Moses2013

It's probably because there's not too much difference between high and low temps at the moment. When you're in Melbourne and it's 20 one day and drops to 11 the next day, you'll feel a lot colder.

OzTennis

Good to hear your news OE, despite of course your reason for being back. Yep, there's been some serious weather over the weekend, especially between where you are in N Wales and where we are in SW Scotland. Parts of Cumbria as you know got more than 10 inches of rain, following on from a wet week before and more wet days to come this week.

It's funny the weather thing. I see people wandering around in T-shirts when it's cold and I think to myself, if they dress like that in the cold how would they go in low 40's! The weather that you don't mind has been so dire these last few weeks we're counting down the days until we go out to Melbourne early Jan!

Take care.

ozzieeagle

January Scotland to January Melbourne is a bit like a climatic version of BDSM......Enjoying the vibe now even on my own......In the classic UK pub...Chesterfields and all that goes with it.

ozzieeagle

Got to say I've never noticed the divide between the haves and the have nots more pronounced than this trip. Seems like a hell of a lot of poor people around. Cant get over all the overheard swearing in normal conversation between ordinary people on the street.

Mind you it's early days and I am in Rhyl.

Could be the North / South thing I guess

Although that means the difference between the haves and have nots is even more amplified in places like this.

Popped in a pub called the Cob and Pen, the difference in cliental in this pub compared to the others I been in astounded me. Definitely the G&T brigade.... Still most people of a certain age drinks that in Aus... So I just got on with it.

Best start walking a lot today.... my waist line is expanding to rapidly due to excess consumption of beer and cheese.


The Cob & Pen (Rhyl, Wales): Address, Phone Number, Top-Rated Bar & Club Reviews - TripAdvisor

Nice old fashioned looking pub with those big old armchairs.... Chesterfields and only 5 mins walk from my Parents gaffe.

Pollyana

The way to deal with the waistline is to find pubs to whch you have to walk

Almo

Without meaning to offend... Rhyl doesn't have the best reputation. In fact at work, the whole North Wales Coast tends to be considered a pain. I don't think it's a North/South thing at all, just that you're in a fairly deprived area. Plenty of nice places around - including Chester!

The trains will be rammed on the last Saturday before Christmas going to/from a football match. Absolutely rammed. Just grin and bear it, in some ways it's part of the experience. You'll probably be early enough home to miss the worst of the delights of the North Wales Coast trains on a Saturday night but it's quite something.

Glad you are finding lots of positives in your trip home and hope it continues to be full of pleasant surprises, despite the reason for being there.

jad n rich

Sorry to hear about your mum. You are not missing much weather wise in Melb. Yesterday was a battle, defiantly fighting the weather yesterday, hot 37 at airport,70k hot gusts, few flies not that bad but hell annoying. Cooler now but oddly very humid again.
The swearing, hate that, but its very common in Australia, just not so much inner melb as its more diverse. Get out to the more aussie suburbs and one thing I really really hate is its common for people to swear their head off, even to women. Tradies are notorious for it, can take the most well heeled clients to a site and you feel like providing ear protection for them. Heard vast amounts of swearing rants on the train in melb too. Certain type of people though.
Enjoy your time over there, and enjoy the cold, you will be back for the hot bit soon enough. Best wishes to you and your dad .

ozzieeagle

Fair call

It's not felt really cold at all yet. It was 8C at 6am here in Rhyl so thats an amost identical average temp you would get in winter in Melbourne at the same time of day.

Getting a bit bored up here on my lonesome now.... Dad doesn't really want to go out, especially for a drive and basically I just go for a wander each day.... Might start going for a drive each day instead.

Time to check out local points of interest me thinks... except I reckon I've done all the close by ones before... Conway, Castles, Great Orm etc.

GarryP

I should visit Llanfair­pwllgwyngyll­gogery­chwyrn­drobwll­l lan­tysilio­gogo­goch, and spend the rest of the time practising how to pronounce it.

Actually, when I go away, I tend to make sure I've a book to read or a project to do, so if it gets boring I can amuse myself. Book is always good if you have a tablet or ereader.

Pollyana

Call me, I'll teach you how to say it - my dad made sure if there was one Welsh placename I could say perfectly, it was that one!

Pollyana

Bit further afield maybe - Ffestiniog perhaps, Betws-y-coed, somewhere like that? And do me a huge favour - when driving through Rhos on Sea, take a pic of the beach/sea - we had a superb holiday there, our only one as a family before my mid-teens, my sister and I would love a photo!!

ozzieeagle

Should be able to manage that

ozzieeagle

Ok trying something different that I've not seen done before on these boards which involves leave. I've managed to get a doctors letter by going to the local gp with my father, in it it states that I'm here to help and care for my dad at this time. Had to pay for the letter as a private patient 10 quid, but as I went with my father I didn't have to register and pay for a private consulation.

Reason being in Australia we have provision in the award wages system for Carers leave. So thats a national employer / employee benefit for most workers. I've talked to my employers at Aus post... well my local ones and the area manager and they said as far as they are concerned they will accept this letter. Depends on HR at Post as they have the final say. The difference is instead of this trip coming out of my holiday leave entitlement which is a cashable benefit, it should now be coming out of my sick leave which is not a cashable benefit at time of leaving, it gets absorbed back into the system when you leave. Basically the letter if accepted is worth 5 to 6000 dollars.


The carers leave letter if produced in Aus by a GP would definitely be accepted in my circumstance....whereas I dont think an international one has ever been attemped before to my knowledge at least.

This could help all people that find themselves in my situation as long as they are employed under the award wages system (60 to 70 pct of the working population)

Won't know for sure until I get back.

Otherwise I've used 7 weeks of my 26 weeks Long Service Leave entitlement, which I want to hang onto as with every pay rise it becomes more and more valuable.

ozzieeagle

Well what a very pleasant surprise Warrington is......could well be top of my list as most underestimated places ive been to....really nice people there.

Dreamy

I have no idea what could possibly have made you go to Warrington! Or sing its praises (although admittedly it has been 18 years since I lived there and probably 15 years since I went anywhere near the town centre)

The people are generally lovely though (original in-laws are all from Warrington.. well, Penketh, anyway)