Patch, His Pack, and Dear Old Reg

Many people dream of a lifestyle change, of going and finding healthy living in Spain, with sun, space and fresh orange juice every morning. Armed with a battered old Vauxhall Corsa, a droll sense of humour and the family dog, Patch, Jim Tickner has done just that. Filled with witty anecdotes of culture shock and family interaction, ‘Patch, His Pack, and Good Old Reg’ is an informative and funny must-read of humour travel writing for anybody thinking of leaving dear old Blighty for warmer climes. As anybody deciding to uproot their life and try living in Spain will know, the 2,000 km trip from the UK to a small Spanish town west of Seville is not the biggest hardship ex-pats face in their quest for healthy living. Aside from general culture shock there is the fickleness of bureaucracy, the problem of not being able to find HP sauce in the supermarket, and the fact that the friendly family dog is considered a dangerous animal by the local law enforcement. Approaching these setbacks with good-natured humour, Jim Tickner details the trials and tribulations of his lifestyle change, including the language barrier and the limitations of long-distance family interaction. A fresh take on humour travel writing, these personal tales of Spanish people and the Spanish landscape show just how difficult – and how rewarding – the search for healthy living in Spain can be.