A Place in the Sun — Two South of Granada

No sooner was I out of hospital than we were in front of the cameras.

Before I went into hospital for my knee operation, we heard through the village grapevine that a crew from the hugely popular Channel 4 TV programme, ‘A Place in the Sun’, was scouting for people who could be the local residents-with-experience for one of their episodes. Andrew is always slightly more circumspect when it comes to these opportunities, whereas I am like that annoying child in the classroom whose arm shoots to the sky whenever a question is posed and the answer is known. Naturally, I was on the phone to the programme’s director almost immediately, volunteering our services and explaining that everything would be fine as long as the programme didn’t mind chatting to an old codger on crutches only 2 days out of hospital after dramatic surgery. They could hardly say no.

Obviously, at the time of this conversation, I still had no idea what surgery would entail and how mobile I’d be when I returned home. However, Andrew and I are troopers! I once went on stage the very day after I had fallen off the top of a ladder during a dress rehearsal and had had to be taken to hospital with my back in spasm. Nothing comes between me and my audience!

Understandably, the programme’s director and producer were hedging their bets and had already lined Andrew up as my understudy should the surgery prove fatal. I came out of hospital on Tuesday of last week and the shoot was scheduled for Thursday morning at 09:00. I’d be fine; just shove a chair in the car and I can take lots of rests. Fortunately, I was still wired up to the epidural machine so could give myself a quick zap of anaesthetic as and when required.

My sister-in-law and niece are avid viewers of ‘A Place in the Sun’ so they could barely contain their excitement that we were to be on the show. It wasn’t so much that we were to be on TV, more that my sister-in-law wanted to know where Laura Hamilton (one of the presenters) bought her dresses.

If you have ever seen the programme, you will know that a couple of house hunters are taken around a handful of properties in lovely, sunny corners of Europe and then at the end of the tour they are asked what they thought, and if there was a property that might be their perfect Place in the Sun. During the house hunting tour, the house hunters are introduced to a local resident and can ask questions about the area. We were the local residents. It was also decided that our terrace would be a suitable location for the final summing up section of the programme during which the house hunters give their feedback and decide whether or not to buy a particular property. In all, we will probably be on screen for all of 30 seconds, but it is the taking part that counts!

It was such a glorious sunny day; crisp and clear blue skies and fabulous visibility. We both love this time of the year when everywhere is so fresh and vivid. Andrew, in ‘Driving Miss Daisy’ mode, chauffeured me up and down hills, getting my chair out and making sure I wasn’t about to keel over and roll back down the hill, crutches flailing in my wake. For the shoot, I couldn’t use my chair and had to stand on a slope with Laura and the househunters, leaning on my borrowed sticks and wondering when I could zap another dose of analgesic into my spine.

For us, we both saw this as another opportunity to promote Moclín to an audience outside Spain. The interview section took place with the castle as a backdrop and when the morning light was most magical. There is always a balance when it comes to creating opportunities in a rural village. While no-one particularly wants a beautiful rural corner to become overrun with inconsiderate visitors, there is also the very valid argument that new incomers can help to secure the longevity of a village that is in danger of rural depopulation. One of our Spanish neighbours commented on Facebook, when we posted photos of the TV crew in our home, and was genuinely excited that a wider audience would get to know about the village and property for sale in the area, and that this, in turn, might bring more residents who would contribute to the life of the area.

Filming didn’t take long, as we are all such pros, and the house hunters were whisked off to view a house nearby while we returned home and I could recline with my leg in the air with an ice-pack strategically applied.

The next day, the crew were due to arrive at 09:00 once again. Fortunately, I had learned how to wrap my knee dressings in cling film so I could have a shower, The previous afternoon, I had also been to the hospital to have the initial bandages removed and to say goodbye to my epidural zap pack. However, we had not factored in any breakfast for the crew. Having been on set before, in a previous life, I know how important breakfast is. I’d have walked off set had I not been fed bacon sandwiches. Mind you, I doubt if anyone would have noticed had I carried out my threat.

We decided that we’d batter rustle up some flapjacks to keep the troops from revolting. I’ve recently discovered the most delicious flapjack recipe from Martha Collinson, and so I perched on a stool and waved my crutches in various directions while Andrew threw ingredients in bowls and baking trays. By the time the crew arrived, hey-presto! Flapjacks were available.

Once again, the morning was glorious and the shoot on our terrace was very relaxed and rather lovely. The crew managed to quaff a good quantity of Flapjacks, and wrap up a couple more for later. A garden table we had made by Hola Cara Cola near Alicante took centre stage and the manufacturer very proudly spotted it and shared a photo on Instagram. Laura Hamilton had some lovely photos taken for her own IG feed as she tried to fend off the advances of Alfie who was determined to get in on the action.

We hope that, by opening up the terrace and our views as a location for the programme, the stunning beauty of the area in which we live will be appreciated by new prospective visitors. As it happens, the main sound guy for the shoot told Andrew that he and his wife would be coming back for a stay with us. Who knows, now that Moclín has been identified as a beautiful location, A Place in the Sun may return here with more excited house hunters and slowly, but surely, a trickle of new residents will find their way to this magical place. We don’t want a tidal wave, but I think our Spanish neighbours would all agree that new contributors to the life, culture and economy of this small rural corner is very necessary to ensure its survival.

PS, Laura gets her dresses mainly on the High Street and sells many of them through charity shops once they have been enjoyed on TV by my sister-in-law.

Our episode of A Place in the Sun will be aired sometime between 6 and 12 months from the date of the shoot, so you will have to wait to see us in all our glory (blink, and you’ll miss us).