Prado del Rey is a special place.
Sometimes it’s been hard to see this when times have been challenging. Last night I attended the 20th Anniversary celebration of my school. Past alumni, teachers and even Prado’s mayor spoke about the town and the impact that my school has had on the community. I found it truly amazing how a town of less than 8000 people continue to come together to celebrate each other. There were performances after each speaker from students, past-students and teachers, including a stunning show by Arsalabrasa led by alumna Marina and Alvaro. Check out a short video of the event here.
My name has been immortalised on the 20th anniversary tree
(it's spelled incorrectly but the sentiment is appreciated <3)
The sense of community in Prado del Rey is astounding, it is something quite different to what I’m used to. In the UK, a lot of us don’t even know the names of our neighbours. Social media seems to have replaced social interaction. After all, why have a school reunion when you can see what everyone’s up to on Facebook or LinkedIn? But there’s a special shared experience that I’ve witnessed watching community events in Prado del Rey. It is impossible to fully understand the culture of the town unless you’ve grown up there (and have a fluency in Spanish, of course), however it has been great to watch the towns-people enjoy themselves after two years of little physical interaction thanks to the pandemic.
Despite struggling with the language, likely also due to the AndalucÃan accent, I’ve always felt welcome in the town. However perhaps not when walking pass the Vox stall (a political party famous for their right-wing nationalist sentiments). I pass everyone in the street with an ‘hola’ or ‘buenas’ and I’ve always had help when I’ve needed it. Everyone working in local shops has been patient with the language barrier. I struggle to imagine people from my hometown being as welcoming, but I hope if anyone from Prado finds themselves in Basingstoke (I've advised many against it) that they will be treated kindly. If my community in the UK was more like that of Prado del Rey, I'd be more inclined to get to know my neighbours and be motivated to set up events. However the feeling here seems unique, and I think it will be a long time before I experience anything like it again.
