María Inés Guerrero Parra, 57 and a language teacher, is originally from Jerez who, due to life circumstances, went to London, initially to study English, as she wanted to study Translation and Interpreting at the University of Granada. But her life marked another path for him, since she works as at par –housework as a babysitter, mainly: in the capital of the United Kingdom, she met her husband.
Guerrero has been in London for 26 years, has six children, four are still there, and 14 grandchildren, half of them in the London capital. It is the story of a woman who does not renounce Jerez’s DNA, who makes her homeland in foreign lands who, despite the years and in that daily life immersed in Anglo-Saxon culture, takes Jerez as her flag. Never, as her closest friends know her, she spares no effort and talent to bring the customs and traditions of Jerez to English lands. In her house there is no shortage of recreations of the Horse Fair, Bethlehem at Christmas or the French toast at Easter.
At the beginning of this month of December, he had the opportunity to come to his land and experience for the first time what an authentic Zambomba was. He left his land very young and, at that time, the quintessential Christmas party in Jerez didn’t have the roots it enjoys today. “Although he left Jerez very young, I still carry my city within me; I try to bring little pieces of Jerez to London and pass on our culture to my children and also to my husband who, although not Spanish, loves our traditions”.
So much so that when she celebrated her silver wedding, they renewed their vows, but that day she fulfilled her dream of dressing up as a gypsy, «because I couldn’t do it when I got married. I even danced with a horse that day.” She adds that what she misses most as a woman from Jerez “is the sun, the light, the character of the people, being able to be on the street, the weather and of course the family. In any case, I try to live here in Jerez in the best possible way,” Mai explains.
How does she experience what dazzles her in the distance? “With great desire. The only way not to break with one’s roots is to try to keep or try to live in London everything that is left in Jerez”. He sets up a crib and every year, and also “we organize a fair of horses in the garden of my house which are getting closer and closer”. So much so that this year it brought together more than 100 people. “We had to limit entry because we didn’t fit in the garden; As I said, this Fair is only one horse,” he explains.
And so that nothing is missing, she has acquired a large collection of short and gypsy dresses for her guests to wear. “People come here from England, but above all from many countries: Germany, Poland, Malaysia, India, Italy, Portugal and some Spaniards; In short, a whole universe of cultures and everyone loves it. It costs me nothing to involve them.”
A fair with a waiting list
You also have reservations well in advance for that Fair. “There are neighbors and friends who have been calling me for many months to reserve an invitation for them. We teach them to dance the sevillanas with express courses. We have also set up workshops for children”, points out Jerez, who shows how all this has consequences. “Many have decided to go to southern Spain to meet on site all that we celebrate here. Some have even started giving flamenco lessons.”
“What they are able to understand is that we have a very healthy and happy lifestyle, that we are generous; all of this fascinates them, especially being in London, where everything is very gray and there are no traditions”, underlines María Inés , who in When it comes to Christmas, he also opens his house so that people can see his crib. obviously sherry wine. We are a very international family: my father-in-law is Italian, my mother-in-law is Polish, my sisters-in-law are Irish, Belgian… we sing Christmas carols in all languages”.
A very special deal with the Magi
There are also the Magi with a very captivating story. In England this tradition does not exist, so one of their children has “a agreement With the Magi, since he has school on January 5 and 6, he asked them in a letter if they could come earlier. And so they do, they are kind enough to come to our house before going to Spain”.
In short, Never jerezane in London; and he does it in a big way: “Jerez continues to expand in this very international family and I am grateful to be able to contribute everything that my land, so rich in culture, has given me”.
