keijei

Or in my case twice. I got sent home the first time, 7 hour stopover in Brissy Airport.

Definately good idea to have a party.

skye

We left with two close friends having a drink.... sister was busy - mother too old - great time with our closest and dearest!

Nu-Shooz

We wanted to sneak off quietly, but friends had a surprise goodbye for us in local pub. It was nice of them, but very upsetting.
We went to the airport alone though. Best way.

The Brooks

we had one and it was really good, the kids loved it as they invited all their school friends, ended up being about 200 people their including kids, there was a few tears at the end from nearest and dearest but we are so glad we did, some good memories to look back on.

Sam

Eastend Girl

I wanted to come quietly but a friend of mine threw a surprise party which I got wind of (as you do) and was dreading it. Anyway, I'm glad he did; it was a wonderful party, he'd managed to get people there that I didn't even know he knew about! It was not too sad and lots of great memories from it

Nickie

We have thought about this long and hard........we were going to have 2 parties, one for the kids and their friends and then a seperate one for us and our friends....then we decided that we may not know enough people to fill a hall..lol..

So we decided to make a list of people we really wanted to say goodbye to and take them for a meal and we pay....well the list is at present 126 people!

So we are now back on the hall idea.
Think the fun day would be a good idea but im worried about the house getting trashed as its got to be sold and its just our luck something would get broke.....my daughter ran into the bannister and pushed all the spindles out last night!!! dont ask me how, she gashed a big lump out of her knee and had to go to hos, shes ok just a few sterrystrips!!!
so i 1 child can do that in 5 minutes...........imagine what 20 kids could do!!!!!

So we are going to hire a hall for the evening and invite everyone and have a guy outside on the bbq, if its raining he can have a brolly....haha

Couldnt go with out one but the thing is i get all emotional now, and last year when Harvey used to watch Bear in the big blue house and he sang the goodbye song it used to make me cry cos i used to imagine me leaving my friends.

Sad cow aint i!!!!

Nickie

butterflysand

We had a brilliant leaving do! At first we weren't going to bother, and have loads of little nights out, but we have too many friends and too many relatives to get away with it. Besides the kids had to say 'bye' to their friends too. (try keeping track of what 20 underage teenagers are drinking, hard work!). I didn't get really weepy until the friends/family I knew I wouldn't see before flying out, started to leave the party and then I blubbed like a baby!! We had our party 6 days before we left, and then I used the remaining time to say an individual goodbye to those closest to us.
It helped to draw a line under the UK life, and get us ready for Oz. It would of felt odd just leaving, like you've forgotten to do something, but each to their own.

neil.b

We couldn't decide for months before we left. Finally chose to have one as it was easier to say all our goodbyes in one go. We thought that it would be traumatic, but honestly, it was a superb night. Like yourself Dave we worried that not enough would be coming, and ended up with over 140 there.
By the way, We will have a little welcoming party when you arrive too.

Neil.

Phoenix

Nah no leaving do for us.
Most of my friends were all over the country so I said goodbyes as and when. Most i said goodbye to at the end of the racing season in Oct and a few at new year.
That just left local friends and family.
It was hard enough but that one that got me the most was my sister. Never knew she'd miss me that much. I was quite taken aback.

Josie1100

We had a leaving party and for us it was great. Two weeks before we left we had a party and for us it was fab. We decided that we could have one night with friends/family and we had a lovely time. We had about 200 people come along and it was great for us. We had said that we would give up one night of our time and hope that our friends/family would do the same. We sent a guest book around, and we are still awaiting to see what people have written in it, when it arrives with the shipping.

Our party to us was something we felt we wanted to. It is a choice thing and this felt right to us

Tammy x

dave7370

Top banana Neil!

The names of people coming Saturday just keeps growing. It's been making me chuckle to myself about the people who've said "Oh, you never mentioned you were going?". Yes, ok. Like we only maybe mentioned to all and sundry over the last 3 years!

3 weeks to go.... tick tock!

See you at the airport! (Will forward details very shortly)

chris96

Hi Dave,

I had a leaving party, best thing i done, although there was some cheap skate called dave drinking all my god dam beer

Make sure you under cook the sausages and chicken and go out with a bang!!!


Chris.

Clair and Darren Kleba

That is exactly whats happened here.. we had the party in the 30th Nov and now we're going on the 27th Jan so we've now got the meals/piss-ups and family do's again before we go!! god my liver cant cope oh but its used to it and luckily the Ozzies are just as bad hop on

pominNoosa

Next weekend it'll be exactly a year since I left Blighty. The week before I left I'd planned a girlie night with two close friends, followed by a pub crawl through Northampton the next night.
When I arrived at the girlie evening, a load more people, who were all rammed into a tiny kitchen, popped out shouting 'SURPRISE!' - which it definitely was! I had a great night and felt a bit embarrassed about the people who felt obliged to turn up for the pub crawl that I'd planned. Never mind - you only leave once (usually!).
No tears - they obviously weren't THAT sorry to see me go!

rabsody

We had a leaving do for this reason, would never have had the time to catch up with everyone individually and we got most of the goodbyes out the way in one go. Plus we all got pissed and had a laugh (apart from the goodbyes).