from the few facts that you spout that are vaguely correct.
I suggest that the sensible folk here ignore his dreadfully optimistic nonsense, because we are dealing with a person's, AND his family's future.Because I have no doubt what so ever, that should things go wrong for Craig and his family if they are swayed by Billy's wild statements, Billy won't give a dam n.

craig, as you can see you are already meeting the locals here, it's great isn't it, surely this must have been enough to change your mind already???!!!

thanks sage for the advice.we really are gonna sit down and think about it seriously. might try the option you stated come out there in january and take it from there.

You are very welcome Craig, and would look forward to meeting up with you when you arrive. I will be happy to help you find your feet , along with the others who have been happy to give their opinions here.

Last posts where deleted due to a conflict of interest.

Do not to use this forum as a personal vendetta.

Please all comments are welcome as long they are usefull information for everyone with out the need to became a personal issue and slaging contest.

Slander or abuse is not acceptable.

If anyone required further information on this subject, feel free to email the moderators.

thank you everyone for the comments. just to let eveyone know we have decided to stay in the uk....for now.gonna monitor the recession and see how things are early next year. gonna save some more money and then look at giving it a go. we look forward to meeting new friends in salou next year.
and just a quick one good luck to all bar owners out there.hope you have a prosperous summer and a big thanks to mel at pure genius for considering me for the bar supervisor position.hopefully next year mel?????

hi craig

well done i think you have made the right decision.

i am sure we will all welcome you next year and offer any help you may need to settle down in salou.

it can be a great life here but if you are fairly secure at the moment in the uk, for the sake of your family, thats probably the best place to be.

hopefully the summer will pick up and we will all be smiling again.

thankyou for your good wishes for the season and good luck to you for the coming year.

regards

joan

Hey Craig,
I have been watching & reading everyones advice to you over the past several days and i can honestly say my heart goes out to you All that advice, good and bad, must have been so much to contend with. I know what its like to just want a permanent change of scenery, especially in the sun. Unfortunately, i own a kitchen & bathroom business here in Scotland & i have to agree with others comments that it is really hard going just now, no matter what line of work involved. (I'm not even getting to salou until august this year,lol). I think Sages advice was all in all fab... At the end of the day, even with sunshine added to the mix, problems can follow you anywhere no matter where you live, so better savouring whatever stabilising features you have for the sake of yourself and your family... all thats really important is you,your mrs and your kid and you all staying together without added preassures and worries. No one wants your dream to end up a nightmare. I for one hope you save like a trooper, go out in january and with the cash behind you, some r'ships forged in advance, language learned, jobs lined up etc, really hope you go for it next year! Hopefully with the recession easing up a bit by then for everyone, you will all be happy in salou and make a real go of it - only with your eyes open and completely prepared for all eventualities. Can imagine you's had a lot of late,teary and sleepless nights reaching your descision... Sincerely wish you's all the best when you decide to go for it. x Kelly

Great comments.... lets hear it for Kelly!

thanks kelly for the comments.they really mean alot to me.we will get there next year and really make a go of it.just started learning the catalan language as well as spanish so hopefully i will pick it up.

I think you have to look at it from all angles ,sages advice is from his angle he is a musician with little work so struggles not everyone does in summer we work 7 days a week so spend little money and get through the winter fine and i know billy and what he says is correct thats my earnings as well but i work in a busy restaurant with good tips

so local what really do you suggest? advice please.

Although I'm sure Local means well, I think the fact that you have a partner and young child have been overlooked. I really would urge you not to make the move this year, especially now that the season has already started. Unless you have plenty of money behind you, for most people it really is a struggle. It's great if you're young and single without any ties but it's very difficult to become permanently established. Trust me, the grass is most definitely not always greener on the other side.

I also think Local was posting with good intent,but the one fallacy in his reply can be found within the quote I made from his post.
" You have to look atitfrom all angles....", and then you promptly do the opposite,and reply from YOUR perspective. Working in a very successful restaurant.

As a Musician,or rather ex-musician , for over twenty years I worked in a different venue every night, and saw a wider spectrum of how things can be.
My wife ALSO works in a busy and successful restaurant, and couldn't be happier. However, I know of three excellent chefs who are still waiting to start working. That means they will not get a full 6 month contract, unless they pay for it to be extended beyond the end of the season,which is what some do.No problem with that! It is a smart move,but can be expensive too.

Local,a civil question for you Is your restaurant successful because you have a good team,that has been together for a while? If that is the case, as applies to my Wife's restaurant, then maybe somebody new and without experience 'in Salou' would stand very little chance of breaking in. Which means they would have to take a job in a not so successful place to get started.As Kay says, that is fine taking a chance for somebody on their own with no responsibilities, but Craig has many. I was just trying to be realistic,and left the rest up to Craig himself. As the old adage says ..." a bird in the hand can crap in it easier than the two birds in a bush could"

how is the summer season panning out?
is it successful? or has the spanish had to suffer as much as the uk?
i have just signed up for a college course for spanish and a celta course teaching english as a foreign language.
hope to be out there early next year

Well Craig, I feel very comfortable with the advice I gave. Salou has been hit,just as the rest of Europe. Inevitable, of course, but because Salou depends upon Tourism for its staple income, and Tourism is the first thing to go pear-shaped at times of financial hardship and constraint, Tourism has been hit harder than most businesses and venues. There are certainly hot-spots of activity in and around Salou,and they are doing quite well, albeit at a lower rate of turnover. Equally, there are many places that are feeling the pinch to an alarming degree for the Venue owners, and consequently the workers too.
Recovery from downturns in Tourism such as we are experiencing now,generally take a couple of years/seasons to recover back to relative normality AFTER the Economy has started to re-expand and grow. This can mean that businesses that are running on a shoe-string, and are in a vulnerable part of the area, will probably not be sustainable, and will go under. Sadly, even the good businesses will struggle to survive, in spite of being well-run, due to their location.Consequently, the job market will shrink too, and the best workers, and those already with an established reputation and history of work ethic in their jobs will either keep their jobs, or be offered the good jobs that are available, should their usual employment be lost through business failures.
Salou WILL survive, and will probably come out healthier for the hardship experienced during hard times because the weak and sick businesses will be gone, and their market share will be shared by the good businesses who have survived, enabling them to continue providing their good service, and prosper, along with their workers.
Take this as you wish, Craig, and no doubt the 'nay-sayers' will be along shortly, complaining about me writing long, boring posts..but that runs off me like water off a ducks posterior orifice, so long as I can help somebody in a predicament.
I would still recommend you coming over sometime early next year (but not too early..
...present yourself to the best places for employment, and establish yourself as being, as you certainly appear to be, a serious responsible and hard-working employment prospect. You certainly have to be admired for your dogged determination!! If you ARE good, and can prove it, I think you will find work, GOOD work, next year. But I wouldn't gaurantee it.

I fully endorse Sage's comments with some extra ones of mine.... has to be done!

1). The British public were fooled by our Met Office into thinking that we were going to have a 'BBQ' Summer. This persauded thousands if not millions of families to book English holidays. Well take a look at the news & pics about the weather. Say no more. Look out for a September boom in Spanish/Salou bookings.
2). The recession is still raging in its full glory... also making people tighten their purse strings. Even if they go to Salou their spending power has been reduced.

Confidence is required.... and I think that just might happen at about 4.13AM on Friday 21st May 2010

The demise of a certain Gordon Brown and Co?? OMG...can't wait!!!!! prime repatriation candidates, the lot of them

I think the poster below says it all!

hi sage hope to be out there end of january to introduce ourselves. hope to meet up with you for a drink or two

I will look forward to meeting you, Craig. I admire your determination, and your commonsense in approaching your move here with such attention to detail. I certainly hope you will succeed, and enjoy your future over here in Salou.