Fleaflyfloflum

Hello all.

Been back one week. Before i left Sydney, i was quite worried about how i would feel when i got back here. I neednt have worried. As i flew over London approaching Heathrow, the tears welled up in my eyes. I had this ovewhelming sense of being home. In fact i was choked up.
When i cam through customs and saw ALL my family waiting at the barrier with balloons and flowers it set me off again!! 2 lots of tears inside an hour..lol
Enjoyed the drive back to my daughters looking at all the green fields. Yet another set of tears when we reached the street i grew up in (daughter still lives there)

I have made it my mission this week to get over all the foods i dreamt about whilst in Aus. I must have put on 2 stone in a week..lmao

good curry with all the trimmings
walkers crisps
decent pork pie
cadbury creme egg and its not easter!
english fish and chips
cumberland sausage

Gawwd i feel sick just reading it! Salads all next week for me i reckon

Saw my first squirrel even though my son in law nearly killed it as it sat in the middle of the road as we drove by!!

Saw the house of my dreams for sale just round the corner from my daughters house. Take a look

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetai...a_n=1&tr_t=buy

The photos dont do it justice. All i need to do is win the lottery to afford it.

One thing that i have found a big surprise is how friendly strangers have been towards me. Over the years i have managed to pck up a rahter odd accent. Being married to a kiwi and living in NZ, then moving to Aus, my accent has a bit of an identity crisis, so as soon as i open my mouth its obvious. At least 6 times over this week shopkeepers and strangers have been fabulous, wanting to know where i am from, 2 said if i need any help or get lost pop in and see them. I was totally shocked!!! Where is this nasty England i keep hearing about? It is certanly not in the Essex village my daughter lives in.
I thought about it a bit and realised it is not so much the country you live in but the type of community. I guess central London would be much the same Sydney. Too busy and not enough time for each other.

I cant tell you how happy i am to be home. Lots of baby cuddles with new granddaughters and spending far too much money spoiling them rotten, but hey! Thats what grandmas are for and i intend to keep doing it

Anway.. i'm off to feed the ducks with the bubs.

Hope you are all ok.

TraceyW

You sound so happy flea and I'm envious....especially about the fish and chips bit!!!!

I hope it stays that way for you for ever. Enjoy those grandchildren

Shivster

Oh I'm jealous just reading that! Whenever I go back for a visit I never recognise the England that the Daily Mail and Brit bashers go on about. I always have a great time.

Keep us posted and buy a lottery ticket.

Elvira

And you know what? Just a few miles from Central London, away from the hordes of tourists and commuters rushing to/from work, there are some really nice communities too.

I'm currently back in Putney for my annual 'sabbatical', and I simply do not recognise the Britain described by some people on these boards. Wherever I go, people look cheerful, the pubs and restaurants are full of people laughing and chatting, and shop assistants and the like are polite and helpful. And if you can believe this, some people even say 'hi' and 'thanks' to the bus drivers!

loopylorns

Great house!!!

Glad you are happy to be back, I Love it.

Kind of like a dream being away-or perhaps a nightmare!

Good luck.

SarahInTX

Damn. You're making me so jealous!

I'm so glad to hear you're enjoying being back.

I was just thinking earlier how odd it is that some people see Britain in a totally negative light while others see it very positively. I wonder why that is . . .

If you buy that house, we'll all be able to move in with you!

Sarah

TruBrit

hey good to hear your update. i get so emotional when we fly into gatwick, the final approach from the coast is fantastic. i'm not so bad now we have a place there but before i'd get so emotional

btw don't forget to change your location

TruBrit

i think it all depends on where you are located in the uk...

Tootsie Frickensprinkles

Great to hear you're enjoying being back Flea, good luck with the lottery

I've always found the community spirit in London too, maybe you have to have grown up here. I would like to move further in but we just won't be able to afford it. That said, I wouldn't be unhappy about moving further out either. My place at the moment is kinda neither one nor the other.

How far out in Essex are you Flea?

on a mission

give it a few months , then you will know what you have done.

Sorry but you will question why you came back,,,,

TruBrit

not a very constructive reply! ...

dunroving

Now, what would possess you to rain on someone's parade? Such a small-minded thing to do.

jumping doris

But then again...she might not

britvic

And sounds like you want to leave We've done it and we know what we are going back to. So good to hear your news FFF

mick69

Pleased you have arrived back safe and sound Flea. You sound as if your having a ball there with children and grandchildren.

Keep enjoying it and keep us posted.

Lynne