Life Stories with Ian Rutter

Hannah Murray moved to Spain in 2003 and after a couple of years she was offered the opportunity to work at Talk Radio Europe. Hannah now hosts the Breakfast Show and the Book Show on the radio station. In addition to her radio work, Hannah has been hosting a weekly Quiz Night on the Costa del Sol for over 10 years and, with her husband and Manifesto Design Company, she produces the San Pedro Guide. Having trained in Performing Arts, it is understandable that Hannah also sings and acts locally, on the Costa del Sol. Hannah chats about her career in radio, what first brought her to Spain and how fortunate she feels to have found so many outlets for her creative talents. Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

Lisa Francesca Nand is a journalist, broadcaster, podcaster and travel expert who divides her time between homes in the UK and in Fuengirola on Spain’s Costa del Sol. Lisa’s family moved to Spain when Lisa was 7, and the Costa del Sol became their home. Lisa’s first love was music, but a series of events resulted in a change of direction and Lisa became the first female presenter on the UK radio station, TalkSport. Lisa has been published widely online and in the UK press and is a regular expert guest on national radio and television as well as being known for creating and presenting online travel videos. Lisa is the producer and host of The Big Travel Podcast, has made a documentary of her own experiences of miscarriage and is a trustee of the charity, Thyroid UK. Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

Rowena Alderson and her husband moved to Estepona, on the Costa del Sol, in January 2019. Meeting her husband in a pub turned Rowena’s life around, as she followed him to some of the world’s most turbulent corners, both as an aide worker and as a contracts manager. Rowena worked in the Democratic Republic of Congo during the Rwandan refugee crisis, where she was held up at gunpoint on more than one occasion, and she and her husband were the last couple to get married in Bosnia in the last millennium. Rowena chats about her life travelling and working in the Middle East, Rwanda and Bosnia and what brought her to Spain. Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

Charles Hutchinson is one of the founding partners of Spectrum IFA, a company offering independent financial advice across 7 countries in Europe and with headquarters in Barcelona. Charles initially joined the British army in the hope of undertaking pilot training, but as his commission came to an end, Charles decided to move into the world of finance. A slightly inauspicious start provided Charles with a second opportunity to become a pilot, this time on hovercrafts, and he spent some years in Oil Exploration in Saudi Arabia before dipping back into finance. A spell as a DJ in the United States, training as a Commodities Broker and a return to the UK culminated in the decision to move to Spain. Charles chats about his varied and interesting career that saw him travel around the world, the UK weather that prompted his move to Spain and how he went about setting up his business here. Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

Andrew Linn has been living in Spain for nearly 50 years, coming over as a very young man. He is a respected wine journalist, writer on Spanish culture including Flamenco and Saint Fermin. He has a regular column in both local Spanish and English publications sharing his knowledge and passion for Spain, its wine and the places that he has visited over the years on his Wine Trail. Andrew is also involved with charities caring for the mistreatment and abandonment of animals. After a successful business career in the UK in wine shipping and publishing he moved to Spain to pursue his love of all things Spanish. He is well known on the Costa del Sol as someone who has long been involved in the expat business community as well as encouraging the integration of our hosts and their guests. Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

Kim Chandler is one of the UK’s most successful session singers and industry vocal coaches. During her 30 year career to date, Kim has recorded thousands of jingles, songs for Disney movies, backing vocals for performers such as The BeeGees, Bjork, Leo Sayer, Rick Astley and much more. As an industry-leading vocal coach, Kim has worked with Jess Glynne, Birdy, Paloma Faith and Sarah Brightman among others. Performing at the Seville Expo in 1992 began a long affair with Spain and, 5 years ago, Kim and her husband bought a property in Marbella on the Costa del Sol and it is here that they couple run their various business ventures from their two recording studios. Kim chats about her childhood in her native Australia, the fortuitous start of her career at the age of 7, moving to London to fulfil her ambitions and how she came to live in Spain. Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

Estelle de Courcy Mitchell is recognised as one of Spain’s leading consultant Physiotherapists, and she runs the Bodyworks Clinic in San Pedro de Alcantara on the Costa del Sol. Estelle was born in Malaysia and for the first 12 years of her life, this was the place she called home. Boarding school in Ireland was something of a culture shock as well as being far too cold and providing ghastly food - the latter being partly to blame for Estelle’s exclusion from the school. Not really keen on becoming a secretary or a teacher, Estelle was drawn to Physiotherapy as a career as she was told it involved spending time in a pool, and swimming was something at which she excelled. After training with the RAF, Estelle then spent time with the NHS in England before moving with her husband to Jersey where she ran a very successful clinic. Following her divorce, the warmth of Spain seemed attractive and, although the idea was to work part-time, Estelle found herself building up another successful physiotherapy clinic which she runs with her daughter, son-in-law and with her grand-daughter’s frequent assistance. This episode of Life Stories with Ian Rutter is sponsored by Granada Concierge (granadaconcierge.com), GC Property Consultants (GCPropertyConsultants.com) and Casa Higueras Bed & Breakfast (Casa-Higueras.com).Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

Peter Barron is a journalist and writer. Starting his career writing for and editing The Algarve News in Portugal, Peter then joined the BBC as a News Trainee working his way up to become Editor of Newsnight. Over a 20 years period, Peter worked for Channel 4 and ITN, and returning to the BBC before moving to Google as Head of Communications for the UK and EMEA. Peter remained at Google for 10 years before deciding on a change of life in Extremadura. Peter and his wife spend half the year here in Spain, currently restoring a barn on their finca in Extremadura with a view to running retreats. Peter has been one of the main contributors to the Frommers Guide to Spain, the latest edition of which has just been published. Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

Gary Mairs was born in Scotland and brought up in Cheshire. Having had what he describes as an idyllic childhood, Gary became addicted to alcohol while he was studying at university, and it took several years before he was able to shake off that addiction. Now, Gary lives in Granada and works all over Spain teaching English as a foreign language. He has recently established a social media-based support group for young people who may be feeling lost, depressed or lacking in direction and Gary uses his own experiences to help give confidence to struggling young adults. Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

Jesse Lynn-Dean describes himself as a punk rocker-turned publican-turned punk rocker. Now aged 72, Jesse was born and brought up in Islington of London-Welsh parents, went to a good grammar school, was expelled and then started writing music. Armed with a cassette and a lot of nerve, Jesse marched into the offices of EMI and came away with a contract and his career in music took off, along with the rise of Punk Rock. After 5 years of successes, and rubbing shoulders with the big names in the Punk Rock music scene, Jesse felt burnt-out and decided to take a break in southern Spain where his parents owned a villa. He bought and pub and spent the next 40 years in that business before selling his then two pubs in early 2019. Coming full circle, instead of a quiet retirement Jesse is enjoying something of a come- back with his band, The Wasps. Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

Sue Wilson lives in Alcossebre, Spain, with her husband and five cats. She is a part time Project Manager, hoping to retire in the near future. Since the Brexit referendum, she has become better known as the Chair of Bremain in Spain, the pro-EU campaign group with over 5000 members, which represents British citizens living in Spain who will be affected by Brexit. Sue had no interest in politics before the referendum but now devotes 50-70 hours per week to what she calls her ‘obsession’ – fighting to stop Brexit and protect the rights of British citizens living in Spain. Sue says she is an optimist by nature and firmly believes that Brexit – ‘the worst crisis to affect the UK for decades’ – can be stopped. She says ‘it’ll be painful, damaging and expensive, but common sense must prevail in the end.’ Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

Nina Plapp is an improvisational cellist and composer from the UK, who studied classical cello at Trinity College of Music, London. She has performed with major international artists including Rox, Angie Brown (Fatboy Slim, Bizarre inc.), and Alison David (Red Snapper), and has supported The Charlatans. A seasoned traveller, Nina has worked with performers all around the world, from Cantopop stars and Irish folk bands in China to flamenco gypsies in Spain and a range of actors, artists and dancers. She has recently completed a radio documentary for the BBC charting her recent adventure exploring the musical heritage of the gypsy community in Rajasthan. Nina and her husband now live in the city of Granada where they have formed a piano/cello duo and they compose and perform together. Nina is also a freelance writer. Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

Born and raised in Yorkshire, Sarah Donohue has enjoyed over 25 years competing as a powerboat racer and is currently the most successful female competitors in the sport. As well as racing, Sarah is a qualified personal trainer, international Tri-Fitness champion and created and ran the annual Miss Galaxy Universe fitness competitions. In June 2018, Sarah published her first book, The World is Never Enough in which she recounts her own exploits as a racer, a powerboat stuntwoman on the James Bond movie, ‘The World is Not Enough’ and her near-fatal accident during one of the races. Sarah and her husband, Lee, now line in Murcia, but Sarah is still competing as the face of the Asia Powerboat Series which has seen her back in Hong Kong. Sarah’s fascinating career has seen her subjected to vicious cyber-bullying as well as a legal run-in with none other than Donald Trump. Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

Emma Plunkett is a London born practicing fine artist, videographer and graphic designer. Emma’s creativity includes stoneware sculptures, cyanotype prints, watercolours, oil paintings, poetry, photographic montages, video art, illustrations and vector designs. Emma’s work is uplifting and expresses something beyond words. Emma creates art which is intended to be lived with, art that can enhance your everyday home and work life. She also provides original content for film, web and print and she is happy to come up with ideas for you projects. Take your time to look around the site and feel free to make a comment or start a discussion. Emma believes that art is not finished until it is publicly displayed, where it goes on to live a life of its own, beyond its creator’s imagination. Emma exhibits her art regularly and sells directly to the public from various shops, galleries, her studio and online. She lives in Velez de Benaudalla, Granada, and is the project leader for Acompalia Artistica. Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

Alan Field bought a property as a holiday home in Olvera, Cádiz Province, some 16 years ago. 3 years ago Alan and his husband decided to make the move permanently from the UK to Spain with a view to retirement. Having spent a career in corporate travel, telecommunications and then working on the UK railways, Alan has had plenty of opportunity to travel and is now enjoying taking the time to cook and travel around mainland Europe and explore as much of Spain as he can. Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

Elizah Handley is young singer who lives with her family in Cútar, not far from Velez- Malaga on the Costa del Sol. From an early age, Elizah wanted to be a singer and a performer. Growing up in Kent, Elizah attended a performers’ college before getting a break in a West End production of Chicago. The relentless hard work and poor pay forced Elizah to turn to busking as a way of supplementing her income, but playing gigs in towns around the UK resulted in an increasing amount of work as an events performer. Five years ago, looking for a new challenge, Elizah moved to Spain and started to sing in pubs and clubs across the Costa del Sol and she has forged a successful career signing her own blend of West End, Opera, Jazz and pop music in venues and for events. However, Elizah still harbours the dream of one day returning to the West End. Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

Colin Gausden set up and runs Jive Spain, a series of dance classes across the Costa del Sol. Despite having moved to Spain in the early 2000s with a view to retirement, Colin is quite possibly busier than he has ever been. As well as the dance school, he operates Marbella Cruisers, organising cruise holidays each year for a growing number of mature clients, and he has a dance/exercise club, again catering for the older client wanting to keep fit. Not particularly academic as a child, Colin got his first taste of life on the ocean wave when he was 15 working as a dishwasher in the merchant navy for 3 years. He spent the best part of his career in marketing. A marriage and subsequent divorce, and three children later, Colin fell in love with Spain and he now lives in Duquesa, overlooking the harbour. Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

James Sobers, also known as Blurum13, is a rapper and producer, born in New York City and raised in Maryland. From 1998 to 2006, BluRum13 was closely associated with London-based DJ Vadim and the Ninja Tune record label when he toured as emcee for Vadim’s live group The Russian Percussion (also featuring beatboxer Killa Kela and DJ Mr Thing). The group was created to promote the album Life From the Other Side (Ninja Tune, 1999), for which BluRum contributed the track “It’s Obvious.” Vadim and BluRum went on to form the hip hop group One Self in 2005 with MC Yarah Bravo, releasing the album Children of Possibility, also released on Ninja Tune. BluRum13 has been a member of several bands, including Montreal-based Bullfrog (featuring Kid Koala, released on Ropeadope/Atlantic Records), and is a member of the London-based collective the True Ingredients. BluRum has also been a featured emcee and live front-man for several other groups, including US3, Fat Freddy’s Drop, Reverse Engineering, Resin Dogs, Aquasky, and many more. In 2012, BluRum13 released a joint project with Manchester artist Matt Brewer, a.k.a. Frameworks, entitled "The Brickbuilders EP." That same year, BluRum13 began a live show collaboration with acclaimed Spanish jazz drummer Mark Ayza, and also founded the dub-hop/electro step group Indigenous Invaders with DJ Toner (Granada). Indigenous Invaders appeared live at the world’s first YouTube music festival “YouFest” in Madrid on September 28, 2012. Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

Mark Koopmans was born in the Republic of Ireland of Irish and Dutch parents. At the age of 18, realising that employment prospects were not great at that time in Ireland, Mark went to the Netherlands and started working in the hospitality business. An opportunity arose that allowed Mark to apply for his green card to work in the United States and so began a love affair with that country; a life that resulted in marriage and children. Mark’s career included a period as a print journalist, a real estate agent and writer of a biography, Revival: The Donald Braswell Story. Divorce and the subsequent meeting of his new fiancée resulted in Mark’s loving behind the US and moving to Spain, He now lives in Albolote, near Granada. Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

Many years ago Steffi Goddard and her husband stumbled upon a large old farmhouse in Andalucia, Southern Spain called Cortijo Las Salinas and from there on a love affair with the house, the country, the traditions and the people of Spain began.A major restoration project was necessary to turn the former run down rural farmhouse into the exceptional and spectacular rural villa it is today. Steffi can often be seen out on location complete with paint, brushes and canvas and her studio doubles up as her gallery where her paintings of the local landscape are displayed and are for sale. Steffi writes a blog about art, yoga, Marmite and living in rural Spain. Throughout the year, Cortijo las Salinas hosts creative and wellbeing courses and holidays - painting, yoga and much more.Steffi continues to paint and has an amazing art studio and most of her paintings are created in the studio or out on location. Steffi’s career in art now spans over 30 years, and she has an accomplished list of private and corporate collectors. Steffi has also collaborated on corporate installations, organised many art projects for schools, art groups and has led fundraising art projects for charity events, in particular the British Heart Foundation and The Eve Appeal. Now she paints on a daily basis and creates art workshops for anyone who wants to experience the freedom of painting and the joy of creativity nourishing the soul in the warm sunshine.Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

Ela Graves has lived in or near Órgiva, in Las Alpujarras, for over 38 years and her family has been here for four generations. Ela teaches English and works as an official translator in the Spanish Court system, and she forms part of the Orgiva Consciente that organises events for all forms of Consciousness.Ela was the first woman to be seen riding a motorbike in Las Alpujarras, she sold Chris Stewart his property and is one of the Grandchildren of the author and poet Robert Graves.This episode was originally recorded in the Autumn of 2017, on a terrace on a rather blustery day!Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

Karen Considine was born and brought up in rural Southern Ireland and it was a lack of family money that lead to Karen leaving Ireland to become an au pair in Paris. A love of languages and adventure resulted in Karen joining the Polo circuit, a career that spanned 30 years and took her to countries all around the world. A second career in travel journalism took off when Karen had to leave behind the world of Polo due to injury and, following the death of her mother, Karen decided that southern Spain was the place where she was most likely to be able to afford to buy a house, and she pitched up in Gaucin. Earlier this year, Karen and a couple of horses, decided to retrace the journey through Andalucia taken in 1961 by Penelope Chetwode the wife of poet John Betjeman, and Karen is now writing an account of her adventures. Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

Jeremy Ferguson is a taxation, financial planning and investment consultant who has lived on the Costa del Sol since 2002. His life has been divided between his career in the Financial Services industry and his other passion, racing cars. From an early age, Jeremy loved car racing and it was a serious accident and the need for serious investment that called a halt to racing as a career. Jeremy talks about his long career in finance, his love of racing cars and the toll that moving to southern Spain took on his first marriage. Jeremy now lives in Marbella and has an office in Sotogrande. Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

Apart from living in the countryside with easy access to a beautiful city and all that has to offer, amazing travel and periods of living all around the world, Scarlett Farrow’s key love is bringing people of different cultures together around one table, over a meal – to share stories and beliefs. It is the path to true tolerance. Scarlett is, with her husband Chris, the owner of La Finca del Castillo Arabe, a small boutique hotel in the Valle de Lecrin, Granada Province. Having found a plot of land with the most stunning views, the couple took 8 years to finally get the planning permission they needed to realise their property dreams. Scarlett is the only child of two very creative parents, and has spent much of her life travelling. When her own children went to school, Scarlett embarked on a corporate career that took her around the world. With 4 daughters and 10 grandchildren between them, Scarlett and her husband Chris are now looking forward to a slightly more relaxing retirement, surrounded by the same stunning Spanish landscapes that initially brought them here 18 years ago. Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

Kitty Harri is well known for her bestselling novels (writing as Kitty Sewell) and has lived in Spain for 15 years.With her partner Nick, Kitty has created a gorgeous Sculpture Garden in the very rural area to the north of Almuñecar on the Costa Tropical.The two acre Sculpture Garden is the culmination of many years of Kitty's sculpting and other work and, more recently with Nick, planting trees, building walkways and terraces. The garden offers an inspiring and beautiful Alternative Art Environment and Experience and our very appreciative visitors return time and time again. Alongside the 160+ artworks, the tropical gardens are continuously evolving, containing many species of palms, shrubs and trees from around the world.Kitty Harri is the pseudonym of thriller writer Kitty Sewell, a worldly Swede who has accomplished such career feats as running an estate agency in the frozen north of Canada, training as a psychotherapist, writing a popular column about agony, and being a professional sculptor. Her debut novel Ice Trap was short-listed for the Wales Book of the Year Award.Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

Ann Jenkins is Canadian by birth and now lives in La Herradura on Granada’s Costa Tropical. It is here that Ann and her husband are building a home and from where Ann runs the not-for-profit organisation, Playa Patrol. Ann talks about her very varied career in the film industry, in banking and then in research and academia. When Ann and her husband decided to quit the corporate rat race, but not quite retire, they discovered the microclimate that La Herradura enjoyed and embarked on another phase of their lives together.Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

Jason Newton is a musician, language teacher and positivity coach who lives in the tiny village of Lucainena de las Torres on the edge of the Tabernas desert in Almería. Music has always been central to Jason’s life. He studied languages as a mature student at university and then had a career in event and marketing management with Virgin and London Transport. However, throughout his youth and adult life, Jason has been writing and performing as a musician. The TV programme, ‘A Place in the Sun” sparked the initial interest in moving from the UK to live abroad, and Jason and his wife Louise discovered a love for Granada. Jason chats about his love of music, life in remote Almería and the musicians and performers who have inspired him throughout his life to date. Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

Natalie Solgala-Kaz was born and raised in London to Polish Parents. During her 2nd year at university, Natalie saw flamenco being performed for the first time in a Spanish Tapas bar in Covent Garden, and it was a life changing moment! She fell in love with it instantly and went to classes in London for 5 years before making the leap to Spain (Seville) to study it professionally. Natalie was in Triana, Sevilla for 5 years, and moved to Granada (La Zubia) in 2017.Natalie now runs Flamenco classes for visitors to Granada who wish to learn this traditional dance form.Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

David Wright came to Spain with his first wife in search of his dream. Sadly, the new way of life in Spain didn’t work for David’s wife and she returned to the UK leaving David on his own, with a business that got hit by the financial crisis and a house that had to be sold at a greatly reduced price. However, rather than giving up, David built up his carpentry business, took up dancing classes, tackled Spanish and met his future wife. Based on his own experiences of living in Spain, David runs a couple of Facebook advice groups and has written two books about living and working in Spain. Although officially ‘retired’ David is now building his own home in Almeria with his Spanish wife. Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

Kitty Shepherd is a ceramic artist whose work is currently on show at the Contemporary Ceramics Centre in London, just opposite the British Museum. Kitty specialises in slipware, the technique of painting on damp clay using coloured slip and through her designs she creates dynamic and joyful works of art that evoke feelings of nostalgia and joy. Kitty arrived in Spain rather by accident, but the circumstances had a positive and direct effect on her work. Her upbringing might be considered unorthodox and Kitty talks candidly about her mysterious father, her maverick mother and an idyllic Sussex childhood. Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

Gareth Lister was born in York, England where he spent his childhood. After moving to London aged 18 he completed a degree in fine art with a specialism in painting at Chelsea college of art, following this up with an M.A. at the same college a few years later. He now lives and works in Andalucia at the entrance to the Alpujarras high above the spa town of Lanjaron, Spain. He has exhibited in a variety of shows throughout the United Kingdom and his work is in several collections in the United Kingdom, Europe, Japan and Australia. While living in Spain he has curated a number of exhibitions both large and small, indeed Spain has brought on a new impetus and desire to make work. His paintings can be sensuous, luminous and often beautiful. If there is a narrative it is contingent, like a stopping point in a dream, often intriguing, but ambiguous. Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

Iain and his partner Amanda run the private yacht charter company, Force 4 Sailing, based in Marina del Este near Almuñecar. Despite now having what many people might consider to be the perfect job, taking guests sailing along the beautiful Costa Tropical, Iain’s career has been a series of highs and lows. He didn’t excel at school, and had no clear plan as to what he could do for a living, but he knew that he loved sailing. After 3 years in the army, and having learned to sail, Iain spent time in Gibraltar teaching other people to sail. Iain and his then wife decided to invest in a yacht company in the UK which failed after only a year, resulting in the loss of the income, the breakdown of his marriage and bankruptcy. A period in IT Consultancy helped Iain to recover financially, and a party in Granada led to his meeting Amanda who invited him to come out to Spain to sail on her yacht. From this chance meeting, the partnership was born and the couple decided to start their own private charter company on the coast of Granada Province. Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

Nick Fudge is a British painter, sculptor and digital artist. He studied at Goldsmiths College in London alongside fellow students such as Damien Hirst, Sarah Lucas, Gary Hume and David Landy under the tutorship of Michael Craig-Martin and Jon Thompson. Such was the talent of this emerging group of artists, they attracted the attention of the top London Galleries and investors and collectively they became known as the Young British Artists - a movement that revitalised the contemporary British Art scene. However, on the eve of his graduate show, Nick took the decision to destroy his collection of work and disappear. He left the UK for the United States and a 25 year long period of self-imposed exile. He became known as the Lost YBA, but he continued to work only recently deciding to return from the United States with a view to exhibiting his now large body of work. Nick, who now lives near Órgiva in La Alpujarra, talks candidly about his decision to leave behind the immediate commercial success of his fellow students and how this decision impacted both his life and his work. Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

Born in the East End of London but raised in Suffolk, Lottie Nevin was, by her own admission, very badly behaved at school and always in trouble. Her careers teacher said that Lottie would make a 'nice Hotel receptionist'. 40 odd years later Lottie took that teacher’s advice and now runs a B&B in Alcalá La Real, Jaén Province*.Lottie is, however, much more than a hotel receptionist! She is a talented artist who, with her husband Pete, runs art and printmaking courses from their delightful Bed & Breakfast home, and Lottie has blogged about her previous life in Indonesia and her new life here in Spain. Her refreshingly honest writing led to her being featured on the Channel 4 television series, ’A New Life in the Sun’.Lottie’s proudest achievement is being mother to her 5 children.* Since this chat was originally recorded, Lottie and Pete have left behind their B&B business behind and have relocated to a gorgeous part of Galicia in Northern Spain.Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

Andy Weames and Juliette Barrett have only recently moved out to their new home in Lanjarón to start on their new life together.The young couple have set up the Mountain and Road Biking experience travel company, Ride Southern Spain, and have left the UK behind to live their dream. From as early as he can remember, Andy has always had a love of bikes and his passion continued alongside his career in the construction industry. However, whenever he looked at other biking holiday organisations, he always felt that making a career out of his cycling would be the ultimate aim. At one stage, Andy, his mother and brother looked at the idea of launching a cycling and skiing business in France but that never happened. Meeting Juliette reignited the spark and now the couple are in La Alpujarra, the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, at the start of their first season in business together.Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

Gym Halama’s life story is fascinating. Her father was British and her mother Polish, and her early years were spent in London, educated at the French Lycée school. At the age of 8, Gym found her mother’s dead body and this, clearly, had a profound effect on family life. After 3 months at Art School, which Gym found to be stuffy, a career in art and fashion followed boosted by the opportunities that presented themselves on Chelsea’s Kings Road at the time of the sexual revolution. Gym found herself working for Keith Richards and Anita Palenberg until the latter sacked her for no apparent reason. Working for the fashion designer Alice Pollock resulted in Gym becoming a model and being asked to take part in a raunchy film interpretation of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.Gym’s primary career is as a film set painter and her work has taken her around the world. Never one to follow an orthodox path, Gym’s life to date has been full of highs and lows, adventures, brushes with danger and homelessness and finding herself an accidental fugitive, holed up in rural Wales with a new baby.After years of living in London, Spain is the place where Gym has found her true home and she now continues to work from her studio in the beautiful Lecrin Valley, Granada. Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

When Jessica was 31 she thought she had everything she ever wanted. She had the husband, the car, a successful stable job, the thatched cottage with the roses over the door, the multiple holidays. In short, Jessica had everything that was supposed to make her happy, but it didn’t. She felt completely stuck and alone and angry that after all the effort she was deeply unfulfilled and unhappy. In July 1991 Jessica had the courage to say ‘enough’ to herself, that there must be more to life than this and she's never looked back since. The unhappiness was buried deep within because at some point, Jessica lost touch of who she was. What she wanted, her desires, hopes and dreams; she had created a life that pleased everyone else but herself. And she was stuck because she didn’t know who she was and what she truly wanted. That was 26 years ago. Jessica is an international speaker, mentor, guide, coach and she wakes every day feeling blessed that she get to guide and support people to connect to their heart, discover what they truly want and go out and live it. Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

Jess Shepherd is a botanical painter. When she paints plants she tries to become them. There is a great deal of observation involved even before her brushes touch the paper. Jess believes that a good picture is made using not only sight, but also touch, sound, smell and movement. One has to be aware of all of these elements in order to portray the plant well and describe the space that the plant is growing into, both over and underground. Jess initially trained in botany before committing herself fully to painting so that she would understand the processes of plants more comprehensively. Equipped with this scientific knowledge, Jess is now testing new approaches to her artwork to push the capacity for botanical illustration to bring greater awareness of plants and our interaction with them. Through her art, Jess hopes to inspire people to think beyond their experience whilst enriching our current perceptions of botanical illustration, its applications and how it sits within the larger scope of the visual arts. Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

President of the palliative care charity, Acompalia, Sound Massage Practitioner, book writer, translator and book-writer. On top of all this, Fran Rajewski is restoring her home near Jaén.A French born nomad from Italian and Polish origins by my grand-parents, Fran started to travel when she was studying at University, and this travels took her to Poland, Belgium, France, the United Kingdom and Ireland. She spent 13 years at a conservatoire for music, and even became involved as the singer in a heavy metal band.Fran’s career has involved several fundraising roles, being an au pair in Nottingham for a now eminent doctor, and sitting on the board of trustees for charities in Spain. She still works with her husband in their editing and translating business.Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

Tom Burns is the Chairman of Age Concern Marbella and San Pedro de Alcantara.Tom was born in Donegal and educated in Belfast and it was here that he started his career and his family. However, having seen the ghastly impact and effects of ‘The Troubles’ in Northern Ireland Tom took the opportunity to move his family to London where he schooled his sons and enjoyed a successful career in the insurance industry.In 2002, Tom decided to take retirement and live a life in the sun on the Costa del Sol, but within 3 months he decided that he was too young and active to sit back and do nothing. He opened a restaurant in Estepona, despite having no restaurant experience, and then was offered the chance to become involved with the charity Age Concern. Using his previous experience in the third-sector, and the support of his enthusiastic team, Tom launched a branch of the charity in Marbella and San Pedro de Alcantara.Tom’s story covers a childhood growing up in segregated Ireland, charity work that took him into Long Kesh prison, and a non-retirement in sunny Spain.Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

Having left Oxford University with a degree in English, Anna Kemp went to Madrid, initially to teach. With a huge interest in TV and Film, and an urgent desire to learn Spanish, Anna decided to take a video production course, specialising in continuity - the art of ensuring that scenes follow each other without inaccuracies. Very quickly, this resulted in work within the Spanish TV industry and a very steep learning process, followed by work in film.By chance, whilst working on the film ‘Al Sur de Granada’ based on Gerald Brenan’s book of his time spend living in Las Alpujarras, Anna and her husband discovered to village of Laroles and it was here that the couple bought a home. Teaching theatre to the children of the village provided the inspiration behind Anna’s next project: the creation of an open-air theatre and the inauguration of a theatre festival that would bring top quality drama to this rural corner of Spain.Me Vuelves Lorca, the drama festival, has just completed its third year and through the support of the local ayuntamiento, villagers and volunteers, a beautiful theatre (based on the Cornish clifftop Minack Theatre) has been created using the existing stone threshing circles.Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

When Sarah Yuen was growing up, she wanted to be either a journalist or run an orphanage; she chose the former and at the age of 16 she embarked on what turned out to be an incredibly successful and action-packed career. Talent and opportunity presented Sarah with opportunities as a foreign correspondent in the UK, the Far-East and throughout Europe and in her time as a television reporter, Sarah witnessed many of the world-changing events that took place in the last two decades of the 20th Century - the collapse of Eastern Europe, the Tiananmen Square protests and much more. After several years owning and running a ski chalet in the French Alps, a new role in French media led to Sarah becoming Executive Producer of the Eurovision Song Contest for 3 years and then the opportunity arose for Sarah to work with allied troops in the Middle East, a move that changed her perspective of the world around her. Sarah, who trained as a clinical hypnotherapist, is now based in Cómpeta, in Málaga Province, where she has a clinic and helps people with PTSD and other stress-related issues. Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

Jan Churchill has a fascinating CV. He started his career as a car mechanic before moving into rally driving, and his driving career alternated with a career selling wood burning stoves at various times throughout his life to date. As a rally driver, Jan had a number of brushes with fame in the industry, opened one of the UK’s most successful rally driver training schools in the hills and forests of Wales, and was given a huge business boost by Anneka Rice. During the course of his career, Jan has restored in the region of 13 different properties in various parts of the world, admits to getting bored very quickly, grabs opportunities without much thought and gets on with them as best he can. This philosophy resulted in his buying a half share in a large sailing yacht in the Mediterranean, never having sailed before, and then chartering the yacht out for several year from its base in the Greek Ionian Sea, with Jan as skipper. He lives off-grid in a house that he and his wife Sue built themselves, in a very remote part of Granada Province surrounded by olive trees that the couple now farm with a view to producing top-quality organic olive oil. Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

Debbie Williams is the founder of the pro-EU campaigning organisation, Brexpats - Hear our Voice, and is a member of the steering committee of the coalition group, British in Europe. Debbie was born and brought up in South Wales and she joined the RAF when she left school at 18. She met her future husband at school and the couple both had careers in the armed forces until Debbie’s husband decided to retrain as an IT contractor. The change of career resulted in couple living and working in various parts of Europe, along with their young daughter. Prior to the EU Referendum in 2016, Debbie had already started to seek out opinions over the UK’s membership of the EU, and post-Referendum saw Debbie launch her campaigning organisation. In 2017, the group was awarded a European Citizen’s Prize in recognition of the work that had been done to create pan-European cooperation and collaboration. Debbie and her family live on the coast in Valencia Province. Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

The talent of Russell Nash was recognised at an early age, when he joined the famous Sylvia Young Theatre School. Perfecting his art with roles in television, theatre and as a model, he was a busy professional performer before he had reached fourteenth birthday.Lionel Bart personally cast him for the lead as Dodger in the highly acclaimed musical Oliver and many lead roles followed in both theatre and film.After further training at the Lee Strasberg Studio in the USA, Russell returned to London to form a band and a career as a composer was launched with tracks written for All Saints (I Feel You, from their Platinum album Saints To Sinners) and artists of the day such as Shola Ama. When Russell found himself unexpectedly dropped by his record label, he headed for southern Spain and there, amidst mountains, the Mediterranean and Moorish landscapes he quickly learnt the language and culture of his new home. He now has a thriving recording studio and teaching academy. Over the past few years, this quirky, contemporary composer and performer has co written an entire musical, composed songs and music for film, theatre and commercials whilst singing and playing out both professionally and just for fun in hidden venues where the walls reverberate with Flamenco passion and the Andalusian heartbeat that makes his soul smile.Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

David Baird, journalist and photographer, has worked on newspapers and magazines around the world. For the past 30 years he has made his home in southern Spain, reporting on the Iberian peninsula and North Africa for many publications.Newspapers and magazines which have published his work include The Economist, Boston Globe, Sacramento Bee, International Herald Tribune, Daily Telegraph, The Scotsman, Maclean’s Magazine, Toronto Star, South China Morning Post, Sydney Morning Herald.He has written a number of books, both fact and fiction. His thriller, Typhoon Season, is set in Hong Kong, where he worked for a number of years, but most of his books cover Spanish themes. They include the non-fiction works Sunny Side Up - the 21st century hits a Spanish village and Inside Andalusia, which earned him Spain’s national travel-writing prize for foreign writers and journalists.Respected historian Paul Preston and Lorca biographer Ian Gibson have praised his epic research investigating a forgotten war between Communist-led guerrillas and the Franco regime. The result is his fascinating book, "Between Two Fires - Guerrilla war in the Spanish sierras".Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

Debbie Skyrme is a Celebrant who lives in La Herradura on Granada’s Costa Tropical. Debbie and her partner, Jay, have lived in Spain since 2010, firstly renovating an old cortijo in the middle of the countryside before moving to the coast. Debbie had two very different career paths back in her native UK, firstly as a successful IT Trainer who was once headhunted by Microsoft and then as a Registrar of Births, Marriages and Deaths. It seems that her empathy and love of a celebration, having been brought up in a family that celebrated well, have both resulted in Debbie finding the perfect role for herself in her new home. Debbie’s Life Story includes having had a grandfather who was the chairman of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club. Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

“Michael Bublé isn’t the only person keeping the Sinatra Flame alive” so said the London Times of Gary Williams, star of the West End’s “Rat Pack” and soloist with leading big bands and concert orchestras including the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, the Melbourne Symphony, the BBC Big Band, Ireland’s RTE and the Lahti Sinfonia Finland. Other work includes performing for The Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace, ‘That’s Entertainment’ a tribute to the MGM musicals with the John Wilson Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall, performing at Sinatra’s Palm Springs home for the LA Jazz Institute, Radio 2 with the BBC Concert Orchestra, ‘Winter Wonderland’ at the Royal Albert Hall, ‘A Swingin’ Session’ with the Nelson Riddle Orchestra in Los Angeles, ‘Big Band Wonderland’ at Ronnie Scott’s, ‘The Legend of Sinatra’ (UK tour), a tribute to the music of Fred Astaire presented by his daughter Ava, BBC Pebble Mill, Gloria Hunniford’s ‘Open House’ (with Donny Osmond and Burt Bacharach), the soundtrack for the Warner Bros’ motion picture ‘Mrs Ratcliffe’s Revolution’ and BBC1’s ‘Doctor Who Christmas Special’. As a headline act on the world’s luxury cruise liners he has visited over 60 countries. His latest two albums, a tribute to Sinatra and a “best of” his Abbey Road recordings, were recently released, prompting Oscar winning lyricist Don Black to say “In a world of Pop Idol mediocrity Gary Williams shines like a dazzling beacon.”Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

A lifestyle TV programme inspired Alan Cuthbertson to persuade his family to leave everything behind in the UK for a new life in Spain. By his own admission, Alan is impulsive and this probably stems from a childhood during which he suffered from chronic illness. In fact, Alan’s health was so bad during his early school years that doctors feared he would not live beyond his teens.Alan took up karate to tackle his ill-health, and credits his fitness regime with the life he is able to lead to this day. Despite a poor education, he worked hard and established his own business with his wife, Heather. Seeing an aerobatics display resulted in Alan taking up flying, and he was on his way to becoming a commercial airplane pilot before his move to Spain.Aged 45, the intention was to retire here in Andalucia, but Alan has subsequently written two books with a third due to be published.Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

Jim and Jiab Wasserman left behind highly successful careers in the US to embark on semi-retirement adventures in Granada; the period in their lives they call their “Third Life”. Jiab was a credit risk manager working for a major bank, is now semi-retired and a free- lance writer on personal financial. Jim was a former attorney who then taught Humanities (History, Government, Economics, Media Literacy) for 25 years. He is retired and also writes, with a three volume teachers' manual on media literacy and behavioral economics due out next Spring. Both write for their blog, yourthirdlife, which tracks the practical and philosophical musings as they wander and wonder at the world's marvels. Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)

June Windon was born and brought up in what is now the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. June left school as soon as she could to start her career and worked in Hatton Garden before finding a role she loved in the freight shipping industry.A holiday to Ibiza resulted in a complete change in June’s life. Following the end of a long relationship, she decided to travel and enjoy life a little without realising that she should bump into the man who would become her husband. June left everything behind for a new life in Granada - a new husband, two step-children, a very different culture and no career.Although still very British at heart, June loves her life here in Andalucia and has forged a deeply embedded new role with her Spanish family.Support the show (http://patreon.com/IanRutter)