AndyR1976

Jimclevs,

You are from Shittingbourne...ahhh, I mean Sittingbourne...???

I am a town planner and worked for two years at Swale Council so was based in that horrible building right in the centre lf Sittingbourne - I know the place very well after 2 years of trying to sort out the planning there (gave up in the end).

I still know lots of people there and stay in contact with people I worked with at the Council - small world hey??!

Lorna was born in Margate and her parents live in Herne Bay (where she grew up) - her dad owns a well known menswear store in Herne Bay that he has run for the last million years or so - they were similar to you, lived in HB but basically used Canterbury for all of their shopping etc.

We would love to come along to one of your meets - I'll check with the social secretary (Lorna) about whether we have anything else booked for that day!!

Also, Congratulations on your citizenship!!

And yeah, its great to be back home....although there is lots that I loved about England there is nothing like having the sand of your hometown beach under your feet again....

A


And I'll do my best to learn the secret handshake!

Jimclevs

Hi Andy

Streuth... what a small world indeed. Mind you, I expect you had your work cut out trying to make something decent of Sittingbourne as a town and, you're right, the Council building in the middle of town was an awful-looking building - but it obviously got past the town planners !!)

We reckoned it almost needed gutting and starting again - but then you could say that of hundreds of towns in UK and, no doubt, a good few over here . Gill and I moved there many years ago to be near the Naval dockyard at Chatham when I was in the Royal Navy and we just sort of stayed - as you do

Anyways, we can talk of this when we get to meet.

By the way - even I don't know what the secret handshake is !

Regards

Jim

joho

spoil sport, ahhhh but you know the bum wiggle surely.

Jo

Keith S

Hi to all central Coast Ex-Pats.

She who must be obeyed and myself have been in Aus since 1981 and based in Sydney until we retired early (2006) and moved permanently to the Central Coast (Chittaway Point). Still have ex-pat blood coarsing through the veins and would love to attend the next gathering and meet up with people of similar accents and background. Do we qualify? We still have Branston pickle in our cupboard and watch Coronation Street, follow Arsenal all the way to the top of the league each year and sleep in front of the telly on Christmas afternoon (but with the A/C on).
Look forward to hearing the details if its a positive.

FRAYNE

Hello keith, tell the boss you are more than welcome the more the merrier we have been here just over a year and are renting in Gosford at the moment while we house hunt look forward to meeting you
Janet

joho

Answer this question and we shall see.

Vegemite or marmite.........

Jo

ragtag

Hi Janet I have sent you a PM

Keith S

This is a little unfair as I believe, after a little taste of each, that both products must be derived from the hooves of diseased cattle left to roam stagnant fields until a month after their death. Is there a more palatable test that could be set?

Keith S

Thanks janet and we both look forward to the "meet-up" and will keep an eye on this thread for the details when they are decided.

joho

AndyR1976

I thought vegemite and marmite were from vegetatble yeast sources (not moo cows)..??

Vegemite (I think) is manufactured from the by-products of the brewing industry - so perhaps by buying lots of vegemite (like I do) then you are supporting local breweries???!

I know that Bovril (ewwww) is from animal yeasts.....

Anyway...in my house we have Vegemite (for me. I'm Australian), Marmite (for my girlfriend who is english) and Promite (for when my parents visit - they are just old).

We also have regular milk, low fat milk, skimmed milk, semi-skimmed milk, 'white gold' high fat milk, light white, goats milk, soy milk and rats milk....

Don't even get me started on the fruit juice section of our fridge.......

ns.clements

Hi Jim, My family has recently emmigrated from Sussex to Newcastle and we met up with Stan and Caralynn last Saturday. They said you were all meeting up at Avoca Beach on March 8th. We would love to come and meet you all. I have 2 girls aged 13 and 15 and my Husband, Neil, has just got a job with Optus. I suppose we just need to keep an eye on the thread to see what time you are meeting. We have Kelly Clarkson tickest for the evening of March 8th so hopefully you'll meet earlier on in the day. Hope to meet you soon. Sarah
ps we're of course marmite fans but have vegemite in the cupboard!!!

smithla

Hello All,
We (i.e. me Lauren, husband Barry, our son Gabe aged 2 and another one due in 6 weeks) moved from Surrey to Oz in December. Now that we are all settled into our home in Forresters beach we thought it was time we made some friends. We would love to come along to your meet up on the 8th of March. We will keep an eye on this thread for details of time and place. Avoca is good for us and our boy loves the playground there.
By the way all this rain is making me home sick!
We're looking forward to seeing you soon.
BW
Lauren, Barry & Gabe

esperanza

They were roaming the stagnant fields until a month after death? That is even more wrong than Marmite!!

joho

Everyone is welcome and you dont have to be vegemite fans to come. Lots of newbies which is good. Hope you all make it. Shall we say from 12 noon onwards so we can enjoy lunch either BYO or purchase from Cafe. And the ones that need to be away early for various reasons can. I am sure the green hair will not come from the sea Eamon.........

Jo